Category Archives: JESUS

JESUS: THE WORD

Leave a reply

JESUS: THE WORD

The Gospel of John begins with: “In the beginning was the Word and the Word way with God, and the Word was God”. What does John mean by the Word? The Word is Jesus the Messiah (which translated is “Christ”). John continues with: “He (Jesus) was in the beginning with God”. John tells us that Jesus was always- in the beginning, today, in the future, and forever. These two Scripture verses in the Gospel of John are just a small example of how John’s Gospel takes a different perspective than does the other three gospel books. The major difference seems to be in the way John completely describes Jesus and what we should do to really know and believe in Him.

What follows is a close look at Jesus, as described by the Apostle John, the Disciple whom “Jesus loved”. Certainly, it is my strong recommendation to read and study the entire Book of the Gospel of John. Until then, here are several (19 areas) that may benefit in providing a strong incentive to undergo that study.

  1. John 1:14- “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten Son from the Father, full of grace and truth”.

“The Word became human “, by doing so Christ became 1) the perfect teacher- in Jesus’  we life how God thinks and therefore how we should think (Philippians 2:5-11; 2) the perfect example- as a model of what we are to become, He shows us how to live and fives us the power to live that way (1 Peter 2:21); 3) the perfect sacrifice- Jesus came as a sacrifice for all sins, and His death satisfied God’s requirements for the removal of sin (Colossians 1;15-23). “The Father’s one and only Son” means Jesus is God’s only and unique Son. The emphasis is on unique. Jesus is one of a kind and enjoys a relationship with God. He is unlike all believers who are called “children of God”.

When Jesus was conceived, God became man. He was not part man and part God; He was completely human and completely divine (Colossians 2:9). Before Christ came, people could know God partially. After Christ came, people could know God fully because He became visible and tangible in Christ. Christ is the perfect expression of God in human form. The two most common errors people make about Jesus are to minimize His humanity or to minimize His divinity Jesus is both God and man.

 

  1. John 3:16- “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, but that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

The message of the Good News comes to focus in this verse. God’s love is not static or self-centered, it reaches out and draws others in. Here God sets the pattern of true love, the basis for all love relationships. When you love someone dearly, you are willing to give freely to the point of self-sacrifice. God paid dearly with the life of His Son, the highest price He could pay. Jesus accepted our punishment, paid the price for our sins, and then offered us the new life He had bought for us. When we share the Good News with others, our love must be like Jesus- willingly give up our own comfort and security so that others might join us in receiving God’s love.

 

  1. John 5:26-27- “For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.”

God is the source and Creator of life, for there is no life apart from raised God, here or hereafter. The life in us is a gift from Him (Deut. 30:20; Psalm 36:9). 7:13-14). Because Jesus is eternally existent with God, the Creator, He, too, is John “the life” (14;6) through whom we may live eternally (1 John 5:11).

The Old Testament mentioned three signs of the coming Messiah. In this chapter, John shows that Jesus had fulfilled all three signs. Authority to judge is given to Him as Son of Man (5:20-21; Daniel 7:13-14). The lame and sick are healed (5:20-21; Isaiah 35:6; Jeremiah 31:8-9). The dead are raised to life (5:21, 28; Deut. 32:39; 1 Samuel 2:6; 2 Kings 5-7).

 

  1. John 6:53-58 – “So Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever.”

Verse 51 seems to say a very confusing statement, Jesus is quoted as saying that the bread to eat is His flesh. How can Jesus give us His flesh as bread to eat? Then in verses 53-58, Jesus fully explains. It really means to accept Christ into our lives and become united with Him. We are united with Christ in two ways: 1) by believing in His death (the sacrifice of His flesh) and resurrection; and 2) by devoting ourselves to living as He requires, depending on His teaching for guidance and trusting in the Holy Spirit for power,

This was a shocking message- to eat flesh and drink blood sounds cannibalistic. Of

course, Jesus was not talking about literal blood. He was saying that His life had to

become their own, but they could not accept this concept. The Gospel writers as well

as the Apostle Paul used the body and blood imagery in talking about The Lord’s

Supper (1 Corinthians 11: 23-26). This is one of the strongest statements that Jesus

made. It is the basis for and establishes what we know as and celebrate as the Lord’s

Supper.

  1. John 6:65- “And He was saying, for this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father”.

All spiritual renewal begins and ends with God. He reveals truth to us, lives within us, and then enables us to respond to that truth. Jesus is telling us in this verse that not only did God send Jesus but all His authority comes from God.

  1. John 7:28-29- “Jesus cried out in the temple, teaching and saying, ‘you both know Me and know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know.” “I know Him, because I am from Him, and He sent Me.”

This was Jesus’ response to the questioning and discussing by people in Jerusalem

who were asking- “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? Could our leaders possibly

believe that He is the Messiah”. Then they said that is it not likely because we know

where this man is from. They not only had a misconception about Jesus but also how

He would appear. They said they thought that the Messiah would simply appear and

not roam the area. Jesus then cleared this up with His words in these two verses.

  1. John 8:12- “Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

Jesus was speaking in the Treasury- the part of the Temple where the offerings

were put (8:20) and where candles burned to symbolize the pillar of fire that led the

people of Israel through the wildness (Exodus 13:21-22). In this context, Jesus called

Himself the Light of the world. The pillar of fire represented God’s presence,

protection, and guidance. Likewise, Jesus brings God’s presence, protection, and

guidance.

What does it mean to follow Christ? As a soldier follows his captain, so we should

follow Christ, our commander. As we follow the advice of a trusted counselor, so we

should follow Jesus’ commands to us in Scripture. As we follow the laws of our nation,

so we should follow the laws of the Kingdom of Heaven.

  1. John 8:19- “Jesus answered, ‘Since you don’t know who I am, you don’t know who My Father is. If you know Me, you would also know My Father.”

This is a very telling verse. It gives us a strong view of who God is and how to

better know God. This was the answer Jesus gave when the Pharisees asked Him- “where is your Father?”

  1. John 8:29- “And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him”.

God was always with Jesus while He was on earth. Jesus’ teachings, actions, and

talks were always to please God. John records and makes it clear that Jesus said that

Jesus is from God.

  1. John 9:5- “While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.”

This tells us at least two important things: 1) Jesus is the way out of darkness

(sin and bad behavior) became He is the Light that shines for us; and 2) Jesus is the

Light while He is on earth as 100% man and 100% God. Indicates that something

else will come to help when Jesus is no longer on earth. Of course, this is the Holy

Spirit.

  1. John 9:31- “We know God doesn’t listen to sinners, but He is ready to hear those who worship Him and do His will.”

The blind man’s new faith (the man identified beginning in verse 9:13) was

severely tested by some of the authorities. He was cursed and evicted from the

synagogue. Persecution may come when we follow Jesus. We may lose friends, we

may even lose our life. But no one can ever take away the eternal life that Jesus

gives us.

  1. John 10:9- “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find   pasture”.

Jesus had just told the parable of the Good Shepherd. Those who heard this

parable didn’t understand it. Jesus’ answer included saying that He was the gate for

the sheep (believers) and that the sheep would only listen to a “voice” they knew.

Then is verse 9 what Jesus says is not only that He is a gate but He is the “only” gate-

or way that leads to salvation. Then He says that those who enters His gate can go

freely.

  1. John 10:17-18- “For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so, that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”

Jesus’ death and resurrection, as part of God’s plan for the salvation of

the world, were under God’s full control. No one could kill Jesus without His consent.

  1. John 10:27-29- “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”

Just as a shepherd protects his sheep, Jesus protects His people from

eternal harm. While believers can expect to suffer on earth. Satan cannot harm their

souls or take away their eternal life with God! There are many reasons to be afraid

here on earth because this is the devil’s domain (1 Peter 5:8). But if you choose to

follow Jesus, He will give you everlasting safety.

  1. John 10:30- “I and My Father are one.”

This is the clearest statement of Jesus’ divinity He ever made. Jesus and His

Father are not the same person, but they are one in essence and nature! Thus, Jesus

is not merely a good teacher- He is God! His claim to be God was unmistakable. The

religious leaders wanted to kill Him because their laws said that anyone claiming to

be God should die. Nothing could persuade them that Jesus’ claim was true.

  1. John 11:25-26- “Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies. And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this, Martha?”

Jesus was talking to Martha when He came to Bethany, the village of Mary and

Martha, to raise Lazarus from the dead. Jesus has power over life and death as well

as power to forgive sins. This because He is the Creator of life (14:6). He who is life

can surely restore life. Whoever believes in Christ has a spiritual life that death

cannot conquer or diminish in any way. When we realize His power and how

wonderful His offer to us really is, how can we not commit our lives to Him? To

those of us who believe, what wonderful assurance and certainly we have: “Since I

live, you too will live.” (14:19).

  1. John 14:6- “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, No one can come to the Father except through Me.”

Jesus says He is the only way to God the Father. Some people may argue that this way is too narrow. In reality, it is wide enough for the whole world, if the world chooses to accept it. Instead of worrying about how limited it sounds to have only one way, we should be saying, “Thank you, God, for providing a sure way to get to you!” As the Way, Jesus is our path to the Father. As the Truth, He is the reality of all God’s promises. As the Life, He joins His divine life to ours, both now and eternally. Jesus is, in truth, the only living way to the Father.

  1. John 14:15-20- “If you love Me, obey My commandments. And I will ask My Father, and He will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it isn’t looking for Him and doesn’t recognize Him. But you will know Him, because He lives with you now and later will be in you. No, I will not abandon you as orphans- I will come to you. Soon the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me. Since I live, you also will live. When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you.”

Jesus was soon going to leave the disciples, but He would remain with them. How could this be? The Advocate- The Spirit of God- would come after Jesus was gone to care for and guide the disciples. The regenerating power of the Spirit came on the disciples just before Jesus’ ascension (20:22), and the Spirit was poured out on all the believers at Pentecost (Acts 2), shortly after Jesus ascended to heaven. The Holy Spirit is the very presence of God within us and all believers, helping us live as God wants and building Christ’s church on earth. By faith we can appropriate the Spirit’s power each day.

The word translated “Advocate” combines the ideas of comfort and counsel. The Word could also be translated Comforter, Encourager, or Counselor. The

Holy Spirit is a powerful person on our side, working for and with us. The following

chapters of the Gospel of John teach truths about the Holy Spirit. To really

understand the power of the Holy Spirit, one should study the rest of the Gospel

of John. Many people are unaware of the Holy Spirit’s activities, but to those who

hear Christ’s words and understand the Spirit’s power, the Spirit gives a whole

new way to look at life. So, Jesus was promising the Holy Spirit in these verses.

  1. John 16:5-15- Verses 12 and 13 tell us one of keys of these verses: “There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own but will tell you what He has heard. He will tell you about the future.”

Here Jesus teaches about the Holy Spirit. Although the disciples had asked Jesus about His death (13:36; 14:5), they wondered about its meaning. Unless Jesus did what He came to do, there would be no Good News. If He did not die, He could not remove our sins, He could not rise again and defeat death. If He did not go back to the Father, the Holy Spirit would not come. Christ’s presence on earth was limited to one place at a time. His leaving meant He could be present to the whole world through the Holy Spirit.

Three important tasks of the Holy Spirit are: 1) convicting the world of its sin and calling it to repentance, 2) revealing the standard of God’s righteousness to anyone who believes, because Christ would no longer be physically present on earth, and 3) demonstrating Christ’s judgment over Satan. The truth into which the Holy Spirit guides us is the truth about Christ. The Spirit also helps us through patient practice to discern right from wrong. The Holy Spirit revealed truths to the disciples that they wrote down in the books that now form the New Testament.

 

Clearly there are many verses that are just as important. The selection of

these 19 verses and the information are those that speak well to show how the Gospel

of John gives us a different perspective from the other three Gospels. This is not to

indicate that John’s Gospel is better- only different in its total view of Jesus’ life and

purpose. So many times, the Gospel of John is given to people to inform them of the

wonders of Jesus Christ and many are led to a saving grace in our Lord. This book is an

outstanding look at what Jesus means to us and what He meant to John.

GREAT WEBSITE FOR CHRISTIAN TIPS- ALL AGES

 

REVELATIONS OF THE TRUE NEED

Leave a reply

FORGIVENESS OFFERED

Imagine you have some health systems and you tried to treat yourself without any success. Finally, you go see a physician. After careful analysis of all the facts, your physician reaches a conclusion about what is wrong and prescribes what you need to make you whole again. In this case the physician knew to fully understand what the you needed before trying to deal with how to heal you. Jesus performed a miracle that involved forgiving a paralyzed man of his sins. The miracle reminds us of our greatest need and how much Jesus wants to make us whole. Jesus desires that all people experience His forgiveness and grace. However, just like when we need to go to a physician for help, we must “go” to Jesus for His “healing”.

Read Luke 5:17-20 Jesus Honors Faith

When Jesus began His public ministry, news about Him spread quickly throughout the region. People came from Galilee and Judea to hear Him preach and teach. As they listened, the growing crowd of people got a chance to witness for themselves His power to heal. Religious leaders came to hear Him, but they didn’t come to learn from His instruction. Rather, they showed up so they could investigate Him and His ministry. Verse 17 introduces the Pharisees and teachers of the law that showed up from all over Galilee and Judea, including Jerusalem. While no sinister intent is mentioned, these religious leaders became Jesus’ severest critics. They were separatists who sought to avoid contact with unclean things and unclean people. The Pharisees were more interested in defining and keeping the huge body of religious traditions that had been accumulating for more than 400 years since the Jews’ return from exile. They were so concerned with these man-made traditions that they often lost sight of Scripture. Here these leaders felt threatened because Jesus challenged their sincerity and because the people were flocking to Him.

Among those coming to Jesus were several men (likely 4), carrying a paralyzed man on a bed. (KJV says palsy, which while being serious, it may not have alone caused the man to be paralyzed.) These men could not get through the large crowd so they took the paralyzed man to the roof and lowered him right to where Jesus was standing. In Bible days, houses were built of stone and had roofs of mud and straw with clay tiles layered on top. Normally, there would be an outside stairway to the roof. So the men carried their friend, while he was laying on a mat. To the roof and took apart as much of the roof as was necessary to get access to Jesus. It wasn’t the paralyzed man’s faith that impressed Jesus but the depth of the faith of his friends who carried him. For better or worse, our faith affects others. We can not make another person a Christian, but we can do much through our words, actions and love to another person a chance to respond. The lesson here “screams” out to us to look for any way possible to bring our friends to the living Christ.

Why did Jesus deal with the man’s sins before healing him? (Jesus dealt with the man’s sins first because that was the man’s basic need. Jesus is always concerned about the total person, but at the heart of human need is the problem of sin and guilt.) Remember that the author of this Scripture- Luke- was a physician but he knew that the greater need was for the forgiveness of the man’s sins. See Matthew 9:2 for incite into how Jesus deals with the person’s greater need first. In doing so, Jesus was asserting a prerogative that was God’s alone (v. 21; 7:49). Jesus’ subsequent healing of the man’s condition was proof that He had the authority to forgive sins as well- much to the consternation of the Pharisees.

Read Luke 5:21-26 Jesus Forgives Sin

Jesus’ actions and words led the scribes and Pharisees to accuse Him of blasphemy. He claimed to do something only God can do- forgive sins. This led the Jewish religious present to conclude that Jesus thought He was God, which is punishable by death (Leviticus 24:16). They felt compelled to uphold the law here, even though they were ignoring it in many other cases. They did not understand that Jesus did have the power to heal both body and the soul. Forgiveness was a sign that the messianic age had come (Isaiah 40:2, Jer. 2:32, Micah 7:18, Zechariah 13:1). However, Jesus did not use any of the popular messianic titles. Instead He referred to Himself as Son of man. As we learned before, Jesus used this title more than any other when He was speaking of who He was. He used it to stress two aspects of His redemptive work- death and resurrection (Luke 9:22). On one hand, the Son of man is a humble sufferer who seems weak and powerless; on the other hand, He is vindicated and glorified in divine power (Luke 9:26, also Daniel 7:13).

Jesus’ actions bring to mind an important truth. Sometimes our greatest needs are spiritual in nature. This story of the paralytic doesn’t mean to imply that the cause of physical suffering is necessarily sins that need to be forgiven. (Of course, sometimes our sin causes injury.) Rather, it affirms our foundational spiritual need for an intimate relationship with God through Jesus. Believers are so forgiven that, in God’s eyes, it is as if they had never sinned. Why do you think Jesus asked the question to the religious leaders in verse 23- “Which is easier: to say, ‘your sins are forgiven you’; or to say, ‘Get up and walk”? (Jesus knew the hearts and minds of His accusers. He used His wisdom to counteract their accusations by giving them a paradox.) What He was saying is-if He did not have the authority to forgives sin, then the paralyzed man would not be able to walk. Since the man walked, it was evident that Jesus could forgive sin. Notice that both the paralyzed man and the people in the crowd who witnessed the miracle praised God for what they saw. Luke says they registered complete “awe” and gave “glory to God” for the miracle. It provided an unquestionable demonstration of Jesus’ power to heal and forgive. And of course, glorifying God has a powerful effect on the people who hear us praise Him.

Read Luke 5:29-32 Jesus Seeks Sinners

Luke presents Jesus as the friend of sinners. He freely associated with all kinds of people. This placed Him on a collision course with the Pharisees. The first collision came after Jesus accepted Levi’s dinner invitation. The Pharisees believed in close association only with people who rigidly observed the laws about ritual cleanliness. Neither of the two groups that were guests of Levi’s, met the Pharisees qualifications. Levi was a tax collector and they were outcasts from respectable society. Many tax collectors were collaborators with foreign-dominated governments. (Today they might be called traitors.) They had daily contact with all kinds of other “unclean” people. So most Jewish people thought that tax collectors were “sinners”. In Levi’s case, he seemed eager to leave all behind him because he quickly left a very lucrative business and life-style to follow Jesus as soon as Jesus asked.

Matthew’s (Levi) life was changed in a most profound way that he could not wait to have other tax collectors to meet Jesus. So he arranged a grand banquet in Jesus’ honor at his house. It seems clear that Matthew invited other folks so they would not miss out on the opportunity to know Jesus. Two insights about reaching people for Christ came into view at this point. First, notice Matthew’s method of evangelizing his friends. When we take his example seriously, we search for ways to introduce our lost friends to Christ so they can invite Jesus into their lives. Whether it is in our home and mix some lost friends with dedicated Christians for a social gathering or meal or we invite them to church, sit with them and introduce them to others at church, we are doing the same as Matthew’s example. Second, we need to pay close attention to Jesus’ willingness to associate Himself with social and religious outcasts of His day. His example compels us to see everybody who doesn’t know Him personally. If we treat them like outcasts to be shunned, then we are behaving more like the Pharisees than Christians. Jesus knew that all would not see themselves as sinners in need of God’s forgiveness. However, He showed by His example how to treat all people who have not been saved. Jesus’ answer to the Pharisees, not only showed His compassion for the lost, but showed His authority to save all from their sins and trying to help the Pharisees see that they too needed to repent.

For more about helping people, Copy and Paste:

http://4fd03ku0f-4l9w6qlh25q9eh-d.hop.clickbank.net/?tid=ABIDINGINGOD

http://7a712f1s83tu0scrs5yjv6vl6w.hop.clickbank.net/?tid=VICTORIOUSCHRISTIAN

REVELATIONS: VIRGIN BIRTH

Leave a reply

A BIRTH LIKE NO OTHER

The question that keeps being asked over and over is- What is the meaning of life? People look to a variety of religious figures or leaders to give their lives meaning. Some of these religions offer a god- or gods- who are so beyond them that “he” is unreachable. Other religions have human leaders, yet their humanity makes them little different from us. But in Jesus the all-powerful transcendent God came to us. He came to earth and became one of us. That is what makes Jesus unique. Jesus is fully God, who became fully human. We have heard this truth many times, but we can still be brought to an attitude of worship as we dwell on the unique truth that Jesus is completely unlike any other human being who was ever born. It was truly a birth like no other.

Read Luke 1:26-31

This is a very familiar story but try to look at it a little differently. Luke wrote his two-volume work (Luke – Acts) for the purpose of demonstrating the spread of the gospel beyond the Jewish world and to the world as a whole. But before Luke could focus on the spread of the gospel (in Acts), he had to demonstrate the reality of the gospel (in Luke). Luke began by addressing the birth of John the Baptist, who first spread the word about Jesus and the birth of Jesus Himself. Because we have heard this story many times we are not as surprised as Mary was when the angel appeared to her. We must not let our familiarity keep us from hearing what God wasn’t to say to us in this lesson.

Verse 26 begins by identifying the time as the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy which produced John the Baptist, the fore-runner of Jesus. An interesting issue is involved in Luke saying “a town in Galilee called Nazareth”. It suggests Luke knew his intended readers were not from Palestine and would be unfamiliar to the city’s location. Nazareth was a road from nearby Sepphoris to Samaria, a long way from Jerusalem. Nazareth was known for its independent and aloof attitude. We know Jesus was born in Bethlehem but grew up in Nazareth.  What did Philip say about Nazareth? (Nothing good ever came from Nazareth!)

Zechariah and Elizabeth (John the Baptist’s parents) were both godly people, yet they were suffering. Like Mary, they were not wealthy, powerful or famous but Zechariah, Elizabeth, Mary and Joseph were all people of true faith and integrity. It is significant that God chose such people to be parents of Jesus and John. The message for us is that anyone may feel that their ability, experience or education makes them an unlikely candidate for God’s service but we are not to limit God’s choices. God can use anyone who places their trust in Him. God’s favor does not automatically bring instant success or fame. God’s blessing on Mary, the honor of being the mother of the Messiah, would lead to much pain, her peers would ridicule her, her finance would come close to leaving her, her Son would be rejected and killed. But through her Son would come the world’s only hope, and this is why Mary has been praised by countless generations. Her submission was part of God’s plan to bring about our salvation. If sorrow weighs us down and dims our hope, think of Mary and wait patiently for God to finish working our He plan.

Read Luke 1:32-33

Jesus, a Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua, was a common name meaning “the Lord Saves”. Just as Joshua had led Israel into the Promised Land (Joshua 1:1-2); so Jesus would lead His people into eternal life. The symbolism of His name was not lost on the people of His day, who took names seriously and saw them as a source of power. In Jesus’ name, people were healed, demons were banished, and sins were forgiven. This helps us understand why we pray in His name. Luke did not elaborate on the name, but Matthew explained the reason for it (Matthew 1:21).

Centuries earlier, God had promised David that David’s kingdom would last forever (2 Samuel 7:16). This promise was fulfilled in the coming of Jesus, a direct descendant of David whose kingdom will never end. The promise was known as the Davidic covenant and this was the basis of the Jewish expectation of the Messiah. “The Lord God” would “give” David’s “throne” to His Son. The phrase “His Father David” placed the coming Messiah in David’s line. The “house of Jacob” referred to Israel, but unlike David’s reign, the Messiah’s kingdom would have no end. God promised to establish the throne of David’s descendant forever (2 Samuel 7:13). “The dominion will be vast, and its prosperity will never end…with justice and righteousness from now on and forever” (quote from our quarterly).

Read Luke 1:34-35

Since Jesus existed before time, why is it significant that He came as a baby? (Jesus’ birth was miraculous. He was also born without sin and to reign as Messiah and King forever. God picked exactly the right time on His calendar to have the Son come to earth as a human baby- not conceived by any human father- born of a virgin.)

This helps in the conversion of people to Christianity and established Jesus as both fully God and fully human. Verse 34 was an indication that Mary would conceive while still a virgin. She made it clear that she was still a virgin. There are three facts that aid in our belief: 1) Luke was a medical doctor, he would know perfectly well how babies are made. It would have been just as hard for him to believe in a virgin birth as it is for most people, yet he reports it as fact. 2) Luke was a painstaking researcher who based his Gospel on eyewitness accounts. 3) Christians and Jews who worship God as Creator of the universe, should have no doubt that God has the power to create a child in a virgin of His choice.

The angel’s answer in verse 35 is that the Holy Spirit would overshadow Mary in such a way that the child would be the Son of God. Some ancient stories told of procreation as a result of a union of a god and a woman (Greek Myth). The language by Luke does not describe God as the male partner; rather the language is that of Genesis 1, where the Spirit of God was active in creation. John’s conception has its Old Testament parallel in Isaac, the child of promise born to Abraham and Sarah in their old age; but the conception of Jesus has its parallel in the miracle of divine creation. So Jesus was born not as some ancient stories told of divine beings that sprang full-grown into life. This was not the way God’s Son came. He was divinely conceived, but once He was conceived, He was formed within Mary’s womb and was born through the normal processes of birth.  Thus there was a blending of the divine and the human in Jesus’ conception and birth, just as there was through His life and ministry. When people became believers in the risen Lord, they could appreciate this account of Jesus’ coming. This truly was a birth like no other.

For more specific information, Copy and Paste:

http://90647nuue1xs5n49n8cjcx6k2x.hop.clickbank.net/?tid=CHRISTIANAFFIRMATIONS

http://6efb8bxnly3v8o9yhdyayp2x1x.hop.clickbank.net/?tid=52QUESTIONSBIBLE

BAPTISM FOR CHILDREN

Leave a reply

PREPARE YOUR YOUNG BELIEVER FOR WATER BAPTISM- TRUE CHILDREN BAPTISM.

You want to do the very best for child by explaining the true meaning of Baptism. This can even help your child to come to faith with Jesus Christ, even if they have yet to make that decision. However, it must be understood that in no place in the Bible does it say that baptism saves someone. Salvation comes by faith in belief in Jesus Christ. So why do we baptize? Baptism is a specific loving, obedient act to God–after the salvation decision!! So the young children needs to fully understand how their are saved and that they have made that commitment to Jesus.

Recently there was a dad who wanted to have a biblical true way to teach his two boys to know what baptism means and how to it should be explained. In searching for a book in the Christian book stores and on-line a book that truly explains this, the dad could not find one.  The dad wanted his two boys, each who had put their faith in Jesus Christ at an early , to acknowledge their trust in Christ by getting them baptized. He told them that baptism doesn’t save you, but he shared the sacred importance of this special act as obedience to God! He wanted to make sure that his boys would experience their baptism as something much more than just a “bizzare ritual” (his words). So the dad pulled out his Bible, fired up his creative  passions, prayed, and began working on a project that eventually produced the important elements of baptism.

Prior to publishing it he had his children’s director examine it and they found it to be good and Bible-based. The author also had an evangelical pastor review it to ensure its faithfulness to Biblical teaching. The booklet is divided into 4 chapters:

1. Joey’s Big Question (What is baptism all about?)  2. Grandpa Explains (Baptism reminds us of Jesus’ death and resurrection)  3. Water, Water Everywhere (Water is a special element for baptism) 4. Final Questions (Baptism shows that we have put our trust in Jesus).

Each chapter gives us straightforward and engaging explanation of the importance of baptism. They are big concepts presented in simple terms to match your child’s level of understanding. Activities at the end of each chapter reinforce the concepts introduced in each chapter. It is titled “Joey’s Baptism”. Of course, having a resource that present big concepts in a readable, clear way is only good it the concepts it’s presenting are accurate. There is no compromising here! You must be comfortable that whatever you are teaching your children or other children about baptism is rock-solid. And for that reason the book was written.

So you can be confident that Joey’s Baptism will lead your child in the right direction on her or his spiritual journey.

More detailed information and a method to your own downloadable copy of JOEY’S BAPTISM-  Click

http://54770ovwb4zqayfco3xatm9l2n.hop.clickbank.net/?tid=BAPTISMCHILDREN

OR FOLLOW THE BANNER:   

PREPARE YOUR YOUNG PERSON FOR WATER BAPTISM

LEARN TO DETERMINE IF YOUR YOUNG PERSON IS SPIRITUALLY READY FOR WATER BAPTISM

REVELATION: WATER BAPTISM FOR A YOUNG PERSON: PREPARATION AND WHEN. This covers all the issues to consider and to evaluate the spiritual journey of your child. Help your child to fully understand the realmeaning of water baptism.

LEARN THE BEST WAY TO PREPARE YOUR YOUNG PERSON FOR BAPTISM