I. What Religions Say about Jesus
One may think that because religions like Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism may accept Jesus as a prophet that this validates their religions as acceptable to God but they don't accept Jesus as the exclusive deity He claimed to be. Either Jesus is who He claimed to be or Jesus is a liar or lunatic. If He is a prophet then these religions make Him out to be a false prophet because they do not accept what the Prophet Jesus said about Himself.
II. What Jesus Said About Himself
The expression, “I AM” is the ultimate expression of God. He alone is self existent. Nothing else exists without Him. Jesus repeatedly uses the I AM in referring to Himself;
I am the true vine, I am the living water, I am the good shepherd, I am the bread of life, etc. He has no dependence or interdependence upon others but exists within Himself. This is exclusive deity. And this is what Jesus says about Himself.
III. What the Scripture Says About Jesus
Immanuel is interpreted to mean, “God with us”. Take note that this is the name of an individual and not a reference to God's presence in an omnipresent or pantheistic manner. Its a person who is God in the flesh. Colossians 2 Paul states “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.”
For the entire message please listen to the podcast by clicking on the link to the right of this post.
A Voice Crying
"Be Ye Separate Saith the Lord" 2 Corinthians 6:17
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
That Old Serpent
9And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 10And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. 11And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. 12Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. Revelation 12:9-12
What hope the Christian has in this expression, "That Old Serpent". "Old" indicates something that has a terminal end. Jesus is not old, the saints gone on before are not old, the angels in heaven are not old. That which is old has a passage of time and time will one day come to an end. Verse 12 states that Satan is angry because his days are numbered. Those who are in Christ have a glorious hope. "Rejoice ye heavens and ye that dwell in them". Paul said in Ephesians 2:6 that we are "seated together with Christ in heavenly places". As Satans time draws near to an end he is unleashing great deception in the world. People who are deceived don't know they are deceived. The Christian must be ever vigilant about their daily life for Satan is a roaring lion walking about seeking whom he may devour. The lion roars because its hungry. Satan enjoys nothing more than deceiving and destroying God's greatest creation. That one thing that Christ died for; man. How do we as Christians defeat Satan?
We cannot defeat Satan within our own abilities. He is too powerful for us to battle with. We must have three things found in Revelation 12:11
1. The blood of Christ applied to our hearts cleansing us from sin.
2. A testimony of knowing that the blood of Christ is applied to our heart resulting in a changed life.
3. To live is Christ and to die is gain. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. We must have a mentality or disposition that is heaven centered and not earthly centered. Our hearts must dwell in eternity. Everything physical around you is decaying. It will all melt with a fervent heat and God will establish a new heaven and a new earth. Christian, don't get too attached to this world because it will soon pass away. Jesus said, "Heaven and earth will pass away but my words shall not pass away" Matthew 24. Read Matthew 24. It is in the same context as Revelation 12. Christs word is eternal. Hide it in your heart.
What hope the Christian has in this expression, "That Old Serpent". "Old" indicates something that has a terminal end. Jesus is not old, the saints gone on before are not old, the angels in heaven are not old. That which is old has a passage of time and time will one day come to an end. Verse 12 states that Satan is angry because his days are numbered. Those who are in Christ have a glorious hope. "Rejoice ye heavens and ye that dwell in them". Paul said in Ephesians 2:6 that we are "seated together with Christ in heavenly places". As Satans time draws near to an end he is unleashing great deception in the world. People who are deceived don't know they are deceived. The Christian must be ever vigilant about their daily life for Satan is a roaring lion walking about seeking whom he may devour. The lion roars because its hungry. Satan enjoys nothing more than deceiving and destroying God's greatest creation. That one thing that Christ died for; man. How do we as Christians defeat Satan?
We cannot defeat Satan within our own abilities. He is too powerful for us to battle with. We must have three things found in Revelation 12:11
1. The blood of Christ applied to our hearts cleansing us from sin.
2. A testimony of knowing that the blood of Christ is applied to our heart resulting in a changed life.
3. To live is Christ and to die is gain. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. We must have a mentality or disposition that is heaven centered and not earthly centered. Our hearts must dwell in eternity. Everything physical around you is decaying. It will all melt with a fervent heat and God will establish a new heaven and a new earth. Christian, don't get too attached to this world because it will soon pass away. Jesus said, "Heaven and earth will pass away but my words shall not pass away" Matthew 24. Read Matthew 24. It is in the same context as Revelation 12. Christs word is eternal. Hide it in your heart.
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