"Jesus Christ. This is the True God...."

"And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ.  This is the true God and eternal life." (1 John 5:20)

 

The word translated, "know," is from a root word which means "to stare at, to discern clearly, to gaze with wide-open eyes, as at something remarkable."  And what, my friend, is any more "remarkable" than our text?   

 

It just simply does not get any better than this.  I referred to today's text in yesterday's devotional, and it has been "staying" with me ever since.  This is Christian Theology 101.  This is the essence of the Biblical Message, Bible Prophecy, Salvation (healing, deliverance, prosperity, preservation, peace), the key to "End Time" understanding, to understanding the current world chaos, your neighbor-------------------------------- yourself.

    1.    "And we know," because the Breath of God has spoken    

    2.    Jesus, "has come"

    3.    Jesus, "has given us an understanding"

    4.    Jesus came, "that we may know Him"

    5.    Jesus is, "Him who is true"

    6.    Jesus, "is the true God"

    7.    Jesus, "is...eternal life."

If you and I know, receive, and believe our text, we have a "computer chip" which will ignite the power of God in us, and will spread the knowledge of, "the true God," to the nations.  Embrace this Truth, and we embrace the "key to life."

 

Father, in Jesus' Name, I embrace You, "the true God."  Amen.

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When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking Unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

Jesus

"I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me....He who has seen Me has seen the Father....Abide in Me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me....For without Me you can do nothing....The Spirit of truth...will glorify Me."  (Jesus)

 

"....Without Me you can do nothing."  Yet, increasingly Christendom tries.  The, "nothing," spoken of in our text is not just for religious, church things.  "Nothing, " means just that.  People may say, "Well, man has done quite a lot without Jesus."  Really?  "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up."  And make no mistake; this includes any "church" activity which does not intentionally put the seal of Jesus' Name on it.  Religious systems from earliest times have used the term "god" to speak of their particular deities.  Muslims, for instance, use the term "god," and say such things as "god, the merciful," etc.  But the god of which they speak has nothing to do with the God of which I speak.  He is the One spoken of by the angel to Joseph, the One revealed in Jesus the Christ, Who is, "Immanuel, God with us."   

 

You may have heard of the Christian school teacher who asked a third grade class, "What is gray, fury and lives in trees?"  A boy replied, "Well, I know the answer must be Jesus Christ, but it sure sounds like a squirrel to me."  It's no joke.  There are elements in fundamental Christianity whose theology is that ridiculous.  That sort of "theology" is just simplistic and escapist, even unholy and denies the Creation of the Creator.  There are squirrels, buildings, stars, sun, and moon.  But the Bible does tell us, "[Jesus] is before all things and in Jesus all things hold together."  Without Jesus no molecules would, "hold together," to keep you, me, the universe in existence.  This is not fanatical, simplistic theology.  It is the very Nature of the Universe.  Church: Beware!  Do not speak of such things lightly, or without awe and reverence.

 

Jesus said of the Holy Spirit, "He will glorify Me."  If you and I want the Holy Spirit to do His mighty work, maybe the church should speak less of revival, worship, prayer, giving, etc., and speak more of Jesus Christ.  "And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ.  This is the true God and eternal life."   

 

Father, in Jesus' Name, I confess that I just would not know Who You are without Your coming to me in Jesus, Your greatest Gift to me.  Amen.

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When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking Unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

"It Will Happen Just As He Announced"

"But when the seventh angel blows his trumpet, God's mysterious plan will be fulfilled.  It will happen just as he announced it to his servants the prophets." (Revelation 10:7, NLT) 

 

During this quarter's reading of Revelation, the Holy Spirit highlighted, "God's mysterious plan."  The phrase is variously translated, "the mystery of God" (ASV), "God's veiled, plan-mysterious through the ages ever since it was announced"(LB), "the mystery of God is finished" (NASB).  We are not called to understand it all, but any Believer/Follower of Jesus Christ can recognize the "plan-mysterious" as it unfolds.  Disciples of Jesus have always been able to say, "That is it." 

 

I like comfort, heated/cooled house, good meals, able to visit the children and grandchildren, ride the bike, and move about freely in a "free" country, in short, enjoy "the good life" as much probably as anyone.  Yet as I read the Bible, I know all this will end.  It may end in my life time and then again it may not.  But I do want to, "walk circumspectly,..redeeming the time."  The word redeem here means, "to buy up, i.e., ransom; to rescue from loss (improve).  I want to "rescue from loss" the opportunity to, "make disciples of all the nations." 

 

While Gentile nations are, with increasing intensity, attempting to dictate to the Jews how to govern their own land, how to divide Jerusalem, how to impose their will against, "the mystery of God, which, as the NIV says, "will be accomplished," and that, "just as he announced to his servants the prophets," you and I are given a command by the Captain of our Salvation:

"Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.  It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch.  Watch therefore....And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!" 

 

When, "the mystery of God is finished," I plan for you and me to be at the, "finished," line! 

 

Father, in Jesus' Name, in Your grace I will.  Amen.

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Read about Obama's homosexual bash at the White House and his honoring of homosexual fatherhood at:

                          www.apf327.blogspot.com

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking Unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

"For My Days Are Consumed Like Smoke....But You Are the Same"

"Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my trouble....For my days are consumed like smoke....My heart is stricken and withered like grass....But You are the same, and Your years will have no end."

(From today's reading, Psalm 102)

 

The Bible never attempts to hide or cover the agony of the human condition, so much pain, suffering, and heartache.  It has always been thus since the Fall of man.  Wars, poverty, sickness, family chaos, death, all because man knew best.  The only difference between my "when will they ever learn" and the folk song question is that I am not saying I am right and the others are wrong.  I say we are all wrong and only Jesus Christ is right, as in, "the righteousness of God."  Modern humanist, liberal theology maintains the basic goodness in man.  It is environment which causes him to do wrong.  But the "environment" of which they speak is man.  Every ethnic group on the planet loves to pull this same "environment" excuse for their behavior.  And everyone has an authority they lean on, some famous or popular personages, or, and perhaps worse, themselves, to "justify" their assertions.   

 

But if the Bible is our authority, there is only one reason for the human condition------------ man's rebellion against the Living Triune God.  All people, whether called "good" or "bad," all die; none can escape it, and the only, and I repeat, only hope, joy and overcoming victory in life for either "good people" or the "bad people" is the forgiveness of sin, right standing before the Loving, Holy, Righteous, Judge of the Universe, and a home in Heaven in Jesus Christ, His Blood, His death and resurrection.  Call some people "good" all one may; there is just no such creature, never has been. 

 

Jesus told the rich, young ruler, "There is none good, only One God."  And, if I am to be good, not in man's eyes but God's, my only chance is to have the goodness, the righteousness of this, "One God," Jesus Christ, imputed to me.  I cannot earn it, I cannot worship for it, pray for it.  No amount of mission trips or community service, or church-going, giving to the poor, or "living a good life" can obtain it.  I can obtain the goodness and righteousness, which alone can save, only in Jesus Christ, Who stands alone in the universe as, "THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS."   

 

Father, in Jesus' Name, "For the sake of your sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world."  Amen.

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When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking Unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2