News you won't see in controlled mainstream media.

--CREATION~~

--GOD IN THE FLESH = JESUS~~

Question: "Is Jesus God in the flesh? Why is it important that Jesus is God in the flesh?"

-Answer: Since His conception by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the virgin Mary (Luke 1:26-38), the real identity of Jesus Christ has always been questioned by skeptics. It began with Mary's fiancé, Joseph, who was afraid to marry her when she revealed that she was pregnant (Matthew 1:18-24). He took her as his wife only after the angel confirmed to him that the child she carried was the Son of God.

Hundreds of years before the birth of Christ, the prophet Isaiah foretold the coming of God's Son: "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6). When the angel spoke to Joseph and announced the impending birth of Jesus, he alluded to Isaiah’s prophecy: "The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God with us’)" (Matthew 1:23). This did not mean they were to name the baby Immanuel; it meant that "God with us" was the baby’s identity. Jesus was God coming in the flesh to dwell with man.

Jesus Himself understood the speculation about His identity. He asked His disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" (Matthew 16:13; Mark 8:27). The answers varied, as they do today. Then Jesus asked a more pressing question: "Who do you say that I am?" (Matthew 16:15). Peter gave the right answer: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:16). Jesus affirmed the truth of Peter’s answer and promised that, upon that truth, He would build His church (Matthew 16:18).

The true nature and identity of Jesus Christ has eternal significance. Every person must answer the question Jesus asked His disciples: "Who do you say that I am?"

He gave us the correct answer in many ways. In John 14:9-10, Jesus said, "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work."

The Bible is clear about the divine nature of the Lord Jesus Christ (see John 1:1-14). Philippians 2:6-7 says that, although Jesus was "in very nature God, He did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness." Colossians 2:9 says, “In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.”

Jesus is fully God and fully man, and the fact of His incarnation is of utmost importance. He lived a human life but did not possess a sin nature as we do. He was tempted but never sinned (Hebrews 2:14-18; 4:15).

Sin entered the world through Adam, and Adam’s sinful nature has been transferred to every baby born into the world (Romans 5:12)—except for Jesus. Because Jesus did not have a human father, He did not inherit a sin nature. He possessed the divine nature from His Heavenly Father.

Jesus had to meet all the requirements of a holy God before He could be an acceptable sacrifice for our sin (John 8:29; Hebrews 9:14). He had to fulfill over three hundred prophecies about the Messiah that God, through the prophets, had foretold (Matthew 4:13-14; Luke 22:37; Isaiah 53; Micah 5:2).

Since the fall of man (Genesis 3:21-23), the only way to be made right with God has been the blood of an innocent sacrifice (Leviticus 9:2; Numbers 28:19; Deuteronomy 15:21; Hebrews 9:22). Jesus was the final, perfect sacrifice that satisfied forever God's wrath against sin (Hebrews 10:14). His divine nature made Him fit for the work of Redeemer; His human body allowed Him to shed the blood necessary to redeem.
No human being with a sin nature could pay such a debt. No one else could meet the requirements to become the sacrifice for the sins of the whole world (Matthew 26:28; 1 John 2:2). If Jesus were merely a good man as some claim, then He had a sin nature and was not perfect. In that case, His death and resurrection would have no power to save anyone.

Because Jesus was God in the flesh, He alone could pay the debt we owed to God. His victory over death and the grave won the victory for everyone who puts their trust in Him (John 1:12; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, 17).
/ STAND IN AWE ~~ HILLSONG /Cornerstone~ 'All of my heart, all that I am I worship You, Jesus!'
<http://youtu.be/oqDaDdfDr-g>

-CREATION~~

--The Incarnation of Christ
--By: Henry Morris III, D.Min.

"Christ Jesus…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." (Philippians 2:5-7)

"Great is the mystery of godliness," Paul exclaimed as he summarized the incarnation (1 Timothy 3:16). No mere words, even those inspired by God Himself, can completely express what transpired when "the Word was made flesh" (John 1:14). There are, however, a few clues in this marvelous Philippians passage.

The choice of the Greek word morphê to express what Jesus possessed prior to His becoming the God-Man is important. This "form" of God is not the Greek word that one would choose to express the visible or outward shape--that word would be schêma. Morphê emphasizes the character, the being, that makes the being what it is.

Interestingly, morphê is also used to tell us that Jesus took on the "form" of a servant: "|He| made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men" (Philippians 2:7). Jesus "voided" the morphê that He rightfully possessed as God and "received" (passive) the morphê of a servant or slave (doulos). Then, "in the likeness |homoiôma, similitude| of men" He came to be |ginomai, to come into existence|."

We may never fully understand what transpired in the councils of Triune eternity. But this we can know and believe: Jesus became man for men, and He alone saved us from our sin and justly granted us eternal life.

--HMM III -/ LOVE KNOWS NO END! Hillsong// <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tu258qXd4js>

--CREATION~~

--GREATER THAN JESUS?
--By: Paul G. Humber, M.S.

“If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I” (John 14:28).

-Three times previously in this chapter, the Lord had affirmed His equality with God the Father. The first occurred in verse one: “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.” No man could utter these words, but the Lord Jesus is the God-man. He was and is on a full equality with God the Father.

And then, “Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?” (v.9). Seeing the Lord Jesus is seeing the Father.

Finally, Jesus said (v.23), “If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” The “we” in this verse places Jesus on an equality with His Father.

What, then, does our text mean? How can the Father both be “greater than” Jesus and also on an equality with Him? How are we to understand this truth?

At this time, Christ’s state of humiliation for us was one of utter humiliation. He would soon be ridiculed, nailed to a Cross, left hanging on it—naked, and forsaken by God. His Father, therefore, was indeed “greater than” Jesus at that time because He, the Father, was in heaven’s glory. Jesus, God’s divine Son, by way of contrast, was on earth—soon to become glory.

After the resurrection, however, the Father gave to His Son the name “which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow. . . . And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10,11). The “greater than” issue ended when Jesus returned to be with His Father in heaven’s glory.

--ICR/ PGH=/ Praise the Father, Praise the Son / Chris Tomlin
<http://youtu.be/xl47WfHDpOg>

--CREATION~~

--HEAR THE GOOD NEWS!
--Isaiah 61:1-3
---
"But he said, 'I must preach the good news of the Kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.'"
--(Luke 4:43)

-JESUS wanted people to know about the new thing that He came to establish: the Kingdom of God on the earth. It was "Good News," the best news anyone would ever hear. He wanted to get the word out because all human dreams, hopes, and aspirations would find their complete fulfillment in this Kingdom and in no other.

Jesus, His Father and the Holy Spirit knew that they must pay a painfully high price to make this Kingdom a reality. It meant that God must put on flesh as Jesus of Nazareth, live among us, be ridiculed, be condemned to death by His own people and suffer the pain of rejection and death on a Roman Cross--all so that our sins could be forgiven and so that we could stand before God cleansed, reborn. Almost as a bonus blessing, we become citizens of something absolutely new on the earth: The Kingdom of God!

-If Jesus was excited about spreading the Good News that a way is open for human beings to live in the Kingdom of Heaven now, on the earth, should we not, also, be thrilled that we can live in it? Shouldn't that make us want to spread the Good News of this 'Blessed Hope' so others can come to Jesus as well!?
---
-BE IN AWE that we live in God's Kingdom and that we can invite others into it as well! JESUS IS OUR BLESSED HOPE!~~

--Anchor~~/ HOPE IN FRONT OF ME = Danny Gokey
<http://youtu.be/T-3v-VV9T80>
---------

--Who Created All Things?
--By: Norman P. Spotts, D.D.

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).

-The Scripture is dogmatic as to who created all things, yet some may become confused when reading the Bible to find there are three different proper names associated with this great work. In each case the great work of creation is said to be uniquely and solely His, showing that there can be only one absolute Creator. The answer is as follows: God created all things. Genesis 1:1 is abundantly clear as to this fact. So is Hebrews 3:4: “For every house is builded by some man; but He that built all things is God.” This is a cause and effect argument. Houses do not go up by themselves. A man must build them.

Even so, creation did not come about by itself. God built all things in the beginning. God is said to be the sole author of creation. Jehovah (LORD) created all things. “Thus saith the LORD (Hebrew, Jehovah), the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker . . . . I have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded” (Isaiah 45:11,12). “For thus saith the LORD (Jehovah) that created the heavens,” (Isaiah 45:18).

Now the Creator is said to be Jehovah, and author of creation. Jesus (the Word) created all things. “All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:3). “By Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible . . . all things were created by Him, and for Him” (Colossians 1:16). Jesus is clearly seen as the author of creation.

How can God, Jehovah, and Jesus all be said to be the absolute Creator of all things? The reason is this: Jesus of the New Testament is the Jehovah of the Old Testament. Whatever is said of Jehovah in the Old is said of Jesus in the New. Jehovah is God; Jesus is Jehovah; Jesus is God. Therefore, Jesus, who is God, created all things.

--ICR/ NPS

--Can It Be?

“Christ also suffered for us. . . . Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” (1 Peter 2:21-24)

Those who love good church music have come to love Charles Wesley’s commitment to and knowledge of his Savior and the Scriptures, for he wove into his music and poetry deep insights which challenge and thrill us even today. One of his hymns, “And Can It Be That I Should Gain?,” has unfortunately been abridged in modern hymnals. The original five verses are expressed:

And can it be that I should gain,
An interest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain?
For me, who Him, to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That thou, my God, should’st die for me?

Even the Old Testament saints wondered why God loves man so. “What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him?” (Job 7:17). The New Testament contains many similar expressions of wonder. “Behold, what manner of love [literally ‘what a different kind of love’] the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God” (1 John 3:1). “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. . . . And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement” (Romans 5:8-11).

The point is we were desperate sinners deserving His wrath. “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love [i.e., ‘amazing love’] wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved)” (Ephesians 2:4-5).
--ICR/JDM
<http://youtu.be/f9I87nVp040>

--The Veil over the Nations

“And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations.”
---(Isaiah 25:7)

-Many people feel that every nation should be encouraged simply to practice its own religion. God’s Word, however, makes it plain that all nations are blinded, cut off from the truth by a deadly covering. This is true of the Jews, for “even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart” (2 Corinthians 3:15). It is also true of the Gentiles, who have “the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart” (Ephesians 4:18).

The veil that keeps them in such darkness is a Satanic blindfold. “The god of this world [i.e., Satan] hath blinded the minds of them which believe not” (2 Corinthians 4:4). And how did the devil ever gain such control over human minds? “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. . . . Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator” (Romans 1:21, 25).

So today, men and women almost everywhere—atheists, Communists, humanists, Buddhists, Confucianists, animists, Hindus, Taoists, Shintoists, occultists, “New Agers,” and even the “liberals” in the monotheistic religions (Judaism, Islam, Christianity)—really all believe and practice the same religion, rejecting God as Creator and worshipping instead some man or man-exalting evolutionary philosophy.

-Someday, God will destroy this pervasive veil over the nations. In the meantime, we must reach everyone we can with the true and everlasting gospel of Christ, for that “vail is done away in Christ” (2 Corinthians 3:14).
--ICR/HMM

--Never Another Like the Lord Jesus Christ!

“And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of Thine hands.” - Hebrews 1:10

Nobody knows the exact date of Jesus’ birth, and yet His birth has divided all of history to A.D. and B.C. He never, so far as we know, wrote a book, and yet more books have been written about Him than any other person. He never painted a picture or composed any poetry or music that we know of, and yet He has been the inspiration of the greatest music, art, and poetry that the world has ever known. He never had any formal education, yet more schools, colleges, universities, and seminaries have been founded in His name than any other person who ever lived.

That’s who the Lord Jesus is, and never has there been another like the Lord Jesus Christ!

--Be sure to read Colossians 1:13-22 ~~
--Read= Hebrews 1:1-14. Marvel at His majesty! Praise His omnipotence!
--Adrian Rogers ~~/ I Stand In Awe of You/ Hillsong~~
https://youtu.be/oqDaDdfDr-g
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---Love of the Father for the Son

--“The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.” (John 3:35)

--The gospel of John, in a special sense, emphasizes the love in the divine Trinity of the heavenly Father for the Son. The words “love” and “Father” and “Son” occur more in this book than in any other book of the Bible, and there are at least eight references to this love in John’s gospel.

The first is in our text above, revealing that the Father has entrusted the care of the whole creation to the Son whom He loves. He has also shown Him everything in creation: “For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth” (John 5:20).

The Father also loved the Son because of His willingness to die for lost sinners. “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again” (John 10:17).

Then in the upper room, as Christ prayed to His Father, it was revealed that this divine love had existed in eternity, and therefore must be both the root and the measure of all forms of true love ever since. “Father . . . thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24). Parental love, marital love, filial love, love of country—all types of genuine love—are derived ultimately from this eternal love of the Father for the Son.

And it is this love that can also be in us, if we will have it. “As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you. . . . If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love” (John 15:9-10).

--It was thus He prayed (and still prays) for us: “That the world may know that thou . . . hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. . . . And . .. . that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them” (John 17:23, 26).

--ICR/ HMM // ABBA FATHER- Hillsong
<https://youtu.be/J04SdL-SI7U>

--JESUS IS GOD!

--"There is no other name given among men whereby we must be saved." (ACTS 4:12) ~~

-----
-"He [Jesus], was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name; who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."
--(John 1:10-14)

-Please, come to Jesus and live forever. No other religion will get you into Heaven. Jesus is ALIVE! He died a brutal, painful death on the Cross to keep you out of Hell. This is not a fiction story. People, wake up, please! Jesus is coming back. No, "No one knows the day or hour the Son of Man will return (Luke 12:40). We see the signs of the end-times all around us. "Look up and lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh." (Luke 21:28)

Jesus said, "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me." (John 5:39)~~

Your eternal destiny depends on this! There is a hell and I promise you on my death bed- (NDE), that Jesus Christ is alive and He wants to save you. He allowed me to live through a massive brain aneurysm. I was not expected to live. And if I did, I would always be in a wheel-chair. NO! I am not dead, I am not in a wheel chair, and I am alive to tell YOU, Jesus is Alive. He loves you so much that He paid your and my 'sin-debt' on that Cross.

"Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin." (Colossians 1:13-14) It had to be pure, untainted blood, which Jesus had. He never sinned, never lied, and took all the sins of the world and nailed them to a Cross on Calvary's Hill. Why? BECAUSE HE LOVES YOU! Take the Bible personally, for it is a 'Love Story' to YOU from our Creator. (Colossians 1:9-20)~~
-----
<https://youtu.be/BLVBSouFShs>

--OUR HEAVENLY FATHER ~~
---(Please Read / Matthew 6:8-13)

--When Christ taught His disciples to pray, He told them to address God as "Our Father." They had previously heard Jesus say, "My Father," but now they, too, shared in that privileged family relationship. All of us who has been born again into the household of God have this same right.

Since our concepts of God are shaped by our earthly fathers, we all have different perceptions of Him, but Jesus is the only one who has a completely accurate understanding of the heavenly Father. Consider some of the ways He cares for His children:

• Loves: God's love is unconditional, since it's based on His nature rather than our performance (1 John 4:16).

• Listens: When we pray, He gives us His full attention (Ps. 55:16-17).

• Provides: The Father assumes responsibility for meeting all our needs (Phil. 4:19).

* Guides: He is the one who directs our path when we trust in Him (Prov. 3:5-6).

• Protects: The Lord shields us spiritually, emotionally, and physically, sifting every experience through His sovereign fingers. (Ps. 121:1-8).

• Stays: He's not an absentee parent, since He'll never leave or forsake us (Deut. 31:8).

• Disciplines: The Lord disciplines us for our good, so that we may share in His holiness (Heb. 12:5-11).

-Though experiences with our earthly dads may have distorted our view of the heavenly Father, we can learn to see Him as He truly is. By viewing Him through the truth of Scripture instead of our preconceptions, we will see evidence of His loving care and discover a security we've never known before.
--IN TOUCH~

--John 14:8-10 / =Jesus Comforts His Disciples~~

--Philip said to Jesus, "Lord show us the Father, and it is enough for us." Jesus said to him, "Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, 'Show us the Father?'
'Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me: otherwise believe because of the works themselves."
--(John 14:8-11)

--A MARVELOUS THING ~~

“The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvelous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes.”
--- (John 9:30)

A “marvelous thing” in the Bible is something that generates awe or wonder. Sometimes it refers to a miracle, but more often to something very unexpected and remarkable.

But the most marvelous thing of all is that unbelievers still persist in their unbelief. In our text passage the Lord Jesus Christ had just performed one of His most amazing miracles of creation—making perfect eyes for a man with no eyes, blind from birth. As the man testified to the frustrated Pharisees: “Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind” (John 9:32). Yet these religious intellectuals, so opinionated in their prejudices, refused to believe what they saw and heard. Similarly, “when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things [i.e.., ‘marvelous things’] that he did, . . . they were sore displeased” (Matthew 21:15).

-There are none so blind as those who refuse to see. One of the saddest verses in the Bible is John 1:10: “He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.” And, “he came unto his own, and his own received him not” (v. 11). Even when He raised Lazarus from the dead, “the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death; Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus” (John 12:10-11).

Modern “intellectuals” are still the same, rejecting the overwhelming testimony of the created complexity in the cosmos to the fact of a personal Creator in favor of an impossible scenario of chance origin. “Herein is a marvelous thing!” Such people “willingly are ignorant” and “without excuse” (2 Peter 3:5; Romans 1:20).
--ICR/ HMM ~
[Please do not let this be you. Jesus is alive today. He sees, hears, and still heals. Jesus knows what is best for His people. He knows the beginning from the end. The only way we sometimes find out,(that what we thought would be best for us), we would have missed God's best. Stay close to Jesus, read the Bible, and pray. He hears, and He answers according to His will. "He loves you with an everlasting love and underneath are His everlasting arms."]
You Love Me Anyway / Sidewalk Prophets ~
<https://youtu.be/ZL9lYjtAkLk>
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--UNDERSTANDING KINGDOM AUTHORITY~~

“Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”
--- (Luke 10:19)

--A police officer weighing 160 pounds may effectively stand before a tanker truck and with an uplifted hand say, “Stop, in the name of the law..” The police officer certainly couldn’t stop the truck with his physical force. He is appealing to an authority greater than himself — the law — to back him up.

Your authority over Satan is the same way. Your authority does not rest in your strength. You cannot overcome Satan with your power but rather with Kingdom Authority from God. And you have that as a child of the King. You have His authority to overcome every attack of Satan.
Our sufficiency is of God. (Philippians 4:13)
--Adrian Rogers~

--"According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

Whereby are given unto us exceeding great precious promises; that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." (2 Peter 1:3-4) [In Jesus' Name!]
~~~~~~~ / The Name of Jesus / Chris Tomlin ~
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZii7zjj3m4>
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--JESUS IS GOD!

--JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY TO THE FATHER! JESUS IS GOD IN FLESH. He said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." --(John 14:6)

"Come unto Me all who are weak and heavy laden and I will give you life. Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, you will find rest for your souls. COME.....and You will receive eternal life." (Matthew 11:28-29)~~
----
- -DO NOT CHANGE SCRIPTURES, ADD TO VERSES, OR USE OTHER BOOKS TO TRY AND EXPLAIN GOD'S AUTHORITATIVE WORD. ( The Mormon Church is notorious for this. Please read other true stories and accounts of the LDS, 'Latter Day Saints' church in another forum, right here on this website.)

"JESUS CHRIST IS THE SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY AND FOREVER." (Hebrews 13:8) ~~
HE IS GOD, HE IS CREATOR, HE IS MAKER OF ALL THINGS VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE. (Read Colossians Chapter 1, in the New Testament.)

One day every person on the face of this earth, and those passed on before us, must give an account of his/her life to Jesus Christ. What will you say when asked, "On was basis should I let you come into My Kingdom of Heaven?" JESUS PAID YOUR SIN-DEBT! His precious blood has already paid your price. Confess to God that you are sinner, saved only by His grace. Admit you have lived in rebellion to Him, and ask Him to come into your life. He never turns away a sincere person. COME!

ABC= Admit you are a sinner in need of Jesus's forgiveness, Believe that He died so you can be free from eternal separation from Him. Confess your need for Jesus, to come into your life and cleanse you and make you whole. "Jesus is Lord, He is my Savior and He has set me free from sin, the world and Satan. Take me, Jesus and make me whole. I give myself to You. I Repent, and believe/ thank You for Your 'free gift' of eternal life. (It was not free for Jesus. He had to die a cruel, agonizing death on a Cross to set you and me free.) Praise Him! Thank Him. Follow Him! amen~'
There is no other way! No other religion. No other name. Forget Buddha, idols, those who claim to be the Christ. NO! Jesus is LORD, and God, and He does not share His Authority nor His glory with any other person. NO ONE can ever take Jehovah Yahweh's place. YHWH= Our loving Covenant keeping God. .
-----
---INSPIRED WORDS

--“Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.” (Luke 21:33) ---

--The doctrine of plenary verbal inspiration, wrongly considered antiquated by many modern neo-evangelicals, is actually essential to the Christian faith. “All scripture [that is every word written down or inscribed] is given by inspiration [literally ‘breathed in’] of God,” not man (2 Timothy 3:16)!

We acknowledge, of course, that problems of transmission and translation exist, but these are relatively trivial in the entire context. **We also acknowledge that the process of inspiration may have varied, but the end result is as if the entire Bible had been dictated and transcribed word by word.

This is the way Jesus Christ—the Creator, the Living Word, the Author of Scripture—viewed the Scriptures. “The scripture cannot be broken,” He said (John 10:35). “Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled” (Matthew 5:18). “Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: . . . And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:25, 27). The Bible, therefore, every word of it, is divinely inspired, verbally without error, infallibly true, and of absolute authority in every area of our lives. The words of Christ who taught these truths are forever “settled in heaven” (Psalm 119:89) and “shall not pass away.”

It is mortally dangerous, therefore, “unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book” to “add unto these things” as the cultists do, or to “take away from the words of the book of this prophecy” as the liberals do (Revelation 22:18-19). Would it not be much better to say with the psalmist, “Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors” (Psalm 119:24)?
--ICR/ HMM

--THE CHILD IN THE MANGER--IMAGE OF THE INVISIBLE GOD~

“…His dear Son…Who is the image of the invisible God…that in all things He [Jesus] might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell.” - (Colossians 1:13,15, 18, 19)

God is Spirit, invisible, unfathomable, unapproachable. How are we going to know God? Jesus is the image of the invisible God. The visible Jesus makes the invisible God known.

How are you going to know God? Not by reason. Not by religion. Not by ritual. You’re going to know God only by revelation. And Jesus Christ has come to reveal God to you.

You can never fully know God the Father apart from God the Son, “…who is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of every creature.” All of God was in Bethlehem’s babe. He is the express image of God.
--Adrian Rogers~ / Jesus, Only Jesus / Matt Redman
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeImi6gOLsk>
----

--GOD GAVE HIMSELF ~~
/ -----
-But the greatest gift, clearly, was when God gave Himself for a lost and undeserving world. It was the greatest gift because it met the greatest need, revealed the greatest love, and had the greatest scope and greatest purpose of any gift that could ever be conceived in the heart of an omniscient Creator.

That was not the end of His giving, of course. “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32). “Trust…in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy” (I Timothy 6:17).

This great gift of God is abundantly sufficient to provide salvation and everlasting life for the whole world. But a gift only becomes a gift when it is accepted, and the greatest of all tragedies is that this greatest of all gifts has been spurned and even ridiculed, or—worst of all—simply ignored by multitudes who need it so greatly. Sadly, when they refuse God’s free gift of everlasting life, they can only perish in everlasting death. God did all He could do when He gave His Son; for when He gave His Son, He gave Himself.
[Please do not let another day pass, if you have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. He loves you so much that He died so that you may live, eternally with Him. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6)]

--God Gave Himself/HMM
<http://www.icr.org/article/7103/>
--------

--THE LIVING AND THE WRITTEN WORD~~

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
---(John 1:1)

The Holy Scriptures and the person of our Lord Jesus Christ are so inseparably bound together that whatever calls into question the integrity and authority of one correspondingly casts aspersions on the other. The Bible does clearly reveal Christ as “the Word . . . made flesh, [who] dwelt among us” (John 1:14). “And his name is called The Word of God” (Revelation 19:13)..

In carefully worded arguments, Christ time and again called attention to the fact that the teachings of the Old Testament Scriptures were actually teaching about Him. “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. . . . For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?” (John 5:39, 46-47). “If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead” (Luke 16:31).

Therefore, those who diligently search the Scriptures find in them sufficient testimony to Christ, and where there is faith in the witness of Scripture, there will be faith in Christ and His words. But if men reject the testimony of Scripture, they will not even be convinced by His miraculous resurrection from the dead.

Christ claimed that all of Scripture pointed to Him. On the road to Emmaus, He taught that all three popular divisions of the Old Testament traced one progressive Messianic revelation. To understand the New Testament, we must know the Old, for both tell the same story, each amplifying the other. They are forever inseparable.
--ICR/ JDM
[I highly recommend watching the DVD "ROAD TO EMMAUS", starring Bruce Marchiano. You can also see it on youtube. In approximately 30 minutes you will hear and understand the entire life of Jesus Christ, God in human flesh.
"In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by his Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful Word."
--(HEBREWS 1:1-3)]

--WHAT DOES IT MEAN, "TO BE IN CHRIST JESUS"


--BIBLE MEDITATION:
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
--(Romans 8:1)

--DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
--What does it mean to be “in Christ Jesus?” First, think about what it was for Noah to be in the ark. The ark was waterproof. How do we know it was? Well, God told Noah, “put pitch on the inside and on the outside” (Genesis 6:14). The word “pitch” in the Hebrew is kapar, and it is exactly the same word translated as "atonement."

-Now, you see, we are in Jesus as Noah was in that ark. Just as the storms of God’s wrath beat upon that ark, the storms of God’s wrath beat upon the Lord Jesus. But we are on the inside, and not one drop of judgment can come through.

--ACTION POINT:
-Read Romans 8:35-39. Reflect on the things that Paul says will never separate you from God’s love. Give glory to God that your sins have been atoned for by the righteous blood of the Savior, Jesus Christ.
--Adrian Rogers~/ Jesus, Only Jesus / Phillips, Craig, and Dean~
<https://youtu.be/V2mh6SSV7fE>
-----

---THE LIVING WORD ~~

“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)

--This is the great verse of the Incarnation, declaring to us that the Creator of all things, the eternal Word of God (John 1:1-3) actually became a man, being “made flesh” (our text). Since this verse and the following verses unequivocally refer to “Jesus Christ” (v. 17), there is no legitimate escape (though many have tried) from the great truth that the man called Jesus of Nazareth was the great God and Creator, as well as perfect man and redeeming Savior. Furthermore, He has assumed human flesh forever, while still remaining fully God. He is Immanuel, “God with us” (Matthew 1:23).

He is not part man and part God, or sometimes man and sometimes God, but is now the God-man, fully and eternally true God and perfect man—man as God created and intended man to be. (See also Philippians 2:5-8 and 1 John 4:2-3).

When He first became man, He “dwelt among us” for a while. The word “dwelt,” however, is actually the Greek word for “tabernacled.” As in the tabernacle (or “tent”) prepared by Moses (Exodus 40:33) in the wilderness, the glory of God in Christ dwelled on Earth for a time in a “body” prepared by God (Hebrews 10:5). We also “beheld his glory,” says His beloved disciple, John. (1 John:1-1-3)

Eventually, when the Holy City descends out of heaven to the new earth, then “the tabernacle of God” will forever be “with men,” and He will “dwell with them” and “be their God” eternally (Revelation 21:3). Thus, God’s “Living Word” is now and always our living Lord!
--ICR/ HMM -/ King of Glory/ Chris Tomlin~
<https://youtu.be/ymaT6-XAZCg>

--CHRIST THE KING!

-"Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords."
--(1 Timothy 6:15)

--OF THE MANY descriptive titles of the Lord Jesus Christ, perhaps the most significant is that of King, because this speaks of His universal dominion. The day is doming when "every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth" (Philippians 2:10).

First of all, since He created all things, He is the King of creation. "For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the deep places of the earth, and things under the earth" (Philippians 2:10). The strength of the hills is his also. The sea is his, and he made it; and his hands formed the dry land" (Psalm 95:3-5).

In a special sense, of course, He is the King of the Jews. "He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end" (Luke 1:33)

He is also our King of redemption, having set us free from the kingdom of the wicked one. He "hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son; In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins" (Colossians 1:13-14).

There is a day coming in which all the kings of the earth shall unite against Him. "These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them; for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings; and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful" (Revelation 17:14).

"And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron...And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS" (Revelation 19:15-16).
Until the, let us serve Him as King, and submit to Him as Lord. THERE IS HOPE IN JESUS CHRIST! ~~
--ICR/HMM --/ Christ Is Enough ~ / Hillsong Live
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6MzgVsP2uE>
-------

--JESUS IS HUMAN / JESUS IS GOD /JESUS IS GOD-MAN ~
--By: Henry M. Morris III, D.Min.

“Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren.” (Hebrews 2:17)

There will always be an inability to grasp how the omnipotent and omniscient God could become fully human, yet such is the clear teaching of Scripture. Please notice that “all things” were incorporated into the life of Christ when it “behoved him” to be made like the ones He would call His brethren (our text).


***He experienced pain, hunger, fatigue, etc. (1 Peter 2:23; Matthew 4:2; Luke 8:23; John 19:28).
***He experienced the testing of evil (Luke 4:1-2; Hebrews 4:15; 2:18).

***He was representative of all men in substitutionary death (John 3:14; 12:32).
***He was identified with Adam, the federal head of humanity (1 Corinthians 15:45-47).

***He ascended bodily into heaven (Acts 1:9-11; Ephesians 4:10).
***He still identifies with man (Revelation 1:13-16).

The apostle Paul gave us the simplest summary of what took place among the Trinity as the Lord Jesus “made himself of no reputation.” The Greek term used is ekenosen. Essentially, it means to make empty, to divest, to make void that which was formerly owned. Jesus, the eternal Second Person of the Godhead, “emptied” Himself and “took upon him the form of a servant.” Then, he “was made” in the likeness of men (Philippians 2:7).

--Please notice the action of the verbs. Jesus did the “making” and the “taking” of the servant likeness that was prepared for Him (Hebrews 10:5). Once emptied and in the body that was made for Him, He “became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8).
--ICR/ HMM III--Jesus Messiah / Chris Tomlin ~~

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwJzTV1uurU>

---THE CAPTAIN OF OUR SALVATION = JESUS

“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” (Hebrews 2:9-10)--

Christ is referred to in this passage as the captain of our salvation. The word translated captain implies one who is first in line, the beginning, or the originator. So Christ is discovered to be the first in line of an endless procession of the saints of all ages resurrected from the grave and marching to the ultimate realization of their salvation. He is truly “the first born among many brethren” (Romans 8:29). “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept” (1 Corinthians 15:20).

The word finds usage only three other times in the New Testament, each within a resurrection and glorification context. Peter, addressing the people of Israel, said that they had “killed the Prince [originator] of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses” (Acts 3:15). And later, “the God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince [leader] and a Saviour” (Acts 5:30-31).
As a result of what our “Captain” has done, we should be “looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).

The only way we could ever share in His glory is for Him to suffer and die. “Both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren” (Hebrews 2:11).
--- In fact, we have been granted the privilege to be called a 'Friend of God.'/ Phillips, Craig and Dean (please overlook the misspelling.) Probably in another Country? ENJOY!

--ICR/JDM
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcxKRsn-hGc&t=0s>
------

--The Letter of Paul to the COLOSSIANS~~
--------
--'Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

'We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints;

Because of the HOPE laid up for you in Heaven, of which you previously heard in the world of truth the Gospel.

This has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth.

For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
So that you will walk in a manner worth of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God:

Strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all stadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.

For He rescued us from the domain of darkness,, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, Jesus Christ, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

He, Jesus, is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
For by Him all things were created, both in the Heavens and on Earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him.

He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.

For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His Cross; through Him, I say, whether things on Earth or things in Heaven.

And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach--

If indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the HOPE of the Gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all Creation under Heaven.

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions.

Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the Word of God, that is the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints...

To whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of thy mystery among the Gentiles, which is 'Christ in you, the HOPE of glory.'

We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.
For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.

-Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.
For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,
and in Him you have been made complete, and His is the Head over all rule and authority. ~~
--[selected verses/Colossians Chapters 1 and 2:1-10]

---GOD IS LOVE~

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

The one who does not LOVE does not know God, for God is LOVE." --(1 JOHN 4:7-8 NASB)--/'The Lost Get Found' / Britt Nicole ~
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GO2prEoATH8>
-------------

----GOD IN THREE PERSONS~~
---(Please Read/ Matthew 28:18-20)

--Years ago, after I preached about God’s Spirit, a woman came up after church to complain, “Why do you talk about the Holy Spirit when people need to hear about Jesus and God?” Sometimes even those who have been Christians for a long time regard the Trinity as a hierarchy. To their way of thinking, the Father is God, Jesus is slightly beneath Him in rank and seniority, and the Holy Spirit is their servant. While this may conform to human models of authority, it isn’t biblical.

--According to the Scriptures, all three members of the Trinity are fully God:

**God the Father—Jesus Christ referred to His Father as God (John 5:17-18).

**God the Son—John 1:1 identifies Jesus as divine. While Christ never specifically called Himself “God,” His Father did apply the title to Him (Heb. 1:8). Furthermore, Jesus acknowledged having unlimited power—an attribute possessed only by the divine Creator (Matthew 28:18)—and also accepted worship (Matthew 14:33; John 9:38).

**God the Holy Spirit—After declaring that God raised Christ from the dead, the New Testament goes on to credit the Holy Spirit with the resurrection (Romans 8:11). Jesus reinforced that idea when He commanded the disciples to baptize new believers in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

The Bible confirms that each member of the Trinity is equally God. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit function as a unit—no one is more important or less essential than the others. All three are focused upon their plan for mankind: salvation, transformation, and glory for God.
--IN TOUCH~~/--'This I Believe'(The Creed)-Hillsong Worship~<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0mPk_3dXSg>
------

---------

--CHRIST CENTERED~~~
--By: Charles Haddon Spurgeon

--'Charles Spurgeon asserted that the heart of Christianity was first of all devotion to the Lord Jesus. He was determined that when he preached, it would be the Lord Jesus who was preeminently exalted in his sermons. Spurgeon said, "The subject of the ministry in this house, as long as this platform shall stand, shall be the person of Jesus Christ, who is the sum and substance of the Gospel, who is in Himself all glorious personal embodiment of the way, the truth, and the life."

He also wrote, "He himself is Doctor and Doctrine, Revealer and Revelation, the Illuminator and the Light of Men. He is exalted in every word of truth, because He is its sum and substance. He sits above the Gospel, like a Prince on his own throne. Doctrine is most precious when we see it distilling from His lips and embodied in His person. Sermons are valuable in proportion as they speak of Him and point to Him, Jesus Christ, the Author and Finisher of our faith. ~~

"Jesus Christ never chances. He is the same yesterday and today and forever." --(Hebrews 13:8) ---"GLORIOUS DAY" / Casting Crowns/ <https://youtu.be/xODpgyqGCYM>

--WORDS TO LIVE BY~~

"For I know that my
Redeemer lives, and
at the last day He
will stand upon the
Earth."
--(ACTS JOB 19:25)~-

--WHEN JOB first uttered his assurance in his Redeemer, he was in sore need of comfort. All of his children had been killed. Much of his once thriving property had been destroyed. Sickness rendered him pain-stricken and isolated. His household, his friends, and even his own wife ostracized him. When all else was lost, JOB clung to his one certain consolation, that his merciful God would redeem him and restore him to dwell in His loving presence forever.

When we feel as though the trials of this life will crush us, we can rest in the same promise JOB did. Yet we have even greater solace than JOB had, for we know our Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, and all that He has accomplished for us. We know that He carried our load on His back and suffered under it on the Cross. We know that He buried it in the grave. We know that our Redeemer lives! He rose again and stands victorious for us. Just as He in His glorified body rose again, so, too, shall our Lord raise us up, so that in our flesh we shall live with Him in glory everlasting. ~~

"Living Redeemer, preserve me in faith until that joyful day when in my flesh I shall see You. 'Even so, Come Lord Jesus.'~~amen~

--PORTALS OF PRAYER~--"ONLY JESUS"/ Casting Crowns = <https://youtu.be/TAtx1y58jS0>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

--JESUS SHARED IN OUR HUMANITY~~

--"Because he himself
suffered when he was
tempted, he is able to
help those who are
being tempted."
--(Hebrews 2:18)--

--Keith Wasserman has chosen to be homeless for a few days every year since 1989 in order to grow in love and compassion. "I go to live on the streets to expand my perspective and understanding of people who have no homes to live in," says Keith, executive director of Good Works, Inc.,

I'm wondering whether Keith's approach to become one with those he's serving might be a small picture of what Jesus did for us. God Himself, the Creator of the universe, chose to confine Himself to the vulnerable state of a baby, to live as a human, to experience what we all experience, and to ultimately die at the hand of humans so that we can experience a relationship with God.

The writer of the book of Hebrews stated that Jesus "shared in [our] humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil" (2:14). The Creator of the entire universe became human and died, even though He's immortal. And He suffered for us, even though He's the all-powerful God. Why would He do this? So that He could help us when we go through temptations and bring reconciliation between us and God (VV. 17-18).

May we experience His love today, knowing He understands our humanity and has already provided the way for us to be cleansed from our sins.~~

---JESUS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SACRIFICE SO THAT WE CAN LIVE FOREVER WITH YOU IN HEAVEN. COME, LORD JESUS!

--ODB/EPE --/ "YOU ARE GOD ALONE"/ Phillips, Craig and Dean ~~ <https://youtu.be/tRUW0L8uu3A>
--------------------

-----JESUS: MAN, MYTH, OR MESSIAH?
----PTV/RJ~~

-----"I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies."
----(John 11:25)--

---As Easter Sunday approaches, we begin to see television specials and news articles about discovering the real Jesus. Interestingly, very few credible historians doubt that Jesus lived. Furthermore, most of the major world religions say that Jesus was a great teacher. And even hardened secularists will concede that no one was more moral than Jesus Christ.

But here is the problem with saying that Jesus was a great moral teacher: Jesus claimed to be much more than that. If Jesus Christ was really who He claimed to be–not just a man, certainly not a myth, but the Messiah–then that has tremendous implications for you and me today. We will consider why Jesus is different than any other religious leader who ever lived.

Jesus made unique claims that no other religious leader made. For example, Jesus claimed to be God. Most religious leaders claim to point people to God, but no other religious leader has claimed to be God Himself. For example, Muhammad, the founder of Islam, said, “Surely I am no more than a human apostle.” Moses, Confucius, and Buddha all said they were nothing but sinful men pointing people to God. Not Jesus. Jesus said He is God. In John 14:8, Philip said to Jesus, “Show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus responded, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” (14:9). Jesus said, “I and the Father are one” (10:30). Jesus claimed to be God Himself.

Jesus also claimed to forgive sins. No other religious leader ever claimed the ability to forgive people’s sins. Buddha said, “In reality there are no living beings to whom the Lord Buddha can bring salvation.” Jesus said, “I can.” In Mark 2, some disciples brought their paralytic friend to Jesus to be healed. “Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven’” (2:5). The religious leaders said, “He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?” (2:7). In response, Jesus performed a miracle: “‘So that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’–He said to the paralytic, ‘I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home.’ And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God” (2:10-12). Jesus said His primary purpose was to come to provide the forgiveness of sins to those who believed.

Many religions try to point people to the path of forgiveness. But Jesus said He is the path of forgiveness. In Luke 19:10, Jesus said, “The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” And in John 11:25, Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies.” In contrast to other religious leaders, Jesus claimed to forgive sins. --"GOD BE WITH YOU"/ --SELAH~ / https://youtu.be/9ENlzrsN7ts
---------------

--JESUS IS YOUR EVERYTHING ~~

--"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." --(Philippians 4:19)--

--"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (Philippians 4:14)

--"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." (Romans 8:37)

--"Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life or death,
or things present, or things to come; all are yours;
And ye are Christ's and Christ is God's." -(1 Corinthians 3:21-23)

--"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)

--"And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.
Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." --(John 16:23,24)

"And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." --(Matthew 21:22)

--Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." --(Mark 11:24)

--"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ." --(Ephesians 1:3)

--"And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight."
-(1 John 3:22)

--"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him."
------(2 Corinthians 5:21)

--"For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." --(Philippians 1:21)

--"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold all things are become new." --(2 Corinthians 5:17)

--"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,
Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen~ (Ephesians 3:20,21)

--"And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work." --(2 Corinthians 9:8)

--"Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God our salvation. Selah." --(Psalm 68:19)
--Jesus said, "I and my Father are One." --(They are inseparable= God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit."/ 3= ONE ~
--"GREAT I AM"--Phillips, Craig and Dean / --<https://youtu.be/V9qzGRGtSUA>

----JESUS IS WHO HE CLAIMED TO BE

---" Unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."
--–(John 8:24)--

---Jesus is unique from other religious leaders because He claimed He would someday return to judge the world. Jesus said, “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world’” (Matthew 25:31-34). Other religious leaders have said that a person’s eternal destiny depends on their response to a higher being–somebody greater than the leader. But Jesus said our eternal destiny depends on what we believe about Jesus Himself. In John 3:17-18, Jesus said, “God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might 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.” Jesus said in John 8:24, “Unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” Your eternal destiny depends on what you believe regarding Jesus for the salvation of your soul.

In his book “The World’s Living Religions,” Robert Hume noted that the nine founders of the world’s greatest religions all had a period in their lives when they doubted who they were and what their mission was. But Jesus never doubted who He was. From the time Jesus was 12 until His death, He knew exactly who He was–the Son of God who came to provide salvation for the world. Jesus never claimed to be looking for some light for guidance, as other religious leaders claimed. Instead, Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life” (8:12). Jesus claimed to be God. He claimed to be able to forgive sins. He claimed to conquer death. He claimed He was coming back to judge the world. And given the fact that Jesus claimed all those things, you cannot say, “I think He was just a good moral teacher.” That is not an intellectually honest conclusion considering what Jesus claimed about Himself.

Given the fact that Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, C. S. Lewis said you have to come to one of three conclusions. The first possibility is that Jesus was a liar. That is, Jesus claimed to be God when in fact He knew He was not God. A second possibility is that He was a lunatic. That is, Jesus thought He was God when in fact He was not. But given what you know about Jesus–His words, His actions, and His teachings–is it logical to say Jesus was a lunatic? Lewis said there is only one other conclusion and that is Jesus is Lord. He is exactly who He claimed to be. If Jesus Christ is in fact the Messiah, then that means everything He said is true.
--PTV/RJ~~
--["Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ." --(ACTS 2:36)]

--WANDERING AWAY FROM GOD~~

--(Please Read/ LUKE 15: 1-7) --

--IT WOULD BE WONDERFUL if after salvation, our lives progressed in a straight line of uninterrupted obedience to our heavenly Father. But that is never the case, because we all stray now and then. Jesus told a story about a shepherd who went in search of a lost sheep. While this parable is about the salvation of a wayward soul, the lessons in the story can also be applied to those of us who belong to Christ.

Even though we are held securely in the Father's hand and will never lose our salvation, we can drift in our obedience to Him (John 10:28-29). But why would believers wander away from the God who loves them?

If a sheep takes its eyes off the shepherd, it can easily meander toward a more appealing patch of grass and end up far afield. In the same way, we might see a path that seems to lead to better opportunities. But as we follow it, we grow further from the Lord. We may not notice the distance between us and our Savior until we find ourselves in trouble.

Other Christians willfully choose to pursue their own objectives. They know their choice is wrong, but they rationalize the decision or blame someone else for misleading them.

Regardless of how we end up outside God's will, we are responsible for the action that put us there. Though another opportunity may look good, the only place believers will find true contentment is in a trusting, obedient relationship with Jesus Christ. Therefore, we must keep our eyes on Jesus and guard against pursuing anything except His will. ~~

--IN TOUCH~~ --/ "Shepherd Boy" - / Chris Tomlin ~ <https://youtu.be/hkZXzG9sKQE>

---HE SUSTAINS~

-"On the glorious splendor of Your majesty and on Your wonderful works, I will meditate."
--(PSALM 145:5)--

--Have you experienced the amazing, sustaining power of God's awesome presence? Have you waited before Him in silence, meditating on His strength, greatness, wisdom, and majesty? Have you learned how important it is to spend still, quiet moments before Him to give you strength for today and hope for tomorrow?

This is why David remained strong in every circumstance of life, no matter what happened--because of his abiding relationship with God. Throughout his life, David was able to cope with the extremely challenging and heartbreaking situations he faced because he experienced the power of being in the Father's presence daily. He wrote, "The LORD is near to all who call upon Him....He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He will also hear their cry and will save them" (Psalm 145:18-19).

~~So today, focus on Christ. Discover who He is and how much He loves you. Through uninterrupted times of sitting before Him, He will strengthen you, help you overcome, mature your faith, and use the trials you are experiencing for good. And that's exactly what you need to keep going. ~~

"Lord Jesus, help me to focus on You so I can experience Your sustaining power. Amen."~

--MY HOPE IS IN JESUS BECAUSE HE POWERFULLY SUSTAINS ME. ~ "NOBODY" ~~/ Casting Crowns/ -<https://youtu.be/JqcQLd0u_P4>

----ETERNAL LIFE WITH JESUS~~

-[Please Read/ Revelation 21:1-5) --

--Some people question whether hell actually exists. They wonder How could someone in heaven have no sadness while realizing loved ones are suffering eternal punishment?

---Humanly speaking, it's hard to understand. We know that in the afterlife, those who have rejected Jesus will mourn (Matthew 13:41-42). But Scripture makes it clear that eternity in Christ's presence will be pure joy. We are reassured that "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death..mourning, or crying, or pain" (Revelation 21:4).

But notice the beginning of that verse. Before entering heaven, believers will shed some tears as well. You see, even Christians will undergo judgment, but not to determine where they will spend eternity. Rather, God will bring to light His children's pure and impure actions, thoughts, and motives (1 Cor. 4:5). We'll no doubt be grieved to see what opportunities were missed and where we failed to act in a godly fashion. Yet the Lord, will dry our eyes and bring us into His glory, where we'll experience no sadness or pain.

Once we enter eternity with Him, we will not long for anything. Even if we are able to sense the absence of unsaved loved ones in heaven, there will be no discontent. At that point, our desires will perfectly align with His, and He will fulfill each one--anything we lack will no longer be something we want.

Eternity is a long time, and Heaven will be indescribably wonderful. Trusting in Christ as Savior is the only way to guarantee it will be your destination beyond this life.
--IN TOUCH~
[Friend, if you have not accepted Jesus's sacrifice and death on the Cross for the forgiveness for your sins, you will live in regret. "Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin." -(Hebrews 9:22b) Please come to the Father through Jesus the Son, and know for certainty that you will live eternally with King Jesus and all the saints that pass on to glory. 'You are loved with an everlasting love and underneath are his everlasting arms.'.]
--"Praise the Father, Praise the Son" / Chris Tomlin / <https://youtu.be/xl47WfHDpOg>
~~~~~~~~

---PRAISE FOR THE LAMB~~

--[Please Read all of Revelation Chapter 5]

--Anyone who isn't sure that Jesus is G-D, [JEHOVAH YAHWEH], and is worthy of worship should take a look at today's passage. This heavenly scene opens with a dilemma--no one is found worthy to open the scroll in God's right hand until the Lion of Judah, the root of David, appears as a Lamb standing as if slain.

This is none other than Jesus Christ, who offered Himself as a sacrifice for mankind's sin. He took our sin upon Himself, suffered the punishment we deserved, and clothed us in His righteousness so that, through faith in Him, we could be reconciled to God. Now He stands in Heaven, receiving praise and honor from all its inhabitants. He alone is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll, which contains God's final plans for human history.

If the angels, the elders, and the four living creatures praise the Son and the Father with such reverence, awe, and exaltation, then we who are direct recipients of diving mercy and grace can, too. The citizens of heaven hold nothing back in their unceasing worship and adoration as they humbly bow before the throne.

Considering all that our triune God, [Trinity, G-D in three Persons]. has done for us, praise should be our humble and joyful response. He delights in hearing our voices raised in adoration and worship as we declare that He is worthy of all honor.

Is God the focus of your thoughts and emotions as you join with fellow believers in exalting Him, or do you sing the words thoughtlessly or get caught up in an emotional experience? Although worship will be perfect only in Heaven, let's start practicing now. ~~

--IN TOUCH~~--"Great Are You Lord"/ Casting Crowns / <https://youtu.be/ZZqV6i98SkA>
~~~~~~~~

--LIFTING HEART AND HANDS~~

-"To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only
G-D, be honor and glory forever and ever."
--(1 Timothy 1:17)--

~~~The whole purpose of coming before the King is to praise Him, to live in recognition of His splendor. Praise--lifting up our heart and hands, exulting with our voices, singing his praises--is the occupation of those who dwell in the Kingdom of God.

Praise is the highest occupation of any being. What happens when we praise the Father? We reestablish the proper chain of command; we recognize that the King is on the throne and the He has saved His people. We must give Him praise. It comes naturally to those who belong to the King of all kings, Jesus Christ. ~~

--Walking With The Savior/ML~-/"Till I Met You"/ Laura Story = <https://youtu.be/6T5cRCyQaf4>
~~~~~~~~~~~

----DYNAMIC DOCTRINE~~

--"Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?"
--(LUKE 6:46)

~~As you know, sound doctrine and proper view of Scripture are crucial if we desire to have a correct understanding of who Jesus is as our Savior. Because of these, we must always hold on to our convictions and be careful never to abandon them.

However, where we often fall short is not in what we believe but in how we act. Our theology will never be complete until we live it out dynamically. There must be a fusion of our doctrine with who we are.

This means you may say you believe Jesus is truly God, but until you put Him first in every facet of your existence--until you really act as though He is Lord and obey His commands in practical ways--you will just be paying Him lip service.

So consider: Does Jesus have the final word as you make decisions, spend money, or plan for the future? When you interact with others, do you love them as He would? Is there anything that is more important to you than Jesus is?

As your Sovereign Lord, Jesus demands total obedience and absolute surrender. So live it out--make Him first. And don't just talk about good doctrine--be a living example of it. ~~

--"LORD Jesus, may my life be a dynamic example that demonstrates You are truly God. Use me for Your glory, in Christ's Name.~ amen."

--MY HOPE IS IN JESUS BECAUSE HE IS TRULY GOD.~~

--'JESUS, OUR PERFECT HOPE'/ Charles Stanley ~--"Nobody Loves Me Like You" / Chris Tomlin = <https://youtu.be/eyp_oL4m5k4>
~~~~~~~~~~

---FOR EVER AND EVER....

--"The LORD shall reign for ever and ever." --(Exodus 15:18) -

~~The Bible is a book of eternity, its words "for ever...settled in heaven" (Psalm 119:89). The theme of eternity is prominent throughout; in fact, the words "for ever," "everlasting," and the like occur more than 600 times.
The first of these is in our text: "The LORD shall reign for ever and ever." He is the eternal King of all Creation! How beautiful and appropriate it is, then, to find that the last of these occurrences tells us that we--His redeemed saints--also "shall reign for ever and ever" (Revelation 22:5).

Also consider first of all the creation: "Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light... For he commanded, and they were created. He that also stablished them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass" (Psalm 148:3, 5-6). "All his commandments are sure. They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness... So shall I keep thy law continually for ever and ever" (Psalm 111: 7-8; 119:44).

On the other hand, those who reject God and His Word will endure forever but will be forgotten forever. "Thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever" (Psalm 9:5). "And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever" (Revelation 14:11).

"But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him" (Psalm 103:17). "And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever" (Daniel 12:3).

--ICR/HMM~
"Great Are You Lord" / Casting Crowns / <https://youtu.be/ZZqV6i98SkA>
--"Great Are You Lord" / 'All Sons and Daughters' / --<https://youtu.be/QJ1FnBqmMiE>
~~~~~~~~

----WARFARE ~~

"Our struggle is...against the powers,...
against the spiritual forces of wickedness
in the heavenly places." ~ (Ephesians 6:12)

---IN TODAY'S verse, the apostle Paul described the spiritual battle in which all Christians are engaged. He used words like "powers" and "spiritual forces" to indicate the supernatural nature of the conflict. Whether we realize it or not, we're in the fight of our lives.

~~~Yes, we know Jesus is ultimately victorious. But in the daily frustrations and discouragements, we must realize that Satan's agents are actively making war with us--attempting to undermine our faith in God and our impact on the world. We tend to focus our anger on other people, situations, and even ourselves--on things that are seen. But this struggle against spiritual forces is real, and we must understand its unseen source in order to engage it successfully.

First Peter 5:8-9 admonishes, "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith." In other words, be aware of the battle and fight it spiritually. Win it with unshakable trust in Jehovah G-D. He is the One who fights for us. Stay firm in the Word, God's Holy Bible Because only in this way will you be truly victorious. ~~

--"Lord Jesus, empower me to be victorious in the spiritual warfare that assails me. You have said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you'. I know right now you are with me, and all Your followers until the end of time. No, I am not alone. 'Even so, Come Lord Jesus.' ~~Amen~~

--MY HOPE IS IN JESUS BECAUSE HE OVERCOMES THE ENEMY OF MY SOUL~
--'Jesus, Our Perfect Hope'/ CS~ ---"I Am Not Alone"/ Kari Jobe / <https://youtu.be/MbbCGqK6uNc>
~~~~~~~~~

---PRIMARY MOTIVATOR ~~

--"If I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all people to Myself."
---(John 12:32/ HCSB)

---What is the motivating goal of your life? Do you realize that God has an objective for you as well? That, of course, is to exalt Jesus through you.

~~Now that you are spiritually alive through salvation, the Holy Spirit is working within you, drawing you into oneness with Christ and conforming you to His image. This is so much more than patterning your life after Jesus' moral and ethical teachings or attempting to emulate His character. Rather, unity with Christ has to come from within--it can only occur as you submit to His indwelling Spirit and allow Him to live His resurrection life in and through you. Much more than a mere imitation or follower of Jesus, you are becoming His visible representative in the world.

So consider: Do you obey the promptings of His Spirit? Can others see Christ through you? Do you care for others with His love, speak with His wisdom, and work in His strength? Your life can be a powerful testimony for Him. So agree with God, allow Him to conform you to Christ's image, and let that be the most important goal you pursue.

--"LORD JESUS, help me be conformed to Your image and exalt You so that others will know You as Savior. It is in Your name we pray, our Lord, Savior, Rock and Redeemer.~~ Amen."

--MY HOPE IS IN JESUS BECAUSE HE SPEAKS TO ME THROUGH HIS WORD. HE GUIDES MY STEPS, HE IS MY SAVIOR AND LORD OVER MY LIFE. ~~

--"Jesus, Our Perfect Hope"/CS~
"All For Love"/ Hillsong //--<https://youtu.be/hNAti01dDWM>
~~~~~~~~~~

---EXACT REPRESENTATION~~

-"In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways,
but in these last days he has spoken to us us by his Son. ...The Son is the radiance of God's glory
and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word."
--[Hebrews 1:1-3] --

~~~Because Jesus is the exact representation of His Father, the Gospel narratives give us insight into God's attitude toward people. Watch as the events of Jesus' life unfold. Jesus didn't look at people and say, "Get out of my way. I've got important things to do."

~~Jesus encountered people with great needs and was moved with compassion--for a rich young ruler, a poor widow, a blind beggar, a promiscuous woman, a demon-possessed man, and many others. There are some things about God that will remain a mystery to us in this lifetime. But if you want to know more about the character of God the Father, just look at Jesus.
~~Jesus said, "I and my Father are One." [John 10:30] ~~

--Turn Up The Light/AJ~
--[Recommended reading/ COLOSSIANS = Chapter 1: Verses 13 Thru 20]--
~~"This I Believe" --(The Creed) / Hillsong Worship / <https://youtu.be/h0mPk_3dXSg>
~~~~~

---JESUS CALMS THE STORM ~ / Only Jehovah G-D Can Command the Weather To Obey Him ~~
-----(Please Read/ Matthew 8:23-27)--

~~~~We live in a fallen world filled with sin and all manner of evil, yet so often we put on rose-colored glasses and expect our life to be full of comfort, ease, and pleasure. And then when storms come upon us, bringing disruption, trouble, conflict, and heartache, we start wondering where the Lord is. After all, we are believers in Jesus Christ, and God is our loving heavenly Father. So why is He letting this happen?

The disciples would have preferred smooth sailing, too—across the Sea of Galilee. But in the storm, they saw Jesus in a new way. After He calmed the waves with His words, they asked in amazement, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” (Matt. 8:27). Through that storm, they recognized Jesus as almighty God, who has power even over the physical laws of the Universe. His purpose was not to drown them but to show them His glory.

Perhaps you are going through a personal storm of some kind right now. If so, ask the Lord to open your eyes to a greater understanding of Him. Even if your circumstances don’t change, Jesus Christ is the Lord of peace, [Jehovah Shalom], and He can comfort you too. ~~
--IN TOUCH~
[Friend, we know from Scripture that the LORD is holy, righteous and just. Our Nation, USA, is in desperate need of repentance and change. This is breaking Father G-D's heart. He is not willing that any should perish but that all come to repentance. [2 Peter 3:9] .
He also causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous (Matthew 5:45).
Please pray for our Country, (and whatever Country you are in.) "We all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).

"LORD YAHWEH, (YHWH), our Covenant keeping God, please forgive our sins. Bring about a revival by your Holy Spirit, that we can give You glory and be restored in right fellowship with You. Only You can bring about this change. We give You all praise, honor and glory, in Christ Jesus Name we pray. Amen~ "
~~~~~--"Who Am I?" / Casting Crowns // <https://youtu.be/F9hetEFcjGM>
--------

---THE GENEROSITY OF CHRIST ~~
---(Please Read/ Philippians 2:5-11)--

----The Christmas season offers a wonderful opportunity to show love and appreciation for others by giving gifts. God the Father set the precedent by giving His Son to the world, but we must not forget that Jesus Himself was characterized by selfless giving. Generosity isn’t measured as much by our gift as it is by the sacrifice required to give it. So, what did God the Son give up when He came to earth as a tiny infant?

**Jesus gave Himself as a Servant. We know that He was God’s servant because He did and said only what His Father commanded. But Jesus didn’t stop there. The Creator and Ruler of heaven and earth also became a servant to sinful mankind. He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and taught the multitudes. But His humility didn’t stop there.

**Jesus gave Himself as a Sacrifice. He humbled Himself to die on a cross, bearing the Father’s righteous wrath and judgment for our sins. Although He was holy and pure, He gave Himself up to be beaten, tortured, mocked, and executed by sinful men.

**Jesus gave Himself as a Savior. Now all those who believe in Him can be forgiven, reconciled with God, and saved from the penalty of eternal punishment in hell. But that’s not all. He also gives us eternal life and the promise of an inheritance in heaven.

We can’t imagine what it was like to leave the glories of heaven to come to earth as a human being. All we can do is thank Jesus for the indescribable gift of Himself.
--IN TOUCH~~
[HEBREWS // The people to whom Hebrews was written were steeped in Jewish Law and tradition, but they had heard the Gospel and had witnessed miracles. While they had grasped basic spiritual principles, their deficiencies included an unresponsive attitude to sound teaching and a reluctance to practice what they knew to be right. There were some committed Christians, including converted Jewish Priests, who endured suffering for their faith. Others had been intellectually persuaded about Christianity but remained uncommitted in terms of their personal relationships with Christ, and some were not yet convinced of the truth of the Gospel. This letter of exhortation reminds the Jewish converts and others of God's provision of a perfect Priest and Sacrifice for sin, in JESUS CHRIST. ~~]

----"Make Room In Your Heart" / Casting Crowns -(feat/ Matt Maher) //<https://youtu.be/iUFSxt7qkNw>
----------

----LOOK AT JESUS ~~

~~~These words are found in the book of Psalms: “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand” (Psalm 37:23–24). Do the words of the psalmist surprise you? Where did we get this idea of a God who does not care, who is not near? We certainly didn’t get it from Jesus.

Jesus Christ is the perfect picture of God. Want to know how God feels about the sick? Look at Jesus. What angers God? Look at Jesus. Does God ever give up on people? Does he stand up for people? Find the answer in Jesus. Hebrews 1:3 says, “The Son is the radiance and only expression of the glory of our awesome God…and the exact representation and perfect imprint of His Father’s essence.”-

--'JESUS / The God Who knows Your Name'-(new book= February 2020)~ // Max Lucado~
~~~~~~~~~
[**Friend, our Lord and Savior Jesus said, "I and My Father are One" -[John 10:30]. Jesus is Son of Man and Son of God. They are inseparable. We don't try to figure this out. We accept this by faith. Jesus is G-D incarnate. He never sinned.

If you have not received Jesus as LORD, you will die in your sins. Jesus came to die so you can live. "Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin [Hebrews 9:22]. Jesus paid your and my sin-debt, by dying on the Cross.
"And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him" (Hebrews 9:27-28 / NASB].

Jesus is coming back to gather His Church, (people who have accepted His gift of salvation). Are you ready? Please get right with G-D. He could come at any time. // If you have not received Christ as your Savior, you can right now. "If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; For with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For Whoever will call on the Name of the LORD will be saved" --[Romans 10:9,10,13] ~

[Say this prayer or in your own words, "Lord, I am a sinner in need of salvation. Please accept my repentance and come into my heart. I will live for You. I believe You are the only way to Heaven when I die. Thank You, Lord Jesus."
(**If you have questions or want to talk to someone about what it means to follow Jesus Christ, visit www.SeekLife.net )

~~~GOD MY PERSONAL SAVIOR ~~

--'The Magnificat' / ~ 'Hymn of the Virgin Mary'

~~~“And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.”
---(Luke 1:47)--

~~~One of the most wonderful titles of the Lord Jesus Christ is that of Savior. This word (Greek soter, from which is derived our theological term “soteriology,” the study of salvation) occurs 24 times in the New Testament and is applied only to Christ, “for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

It occurs first of all on the lips of the virgin Mary in our text above, when she realized that she had been chosen to be the mother of the Savior. It is significant that this first use of soter recognizes that our Savior can be none other than God Himself—“God my Savior”—and also that this fact should cause our spirits to rejoice, as Mary’s did. He becomes our personal Savior when we believe on Him, as did Mary.

He is also “the Saviour of the world” (John 4:42; 1 John 4:14) and the “Saviour of all men” in the sense that His work on the cross is sufficient to save all who will receive Him.

There are eight other verses in the New Testament in which “Savior” is taken as synonymous with “God.” The final occurrence of “Savior” is one of these, and it is in one of the greatest doxologies of the Bible. “To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen” (Jude 1:25).

There are many today who see the man Jesus as a great teacher and example, but who reject His deity. There are many others who believe in a cosmic deity of some kind, but are unwilling to believe that He could become uniquely incarnate in a perfect man. How urgent it is that we believe and teach that our Creator must also become our Savior if we are ever to be saved. We must “trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe” (1 Timothy 4:10). Then we can rejoice with Mary in “God my Saviour.”
---ICR/HMM -- 'Exalted (Yahweh)' -(Chris Tomlin) //<https://youtu.be/4jzv1fo-l8E>
~~~~~~~~~~~

---THE GOD OF HEAVEN~~

"And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew, and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, which
hath made the sea and the dry land" --[Jonah 1:9] --

~~It was these words that the prophet Jonah identified himself to the merchants of Tarshish as he was fleeing on their ship from the presence of the Lord.

The title was first used by Abraham, speaking to his servant "And I will make thee swear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth" (Genesis 24:3)

[/b]
~~~ONLY JESUS // CASTING CROWNS~
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAtx1y58jS0>
~~~~~

---THE GOD OF HEAVEN ~~

~~“And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land.”
---(Jonah 1:9)--

~~~It was by these words that the prophet Jonah identified himself to the merchants of Tarshish as he was fleeing on their ship from the presence of the Lord. This special title, “the God of heaven,” seems generally to have been used by the Jews when they were talking to men of other religions, stressing that their God was no mere tribal deity but the true God who had created the very heavens.

The title was first used by Abraham, speaking to his servant: “And I will make thee swear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth” (Genesis 24:3). At this time, the nation of Israel existed only in the promise of this “God of heaven.”

It also appears frequently in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, first in the decree of Cyrus the Persian: “The LORD God of heaven…hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem” (Ezra 1:2). Even though the Persians followed lesser gods, Cyrus knew that the one God of heaven was the Creator. The name then reappears several times in the book of Daniel, who was living in the palace of the heathen king of Babylon. Its final Old Testament occurrence is Daniel 2:44: “The God of heaven [shall] set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed.”

In the New Testament it occurs only twice, both in Revelation. In one instance, John writes that the ungodly nations “blasphemed the God of heaven”; in the other, he says they “gave glory to the God of heaven” (Revelation 16:11; 11:13). In our own witnessing today, especially to those who don’t know or believe the Bible, it is also good to stress that our God is not just the God of Judeo-Christian tradition but the Creator of all things.
--ICR/HMM --"The Blessings" // By: We The Kingdom/ Kari (Jobe) Carnes, and Cody Carnes)<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvXIaXX73LI>
~~~~~~~

--WHAT JESUS TAUGHT ABOUT THE NECESSITY OF PERSONAL FAITH ~~
---PTV/ ROBERT JEFFRESS ~

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

~~~Jesus rejected the claim that everybody is going to heaven because of what His death accomplished. The inclusivist says Jesus Christ’s death applies to everyone regardless of what they believe. But Jesus repeatedly said personal faith is a requirement for heaven. In John 5:24, He said, “He who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life.” John 6:40 says, “This is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life.” In John 11:25-26, Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” Over and over again, Jesus said belief in Him is the link to eternal life.

--What does it mean to believe in Jesus? It does not mean to agree intellectually to a set of facts about Jesus, like you believe in Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, or John F. Kennedy. People say, “I believe Jesus is the Son of God. I believe He died for the sins of the world. I believe He rose again on the third day.” Guess what? You can believe all of those things and still split hell wide open when you die. Satan and his demons believe all those things, too. In fact, they believe it more than you do because they were there. So what does it mean to believe in Jesus for your salvation? It means you trust in Jesus alone. You depend on that and nothing else–not your works, not your baptism, not your church membership. You trust in Jesus alone.

That is what Jesus said in John 3. Jesus was explaining to Nicodemus, a respected Jewish leader, what it means to be born again. Jesus said, “It is by believing in Me.” He used this illustration in verses 14-15: “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.” In Numbers 21, the children of Israel were disobedient to God, so God disciplined them by sending fiery serpents. They begged for relief, and Moses went to God on their behalf. God told Moses to make a serpent out of bronze, put it on a pole, and lift that pole high. If people would look at that bronze serpent, in an instant they would be healed. This was an illustration of a far greater truth that one day the Son of God would come to heal us of our spiritual sickness. God offered Christ as the provision for our salvation, but in order to be saved we have to exercise faith.

You and I have a desperate need. God has abundant provision to meet that need. And our faith is the bridge that bridges the gap between God’s provision and our need. We have to exercise faith in order to live. Notice it’s not the quantity of your faith that matters; it is the object of your faith that matters. Only when we realize we cannot heal ourselves and look one time at the Savior will we live for all eternity. Then Jesus added in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
---"Only Jesus"// Casting Crowns // <https://youtu.be/TAtx1y58jS0>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

---BELIEVE ANYWAY ~~
--[By/ Scott Arledge and Brian Thomas, Ph.D.]
--ICR/BT

--Some within the creation community make the claim that they would believe God’s Word about the age of the universe even if all the evidence pointed otherwise. Trusting God, no matter what, is certainly a good thing. However, then they claim that He intentionally made the universe “look old.” Did God make an old universe but describe a young one in Genesis just to test our faith? --

A comparison is sometimes made between creation’s supposedly old features and Adam’s appearance of age, or the water that Jesus miraculously turned into wine. These creationists argue that these examples make it reasonable for God to have created the universe with the appearance of age as well. Should we expect that a creation spoken into existence would somehow look billions of years old? Young-looking features of our world dissolve arguments for its apparent old age.

If a person were given science tools but had no preconceived notions about the universe, would purely objective observations lead that person to believe in a billions-of-years-old earth and universe? By no means, since so many features look so young.

A close examination of the geologic column reveals sedimentation from a flood so recent that countless creatures it buried, including dinosaurs, have decomposing tissues that sometimes still stink. Mass spectrometers, chemical stains, and microscopes reveal original protein remnants in them. These results suggest burial only a few thousand years ago.

The objective, unbiased person would also understand a century’s worth of magnetometer results that show Earth’s magnetic field is fading fast. That looks young too.

Telescopes reveal comets in long orbits around the sun. These balls of ice follow orbits that every once in a while bring them close to the giant ball of fire. It would be like putting a snow cone half an inch from a space heater set on high. No wonder comets routinely fizzle in front of our eyes when they’re near the sun. They can’t last billions of years. Did God put them into the sky to make sure observers would know the creation isn’t very old?

We see many features that fade fast. Cliffsides crumble and mountains erode. The rate at which our DNA is mutating sets a limit on the human race as a whole.8 This mutation clock, if run backward from the present amount of DNA damage in our bodies' cells, indicates an age for mankind of only thousands of years.

Do features of this creation clearly show a universe that is billions of years old? Do Christians have to believe in recent creation despite mountains of contrary evidence? Quite the opposite. Instead, those who deny creation must believe in deep time despite both the world’s youthful features and the Word’s plain speech. --
~~~~~~~~~

---THE GREAT DIVIDER~~

--CHRIST HIMSELF IS NOW THE GREAT DIVIDER~~

---“Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division.”
--- (Luke 12:51) ~

--From the very beginning, God has been a great divider. On the first day of creation, “God divided the light from the darkness”; on the second day, He “divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament” (Genesis 1:4, 7). When God first created humans, they walked together in sweet fellowship, but then sin came in and made a great division between humans and God. Nevertheless, “when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son” (Romans 5:10).

The price has been paid for full reconciliation with our Creator, but “men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19), so Christ Himself is now the One who divides. “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).

Jesus Christ divides all history and all chronology. Things either happened “Before Christ” (BC) or “in the Year of our Lord” (AD). People are either under the Old Covenant or the New Covenant. Most of all, He divides humanity. “There was a division among the people because of him” (John 7:43; see also John 9:16; 10:19). These divisions because of Him can cut very deep. “The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother” (Luke 12:53).

Finally, when He comes to judge all nations, “he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:…And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal” (Matthew 25:32, 46). The division is life or death, light or darkness, heaven or hell, Christ or antichrist—and the choice is ours!

-"But now, O LORD, You are our Father, We are the clay, and You our potter;
And all of us are the work of Your hand. --[ISAIAH 64:8 NASB]
--ICR/HMM ~~ --"In The Hands Of The Potter"// Casting Crowns ~~<https://youtu.be/Zzkv84BTZnU>
~~~~~~~~~~~~

---KNOWING THE FATHER~~

--'Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even
after I have been among you such a long time?
Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father." -- --[John 14:9]

---According to legend, British conductor Sir Thomas Beecham once saw a distinguished-looking woman in a hotel foyer. Believing he knew her but unable to remember her name, he paused to talk with her. As the two chatted, he vaguely recollected that she had a brother. Hoping for a clue, he asked how her brother was doing and whether he was still working at the same job. "Oh, he's very well," she said, "And still king."

A case of mistaken identity can be embarrassing, as it was for Sir Beecham. But at other times it may be more serious, as it was for Jesus' disciple Philip. The disciple knew Jesus, of course, but he hadn't fully appreciated who He was. He wanted Jesus to "show" [them] the Father," and Jesus responded, "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father" [John 14:8-9]. As God's unique Son, Jesus reveals the Father so perfectly that to know one is to know the other (vv.10-11).

If we ever wonder what God is like in His character, personality, or concern for others, we only need to look to Jesus to find out. Jesus' character, kindness, love, and mercy reveal God's character. And although our amazing, awesome God is beyond our complete comprehension and understanding, we have a tremendous gift in what He's revealed of Himself in Jesus. -'Thank You, Lord G-D, that You are love.' [1 John 4:8] ~~

---LORD G-D, help me to see and know who You are. "I and the Father are One." ~~[JOHN 10:30]
--ODB/CC~
--"Child Of Love" (lyrics) // We The Kingdom // <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bf4lFtFZ_w&t=73s>
~~~~~~~

--OUR COMPASSIONATE GOD~~

--"You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes."
---[PSALM 138:7] -

~~~THE winter night was cold when someone threw a large stone through a Jewish child's bedroom window. A star of David had been displayed in the window, along with a menorah to celebrate Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights. In the child's town of Billings, Montana, thousands of people--many of them believers in Jesus--responded to the hateful act with compassion. Choosing to identify with the hurt and fear of their Jewish neighbors, they pasted pictures of menorahs in their own windows.

As believers in Jesus, we too receive great compassion. Our Savior humbled Himself to live among us (John 1:14), identifying with us. On our behalf, He "being in very nature God...made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant" (Philippians 2:6-7). Then, feeling as we feel and weeping as we weep, He died on a cross, sacrificing His life to save ours.

Nothing we struggle with is beyond our Savior's concern. If someone "throws rocks" at our lives, He comforts us. If life brings disappointments, He walks with us through despair. "Though the LORD is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly; though lofty, he sees them from afar" (Psalm 138:6). In our troubles, He preserves us, stretching out His hand against both "the anger of [our] foes" (v.7) and our own deepest fears. Thank You, God, for Your compassionate love. Blessed be the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ~~

--LORD G-D, I thank You for understanding my struggles and comforting me with loving care. Remind me always to share Your compassion with others. I praise You and bless You, my Rock and my Redeemer.~amen"

--ODB/PR~
--"I Am Not Alone" // Kari (Jobe) Carnes // <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbbCGqK6uNc>
~~~~~

--THE MISSION OF CHRIST / TO DO THE WILL OF THE FATHER ~~
---[Please Read/ John 6:35-40]

~~If Jesus’ ministry on earth could be summed up in one concise verse, it might be John 6:38: “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” Even at a young age, Jesus was conscious of His mission (Luke 2:49). And later when He began His public ministry, He depended fully on the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:1).

The Father’s ultimate purpose for His Son was this: Jesus was to live a perfect life of total obedience and then offer Himself as a sacrifice to atone for sin, resulting in reconciliation of fallen humanity to God. Even when overcome with despair, Jesus did not turn from His calling but prayed, “Yet not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42). He suffered the agony of the cross while bearing God’s wrath for sin. Then He died and after three days was raised to life, having fully accomplished all that His Father gave Him to do.

This is good news for us today because redemption is complete. It’s now the Father’s will “that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life” (John 6:40). Have you trusted in Christ yet?
--IN TOUCH~
--Jesus said, "I and the Father are One.. --[John 10:30]

--MINDFUL OF ETERNITY ~~

----"You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath."
--[PSALM 39:5]

---"This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him And saved him out of all his troubles.
--"The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them."
---[PSALM 34:6-7] --


~~When you believe that Jesus is the Son of God and accept the salvation that He offers, you receive a life beyond this one. When people die, they are not gone at all; they are just not with us. Are you preparing for that? One day your earth suit is going to malfunction. No matter how physically strong you are today, or the resources you have to obtain the very best healthcare, at one point your body will experience enough systems failure that it will shut down and you will step into eternity. Eternity is a long time, and the choices you make during your days under the sun will determine whether you spend it in a place of blessing or a place of torment. Beyond the façade and the display of your life, are you living with the end in mind?

THINK ABOUT IT
As Christ-followers, it’s imperative that we begin to make our everyday decisions with the eternal Kingdom of God in mind. We need to be willing to endure hardship and take the narrow path, knowing that the eternal rewards promised by Jesus will outshine any momentary pleasures this world has to offer.

PRAYER
--"Heavenly Father, thank You that your Kingdom will never end, and that you have made a way for me to be a part of it. Strengthen my resolve and let your Holy Spirit remind me to never choose the temporary over the eternal. In Jesus’ name. Amen."
Blessings,
Pastor Allen Jackson
~~~~~~~~

--I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE!

--"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named."
---[Ephesians 3:14-15/ ESV] --

--My wife, Carol, and I drove to Connecticut for her uncle's funeral. He had died a the age of ninety-three. The service was lovely-- clearly, he had been a pillar in the church. But the oddest thing was that sitting across the aisle from us was a fellow I knew from our neighborhood back in New York.

It was Jim and his wife, Jenny. Our kids had played together in Little League and I used to see him in the park when I did my morning runs. We would talk about everything as we jogged together. Our kids, our work, our families, what we were reading. He and Jenny had moved out of the neighborhood a couple of years ago and I hadn't seen him in a long while. Imagine my surprise to see them here at this funeral. How did they know the deceased?

At the passing of the peace I gave Jim a hug and explained that the man who had died, the man lying in the flag-draped coffin, was my wife's uncle. He looked quizzically at me and said, "He's my wife's uncle, too."

We didn't have time just then to figure out the connection. But when the service had ended, Jim and I were able to piece together exactly how our wives were related--by marriage--to the deceased.

Small world? It is indeed. I keep reflecting on the Bible passage that had been read at the service,... "I am the Resurrection and the Life, says the Lord. Whoever has faith in me shall have life, even though he dies."-- [John 11:25-26]. It struck me how we are all connected, in life and death. We are God's family. ~~
--Daily Guideposts/RH~
~~~~~~~~

--"IN THIS MANNER, THEREFORE, PRAY....

"---Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come. Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from evil, For Yours is
the Kingdom and the power and the glory
forever. ~~~Amen." [Matthew 6:9 thru 13]

~~Praying For Others, in Jesus Name~~

~~An old friend was diagnosed with terminal cancer. When I went to see her, I learned that somehow, though a professing Christian and lifelong churchgoer until the past decade, she'd forgotten or never understood or perhaps never accepted the most fundamental Christian teaching. As we talked, it became clear she considered herself such a bad person that God couldn't possibly want her with Him in heaven. When anyone around her mentioned salvation--or, really, anything about God--she got mad and changed the subject.

If I wanted to help her, I decided I couldn't evangelize. But I could pray. And I tried to pray. But how do you pray for someone whose situation seems hopeless?

I couldn't pray for healing. That clearly wasn't going to happen. She was getting sicker before our eyes as the cancer moved from organ to organ. I wanted to pray for peace, but I couldn't imagine any peace for her besides what she was rejecting.

My worst impediment to prayer was the conviction that I should be doing something, not "just praying," as I thought of it. . I should be convincing her, comforting her with the only message that could help me.

In the end, all I could muster was this weak, whisper of faith; that God still loved her and waited close by, eager to wrench her from the cave of misery she'd backed herself into to accept His embrace.

And that's what He did. In a final moment of consciousness, barely able to speak, much less resist those around her, my friend suddenly joined us in the Lord's Prayer.

Not reflexively or reluctantly but fervently. I could tell from her face she meant each word. She is now with the Lord in heaven. "To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord." ~~

--"Thank You, Father G-D, for staying with us and hearing, and answering our prayers. In Jesus Name. amen~"

--Daily Guideposts/PK~
~~~~~~~~

---THE HELPER ~~

--"Lord Jesus, thank You for Your Holy Spirit. Empower me to do Your will. Thank You, for living in me by the power of the Holy Spirit. In Christ's Name.~ amen~

--"I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever." --[JOHN 14:16]

--You need help. We all do. This isn't a sign of weakness--it's a spiritual reality. And it is why God has given the Holy Spirit to indwell us. In fact, telling us about His provision was Jesus' way of informing us of one of the most profound truths concerning the Christians life --it's impossible. The life Jesus expects from His followers is unattainable apart from His intervention.

That is good news for you today. God doesn't expect you to face what's before you on your own. He knows it's unfeasible in your strength, so He sends His Holy Spirit to do His work in you--empowering you, conforming you to the image of Christ, and guiding you in your daily life.

So what should you do? Be aware of His presence and activity--how He convicts you of sin, prompts you to act, and enables you to supernaturally with wisdom, energy, and talent you don't have withing yourself. When you know what to look for, you'll be amazed at how real the Holy Spirit will become to you. So accept the help that's been given you and rejoice that the One who accompanies you can handle anything. ~~

--"Lord Jesus, thank You for never leaving me nor forsaking me. I praise You for who you are. Your Holy Spirit will lead, guide and direct my steps. In Christ's Name.~ amen"
--IN TOUCH~

----GOING HOME / A Glorious Invitation ~~

---"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and welcome you."
---(John 14:3 / BSB)

--THE moment came at the end of a good day when my dad was in the best of spirits. I'd come a long way home to see Dad in his final days at my brother's home on my parents' farm. We'd spent days visiting and reminiscing. This had been Dad's strongest, most vibrant day since I'd been here.

Aaron, my brother came over late to where I was staying with Mom. He just had to share the news. Dad had seen Jesus. He'd told Aaron, "He was right here in this room! He is here all the time. He loves us so much." Dad could hardly describe the magnitude of His love for us. Dad's face was lit from within. Aaron said Dad looked like a little boy at Christmas, not a dying old man.

Later that night, Dad told Aaron about glimpses of heaven. The beauty was indescribable in human terms; no words approached the glory he saw. Dad spoke of how eager he was to see his parents, and especially his brother. Dad became excited about what was to come. His body too became ready to release his soul. The food of this earth no longer appealed to him. He hungered for something else. He shifted from home care to hospice care.

The less he spoke, the more I clung to that vision of hope. The energy in the room changed. Jesus Himself was here! Heaven is for real! I could feel it! And Dad was on the doorstep, his hand already on the knob. 'Even so, Come Lord Jesus, Come.' ~

--"Lord Jesus, You love your people so much that You sent Your Son so that we will have eternal life. Bless Your Wondrous Name forever! Hallelujah! amen"

--Guideposts/EB~
---"Protector" // Kim Waker-Smith~<https://youtu.be/EzKQm7pu1-U>
~~~~~~~~~

----"A JOYFUL CELEBRATION"

--"The wedding of the Lamb has come."
-- [Read/ Revelation 19:7 / --

[PLEASE READ REVELATION 19:1–9]

~~~My friend Sharon passed away one year prior to the death of my friend Dave’s teenage daughter Melissa. They both had been tragically killed in car accidents. One night both Sharon and Melissa were in my dream. They giggled and talked as they hung streamers in a large banquet hall and ignored me when I stepped into the room. A long table with white tablecloths had been set with golden plates and goblets. I asked if I could help decorate, but they didn’t seem to hear me and kept working.

But then Sharon said, “This party is Melissa’s wedding reception.”

“Who’s the groom?” I asked.

Neither responded but smiled and looked at each other knowingly. Finally, it dawned on me—it’s JESUS!

“Jesus is the Groom,” I whispered as I woke up.

My dream brings to mind the joyful celebration believers in Jesus will share together when He returns. It’s portrayed in Revelation as a lavish feast called “the wedding supper of the Lamb” (19:9). John the Baptist, who prepared people for the first coming of Christ, had called Him “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). He also referred to Jesus as “the bridegroom” and to himself as the “friend” (like the best man) who waited for Him (3:29).

On that banquet day and for all eternity we will enjoy unbroken fellowship with Jesus, our groom, and with Sharon and Melissa and all of God’s people.

"I look forward to that day of celebration and eternal life with You, Jesus. Come quickly, my Creator, Redeemer, and King above all kings. Hallelujah!~amen"
--ODB/AC~
~~~~~~~~~~

--"Jesus is the Only Way to Father God"~

"For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus."
---[1 Timothy 2:5 / NIV] --

~~From Genesis to Revelation, the objective of the Bible is to give us a revelation of our need to have a relationship with Almighty God and to point us to His Son, Jesus, as the only way that is possible. In spite of what the world would have you believe, there is no Plan B or alternative pathway. Jesus is the only way to salvation. He is Lord of anyone who will choose Him and follow Him. That is a deeply personal choice and relationship, and our stories begin and end with Him. He also is head of the Church, and building up the Body of Christ is His priority. Jesus-followers are on assignment on His behalf during our limited days under the sun. His agenda should be our agenda, and His plan should be our plan. Our primary objective should be to yield ourselves to Him more fully, day by day. Our story is Jesus. Anything else we have to say is secondary to that. His priorities are our priorities. Any other goals and dreams are secondary to those.

THINK ABOUT IT
If anything in your life takes precedence over Jesus and His assignment, realigning your priorities will result in far greater gain—in time and eternity. Start each day by asking the Lord, “How may I, first and foremost, serve You?”

PRAYER
--"Heavenly Father, forgive me for when I have given anything or anyone first place over You. You are my Creator, Sustainer, Savior, and only true hope. I choose to guard my heart and give You the highest place in every area of my life. In Jesus’ name, amen."
Blessings,
Pastor Allen Jackson

--The Mystery of Resurrection ~~

--The Good News About Death ~
-[Please read/ 1 Corinthians 15:50-58] --

--The Bible teaches that death is only the beginning for believers. God has prepared an eternal home for us, and the condition for entry is clear: Believe that Jesus died for your sins, and receive His forgiveness. Some people consider this narrow-minded and unfair. But God set up that condition for a reason. God sets the standard.

Way back in the garden of Eden, the Lord established a rule to protect His creation: Do not disobey Me. Sin was such a serious matter in His eyes that He determined it deserved the death penalty. Yet ever since Adam and Eve's transgression, we've been bound to slip us because we're flawed human beings. And God knew that. So, to save us from the consequences of sin, He sent His Son to die in our place. Jesus fulfilled the law while taking our punishment. And three days later He rose again.

God promised in His Word that those who receive Jesus as Savior share in His resurrection. When a believer dies, the heavenly gates open, and he or she has the same triumph over death that Jesus did. In other words, when we leave this world, we do not simply disappear. We continue to worship the Lord in heaven. We will see our Savior face-to-face. 'Come Lord Jesus.'

--"Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." --[ACTS 16:31]
--IN TOUCH~

--GOD SPEAKS TODAY!

-"How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!" --[PSALM 119:103]

--SWEETER THAN HONEY~~

--On Chicago Day in October 1893, the city's theaters shut down because the owners figured everyone would be attending the World's Faith. Over seven hundred thousand people went, but Dwight Moody (1837-1899) wanted to fill a music hall at the other end of Chicago with preaching and teaching. His friend R. A. Torrey (18356-1928) was skeptical that Moody could draw a crowd on the same day as the fair. But by God's grace, he did. As Torrey later concluded, the crowds came because Moody knew "the one Book that this old world most longs to know--the Bible." Torrey longed for others to love the Bible as Moody did, reading it regularly with dedication and passion.

God through His Spirit brought people back to HImself at the end of the nineteenth century in Chicato, and He continues to speak today. We can echo the psalmist's love for God and His Scriptures as he exclaims, "How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" (text) For the psalmist, God's messages of grace and truth acted as a light for his path, a lamp for his feet (v. 105).

How can you grow more in love with the Savior and His message? As we immerse ourselves in Scripture, God will increase our devotion to Him and guide us, shining His light along the paths we walk. ~~

-"Gracious God, You've given me the gift of Scripture. Help me, Lord to read it and digest it, that I might serve You faithfully. In Jesus Name. amen:" ~~

--ODB/ABP

---DO YOU KNOW THIS ABOUT GOD?
--[LWF/ Adrian Rogers]

PRAY OVER THIS

----“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life.”
(1 John 1:1) --

PONDER THIS
---A word is the expression of an invisible thought or an idea. Jesus is the visible expression of the invisible God. Jesus articulates God. He is God’s first Word. He was there in the beginning, “In the beginning was the Word” (John 1:1). He is God’s full Word. He says in the Book of Revelation that He’s “the Alpha and the Omega” (Revelation 22:13). Do you know what that means? The first and last letters of the Greek alphabet are alpha and omega. If He were speaking to us today, He’d say He was the ‘A’ and the ‘Z.’ Libraries have hundreds and hundreds of books on their shelves. But all of them are made up of just 26 letters. Every thought in every library is only 26 letters. What Jesus is saying is, “I’m God’s alphabet. Anything that God’s going to say, He’s going to say through Me and by Me.”

Why is it important that we remember Jesus has existed as part of the Triune God for eternity?
How does this give you comfort in the promises of Jesus for His people?
PRACTICE THIS

--Take time today to write out the entire English alphabet as an exercise to remember that Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

--UTMOST IMPORT / JESUS IS CREATOR GOD ~~

---MORE THAN A SAVIOR ~~
--[PLEASE READ] Hebrews 1:1-4 --

~~~Who is this Jesus? It’s a question that has been asked by countless individuals for more than two millennia. And, to be sure, it is the most important question that can ever be asked and answered. After all, it’s how we begin our journey toward salvation.

---So it’s essential to answer that question by saying Jesus is indeed our Savior. But He is also more—Scripture refers to Him as “the image of the invisible God” (Col. 1:15). No one has ever looked upon the face of the Almighty. In the Old Testament, some people found themselves in His presence, but they were never able to look fully upon His glory. However, when the Son came down from heaven, veiled in human flesh, He bridged the gap between the Father’s perfect holiness and mankind’s sinful condition. That’s why Jesus could say, “The one who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).

The way we come to know the Father is by knowing the Son, who is the only full expression and explanation of God. Everyone who through faith trusts Jesus as Savior receives forgiveness of sins and Christ’s imputed righteousness. What’s more, believers are given divine insight into God the Father as well. ~~
--IN TOUCH ~

--Friend, Please ask the Lord to reveal His true identity to you. Jesus is Creator God. He is GOD-MAN ~~ He never ceased being G-D when He was born in the manger . We must ask, believing and we shall receive. We don't have to understand it. We take His Word by faith.

--I AM WHO I AM ~~

--WHEN MOSES encountered God in a burning bush, he asked, "If I go to the Israelites and say to them: the God of your fathers has sent me to you, and they ask me 'What is His name?' What should I tell them?"
---Exodus 3:13] --

--"God replied to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM", This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you'" (Exodus 3:13-14).

By this God was declaring I am the eternal One. I will be what I will be." In essence this declaration held promise: "Whatever you need me to be in your life, that is what I will be. I am everything you will need." During the next forty years, Moses came to experience God as Yahweh, the Great I AM. God was everything Moses and Israel need Him to be. ~~

The names of God in Scripture reveal something of His nature, activity or character. You come to know God by experience -- at His initiative-- as He allows you to learn something new about Him. As you grow in your knowledge of Him you will naturally want to express your praise, gratitude, and worship to Him . One of the ways to worship Him is to praise and honor Him by acknowledging His names.
Come to Jesus, YHWH and be saved forever, into eternity. ~~
Once you turn your life over to Jesus, YOU ARE SAVED. YOUR NAME WILL BE WRITTEN in the Lambs BOOK OF LIFE!

--Experiencing God//Henry & Richard Blackaby //

---New Name Written Down in Glory // Charity Gayle///<https://youtu.be/P7GP7aUg3Nk>

--HEEDING THE WARNINGS ~~

---"Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is heaven.
"But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.."
---[Matthew 10:32,33]

---When a pickpocket tried to pilfer my property while I was on vacation in another country, it wasn't a surprise. I'd read warnings about the danger of subway thieves, so I knew what to do to protect my wallet. But I never expected it to happen.

Fortunately, the young man also grabbed my wallet had slippery fingers, so it fell to the floor where I could retrieve it. But the incident reminded me that I should have heeded the warnings.

We don't like to dwell on warnings because we think they'll get in the way of enjoying life, but it's imperative to pay attention to them. For instance, Jesus gave us a clear warning while sending out His disciples to proclaim God's coming kingdom ((Matthew 10:7). He said, "Whoever acknowledges Me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven" (vv.32-33).

We have a choice. In love, God provided a Savior and a plan for us to be in His presence for eternity. But if we turn away from God and choose to reject His message of salvation and the real life He offers for both now and forever, we lose out on the opportunity to be with Him.

May we trust in Jesus, the One who chose to save us from being eternally separated from the One who loves and made us.

--"Heavenly Father, thank You for providing salvation through Jesus. And thank You for sending warnings to remind me of the importance of putting my faith in Him. Help me to stay strong in You. amen"
---ODB/DB~
----"STAY STRONG" / (lyric video / Danny Gokey)<https://youtu.be/jnnHkkqDG2k>
~~~~~~~~~~~~

----OUR ROCK ~~THE CREATOR ~~

---“Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee.”
------ --- (Deuteronomy 32:18)

--Just before his death, Moses predicted the coming apostasy of Israel in a prophetic “history” of Israel. Not only did his prophecy come true for the nation of Israel, but the same could be said for much of Western Christianity today.

Moses recounted the fact that Israel had been blessed greatly of the Lord, but instead of drawing closer to Him, they grew “fat, and...Forsook God which made [them], and lightly esteemed the Rock of [their] salvation” (Deuteronomy 32:15). The use of the term “rock” refers to the rock that Moses struck, yielding water to sustain them in the parched desert region. The rock followed the people on their journeys and provided an ever-present reminder of God’s marvelous provision. (If one should further doubt as to the identity of the Rock, “that Rock was Christ,” 1 Corinthians 10:4.) They totally forgot, however, the God of their creation and salvation, and sacrificed to demons, old gods, and to any new gods around (Deuteronomy 32:17).

God has given us life, and without His daily sustenance all life would cease. How foolish it is to attempt to live life without the One “that begat” us—who gave us life and even now maintains it. All too often the Creator God is excluded from our churches, our government, and our schools. Even many Christians live their lives as practical atheists, making decisions and living their lives just as if no God exists. Let us recommit ourselves to giving the rightful place in our lives and in our sphere of influence to “the Rock that begat” us.

“I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, his work is perfect; for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he” (Deuteronomy 32:3-4).
--ICR/ JDM
--"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God,...not of works lest anyone should boast. "--[Ephesians 2:8,9]
"That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him [Jesus ] form the dead, you will be saved." --[Romans 10:9[

--"We All Need Jesus" // Danny Gokey //<https://youtu.be/uNVXBUi02aE>

--HELP FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT ~~

--The Holy Spirit is Truth~~
--"For there are three that testify; the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the Three are in one agreement. (the Father, the Word (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit "

---God can't compromise His standards, but because He deeply desire us to be like He is, He's given us the Holy Spirit to help us meet those standards.

In Jeremiah 23:11-14, God urged unfaithful Israel to acknowledge their guilt and return to Him. But knowing how stubborn and weak they were, He would help them. [Please read Jeremiah 3:11-15, 22] He promised to cure their backsliding ways (v.22), and He sent shepherds to teach and guide them (v.15).

--How comforting it is to know that no matter how big the sin we're trapped in or how far we've turned from God, He's ready to heal us of our faithlessness! All we need to do is to acknowledge our wrong ways and allow His Holy Spirit to begin changing our hearts. ~~

-"Loving God, thank You for Your merciful love that enables me ( endeavor to) holy like You are. Help me to remember to repent when tempted and sinning. [For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus." (Romans 3:23)

---ODB/LK~
"Holy Spirit Rain Down" //https://youtu.be/d-SI_HRWooA>
~~~~~

--"Without the Shedding of Blood there is No Forgiveness of Sin."


--Jesus didn't promise tribulation and end His sentence there. He continued with "but" and promised something that infuses hope into the headlines:: "I have overcome the world." Whatever tribulation we face, Jesus is bigger. Whatever pain we suffer, Jesus heals (this side of heave, or when we go to Heaven to live eternally with Him). Whatever battle we we fight, Jesus wins! We are on the winning side. Hallelujah!

The enemy wants us to wring our hands and run for cover, but he can's scam us. We belong to Jesus, and we know how the story ends. We are people of hope because we belong to the King above all kings. KING JESUS! Let's reflect that hope to those around us who don't yet know Him.
When Jesus died on the cross, He paid our sin debt in full.

--Guideposts/GF ~`
---"Thank You, Jesus For the Blood/" Charity Gayle // <https://youtu.be/dhU-Omwg2rU>
~~~~~~~

--CHRISTMAS CHILD ~~

---"He made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness."
--[Philippians 2:7] --

--IMAGINE the One who made cedars spring from seeds starting life over as an embryo; the One who made the stars submitting Himself to a womb, the One who fills the heavens becoming what would be in our day a mere dot on an ultrasound. Jesus, in very nature God, making Himself nothing (Philippians 2:6-7] What an astonishing thought!

Imagine the scene as He's born in a plain peasant village, among shepherds and angels and bright lights in the sky, with the bleating of animals His first lullabies. Watch as He grows in favor and stature; as a youngster, at the Jordan, getting His Father's approval from heaven; and in the wilderness, as He wrestles in hunger and prayer.

Watch next as He launches His world-changing mission--healing the sick, touching leapers, forgiving the impure. Watch as He kneels in a garden in anguish and as they arrest Him while His closest friends flee. Watch as He is spat on and nailed to two wooden posts, the world's sins on His shoulders. But, watch, yes watch, as the stone rolls away, an empty tomb ringing hollow, because He is alive!

Watch as He is lifted to the highest place (v.9). Watch as His name fills heaven and earth (vv. 10-11).

This Maker of the stars who became a dot on an ultrasound. This, our Christmas Child. ~~
--"Lord Jesus, thank You for making Yourself nothing so I could be forgiven.
---ODB/SV~

---GOD'S OMNISCIENCE ~~
--[Read/ Isaiah 11 / Proverbs 2: 1-11]

--"For the LORD gives wisdom; out of his mouth comes knowledge and understanding."--(Proverbs 2:6)

---The word omniscient means having complete unlimited knowledge, awareness, or understanding. God is not only unlimited in power, but is also unlimited in His knowledge and understanding of things. He knows the very thoughts and intents of our hearts. He knows the number of hairs on our heads. He knows the stars in the heavens. This is far beyond our comprehension.

Jesus is God. His omniscience was manifested when He was here on earth. He knew the thoughts of the scribes and Pharisees as well as other people. He knew He was going to be crucified. He knew the future as well as the past.

Before He made the world with all the people, He knew they would sin and would need a redeemer. He knows everything about every person on earth. No one can keep anything secret from Him. Not only does He know everything about us, but He knows just what our needs are. There is no human being on earth who knows us like God knows us and who can care for us like He can. We can safely trust Him to supply every need. He has promised to be our guide even to death, and He is the only One who can help us at that time. What a privilege we have to cast all our cares on Him, knowing He cares for us! He died to give us eternal life.
Have you invited Jesus into your life? He does not force himself on anyone. He loves you unconditionally. Repent and ask Him to be Lord of your life. He never turns away a sincere seeker.
Take your burdens to the Lord and leave them there.
---BSW/BG

---TO BE LIKE JESUS // Disciples and the World ~~

---Salt of the Earth = // To Be Followers of Jesus ~~

In this fallen world, believers are to be a preserving, flavoring, healing salt for those who live in darkness.

---[Please Read / Matthew 5:13-16 // ]

---When Jesus spoke to His followers, He called them “the salt of the earth” (Matt. 5:13). In those days, salt was the only way to preserve food. As Christians, we too have a preserving effect on the earth because we have the only message that can deliver people from the corruption of sin and give them eternal life.

This means we are to be a spiritual influence in the lives of people around us. Just as salt enhances the flavor of food, so a Christlike character and godly lifestyle can be an example that draws others to the Savior. They’ll notice our joy and contentment and may desire to have those qualities, which are available only through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Salt also has unique healing properties, as does the gospel. If we take a moment to listen to people’s hurts, we’ll have an opportunity to offer the truth that brings spiritual healing to those trapped in the darkness and despair of sin.

But remember that Jesus also warned us not to lose our saltiness. If we tolerate sin in our life, we’ll be just like the world. To be a positive influence for Christ, we must guard against falling prey to temptation.
--"Lord Jesus, help me to be a light shining for You in this dark world of sin. Convict, convert, and change me where I am out of your will. ~amen"
--IN TOUCH ~~

----Because Of Bethlehem ~~

---Ever wonder what Advent is and why many Christians observe it?

---Every year Advent invites us to prepare our hearts once more for the gift—the gift that seemingly is too good to be true but is, in fact, miraculously and joyously true! And each year, we have the opportunity to say yes to that invitation, to prepare our hearts for the miracle of Immanuel, “God with us.”

The word advent comes from the Latin word adventus and simply means “coming” or “arrival.” Advent begins each year on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, which is the Sunday closest to November 30.

It is a season in which Christians around the world celebrate the First Advent, Jesus’ birth, and also anticipate the Second Advent, Christ’s return. Although the themes of Advent sometimes vary, those most commonly observed during the four weeks of Advent are hope, peace, joy, and love.
--Immanuel / God With Us ~~
--'Because of Bethlehem' / ML ~

-----LION, LAMB, SAVIOR !

--"The Lion of the tribe of Judah the Root of David has triumphed.""
---[Revelation 5:5]

--TWO stately stone lions watch over the entrance to the New York Public Library. Hewn from marble, they've stood there proudly since the library's dedication in 1911. They were first nicknamed Leo Lenox and Leo Astor. to honor the library's founders. Bur during the Great Depression, New York's Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia renamed them Fortitude and Patience, virtues he thought New Yorkers should demonstrate in those challenging years. . The lions are still called Fortitude and Patience today.

The Bible describes a living, powerless Lion who also gives encouragement in trouble and is known by other names. In his vision of heaven, the apostle John wept when he saw that no one was able to open the sealed scroll containing God's plan of judgment and redemption. Then John was told, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah ..has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll. and its seven seals" (Revelation 5:5).

Yet in the very next verse, John describes something else entirely: "Then I saw a Lamb looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne" (v. 6). The Lion and the Lamb are the same person: Jesus. He's the conquering King and "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29). Through His strength and His cross, we receive mercy and forgiveness so that we may live in joy and wonder at all He is forever! ~~

--"Beautiful Savior, I could praise You for all eternity and never come to the end of all that You are Thank You for giving Yourself for me, so that I may live in Your love forever! 'Come, Lore Jesus, Come!'

--ODB/ JB

---Trust in the One Who Is Just, JESUS ~~

--"I want to know Christ and the power that raised him from the dead. I want to share in his sufferings and become like him in his death. Then I have hope that I myself will be raised form the dead."
---[[Philippians 3:10-11 / NCV] -

--THIS IS a bold claim from the apostle Paul. I wonder if I share his urgent devotion to knowing Jesus on such an intimate level. No, really, I don't wonder. I'm pretty sure I don't. I don't like to suffer. At all. And yet suffering is not optional for us here on earth, is it? We can be bitter about that or we can be like Paul and see what we have to gain from the experience. In short, I think what we have to gain is redemption. experience. In short, I think what we have to gain is redemption.

What does it mean to know Jesus--to share in HIs sufferings and become like Him in His death? None of us are likely to be physically crucified. But every time we suffer, through great loss or the myriad of tiny deaths we die every day, we get a taste of how Jesus suffered on the Cross.. And because He rose again, we have hope that our death--our thousand deaths--will also be redeemed.

I have a friend who always says, "Another thing to die to," when something happens to disappoint him. We laugh about, it, but in a way I think he sees it as an opportunity. Like so many other things in the kingdom of God, it's such an otherworldly way of looking at death and disappointment. An opportunity? The theology lines up with Paul. If we want know Jesus, we must recognize experiences for what they are--a chance to know Him better. To learn to hope in the resurrection The whole process of suffering makes us more like Jesus. So it makes it worth it. ~~

---"Lord, Jesus, give me eyes to see my suffering as a gateway to redemption. Let me not become bitter but entrust myself to the One Who is just. Please use this opportunity to make me more like you, Lord. ~

Guideposts/GFF~' .

-----WHE DID GOD ALLOW SIN?

----We may not like having fleshly traits, but without the presence of sin, we wouldn’t experience God’s grace and goodness.

---[Please Read/ Romans 5:17-21] --

----Have you ever wondered why God allowed Adam and Eve to sin? Since He’s all-powerful and all-knowing, He certainly was not surprised by their rebellion and could have stopped them from dragging the entire human race into sin and suffering. So why didn’t He?

Although we can’t fathom the inscrutable mind of God, Romans 5:20 of today’s passage gives us some insight: “Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.” The presence of sin in the world is an opportunity for God to display who He really is—a being of endless and unconditional grace. In other words, sin and rebellion allow us to experience His graciousness towards us.

Angels stand in awe of the gospel—that’s because, as beings who never fail to do God’s bidding, they haven’t experienced His forgiveness or the undeserved favor we often take for granted (1 Pet. 1:12). Everything the Creator has done in His universe has been for the purpose of revealing His incomparable glory, majesty, and grace. And the crowning display is seen in His extension of love to sinful people like us. Of all His creatures, only fallen human beings can experience His amazing grace and the gift of salvation.

[--God Gives Each Person 'CHOICE' / He does not want robots. God's grace is our gift from Him. ~~]

----A Perfect Sentence ~~

--'Who among the gods is like you, LORD! Majestic in holiness; awesome in glory, working wonders? '
---"Exodus 15:11] --

--Since I was a young girl, I have sought to compare the perfect sentence.
I realize now that my pursuit of the perfect sentence will never be satisfied, but I have found a statement of perfection. When God called Moses, He told the Lord he was anxious about this responsibility. so he asked what to say if the Israelites doubted him.

The LORD replied, " I AM, WHO I AM" (Exodus 3:14). By using His unique name, He offered Moses a glimpse of of the nature of his eternal existence. You might say it is a statement of perfection!

Biblical scholar George Bush (1796-1859) wrote the following about God's description of himself: "He is in distinction from all others in the only true God, the God who really is . The eternal, self-existent , and immutable Being; the only being who can can who can say that He always will be what He always has been."

God says, "I AM Who I AM." He said His name was perfect. In reverence we bow before Him. ~
--ODB/AC~

---Prince Of Peace ~~

--" Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, A virgin shall conceive, and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel."
---[Isaiah 7:14 / KJV]

--The star of Wonder that first Christmas night cradled the Christ child in heavenly light.

May the radiant spirit of Christmas light your you way to a season of joy and a New Year bring with hope. .


--GLORY TO THE NEWBORN KING ~~
,

---GOD'S SHINING FACE ~~

---“The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee.” (Numbers 6:25)

---This request is part of the well-known Mosaic benediction for the children of Israel (Numbers 6:24-27). The first occurrence in verb form of the word “shine” is in this verse, although in the noun form, translated as “light,” it appears in the third verse of the Bible when God said, “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3).

True light comes only from God, since “God is light” (1 John 1:5). As the world depends on the sunshine for its physical life, so we continually must receive the Son’s shining in our hearts to sustain our spiritual life.

It is noteworthy that the prayer of our text occurs seven other times in the Scriptures. These are as follows:

“Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: save me for thy mercies’ sake” (Psalm 31:16); “God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah” (Psalm 67:1); “Turn us again, O LORD God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved” (Psalm 80:19; also vv. 3, 7); “Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; and teach me thy statutes” (Psalm 119:135); “O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord’s sake” (Daniel 9:17).

Since God, in His omnipotence, dwells “in the light which no man can approach unto” (1 Timothy 6:16), He shines on us for salvation, spiritual illumination, and daily guidance only through His Son, the Word made flesh, for “in him was life; and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4). “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6).
--[JESUS IS GOD. To understand this better do a study on the deity of Christ, omnipotence of God, God incarnate. Ask Him to reveal himself to you. "You are loved with an everlasting love and underneath are his everlasting arms. "I am the LORD, I change not." --[Malachai 3:6 ] "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." --Hebrews 13:8]

---ICR/HMM

--JESUS IS OUR PERFECT MEDIATOR ~~
BY RANDY J. GULIUZZA, P.E., M.D. *

--JESUS IS GOD WITH US ~

---We’ll never get bored throughout eternity. There is always something wonderfully new to learn about our precious Lord Jesus, the uplifting Holy Spirit, and our good heavenly Father. Even now, as we read passages of Scripture that we’ve repeatedly studied, we still find new nuggets for living. At this time of year, we are prompted to turn our focus to the Lord Jesus…and what we learn about Him is always astounding.

While attending Moody Bible Institute, fellow students and I would have lengthy discussions on a new subject or intriguing Bible passages. For instance, in Matthew 1:22-23 we are given the first New Testament confirmation of the incarnation of the Lord Jesus: “So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us.’” Here’s an interesting question: What was accomplished when the Creator of the universe became a real human? No theologian can fully comprehend this extensive truth. But we can always fill in our understanding with additional biblical awareness.

One passage conveying important insights about the incarnation of Lord Jesus is 1 Timothy 2:5-6, which says, “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” Thus, the incarnation provides a perfect intermediary between God the Father and humanity. This means that Jesus can facilitate a totally new relationship with humanity that is better than it’s been since Adam’s sin—perhaps even better than Adam’s pre-Fall relationship. We were in desperate need of a mediator, and the Lord Jesus came to the rescue.

----WHY MEDIATORS ARE IMPORTANT
---A publication from ICR might be the only place where a reader would get a Christ-honoring discussion of His role as a mediator from a scientific perspective—which has some interesting theological parallels. For instance, a common problem facing all types of engineers is this: How do you get two independent entities to work together? Whether the entities are radically different or quite similar, they both have distinct boundaries and unique characteristics. Simply trying to force them together doesn’t work. The solution is to design a mediating device (or perhaps a system) that is known as an interface. The necessity of an interface to enable distinct entities to work together is a basic principle of engineering.

Interface design can be extremely complex. For one thing, the designers have to know vital details about how each independent entity operates. They will then select a feasible common medium where a certain trait of each entity can relate to the medium in some way (e.g., physically, electronically, chemically, etc.). The engineers then develop rules called protocols that govern the relationship, such as the exchange of information or products. One example is when your computer connects to a company’s computer by an engineered interface that uses electricity as the common medium.

When we look at creatures, we see all different kinds relating to each other in innumerable ways. If biologists did research like engineers, they would find that interfaces are ubiquitous. Many evolutionary biologists are ignorant of even basic engineering principles. So, their investigations rarely look for the protocols, authentication systems (a specialized type of protocol), or common medium that must exist. Instead, their peer-reviewed papers unfailingly invoke a crude, imagination-based explanation for how two creatures can work together so closely. They simply assert that they “co-evolved.” This really shortchanges scientific research.

What the reality of biological interfaces does exceedingly well is showcase the astounding breadth of knowledge of the Lord Jesus about His creatures. One evidence for His omniscience is that He created a myriad of essential interfaces—altogether—right from the beginning.

Even more astounding is that the infinitely wise first Inventor of interfaces became an interface. Christ Himself—as the God-man—is the common medium that both we and our heavenly Father can relate to. Let’s consider three ways in which “the Man Christ Jesus” is the perfect “Mediator between God and men.”

Representing Our Heavenly Father to Us
The truth that Jesus is “God with us” is incredibly rich. Other remarkable passages attest to our personal knowledge of God’s nature through Christ. Paul said of Christ, “who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery [an unlawful taking of something] to be equal with God” but emptied Himself and came “in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:6-7). Of the Lord Jesus, John said, “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him,” adding that “we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14, 18).

Many people wonder what God is like. Christians could invest hours reading good commentaries about knowing God. Yet, if you want to see, hear, and experience what God is truly like, then consider Jesus as God with “us.” That is, experience Him as those who saw Him in action. Thus, if you want to know what God is like, then embrace the forthright claim of the Lord Jesus that “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).

So, if you want to know how God feels about masses of people—lost without a shepherd, anxious over sick loved ones, or deeply ashamed of sinful behaviors—then look to the actions of Christ. If you want to know what God thinks of religious hypocrisy, hardened hearts fixated on worldly fulfillment, or just plain cool indifference toward Him, then look to the words of the Lord Jesus. Do you want to know if God cares for children, widows, poor old people, rich young rulers, foreigners, adulterers, tax collectors, centurions, people struggling with doubt, the death of those whom He loves (e.g., Lazarus, Stephen), and even yourself? Then look to the heart of Jesus!

The Lord Jesus is the perfect representation of our heavenly Father to us. He let all know, “I and my Father are one” (John 10:30), and no one can honor the Father unless they honor the Son (John 5:23). Studying Christ is very personal and so practical. He’s the gateway to know God.

[b]Representing the Truth

We live surrounded by the world’s lies. News organizations, educational institutions, the entertainment industry, the government, and even religious leaders shamelessly promote lies. The rate at which the number and severity of lies is compounding could leave us wondering if we will ever again fully trust what we’re being told.

In utter contrast to the world, the Lord Jesus is “the Faithful and True Witness” (Revelation 3:14). Jesus represents truth perfectly. Anyone listening to Him speak heard the words of the Father (John 14:10). The Bible compares lies with darkness and truth with light. John said that Jesus “was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world" (John 1:9).

The Lord Jesus is always the antidote to a world full of lies. Recall that Pilate seems to have immersed himself in deceiving and being deceived. He had become so cynical from pervasive lying that he retorts, “What is truth?” when the Lord said, “I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth” (John 18:37-38). Just imagine how liberating that would have been to hear trustworthy words from He who is Truth standing before you? Concerning the gospel, lost people are depicted as those “whose minds the god of this age has blinded,” but the Father shines “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:3-6).

Knowing Jesus is to know a truth that will set you free (John 8:32). None other than Jesus could declare, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (John 8:12). The Lord Jesus is the only true way to finding life with the Father.

Representing Us to Our Heavenly Father

The truth of Christ’s humanity is equally as important as His deity. This fact has important theological implications. Yet, that Jesus left the glory that He shared with the Father (John 17:5) is quite personal for us as well. We are told that “we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). We can be assured that the Father knows what we are feeling because He is one with the Son and the Son is one of us.

Years ago, I was assigned to a Naval Air Station in Sicily. My family went north to visit the ruins of Pompeii, Italy. While there we noticed an idol niche in a wall in every room of every home. We witnessed a city wholly given over to idolatry—the destiny that follows rejection of the true Creator God. In addition, it’s hard to envision the bleak uncertainty that inhabitants must have felt praying to lifeless figurines. People today still revere idols—including the equally idolatrous worldview of Darwinian selectionism that venerates nature itself as a creative agent.

Christians, however, beseech their omnipotent Savior. We are greatly blessed that we can “come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16) fully confident that the God-man Jesus Christ truly hears prayers and is touched with our feelings.

Not only does Christ hear our prayers, He “is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us” (Romans 8:34). We are certain that His prayers prevail. Since “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” and “has an unchangeable priesthood,” therefore “He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 13:8, 7:24-25). How precious is that? Knowing Him is a blessing beyond comparison in both this life and the one that is to come.

Have a joyous Christmas reassured that the Man Christ Jesus is the perfect Mediator between God and men.