The Power of the Living God

The Power of God

Book of Exodus Chapters 7 through Chapter 10

It is in these Chapters we begin to see the awesomeness of the great “I AM” in the fact that “He can control nature” and does.

Though the word “nature” has no exact meaning to those writers of the Old Testament who were inspired by the Holy Spirit, to give us the information that He deemed we needed, so the word “nature” does not exist.

In the Old Testament, Jehovah alone, is seen in all things, through all things, and over all things!

We have no reason to question the Holy Spirit!

In the New Testament the term “nature” is used as the force, the laws, and the order, of this world, including all humanity.

In this sense, it is still Jehovah who has absolute control of, given the circumstances, of all things called nature or natural!

Psalms 104 gives us the best understanding of nature.

We can understand the workings of nature as the things that God has put in place to keep this world livable.

Listen as the Holy Spirit describes some of the things of our Messiah.

Pro 8:22 The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.
Pro 8:23 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.
Pro 8:24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water.
Pro 8:25 Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth:
Pro 8:26 While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world.
Pro 8:27 When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth:
Pro 8:28 When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep:
Pro 8:29 When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth:
Pro 8:30 Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him;
Pro 8:31 Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.

As Moses begins to confront this Pharaoh, God shows His power over the natural world.

*Exo 7:1 And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.
Exo 7:2 Thou shalt speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land.

What we see here is that Moses is authorized to speak and act in the name of Jehovah.

Moses has in fact been given some divine power to do things that are above the ordinary course of nature.

The Lord Jesus speaks of these things.

Joh 10:34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
Joh 10:35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
Joh 10:36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?
Joh 10:37 If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.
Joh 10:38 But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.

Aaron would act in the true sense of a prophet.

Remember a true prophet could only speak the words God had given them to speak, when speaking of Jehovah!

We should understand that this power given of God, was not to be abused.

In today’s meaning of the word, our own Pastor would fit this description as he too is to teach us the message given to Him by God Himself.

He is to teach us, to awaken us, and to enable us, to fulfil the will of God!

The true Pastor has a lot of responsibility to his people and to the Lord!

Our job is to pay attention and apply these things to our everyday life.

As Jehovah told Moses, in the end this Pharaoh would send the children of Israel out of his land.

In doing so he would recognize that he was no god but only a puny human being.

All these things being true we all question the next verse until we understand why.

*Exo 7:3 And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.
Exo 7:4 But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments.
Exo 7:5 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.

We can understand the hardening of the heart when we realize that the “mercy” and the “grace” will lead to the softening of many hearts to the reality of a loving God, but there will always be those who reject the Word of God, and that same Word of God will harden those hearts in their rejection.

We see this in the Atheists of today who will get incredibly angry at those who have the message of God, such as Moses, and make attempts to close the mouths of all Christians.

This Pharaoh was not an atheist, but he considered himself a god which is not far from being the same as an atheist who denies the truth of the One God Jehovah.

It is the Word of God that hardened this Pharaohs heart as it does so many today. To deny the Word of God is to make yourself a little god just as this Pharaoh had done for himself.

People just hate the truth of the Word of God because it points out their sin and it is a sin to treat people as slaves and above that, your personal slaves!

Jehovah already knew what was going to happen and this Pharaoh was making the choice to destroy himself, just as all those who reject the Word of God today!

This is the reason Jehovah made Moses to be a god in the eyes of Pharaoh because this Pharaoh had no concept of a Supreme God.

When we serve Jehovah, He has already given us the words to say, His Words. We are His messengers just as the angels are His messengers.

Moses would then give Aaron the words to say which were the same words God had given to Moses.

If it had been really easy for the children of Israel to leave Egypt, they would never have recognized that Jehovah had made them free from this tyranny.

We should keep this in mind as we see Christian persecution today!

Those who reject the word of God are then requesting to see the wrath of God, this will be His final judgment upon them, but they could also see many things against them in this world.

Jehovah told Moses all of Israel will leave Egypt and notice that God already states that these children of Israel would be used as His armies to take the Promised Land from those wicked evil nations that we have already mentioned.

There is a purpose behind everything that God does. He does not ever second guess Himself!

All of Egypt would know that there was a God who had more power than any presumed power of all their false gods.

All of Canaan Land would know that the God of the Children of Israel was much more powerful than their own false gods!

It would be the plagues that would prove this fact.

There is no science behind what God does!

What was Moses and Aaron supposed to do?

The same thing we are to do today. It is called “faith”. We are to trust that what God says He will do He will certainly do!

God has not changed His methods today and He has not lost any of His power!

*Exo 7:6 And Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them, so did they.
Exo 7:7 And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh.

We should remember that it is “disobedience” where Adam failed, and it is still disobedience where we all fail today.

We sin because we are sinners and not sinners because sin.

We see here that we are never too old to serve God!

He will keep our health until our purpose has been fulfilled and then He will take us home to a mansion prepared for us by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Isa 46:4 And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.
Isa 46:5 To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like?

There is no one like Jehovah God!

God will meet the needs of all His children, especially those He has called for specific purposes!

We must allow God to be our strength because we are just puny weak humans who truly need our God!

2Co 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2Co 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Then God showed to Pharaoh the “rod of power”.

We know the “rod of power” for the Church is the Lord Jesus Christ!

*Exo 7:17 Thus saith the LORD, In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.

To the Egyptians the Nile River was the great god and the river of life.

God will now show His power by making the Nile River to be a river of death.

Now we should not understand that the Nile would just change to a red color as many false believers and some scientists have stated.

The Nile from the border of Egypt and throughout Egypt turned to real blood just as God said!

The Nile, after its three main sources runs northerly for about 1150 miles.

There are none of these sources that feed the Nile in all of Egypt and Egypt gets little or better said, no rain.

The nation of Egypt receives on average three inches of rain and most of that is along the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea.

The Nile River has not changed its course for six thousand years the only river to do so.

The Egyptians have said all these years that they did not need the rain because they had the Nile River.

There was blood throughout all of Egypt on this day the Lord turned the Nile into blood and the creatures in the river began to die.

For seven days the River Nile remained this way and all other sources of drinking water.

“Hopi” the Egyptian god of the Nile could do nothing about it.

Pride was a great enemy of this Pharaoh.

So, God was not yet finished.

Exo 8:6 And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.

God proved that the elements of nature are under the control of Jehovah God.

God will now prove that the animal world is also under His direct control.

“Heket” the Egyptian god had the head of the frog, but he could not stop Jehovah!

The first plague proved that God is the only Living God, the God of the Redeemed.

The second plague will prove that God has no equal in all the gods of Egypt and not in all the world.

This swarm of frogs ruined most all property and left the threat of disease everywhere.

God loves all His creation, but He could not allow this puny Pharaoh to have a victory.

The Word of God is not just the command to go forth as God’s messengers.

The Word of God gives clear and precise guidance every day of our lives!

God told Moses exactly what to do and this is all Moses had to do.

Moses did not have to add anything to the Word of God nor does anyone today!

We will see that Jehovah gave this Pharaoh chance after chance to stop his foolishness and Jehovah does this for every national ruler no matter who they are.

The false god “Heket” was powerless!

As servants we need to know our God in a personal relationship, and we need to know His Word.

Nothing in this world is as important as these two things!

The Egyptians had another false god, and he was “Geb” the god of the dust of the earth.

Egypt had plenty of dust because there was no rain.

*Exo 8:16 And the LORD said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.

There is this place called the United Nations and they should have only one agenda.

To stop the oppression of the people of this world but they try to interfere in all levels of society with an agenda.

This is so far down their lists of things to do they, just like the rest of the world just overlook all the nations that do this and now have one agenda of Climate Change in which man can do nothing to stop.

Our world is dying!

Rom 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

We must never forget who is in charge of this world He has created for us!

Jer_31:35 Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name:

There should be no slavery anywhere in this world!
There should be no oppression of any people anywhere in this world, but all the world governments are leaning in this direction!

These things are opposite to the Word of God!

Can you just imagine all the dust of Egypt becoming lice!

Lice are parasitic insects that can be found on people’s heads and bodies, including the pubic area.
Human lice survive by feeding on human blood. Lice found on each area of the body are different from each other.
The three types of lice that live on humans are:
Pediculus humanus capitis (head louse),
Pediculus humanus corporis (body louse, clothes louse), and
Pthirus pubis (“crab” louse, pubic louse).

Only the body louse is known to spread disease.

Ole “Geb” the Egyptian god of the dust could not answer the prayers of the Egyptians who were suffering.

They had another false god named “Khepri” who they thought as the god of all creation.

*Exo 8:21 Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are.

Again Pharaoh rejected Jehovah the One True God.

There are few insects that are a more a nuisance creature than the fly!

On this day in Egypt the skies were no heavy with flies it was like clouds blocking the Sun.

They were so heavy that the things they landed on were covered beyond recognition.

Every place a person tried to stand, or sit, or lie down was covered with flies.

They covered everyone.
They filled all the houses.
They blackened the ground.

They too could cause disease and did.

Judgement is coming to those who reject the Lord today, but there is still time to repent.

It was too late for this Pharaoh, and he was witnessing the wrath of God and ole “Khepri”, the Egyptian god of creation could not do anything to stop it.

It is at this point where Jehovah began to separate the Children of Israel, so we should note that they, the Children of Israel now believed Jehovah to be the One True God.

This Pharaoh began to play his silly games with God, but God, will not be mocked!

*Exo 9:3 Behold, the hand of the LORD is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep: there shall be a very grievous murrain.

The Egyptians had a goddess of love and protection, and they loved this goddess, but she could not stop this plague. Her name was “Hothu”.

As Pharaoh continued to defy Jehovah, God continued to show this Pharaoh his gods were useless against Him.

We should understand that as Moses spoke to Pharaoh of the next judgment, this Pharaoh was always given space to repent before that judgment occurred.

Jehovah will never change from this even during all the things of the Book of Revelation!

The Egyptian economy was destroyed after this plague, and it was already suffering dearly.

Animals in this age each had a part in the daily way of life of all people. For transportation, for work, for food, for skins, for clothing, and for trade.

This would have been a wonderful time for this Pharaoh to repent but he still chose to defy the Living God.

It makes no sense at all to bring the “Judgment” of God down upon us!

1Pe 1:17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:
1Pe 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
1Pe 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

The Lord Jesus judges by what He sees, and He can see into our heart. Nothing can be hidden from Him.

This Pharaoh was daring the Lord to bring His judgment with no concern for his nation, nor its people!

The word “murrain” means a great mortality would come because of this plague and remember God had isolated the children of Israel from these next plagues but one. The last one.

Most everyone has heard of the Egyptian goddess “Isis”, but her powers were also non-existent.

She was known as the goddess of medicine and peace, but she is just another idol with no powers at all.

*Exo 9:8 And the LORD said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh.
Exo 9:9 And it shall become small dust in all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt.
Exo 9:10 And they took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven; and it became a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast.

A boil, also rendered as the botch, is a burning sore like an inflamed ulcer with blains meaning violent ulcerous inflammations.

These things were not just upon the human but also upon the animals.

There was nothing the false goddess “Isis” could do to help her believers.

Now they might have wiped the dust oof of her, but this did not change anything.

There was another Egyptian goddess name “Nut” who was the goddess of the sky, let’s see if she faired any better.

*Exo 9:22 And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch forth thine hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.
Exo 9:23 And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt.

As we know the nourishment of all crops come from God’s life-giving rain.

The sky is another part of God’s creation, and He has complete control of all the things that come by what we call nature!

We should understand that the “Judgment” of God is coming to this place called earth and you cannot run from it nor can you hide from it and your personal gods will be of no help to you!

According to the climate war mongers, the storms are getting more severe.

I personally cannot say that things are much different where I live than they have been all my life.

I can remember hotter days and colder weather, long dry summers, and wet winters.

This storm the Lord is referring to here will be the second greatest of all storms. The storms of the final judgement will be even worse than this one!

There will be no true peace until the Lord of all peace returns to cause peace on this earth.

The goddess “Nut” herself could do nothing to help Egypt except to sit upon her shelf and give that blank gaze.

This storm was catastrophic to the Egyptian people. Remember God had isolated the Children of Israel.

But Pharaoh was a stubborn man.

There were still some green twigs and trees that had not been destroyed and the goddess of the sky could do nothing because she could not hear the plight of the Egyptian people.

There was another Egyptian god who is said to control storms and disorders and his name was “Seth” but he was just another idol.

*Exo 10:12 And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail hath left.
Exo 10:13 And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.
Exo 10:14 And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the coasts of Egypt: very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such.

If there were any food source left these locusts would devour it.

What have seen so far?

You can claim to be a Christian but not saved, but it will not stop the “Judgment of God”.
You can be an Atheist, but it will not stop the “Judgment of God”.
You can be a Religionist and ignore the truth of God, but it will not stop the “Judgment of God”.
You can just a skeptic, but it will not stop the “Judgment of God”.
You can believe you can manage all the things of this life yourself but there are things out there that only Jehovah can stop!

Believing there is no such thing as a Loving God, will not stop the Judgment of God!

There is only one way to avoid the “Judgment of God” and this is to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior and not be here when “God’s Judgment” comes for it is coming!

Jud 1:14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
Jud 1:15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

And God was not through yet because this Pharaoh was a fool!

*Exo 10:21 And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.
Exo 10:22 And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days:
Exo 10:23 They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.

Of all the things that God has done now God would show the world that “Light” is a creation, in fact we could say God’s very first creation!

Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Gen 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
Gen 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
Gen 1:4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

In the act of Creation God had separated the Light from the Darkness and God would show this Pharaoh that His power to do so had not diminished.

It was so dark no one could see their hand in front of their face as we would say.

Even in this this Pharaoh had too much pride to give in to the “Lord of all Power”!

Nah_1:3 The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.

Everyone who lives knows a little about the Egyptian God “Ra” but no one could see “Ra” to wipe the dust off of him for even he was only an idol who had no power at all.

All these things just made this Pharaoh angrier, and he just threatened the messengers of God.

Remember the Pharaohs of Egypt were said to be the gods of all power, but they could not control their own destiny every one of them died and none of them have returned!

*Exo 10:27 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go.
Exo 10:28 And Pharaoh said unto him, Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die.
Exo 10:29 And Moses said, Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more.

All these things had happened to the people of Egypt.

This Pharaoh was rich enough that they were only a nuisance to him and to his person and his family.

It would take something that hit this Pharaoh that he actually loved to ever break him and even this would not last exceedingly long.

Why are we as Christians hated in this world, especially today?

We are seeing a world grow more into Socialism and Communism.

The leaders of these nations are tyrants, or they will soon be acting the part of tyrants as we see in our own nation today.

Look even at France and Canada and you will see these things taking place.

They do not truly know the One True God, the Lord Jesus Christ but are idolaters or even Atheists which are an abomination to God.

Christians who are true to the Lord Jesus Christ, are seen to be weak, and meek, but they are also the object of God’s favor.

We could say Christians true to the Lord Jesus are the complete opposite of the national leaders of this Age and we will live in conflict with each other.

Just as this Pharaoh and to him Moses, who was just a messenger of God.

We will never agree with each other on the raising of families.
We will never agree with each other in what to teach in our schools.
We will never agree with each other in politics.
We will never agree with each other in any of the social circles.

This separation cannot be overcome without first there being a close personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, the God that they have all rejected!

We cannot compromise with these who reject the Lord Jesus Christ!

They belong to Satan whether they know it or not!

God will humble this Pharaoh!
God will humble his nation!
God will humble the Children of Israel!

Amen

The Word Became Flesh

The Word Became Flesh

Book of John 1:1-14

Some things we know about John the Apostle of Jesus Christ:

1) John was one of the very first disciples.
2) John was a fisherman along with his brother James.
3) John left everything he had behind to serve the Lord Jesus Christ.
4) John was called the “beloved disciple”.
5) John was the disciple that Jesus committed the care of His mother.
6) John was said by Paul to be one of the 3 pillars of the church. Paul considered James the brother of the Lord Jesus, Peter, and John to be the 3 pillars of the early church. We cannot dispute the Apostle Paul, but I believe he was also a pillar of the early church, at least for the Gentiles.
7) John was the only apostle that died of natural causes.

When John was old and feeble his only sermon was “Little children love one another”.

When asked why he would continue with this sermon he replied, “It is the Lord’s command”.

We sometimes forget that we are certainly commanded to love one another, and it is not a request, it is a command given to us by the Lord our Christ, our Messiah.

John shows throughout all his writings that the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah find their fulfillment in the Lord Jesus Christ!

*****Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John states that “before”, there was even one thing created by God, God had a plan of salvation and this plan would be followed until the very end!

We know that all the Word of God has been brought to us by specific men chosen and tutored by the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit will always lead us to the Lord Jesus Christ.

John said the Old Testament is so full of words that describe the birth, the life, and the death of the Messiah, He could actually be called the Word!

It should be obvious that the Word was distinct from God, so we can see the beginning of our understanding of the Triune God.

The Godhead was clearly revealed in the Old Testament.

Psa 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

God the Deity and God the Shepherd in the flesh, are two parts of the Triune God. We know the Holy Spirit is the third!

The Messiah is to be a Shepherd and when we acknowledge this truth, the Lord who came in the flesh, is truly our Shepherd.

Our Shepherd existed before creation had begun!

The Book of John was certainly written to the lost and to the Jews but, until the Word of God came along, the Gentiles knew nothing of a Messiah.

The Messiah, God in the flesh, is the very center of Christianity and the Book of John will lead us to this truth.

The Jews saw words as not just a sound, but something alive and existing and John begins with this statement, the “Word was God” so the Jews could easily understand the truth of the Messiah.

We will see that God has given us much more than the Holy Scriptures, God has given us Himself in the flesh, the Lord Jesus Christ!

When we read the Word of God we can see the ultimate character of God and this same character was in Jesus Christ

The Lord Jesus Christ lived the words that were written of Him!

Jesus Christ was not created of God because He is God in the flesh, one third of the Holy Trinity!

Psa 90:1 Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.
Psa 90:2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

Since Jesus Christ is the God of the Bible, then we must clearly understand, “that sin is far more abominable in the sight of God”, than most of us see it to be.

We have made sin to just be bad behavior, but sin is an abomination in the eyes of the Lord!

Therefore the Scriptures teach us to hate sin, but we are never to hate the sinner.

We should understand that when God speaks, things happen and “we can be made new”, if we will listen to what God has to say and apply it to our lives!

Faith does not mean much unless it brings with it action!

*****Joh 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.

There are many times that God repeats Himself to show the importance in what He had just said.

God wants to point out to us the importance of His character as the Triune God, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Not three Gods but One God in three persons.

John wants us to clearly understand that the Word, the Messiah (Jesus Christ) and the Father in Heaven are one and the same person!

1Jn_5:7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

It must be clear to all the world that we have an “Amazing God” who loves us enough to make us His home until we can get to His heavenly home!

Most of this world see Jesus Christ only as some man and it is true that He took on the fashion of a man, but each believer sees Christ for who He is, the very substance of God in all His perfect being!

Php 2:4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Php 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Php 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Php 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of all the Word of God and therefore self-existent and eternal, the Son of the “Living” God!

The Word is the way God chose to introduce Himself to mankind, His greatest creation. Why?

God knew that many would look at His creations and call them accidents that just happen to have happened. Even a fruitcake can see the that our world is in too much order to have happened by accident.

The Lord Jesus Christ is indeed God in visible action!

After all if Jesus Christ is then God then He would also be our Creator!

*****Joh 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

We should understand that all things, but God were created. Our world had to have a Creator and to believe otherwise is foolishness!

Verse one and two describe things the way they were before any act of creation took place!

We must all understand that “all things” were made of God and without God there would be no creation and we would not exist.

God created everything we see and that we cannot see in the first six days of our beginning because we know God rested on the seventh day.

Not because God was tired but because he had completed what He had set out to do!

There are no creations by man because if man makes anything then he must use something that God has already made.

If our Savior and our Creator creates anything new today, it would be that “Born Again” child of God that only He can make new!

The Word of God is a reality, it is truly the Word of God.

Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Col 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

The Lord Jesus Christ is the glue that binds this world together!

Jesus Christ’s greatest creation is life, the living things there is nothing on this earth made that is not teeming with life.

A man once wrote “the basic difference between man and beast is speech. Animals cannot speak to man as they speak to themselves”!

We should understand that this world belongs to God and He does with it “as He pleases”!

We should understand that God is not far off removed from His creation but is very near showing great concern for the welfare of His created beings.

We should also understand that the problems in this world do not come from God, but they come because of sin!

The answer to these problems cannot come from man because only Christ Jesus has the answer to all our problems.

God is all about life and life eternal.

*****Joh 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

We cannot know true life without the Lord Jesus Christ!

Jesus Christ led a life of perfection to show us that it is possible for us to yearn for perfection in our own lives!

From the beginning in the days of Adam, God has proved He wanted to be up close and personal with His creation.

The knowledge of Jesus Christ is to be our light in this world that belongs to Him.

Joh 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

1Jn 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
1Jn 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
1Jn 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

The message of God is really very simple. He says come let us walk together and I will be the light of your path!

*****Joh 1:5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

We live in a dark world made darker by our own sin. When Satan was booted out of Heaven he came to this earth and he brought darkness with him!

Much of world wants to remain in darkness forever but God is not going to allow that to continue much longer.

Jesus Christ has shown us the way to escape this darkness because He has no darkness within Him!

2Co 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

When the Light of Christ shined on this world then darkness fled and Satan hides in his darkness because he does not want us to see the “nobody” that he is!

Turn on your light in a dark room and you will see darkness flee to hide until the light goes back off.

When we walk with the Lord we become a light ourselves and then we can shed that light on our families, our neighborhood and then our cities.

Mat_5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.

Without Jesus Christ there would be no life and then there would be no light.

It is Jesus Christ who gives us purpose.
It is Jesus Christ shows us the meaning of life.
It is Jesus Christ who shows us the significance of our life.

After John has made us aware and the understanding of the Triune God, He then begins to tell us about the life of our Savior, from a man(John) that spent much time with Him and loved Him while He was upon this earth and he will begin with the forerunner, John the Baptist.

Our life improves when we fall in love with Jesus the Messiah!

We are cautioned not to forget what we have just learned.

*****Joh 1:6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

The Old Testament will lead everyone to Jesus the Messiah, when we take the time to study the Scriptures as God commanded and it is these same Scriptures that tell us about a forerunner paving the way for our Master.

Mal 3:1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.

That man was John the Baptist.

There is also this Scripture in the Book of Isaiah:

Isa 40:3 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.
Isa 40:4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:
Isa 40:5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

Did the Lord need someone to go before Him, I don’t think so, but the Scriptures must be fulfilled according to the way God intended them?

There is a purpose for every Word, every dot, and every tittle, in God’s written Scriptures

There will be a complete fulfillment of the Word of God!

Mat_5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Jesus the Messiah was before the beginning of creation, John was just a man, called of God with a special calling.

This was a part of John’s sermon:

Joh 3:28 Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.
Joh 3:29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.
Joh 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

John the Baptist as the forerunner of the Messiah, also had to live his life as close as he could to perfection!

Luk 1:15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb.

John was to bear witness of the truth of God.

*****Joh 1:7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

The Old Testament teaches that the Messiah was coming.

John the Baptist job was to tell the world that the Messiah was now here.

It is the Church’s job not only to a witness of the Gospel but to also tell the world that the Lord will return to fulfill all the Scriptures.

Rev 22:18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
Rev 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Rev 22:20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Rev 22:21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

John the Baptist was the first ambassador for Jesus Christ!

2Co 5:18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
2Co 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
2Co 5:20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

It is sin not to look forward to the Second Coming of Christ!

It is sin, to ask Jesus into your heart and fail to repent!

It is all our job to be ambassadors for Jesus Christ and not just be pew sitters!

Our ministry is the ministry of reconciliation!

The same as John the Baptist.

John the Baptist did his job so well that many thought that he might be the Messiah.

*****Joh 1:8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
Joh 1:9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

We can say the John the Baptist was the first Christian!

John’s purpose was to lead mankind to the Light of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Say what you will but these things are to be true of every Christian. (Forgive me Lord for my failure to be more like Christ)

John could have allowed the people to make him great, but he said:

Joh 1:27 He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose.

A man once wrote that “at the point that we quit testifying for Jesus Christ we have chosen to betray Him”.

We are not that Light, we are sent to bear witness of the Light of the Lord!

It seems that this is the world we live in today.

All those sitting in the pews motionless and emotionless “are actually betraying the Lord”.

This is a hard saying but it is the truth!

Light reveals.

Light opens up the truth of darkness and reveals a brand-new world, a brand-new life!

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

The truth is “Our Creator stepped out of Heaven and came down to spend some time with His creation”.

*****Joh 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
Joh 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

1) Our world is so dark that when the Lord came, people closed their eyes to the truth.

2) Christ Jesus came as a Jew in the line of King David and He was rejected by His own nation.

God cares deeply for His creation especially mankind!

God is actively working to help this world throw off the burden of sin.

God made man in his own trinity, the flesh, the spirit, and the soul.

It is an unforgiving sin to those who reject the Living God.

Gal 4:3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
Gal 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
Gal 4:5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
Gal 4:6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
Gal 4:7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

This world we live would rather recognize the works of Satan, so that the world does not have to change its evil ways!

*****Joh 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Joh 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

What is the will of God?

2Pe_3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, “not willing that any should perish”, but that all should come to repentance.

God has done and continues to do all He can, (besides force) to persuade the world of the truth of Jesus Christ.

To reject these things is to bring damnation upon yourself!

The new birth is of God and God only!

Yes, we are washed in the blood of Jesus and are made clean, but it is not the blood that saves us in that sense!

It is only by the Mercy and the Grace of God through His Son Jesus Christ that we can be saved and be part of this New Birth!

This New Birth is not a natural birth it is a Spiritual Birth!

This New Birth is necessary to become a child of God!

This New Birth is a true experience!

This New Birth is a radical change in our lives that can only be brought about by the Love of God, and His power to save!

It is not our own flesh that brings us to salvation, it is Holy Ghost conviction.

There is no man on the face of this earth that has the power to make us a child of God!

It is only by God’s power that the new birth can take place and we are welcomed into the family of God!

We must understand it is also our Holy God who has broken the barrier of race! There are only believers and non-believers!

There is only one truth of those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ!

Joh 8:33 They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
Joh 8:34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.

Joh 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
Joh 8:37 I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.
Joh 8:38 I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.
Joh 8:39 They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham.
Joh 8:40 But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.
Joh 8:41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.
Joh 8:42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.
Joh 8:43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
Joh 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Joh 8:45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.

What is the complete truth of our Savior, The Lord Jesus Christ, God the Son?

*****Joh 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

The incarnation of Jesus Christ is a reality!

Those that believe in God:

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Those that believe in God must also believe that Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is God in the flesh!

1Jn 2:21 I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
1Jn 2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
1Jn 2:23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.
1Jn 2:24 Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.
1Jn 2:25 And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.

The flesh of mankind today is not what God created it to be!

Our flesh no longer exists in the image of God because of sin. The same sin that began with Adam! Disobedience.

Jesus Christ had to come in the flesh to give us that example of what God intended for us all.

1Co 15:47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.

Joh_15:22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.

Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Php 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Php 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Php 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Jesus Christ became flesh to correct and then counteract the corruption of sin, which mankind did not understand until God revealed Himself in the Scriptures!

It is by the “Grace” of God that He took the time to give us the truth of His creation when He did not have to.

We are a foolish people if we ignore what God has to say!

It is the will of God that we should believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, so God’s “Grace” can come to its fulfillment and we can be saved.

There is no other way period, for anyone to be adopted into the family of God!

We must understand what God is saying!

If Spiritual life comes by receiving the truth of Jesus the Messiah, then there must be death in rejecting Him!

Amen

Let’s Pray!