|
  A
Course in
"BASIC
THEOLOGY OF THE CROSS"
by:
Pastor Max Solbrekken
WHAT
EASTER REALLY MEANS:
EASTER
- We remember Jesus' crucifixion (death on the cross) on Good Friday -
and we celebrate Jesus rising from the dead, The Resurrection of
Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday
PREFACE
TO NEW EDITION (1998)
The
little book I wrote in 1980 was called "The Truth Shall Make You
Free!" We printed 10,000 copies of that edition and they
were given out as quickly as we could supply them. Now 18 years
later we are reprinting this fine booklet, but under a different title.
I
felt "A Course in Basic Theology" was a more appropriate
title. May the Lord bless this book and bring deliverance and
healing to multitudes. - Max Solbrekken, Edmonton
DEDICATION
I
wish to dedicate this book to all serious Bible students who desire
God’s power in their lives with which to bring liberation, divine
healing & deliverance to their fellowman.
Also
to all who are hurting because of Satan’s snares, entrapments and
torments. May each reader appropriate the promises of God found in this
book and be liberated from sin, fear, sickness, disease, poverty &
untimely death. And from demon possession! Amen.
PREFACE:
THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE
"Ye
shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free."
(John 8:32)
The
truth liberates the soul, the conscience and the mind of man! The truth
breaks the chains of darkness, superstition and fear. It opens the prisons
of doubt and unbelief! The truth removes mountains of discouragement,
negativism and oppression! The truth defeats giants of despair, heartbreak
and loneliness, and opens within us wells of joy, rivers of peace and
floodtides of love! Jesus said, "Ye shall know the truth and the
truth shall make you free!
 Free
from all bondage, sickness & sin
Free
from fears & the troubles within:
Free
from the devil and his evil power
Delivered
by Jesus in this very hour
 Jesus
prayed: "Thy Word O Lord is Truth." (John 17:17) Our Lord
said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life: no man cometh
unto the Father, but by Me." (John 14:6) The Bible teaches that the
Word of God is Spirit and Life, (Philippians 2:16) and that Jesus also is
the Word of God. (Rev. 19:13)
THE
BIBLE & OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST ARE BOTH REFERRED TO AS THE WORD OF GOD
Both
the Bible and our Lord Jesus Christ are referred to as the Word of God and
only Jesus and the Word has the power to make people free! The Bible is
the written Word of God and Jesus is the Living Word of God! And if you
will believe it my friend, Jesus Christ will come out of the pages of this
book and enter your heart! Our Lord Jesus Christ made the statement,
"Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant
abideth not in the house forever, but the son abideth ever. If the Son
therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." (John
8:34-36)
ANYONE
WHO COMMITS SIN IS THE SERVANT OF SIN AND IS NOT FREE
The
Bible states that anyone who commits sin is the servant of sin and is NOT
FREE, but thanks to God, THE TRUTH WILL LIBERATE THEM! The Apostle John
wrote, "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." (1 John 1:7)
Here
are some very important facts about the TRUTH of GOD.
WE
MUST HEAR THE TRUTH - "So
then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." (Romans
10:17)
WE
MUST BELIEVE THE TRUTH - "How
shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they
hear without a preacher?" (Romans 10:14)
WE
MUST HOLD FAST TO THE TRUTH - "Prove
all things; hold fast that which is good." (1 Thessalonians 5:21)
“Take heed unto thyself, and unto doctrine; continue in them; for in
doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee.” (1
Tim. 4:16) "Buy the truth and sell it not; also
wisdom, and instruction and understanding." (Proverbs 23:23)
WE
MUST TELL THE TRUTH - "For
we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you
the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of
His Majesty." (2 Peter 1:16)
"Preach
the word; be instant in season, out of season; rebuke, time will
come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts
shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears." (2
Timothy 4:2-3)
"If
we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)
WE
MUST OBEY THE TRUTH
"If
ye love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15)
“If
ye abide in Me and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and
it shall be done unto you." (John 15:7)
"Then
said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him, If ye continue in My word,
then are ye My disciples indeed." (John 8:31)
"If
ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from
the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to
every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am a minister;"
(Colossians 1:23)
"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." (2
Corinthians 5:20)
SATAN
IS A LIAR AND THE TRUTH IS NOT IN HIM
Jesus
called the devil a liar and a murderer:
"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." (John 8:44)
SATAN
IS A COLOSSAL DECEIVER AND LIAR AND THERE IS NO TRUTH IN HIM
He
may tell some truths or half truths in order to deceive and enslave the
human race, but he himself is TOTAL DARKNESS AND THERE IS NO LIGHT OR LIFE
IN HIM.
When
you receive Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour, you say farewell to the
kingdom of darkness and you are automatically translated into God's
glorious Kingdom!
"Even
the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is
made manifest to his saints. Which is Christ in you the hope of
Glory." (Colossians 1:26-27)
YOU
ARE PASSED FROM DEATH UNTO LIFE, BECAUSE JESUS CHRIST IS THE LIGHT OF THE
WORLD
The
Bible says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God
and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things
were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made. In
Him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in
darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not." (1 John 1: 1-5)
"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." (John 1:14)
The
Scriptures declare that sinful men rejected Him because their deeds were
evil! They hated the Light and loved the darkness. (John 3:19) The Bible
says, "In Him (Jesus Christ) was Life and the Life was the Light of
men." (John 1:4) Again the Scripture says, "He that believeth on
the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the son shall not
see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." (John 3:36)
WHEN
THE LIGHT IS SWITCHED ON, THE DARKNESS FLEES AND WHEN JESUS COMES INTO A
LIFE IN HIS GREAT POWER, ALL SIN, FEAR, OPPRESSION, SICKNESS, DISEASE AND
EVIL POWERS LEAVE! PRAISE GOD.
There
are five glorious truths that I wish to set forth in this lesson, to help
build your faith! As a stone mason lays block upon block, so I present
these truths ‘Scripture upon Scripture’, knowing that the Word
of God creates faith in our hearts and faith gets the job done! Praise
God.
#1
- GOD HAS NOT CHANGED, CANNOT CHANGE AND WILL NEVER CHANGE
"I
am the Lord, I change not." (Malachi 3:6)
Here,
the Living God makes one of His most significant statements of fact. He is
changeless, always constant and timeless! Nothing can alter that great
truth! Men are born, live, pass on and are gone like the grass of the
field, but God remains the SAME.
The
Bible says, “And Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the
foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:
They shall perish; but Thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth
a garment; And as a vesture shalt Thou fold them up, and they shall be
changed: but Thou art the same, and Thy years shall not fail."
(Hebrews 1:10-12)
WE
MUST OBEY THE TRUTH
Here
are five great truths about God:
(1)
GOD IS ETERNAL
God
is eternal - without beginning or end - everlasting and always God.
The
Psalmist David wrote: "Lord, Thou has been our dwelling place in all
generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou
hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to
everlasting, thou art God...
“For
a thousand years in Thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as
a watch in the night." (Psalms 90:1-4)
"The
eternal God is thy refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms..."
(Deuteronomy
33:27)
(2)
GOD IS OMNIPOTENT
God
is omnipotent (meaning) - He is all powerful.
"I
am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside Me: I girded
thee, though thou hast not known Me: That they may know from the rising of
the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside Me. I am the
Lord, and there is none else." (Isaiah 45:5-6)
"I
have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even My hands, have
stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.” (Isaiah
45:12)
Jesus
said: "All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth."
(Matthew 28:18)
(3)
GOD IS OMNISCIENT
GOD
IS OMNISCIENT (meaning) - He is all wise
& all knowing.
"For
the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us
which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy
the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the
prudent.
“Where
is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world?
hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
“For
after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it
pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For
the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
“But
we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the
Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks,
Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness
of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than
men." (1 Corinthians 2:18-25)
"To
God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen." (Rom.
16:27) If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all
men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." (James
1:5)
(a)
GOD HAS NOT CHANGED:
From
eternity to eternity He is God! He was the same in the beginning of
man’s existence, He is the same today and He will be the same throughout
eternity! Praise God.
(b)
GOD CANNOT CHANGE:
It
is impossible for God to be anything but Who and What He is today - kind,
loving, generous, good, holy, just and true.
(c)
GOD WILL NOT CHANGE IN THE FUTURE:
The
Bible says: "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending,
saith the Lord, which is, and which is to come, the Almighty."
(Revelation 1:8)
“And,
Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and
the heavens are the works of Thine hands: They shall perish; but Thou
remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a
vesture shalt Thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but Thou
art the same, and thy years shall not fail.” (Hebrews 1:10-12)
(d)
GOD IS IMMUTABLE:
He
is perfect in all things; totally truthful, and since He never makes a
mistake He doesn't need to apologize for error. There is no error in God.
If He has said it, that settles it. God is God and is changeless and
unalterable. The “immutability of His Word” speaks of the
permanent character of His Word. Since God and His Word are one, He is
permanently error-free, righteous and perfect! Glory to His Name. You can
believe unreservedly on Him with total trust. (Hebrews 6:13-18)
BECAUSE
GOD HAS NOT CHANGED
GOD
STILL ANSWERS PRAYER
(1)
God still answers prayer: “Call unto Me, and I will answer thee, and
show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” (Jeremiah
33:3)
"Ask,
and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be
opened unto you: For everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh
findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." (Matthew
7:7-8)
GOD
STILL FORGIVES THE SINNER
(2)
God still forgives the sinner: "And it shall come to pass, that
whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Acts
2:21) "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. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive
ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness." (l John 1:7-9)
GOD
STILL BRINGS PEACE TO THE TROUBLED AND REMOVES GUILT
(3)
God still brings peace to the troubled and removes guilt: "Let not
your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in Me. Peace I
leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I
unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
(John 14:1, 27)
"Therefore
being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus
Christ. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in
Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."
(Romans 5:1; 8:1)
GOD
STILL CARES
(4)
God still cares: “And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction
of My people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of
their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; And I am come down to deliver
them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that
land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and
honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the
Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.”
(Exodus 3:7-8)
"Casting
all your care upon Him; for He careth for you." (1 Peter 5:7)
GOD
STILL MEETS OUR NEEDS
(5)God
still meets our needs: “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse,
that there may be meat in mine house. And prove Me herewith, saith the
Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you
out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
“And
I will rebuke the destroyer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the
fruits of your ground, neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the
time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts.” (Malachi 3:10-11)
"But
my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by
Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19)
GOD
STILL HEALS THE SICK
(6)God
still heals the sick: "And these signs shall follow them that
believe; in My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new
tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing,
it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall
recover." (Mark 16: 17-18)
“IS
ANY SICK AMONG YOU? let him call for the elders of the church; and let
them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and
the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up;
and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him." (James
5:14-15)
GOD
STILL FILLS BELIEVERS WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT
(7)
God still fills believers with the Holy Spirit: "Then Peter said unto
them, repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ
for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy
Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that
are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." (Acts
2:38-39)
“If
ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how
much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask
Him?” (Luke 11:13)
GOD
STILL BLESSES AND LOADS US WITH BENEFITS
(8)
God still blesses and loads us with benefits: "Bless the Lord, O my
soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my
soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities;
Who healeth all thy diseases." (Psalms 103:1-3)
“Beloved,
I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as
thy soul prospereth.” (3 John 1:2)
GOD
STILL PROTECTS US FROM DANGER, EVIL AND SATAN
(9)
God still protects us from danger, evil and Satan: "There shall no
evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For He
shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy
ways." (Psalms 91:10-11)
Fear
thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will
strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the
right hand of My righteousness." (Isa. 41:10) "Who redeemeth thy
life from destruction; Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender
mercies." (Psalms 103:4)
“And
the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are
subject unto us through Thy name.” (Luke 10:17)
GOD
STILL LEADS, GUIDES & DIRECTS US
(10)
God still leads, guides & directs us: “For as many as are led by the
Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the
spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of
adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
“The
Spirit (Himself) beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children
of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with
Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified
together.” (Romans 8:14-17)
#2
- GOD HAS NOT LIED, CANNOT LIE AND WILL NEVER LIE
(a)
We know what God will do in the future by what He has done in the past,
because He has not changed. He has always told the truth for He is the
truth and since it is impossible for God to lie, we know we can put our
trust in Him as God.
(b)
He is too good to do anything wrong. He is too wise to make a mistake. He
is too powerful to allow Satan to harm His children who call upon His Name
in faith and who trust in His truth.
(c)
He is too conscientious and correct to lose our number, forget us or leave
us to aimlessly drift on the sea of life and death without His divine
guidance and direction.
(d)
The Scripture emphatically declares: "God is not a man that He should
lie, neither the son of man that he should repent (change his mind) hath
He said, and shall He not do it? Or hath He spoken, and shall He not make
it good? (Numbers 23:19)
Samuel
the Prophet declared: "And also the Strength of Israel will not lie
or repent: for He is not a man, that He should repent." (1 Samuel
15:29)
GOD
IS CONSTANT
You
can believe the Word of God because it is ever and always the same. St.
James said, "A double minded man is unstable in all his ways!"
He admonishes us to ask God for our needs, in faith. And He assures us
that our needs will be met, because we are dealing with one Who is always
the same and Who is liberal in His giving.
"Every
good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the
Father of lights, with Whom is no variableness, neither shadow of
turning." (James 1:17)
St.
Paul, in writing to Titus made the great declaration that I am now making
- "God cannot lie." (Titus 1:2)
Since
it is impossible for God to lie, His nature is totally against falsehood
and His commandments all demand truth and condemn lying. We can rest
assured that His promises are trustworthy.
The
Bible says, "I hate every false way." (Psalm 119:104)
"Lying
lips are abomination to the Lord: but they that deal truly are His
delight." (Proverbs 12:22),
"And
He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He
said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful."
(Revelation 21:5)
Our
Lord Jesus Christ stated, "I am the Way, the Truth and the
Life." (John 14:6)
God
has never lied, cannot lie and will not lie, for He not only speaks the
Truth but HE IS THE TRUTH.
THERE
IS NO TRUTH IN SATAN ! HE IS A LIAR EXTRA ORDINAIRE
Jesus
Christ's description of the Evil One was an indictment: "He was a
murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is
no truth in him." (John 8:44)
FALSE
TEACHERS WHO GIVE THEMSELVES OVER TO SATAN, BECOME PERVERTED, BECAUSE
HE IS PERVERTED
"And
even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them
over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which we not
convenient." (Romans 1:28)
"Now
the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart
from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot
iron." (1 Timothy 4:1-2)
THE
HOLY SCRIPTURES MAKE IT VERY PLAIN THAT THE BLESSED HOLY SPIRIT IS THE SPIRIT
OF TRUTH
"But
when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you, from the Father,
even the Spirit of Truth, which proceedeth from the Father, He shall
testify of Me." (John 15:26)
"...the
anointing of God teaches you all things and is truth and is no lie."
(1 John 2:27)
WHO
IS A LIAR? HE WHO DENIES CHRIST'S DIVINITY
St.
John declared, "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.
Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is
anti-christ, that denieth the Son, the same hath not the father: but he
that acknowledges the Son hath the Father also." (1 John 2:21-23)
All
who advocate teachings, ideologies and doctrines which disagree with the
Holy Bible - which is the Divine, Infallible Word of God, were labeled
liars by the Apostle Paul when he wrote:
"For
what is some did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the faith of
God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man
a liar.." (Romans 3:3-4)
It
matters not what men say about the Word of God - It will stand the test of
both time and eternity; never swerving or changing, but always constant
and firm. Praise God.
IT
IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR GOD TO LIE
The
writer to the Hebrews (probably St. Paul) wrote about two immutable
things, which he gave as a proof that God can be trusted to be absolutely
steadfast, trustworthy and honourable in all things.
"For
when God made promises to Abraham, because He could swear by no greater,
He swore by Himself, saying, Surely, blessing I will bless thee, and
multiplying I will multiple thee.
And
so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men
verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation to to them at
end of all strife.
""Wherein
God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the
immutability of His counsel (the permanent character of His Word)
confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it
was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who
have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:"
"Which
we have as an anchor for the soul, both sure and steadfast and which
entereth into that within the veil; whither the forerunner if for us
entered, even Jesus, made an High Priest for ever after the order of
Melchisedek." (Hebrews6:13-20)
#3
- GOD IS NO RESPECTER, OF PERSONS, PLACES OR TIMES
What
He has done for one, He will do for all that believe. WHY IS THIS?
He is no respecter of persons. The only thing that God answers to is
faith and sincerity. If we mean business with God, calling upon Him
in humility and faith, He will answer. Jesus often said to those
whom He saved, healed and delivered, "Thy faith hath saved thee; go
in peace." (Luke 7:50).
"Arise,
go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole." (Luke 17:19)
"According to your faith, be it unto you." (Matthew 9:29)
"If
thou wouldst believe thou shouldest see the glory of God?" (John
11:40)
FAITH
STIRS THE HEART OF GOD AND CAUSES HIM TO WORK ON OUR BEHALF
The
Scripture says, "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the LORD shall
be saved." (Acts 2:21) "He that believeth on the Son hath
everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life;
but the wrath of God abideth on him." (John 3:36)
"HE,
THEM, THE WHOSOEVER, ANY, EVERYONE, YE and ALL PEOPLE."
Again
the Bible says, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved,
but he that believeth shall not be damned." (Mark 16:16)
"These
signs shall follow them that believe; In My Name shall they cast out
devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents;
and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay
hands on the sick and they shall recover." (Mark 16:17-18)
Jesus
said, "Whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal
life." (John 3:15)
"Is
any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let
them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the LORD:
And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the LORD shall raise him
up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him."
(James 5:4)
St.
Peter said, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the Name of
Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of
the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you and to your children and to
all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call."
(Acts 2:38-39)
The
Angel said, "Fear not; for behold I bring you tidings of great joy,
which shall be to all people." (Luke 2:10) Jesus said, "Blessed
are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be
filled." (Matthew 5:6)
The
Scripture says, "He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the
rich he hath sent empty away." (Luke 1:53)
James
declared, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God that giveth
to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."
(James 1:5)
DRAW
NIGH TO GOD, AND HE WILL DRAW NIGH TO YOU
Again
the Word of God declares, "Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to
you." (James 4:8) James further declared, "Submit yourselves
therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." (James
4:6)
PUT
ON THE WHOLE ARMOUR OF GOD
The
weapons of our warfare are for all Christians and are provided for all who
will put them on and use them.
"For
the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the
pulling down of strongholds." (2 Corinthians 10:4) "Put on
the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of
the devil." (Ephesians 6:11)
Jesus
said, "Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost." (Matthew
28:19) Again the Bible says, "And this gospel of the Kingdom shall be
preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall
the end come." (Matthew 24:14)
St.
Paul said, "For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek:
for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him."
(Romans 10:12)
1)
GOD IS NO RESPECTER OF PERSONS
"Believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." (Acts 16:31)
ALL
WHO CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED
"And
it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord
shall be saved.: (Acts 2:21) ALL WHO BELIEVE THE GOSPEL, REPENT OF THEIR
SINS AND CONFESS THEM TO CHRIST ARE FORGIVEN.
GOD
ANSWERS THE PRAYERS OF ALL WHO ASK IN FAITH
"Ask
and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock and it shall be
opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh
findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." (Matt.7:7-8)
St. Peter said, "Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of
persons." (Acts 10:34)
St.
James wrote that "God gives to all men liberally and upbraideth
not." (James 1:5)
2)
GOD IS NO RESPECTER OF PLACES
Because
God is eternal, omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent there is no problem
for Him to be everywhere at the same time.
Since
He does not grow old, but remains the same, He can still operate
effectively during the totality of our earth’s history - past, present
or future.
And
because God does not change, He will still perform those same great
miracles which He has performed in the past in any place, any time or for
any one He so chooses! He is God and therefore, has all power, knows all
things and can do all things.
Time
does not deter God! Geographical boundaries give Him no problem, for He
created everything and owns everything. He is not a stranger to any place,
anything or anybody.
What
He did in Jerusalem He can do in Africa, Canada or Russia.
The
color of the skin, the language of the people or climatic conditions have
no effect on Him. He is true to His Word, always honours faith, rejects
partiality, responds to worship and praise, delights in the truth and
enjoys showing mercy, compassion and tenderness.
He
still drives out fears, enjoys liberating the slaves of Satanic bondage
and sin. And He hastens to heal all the sick and diseased, who recognize
Him as Lord and Healer.
3)
GOD IS NO RESPECTER OF PERSONS AND ALL WHO CALL UPON HIM IN FAITH GET A
HEARING AND ARE BLESSED:
Regardless
of who you are, or where you live, God will hear you if you call upon him
in faith. I repeat, God is no respecter of places, nationalities or
geographic boundaries.
St.
Paul stated, "There is no respecter of persons with God. For as many
as have sinned without the law shall also perish without the law; and as
many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law." (Romans
2:11-12)
Rich
and poor, black and white, red, yellow and brown all stand on even ground
in His sight! (There are certain promises made to Israel that do not apply
to the Gentiles. These are an exception, for Israel has played and will
play a special role in the history of God's dealings with man).
His
love transcends all borders as St. Peter discovered when he and six of his
Jewish brethren went - by the command of the Lord - to minister to
Cornelius and his household.
"While
Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard
the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as
many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out
the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues and
magnify God." (Acts 10:44-46)
FOOLISH
MEN HAVE TRIED TO DICTATE TO GOD
You
cannot lock God in a time capsule or a straight jacket, dictating to Him
when, where and upon whom He can or cannot work His works.
He
is God and cannot be bound by our finite minds and often "wrong
thinking" in the natural.
Theologians
have tried to do this repeatedly! Just as they have put a TIMING DEVICE on
HIS ABILITY and PREDESTINED HIS WILL in such matters, He suddenly breaks
forth in sovereign and glorious demonstration and does the unthinkable in
the most unusual places and forbidden (so-called theological) times.
Revival
after revival has broken loose in nation after nation, century after
century, and will continue to do so until Jesus comes and the Church is
raptured.
The
Pharisees and Sadducees were disturbed that Jesus broke the Sabbath by
healing the sick on that day. (John 5:10-18)
Jesus
declared that He had been sent only to the lost sheep of the House of
Israel (Matthew15:20-28), yet He was drawn by human need and went to the
Well of Sychar in Samaria in order to save an adulterous woman, as well as
many of her friends. (John 4:28-30) A great revival was the outcome, as He
stayed for two days ministering to them.
Almighty
God upset Peter by giving him a vision of unclean animals and telling him
to rise up, kill and eat, thereby sending him to the Gentiles. (Acts
10:9-16). The Apostles and Disciples of our Lord continued to preach
the Gospel and work miracles in Jesus’ Name, even though they were
forbidden to do so by the religious authorities in the face of
imprisonment and death. (Acts 4:16-21)
God
worked miracles through the ministry of lay people like Stephen and Philip
who were only deacons (Acts 7:5-8) and used the common people to spread
the Gospel during times of great persecution. (Acts 8:1-5). The
Early Church grew and multiplied covering the earth even in times of
poverty, testing and persecution.
THE
PROTESTANT REFORMATION ALTERED THE BALANCE OF POWER - THE GOSPEL OF
CHRIST BEGAN TO TRIUMPH AGAIN.
Martin
Luther shook the Roman Catholic conglomerate when he opposed many of its
corrupt practices, and great revivals broke loose bringing liberty and
Holy Ghost joy to millions, against the objections of a powerful ruling
church and state.
John
and Charles Wesley, George Whitefield, John Knox, D.L. Moody, Charles
Finney and other great evangelists proved that God was not through working
among men, spearheading revivals that shook the world.
John
Lake, Charles S. Price, William Freeman, Jack Coe, Gordon Lindsay, Oral
Roberts and other great evangelists led multitudes into the knowledge of
God's healing stream.
At
this point in time, millions of people from all major denominations upon
the face of the earth are being filled with the Holy Spirit speaking in
tongues in a great charismatic revival.
Many
religious leaders would like to stop the revival if they could, but it
cannot be quenched. It burns on in Holy Ghost flame and fire! Yes, God is
working His miracles today, despite and in spite of the foolishness of
man's narrow and restricted vision and misconceptions - Praise the Living
God.
3 - GOD HAS NEVER FAILED
Although
man has failed in everything he has tried to do, God is perfect and has
never failed. He cannot fail and He will not fail! King Solomon, in his
anointed dedicatory prayer made the statement, "Not one word of all
His good promises has failed." (1 Kings 8:56)
God
has not failed, He cannot fail and He will not fail! It is impossible for
God to fail.
HE
CANNOT DENY HIMSELF, FOR HE IS FAITHFUL WHO HAS PROMISED
(2
Timothy 2:13) The Scripture says, "The callings of God are without
repentance." (Romans 11:29) When He gives us something,
He does so because He so desires, and He does not ask us to return that
gift.
The
Bible says, "The foundations of God are sure having this seal, the
Lord knoweth them that are His." (2 Timothy 2:19)
HE
CALLED SAMUEL BY NAME AND HE ALSO KNEW JEREMIAH AND JACOB PERSONALLY
Since
He knows us by name, He is able to supply our needs as well as keep us in
His perfect will! He also sees the sparrow fall, knows the number of hairs
on our heads and clothes the lilies of the field.
Certainly
He has enough grace, goodness, propriety and good sense to look after us!
His wisdom is greater than all and we are His creation, as well as members
of His body and sons and daughters through the new birth.
And
by adoption, we have become heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ
(Romans 8:17), bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh. (Ephesians 5:30)
Why
is this? We are the body of Christ and members in particular of His body.
(1 Corinthians 12:12) Praise God.
Since
He has become so involved in our lives and invested so much in us,
certainly - in His divine wisdom and understanding - He will not discard
us, as some would have us believe.
JESUS
SAID, "I WILL NEVER THEE THEE, NOR FORSAKE THEE."
Jesus
said, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." (Hebrews13:5)
Here, Jesus used a double imperative: "I will never, no never leave
thee. I will never, no never forsake thee." I will be with thee
unto the end of the world. (Matthew 28:20) No wonder St. Peter declared
that we are "...kept by the power of God through faith..." (1
Peter 1:5)
YOU
CANNOT DIVORCE THE PRESENCE OF GOD FROM THE MIRACLE POWER OF GOD
You
cannot divorce God's presence from His power! Many desire God's
presence with them, but they do not expect Him to effectively use His
power to work a miracle for them.
You
cannot separate the healing, saving, delivering and keeping power of God
from His ever-abiding presence! You can always depend upon the Lord
because of His faithfulness and dependability.
"Jesus
never fails - Jesus never fails - Heaven and earth shall pass away, but
Jesus never fails!" God has not failed in the past, is faithful now
and cannot and will not fail in the future. What a glorious truth and what
an Almighty God we serve. Hallelujah.
GOD
REMAINS FAITHFUL STILL
Often
among us humans there are gross contradictions or seeming contradictions
as situations change, attitudes change and positions change to adapt to
the new realities of life. Not so with God - He is changeless and His
purposes, aims and goals forge ahead unabated.
During
World War II we certainly saw evidence of how leaders and nations changed
their positions. Stalin fought alongside Hitler until he realized the West
would ultimately win, then the wily communists left their Nazi
bed-partners and joined with the West.
The
Pope of Rome blessed Benito Mussolini together with his war machine to go
out in murderous raids against Ethiopia to plunder, murder and rape. When
the Roman Catholic church saw that Mussolini would fall, they quickly
changed their minds and swung over to the Allied side.
The
U.S.A. was going to keep out of the war until the Imperial forces of
Hirohito smashed the U.S. Naval Japan’s base in Honolulu. That changed
their position totally and thrust them into the Second World War, bringing
ultimate victory to the Allied forces.
And
very recently, US President Bill Clinton labeled Osama bin Laden as the
world’s leading terrorist. During much publicity about his shameful,
gross conduct that led to his impeachment, Clinton suddenly sent US
warplanes to strike at Osama bin Laden’s camps in Afghanistan and
Pakistan.
Then,
suddenly Bill Clinton is seen leading NATO airplanes against President
Slobodan Milosonic's Ugoslavia. Nato then began a close relationship with
the KLA - formerly labeled as Kosovo’s bloody "terrorists",
suddenly turned freedom fighters.
And
where have they been getting their financing? Through "drug
running", the mafia & guess who - Osama bin Laden. Clinton &
Osama are friends at long last! What strang bedfellows.
GOD
HOWEVER, DOES NOT CHANGE AND CANNOT DENY HIMSELF
St.
Paul declares, "Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto
bonds; but the word of God is not bound." (2 Timothy 3:10)
You
cannot destroy, bind or nullify the Word of God. The Bible says, "The
Scripture cannot be broken" (John 10:35) and "The Word of
God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword..."
(Hebrews 4:12) Certainly we can trust the Word of God for time and
eternity.
Paul
continues: "If we believe not, yet He remaineth faithful; He cannot
deny Himself." (2 Timothy 3:13) Even though we fail Him, His Word is
still true and He will not deny Himself or fail us.
LET
GOD BE TRUE
"For
what if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the faith of God
without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a
liar.." (Romans 3:3-4)
Does
God fail? Can He fail? Will He fail? Certainly not! Is He trustworthy? Can
we depend upon Him? Most certainly we can.
The
Scripture states that even if some do not believe, that does not nullify
the Word of God! Then St. Paul comes on strong: "GOD FORBID"
yea, let God be true and every man be a liar.
May
I add that every person who denies the Word of God, opposes the Word of
God.
ANYONE
WHO CHANGES THE WORD OF GOD IS A COLOSSAL LIAR AND ENEMY OF THE KINGDOM OF
GOD
That
is the reason God hates the false way of the so-called Christian cults eg.
Mormon, Jehovah Witness, Christian Science, Scientology, Christadelphian,
H.W. Armstrongism, Branhamism, New Age Movement and others, who teach for
the Word of God their own man-made, accursed traditions and teachings.
The
reason I say accursed is because that is what they are! I am quoting St.
Paul: "I would that ye are so soon removed from Him that called you
into the grace of Christ unto another Gospel; which is not another; but
there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the Gospel of
Christ."
“"But
though we or angel from Heaven, preach any other Gospel unto you than that
which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before,
so say I now again, if any man preach any other Gospel unto you than that
ye have received, let him be accursed." (Galatians 1:6-9)
THE
GIFTS AND CALLINGS OF GOD
The
Scripture speaks of Israel, who has backslidden and been judged severely,
but who will be saved in the end. We are the bride of Christ (Revelation
21:9) to be married to Christ - the Heavenly Bridegroom - in the Marriage
Supper of the Lamb. (Revelation19:9) Israel however is the wife of God and
He is married to the backslidden Israel. (Isaiah 64:6-7)
However,
because of His faithfulness, she shall be given a final chance and after
He has taken her through much tribulation, in the end, Israel shall be
saved.
"And
so all Israel shall be saved...for this is My covenant unto them, when I
shall take away their sins. For the gifts and callings of God are without
repentance." (Romans 11:26, 17, 29)
After
crucifying His Son on the Cross and after they have embraced the false
christ (the Anti-Christ) during the first 3-1/2 years of the Great
Tribulation, still God will forgive Israel and bring them into the fold in
the End Time, because of His Covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, WHICH
HE WILL NOT BREAK UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. Praise the Lord.
What
a great, good and wonderful God we serve and how thankful we should be for
His grace, mercy and longsuffering towards us.
GOD
ALWAYS FULFILLS HIS WORD
Repeatedly,
we read in the Holy Scriptures the words "...that it might be
fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets.." (Matthew 1:21; 2:17)
You
can be absolutely certain that whatever the prophets declared would come
to pass, shall come to pass! There is no doubt about the veracity of God's
Word.
When
you read in the Holy Bible: "Thus saith the Lord..." You
can be absolutely certain that it will happen - it will come to pass.
Again we read often "...and it shall come to pass..."
Make
no mistake about it, when God has declared something, whatever He has
declared will in fact come to pass. Let us look briefly at only a few
verses of Scripture to back up these claims.
(I)
- THE BIRTH OF JESUS
"Behold,
a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His name
Emanuel." (Isaiah 7:14) "...the Holy Ghost shall
come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee:
therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called
the Son of God." (Luke 1:35)
"Now
all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord
by the prophet, saying.." (Matthew 1:22) "But when the
fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son..."
(Galatians 4:4)
(II)
- THE DEATH OF JESUS
"Then
saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night:
for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock
shall be scattered abroad." (Matthew 26:31)
"And
forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed Him. And
Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and
laid hands on Jesus, and took Him away." (Matthew 26:
49-50)
"In
that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a
thief with swords and staves for to take Me? I sat daily with you teaching
in the temple, and ye laid no hold on Me. But all this was done, that the
scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples
forsook Him, and fled." (Matthew 26:55-56)
"Ye
know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man
is betrayed to be crucified." (Matthew 26:2)
"Then
Judas, which had betrayed Him, when he saw that He was condemned, repented
himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief
priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed innocent
blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. And he cast
down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged
himself."
"And
the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for
to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. And they
took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers
in. Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this
day."
"Then
was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And
they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of Him that was valued,
Whom they of the children of Israel did value; And gave them for the
potter's field, as the Lord appointed me." (Matthew 27:3-10)
(III)
- THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS
“In
the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the
week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.
And,
behold there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended
from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat
upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as
snow:
And
for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the
angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye
seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for He is risen, as He
said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell His
disciples that He is risen from the dead, and, behold, He goeth before you
into Galilee; there shall ye see Him: lo, I have told you."
"And
they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did
run to bring His disciples word. And as they went to tell His disciples,
behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held Him by
the feet, and worshipped Him."
"Then
said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell My brethren that they go into
Galilee, and there shall they see Me." (Matthew 28:1-10)
(IV)
- THE OUTPOURING OF THE HOLY GHOST
"And
it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My Spirit upon all
flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall
dream dreams, your young men shall see visions; And also upon the servants
and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out My Spirit."
(Joel 2:28-29)
"But
this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to
pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all
flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men
shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And it shall come
to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be
saved." (Acts 2: 16-17 & 21)
"For
these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of
the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;"
(Acts 2: 15-16)
"This
Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by
the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the
promise of the Holy Ghost, He hath shed forth this, which ye now see and
hear." (Acts 2:32-33)
(V)
- SALVATION AND DIVINE HEALING
"And
it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord
shall be saved." (Acts 2:17) "And the same day there were added
unto them about 3000 souls." (Acts 2:41)
"Then
Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name
of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift
of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and
to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And
with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves
from this untoward generation."
"Then
they that gladly received his word were baptized; and the same day there
were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued
steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of
bread, and in prayers."
"And
fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the
apostles. And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every
man had need."
"And
they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking of
bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness
of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the
Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved."
"But
He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities:
the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are
healed." (Isaiah 53:5)
"When
the even was come, they brought unto Him many that were possessed with
devils: and He cast out the spirits with His word, and healed all that
were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the
prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our
sicknesses." (Matthew 8:16-17)
God
says in His Word, "Call upon Me in the day of trouble and I will
deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me." ( Psalm 50:15)
No.
4 - GOD IS NEVER LATE. HE IS NOT TOO BUSY TO ANSWER US
God
is never too busy or too tired to answer us. God is not on vacation
or sleeping. God is not on strike, or out of business. God is
waiting for us, ready and willing to hear our prayers and to meet our
every need.
We
can come before Him any time of day or night. Jesus said, "Come unto
Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you
rest." (Matthew 11:28)
Hear
the Word of the Lord to you, my friend: "Let the wicked forsake his
way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the
Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will
abundantly pardon." (Isaiah 55:7)
Again
our Lord says, "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord:
though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow: though
they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." (Isaiah 1:18)
The
Lord's invitation to us all is "Before they call I will answer, and
while they are yet speaking I will hear." (Isaiah 64:24)
God
our heavenly Father is always on time. He is never late and He does not go
on vacation. Our lord is always there when we need him. He is always and
He never sleeps.
The
Bible says, "He never slumbers nor sleeps." (Psalms 121:4)
GOD
IS NOT ON STRIKE, GOD IS NOT OUT OF SORTS. GOD IS READY TO SET YOU
FREE
God
is never on strike, nor is He ever out of sorts. Our Blessed LORD is
still very much in the business of setting people free from sin, fear,
sickness, disease and the power of all evil spirits.
The
Bible says, "Whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that
the Father may be glorified in the Son."
"Ask,
and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be
opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh
findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened."
I
wish to share one final Scripture before I close this message: Jesus said,
"Whatsoever things ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive
them, and ye shall have them." (Mark 11:24)
Please
remember:
GOD
HAS NOT CHANGED, will not change and cannot change.
GOD
HAS NOT LIED, cannot lie, will not lie. You can trust His Word
to you
GOD
is no respecter of persons, places or times
GOD
HAS NEVER FAILED, cannot fail and will not fail
GOD
IS ALWAYS ON TIME, always there when you need Him, always ready to
answer
your prayer and fulfill His Word in
your life.
AND
NEVER FORGET, GOD CARE ABOUT YOU! Amen.
Why
was
JESUS CHRIST BORN?
Jesus Christ was
born to to destroy the works of the devil
Sin,
however, was in the world because Satan (the devil). The devil, who
is the father of sin and death, had been cast out of Heaven and is called
the 'Prince of the power of the air', as well as the 'god of this world'.
(Ephesians 2:2; 2 Corinthians 4:4)
The
devil had caused previous disruption and chaos. (Genesis 1:2;
Ezekiel 28:13-19; Isaiah 14:12-17).
Because
of Satan (the devils) rebellion and hatred for God, he had cunningly
planned his strategy by tempting Eve, with the Tree of Life, in the Garden
of Eden. (Genesis 3:1-6; Job 1:8-22; Job 2:1-8)
GOD
CALLED ADAM WHERE ART THOU?
The
great transgression had been made by Adam & Eve. Now, for the
moment of truth. How would Adam & Eve feel? Would they now
be wise as God, as Satan (the devil) had promised them? Was the
rebellion and disobedience towards God worth it? No - a thousand
times NO.
Adam
& Eve's eyes were opened. But, what did they see? Adam
& Eve saw their own vulnerability, stupidity, weaknesses, sin and
nakedness. Fear stalked and filled their souls. They had never
felt fear before sin entered their lives. They realized they were
naked, vulnerable and inadequate. Now, they realized they must face
the music, and meet God alone.
But
where was Satan (the devil)? Where was the evil one who had been
their wise tempter such a short time ago?
Of
course, the devil was gone, to gloat over his victory. I'm sure that
the devil, the liar and deceiver was not far away, probably hiding behind
a tree, excitedly waiting to see the inevitable outcome of their sin.
The inevitable outcome, the separation, dis-fellowshipping of God and His
special creation, man.
THE
DEVIL REJOICED OVER ADAM & EVE'S FEAR & TERROR
Evil
satisfaction filled the devil's heart as he observed Adam & Eve's
plight, their complete confusion, perplexity, fear and terror.
Adam
& Eve heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the
cool of the day. God said, "Adam, where art thou? ADAM,
WHERE ART THOU?"
As
God called Adam that day, He is still calling you and me. "John,
where are you? Mary, where are you?"
Adam
answered, "We are hiding, we are naked, we are afraid"!
God questioned, "Who told you that you were naked? You were
clothed with My glory. Have you eaten of the fruit that I forbad
you"?
Adam
gave a typical answer from a typical sinner! Adam said, "The
woman you gave me, she gave me of the fruit. It is Eve's fault, she
gave me the forbidden fruit and it's really Your fault, Lord, because You
gave me the woman".
EVERYONE
LIKES TO PASS THE BLAME TO SOMEONE ELSE
It
seems normal for people to justify themselves. It's much easier to
pass the buck, or to blame someone else rather than take the blame,
saying, "I made a mistake, I am wrong, please forgive me."
It's
similar to the preacher who enjoyed portraying woman in a negative way.
One Sunday morning as he was preaching on 'The Fall of Man', he vigorously
attacked Eve. If Eve, the weaker vessel, hadn't fallen, the world
wouldn't be in the mess it's now in. The preacher nailed Jezebel and
Delilah. "Women are the ruination of many good men", he
shouted.
At
the close of the service, the minister stood at the door shaking hands.
Some complimented him on a wonderful sermon, while others were glad to get
out the door.
A
tall lady shook his hand and she wasn't smiling. She squeezed his
hand until he said, "Woman, you are hurting me". She
looked him square in the eye and asked, "Pastor, what is the
telephone number of the Garden of Eden"?
He
answered, "I don't know what you are talking about". She
squeezed his hand again until he said, "Ouch". She spoke
again, "Pastor, do you know the telephone number of the Garden of
Eden"? He answered, "Woman, I do not and by the way you
are hurting me." She said, "Well, I know the telephone
number of the Garden of Eden. It's Adam 8-1-2", and she let go
of his hand and left.
Adam
ate one too! Eve wasn't the only one to blame. Adam also
disobeyed God, but really the blame goes into further - straight to the
evil one, the devil (Satan).
THE
DEVIL IS TO BLAME
God
didn't argue with Adam. He turned to Eve and said, "Woman,
what is this that thou hast done?" Eve made more sense than
her husband. She put the blame where it belong. "The
serpent beguiled me and I did eat."
I
agree with Eve. Satan (the devil) is the culprit. The devil is
to blame for all the sin, fear, heartbreak, divorce, alcoholism, drug
addiction and juvenile delinquency. He is the architect of all that
is evil, wicked and destructive. Riots, anarchy, thievery, murder,
sickness, disease and war are the outcroppings and results of his plans,
goals, purposes and seduction.
SATAN
(the devil) IS TO BLAME. Shout it loud and clear - the devil is the
troublemaker.
JESUS
CALLED THE DEVIL A LAIR & MURDERER
Jesus
called him a liar, deceiver, murdered and thief. (John 8:44; John
10:10) Our Lord said, "The thief cometh not for to steal,
kill and destroy. I am come that they might have life and more
abundantly." (John 10:10)
YES
- THE DEVIL IS TO BLAME FOR ALL SIN
God
said, "THE SEED OF THE WOMAN SHALL BRUISE THE SERPENT'S HEAD."
Almighty
God called out "Because thou hast done this, cursed art thou among
all the beasts of the field. Upon thy belly shalt thou go all the
days of thy life..." (Genesis 3:14-15)
It
is noteworthy that some scientists believe that at one time serpents and
snakes walked upright and didn't crawl on their bellies as today.
"And
I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed (the
wicked) and her seed (the righteous). It (Jesus, the seed of the
woman) shall bruise thy head..."
JESUS
DEFEATED THE DEVIL WITH HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS
On
Golgotha's Hill, Jesus defeated the devil. When Jesus paid the
supreme sacrifice for the sins of the world, and rose again from the dead.
He had delivered the death blow to Satan.
When
Jesus cried, "It is finished", He had defeated Satan (the devil)
and since that very hour the blood of Jesus Christ washes away all the
sins of the repentant sinner, and His stripes bring healing to the
believing, sick person..
The
Bible says, "He (Jesus) was wounded for our transgressions, He was
bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him;
and by His stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5)
WHY
DID JESUS COME INTO THE WORLD?
The
Bible says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only
begotten Son that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish but have
everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn
the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." (John
3:16-17) Hallelujah.
The
Bible says: "Neither is there salvation through any other, for
there is none other name under Heaven given among men whereby you may be
saved, but by the Name of Jesus"! (Acts 4:12) "There is
one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus." (1
Timothy 2:5)
JESUS
CAME THAT WE MIGHT HAVE LIFE
Jesus
said, "I am come that they might have life and have it more
abundantly." (John 10:10) And St. John stated:
"For this purpose was the Son of God manifested that He might destroy
the works of the devil". (1 John 3:8) The Scripture says, "When
the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with
devils: and He cast out the spirits with His word, and healed all that
were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the
prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our
sicknesses." (Matthew 8:16-17)
WHAT
DID ISAIAH PROPHESY?
Hear
it and hear it well: "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He
was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was
upon Him (Jesus) and by His stripes we are healed."! (Isaiah 53:5)
The
Bible says, "Who His own self (Jesus) bare our sins in His own
body on the tree (cross) that we, being dead to sins should live unto
righteousness, by Whose stripes ye were (at the cross) healed"!
(1 Peter 2:24) "He that believeth on the Son hath
everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life;
but the wrath of God abideth on him." (John 3:36)
THERE
IS ONLY ONE WAY - JESUS CHRIST IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH & THE LIFE
Jesus
said, "I am the way, the truth and the life and no man cometh unto
the Father but by Me." (John 14:6) Again our blessed
Saviour said, "I am the door, by Me if any man enter in, he
shall be saved..." (John 10:9) Again He said, "Come
unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you
rest." (Matthew 11:28)
WHY
DID JESUS HAVE TO DIE?
The
Bible says, "Without the
shedding of blood there is no remission for sins."
(Hebrews 9:22) "It is the blood that maketh atonement for
the soul." (Leviticus 17:11) Again, "The
soul that sinneth it shall surely die." (Ezekiel
18:20)
In
Old Testament times, an animal - without spot or blemish - would be
sacrificed, spilling his blood. (Atonement means "covering")
AS THE LAMB DIED ON THE ALTER IN THE TEMPLE, JESUS THE LAMB OF GOD, DIED
ON THE CROSS TO PAY FOR THE SINS OF THE WORLD.
The
Scripture says, "If we walk in
the light as He is in the light we have fellowship one with the other, and
the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." (John
1:7)
Jesus
is the Lamb of God, Who was slain for our sins! "One of the
elders saith unto me, weep not: behold the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the
Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven
seals thereof. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the
throne...stood a lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven
eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
And
He came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the
throne. And when He had taken the book, the four beasts and four and
twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps
and golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers of saints."
"And
they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to
open the seals thereof: for thou was slain, and hast redeemed us to God by
thy blood of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;....Worthy
is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and
strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing."
"And
every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth,
and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying,
Blessing, and honour, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne,
and unto the Lamb for ever and ever." (Revelation 5:5-13)
JESUS
SPOILED SATAN'S KINGDOM
The
Bible says, "And you, being dead in your sins and the
uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened together with Him, having
forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances
that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way,
nailing it to His cross, and having spoiled principalities and powers, He
made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it." (Colossians
2:12-15) Oh, Praise God.
We
serve a risen Saviour, he's in the world today. I know that
He is living, whatever men may say...
I see His hand of mercy....I hear His voice of cheer....And just
the time I need Him....He's always near.
He
lives....He lives...Christ Jesus lives today.
He walks with me and talks with me, along life's narrow way.
He
lives...He lives....Salvation to impart....
You ask me how I know He lives....He lives...within my heart.
What
power! What might! What strength, and what great ability Jesus
has. St. Paul brings it out so graphically in his epistles.
Drink in these truth and be set free and filled with all knowledge, joy
and Holy Ghost power.
"The
eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that ye may know what is the
hope of His calling, and what the riches of glory of His inheritance in
the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward
who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, which He
wrought in Christ, when he raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His
own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and
power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in
this world, but also in that which is to come. And hath put all
things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the
church." (Ephesians
1:18-22)
The
Bible says, "Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly
above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in
us." (Ephesians 3:20)
St.
Paul writes, "Who (God) hath delivered us from the power of
darkness (Satan) and hath translated us into the Kingdom of His dear Son
(Jesus Christ) IN WHOM WE HAVE REDEMPTION THROUGH HIS BLOOD, even the
forgiveness of sins." (Colossians 1:13)
In
referring to Jesus, John the Baptist made the startling statement, "Behold
the Lamb of God which taketh away from the sins of the world."
(John 1:29) To this agree the angel's words to Joseph, "Ye
shall call His name Jesus (Salvation) for He shall save (salvage) His
people from their sins." (Matthew 1:21)
"Let
this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the
form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself
of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in
the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled
Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Wherefore
God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name is above every
name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven
and in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
(Philippians 2:5-11)
THIS
DAY IS THE SCRIPTURE FULFILLED
The
book of Isaiah is called the "Gospel of the Old Testament".
The 53rd chapter prophecies the death of Messiah Who would bring
forgiveness and healing to His people. Isaiah 7:14 speaks of His
virgin birth; Isaiah 9:6 speaks of His Kingship and the fact that He is
very God; Isaiah 28:11-12 foretells the gift of the Holy Ghost, and the
end-time phenomena of glossalalia, or "speaking with other
tongues" as a gift of God to bring stability, rest and peaceful
strength to the Church in times of pressure and tension. Isaiah
61:1-3 prophecies the Gospel Age of His salvation with forgiveness,
healing, deliverance and joy!
"And
he came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up: and, as His custom was,
He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
And there was delivered unto Him the book of the prophet Esaias. And
when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written,
"The
Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because he hath anointed Me to preach the
gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach
deliverance to the captives, the recovering of sight to the blind, to set
at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the
Lord."
"And
He closed the book, and He gave it again to the minister and sat down.
And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on Him.
And He began to say unto them, This day is the scripture fulfilled in your
ears." (Luke 4:16--21)
Jesus
entered the synagogue in Nazareth and read from Isaiah the Prophet.
He ended the reading by saying, "This day is this scripture
fulfilled in your ears". He declared Himself the Son of God and
Jewish Messiah by those words.
The
year of Jubilee could not begin until first the Great Day of Atonement had
taken place. He would die on the cross like the lambs died on the
alters of Jerusalem because He is the Lamb of God which taketh away the
sins of the world." (John 1:29)
He
would fulfill the Old Testament 'Great Day of Atonement' when the high
priest entered into the Holy of holies with the blood of the sacrificial
animal. Jesus was not only the sacrifice but also the high priest
Who carried His own blood into the Holy of holies in Heaven itself.
(Hebrews 9:11-14)
The
scapegoat (Leviticus 16:7-21) is also a type of Jesus carrying away our
sins. He is our substitute! Every 50th year Israel celebrated
the 'fear of Jubilee' when all the prisoners and slaves were freed and
debts were forgiven. This is a picture of the Gospel Age when
everyone is set free by the blood of Christ and His everlasting Gospel!
THEY WERE OFFENDED IN HIM.
My
dear friend, Let me admonish you to receive him into your heart and life
as your Lord, Saviour, Redeemer, Healer, Baptizer and King.
JESUS
CAME TO SEEK & SAVE THE LOST
Jesus
said, "I am come to seek and save that which was lost." (Luke
19:10) You are included in that number, for "All have sinned and
come short of the glory of God". (Romans 3:23) You say, 'I
cannot live a Christian life in my own strength'!
You
are absolutely right. You can't do it in your own power, but He will
change you and give you the power to live for Him.
The
Bible say: "He came unto His own, and His own received Him not.
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." (John 1:11-12)
Jesus
promised, "Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is
come upon you...." (Acts 1:8) Finally Jesus said, "I will
never leave thee nor forsake thee." (Hebrews 13:5) "...and
lo I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." (Matthew
28:20)
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