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Tag: Psalms

  • 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.

  • The Gospel: Preached by Peter

    The Gospel: Preached by Peter

    “Listen carefully, all of you…

    Acts 2:

    Peter’s Sermon at Pentecost

    14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. [That is, 9 a.m.]

    16 But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:

    The Spirit echos God’s voice through the Prophet Joel.

    IF God speaks to us through the Prophets of the Old Testament, do we then seek to understand how God warns us even now of the refinement to come?

    Peter spoke to these men of Judea of what is written in the Prophets centuries earlier. By the Spirit, Peter then preaches the Gospel: Jesus IS the fulfillment of scripture. He IS the Messiah of God!

    “LISTEN,” Peter instructs. This moment in the spectrum of God’s eternal time is important to your eternal soul. You know the scripture… (Do you?) … here is how God the Father used Jesus the Son as the Sacrifice for our sins.

    22 “Men of Israel, hear these words:

    Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— 23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.

    24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.

    Peter is saying through the Spirit, ‘YOU crucified the Very Son of God!’ Yet even though you did, it was God’s plan. AND God raised Jesus from death!

    IMPOSSIBLE; yet NOT for GOD.The SON of GOD cannot be held even by death.

    Peter then continues by the Spirit to point to the proof of Scripture, referring to David from a Kingdom a thousand years earlier.

    29 “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, 31 he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.

    32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses.

    33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.

    THINK about this, Peter instructs. David predicted this of Jesus, his descendant.

    34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,

    “‘The Lord said to my Lord,
    “Sit at my right hand,
    35 until I make your enemies your footstool.”’

    Jesus frequently referred to himself as, ‘Son of Man;’ literally meaning a ‘son of Adam.’ Jesus, through the womb of Mary (God incarnate) was a son of man, just like me… just like you.

    Jews (like us, so often overlooking our sin and remembering only the heritage of our forefathers) often referred to themselves as: Sons of Abraham, or Sons of Moses, or Sons of David.

    Many of us are proud of our heritage of birthright.  We hide our heritage that SIN came into this world as Sons of Adam.

    Jesus came into the world so that we might have a new heritage to a sinless second Adam.

    Remember: ‘Israel is God’s new name for Jacob. Remember: ‘Judah’ is a son of Jacob (not just the place of Jerusalem). Peter speaks to these CHOSEN men as chosen followers of the Living God. Peter preaches why WE, chosen by God, must bow down to Christ Jesus, the ONE risen from death by God the Father.

    36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

    37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

    What will YOU DO, to make Jesus your Lord?

    (It is not enough just to say so, while you continue to live in the ways of the wickedness of the world.)

    38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

    39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”

    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.

     We are sorry that Jesus had to go to the Cross for our sins. What must we do?

    “Repent and be baptized…”

    Repent: to change one’s mind for better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one’s past sins

    Baptized:  the act of baptizing produces a permanent change…

    Have you truly repented of your daily sin?

    Have you been ‘permanently changed’ in the name of Jesus Christ?

    What must you do?