TEACHING FROM THE GOSPEL OF JOHN #1,

Teachings from the Gospel of John

I have determined to read through the book of the Gospel of John in the next 24 hours or so. I would like to share with you some of the wonderful truths that are found therein. The Word was in the beginning, the Word was God, and the Word was with God (Two eternal beings were in the beginning as the Godhead). This One God being was the Word, and it was He that did the creating, and nothing that is made, was made without Him. And in Him was LIFE. This Word was made flesh (He was the Immanuel to come as Isaiah told - God with us), and He came to His own (created people in His likeness, as well as coming from the tribe of Judah). The Old Testament law was given through Moses but grace and truth (in its fullness) came through Jesus Christ, the Word (John 1:1-17). No man has EVER seen God the Father! It was the Son of God that has declared Him in all His splendor of perfection and grace and love. John, the baptist that is, was sent to bear witness to that Word of light and truth. He was chosen to prepare a people for the coming of God in the flesh. "The next day John seeing Jesus coming unto him, says, "Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sins of the world" (John 1:29). Yes, our sins can be taken away, blotted out by the blood of Christ. A master in Israel called Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, came to Him by night. Jesus taught him about His purpose: "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up. That whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life" (verses 14-16). Yes, LIFE you can have. It is there for the taking, but the taking means as Jesus went on to teach: "And this is the condemnation, that LIGHT is come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that practices evil hates the light, neither comes to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that practices truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are performed in God" (verses 19-21). Do YOU, enjoy LIGHT? Do you WANT it more than darkness? Do you love to find TRUTH? Do you want to be corrected, to grow in grace and knowledge? Do you hunger and thirst after righteousness? And what is righteousness? It is interpreted for you in Psalm 119:172! Maybe during this Passover/Unleavened Bread feast you could read through the letters of the apostle John. They contain clear as a cloudless day in the sun, what the LOVE of God IS! Jesus must needs go through Samaria, and He meets the woman at the well. He tells her about the true water that if a man drinks he will never thirst again, but that water will spring up into everlasting life (John 4:1-14). Jesus tells the woman about her life, and the truth that God wants people who will worship Him in "spirit and in truth" (God's word is truth - see John 17:17; and we are to live by every word of God - see Matthew 4:4) - verse 23-24. Jesus reveals God is a Spirit, that is He is made of Spirit - His form and shape is eternal spirit (verse 24). Jesus' food is to do the WILL of the Father, and to finish the work He is given (verse 34). Are YOU in tune with Jesus my friends, if you are, YOUR desire above all else, will be as Jesus' was. And your work .... well that is for the Father to point you to, it varies for every person in Christ. But be assured you do have a work to do, be it in your family or community or larger yet. Everyone in the body of Christ has work to do for Him. We are not all an eye, or a nose, or hand, or foot, or head, or arm or leg, or toe-nail, but we all have a work and working our work, means Jesus' work moves forward and outward to the world and those who need His light and truth. Ah, from this woman at the well comes many from her town and they entreated Jesus to stay, and He did, for two whole days, teaching and instructing. The result: "And many more BELIEVED because of His own words; And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy sayings; for we have HEARD HIM OURSELVES, and know that this IS INDEED the Christ, the SAVIOR of the world!" (verses 40-42). If YOU want Jesus, if you want the light of man in your life, then LISTEN to Him speak! READ His words in the four Gospels! Let them touch your heart and mind, drink them in, let them become part of you. Love them, meditate on them. Then you will have a PERSONAL relationship with Jesus. Yesterday I received an email from a man who had read my "short biography" on this Website but asked me if I had accepted Jesus as my personal Savior. Obviously the man had not read very much of my Website, or my writings. I was sent to a "church school" at age 6. I "fell in love" with the Bible. I fell in love with the Gospels. I fell in love with the words of Jesus. By the time I was 9 years old I had accepted Jesus as my Savior, I was having a personal relationship with Him and the Father. Well that was me, that was God's doing in my early life. Oh, I was yet to learn the deep things of God (my that is really a life time as we are always to grow in grace and knowledge), but YOU, whatever your age, you can have right now a personal relationship with Jesus and the Father. Just like those Samaritans, they had only two days, but because they were willing to HEAR Him, with a right heart, they BELIEVED, and they walked with him. It does not take years friends to "get a relationship" with Jesus or the Father. It just takes a right heart reading and listening to Their words. Jesus healed a man in chapter 5 verses 1-14. A little later that day (a Sabbath day) Jesus finds the man, and says: "Behold thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee" (verse 14). As we ponder on "sin" during this feast of Unleavened Bread, we need to acknowledge that SOME sins carry a physical penalty. That should not be hard to understand when we think about what "smoking" has done to people physically. So if Jesus did heal your lungs and body from the effects of smoking, then you can see why Jesus said what He said to this man, obviously Christ knew the nitty-gritty of the situation (we are not told), and so advised the man to not physically sin any more. I mean throwing God's grace back in His face, is not being wise at all. We need to honor our physical body, it is the temple of God, as the apostle Paul put it. So during this feast maybe take time to look, or examine, your physical life. Is it in harmony with the physical laws that God wants us to observe so a "worse thing come not upon you." Yes, a Christian pays attention to the physical as well as the spiritual things that are the makeup of the God we say we want to follow and serve. The Son does the Father's will, the Father loves the Son; as the Father has power over death so does the Son. All judgement the Father is committing to the Son, so men should honor the Son as they do the Father. You cannot have one without the other. You must have the Son and the Father (verses 19-23). Those who HEAR the words of Christ and BELIEVE on Him that sent Him to this world, they have everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but are passed from death to life (verse 24). The Bible, and especially the New Testament makes it very clear what "hearing my word" means. The apostle James likened it to looking into a mirror, which is God's word and law, and seeing yourself in the light of that truth and light, you go away DOING something about it. Hearing the word of the Lord means it does not go in one ear and out the other ear, and you continuing in practicing sin! The first chapters of 1 John tell you about being a Christian - it is pretty plain, to those who have their hearts right with God. No PhD needed, no 4 years at some "theology school" - just a few simple passages and verses tell you what the Passover and Unleavened Bread feast means to true Christians. If your heart is right you can be wiser in understanding salvation and the Kingdom of God than all the PhDs in the world. Here in this 5th chapter of John (verses 25-29), Jesus tells us plainly about the truth of the RESURRECTION! ALL who have ever lived will one day be raised from the dead. Some to eternal life, and others to a resurrection that will end in judgement (not "damnation" as the KJV gives). The truth of the RESURRECTION/S - yes more than one, is expounded fully on this Website. Jesus was sent by the Father. His witness to light and truth is in full harmony with the Father. And the Father bears witness of the Son. Jesus tells us that the voice and shape of the Father has never been seen, as was given in chapter 1:18 (verses 30-37). The truth of all that is given and explained in many studies about God on this Website. There are many professing Christians out there today, who "think they have eternal life" but who do not, and many of them have never, "SEARCHED THE SCRIPTURES" (verse 39). They have either lulled themselves to spiritual sleep, or they have been lulled by their preachers and teachers to spiritual sleep. Too MANY are ignorant of the Scriptures, they have no clue as to what the Bible teaches, not even to what Jesus taught in the Gospels. And certainly when it comes to putting some EFFORT into Bible reading and studying, they ain't "searching the scriptures." Jesus taught people TO SEARCH the Scriptures. Are you doing so? Do your beliefs and practices in Christianity come from the Bible or from the teachings and traditions of men, or organizations of men? Jesus had to say to many people in His day "But I know you, that you have NOT the love of God in you!" (verse 42). Now, you should be asking, "What is the love of God?" Do you know? How about asking the minister you may look to? How about asking yourself and him/her (now that we have ordained women in popular Christianity), "Please give me some clear Bible definitions as to what is 'the love of God'." Well you or they should be turning to the letters of John, and some verses also later in the Gospel of John. Again, you don't need some PhD to find the answer to this question. Why a child can understand! Oh look at verses 43-47! How many today are looking to "men" (or women) for Bible understanding; men who often scratch each other's back - this one gives an endorsement of that one's book, and visa-versa. They honor one another, and none of them SEEK the honor that comes from God only. I try always to honor God. I have studies on this Website that are going to kick many people, and "church leaders" right where it hurts (and I think you know where that is). Such do not need my accusing. The very Word of God, the Bible, will accuse them. The religious leaders of Jesus' day were accused by the very writings of Moses, whom they claimed to read. Moses wrote about the truth of the coming Messiah, and they would not believe it. Hence they would not believe the words of that Messiah when He came. So it is today, people will not search or believe the Scriptures; they give honor to men but will not honor God, by searching, reading, and believing the Word of God! It was the Passover and Jesus went up into a mountain, and He sat with His disciples. He lifted up His eyes and saw this huge company coming to Him. He performed a mighty miracle of feeding about 5,000 from just five barley loaves (they would have been unleavened) and two small fish. Many seeing such a miracle believed that this was indeed the "prophet that should come into the world" (Chapter 6:1-14). Will it take YOU seeing such a miracle to believe in Jesus Christ as the Messiah, the Savior of the world, the One who can wash away your sins, give you a heart of flesh (which may have been previously stone)? I pray it will not take such a physical miracle for you to accept Jesus as YOUR PERSONAL Savior! If anyone reading this has still not done so, then this is now a wonderful time of the year to do so. It just takes a little reading, hearing the words of Jesus. Many of the Samaritans accepted Him in just two days of hearing Him. I pray you will walk with Him also. ....................... To be continued

ARMOR OF GOD TO BATTLE SATAN #1, #2, #3,

 

The Armor of God to Battle Satan!

Truth is up first!

PUTTING ON THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD by Keith Hunt During the Feast of Unleavened Bread it is important we look at the fight we are in and the armor we need to be victorious. The apostle Paul knew that Christians were in a fight, a fight that was especially against Satan and the demons, powers of the heavenly realm, who are literally physically much more powerful than us humans. Why they can perform many acts that would come under the term "miracle." The false prophet of Revelation, THE greatest false prophet of all time will be able to perform signs and wonders, miracles we would call them. Satan and his helpers can come looking like they are "angels of light" (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). Then there is the fight we have with our own carnal nature that wants to keep pulling us down, pulling us away from God and Christ, pulling us into sin. The apostle Paul talked about that fight, even getting very personal, opening up himself, telling us he did at times feel very wretched. We find his description of this battle in Romans 7. Yes, Paul knew we were in a fight, a battle, a war so to speak, and to win that war we needed the WHOLE armor of God. His description of this armor is found in Ephesians 6. "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil ... Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand" (Eph.6:11-13). (1) WRAPPED ABOUT BY TRUTH The first piece of armor Paul mentions is TRUTH. I have four books in my library devoted to helping ministers with preparing sermons. "Swindoll's Ultimate Book of Illustrations and Quotes" (650 pages) - "Stories, Illustrations, and Quotes - the Ultimate Contemporary Resource for Speakers" (833 pages). These two books contain NOTHING about the subject of "truth." The last two books of the four do contain remarks on "truth" - I will give them to you. Quotes: He who begins by loving Christianity better than truth will proceed by loving his own sect or church better than Christianity, and end in loving himself better than all. Samuel Taylor Coleridge (Devotion, Christianity) The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it. Flannery O'Connor (Courage, Relativity) The very amount of information that computers make available threatens us with cognitive overload: Overwhelmed with facts, people tend to mistake data for truth, knowledge for wisdom. With a mind-set fixed on information, our attention span shortens. We collect fragments. We become mentally poorer in overall meaning. Michiko Katkutani (Significance, Information) Hard are the ways of truth, and rough to walk. John Milton (Courage, Honesty) I never give 'em hell. I just tell the truth, and they think it's hell. Harry S. Truman (Speech, Honesty) Truth does not blush. Tertullian (Conviction, Honesty) Western culture has made a fundamental change in its religious base. We have exchanged that one who said, "I am the Truth" (John 14:6) for the incredibly expensive doctrine of Freud and the words of all his various disciples. Our new religion says with Pontius Pilate, "What is truth?" and teaches that our status is one of "original victim" rather than "original sin." Carol Tharp (Religion, Blame) A man can't be always defending the truth; there must be a time to feed on it. C. S. Lewis (Spiritual Growth, Apologetics) You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you mad. Aldous Huxley (Honesty, Anger) Peace, if possible, but the truth at any rate. Martin Luther (Peace, Honesty) From "1001 Quotes, Illustrations and Humorous Stories - for preachers, teachers, and writers" by Edward K. Rowell Truth: From the book "750 Engaging Illustrations for preachers, teachers, and writers" by Craig Brian Larson, we find this: Sodium is an extremely active element found naturally only in combined form; it always links itself to another element. Chlorine, on the other hand, is the poisonous gas that gives bleach its offensive odor. When sodium and chlorine are combined, the result is sodium chloride--common table salt-the substance we use to preserve meat and bring out its flavor. Love and truth can be like sodium and chlorine. Love without truth is flighty, sometimes blind, willing to combine with various doctrines. On the other hand, truth by itself can be offensive, sometimes even poisonous. Spoken without love, it can turn people away from the gospel. When truth and love are combined in an individual or a church, however, then we have what Jesus called "the salt of the earth," and we're able to preserve and bring out the beauty of our faith. Love, Saltiness Truth: The purple dinosaur named Barney is loved by millions of children. According to Reuters, on July 15, 1997, Barney had an accident. During filming of the Barney & Friends show, a cooling fan inside the sixty-pound dinosaur suit short-circuited and started to smoke. The actor playing Barney quickly got out of the suit but suffered smoke inhalation. He was taken to the hospital and soon released. The story of the accident was carried on the news, and it upset many children. Scores of parents called the television station to say their children were afraid that Barney had been burned, or worse, that he was a fake. A spokeswoman for the producers of the program said, "It can be really devastating to a three-year-old. They love Barney and they think that something terrible has happened to him, or that he's not real." Fantasies like Barney can bring a person good feelings. But a fantasy is a fantasy, and sooner or later the truth comes out. There are all sorts of fantasies. Those hostile to the God of the Bible must hold on to a great number of fantasies to justify their thinking and behavior. Sooner or later those fantasies are seen for what they really are. Truth: In Discipleship Journal author Mack Stiles tells the story of how he led a young man from Sweden named Andreas to Christ. One part of their conversation is especially instructive: Andreas said, "I've been told if I decide to follow Jesus, He will meet my needs and my life will get very good." This seemed to Andreas to be a point in Christianity's favor. But I faced a temptation - to make it sound better than it is. "No, Andreas, no!" I said. Andreas blinked his surprise. "Actually, Andreas, you may accept Jesus and find that life goes very badly for you." "What do you mean?" he asked. "Well, you may find that your friends reject you, you could lose your job, your family might oppose your decision - there are a lot of bad things that may happen to you if you decide to follow Jesus. Andreas, when Jesus calls you, He calls you to go the way of the cross." Andreas stared at me and asked the obvious: "Then why would I want to follow Jesus?" Sadly, this is the question that stumps many Christians. For some reason we feel that unless we're meeting people's needs they won't follow Christ. Yet this is not the gospel. I cocked my head and answered, "Andreas, because Jesus is true." Those on the side of truth come to Jesus. Truth: When the new technology of high-definition television came on the scene, it had an immediate effect on how things were done in the studio. Low-tech television had such poor picture resolution that the visual details of a studio did not show up on the screen. Actors and newscasters wore thick pancake makeup to hide wrinkles, moles, and blemishes, but the makeup was invisible to the relatively crude camera. Fake books rested on shelves, and cardboard backdrops with painted wood grain stood as walls. Still, with low-tech television, the viewer was none the wiser. Says Jim Fenhagen, a set designer who works for the major networks, "With the old TV, you can get away with murder." But high-definition television, using high-resolution digital technology, changed all that. The studio camera picks up everything from scratches on the desk to blemishes on the skin. That has forced a change in how things are done. Like television personalities facing an unforgiving high-definition camera, when we come to God, we come to the one who sees us as we really are. We must be completely truthful with him. .......... THE BIBLE AND TRUTH The Bible has much to say regarding the topic of "truth." The saints are to worship God in truth - John 4:24, with Ps.145:18. We are to serve God in truth - Josh.24:14; 1 Sam.12:24. We are to walk before God in truth - 1 Kin.2:4; 2 Kin.20:3. We are to observe the Feasts of the Lord in truth - 1 Cor.5:8. We are to esteem truth as inestimable - Prov.23:23. We are to love truth - Zech.8:19. We are to rejoice in truth - 1 Cor.13:6. We are to speak to one another in truth - Zech.8:16; Eph.4:25. We are to execute judgment with truth - Zech.8:16. We are to meditate upon truth - Phil.4:8. We are to bind about our neck what is truth - Prov.3:3. We are to write truth upon the tables of our heart - Prov.3:3. The fruit of the Spirit is in truth - Eph.5:9 Ministers of the Lord are to speak truth - 2 Cor.12:6; Gal.4:16. Those who teach are to teach in truth - 1 Tim.2:7. The servants of the Lord are to approve themselves by truth - 2 Cor.6:7,8. Speaking truth is showing forth righteousness - Prov.12:17. People with truth are the delight of God - Prov.12:22. Truth came by Christ - John 1:17. It is in Christ - 1 Tim.2:7. John bear witness of - John 5:33. Truth will set us apart - John 17:17,19. Truth is purifying - 1 Pet.1:22. Truth is revealed abundantly to the saints - Jer.33:6. Truth abides continually with the saints - 2 John 2. Truth should be acknowledged - 2 Tim.2:25 Truth should be believed - 2 Thes.2:10 Truth should be manifested - 2 Cor.4:2. Truth must be rightly put together from the Scriptures - 2 Tim.2:15. Truth is a shield and buckler to the saints - Ps.91:4. We should confide in truth - Ps.31:5; Tit.1:2. We should pray that it will be manifested to us - 2 Chr.6:17. We should pray truth will be exhibited to others - 2 Sam.2:6. Pray that truth be made known to others - Isa.38:19. Truth should be magnified and praised - Ps.71:22; 138:2. TRUTH IS GOD Truth is one of the attributes of God - Deut.32:4; Isa.65:16. He keeps it forever - Ps.146:6. It is inviolable - Num.23:19; Tit.1:2. It endures to all generations - Ps.100:5. Truth is exhibited in God's ways - Rev.15:3; in His works - Ps.33:4; 111:17; Dan.4:37. Truth is God's judicial statutes - Ps.19:9. His word is truth - Ps.119:160; John 17:17. It is the fulfilment of promises in Christ - 2 Cor.1:20. It is the fulfilment of His covenant - Mic.7:20. God deals with truth to those who keep his covenant - Ps.25:10. THE TRUTH IS NO PART OF THE WICKED The wicked are destitute of truth - Hos.4:1. They speak not truth -Jer.9:5. They uphold not truth - Isa.59:14,15. They do not plead for truth - Isa.59:4. They are not valiant for truth - Jer.9:3. They will be punished for want of truth - Jer.9:5,9; Hos.4:1,3; 2 Thes.2:7-12. Truth is denied by the Devil - Gen.3:4,5. Truth is denied by the self-righteous - 1 John 1:10. Truth is denied by the unbelievers - 1 John 5:10 .......... UNCLASSIFIED SCRIPTURES ON "TRUTH" Psa. 40:10. I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation. Psa. 51:6. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts Psa. 57:3 God shall send forth his mercy And his truth. 10. For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds. Psa. 85:10. Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. 11. Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven. Psa. 86:15. But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth. Psa. 89:14. Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face. Psa. 96:13. He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth. Ps 98:3. He hath remembered his mercy an his truth toward the house of Israel. Psa. 100:5. For the Lord is good; his mercy as everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations. Psa. 108:4. For thy mercy is great above the heavens and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds. Prov. 12:19. The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment. Prov. 16:13. Righteous lips are the delight of kings; and they love him that speaketh right. Isa. 25:1. O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou halt done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth. Isa. 59:14. Truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. 15. Yea, truth faileth. Isa. 65:16. That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth, and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth. Jer. 5:3. O Lord, are not thine eyes upon the truth? Dan. 4:37. Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment. Dan. 10:21. But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth. Mic. 7:20. Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou halt sworn unto our fathers from the days of old. John 1:14. 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 8:31. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32. And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 14:6. Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: 17. The Spirit of truth. John 16:13. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth. John 17:17. Sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth. 19. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. John 18:37. Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. 38. Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? Rom. 2:2. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. .......... YOU MAY LIKE TO DO A BIBLE STUDY ON ALL THE ABOVE PASSAGES - READING THEM OUT LOUD - LET THEM SINK DEEP INTO YOUR HEART - MEDITATE ON THEM! .......... We know that Jesus said God's WORD was truth. We know Jesus promised that when the Spirit came it would GUIDE His disciples into ALL truth. Truth is not given in a few minutes or a few hours. When Paul was called and chosen to do the work of the Lord, he went away into arabia for about 3 years before returning to start preaching and teaching the Gospel (Gal.1). I'm sure he spent a lot of time in prayer and he was a student of the Lord. Truth is usually given to us over a period of time. As we study and are willing to be led by the Spirit, then more truth will be added, given to us. And God weighs the heart and mind and our efforts. Sometimes, maybe most of the time, truth is given after we have SEARCHED the Scriptures as those at Berea were willing to do when Paul and Silas preached among them (Acts 17). They are called "noble" - they were willing to spend much time in searching the Scriptures. It is sad to say, but today most who go under the name of "Christian" are spiritually LAZY Christians. They will read books and watch DVDs by the dozens of people saying they are the ministers of Christ. They will stand is some "awe" of preachers with DR in front of their name or PhD after their name, and read their books and watch their DVDS by the hours, BUT they will not read their Bibles. They will not SEARCH the Scriptures. They will not read the Bible from cover to cover. They do not have a burning desire to ask God for the truth, neither will they take the time to search for it. Paul was inspired to give a VERY BLUNT AND POWERFUL WARNING to those, especially in the end times when THE man of sin, THE false prophet of Revelation appears on the world scene, coming in the name of Christ, looking like a great shinning light of righteousness, but who will actually be AGAINST Christ - teaching and preaching false doctrines, that will lead tens of, nay, hundreds of millions, into DECEPTION and SIN! Paul gives a WARNING to those who will NOT love the truth, that they might be saved. And so God will send STRONG DELUSION on the earth, that they should believe a LIE. And so will be judged for not yearning for the truth, but have pleasure in UN-righteousness (2 Thes.2:7- 12). Righteousness is DEFINED by God, the Bible INTERPRETS itself! Righteousness is ALL OF GOD'S COMMANDMENTS - Psalm 119:172!! We shall in future studies come to the armor of righteousness - the breastplate of righteousness that goes around and over the heart. For now our attention must be "truth" - and God's WORD is truth. Make sure you are reading it, studying it, searching the Scriptures. Only by doing so will you be able to KNOW the truth and find who are the true servants of the Almighty God - who is by His very nature - TRUTH! ....................... Written during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, April 2009 To be continued   The Armor of God to Battle Satan #2   The great Breastplate of Righteousness! THE ARMOR OF GOD TO BATTLE SATAN #2 In fighting the battle over Satan and the demons, the apostle Paul told us in Ephesians 6 to put on the whole armor of God. The second piece of armor he mentions is the "breastplate of righteousness." It is that which covers the heart, to protect the heart, to keep the heart safe. The "heart" is used in Scripture for the DEEP TRUE EMOTIONS that lead to LOVING God in spirit and in truth. We talk about the "heart strings" as like an instrument of strings played in a way that brings harmony and true love towards a person. Love songs are heart songs moving outwards in the right wave length towards whom we have a heart felt love for; could be boy-friend, girl-friend, wife, husband, mother, father, brother, sister, or a friend. It is the heart strings being plucked in the manner that produces real quality and real "daily action" of works towards the one that the heart has a deep love for. Paul calls this piece of armor that we need to fight Satan and evil, the "breastplate of righteousness." Most of us instinctively know that righteousness means "doing that which is right." But what is "right?" For some this may be right in their eyes, while to another person the same thing is "wrong." Humans on their own can make their own list of what is right and what is wrong. And of course many do, living to their own standard, and the attitude of "Well I see it this way" philosophy. But what does God say is His righteousness? Can we find "righteousness" for how a person should conduct their lives, in the Word of God. Yes we can! The Word of the Eternal is not interpreted by the ideas of men or women. The Word of the Lord, the holy Bible, INTERPRETS ITSELF! So here is just ONE clear teaching from God as to what is righteousness. Mark it in your bible, maybe put it in a yellow high-lighter. PSALM 119:172 says: "...For ALL THEY COMMANDMENTS ARE RIGHTEOUSNESS!" Now isn't that simple? No fancy theological degree needed here. It is explained is simple words that a child can understand. ALL of the commandments of the Lord are righteousness! Look at Psalm 111. "His work is honorable and glorious: and His RIGHTEOUSNESS ENDURETH FOREVER ... The works of His hands are verity and judgment; ALL His COMMANDMENTS are SURE. They stand FAST FOR EVER AND EVER, and are done in TRUTH and uprightness" (verses 3-8). More on all this later but for now some human examples of "righteousness." Quote: (1) In the Antarctic summer of 1908-9, Sir Ernest Shackleton and three companions attempted to travel to the South Pole from their winter quarters. They set off with four ponies to help carry the load. Weeks later, their ponies dead, rations all but exhausted, they turned back toward their base, their goal not accomplished. Altogether, they trekked 127 days. On the return journey, as Shackleton records in The Heart of the Antarctic, the time was spent talking about food-elaborate feasts, gourmet delights, sumptuous menus. As they staggered along, suf- fering from dysentery, not knowing whether they would survive, every waking hour was occupied with thoughts of eating. Jesus, who also knew the ravages of food deprivation, said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness." We can understand Shackleton's obsession with food, which offers a glimpse of the passion Jesus intends for our quest for righteousness. (2) Good posture contributes to good health. That is what several studies and physicians suggest, says writer Brenda Kearns. "Poor posture can cause headaches," says back specialist Laura Fleck, M.D. "The problem is your head," says Kearns. "It weighs 20 pounds, and when it's hanging forward, it strains the muscle's that hold the neck vertebrae together." Dr.Fleck also says that "many patients with low back pain have it because of poor posture." A spine out of proper alignment adversely affects the spinal disks and overworks back muscles. Posture may have something to do with carpal tunnel syndrome. One study found that "women who practice good posture for most of their work day are four times less likely to get CTS. Chiropractors have long claimed that poor posture affects a person's blood pressure and heart rate by adversely affecting the nerves that run from the spine to the rest of the body. One of the visual words the Bible uses to describe a person of character is uprightness. Just as good physical posture contributes to health, so good spiritual posture - a righteous lifestyle - brings health to our spirit, soul, and body. From "750 Engaging Illustrations" by Craig Brian Larson. God gives us clear instruction on how to live UPRIGHT! It is all contained in His word, the laws and commandments of God are uprightness and righteousness! On the subject of self-righteousness, here is a classic: Quote: YEARS AGO Joe Bayly, the late Eternity magazine columnist, visited some German Christians who had been devoted soldiers in the German army during World War 11. Two of them had been put up for promotion to become second lieutenants in the Nazi army. The commandant told them he would approve the promotion on one condition: that they join the Officers' Club. Being a member of the club would require them to attend some weekend dances. These young men believed that dancing was wrong because it could lead to immorality. Because of their convictions, they turned down the promotion. Later in their military careers these same men were assigned to the death camps where thousands of Jews were stuffed into ovens and killed. Even though they did not directly participate in the slaughter, they knew what was going on. Yet they never voiced any protest. When Joe Bayly talked to them many years after the war, they looked back on their experiences with no regret, convinced that they had made right decisions. For them, not conforming to social pressure and refusing to dance was an act of righteousness. And conforming to patriotic mass murder and remaining silent while thousands of Jews burned in ovens left them with no feelings of unrighteousness. When we set our own standard of external righteousness, we are capable of any evil. When we are filled with His righteousness, no good is too great. - Haddon Robinson, "What Jesus Said about Successful Living" From the book "Swindoll's Ultimate Book of Illustrations and Quotes." ........... The study of God's righteousness and commandments would be a study over many many hours, and really it is a life time study. But it is worth taking the time to use, say Strong's Concordance of the Bible and look up the passages where the word "righteous" or "righteousness" and "commandments" are used. Nave's Topical Bible has page after page after page, on the subject of "righteous/righteousness." FOLLOWING IS JUST A SAMPLE Ps.24:3-5. "Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who shall stand in His holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who has not lifted up his life to vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of our salvation." Ps.106:3. "Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times." Prov.2:7. "He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: He is a buckler to them that walk uprightly." Prov.10:2. "Treasures of wickedness profit nothing: but righteousness delivereth from death." Prov.11:19. "As righteousness tendeth to life: so he that pursues evil pursues to his own death." Prov.12:28. "In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death." Prov.13:6. "Righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way.: but wickedness overthroweth the sinner." Dan.12:3. "And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever." Mat.5:20. "For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case enter the Kingdom of heaven." Mat.19:17. "....but if you will enter into life, keep the commandments." John 14:21. "He that has my commandments, and keeps them, he it is that loves Me: and he that loves Me shall be loved of the Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him." Rom.8:4. "That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Rom.14:17. "For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit." Eph.5:9. "For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth." Phil.1:11. "Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God." Phil.2:13. "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure." 2 Tim.2:22. "Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart." James 3:18. "And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace." 1 Peter 3:14. "But if you suffer for righteousness' safe, happy are you." 1 John 2:3-6. "And hereby we do know that we known Him, if we keep His commandments. He that sayeth he knows Him and keep not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whosoever keeps His word, in him truly is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in Him. He that says he abides in Him so ought himself to walk." 1 John 3:7. "He that does righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous." 1 John 5:3. "For this is the love of God: that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not grievous." .......... For those who are reading their Bible from cover to cover, they cannot but see that the COMMANDMENTS of God are RIGHTEOUSNESS. And that the TEN COMMANDMENTS have NEVER been "done away with" as false prophets like to claim. Yes, NOT ONE of the Ten Commandments have EVER been abolished or changed. The FOURTH commandment is still part of the ten. It is there, every word of it, as found in Exodus 20. The Sabbath Day command is STILL a command of the Lord! And that command is still the SEVENTH day of the week, not the first, or the fifth, or any day you like to choose. The holy Sabbath day is still the 7th day of the week. My past co-worker in the Lord's work - Jesse - has written about the value of the Ten Commandments. Her Website can be found on my Website. My co-worker - Tara - is presently writing about the Ten Commandments. It will be very in-depth, and right up in line with today's world. It may not be finished and published on her Website for another year, but when finished I will certainly let you know. The question is: Does YOUR heart love, play the tune of, the melody of the song that sings the praises of the righteousness and commandments of God? Then, just as important, does your LIFE follow the footsteps of our Lord and Savior. You have the four Gospels to read about and see the life of Christ Jesus. Does your heart ever see that the righteousness of man-made religions, even with the banner of "Christian" over them, is today FAR from the Christianity of Jesus and the apostles? Does your heart earnestly seek for the faith once delivered to the saints. Does it cry out for the righteousness of God, not some "Jewish" roots righteousness, that is the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. Not some Roman Catholic rites righteousness that has twisted and perverted the true Gospel of Christ. Not some various forms of Pro-testant churches, which carry many of their mother church doctrines and practices. Do you hunger and thirst after the righteousness which is from God, pure and clean, right from His Word the Bible. Do not think that I teach a salvation by works. Nothing could be further from the truth. You need to fully and truly come to understand what being saved by grace means. You need to make sure you study my study called "Saved by Grace" on this Website. But with that said, your Bible teaches in no uncertain way, that you are to love and follow, with the help of the Holy Spirit, the commandments and righteousness of God. If your heart is covered by the breastplate of righteousness, the fiery darts of the wicked one will never cut through to stop your heart- strings beating the love melody towards your God and His son Christ Jesus. ....................... To be continued   The Armor of God to Battle Satan #3   Feet and Life shod with Peace THE ARMOR OF GOD TO BATTLE SATAN #3 "And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace" (Eph.6:15). There is a two fold aspect of the peace of God. One is for the here and now, the inner peace of the Christian heart, being at-one with the Father and Christ. The peace that comes from knowing you are a child of the Father, that you are reconciled to the Father through the blood and life of Christ, who came that we might have saving peace from sin and death, and new life in Him. Then there is the peace that is promised in the Gospel of the coming Kingdom of God on earth, where peace will reign supreme, where there will be no more war, where nations will not even learn war any more, when even the nature of animals will be changed, so the lion can dwell with the lamb and a little child will play with them. It is the peace foretold by all the prophets, for the whole world, when the Messiah will come in glory to be King of kings and Lord of Lords. All of that peace is expounded in full detail in the studies of the Old Testament prophets, on this Website. Both themes of peace are to be the Christian's walking shoes. We wear those shoes each day, we long to proclaim that two sided coin of peace to the whole world. It is a wonderful peace to share with others. It should be a part of our joy, each day, each week, each month, each year, to do what we can to teach and preach this peace. We do it in the calling we are given, and for most Christians that is in LIVING peace, PRAYING for peace, and SUPPORTING the efforts of the proclamation of peace by the Church of God and its ministry. Here are some "nuggets" on the topic of peace: The Age of Anxiety A wife called the doctor one morning, saying, "Doctor, come quick! It's my husband!" "What's the matter?" he calmly replied. "Well, he got up this morning and took his vitamin pill. Then he took his appetite suppressant, his anti-depressant, and his tranquilizer. He also took an antihistamine and some Benzedrine. Then he lit a cigarette, and there was this explosion!"  ...... A ship was wrecked in a furious storm and the only survivor was a little boy who was swept by the waves onto a rock. He sat there all night long until, the next morning, he was spotted and rescued. "Did you tremble while you were on the rock during the night?" someone later asked him. "Yes," said the boy. "I trembled all night-but the rock didn't." ....... Thomas Watson The Puritan Thomas Watson put it this way: God the Son was called the Prince of Peace. He came into the world with a song of peace: "On earth peace...... He went out of the world with a legacy of peace, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you." Christ's earnest prayer was for peace; He prayed that His people might be one. Christ not only prayed for peace, but bled for peace: "Having made peace through the blood of His cross." He died not only to make peace between God and man, but between man and man. Christ suffered on the cross, that He might cement Christians together with His blood, as He prayed for peace, so He PAID for peace.   ...... (You may like to study my study on Ephesians 2:14 and Colossians 2:14, which expounds the context of these two often misunderstood and twisted passages to the destruction of many. They will make plain to you the peace which Christ brought to those called and chosen to be the children of God. The study of those two section of New Testament Scripture is on this Website - Keith Hunt) ...... Like a Cyclone F.B.Meyer describes the Christ-life as: A rest which is full of work, but like the cyclone, all the atoms of which revolve in turbulent motion around the central cavity of rest, so do all the activities of God revolve around His deepest heart which is tranquil and serene. And so it is possible, if you and I learn the lesson amid anxiety and sorrow and trial and pressure of work, always to carry a heart so peaceful, so still, so serene as to be like the depth of the Atlantic which is not disturbed by the turbulent winds that sweep its surface.  ...... An Old Poem In the center of the whirlpool, while the waters rush around, There's a space of perfect stillness, though with turmoil it is bound; All is calm, and all is quiet, scarcely e'en a sense of sound. So with us - despite the conflict - when in Christ His peace is found. ...... In Acceptance Lieth Peace He said, "I will forget the dying faces; The empty places, They shall be filled again. O voices moaning deep within me, cease." But vain the word; vain, vain: Not in forgetting lieth peace. He said, "I will crowd action upon action, The strife of faction Shall stir me and sustain; O tears that drown the fire of manhood cease." But vain the word; vain, vain: Not in endeavor lieth peace. He said, "I will withdraw me and be quiet, Why meddle in life's riot? Shut be my door to pain. Desire, thou dost befool me, thou shalt cease." But vain the word; vain, vain:" Not in aloofness lieth peace. He said, "I will submit; I am defeated. God hath depleted My life of its rich gain. O futile murmurings, why will ye not cease?" But vain the word; vain, vain:" Not in submission lieth peace. He said, "I will accept the breaking sorrow Which God to-morrow Will to His son explain." Then did the turmoil deep within him cease. Not vain the word, not vain; For in Acceptance lieth peace. Amy Carmichael, "Toward Jerusalem" ...... Spiritual Retreat This was my calculated plan: I would set aside my usual schedule - The menial tasks that wedge in routinely. In the peace and quiet of my living room I would relax in Your glorious presence. How joyfully I envisioned the hours - My personal spiritual retreat! With Bible and notebook beside me I would study and meditate - I would intercede for the needy world. But how differently it happened, Lord: Never has the phone rung so persistently. Sudden emergencies kept pouring in Like summer cloudbursts. My husband came home ill. There were appointments to cancel Plans to rearrange. The mailman brought two disturbing letters A cousin whose name I couldn't remember Stopped by on her way through town. My morning elation became drooping deflation. And yet, dear Lord, You were with me in it all! I sense Your vital presence Your sure and steady guidance. Not once did you leave me stranded. Perhaps, in Your great wisdom You longed to teach me a practical truth: When You are my Spiritual Retreat I need not be a spiritual recluse. Ruth Harms Calkin, "Lord, You Love to Say Yes"  ...... PEACE IS THE BRIEF GLORIOUS MOMENT in history when everybody stands around reloading. Lloyd Cory, "Quote Unquote" ...... Lord, keep me still, Though stormy waves may blow And waves my little bark may overflow, Or even if in darkness I must go; Lord, keep me still. The waves are in Thy hand, The roughest seas subside at Thy command. Steer Thou my bark in safety to the land And keep me still, Keep me still. Author unknown, quoted in Al Bryant, "Sourcebook of Poetry"  ...... PEACE is that calm of mind that is not ruffled by adversity, overclouded by a remorseful conscience, or disturbed by fear. ...... HORATIO SPAFFORD, a businessman in Chicago, sent his wife and three daughters to Europe by ship while he remained back in the States, intending to join them later. En route there was a terrible storm and a shipwreck during which their three daughters drowned. Mrs. Spafford made it to safety and wired back saying, "All of our daughters have been lost. Only I have been saved." He took the next vessel. As they came near the place where his daughters drowned, the skipper of the ship pointed to the place where the other ship had gone down. It was there on the deck of the ship he wrote these stirring words: When peace like a river attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, "It is well, it is well, with my soul." John Haggai, "How to Win over Worry"  ...... Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace! Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; Where there is sadness, joy. Oh, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek To be consoled, as to console; To be understood, as to understand; To be loved, as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; It is in pardoning that we are pardoned; It is in dying that we are born to eternal life! Francis of Assisi ...... THE TIME HAS COME for me to reorganize my life, my peace - I cry out. I cannot adjust my life to secure any fruitful peace. Here I am at sixty-four, still seeking peace. It is a hopeless dream. H.G.Wells  ...... WASHINGTON has a large assortments of peace monuments. We build one after every war. Don MacLean in Lloyd Cory, "Quote Unquote" ...... ...... The above nuggets on peace were taken from "Swindoll's Ultimate Book of Illustrations" and "Stories, Illustrations, and Quotes" by Robert J. Morgan. ...... YOU MAY LIKE TO STUDY MY ARTICLE CALLED "BEING A PEACEMAKER" - IT'S ON THIS WEBSITE - Keith Hunt ...... EXAMPLES OF PEACE By Abraham - Gen.13:8,9 Abimelech - Gen.26:29 Mordecai - Esth.10:13 David - Ps.120:7 MANY SCRIPTURES PROCLAIM AND ADMONISH PEACE Here are some of the PERSONAL ones: Ps.34:14 "seek peace, and pursue it." Psa.37:37. "Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace." Psa.85:8. "I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints." Psa.119:165. "Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them." Prov.12:20 "To the counsellors of peace is joy." Prov.15:17 "Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith." Prov.16:7 "When a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him." Prov.17:1. "Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than an house full of sacrifices with strife. 14. The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with." Prov.20:3. "It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling." Eccl.4:6. "Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit." Isa.26:3. "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee. " Isa. 27:5. "Let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me." Isa.32:17. "The work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever, 18. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places." Isa.48:18. "O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea." Isa.53:5. "The chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." Zech.8:19. "Love the truth and peace." Matt.5:9. "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God." Matt.10:21. "And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. 22. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. 34. Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household." Mark 9:50. "Have peace one with another." Luke 1:79. "To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." John 14:27. "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." John 16:33. "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace." John 20:19. "Then the same day at evening, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you." Acts 10:36. "The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ." Rom.2:10. "Glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile." Rom.5:1. "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Rom.8:6. "To be spiritually minded is life and peace." Rom.10:15. "And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!'" Rom.12:18. "If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men." Rom.14:17. "The kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." Rom.14:19. "Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another." 1 Cor.14:33. "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints." 2 Cor.13:11. "Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace." Gal.5:22 "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace." Eh.2:14. "For he is our peace, who bath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15. Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace, 16. and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 17. And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. Eph.4:3. "Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Col.1:20. "And having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself." 1 Thess.5:13. "Be at peace among yourselves." 1 Tim.2:2. "That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. 2 Tim.2:22. Follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart." Heb.12:14. "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." Jas.3:17. "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18. The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace." 1 Pet.3:10. "For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: 11. Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it." ...... IF YOU HAVE NOT DONE SO, MAKE SURE YOU STUDY MY STUDIES ON THIS WEBSITE CALLED "BEING A PEACEMAKER" AND "EPH.2:15 - COL.2:14." ....................... Keith Hunt (written during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, April, 2009) To be continued

LORD'S PRAYER--NIGHT HE WAS BETRAYED #1 #2

 

The Lord's Prayer - Passover One

John 17 Amplified

THE LORD'S PRAYER - THE PASSOVER ONE These are the words Jesus prayed on the last night before His death on the cross. "Father, the hour is come, glorify thy Son, that they Son may also glorify You" (John 17:1). It was the time when planned history was to be fulfilled in a way that was truly to be GLORY. It is written that before the foundation of the world, the One we know as the Son of God, the Messiah Christ Jesus, was to come as a flesh and blood human person, live totally righteous, overcome sin and Satan in the flesh, and so be able to take all sin that had ever been committed from the time of Adam, upon Himself, so human people could have their sins washed away by His blood sacrifice. So they could be reconciled, made at one, with the Father, and be given eternal life from the indwelling of God's Holy Spirit. It was not physical gold or silver, or any amount of money, or the giving of wealth, or the collecting of "good deeds" - working whatever acts of nobility; there was no amount of charitable works that could redeem mankind from sin and death. "Forasmuch as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conduct by living the traditions of your society. But it was only through the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who truly was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you" (1 Peter 1:18-20 - paraphrased myself)). Yes before the foundations of this earth, the Father had a desire, a longing, a plan. He wanted to create in His very own image (Genesis 1:26) physical people who could be His literal sons and daughters (John 1:12) if they would accept the way God the Father had planned the THE way should be. That way was to have a member of the very Godhead come to earth as a human man and give Himself as the ransom to redeem or buy back, the children of God who had been cut off from the Father through sin. A member of the very Godhead was willing to step aside from the Godhead and be the atonement sacrifice, as it is written: "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Who being in the form of God (a part of the Godhead), did not grasp at hanging on to being equal with God. But was willing to put aside a mighty reputation, and took upon Himself the form of a servant, and came in the likeness of human kind. Being then human He humbled Himself, and was willing to be obedient to the plan and only way God had said it could be, death, even death on a cross, to atone for human sinners" (Philippians 2:5-8 - paraphrased myself). Only a perfect sinless member of the very Godhead could take upon Himself the sins of all people who ever lived or will live. It may seem strange to us that a Godhead member dying on a cross could be "glorifying thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify Thee" but it was so. The very act of a member of the Godhead putting aside Godhead glory, and coming as a physical man, to live without ever sinning, to then be willing to die on some upright wooden pole ... to think of that as "glory" puts a perspective on "glory" that is not the way the human mind wants to think is glory. There was no human "gold medal" hung around the neck of Christ. There was no "national anthem" being played over powerful loudspeakers. There was no shouting of joy and hand clapping of enthusiastic onlookers. The glory was certainly not in an outward form of glory as we may think of it. But it was the time and event of one of the most glorious spectacles the universe will ever witness. It was the glory of SALVATION made possible to all who will be saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus. The glorious way of salvation by grace through faith is fully and deeply explained to you in my study called "Saved by Grace" on this Website. Tens of millions of people who call themselves "Christian" have no clue as to the truth of the matter on being saved by grace. I pray you will not be one of them. "As You have given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent" (John 17:2-3). It is the Father that calls people out of darkness; it is He that shows people what sin is, what His righteousness is, what His way of salvation through Christ is all about. It is God the Father that opens up the human mind so they can move towards REPENTANCE and see that it is ONLY through faith in the glorious work of Jesus on the cross, His shedding of His blood as THE sacrifice for all sins, that anyone can have eternal life (John 6:44,65; 2 Peter 3:9). God the Father is the ONLY true God, many people make gods unto themselves, bow before them, have them as their "king pin" but there is ONLY ONE supreme PERSON in the universe that is above all else. God the Father is HEAD in authority over every thing and every other being in the universe. Yes He is the head of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:3). He is the HEAD of all His children. The Father alone sits on the throne of the universe. Christ Jesus sits at His right hand. All the Father's other children will, as Jesus does, look to the Father as HEAD (1 Cor.15:24 with Rev.21:1-3,7,22; 22:3-5). Many studies in this Website expound the truths of God and the Godhead. "I have glorified Thee on earth: I have finished the work which You gave Me to do" (John 17:5). The WORK of Christ is given to us, amplified to us, in the FOUR Gospels. Read them over and over, for in the words of Christ you will find the way to eternal life. The work of Jesus is there for you to discover. I have tried to put the four Gospels for you in a modern way that is even easy for children to read, in the series "The New Testament Bible Story." If you want to be a disciple of Christ, you better read the life story of Christ. And so the Father made sure to leave you all that is important to know in what His Son did and taught while on this earth in the flesh. "And now, O Father, glorify Me with thine own self, which I had with You before the world was" (John 17:5). It's pretty simple to understand here what Jesus is saying. He is telling us that He DID EXIST with the Father before the world was. We have already seen in Philippians 2 that Jesus was part of the very Godhead and was willing to put it all to one side for a while. John was inspired to give us plain words, that a child can understand, about the One who was God and was WITH God, before the world was and who then became flesh. It does not take the mind of a rocket scientist to understand the simple words of John 1:1-15. Many today have fancy ways of getting around such words, to teach that Christ did not exists before He became a baby in the womb of Mary. Such a teaching is one of the greatest HERESIES man has ever devised. If you have the mind of a child you can understand the clear words of passages like John chapter one. Many of the "religious theologians" of Jesus' day, from their worldly high class theology schools and rabbinic teachings handed down from teacher to teacher, could NOT understand plain Scriptures. Jesus once told them they were "blind leaders of the blind" and they would all fall into the ditch. Many of the common, "simple folk" we may call them, did understand, and so with praise Jesus said, "I thank you Father that you have hid these things from the wise and prudent, and have revealed them unto babes." I tell you friends, as I read some of the theological teachings of those with DR before their name, I am amazed at times, how lacking they are in understanding the Word of God. "I have manifested Thy name unto the men which You gave me out of this world: Thine they were, and You gave them to me; and they have kept Thy word" (John 17:6). God the Father does the calling. He is the One who opens up the mind of persons to understand His word (John 6:44). If you are one of those called to be a real disciples of the Lord Jesus, then you should lift up your voice is PRAISE! At this time in history it is NOT the MANY who are called but the few (1 Cor.1:26-31). If you will hunger and thirst after righteousness (Mat.24:6), you will be filled, Jesus promised that. But you may have to thirst for it, cry out for it, search the Scriptures as the people in Berea did when the apostle Paul and Silas taught in their midst (Acts 17:10-12). They as called "noble" - they had a ready mind - they searched the Scriptures DAILY, to see if what they heard stacked up with the word of God. And so, because of this attitude of mind, many BELIEVED! You have to have your nose in the Bible, you must be reading it from cover to cover, searching, seeking, hungering after truth and righteousness. If you are, you will come to see who teaches the Word of the Lord correctly. And you will REJOICE in the truths revealed to you by the Father. "Now they have known that all things whatsoever You have given Me are from Thee. For I have given them the words which You gave Me; and they have received them, and have come to know for sure that I came out from You, and they have believed that You did send Me" (John 17:7-8). Thank the Father that He is still calling, still opening the minds of some to come to KNOW the REAL Jesus Christ, the Christ of the four Gospels. Those who LOVE the Word, those who are willing to be CORRECTED, taught, guided; those who hunger for truth and righteousness, WILL be FILLED! Jesus spoke the Words of the Father, those whom the Father is calling today will come to know who is faithfully teaching the words of the Father. "I pray for them: I pray not for the world (who will have their time of salvation one day) but for them especially, whom You have given Me; for they belong to You. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them" (John 17:9-10 - my paraphrase). God knows His own! His own will know the true God and His Son Christ Jesus. It is BOTH the Father and Son who come to live within each disciple via the Holy Spirit (John 14:23-24). They are all CONNECTED together as One family - the Father and all His children, from Christ down. Jesus is still praying for all the Father's children. He is the great High Priest interceding on behalf of all His brothers and sister, to the Father, as the book of Hebrews brings out so wonderfully. He is not ashamed to call us His brothers and sisters (Hebrews 2) and to call us His friends (John 15:14). Notice being called Jesus' friend in verse 14 has a condition. And the only way to do what Jesus says is to learn of Him through the four Gospels especially, and the rest of the New Testament also. Once more it is keeping your eyes and nose in the Word of the Lord, it is hungering and thirsting after righteousness, it is searching the Scriptures continually. "And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to Thee. Holy Father, keep through Thine own Name those whom You have given Me, that they may be One, as we are" (John 17:11). A name signifies ownership and authority. We know that "slander" can soon diminish a person's name. Has the Father POWER and AUTHORITY? You bet He does! Is it possible that Christ's request has and is being fulfilled? You bet it is possible! And it is being fulfilled. Jesus said His flock would be "the very little flock" as the Greek is better translated. He also said He would build His church and the gates of hell, the grave, would not kill it. He also added that His true disciples were the "salt of the earth" - sprinkled here and there. Nowhere in the New Testament is the Church of God said to ever become HUGE, the predominate popular Christian religion of the masses. But God's people will be here on earth, in the main, scattered, a few here and a few there, sometimes a congregation here and there as it was in the days of the first century apostles. There will be times up to the coming of Christ in glory to this earth, times when the Father's children will "turn the world upside down" as in the days of the first century apostles. But that has not happened very often in the last 2,000 years. As the end time as this age gets closer to its end, it may well happen again for a short time. Certainly in the last days the people of the Lord will make a bold witness for the truths of God as they stand up to the end time Beast Babylon power of the book of Revelation, many having to die for the faith once delivered to the saints. "While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name; those that You gave Me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the Scripture might be fulfilled. And now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have My joy fulfilled in themselves" (John 17:12-13). Jesus said that in the last days DECEPTION would be so strong that IF it was possible even the VERY ELECT found be deceived (Mat.24:24). But it is NOT possible to deceive the very elect. They are the ones with their nose in the Bible, they are the ones who hunger and thirst after righteousness, and they will never be lost. They may and will fall at times, we are all still sinners, but in the end they will make it through and remain faithful to the end and be with the Father and Christ for eternity. It is not a case of being predestinated to be saved or lost (I have a study on this site about "predestination") - it is a case of those called and willfully wanted to be chosen, do have the very power of God to enable them to remain faithful to the end. We do need to focus on the fact that the Father is the all powerful One in the universe, and He has more than enough power and strength to enable His children to inherit eternal life. Satan has been defeated by Christ. With the Father and Jesus in us, Satan cannot win. We the children of God were born to win, as long as you have the attitude of mind as David did (so read the life of David and the Psalms of David), who was a man after God's own heart (so it is written) then you can and will WIN! With this knowledge we can then have great JOY, just as Jesus wants us to have. "I have given them Your word, and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world" (John 17:14). Those who truly follow Jesus' instructions of living by every word of God (Mat.4:4), will not find they are liked that much by the rest of the professing Christian world. And they will surely be at odds with many of the ways of the society they live in. Jesus in His ministry once said to His disciples that they needed to "watch out" when men "speak good" about them, for so they did to the false prophets down through history. I do not think my Website would be too well spoken about in the world of Christian religion. If I was invited to speak before the Congress of the USA, including the President, I do not think they would care for my speech and words of correction and admonition, and my lifting up my voice like a trumpet to show the people their sins, and to call for true deep REPENTANCE! If they did like what I would say then I should examine what I have said, and stand it up to the words of this verse 14. ..................... Keith Hunt (written April 2009 Passover night) To be continued   The Lord's Prayer #2   The Passover Prayer LORD'S PRAYER - THE PASSOVER ONE Part Two "I pray that You should not take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil" (John 17:15). This one verse alone disproves and idea that it is "godly" to believe that the Lord would have you go off into the wilderness to live a solitary life, where the mind-set is that you deliberately come away from living in the society. Now, to be sure there may be times when in persecution you must flee to the hills (Jesus said so in Mat.24; Mark 13; Luke 21), but that is not having a mind-set of deliberately deciding it is a Christian way to live your whole life out of the sight of "the society." There is no hint in the New Testament that any converts to Christianity, formed groups and went into the hills or woods to make sure they would stay out and away from the society, hiding their light from the darkness of the world. What we find is the exact opposite - the apostles and people of God lived in the world, where the Gospel could be proclaimed, not only by the way they lived, but also in evangelism, reaching out to the unconverted, teaching the word of salvation and the Kingdom through Christ Jesus. What Jesus prayed for was that the Father would give PROTECTION to His children while they did the work of the Lord in their various nations and societies. You will also notice this verse 15 has no TIME LIMIT! It is a perpetual truth for all the ages to the end of this age. Hence it KNOCKS in the HEAD, does a DEATH blow, to the teaching of the "secret rapture" and the "two phased" coming of Christ. The "secret rapture" teaches that Jesus will come "invisibly" - unknown, to snatch away His church either at the beginning of a 7 year tribulation (the last 7 years of this age) or in the middle of this supposed 7 year tribulation), and the saints are flown off to heaven, until they return with Christ in a "visible" glory of power return. This verse BLOWS AWAY any such teaching by Christ or any writer of the New Testament! Jesus NEVER prayed for any such event as some silly "secret rapture" to take His people OUT OF the world. Jesus prayed JUST THE OPPOSITE! There it is in clear print, mark it in your Bible. I did not put it there when you were sleeping last night. This verse has been there for many centuries: "I PRAY NOT that you take them out of this world, BUT that You will keep them from the evil." I have a number of studies on this Website devoted to EXPOSING the false doctrine of the "secret rapture" and the crazy teaching that the SECOND coming of Christ will be in "two phases" one invisible and the other visible, with "ex" number of years between them. EVERYWHERE in your Bible the teaching of the glorious coming of Christ at the end of this age is given, it is ONE POWERFUL AND GLORIOUS RETURN and that is it - PERIOD!! "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through Thy TRUTH: Thy WORD IS TRUTH!" (John 17:17). Mark this verse also, put it in bright yellow, remember John 17:17. It is a LIFE SAVER! It is not the ideas of men or women, it is not the "theological school" - it is not the DR before a person's name, it is not the PhD after their name. It is not the endorsement of a man or woman by the "clergy" proclaiming how great a scholar this or that person is. It is not the patting on the back of this guy or gal by others of his kind. It is NONE of those things that is TRUTH! The TRUTH of God, His way of life, His teachings, the truth of all topics disclosed in the Bible is ONLY FOUND in the Father's WORD! As Isaiah wrote (Isa.8:20) "To the law and the testimony (the Bible), if they speak NOT according to this Word, there is no light in them." You, your task, is to search the Scriptures daily, to see if the Word of God stacks up with what you hear preached and taught and written. It is the lesson of the wise people of Berea (Acts 17). I cannot give too much emphasis to Acts 17, and you searching the Scriptures. Most will not do it, they read books from people about what the author says the Bible teaches, they watch DVDs from "religious fellows" BUT they will not take the time to SEARCH the Scriptures, to check and see if what they are hearing squares off with the Bible. The true disciples of the Lord will be SANCTIFIED, SET APART for Holy use and service BY THE TRUTH. Jesus prayed the Father would set them apart by the very word of truth, God's word only, which is TRUTH. But YOU friend, must WANT the truth, you must LOVE to have the truth, you must desire to be CORRECTED! You must hunger and thirst after righteousness, then, and only then, will you be FILLED! "As You have sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified through the truth" (John 17:18-19). Jesus sends us into the world, to proclaim the Gospel of Christ, sent to be a witness of truth, of the holy way to live and to act, to talk, and to think. We are not sent to put our light under a bushel, but on the table where it can been seen and give light to the darkness around. We are not called to go off and live the rest of our lives in some cave, forest, mountain, where the world will never see us, and where we will never see the world. Jesus lived in the day to day world of His society. He mingled with the people. He taught in the streets. He was accessible by the all the people about Him. He moved in their midst. He was a light of goodness and a trumpet to sound the truths of God. He sanctified Himself with THE truth, and He here prays to the Father that His disciples will also be set apart with the same truth. "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word" (John 17:20). Yes, Jesus would build His church and the gates of death would never kill it. It would always be here. Some, somewhere, would carry on the torch of light and truth. It would be handed down through all generations. The Father would always be calling, always opening the minds of some, who would be willing to see, to be taught, to be corrected. They would love the truth, would desire with all their heart to grow in grace and knowledge. They would be the ones studying their Bible, reading it from cover to cover, and hungering for the light of truth. Though the true flock of the Lord would be relatively not very large, the salt of the earth, nevertheless the truth of God would be handed on to others who would also love it, and hand it on to their next generation. So it would be that light and truth would never leave this earth. "That they may be ONE; as You Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be ONE in US: that the world may believe that You have sent Me. And the glory which You gave to Me, I have given to them; that they may be ONE, even as We are ONE. I in them, and You in Me, that they may be made perfect in ONE; and that the world may know that You did send Me, and have loved them, as You have loved Me" (John 17:21-23). Do you see the STRONG cry from Jesus to the Father, that Jesus' disciples are kept as ONE, just as the Father and Christ are ONE. Jesus earlier had asked for it, now with more passion He asks again that all God's children will be as ONE. Here we have the truth that ONE can be more than a single person. In Genesis 2 we find that two can become one, a husband and wife can be ONE. The Father's arithmetic is not like ours, with us one plus one equals TWO, but with the Father one plus one can equal ONE! God is ONE, the Godhead is ONE, but the Godhead at present consists of TWO beings - the Father and the Son, Jesus Christ. Hence we can understand John chapter 1, verses 1- 14. Is the Father powerful enough to KEEP His children as ONE? Oh you bet He is! Is the Father big enough to have His children ALL understand the very foundational truths and doctrines of His Word, correctly and all as ONE? I guess so! Those today whom the Lord is working with, will come to find the truth of all the basic doctrines of God, which are listed in the first verses of Hebrews 6. Those basic truths are being proclaimed MIGHTY POWERFULLY today via the Internet. This Website is devoted to the truths of the Lord. Other servants of the Lord have their Websites, and the foundational truths are the SAME. God's people are ONE!! This request from Christ to the Father IS BEING FULFILLED ON A LARGER SCALE THAN EVER BEFORE! A powerful witness of the ONE unity of the Father's children is being sounded around the world like as never before in the ages since the first century apostles. The Father is loving Christ. He is loving all His children. The Father is bringing the disciples of Christ into PERFECTION as ONE. Instant and worldwide connection through the modern Internet and email is making it possible for truth and unity to spread like a wild-fire and gather into ONE, all the disciples of Christ. "Father, I will that they also, whom you have given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which You have given Me: for You loved Me before the foundation of the world" (John 17:24). And so it shall be my friends, it is the truth of the Bible. The disciples of the Lord will be with Him. No, not when they die, for death is sleep until the day of the resurrection. All the truth of death and resurrection is expounded in detail in various studies on this Website. But as sure, nay, more sure, than the rising of the sun, will be the resurrection of the saints. At the coming of Christ, the one and only glorious coming, when the trump of God shall sound, the dead in Christ (and all God's children since Adam) will rise from the graves, then all the living saints will be change from mortal to immortal in the twinkling of an eye. The angels will go forth to gather them all into the air, into the clouds, to the sea of glass, and to the presence of Christ (Mat.24:29-31; 1 Cor.15; 1 Thes.4:13- 18). What wonderful JOY and GLORY that will be, for we shall see Christ in His glory and we shall be like Him, as it is written: "And behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knows us not, because it knew Him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see him as he is" (1 John 3:1-2). From the sea of glass, after the wedding feast of the Lamb and His bride is completed, we shall in that day, not months or years later, but in that day, we shall descend with Christ to the Mount of Olives. In that day there will be only One Lord of lords and King of kings. The nations of the Beast power and the kings of the East, well they may gather at Meggido to unite to fight against Jesus, the angels and the resurrected immortal saints, but it will be "no contest" for Jesus will destroy them with the brightness of His coming, their flesh will melt from their bones, and the battle will be over before it could begin (Zechariah 14). The disciples of our Lord Jesus will reign with Him for ONE THOUSAND years, and all that is written concerning that age will come to pass. At the end of that age, Jesus will hand over the Kingdom to the Father (1 Cor.15:23-26). The Father will come to earth, to the new earth, with the heavenly city Jerusalem. The Father will dwell with His children. He will be their God, the supreme One, the head of His family. Pain, sorrow, suffering, and even death will be destroyed (Rev. 21 and 22). Truly the disciples of the Lord will be with Him FOREVER, for all eternity. The Father has indeed loved Christ from eternity past, from before the foundation of this earth. This is the PROMISE of the Father. So it is written and so shall it come to pass. "O righteous Father, the world has not known You: but I have known You, and these have known that You did send me. And I have declared unto them Thy name, and will declare it; that the LOVE wherein You have loved Me may be in them, and I in them" (John 17:25-26). It is a wonderful BLESSING to known that you KNOW the Father; to be called and chosen; to be granted mercy; to have your sins washed away in the Passover blood of the Lamb. To have Christ Jesus IN you, is the most blessed gift you could ever be given. To be saved by grace through faith in Jesus as personal Savior, is a gift beyond what human words can describe. "God so LOVED the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should NOT perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). At this Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread time, we reflect on the life and death of our Savior Christ Jesus. The LOVE that both Christ and the Father have for all people, the wish and desire for all people to REPENT, to humble themselves, to see themselves in the light of their Holiness and Perfectness, and say with the great Job, "I have heard of you both, by the hearing of men, BUT NOW MY EYE SEES, and I repent in dust and ashes." The greatest thing you can do is to humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, for He tells you: "To this man will I look; even to him/her that is POOR and of a CONTRITE spirit; and TREMBLES at my Word" (Isaiah 66:2). Are YOU willing to LOVE God so much, and His way of life as written in His word, that you will let nothing or nobody come BETWEEN you and your personal relationship with the Father and with Christ? The LOVE they both have for you, is as wide as the universe. They desire to share with you ALL that they have; eternal life, glory beyond comprehension, perfect sinlessness, and the joy of all the universe and whatever else the Father may want to do in the ages of eternity. Will YOU MAKE A DECISION to follow in the steps of Christ. He set us the perfect example. His over-all life is for you to read in the four Gospels. Will you pattern your life after His? Oh, you will fall and stumble along the way; you are not made perfect in the flesh; sin will be pulling at you, but we can take encouragement by the passages of 1 John chapter one and the first verses of chapter two. Keep them close by your side, as well as Romans 7. Yes even the great apostle Paul fought the battle against the flesh and sin. That is what the feast of Unleavened Bread is all about - fighting the battle against sin and the carnal pulls of the flesh. You will need always to be humble, always in a repentant mind-set, ready to admit to the Father you are a sinner, and ask for His grace through the blood and work of Christ Jesus. If you do this, then eternal life dwells in you. Then you will be able to say with Paul: "I have fought a good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; Henceforth there IS laid up for me a CROWN of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing" (2 Timothy 4:7-8). ....................... Keith Hunt Written on the evening of the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread - April 2009.

A GREAT MONTH OF MARCH

 FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH THERE WERE---

61,599  USES ON MY BLOG.

THE SECOND BEST MONTH EVER!

A LOT OF THAT WAS BY ASIAN AND SOUTH

AMERICAN PEOPLE, AN AREA NOT BROKEN INTO UNTIL THE LAST 4 YEARS. 

GOD'S TRUTH IS STILL MARCHING ON.

Keith Hunt

PASSOVER MESSAGE-- BEING FREE FROM SIN

PASSOVER  MESSAGE  

WE  KNOW  THAT  SIN  IS  THE  BREAKING  OF  THE  LAW [1 JOHN 3:4}; THE LAW TELLS US WHAT SIN IS [ROMANS 7:7]; THE LAW HAS POINTS [JAMES 2:10-12] AND THE LAW IS HOLY, JUST, AND GOOD [ROMANS 7:12].

WE  CANNOT  "EARN"  OUR  WAY  OUT  OF  SIN;  IN  OTHER  WORDS,  YOU  CAN  NOT  ADD  UP  EX  NUMBER  OF  "GOOD  THING"  OR  "CORRECT  LAW KEEPING"  TO  WIPE  AWAY  SIN.  YOU  BREAK  A  SPEED  LIMIT  SIGN  AND  THE  POLICE  STOP  YOU  AND  GIVE  YOU  A  SPEEDING  TICKET,  YOU CAN  NOT  SAY  TO  THE  JUDGE,  "WELL  JUDGE  I  OBSERVED  THE  SPEEDING  LAW  100  TIMES  BEFORE  AND  100  TIMES  AFTER  I  GOT  THAT SPEEDING  TICKET,  SO  I  SHOULD  NOW  BE  CLEAN  AND  SET  FREE  FROM  PAYING  THIS  SPEEDING  FINE."  THE  JUDGE  AND  ALL  THE  PEOPLE  IN  THE  COURT ROOM  WOULD  LAUGH  AT  YOUR  DEDUCTIONS.

SO  WE  ALL  KNOW  FROM  COMMON  LOGIC  AND  THE  WORKING  OF  THE  LAWS  OF  THE  LAND,  WHAT  IT  MEANS  TO  BREAK  THE  LAW.....IT MEANS  WE  GET  TO  SUFFER  THE  CONSEQUENCES  OF  LAW  BREAKING....A  PENALTY  COMES  OUR  WAY.

IF  THE  JUDGE  SAYS,  "WELL  GUILTY  ONE,  MY  SON  IS  GOING  TO  PAY  YOUR  FINE,  SO  YOUR  FREE,  THE  PENALTY  HAS  BEEN  PAID  FOR  YOU."

WE  ALL  KNOW  WHAT  THAT  MEANS..... THE PENALTY  HAS  BEEN  PAID  FOR  YOU,  YOU  HAVE  RECEIVED  GRACE!!

SO  IT  IS  WITH  THE  THEOLOGY  OF  SALVATION.

AND  SO  THE  BIBLE,  PUTS  THE  ABOVE  OVER  AND  OVER  AGAIN,  IN  VARIOUS  WAYS  TO  ILLUSTRATE  THAT  TRUTH.

WE  ARE  SINNERS,  THE  LAW  BROKEN  HAS  A  PENALTY..... THE  PENALTY  IS  DEATH! [ROMANS 6:23]

THE  NEW  TESTAMENT  TEACHES  THIS  OVER  AND  OVER;  BUT  IT  ALSO  TEACHES  THE  OTHER  SIDE  -  GRACE,  FORGIVENESS  OF  SINS, BECAUSE  THE  JUDGE'S  SON  WAS  WILLING  TO  PAY  THE  PENALTY  OF  SIN.  THROUGH  HIS  SHED  BROOD  AND  BROKEN  BODY,  CHRIST  JESUS PAID  OUR  SIN  PENALTY  -  DEATH!!

SO  IT  ALL  COMES  DOWN  TO  A  PRETTY  SIMPLE  ONE  VERSER  -  EPH. 2:8 "FOR  BY  GRACE  ARE  YOU  SAVED,  THROUGH  FAITH;  AND  THAT  NOT OF  YOURSELVES,  IT  IS  THE  GIFT  OF  GOD."

ADD  A  LITTLE  MORE  TO  IT,  "NOT  OF  WORKS  LEST  ANY  MAN  SHOULD  BOAST" - V. 9.

SO  THE  LAW  CAN  HAVE  A  DARK  SIDE..... IT  TELLS  US  WHAT  SIN  IS.  IT  ALSO  HAS  A  GOOD  SIDE  THAT  CAN  TURN  AGAINST  US.  PAUL  PUT  IT  THIS  WAY,  "THE  COMMANDMENT  THAT  WAS  ORDAINED  TO  LIFE,  I  FOUND  TO  BE  UNTO  DEATH" [ROMANS 7:12].

ON  THIS  PASSOVER  NIGHT,  A  NIGHT  TO  BE  MUCH  OBSERVED  INTO  THE  WEE  HOURS  OF  THE  MORNING  NIGHT,  WE  STOP  TO  REMEMBER THE  JUDGE'S  SON  DIED  FOR  US,  SO  WE  BY  HAVING  FAITH  IN  THE  SON'S  DEATH,  COULD  FIND  GRACE,  FORGIVENESS  OF  OUR  SINS,  BE  AT  PEACE,  AT  ONE,  WITH  THE  JUDGE  [GOD THE FATHER] AND  LAW  OF  THE  LAND [THE  JUDGE'S LAW OF HOLINESS].

I  WANT  TO  SIDE-STEP  FOR  A  MOMENT:

IF  AS  SOME  TEACH,  JESUS  WAS  JUST  A  MAN  WITH  MORE  OF  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT  THAN  ANY  OTHER  HUMAN  WHO  HAS  EVER  HAD;  IF  JESUS, AS SOME  TEACH,  DID  NOT  EXIST  UNTIL  IN  THE  WOMB  OF  MARY,  TEACHING  AS  THEY  DO  WITH  THIS  KIND  OF  THEOLOGY,  THAT  JESUS  WAS NOT  A  PART  OF  THE  GODHEAD,  NEVER  "GOD"  -  NEVER  IN  SUCH  A  HIGH  POSITION,  THEN  HOW  COULD  ONE  MAN  DIE  FOR  THE  SINS  OF ALL  MANKIND?  PUT  IT  ANOTHER  WAY,  DO  YOU  THINK  THE   ANGEL  GABRIEL  COULD  HAVE  BECOME  HUMAN  AND  COULD  HAVE  DIED FOR  ALL   MANKIND?  IF  YOU  THINK  SO,  THEN  TO  BE  BLUNT  WITH  YOU,  YOUR  IDEAS  AND  THEOLOGY  ARE  FROM  PLANET  PLUTO,  WHICH THEY  SAY [WELL SOME DO] IS  NOT  A  PLANET,  SO  THIS  CRAZY  THEOLOGY  YOU  HAVE  IS  NOT  REALLY  THEOLOGY  AT  ALL  BUT  LIKE  SOME WILD,  SILLY,  FANATICAL,  CRAZY  IDEA  FROM  PLUTO.....IT'S  SO  FAR  OUT,  IT'S  NOT  EVEN  IN  THE  SAME  THEOLOGY  PARK  AS  THE THEOLOGY FROM  THE  BIBLE.

ONLY  A  BEING  FROM  THE  GODHEAD  COULD  HAVE  TAKEN  ON  THE  SINS  OF  ALL  MANKIND,  AND  COULD  HAVE  DIED  FOR  THOSE  SINS,  SO ALL  MANKIND  COULD  FIND  GRACE,  FORGIVENESS..... AND  SO  SALVATION  AND  ETERNAL  LIFE.

PAUL  PUT  IT  VERY  PLAINLY;  IF  YOU  DO  NOT  HAVE  PAUL'S  THEOLOGY,  YOU  AIN'T  EVEN  IN  THE  SAME  BALLPARK  OF  SALVATION:  "LET THIS SAME ATTITUDE AND PURPOSE AND [HUMBLE] MIND BE IN YOU WHICH WAS ALSO CHRIST JESUS: [LET HIM BE YOUR EXAMPLE IN HUMILITY]. WHO, ALTHOUGH BEING ESSENTIALLY ONE WITH GOD, AND IN THE FORM OF GOD [POSSESSING THE FULNESS OF THE ATTRIBUTES WHICH MAKE GOD GOD], DID NOT THINK THIS EQUALITY WITH GOD WAS A THING TO BE EAGERLY GRASPED OR RETAINED. BUT STRIPPED HIMSELF [OF ALL PRIVILEGES AND RIGHTFUL DIGNITY, SO AS TO ASSUME THE GUISE OF A SERVANT SLAVE], IN THAT HE BECAME LIKE MEN AND WAS BORN A HUMAN BEING. AND AFTER HE HAD APPEARED IN HUMAN FORM, HE ABASED AND HUMBLED HIMSELF [STILL FURTHER] AND CARRIED HIS OBEDIENCE TO THE EXTREME OF DEATH, EVEN THE DEATH OF THE CROSS" [PHILIPPIANS 5-8  AMPLIFIED  BIBLE  TRANSLATION].

THE FIRST  14  OR  SO  VERSES  OF  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN  ALSO  MAKE  IT  PRETTY  PLAIN  AND  SIMPLE  READING.  NOTHING  A  9  YEAR  OLD COULD  NOT  UNDERSTAND.  IT  SAYS  WHAT  IT  MEANS  AND  MEANS  WHAT  IT  SAYS.  AS  JESUS  SAID  UNLESS  YOU  BECOME  AS  LITTLE CHILDREN  YOU  SHALL  NOT  BE  IN  THE  KINGDOM  OF  GOD.  THE  STRAIGHT  FORWARD  VERSES  OF  THE  BIBLE,  ARE  JUST  THAT  -  STRAIGHT FORWARD,  NO  THEOLOGY  DEGREE  NEEDED.  

THE  PROOFS  FROM  THE  BIBLE  THAT  JESUS  CHRIST  WAS  FROM  THE GODHEAD,  WAS  GOD,  BUT  ALSO  WITH  GOD..... THAT  TRUTH  I  HAVE DEVOTED  MANY  STUDIES  TO,  ON  THIS  WEBSITE.  ONLY  A  GOD  BEING  COULD  DIE  FOR  THE  SINS  OF  ALL  MANKIND.  ANY  OTHER  HUMAN MAN  OR  CREATED  SPIRIT  BEING,  COULD  NEVER  DIE  FOR  THE  SINS  OF  EVERYONE  WHO  HAS  AND  WILL  EVER  LIVE.  

I  PULL  NO  PUNCHES  HERE.  WHATEVER  ELSE  THEY  MAY  TEACH  THAT  MAY  BE  CORRECT,  IF  THEY  TEACH  JESUS  WAS  NOT  FROM  ETERNITY  WITH  THE  FATHER  GOD,  WAS  PART  OF  THE  VERY  GODHEAD,  HENCE  GOD  ALSO  -  GOD  BUT  WITH  GOD.  IF  THEY  TEACH  JESUS DID  NOT  EXIST  BEFORE  BEING  CONCEIVED  IN  THE  WOMB  OF  MARY..... YOU  NEED  TO  RUN  AS  FAST  AS  YOU  CAN  AWAY  FROM  THEM.  IF  THEY  CANNOT  READ  THE  BIBLE  AND  GAIN  FROM  VERY  PLAIN  VERSES  THAT  JESUS  WAS  WITH  GOD,  WAS  GOD,  BUT  WITH  GOD  FROM  THE BEGINNING;  WAS  A  PART  OF  THE  VERY  GODHEAD  ETERNAL,  THEY  ARE  SO  OFF-BASE  IN  BIBLE  READING,  THEY  ARE  BLIND  LEADERS  OF THE  BLIND,  AND  JESUS  SAID  BOTH  WOULD  THEN  FALL  INTO  THE  DITCH.

JESUS  GAVE  UP  HIS  GODHEAD  POSITION  TO  BECOME  VERY  HUMAN,  FULLY  HUMAN [AS  WRITTEN  TEMPTED  IN  ALL  POINT  LIKE  US  BUT NEVER  SINNING,  NOT  EVEN  ONCE]  AND  ALSO  FULLY  DIVINE.  THIS  PLAIN  TRUTH  I  HAVE  PROVED  IN  MANY  STUDIES.

THE  GODHEAD [FATHER  AND  SON,  TWO  BEINGS;  JESUS  SITS  ON  THE  RIGHT  HAND  OF  THE  FATHER,  NOT  ON  TOP  OF  HIM,  OR  INSIDE  HIM, SO  IT  IS  WRITTEN]  -  A  MEMBER  OF  THE  GODHEAD  WAS  WILLING  TO  BECOME  FLESH  AND  BLOOD,  FACE  SIN,  BE  TEMPTED,  BUT  NEVER ONCE  SINNING;  THIS  MEMBER  OF  THE  GODHEAD  WAS  WILLING  TO  DIE  FOR  YOUR  SINS,  MY  SINS,  FOR  ALL  THE  SINS  OF  EVERYONE  WHO HAS  EVER  LIVED,  OR  WILL  YET  LIVE.

THIS  PASSOVER  NIGHT,  THIS  NIGHT  TO  BE  MUCH  REMEMBERED,  THE  PASSOVER  LAMB;  THE  NEW  TESTAMENT  SYMBOLS  OF  THE  BREAD AND  FRUIT  OF  THE  VINE  -  IS  INDEED  THE  MEMORIAL  REMEMBRANCE  OF  OUR  SAVIOR'S  DEATH.  IT  WAS  ON  THIS  NIGHT  CHRIST  JESUS GAVE  US  THE  NEW  TESTAMENT  SYMBOLS  OF  HIS  SACRIFICE  FOR  US.

THERE  ARE  MANY  MANY  VERSES  IN  THE  BIBLE  YOU  COULD  READ  TONIGHT,  ESPECIALLY  FOR  TONIGHT.  THERE  ARE  THE  PASSAGES  IN MATTHEW,  MARK,  LUKE,  AND  JOHN;  THERE  IS  ISAIAH  53;  THERE  IS  PSALM  22.  THERE  ARE  THE  CONTEXT  OF  THE  VERSES  I  HAVE  GIVEN YOU  IN  THIS  MESSAGE.

IT  IS  A  TIME  TO  READ  MANY  OF  THESE  VERSES;  IT  IS  TIME  TO  PRAY;  IT  IS  TIME  TO  MEDITATE.

IT  IS  TIME  TO  JUST  BLOT  OUT  THE  WORLD,  AND  JUST  FEAST  ON  GOD  THE  FATHER  AND  HIS  SON  JESUS  CHRIST.  DO  YOUR  OWN  BIBLE STUDY,  OR  USE  THE  MANY  STUDIES  I  HAVE  GIVEN  YOU,  ON  THIS  VERY  SPECIAL  EVENT  OF  THE  14TH  OF  THE  FIRST  MONTH  IN  GOD'S CALENDAR.

....................

Keith Hunt