Talk of JESUS .com

Tag: psalm 119

Advent 2 of Christmas Evangelicalism
Advent

‘Advent of what’ we ask?
a Nativity Scene on the mantle for Advent and our annual Christmas feast?

A COVID Christmas – Shall we take Jesus out of the box includes history of Christmas in the U.S. December 1, 2020 C.E.
“Before what?”

Last time in our ADVENT 1 post from this 2024 Common Era series, we asked:

Can we comprehend a time Before the first Christmas?

The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.

And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.

Genesis 6:11-12 KJV

Command of the LORD & promise of a Covenant

“But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall enter the ark.. Genesis 6

“I establish My covenant with you; and all flesh shall never again be cut off by the water of the flood, neither shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth.” – Genesis 9

READ MORE about God’s covenant with Noah

IMAGINE the historical NOAH preaching to a corrupt church about this ADVENT of the Last Days when JESUS will return to judge creation with fire and fellow sinners sitting right beside you at this year’s Christmas program.

The chosen Before Christ

A PERSONAL interaction between the Creator and Living God of timeless eternity and a created son of Adam and NOAH.

Art thou greater than our father Abraham, who died? and the prophets died; whom dost thou make thyself?’

Jesus said to them,

‘Verily, verily, I say to you, Before Abraham’s coming — I am;’

excerpt from Gospel of John 8: Young’s Literal Translation (YLT)

AFTER this unique time of ABRAHAM Before Christ,
- Judah (and Israel) had yet to be conquered, named, lost, regained and renamed over centuries of the chosen sons of Abraham.
Chosen for Covenant and Curse
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FROM the LAW of Moses 
for the generations of the LORD's chosen; 
administered by Levite priests (sons of Jacob, Isaac and Abraham:
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Additional Blessings of Obedience
- “You must not make idols for yourselves..
- You must keep My Sabbaths
- and have reverence for My sanctuary. I am the LORD.
- .. and I will establish My covenant with you.
How are you doing with your obedience:
- youthful christian Swifty?
- Sunday morning NFL evangelist?
- Latte listeners of amplified praise?
Punishments for Disobedience

If, however, you fail to obey Me and to carry out all these commandments, and if you reject My statutes, despise My ordinances, and neglect to carry out all My commandments, and so break My covenant, then this is what I will do to you: … Those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee when no one pursues you.

18 And if after all this you will not obey Me, I will proceed to punish you sevenfold for your sins. 19 I will break down your stubborn pride…

And YES,

(You know some of the long history of God’s chosen)

it gets worse from here even BEFORE Christ.

YET could the LORD’s prophesy apply even to US?

Our sin and disobedience continue into these Common Evangelical post-Christian times — (notably by some adopted in Christ Jesus).

The Advent of Defeat

You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them.

Nor shall you make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to their son, nor take their daughter for your son. “For they will turn your sons away from following Me, to serve other gods; so the anger of the LORD will be aroused against you and destroy you suddenly.

Deuteronomy 7:2b-4 NKJV
- But if your heart turns away and you do not listen.. – Deuteronomy 30:17a
- Then Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the LORD, to serve him.” And they said, “We are witnesses.” – Joshua 24:22
Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, “Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. Nevertheless I will not do it in your days, for the sake of your father David; I will tear it out of the hand of your son. – 1 Kings 11:11-12 NKJV

King Solomon (the Preacher) & Sin

But King Solomon loved many foreign women.. from the nations of whom the LORD had said to the children of Israel, “You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love.

.. his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the LORD his God, as was the heart of his father David.

א מְלָכִיםא (1 Kings) 11:1-3 excerpt

All this took place a millennium BEFORE the Common Era centered around the very incarnation of JESUS CHRIST.

Failed Kings Before Christ

Saul, as most of us know, failed in disobedience to the Lord’s word through His Prophet Samuel.

Even David was a failed king, but he repented of his sin before the Lord and publically in sight of Israel.

To name just one king of Israel or Judah who did evil in the sight of the Lord, Ahab (and Jezebel) come to mind due to their zeal to destroy God’s Prophet Elijah.

Now Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him.

Then he set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.

1 Kings 16:30,32 NKJV

So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel.
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READ the compelling contest for your own clarity of faith.
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And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions?
If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.”

But the people answered him not a word.
1 Kings 18:21

Advent of a Common Era

“How long will you falter between two opinions, twenty-first century C.E. christian?
Roger@TalkofJesus.com

In this traditional Advent season of these last days we anticipate more than simply celebrating Christmas in the year of our Lord (A.D.) 2024.

For the similarities of centuries of evil times Before Christ bring to mind our own disobedience to God’s will.

Our incarnate redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Man: And NOW celebrate Him in a manger, though our Savior was sacrificed on a Cross for repentant sinners – sinners who love babies and good gifts, even while we fear DEATH and judgment.

SO what does Advent mean to YOU? And how will YOU evangelize Christ our Lord in these brief days before our ever-popular CHRISTmas celebration?

Talk of JESUS .com

Comment on Scripture + Share the Gospel
December 11, 2024
Before Christmas Evangelicalism Advent 1
Before Christ

Have you ever thought of the meaning of it?

Can we comprehend a time Before the first Christmas?

Before Creation

And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.

Genesis (Beginning) 2:5 KJV ..in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,

Here witness a time before Adam, before an incarnational Birth of the Christ, yet not Before Jesus the eternal Son of the One Triune God.

Before Re-Creation
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Note that I did not say 'recreation' as we often view these days of the pre-christmas season. 

The Bible points to a renewal of a corrupted creation we noted in the beginning - a creation corrupted by SIN.  
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The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.

And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.

Genesis 6:11-12 KJV

Have you considered that in the time of Noah and Before Christ

GOD cleansed the earth of all but eight?

ONLY Noah and his wife, along with their three sons and their wives, were chosen to be SAVED from the destruction to come.

The DOOR to salvation on Noah’s ark would not have been open to you. Yet God may have brought you to the Door of Christ Jesus in these last days.

Roger@TalkofJesus.com

Before and After

Before, of course, can mean ‘face to face.’

Then the LORD said to Noah,

“Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation.

Genesis 7:1 ESV פָּנִים

We ought not speak of BEFORE without considering the consequent AFTER.

In the context of TIME, and even before time, what comes after or NEXT typically follows before. We speak of consequence or result of what has come before.

Before I was afflicted I went astray:

but now have I kept thy word.

Psalm 119:67 KJV
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And unique events such as the incarnation, crucifixion and resurrection of Christ still reflect a TIME before AND (except for the end of days) a TIME after. 
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.. the sun stood still, and the moon stayed..

And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel.

Joshua 10: [12-15 context NKJV]

Before our fathers or families

It’s right there from the beginning:

Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

Genesis 2:24 NKJV

Do you know this one?

אֲנִי הִנֵּה בְרִיתִי אִתָּךְ וְהָיִיתָ לְאַב הֲמֹון גֹּויִם׃

“As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations.

“No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations.

וְלֹא־יִקָּרֵא עֹוד אֶת־שִׁמְךָ אַבְרָם וְהָיָה שִׁמְךָ אַבְרָהָם כִּי אַב־הֲמֹון גֹּויִם נְתַתִּיךָ׃

בְּרֵאשִׁית (Genesis) 17:14-15 WLC & NKJV

This PERSONAL interaction between the Creator and Living God of timeless eternity and a created son of Adam and Noah wandering through lands of other kings and princes clearly points to a unique time BEFORE CHRIST was born as a Son of Man in a manger in Bethlehem of Judea.

AFTER this unique time Before Christ, Judah (and Israel) had yet to be conquered, named, lost, regained and renamed over centuries of the sons of Abraham.

The chosen Before Christ

For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.

Deuteronomy 7:6 KJV
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But I'm getting ahead of myself. 
We'll take a look at Moses and the Law later in this Advent series, God-willing. - RH)
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Jesus Christ, the grown Son of Man born of Mary and Son of God conceived by the Holy Spirit said this to well-schooled leaders of the Jews.

Art thou greater than our father Abraham, who died? and the prophets died; whom dost thou make thyself?’

..it is my Father who is glorifying me, of whom ye say that He is your God..

Abraham, your father, was glad that he might see my day; and he saw, and did rejoice.’

The Jews, therefore, said unto him, ‘Thou art not yet fifty years old, and Abraham hast thou seen?’

Jesus said to them,

‘Verily, verily, I say to you, Before Abraham’s coming — I am;’

excerpt from Gospel of John 8: Young’s Literal Translation (YLT)

Have you ever thought of JESUS’ testament here in terms of ‘Before Christ?‘

The CHILD of MARY in a manger in Bethlehem of Judea IS the Christ, the Messiah of Israel and Savior of souls! Yet even BEFORE these pivotal historic events in the history of mankind, JESUS IS the Son of God — even as HE IS now and forever..

I am the door, through me if any one may come in, he shall be saved, and he shall come in, and go out, and find pasture.
Gospel of John 10:9 YLT – Invitation of Jesus Christ to any who would follow Him

The Lamb of God in a manger

Talk of JESUS .com

Comment on Scripture + Share the Gospel
December 4, 2024
Prepare Ye the Way
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The following is an UPDATE of an early Talk of Jesus post about Roger, his Christian Social Witness & specifically being born again in the Lord Jesus Christ on a Good Friday ~30 years ago.
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The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Isaiah 40:3 KJV

And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound…
Prepare to witness JESUS
about Roger
Why Talk of JESUS?
Prepare yourself for SOLID FOOD.
about Roger receiving the Holy Spirit!
Roger’s ‘teaching’ style
Prepare to witness JESUS

You’ll recognize the Prophesy of Isaiah as an announcement fulfilled by John the Baptizer shouting a warning in his day: Prepare to meet Christ Jesus who IS God with us!
Those of you familiar with my writings and witness over the years know well that I have generally acknowledged the preparatory seasons of Christmas and Easter with appropriate writings during Advent and Lent. A brief glance at the 2014 calendar will reveal that the traditional 40 days of preparation for Easter liturgically known as Lent remain several wintry weeks away.

http://talkofJesus.com currently [A.D. 2014] posts daily 6 days/week & is searchable by topic or scripture

So as not to discourage any who might regularly read my exhortations of scripture without understanding the context, I thought to prepare your hearts by pointing even through the darkness of these days to the Light of Life in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and our certain assurance of hope in His coming again to resurrect a new and fresh life out of the grave of these present days.

about Roger

Just a bit of background about my faith experience.

I was raised in the Methodist Church, which had several set ‘methods‘ of worship.

Later, for many years I was a member of the Episcopal Church which generally followed a very catholic liturgical calendar typical of the Anglican communion.

I continue to have many dear brothers and sisters of the Roman Catholic faith.

I became an active member of a Southern Baptist church and have remained a faithful worshiper in Presbyterian and other Protestant churches as moves to other towns necessitated.
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[At the time of the launch of Talk of Jesus .com in 2014] 
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I am now a member of the Mennonite Church, which like all other denominations of Christ reflects many facets of Christianity.

As always, I am first and foremost a servant of Christ Jesus as Lord and obligated to the full command of God through all scripture of the Bible.

Roger’s condensed Vitae

I have a Bachelor of Music degree; have taught instrumental music of all types; directed bands, orchestras, small ensembles and choirs, as well as performed as in instrumentalist and sung in many church choirs; and I have mixed and recorded sound for contemporary worship.

The Lord has given me teaching, preaching and writing gifts.

I love the exegesis of scripture and can never get enough. Whatever I do for Christ is not so important as what He might do through me for you and for others. This is why I generally provide dynamic links in my writing to some of my favorite resources.

Why Talk of JESUS?

The Lord has given me a passion not so much for evangelism (to which every Christian is called) as for teaching my fellow dear believers the necessity to grow up in our faith.

Prepare yourself for SOLID FOOD.

In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

Gospel (GOOD NEWS) of John 14:2-3 ESV – Jesus’ Good News to disciples that He is the way and the truth and the life.

Warning Against Apostasy
11 About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
Hebrews 5

For this reason I have sought to make it easy for you to read your Bible daily, even through posts from Scripture on talkofJesus.com

-Do you read scripture every day?

-Do you read your Bible every day?

-Do you pray to God (at least once) every day?

This is the milk of my posting scripture to this easy to SHARE, easy to COMMENT, and easy to read site of Christian Social Witness.

Post content on TalkofJESUS.com as the Spirit leads may not always be as easy to digest as milk.
Roger@TalkofJesus.com

I invite you to COMMENT & offer YOUR thoughts about God and Christ, as well as your personal convictions, repentance, applications and witness of Jesus Christ to chew on long and hard with the seriousness of your own salvation.

The Lord has pointed me toward this witness as a result of an upcoming book [*] of importance also about growing up in our faith. It is a contemporary retelling of a Christian serial story with 149 brief episodes.

[*] note: not pubically available at this time + TalkofJesus.com has published several serial stories with brief post episodes.

I have also written a much shorter serial story based on Genesis, which I would have published on this site by now, except for the lack of current interest by lack of any comments of yours expressing any interest in following a serial story here for five or six days a week over a month. If you are interested, just add a comment to this post.

from a liturgical 2014 calendar
in order to prepare our hearts for Lent & Easter

Observe (if you like) that I had intended to begin and continue in Genesis in January 2014, however the Spirit led me to Psalm 119, which concluded just recently.

Recent & upcoming posts are an intense call to repentance of professing christians.

(You CALL yourself a christian or CLAIM you ‘go to church.’)

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 7:21 ESV A caution of Jesus to believers who later cautioned [v.23] And then will Ideclare to them, ‘I never knew you

a traditional Repentance of Lent to prepare for Easter

These preparations from scripture, often from the Prophets of the Old Testament, are more typical to the liturgical requirements of repentance to dust and ashes from the time of Ash Wednesday (this year: March 5, A.D. 2014) through the Crucifixion of Lord celebrated on Good Friday in the year of our Lord 2014 on April 18.

about Roger receiving the Holy Spirit!

On a personal note:

I was born again in the Lord on a Good Friday during a contemporary ‘Stations of the Cross’ remembrance about twenty years ago [now ~30 years].

The little Episcopal church where we were members had a powerful moving of the Spirit for a time that could make a Pentecostal service look conservative!

(So much for tradition… for a brief unexpected time at that time.)

Roger’s ‘teaching’ style

I hesitate to say that the ‘easy grace’ message so attractive to bring in the crowds of marginal christians is all too prevalent and undeserving of the call of Christ Jesus to become like Him, obey Him, and be born again in Him.

You should find the Easter to Pentecost liturgy and probably my writing after Easter will reflect more of the importance of the love and grace and forgiveness that we have through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

If you need a nice encouragement of Jesus – the friendly, nice, lamb-holding, child-welcoming teacher; read the Gospel.

He IS the same Jesus who will return on the clouds (perhaps soon) with fire and vengeance and judgment.
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NO, not everyone will be in heaven just because we mention Jesus or say we are christian or go to church once in a while or every week and don't let scripture convict and change us. 
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The upcoming months leading up to Easter, [A.D. 2014] for the most part are meant to convict each of us to:

a stronger faith, a weaker self, a humbler obedience, a truer witness

and a God-given, Christ-centered, Spirit-driven daily life

to do the Lord’s will on earth, as it is in heaven.

Please add your COMMENTS or questions to this or any post and share our Christian Social Witness liberally on your ‘other’ site where unbelievers watch what you do and say is important to you.

I pray for you, that the Lord may somehow use our witness through this. Pray also for me.

May our Lord, Christ Jesus, continue to grow you in your faith and knowledge of scripture in preparation for His return to reign as King of Glory and Lord of all over the earth and heavens and every soul of His creation.

Roger Harned, Site Administrator, http://talkofJesus.com
February 12, 2014