The Spirit of Truth

When Jesus was preparing His disciples for His departure from this earth, He made a strange pronouncement. He told them, “It is to your advantage that I go away.” (John 16:7) That statement by itself would be hard to justify. What could possibly be better than having God in the flesh walking by your side? What He said next, though, explains why this would be true. He explained, “For if I do not go away, the Helper shall not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.” A few verses later He further explained that “when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth, for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.” (John 16:13) In other words, Jesus, when He was here on Earth could only be in one place at a time, but when the Holy Spirit came He could be with every believer always and forever, constantly teaching and guiding them.

          Jesus' statement in the verse above is a powerful one. Can you imagine being able to hear what God is speaking through the Holy Spirit who dwells within you? That is the kind of life that is promised to a believer. How exciting this is! Now, I am not saying that we always know exactly what God is saying to us, but we learn to hear His voice as we walk with Him. Also, as we read the scriptures, the Holy Spirit gives us insight to be able to understand them. The Holy Spirit trains our spiritual ears to be able to hear His voice. Jesus also told us “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32) So, as believers, we are promised the infilling of the Holy Spirit who will lead us into all the truth and disclose to us all the things God wants to tell us. What more could we possibly ask for? (see I John 2:27) Now we know why Jesus told His disciples that it would be to their advantage if He went away.

On the night Jesus was arrested He had a last Passover meal with His disciples. At that time He told them some important things they needed to know before He left. What He told them is recorded in John, chapters 14-17. One of the things He talked to them about was the importance of the role of the Holy Spirit in their lives. In John 14:16-17 He says, “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you.” So, the conclusion we can reach from Jesus’ words is that we, as believers, should have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us (I Cor. 3:16 NASB), and this is even better than having Jesus walking beside us in the flesh. The Holy Spirit will be our Teacher, and He will guide us into all the truth.

After Jesus was resurrected, He appeared to His disciples over a period of forty days, speaking to them about the kingdom of God, “And gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, ‘Which,’ He said, ‘you heard of from Me; for John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’” (Acts 1:4-5) In Luke 24:49 He instructed them, “And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you, but you are to stay in the city (Jerusalem) until you are clothed with power from on high.” Also, in Acts 1:8 Jesus told them, “but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses…”  Jesus knew it was essential that His followers be filled with the Holy Spirit. Nothing has changed in that regard. We, His followers today, must be filled with His Spirit in order to fulfill the role He has for us on this Earth.

 

Where is Holy Ground?

          In 1979, a young man named Geron Davis was asked to write a song for the dedication of a new building at his father’s church. The song he wrote, entitled “Holy Ground,” has since become immensely popular, even a favorite of Pres. Bill Clinton and singer, Barbra Streisand, who does not even profess to be a Christian. Streisand’s comments about the song are revealing. “The lyric says that when we are in God’s presence, we are on holy ground. But since God is everywhere, that would make every square inch of this planet holy ground.” People have differing views about what the song means, but my goal is to know how it does or does not line up with what God has revealed to us in the scriptures about His presence.

            To begin with, the song lyrics say, “As I walked through the door, I sensed His presence, and I knew this was a place where love abounds, for this is the temple, Jehovah God abides here, and we are standing in His presence on holy ground.” I have searched the scriptures in vain for some evidence to support what these lyrics say. First of all, the song says that he sensed the presence of the Lord when he walked into the door of the church building. In what way did he sense the presence of the Lord? Was it a goosebump, a temperature change, a feeling of awe, …..?  How much importance should we place on our feelings? Christians today seem to be seeking some tangible manifestation of the presence of God rather than seeking the truth. This is disconcerting in light of scriptures like II Thess. 2:9-12. A deception is coming about which Jesus said, “False Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.” Matt. 24:24 If we are following subjective signs or feelings, there is a good chance we could be led astray. I understand and have experienced the emotions that are possible in worship, but I can find no scriptural references that speak of sensing the presence of the Lord?

            The next thing I question in the song is the phrase, “this is the temple.” Is this scriptural? Is the church building the temple or are the believers in Christ the temple? We can’t have it both ways. I Cor. 3:16-17 says, “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.” I Cor. 6:19 states, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?” In the Old Testament God’s presence dwelt in the temple in the Holy of Holies, or at least that was the Israelites point of contact with Him, where He allowed them to come into His presence once a year only, and then it was only the High Priest who was allowed to enter. With the institution of the New Covenant, our access to God changed. When the curtain in the temple was torn all believers gained access to the presence of God through the Holy Spirit. We don’t have to go to a particular building to connect with Him. Why should we “sense” God’s presence in a building when we should be walking in His presence all day, every day.  In fact, the Holy Spirit now dwells in all believers, and we have access to constant communion with Him whether we realize that and avail ourselves of its benefits or not.

            This brings me to another question that has been bothering me for some time. Why do we call the church building God’s house? The scriptures say that we, the believers in Christ Jesus, are God’s house. Hebrews 3:6 says, “but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end.” If we believe that the church building is God’s house, then how does that reconcile with the scriptures that tell us that we, His believers, are God’s house? Ephesians 2:19-22 also speaks of where God dwells. “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.” Clearly, the Body of Christ, composed of all believers, is God’s house.

             If the scriptures teach that the believers in Christ Jesus are the temple and God’s house, then why do we contradict the teachings of the Bible by calling the church building the temple or God’s house? Also, since Jesus, our High Priest, has already made the only sacrifice that is necessary for our salvation (Hebrews 10), why do we still say there is an altar that we must come to when we worship God? An altar implies that there is a sacrifice to be made on it, but the scriptures tell us, “By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Hebrews 10:10  “For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.” (Hebrews 10:14)  Are we demeaning the sacrifice that Christ made on the cross by insisting on another altar and another sacrifice? There is no need for an altar or another sacrifice. Christ has already accomplished all.

            The song goes on to say, “Jehovah God abides here,” speaking of the church building. How can this be? Does God live in a building? Does he dwell in all church buildings? To abide means to stay, so does God remain there during the week after everyone goes home? It seems to me that this would tend to give people the impression that when they leave the church building, they are no longer in God’s presence which would tend to make someone feel that they are no longer under His watchful eye. They only need to act holy when they are “at church.”  I know that sounds a little silly, but I have heard stranger things from people who attend “church.”

            The last part of the verse says, “we are standing in His presence on holy ground.” Where is His presence? Doesn’t scripture tell us that where two or more are gathered together in His name He is in the midst of them (Matt. 18:20), but scripture also teaches that His presence is in every believer. He indwells us! So, if the church building is holy ground, it is so only because of the believers’ presence there; however, the New Testament scriptures make no mention of “holy ground” in this regard. The only references to holy ground in scripture are Exodus 3:5 and Acts 7:33 which are both speaking of Moses’ encounter with God at the burning bush.  If we are seeking to “feel” His presence in a church building, then we are not recognizing His presence in us. Perhaps then, we have not been filled with the Holy Spirit as the scriptures command.  (Ephesians 5:18)

            To sum up, the scriptures teach that believers are the temple of the Holy Spirit, and we are God’s house. There is no need for an altar or a sacrifice. God dwells in us, and His Spirit goes with us wherever we go. Acts 7:48-50 states, “….the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands; as the prophet says: ‘Heaven is My throne, and Earth is the footstool of My feet; what kind of house will you build for Me?’ Says the Lord; ‘Or what place is there for My repose? Was it not My hand which made all these things?’” When we sing songs to praise the Lord, shouldn’t we sing songs that are truthful and honor Him for who He really is?  All believers should seek to be filled with His Holy Spirit so that His presence is with us every moment of the day. In my next post I will have more information on this topic of being filled with the Holy Spirit.

Is God Arrogant?

           How does one respond to someone who says that God must have a pretty big ego to create us, and then expect us to worship Him? I had never really thought about that until I was asked that question. What this person is really accusing God of is arrogance. One definition of arrogance is "excessively and unpleasantly self-important; haughty, from the Latin word arrogare, which means to claim without right." That would pretty well sum up someone with a big ego. So, does God have a big ego? Is He arrogant?
          
          One who may have dealt with this question is Job in the Old Testament. Job suffered tremendously, and He questioned God during His sufferings. In Job, chapters 38-39 God answered Job, even though He was not obligated to. Job finally fell silent when he realized how awesome God actually is. You see, God reasons with us even though He doesn't have to, because He loves us. (Isaiah 1:18-20)  He wants to have a relationship with us, but that relationship has to be based on truth, not on a lie. The truth is that He is God, and we are His creation, formed from the dust of the earth.

          Why did God create us? He didn't have to. It was because He wanted to express His love. God's very nature is love. (I John 4:8) Why do human beings, who are created in the image of God, have a desire to have children? Usually, it is because they have a desire to pour out their love on another human being. God feels the same way about us. He wants to show us His love. That's why He sent His only Son, Jesus, to pay the penalty for our wickedness, so that we could be restored to fellowship with Him.

          Jesus told us that when you have seen Him, you have seen the Father, so the attributes we see in Jesus through the scriptures are the attributes of God. (John 14:9)  Hebrews 1:1-4 tells us that Jesus is the exact representation of who God is. In Colossians 2:9 we read that in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form. Jesus was not proud. He was the most humble person who ever walked this earth. He was, and still is, God, but He didn't flaunt it. Humility implies meekness and modesty, not arrogance and boastfulness. It implies lowering rather than exalting oneself. This is exactly what Jesus did when He left heaven and lowered Himself down to our level by becoming a man. The scriptures tell us in Philippians 2:3-11 "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond servant, and being made in the likeness of men, and being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

          God could have made us like robots, totally submissive to Him with no choice on our part, but He chose to create us with a free will. He wants us to choose to love Him. Do we want people to love us because they have to, or because they want to? Love that has no choice is no love at all. The scriptures tell us that God loved us first. He loves us whether we love Him back or not, and it breaks His heart when we choose to reject Him.
                       
          Have you ever thought about what this life would be like if God was evil instead of good? What if He created us just to torment us? What if our pain gave Him pleasure? Some people have this image of God, but they don't realize that they are confusing God with the god of this world, Satan. When we choose not to submit our lives to God, then we put ourselves at the mercy of Satan, and he has no mercy. The scriptures tell us that Satan only wants to steal, kill, and destroy. He's doing a really good job of it, too. On the contrary, Jesus came that we might have life, and have it abundantly, (John 10:10) but we must submit ourselves to Him in order to receive that abundant life.

          No, God is not arrogant. In fact, He has every right to expect to be worshiped by virtue of who He is. We don't have to worship God now if we don't want to, but the scriptures tell us that one day every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that He is Lord. He remains the same regardless of what we choose to believe about Him. He is God and He would be a liar if He claimed to be anything less, but God cannot and does not lie. He loves you. Won't you receive His love and love Him in return?

          

What Next?

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first.  Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord.  Therefore comfort one another with these words.” I Thessalonians 4:16-18

            Now that Israel is a nation once again what will the next major event in God’s timetable be?  Could it be the rapture of the church? This is what the words “caught up” are referring to in the above passage. The word used in the original Greek is harpazo, meaning to seize, catch up, or snatch away. Although we don't know exactly when the rapture will take place, the scriptures assure us it will be sometime before the last half of the tribulation period, sometimes referred to as the "Great Tribulation," when God will be pouring out His wrath on an unbelieving world. In I Thess. 5:9 we read, “For God has not destined us to wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

            Jesus refers to this time of tribulation in Matthew 24:21-22, “For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall.  And unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved….”.  If God is going to be pouring out His wrath, I Thess. 5:9 makes it clear that those who are trusting in Jesus Christ will not be on the earth at that time. See also I Thess. 1:10, Luke 21:36, and Rev. 3:10 for more evidence of that fact.

            How close are we to this time of tribulation?Prophecy is being fulfilled every day in the news.  The conflict over Israel and Jerusalem grows more heated every day, not to mention the threat of nuclear war posed by terrorists and countries like Iran that want to destroy Israel and the United States. The world cries out for peace!  I Thess. 5:3 tells us that “While they are saying, ‘Peace and safety!’ then destruction will come upon them suddenly like birth pangs upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape.  But you, brethren, are not in darkness that the day should overtake you like a thief.” When God pours out His wrath on this earth, believers will be safe in the ark, safe with Jesus. By the way, God also removed Noah and Lot before sending His judgment. These are types of the rapture.

            My prayer is that you will be ready for the coming of the Lord, so that if the rapture happens during your lifetime, you will not be left behind to face the wrath of God.  The world is crying out for peace today, but true and lasting peace will only come to this world when the Prince of Peace returns to set up His kingdom on this earth. Whether these things take place in our lifetime or not, we shall all one day face judgment, and we all need to be putting our faith and trust in the only One who can save us, Jesus Christ. Meanwhile, “He who testifies to these things (Jesus) says, ‘Yes, I am coming quickly.’ Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus.” Revelation 22:20

Israel, a Sign

            Thus says the Lord God, "Behold, I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land." Ezekiel 37:21

             The most convincing sign of Jesus' soon return is the fact that Israel exists as a nation once again after not being a nation for almost 2,000 years. In 70 A.D. the Romans conquered Israel and destroyed the city of Jerusalem and the Jewish temple.  The Jews that survived were then scattered all over the world. God, through His prophets, had warned Israel that they would be scattered because of their rejection of Him; however, He also promised to one day bring them back to their land.

            Although there are many places in the Old Testament where God makes this promise, there is one passage that is especially interesting.  In Ezekiel 37:1-14, the prophet has a vision of a valley of dried bones that come together and come to life again.  Verse 11 explains that these dried bones are a symbol of the “whole house of Israel.”  God has indeed fulfilled this prophecy and breathed life into the nation of Israel, just as He promised He would do.  “I will place you on your own land.  Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken and done it.” (verse 14)  Wow!  What a miraculous sign for our generation to see! On May 14, 1948 Israel became a nation once again.

            So, what is the significance of this event for all of us?  When Jesus’ disciples asked Him what would be the sign of His return and of “the end of the age” in Matthew 24, Jesus gives a long explanation, but part of His answer was a parable about a fig tree.  In the Old Testament, God sometimes refers to the nation of Israel as His fig tree.  (See Joel 1:7 and Hosea 9:10)  In Matthew 24:32-34 Jesus tells His disciples, “Now learn the parable from the fig tree; when its branch has already become tender, and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; even so you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door.  Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.” Jesus Himself refers to this as a parable, implying a deeper hidden meaning.  If Israel is previously referred to as God’s fig tree, then the rebirth of the nation of Israel could be compared to the budding of the fig tree, meaning that His return is very near.

            What the world and sometimes even the church fail to realize is that God made an everlasting covenant with the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel), to give them their land forever. (See Genesis 15:18 and 17:8)  If God says it will happen, then no one can change that fact.  God is not through with Israel.  He is still working to bring about His will in and through them.

 

            What does this mean for us?  Do we want to be on God’s side?  In Genesis 12:3 God promised Abraham, “I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse.  And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”  He said this because it was through Abraham that Jesus Christ would someday come.  If we, as a nation, want to be blessed, we had better be friends to Israel.  We should also be expecting to see the other end-time prophecies fulfilled very soon. 

Just Like the Days of Noah

            "So they went into the ark to Noah, by twos of all flesh in which was the breath of life. And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, entered as God had commanded him; and the Lord closed it behind him. Then the flood came....." Genesis 7:15-17

 

            In my last post I wrote to you about why Jesus came the first time, but I also told you that He promised to come again.  The first time Jesus came to earth, He came as a suffering servant, but the next time He comes, He is coming as a conquering King who will come to judge the world.  He has already made a way of salvation for those who will receive it; next He is coming to judge those who have rejected Him and the salvation He offers. Notice in the scripture above that God closed the door of the ark. After that came the judgment on all who had rejected the Lord's call.

            In Matthew 24:37-39 the scriptures teach that when Christ comes again it will be “just like the days of Noah.  For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, they were marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so shall the coming of the Son of Man be.”  To sum it up, in Matthew 24:44 Jesus warns “the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.”  How many of us are truly expecting the Lord to come back any day now?  We should be, especially since we could draw our last breath at any time, even before the Lord's return. We need to be ready either way.

            So, what is God’s judgment on the earth going to be like this time?  The first time God judged the people on the earth it was by flood, but He promised never to do that again.  (See Genesis 9:11-17.)  The rainbow is the sign of His promise.  However, judgment will come again, only this time it will be by fire. “But the present heavens and earth by His word are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.” II Peter 3:7

            Jesus tells us the day of His coming will be just like the days of Noah.  How bad were things on earth in those days?  Genesis 6:11 says, “Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence.”  II Timothy 3:1-5 gives us a picture of what things will be like in the last days.  “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.  For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power.” Does this sound like today?

 

            Did you ever wonder about the terrible condition of the world today?  Well, God already knew it would get this way, but there is a way of escape, and it is through the salvation Jesus offers us.  Jesus shed His blood on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. Jesus IS the ARK! Hebrews 2:3 asks the question, “how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?”  Indeed, if we reject God’s offer of His most precious only begotten Son, we shall not escape judgment.

Next time, I want to talk to you about why I believe that the Lord’s return is very near, even at the door.  Keep your eyes on Jerusalem, and get in the Ark while there is still time.

           

Is Jesus Ever Coming Back?

“Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come…saying, “Where is the promise of His coming?  For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.”  II Peter 3:3-4

            It has been 2,000 years since Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, walked this earth, but He promised to return.  Speaking to His followers He said, “I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:2-3  So, why has He delayed so long?  The answer to this question is found in II Peter 3:9. “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” 

            I believe that very soon God’s patience is going to run out.  Some of the things we are seeing today are signs that things as we know them will soon come to an end.  Some of the signs pointing to the soon return of Christ are: rampant immorality of all kinds, homosexuality, fornication, abortion, apostasy in the church, false teachers, rape, murder, pornography, incest, drug abuse, child molestation…etc.  The list could go on and on, but basically, we have turned aside from God and His laws, and there is a limit to His patience with sinful man. Two thousand years ago He provided a way for us to be saved from our sinful state. How long will He wait for us to turn from our sin to Him?

            None of us are without sin, and none of us can be good or righteous enough to save ourselves from our plight.  That’s why Jesus came the first time, to become a sacrifice for our sins.  He paid the penalty for our sins when He died on the cross so that we could be reconciled to God.  Those of us who receive salvation through Jesus understand that the shedding of His blood was the only payment that God would accept so we could be forgiven.  Jesus was the only Son of God, God in the flesh, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born without sin, and He also died without having ever committed a sin.  We, on the other hand, are born with a sin nature.  The Bible teaches that “there is none righteous, no not one.”  Romans 3:10  “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23 "If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us." I John 1:8

            Our only hope is through Jesus Christ, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him.  He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”  John 3:16-18

            Seek the Lord while He may be found, “For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it shall be opened.” Luke 11:10  If you hear Him calling you now, answer quickly!  Do not delay!  You may never get another chance, and your eternal soul depends on your decision.  Eternity is a long, long, long time! In my next post I hope to tell you more about Jesus' second coming, which I believe to be close at hand.

 

Who Did Jesus Claim to Be?

     Jesus says to all: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.”  John 14:6

            Who was this man called Jesus whose disciples turned the world upside down, whose followers were willing to suffer martyrdom, who made such an impact on the world that even today our years are numbered from the time of His birth; and what difference does it make what we believe about Him?  People have many different ideas about who Jesus was, but who did His disciples say He was, and more importantly, who did He claim to be? These may be the most important questions we will ever answer.

            First of all, let’s look at what Jesus’ disciples had to say about Him.  Peter and Thomas are two of Jesus’ disciples who are quoted in the New Testament with regard to Jesus’ identity.  In Matthew 16:15-17, Jesus asks Peter, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter answers, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  Jesus responds to Peter by explaining the true source of his revelation. “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.”  Later on, after Jesus’ resurrection, when His disciple Thomas sees and touches Jesus’ wounds and is convinced of the reality of Jesus’ resurrection, he exclaims, “My Lord and my God!”  Jesus does not correct Thomas, but receives his worship and replies, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed?  Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.” (John 20:26-29)  Jesus’ disciples believed that Jesus was God in the flesh, causing them to be willing to die for their faith.

            Not only did Jesus’ disciples believe that Jesus was God, but Jesus Himself also claimed deity.  Because of this, the Pharisees (religious Jews) were seeking to kill him. In John 5:18, after Jesus had healed a man on the Sabbath, the account tells us, “For this cause therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.”

            In another dispute with the Jews in John 8:56-59 Jesus claimed deity by telling them, “before Abraham was born, I am,” implying that He existed before Abraham, even though his actual physical birth was almost 2,000 years after Abraham lived.  The Jews also understood that “I am” was the name God gave Himself when speaking to Moses in Exodus 3:14.  John tells us, “therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him.”  Later on, when the Jews were trying to convince Pilate to put Jesus to death they said, “We have a law, and by that law He ought to die because He made Himself out to be the Son of God.” John 19:7.  

There should be no doubt from these accounts who Jesus claimed to be.  Now, it is up to each one of us to decide for ourselves who or what we will believe.  C. S. Lewis in his book Mere Christianity sums up our choices in this way: 

I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.” That is the one thing we must not say.  A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher.  He would either be a lunatic, on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg, or else he would be the Devil of Hell.  You must make your choice.  Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse.  You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God.  But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher.  He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.  (pp. 55-56) 

Jesus claimed to be the only way to the Father in John 14:6.  He also told His disciples, “…He who has seen Me has seen the Father….” John 14:9.  In II Timothy 2:12 Paul tells us that, “…if we deny Him, He also will deny us.”  So, in Jesus’ own words, “Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it.  For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it.” Matthew 7:13-14

My prayer is that you find “The Way” if you haven’t already.  If you have, then I praise the Lord with you!

                                               

 

                                        

My Testimony

     Since I will be sharing with you on Christian topics, I thought I should start by telling you about how I came to the Christian faith.

     I was raised in a Presbyterian Church. My parents were wonderful people who loved me dearly and took me to church, but that was as far as my spiritual education went. I don't recall ever hearing anything about "salvation" or being "born again" in my childhood church. My mother was the church treasurer and worked part time in the church office for twenty-five years, but the Bible was never read in our home, and Christianity was not discussed. Ours was a Sunday religion of good works and love for your fellow man, and that was as deep as it went. Granted, those are good things to be taught, but they won't get you to heaven!

     During the 1970's there was a lot of Eastern religion influencing our culture. I began seeking the meaning of life in places other than the church. One day I was reading a book about the Guru Majaraji. When I tried to share what I was reading with my mother-in-law, she asked if I had ever read the Bible, and gave me her own to read. Although I was given a Bible at my confirmation at age twelve, I had to admit that I had never really seriously read it. So, I began to read the Bible starting with the Book of John, and then the whole New Testament, as my mother-in-law had suggested.

     To my great surprise, I suddenly found what I had been searching for, and it had been right under my nose all the time. I now knew that Jesus was the answer to all of my questions. I believed what I read in the scriptures to be the truth, and from that time forward I began to attempt to live my life to please Him. Of course, I haven't always succeeded at that, but that is what a spiritual journey is all about: trying...., failing..., and trying again!

     I have been a Christian now for almost 40 years, and I can honestly say that I would not have wanted to live my life any other way than with Jesus to guide me. It has been a challenge even with Jesus' help, but without Him I know it would have been impossible! I give Him all the praise and glory for anything worthy that I have been able to accomplish, and I thank Him for His forgiveness for the many times that I have fallen short of His will.  He gets all the praise! Thank you, Jesus!

     "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12

My Spiritual Journey

     This is my first blog, and I'm not quite sure how to begin, so I will start by telling you a little bit about my own spiritual journey. First of all, by the title of my blog, you have probably already guessed that I am a Christian. I was "saved" at age 21. By "saved" I mean that I began to believe in Jesus as the only begotten Son of God and to trust in Him to "save" me from my sins. Since that time back in the Spring of 1974, I have been on a spiritual journey of study, exploration, contemplation, adventure, and perseverance. I have come to believe that there is truly nothing that can separate me from the love of God. Romans 8:37-39 My love for Him and my trust in Him grow deeper every day. The scriptures tell us, "We love, because He first loved us." I John 4:19 Truly, to know Him is to love Him. He is love! I John 4:19
     Along my journey I have experienced many different ways of worship and heard many different teachings, which I have tried to test and discern, as the scriptures command us to do. "Examine everything carefully. Hold fast to that which is good." I Thes. 5:21 One important thing that I have discovered along the way is that we live in a time of great apostasy. II Thes. 2:3 There are many false teachers in the world and among the Body of Christ. Jesus warned of false teachers and/or false prophets many times, three times in Matt. 24 alone. We must be "shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves." Matt. 10:16 
     Over the years when topics have piqued my interest I have tried to research them biblically and write down my findings. These are some of the things I will be sharing with you in the hope that what I have discovered may encourage you to also seek the Lord, study the scriptures and come to a biblical conclusion.
     The name of this blog reflects how important the scriptures have been to me in my spiritual journey; however, the Holy Spirit is the One who gives us the ability to understand what the scriptures are saying to us. I can't stress that truth enough. I John 2:27 says, "And as for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him." I only hope that what I have to say may be of some help to you in your own spiritual journey. I pray the Lord will bless my efforts. 
     My favorite verse is, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:32

Note: All scripture references are from the NASB (my favorite translation) unless otherwise noted.