Emmanuel - God With Us

Love, Peace, Joy and “HOPE” of Christmas

2012-12-17T21:04:00.003-08:00

God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is Our Hope - The word “hope” in the Bible is used somewhat differently than the way we use the word today. The world’s definition of “hope” is “a general feeling that some desire will be fulfilled” and it is set on temporal earthly things. Where as a true Christian's “Hope” is in invisible “eternal life” which God promised before the world began(Tit 1:2). Our real need is for the salvation of our dead souls as we are bound for an inescapable confrontation with God the Judge, and certain punishment in Hell. Eze 37 is very striking indeed, it reiterates the dryness, or deadness, of the “bones”, but adds two other factors – “our hope is lost” and “we are cut off”. These three expressions have everything to do with the spiritually dead condition of God’s chosen people (the Israel of God) before they become saved. Rom 8:24-25 is a significant passage in that God is giving us an accurate definition of what true Biblical hope is and highlights that “we are saved by hope”. Only those who have been given eternal life will not have to face eternal death in Hell. The Hebrew word for “hope” (yachal:H3176) is also rendered as “wait” and “trust”. Hoping is associated with waiting on God. Please note how God is linking “full assurance of hope” with both “faith and patience” in Heb 6:11-12. In Isa 59, God describes the only hope that mankind has, His mighty arm, which is Lord Jesus Christ. John 3:16 declares "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”. Psa 16 affirms the hope of the resurrection and the promise that God the Father made to God the Son that His soul would not be left in Hell, in which Christ rejoiced in enduring his Fathers' wrath in carrying out God’s Will through which he secured the hope of the resurrection of believer. 1 Cor 15:19 stresses the importance of a “living hope” for each believer who anticipates spending eternity – not just a few years on this earth: “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.”

Tit 1:2 “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;”

Eze 37:11-14 “Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel [typifying the Elect of God]: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. 12Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel [typifying heaven]. 13And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, 14And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD.”

Psa. 33:18-19 “Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.”

Lam 3:22-26 “It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. 24The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. 25The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. 26It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.”

Rom 8:24-25 “For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.”

Isa 59:16-17 “And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him. For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke.”

Psa 16:8-11 [Messianic Psalm] “I [Lord Jesus] have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. 9Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. 10For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 11Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”

Acts 2:25-26 “For David speaketh concerning him [Lord Jesus], I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope. [quoting Psa 16:9]”

1 Pet 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively [or living] hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”.

Tit 3:5-7 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

Tit 2:13 “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ”

Be Ready Always to Give an Answer for the Reason of the Hope that is in You - A “born-again” Christian finds within his soul a constant, overflowing appreciation for all that God has done for him in the past, at present, and for eternity. God’s “hope” is an absolute certainty that “all things” God says about His salvation program in His Word, the Bible, will be fulfilled. Since God’s Word is Truth, and the only Truth – it provides the only hope for escaping from our slavery to sin and the penalty we deserve, which is eternal Hell. Mankind’s only possible hope of eternal life is revealed in the Bible. An authentic Christian’s trust, hope, confidence, and faith needs to be firmly established in what God has written in His Word. As we humbly live in the fear of God, the Scriptures provide both patience and hope to be obedient to the Word of God in thought, word, and deed. Those who fear the Lord will speak of His salvation with “boldness”, “confidence”, “openly” and “plainly”. The big task for the Christian as he lives out his life in this world is to be a witness, or an “ambassador”, for Christ. This is of paramount importance to those who have become “born from above”. If one is to witness to others once God has redeemed him, he must utilize his body, pure and away from sin, as a tool in God’s service and for God’s glory.

Eph 2:12 “That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world. 13But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. ”

Rom15:4 “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”

Psa 130:5 “I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.”

Heb 6:16-19 “For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability [unchangeableness] of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;”

2 Cor 3:5-6,12 “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers [or servants] of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life… Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech [boldly].”

Php 1:20 “According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.”

Eph 1:18 “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.”

Heb 6:11-12 “And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises”

Rom 5:3-5 “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience, And patience, experience; and experience, hope. And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”

1 The 1:3-4 “Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father; Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.”

1 The 5:8 “But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.”

1 Pet 3:15 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:”

1 John 3:2-3 “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he [Christ] shall appear, we shall be like him [Christ]; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”

2 The 2:16-17 “Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.”

Rom 15:13 “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.”

Love, Peace, “JOY” and Hope of Christmas

2012-12-02T14:47:00.003-08:00

Good Tidings of Great Joy - God chose His people that He might indwell them throughout eternity. The “good tidings of great joy” that the “angel”, or messenger, announced in Luke 2 is referring to the the Gospel of salvation that God joyfully performed. God goes to great lengths to emphasize the “joy” that He would ultimately experience in Lord Jesus after enduring the wrath of God. Once again we need to be reminded that this was Jesus’ mission, as He Himself declared in Luke 4. We even read about God Himself singing with joy over His body of believers. The name “Zion” is synonymous with “Jerusalem”, and both are representations of the Kingdom of God in an earthly, physical sense and also in a heavenly, spiritual sense. Thus, the spiritual, eternal Kingdom of God – comprising the body of true believers – is often typified by physical “Mount Zion”.

Psa 132:13-18 “For the LORD hath chosen Zion [the body of true believers]; he hath desired it for his habitation. 14This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it. 15I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread. 16I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy. 17There will I make the horn of David [Lord Jesus Christ] to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed. 18His enemies will I clothe with shame: but upon himself shall his crown flourish.”

Luke.2:10-11 “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”

Luke 4:18-19,21 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me [Lord Jesus Christ] to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord… And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.”

Heb 12:2 “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Psa 16:10-11 “For thou [God the Father] wilt not leave my [Lord Jesus] soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 11Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”

Zep 3:17 “The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.”

Luke 15:7,10 “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance… Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”

Jude 1:24-25 “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.”

My Spirit hath Rejoiced in God My Saviour - This same joy God posses towards his children would also be the precious possession of every child of God. Many among Evangelical community are touting the harmful idea that the Bible promises physical well-being, financial prosperity, and political freedom as the unquestioned rights of each Christian. Nothing could be further from the truth! While the unsaved find joy in the pleasures and riches of this world, a believer finds Joy in righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost as Rom 14 points out. Isa 61 beautifully describes this joy which God graciously bestows upon His elect which is made possible only through the atoning work of Lord Jesus. Those who have been born from above will experience the ultimate pleasure – knowing God Himself. Mary's prayer in Luke 1 epitomizes the joy of salvation and gratitude that each child of God possesses. Also a believer finds Joy in the Word of God as Jer 15 points out and sharing this “good tidings of great joy” with the lost world (Acts 20:24). True believers are governed by the “fruit” (or product) of the Holy Spirit’s work in their lives. Each believer has been given “joy” as a fruit of the Spirit, which is a direct result of the incomprehensible salvation that God has granted. God uses trials and temptations in the lives of His children to test and strengthen their Faith. Jam 1:2-3 affirms that Christians can indeed rejoice in the midst of suffering. The true child of God can look forward with joy to spending eternity with His Lord and Master in the highest possible bliss as 1 Pet 1:8 underscores.

Rom 14:17 “For the kingdom of God is not meat [food] and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”

Psa 16:11 “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”

Isa 61:10 “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.”

Luke 1:46-47 “And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.”

Jer 15:16 “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.”

Acts 20:24 “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”

Gal 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

1 Pet 1:6-8 “Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory”

Isa 35:10 “And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”

1 Pet 1:8 “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory…”

Rom 15:13 “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.”

Love, “PEACE”, Joy and Hope of Christmas

2012-12-02T14:41:00.000-08:00

On Earth Peace, Good Will Toward Men - Since Christmas is celebrated in almost every country, the birth of Christ is undoubtedly the best-known part of the Bible for people all over the world. But beyond the Baby in a manger Who would bring “peace” on earth and “good will toward men” (Luke 2:14), most people do not grasp the real significance of Jesus’ birth. The Lord Jesus came to this earth on a mission of “peace” – but not in the physical sense that most people imagine. However, wars are the result of man’s sinful nature and will never be abolished on this sin-cursed earth because man’s heart is desperately wicked. A much more serious war than all the secular wars in the history of man put together is taking place right now. It is the spiritual war between God and rebellious mankind that started in the Garden of Eden as a result of Adam’s sin. Why Is Christ the “Prince Of Peace”? The reason Christ is named the “Prince of Peace” is because He came to bring eternal peace to fallen man by ending the state of perpetual warfare that exists between God and man. Christ has brought us Peace from the Guilt of Sin, Peace from Spiritual Death, Peace from Hell. All who are unsaved, with out “the Prince of Peace” will be damned eternally on the last day.

Rom 8:7 “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.”

Rom 14:17 “For the kingdom of God is not meat [food] and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”

Luke 2:13-14 “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

Matt 10:34-36 “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 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. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.”

Isa 9:6 "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

Eph 2:14-17 “For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 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; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.”

Isa 53:5 “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

Rom 5:1 “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

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.”

How Beautiful are the Feet of them that Preach the Gospel of Peace - Christ's death was the means that God decreed to reconcile every Christian [born-again] to the Father, as Isa 53:5 dramatically points out: “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed”. That is, Christ’s death resulted in spiritual healing for all whom He came to save. The believer recognizes that God has saved him to serve – that is, to be a witness to those around him who remain prisoners in Satan’s kingdom. Hence, Jesus while speaking to the Father about all believers in John 17:18 says, “As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world”. They are to be “Ambassadors for Christ in the world to fulfill the words of 2 Cor 5:19-20: “who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation” and “hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation [the Gospel]”. As we contemplate this wonderful truth, may we be convicted to faithfully share the wonderful message of salvation that Christ “The Prince of Peace” has brought, to all with whom we come in contact this Christmas season. May God give us renewed zeal to be about His business. Blessed are the peacemakers.

Rom 5:9-10 “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”

Col 1:20 “And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.”

2 Cor 5:18-20 “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation [the Gospel]. 20Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.”

Acts 10:36 “The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all).”

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!”

Matt 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”

“LOVE”, Peace, Joy and Hope of Christmas

2012-12-02T14:35:00.001-08:00

God so Loved the World, that He Gave His Only Begotten Son - One of the most marvelous truths of Scripture is the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ. The word “incarnation” means “in the flesh”. Of course, the greatest demonstration of love is found in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is what it means that God is a God of love: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son...”. The mission of the Lord Jesus is crystallized in Mat 1:21-23. The name “Jesus” comes from the Hebrew name yehowshuwa’ (H3091), which is translated as “Joshua” in Old Testament of the KJV, and it conveys the meaning of “Jehovah is salvation”. Lord Jesus is born into this world for the express purpose to die, to die for the sins of His people, as seen in John 12:7: “Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour”. We read these words in the old hymn, “Out of the Ivory Palaces”: “Out of the ivory palaces, into a world of woe. Only His great eternal love, made my Savior go”. There is no greater love than for God to become sin on behalf of His people, the elect, and to suffer the equivalent of eternity in Hell for them. The good news of the Gospel, “good tidings of great joy”, is that the Lord Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners from eternal damnation in Hell.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

1 John 4:10 “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

Luke.2:10-11 “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”

Matt 1:21-23 “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”

Whosoever Believeth in Him should NOT perish, but have Everlasting Life - To love ones neighbor is to desire that which is most beneficial – the highest possible good – for them. And what could that be that is more beneficial to anyone? The world would tell us we need a new house, a new car, a new job, a wife, a family, more money, a healthy lifestyle, religion, etc. Are these material things really going to provide that which is of utmost importance to anyone? The Bible informs us in Mark 8, “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul, Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”. “Eternal Life” is the greatest gift anybody can receive because no human being deserves it. In fact, we deserve the opposite, which is eternal damnation. The good tidings that the “angel”, or messenger, announced in the verse Luke 2:10-11, is referring to the spreading of the Gospel of salvation. Once again we need to be reminded that this was Jesus’ mission, as He Himself declared in Luke 4:18-19 and 21: “...he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor...”. The responsibility of preaching the Gospel did not fall on Christ alone, but on every one of His followers thereafter. God commands all of His saints to “go ye into all the world” and to “shew mercy” to the lost by being “ambassadors for Christ” and proclaiming the “Gospel of Christ”. Isa 52:7 attests, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!”. The KJV terms “bringeth good tidings” and “publisheth” are from two different Hebrew words (basar:H1319 and shama’:H8085) that have several meanings, including that of “evangelize” in English. We know this because God translated both Hebrew words into the Greek of the New Testament as euanggelizo (G2097) in Rom 10:15. The KJV translators then converted that Greek word into English as “bring glad tidings” and “preach the gospel”. The greatest Christmas gift anyone can give is to announce the greatest demonstration of God’s Love as found in the Gospel – to share the Gospel of Grace, which has the power to produce “everlasting life”.

Luke.2:10-11 “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”

Luke 4:18-19, 21 (Isa 61:1-2) “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me [Lord Jesus], because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord… And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.”

Rom 10:13-15 “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel [euanggelizo] of peace, and bring glad tidings [euanggelizo] of good things!”

John 21:15-17 “So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest [agapao] thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love [phileo] thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest [agapao] thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love [phileo] thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest [phileo] thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest [phileo] thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love [phileo] thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.”

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

"The Prince of Peace" - The Peace Of GOD, Which Passeth All Understanding

2012-03-17T19:51:00.002-07:00

Peace is the Work of Righteousness - One might ask, “What exactly is the ‘work of righteousness’?” Any time we see the word “work” in the Bible with regard to salvation, we can know that it has to allude to something that God does. Any work of ours can never be righteous in God’s eyes. The same idea is also delineated in the New Testament in Titus 3. The “works of righteousness” were accomplished by God as we learn from Isaiah 61.

Isa 32:17-18 “And the work of righteousness [the work of Christ's atonement] shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places…”

Isa 64:6-7 “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.”

Tit 3:5 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us…”

Isa 61:10 “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.”

Quietness - We saw in Isaiah 32 that the “work of righteousness shall be peace”. Then it says, “the effect of righteousness quietness... forever”. What is the “quietness” that this verse speaks about? It is the effect of righteousness, or salvation. The Hebrew word for “quietness” is also commonly translated as “rest”. Another aspect of salvation and yet another word meaning “rest” is translated as “still” in Psalm 32. After we have received salvation, God leads us to the “still [or quiet] waters” to drink of the Water of Life – the Gospel – and to “green pastures” where we feed upon the Word of God. I am reminded of the Good Shepherd in John 10.

Isa 32:17-18 “And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places…”

Isa 30:15 “For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength…”

Isa 11:10 “And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.”

Psa 23:2 “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.”

John 10:9 “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”

Assurance - Let’s continue in Isaiah 32. What does “assurance for ever” signify? As we have been learning, we need to compare “spiritual things with spiritual” – the biblical blueprint that God has given us in 1 Corinthians for studying the Bible. The Hebrew word for “assurance” is usually rendered “safely” or “safety”; and its root word is almost always translated as “trust”. We read about the Israelites who were “safely” delivered by God (a picture of salvation) out of the hand of Pharaoh (a picture of Satan), and in the process He destroyed the Egyptian army (a picture of unbelievers). Psalm 16 affirms the hope of the resurrection and the promise that God the Father made to God the Son that His soul would not be left in Hell. The word for “assurance” is translated in this passage as “hope”.

Isa 32:17-18 “And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places…”

1 Cor 2:13 “Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.”

Psa 78:53 “And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.”

Psa 16:9 “Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.”

Acts 2:29-31 “Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. 30Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; 31He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.”

Peaceable Habitation - Today we learned that the “work of righteousness” is peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Also, the “effect” of that eternal peace that God has secured for His people is eternal rest and safety, which will always belong to each child of God. But how does the Bible define the phrase in Isaiah 32 “And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation...”? This is the same word for “peace” that we saw in verse 17. It is the Hebrew word shalowm from which King Solomon’s name is derived, and he is a great representation of the Prince of Peace, the Lord Jesus Christ. The word for “habitation” describes the place where believers dwell and is also rendered, as a “sheepcote”, or “fold”, where sheep are protected. May God have mercy on many who are listening to His Word, and grant them that eternal peace and rest found only in the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Isa 32:17-18 “And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places…”

Isa 9:6 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace... ”

John 10:16 “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold [peaceable habitation], and one shepherd.”

Php 4:6-7 “Be careful [anxious] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Unto Us a Son is Given - “THE PRINCE OF PEACE” is His Name. Read more...

2012-03-17T19:49:00.002-07:00

Secular Peace of the World - As “the Prince of Peace” many people think that Jesus came to bring some kind of political or secular peace among nations or groups of people. Another Christmas time passage that seems to confirm that idea is Luke 2:14: “... on earth peace, good will toward men”. One of man’s greatest desires is to live in peace, or the absence of war and strife. However, wars are the result of man’s sinful nature (Jam 4:2) and will never be abolished on this sin-cursed earth because man’s heart is desperately wicked (Jer 17:9). While speaking of the Great Tribulation period prior to His return, Jesus said in Matt 24:6-7, that man-made wars and natural catastrophes will continue to take men’s lives on this earth right up to the moment of Christ’s return on the Last Day. So there can be no misunderstanding about this, Jesus dispelled all doubts about His purpose for coming to this earth in Matt 10:34-36: “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword”. God and His Word will in fact bring division and strife – even within families, the closest-knit social units in this world. This is due to the fact that salvation is on individual basis and it creates unequally yoked families and circles.

Luke 2:13-14 “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

Mat 24:6-7 “And ye shall hear of wars and rumours [reports] of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.”

Matt 10:34-36 “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 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. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.”

Matt 10:21-22 “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. 22And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.”

John 15:18-19 “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”

Mutual Warfare - Most people are unaware that a much more serious war than all the secular wars in the history of man put together is taking place right now. It is the spiritual war between God and rebellious mankind that started in the Garden of Eden as a result of Adam’s sin; and because man is at war with His Maker, he is also at war with other men. Our sinful Adamic nature, with which every human being is born, is described in Jam 4:2: “Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not”. Man’s rebellion against God and hatred for Him drives him to foolishly think that he can fight against God and win, as explained in Psa 2:1-5. Mankind fail to consider the futility of their efforts, the magnitude of their sin, and the eternal, infinite, holy God with whom they have to deal face to face one day. God derides man’s foolish pride because man refuses to acknowledge the awesome Creator and Judge of this universe, who both hates and will judge sin and sinner alike. Yet, in the midst of judgment there is a ray of hope, a glimmer of mercy for His people.

Rom 8:7 “Because the carnal [unsaved] mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.”

Rom 3:10, 17-18 “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one... And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Psa 2:1-5 “Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.”

Deu 32:39-42 “See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand. For I lift up my hand to heaven, and say, I live for ever. If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me.”

Deu 32:43 “Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people: for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land, and to his people [Elect of God].”

Only God Can End the Warfare - Genesis 3 traces the roots of man’s rebellion to the Garden of Eden and sentenced all (unless redeemed) to eternal death in Hell. Rom 5:12 records this account: “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned”. This is why man needs help! And God alone provided the solution. You see, it was through the woman, Eve, that help would one day come, as Gen 3:15 alludes, “And I will put enmity between thee [or Satan] and the woman [figure of the elect or the bride of Christ], and between thy [or Satan’s] seed and her seed; it [referring to Christ] shall bruise thy [Satan’s] head, and thou [Satan] shalt bruise his [Christ’s] heel”. Isa 40:2 beautifully describes the salvation that God accomplishes when He brings to an end to the warfare that previously existed between man and God. Rom 10:15 announces that this peace is found in the Gospel of the Bible. What are the “glad tidings”? It is that which we see in Isa 40:2, “... warfare is accomplished... iniquity is pardoned”. How did this take place? We learn from Eph 2:14-15 that this is the work of the Lord Jesus. Christ demonstrated His love for His people by enduring the eternal wrath of God for their sins: “But God commendeth [exhibits] his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8). In other words, if we have truly become saved, we are no longer God’s “enemies”, and our war with God has ended, as we read in Rom 5:9-10: “... being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son ...”. The Gospel of the Lord Jesus is for all people. It’s for those from all nations, kindred, people and tongues (Rev 7:9) – God is no respecter of persons. If, Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace has reconciled us to God and set us apart to be His ambassadors, we are to proclaim this Gospel of Peace so that our neighbor might be reconciled to God too.

Eph 2:14-15 “For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 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 ...”

Rom 5:9-10 “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”

Isa 40:2 “Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem [typifying the bride of Christ], and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned…”

2 Cor 5:19 “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation [the Gospel]...”

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!”

Unto us a Son is Given: His name shall be called “The Prince Of Peace” - God’s Love is embodied in the work of Christ as John 3:16 proclaims, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”. The spiritual war between Christ and Satan is an integral part of God’s salvation program that God described in the Garden of Eden. And Gal 4:4-5 elaborates, “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law…”. We see how this conflict played out in Heb 2:14: “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he [Christ] also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he [Christ] might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil”. The reason Christ is named the “Prince of Peace” is because He came to bring eternal peace to fallen man, who by nature is dead in trespasses and sins, by ending the state of perpetual warfare that exists between God and all who are unsaved. This is evident from a passage such as Psa 38:3 [Messianic Psalm], where the same Hebrew word for “peace” is translated as “rest”: “There is no soundness in my [Christ] flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest [peace] in my bones because of my sin [laden with our sins]. For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me”. The Messiah had become sin on behalf of each person for whom He became a ransom payment. As their sin bearer, He had to pay the just punishment of Hell: “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Isa 53:5). Eph 2:11-17 emphasizes the kind of peace that Christ came to bring: Rom 5:9-10 concludes that one is saved or justified by the faith of Christ, which produces “peace with God”, the peace that results from salvation: “... being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son ...”. This peace – peace from the guilt of sin, peace from spiritual death and peace from hell, which only the Savior can provide is referred to in Isa 9:7, where His name is called “The Prince Of Peace”.

Luke 2:13-14 “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

Eph 2:11-17 “... But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 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; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.”

1 Chr 22:9 “Behold, a son shall be born to thee [speaking to King David about Solomon who typifies Jesus], who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel [typifying the elect, Israel of God – Isa 32:17-18] in his days.”

Isa 9:6-7 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 7Of the increase of his [Lord Jesus Christ] government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”

The Peace which Christ Bestows is Salvation - Isaiah 53 reveals the great sufferings of Hell which Christ endured – the atoning work, for each of His elect, that has “reconciled” them to God giving “peace with God”, as also explained in 2 Cor 5:19. The peace that results from salvation is called “peace with God” in Rom 5:1: “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:”. In other words, if we have truly become saved, we are no longer God’s “enemies”, and our war with God has ended. When we have become reconciled to God by salvation (“peace with God”), God also gives us the “peace of God” as the fruit of the Spirit. We also see in Gal 5:22-26 that true believers are governed by the “fruit” (or product) of the Holy Spirit’s work in their lives. True believers are God’s “workmanship”, which means “the fruit (or product) of a workman’s labor”. After God saves a believer, peace begins to manifest itself in the life of this individual who truly has become a “new creature” (or creation) in Christ. Christians are not to be anxious or worried about anything. Not only are we not to be worried, we also learn this from Php 4:6, “... by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God”. Because of the assurance of the eternal salvation, Christians are to bring their concerns and petitions before the throne of Grace constantly. No matter how great our need, His inexhaustible grace is ever sufficient, plenteous, and overflowing as a mighty river. Also the believer’s life is to be a constant overflowing of thanksgiving for all of God’s daily benefits to him. As the Christian learns to depend and rely more and more on God and to rest in Him alone, he finds the peace that Isa 26:3 speaks about, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee”. When we have the “peace of God which passeth all understanding”, our souls can rest quietly with God as we trust completely in Him with every aspect of our lives.

Isa 53:5 “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

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.”

Isa 32:17-18 “And the work of righteousness [salvation] shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.”

Php 4:6-7 “Be careful [anxious] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

A False Sense of Peace is Being Promoted Today - As we have seen in this study, we can find many citations in the Word of God which explain the nature of the peace of God, or redemption. Because mankind hates God and His clear teachings in the Bible about salvation by His sovereign choice and work, man vainly invents numerous “man-made gospels” that are more acceptable to his proud nature and pleasing to his puny mind. God indicates in 2 Cor 11:13-15 that there will be a proliferation of these kinds of false gospels prior to Christ’s return: “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works”. Sadly, we are currently living in the “Great Tribulation” period, which is a time of unparalleled spiritual deception. Unfortunately, in this deadly spiritual environment, a false sense of security or “peace” is fostered by many in the religious media and within all churches and denominations worldwide focusing on economic prosperity, physical well-being, and political freedom in order to satisfy “the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life...”. Jer 23:17 reflects the attitude of many institutional churches and denominations: “They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you”. Consider the fearful warning in 1 The 5:2-3, “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail [birth labor] upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape”.

Jer 23:11-17 “For both prophet and priest are profane; yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith the LORD. Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery ways in the darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein: for I will bring evil upon them, even the year of their visitation, saith the LORD. And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied in Baal, and caused my people Israel to err. I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah. Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets; Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall: for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD. They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you.”

Jer 23:21, 25-32 “I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied… I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed. How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart; Which think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbour, as their fathers have forgotten my name for Baal. The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD. Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces? Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbour. Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that use their tongues, and say, He saith. Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD.”

Unto Us a Son is Given - “THE EVERLASTING FATHER” is His Name. Read more...

2012-03-17T19:45:00.004-07:00

The Great “I AM” - Let’s look at the name that God calls Himself that also indicates His eternal nature. As you probably know, God used Moses to pen the first five books of the Bible – Genesis through Deuteronomy – and God spoke these words to Moses from the “burning bush”. Here God reveals His eternal character with the name “I AM”, which is from the Hebrew verb hayah (H1961) meaning “to be” or “to exist”. Thus, God calls Himself the “self-existing one”, who is the eternal, unchanging, living God. He is the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Great “I AM” in John 8:58, “Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am”. Some Hebrew scholars believe that the name “Jehovah” is derived from or related to the Hebrew word for the name “I AM”; and many other names, in turn, are derived from “Jehovah”, including the name “Jesus”. The name “Jesus” comes from the Hebrew name yehowshuwa’ (H3091), which is translated as “Joshua” in Old Testament of the KJV, and it conveys the meaning of “Jehovah is salvation”. That is the name God gave to the Savior in Mat 1:20-21: “... thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins”.

Exo 3:13-15 “And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? 14And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. 15And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God [yehovah:H3068 ‘elohiym:H430] of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.”

John 8:56-58 “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. 57Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? 58Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”

God is Everlasting and His Throne is Established of Old - Let’s start with Psa 90:2, a beautiful testament to the eternal nature of God: “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God”. Here we see how God is without beginning and without end. God tells us in Psa 93:2 that He exists “from everlasting”: “Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting”. This Psalm focuses on the authority and majesty of Jesus Christ, Who is Jehovah God of the Bible. Since we are mortal and finite human beings, who are confined to time and space in our earthly bodies, we cannot fully comprehend an infinite Supreme Being. God is a Being Who spoke and created the universe, and He created you and me. He is a Being Who is outside of time and space because those things are part of His creation; and He is infinite in His knowledge, power and presence. The word “being” denotes existence. When God told Moses that His name is “I AM”, He indicated that He is the only “Being” that exists “from everlasting [past] to everlasting [future]”. A human “being” only exists from conception to eternity future (if saved). God has not equipped us created beings to fully comprehend eternity nor does He explain what “from everlasting, to everlasting” really means. In order to even attempt such a study as this, we need to open the only reliable source of information about God – His Word, the Bible. But that is what “faith” is all about – we believe it is true because God has written about it in His Word, the Bible (Heb 11:1). And Rev 1:4 proclaims, “John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him [Jesus Christ] which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;”. Let’s look at another set of verses. Isa 44:6 states, “Thus saith the LORD [Jehovah] ... ; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God”. Rev 1:8 says, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord [Jesus], ... the Almighty”. We see from these two passages that the beginning and the ending, the Alpha and the Omega (the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet), the Redeemer, the LORD (Jehovah) of Hosts, and the Almighty all refer to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

Psa 93:1-2 “The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved. 2Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting.”

Psa 90:1-2 “Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.”

Isa 44:6 “Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God”

Rev 1:8 “I [Lord Jesus Christ] am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.”

Unto Us a Son is Given: His name shall be Called “The Everlasting Father” - The birth of the Lord Jesus was foretold by Micah the prophet in Mic 5:2, “But thou, Bethlehem Ephrata, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he [Jesus Christ] come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting”. Micah’s prophecy informs us that the Lord Jesus was to be born in Bethlehem, or the “house of Bread”. This should not surprise us because the Bible refers to Jesus Christ as the “Bread of Life” in John 6:35, “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst”. The Bible also details His virgin birth, His eternal deity, and His many names. Mat 1:18 speaks about His virgin birth, “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost”. Then Mat 1:23 emphasizes that one of His names is “God with us”: “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us”. God also foretold us about the eternal nature of Jesus Christ many hundreds of years before He came in the flesh in Mic 5:2: “... whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting”. We read in Isa 9:6 the prophetic utterance that Christ would take upon Himself a human nature and still retain His eternal position in the Godhead and also speaks of Lord Jesus Christ’s eternal character. Even the mystery of the Trinity is revealed in this verse as God the Son, Jesus Christ, is called the “the Mighty God” and “the Everlasting Father”. The Holy Trinity is a mystery that our finite minds are incapable of comprehending. All Three Persons of the Godhead work together in perfect harmony, appropriately giving glory to each other, as we see from an example in Heb 1:8-10 (quoting Psa 45:6) and Acts 2:34-36 (quoting Psa 110:1) where the Father clearly addresses the Son: “But unto the Son he [God the Father] saith, Thy throne, O God [the Son], is for ever and ever ...”. In this beautiful verse God the Father is declaring to God the Son, that the Son is Eternal God.

I and my Father are one - How then do we understand the statement we have been considering today that Christ is called “the everlasting Father”? We must simply agree with God’s Holy Word, anticipating the day when 1 Cor 13 will be fulfilled: “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face”. John 5:17-23 dramatically underscores this incomprehensible eternal rapport between the Father and the Son. John 10:30 also confirms this: “I and my Father are one”. Also, we recall John 14:9 where Jesus said: “Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?” and in 1 John 2:23 “Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also”. John 3:36 warns: “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him”. Jer 10:10 vividly portrays the unspeakable horror that awaits those who do not have “the son” – the only Savior on the Day of Judgment and have to face the Judge of the universe: “But the LORD is the true God, He is the living God, and an everlasting King: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation”. The unsaved will have to stand before Him completely alone, helpless, guilty, and condemned. Handel’s Messiah uses the theme of Mal 3:2 to drive home the horrific refrain: “But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap”. The bad news is nobody can stand in the presence of God; but wonderfully, the Everlasting God has the only viable solution. What was Christ’s mission after all? This can be summed up in the meaning of His name, Jesus, which is found in Mat 1:21, “Ye shall call His name JESUS [Jehovah is salvation], for He shall save His people from their sin”. It is utterly impossible for us – even if we are saved – to grasp the awesome reality of the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible outlines for us the profound truths that Christ, Who is Eternal God, had to empty Himself of His glory to take on human flesh. He had to become sin and then – the greatest mystery of all – He had to suffer the unimaginable agony of everlasting Hell for His elect to procure their eternal salvation as Php 2:6-11 proclaims.

John 5:17-23 “But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. 18Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God. 19Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. 20For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. 21For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. 22For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: 23That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.”

John 14:6-11 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 7If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. 8Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. 9Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? 10Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. 11Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.”

Php 2:6-11 “Who, being in the form of God [the Father], thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9Wherefore God [the Father] also hath highly exalted him [Christ], and given him a name which is above every name: 10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”.

Unto Us a Son is Given - “THE MIGHTY GOD” is His Name. Read more...

2012-03-17T19:44:00.001-07:00

The Unlimited “Might” of God’s Character - Isa 9:6 is a passage that is quoted frequently at Christmas time and is sung in Handel’s “Messiah”, we are confronted in this passage with the sheer magnitude and glorious majesty of God Himself as it lists five of the Lord Jesus’ names: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace”. “The mighty God” is the third title given to the Lord Jesus Christ in this familiar passage, which is the prophetic utterance that Christ would take upon Himself a human nature and still retain His eternal position in the Godhead. Even the mystery of the Trinity is revealed in this verse. The Scriptures declares in Col 2:9, “For in him [Lord Jesus Christ] dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily”. This is further emphasized in Heb 1:3, where we find this majestic description of God the Son: “Who [Christ] being the brightness of his [God the Father’s] glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his [Christ’s] power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high”. “Mighty” in Isa 9:6 exemplifies God’s limitless and incomparable power. It is used frequently in the context of a great warrior. Exo 15:3 reveals an interesting description of one facet of God’s sinless character, “The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name”. Psa 24:8 also queries, “Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle”. The battles depicted in the Old Testament, though historically accurate, serve to teach spiritual truths. We must bear in mind that God is concerned with a spiritual battle in the first instance. It is the battle between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan that God has already won on the Cross, according to Col 2:15, “And having spoiled principalities and powers, he [Lord Jesus] made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it”. We see from these two passages Isa 44:6 and Rev 1:8 that the Beginning and the Ending, the Alpha and Omega, the Redeemer, the LORD (Jehovah) of Hosts, and the Almighty all refer to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

Isa 44:6 “Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God”.

Rev 1:8 “I [Lord Jesus Christ] am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty”.

Rev 11:17 “…We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned”

Dan 4:3 “How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation.”

Rev 7:12 “Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.”

The Unlimited “Might” of God’s Love - Isa 10:21 makes this beautiful promise concerning the God’s love for the elect “The remnant shall return... unto the mighty God”. Psa 110:3 proclaims and highlights the supremacy of God’s everlasting power in bestowing His salvation upon His elect when He saves them by His grace, “Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth”. Zep 3:17 announces the blessing of His salvation: “The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing”. Psa 89:19b promises about God the Son – the only Savior – the “mighty” one : “… I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one (Speaking prophetically of the Messiah) chosen out of the people”. In Genesis 49 Jacob, under divine inspiration, pronounces numerous blessings upon his twelve sons, and in verse 24 we read this about Joseph, who typifies the Lord Jesus Christ: “But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of; Israel:)”. The shepherd, the stone of Israel is a reference to the Lord Jesus Christ (Isa 28:16, Rom 9:31-32, 1 Pet 2:7-8). Gal 4:4-5 discloses the long-awaited Messiah Who would put in His divine appearance as all the Old Testament prophets had foretold: “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons”. In order to redeem His chosen people, Christ had to vanquish Satan at the cross. In order to defeat Satan, Christ had to became sin for every true Christian; and then had to suffer the equivalent of eternal damnation on their behalf, as expressed by His agony in the Garden of Gethsemane (which means “winepress”). Isa 63:1-3 poignantly depicts the fact that Christ was alone in enduring the wrath of God in order to successfully atone or pay for the sins of His people. This is typified by His pure white garments, which have now become blood stained with the blood of those he came to redeem: “Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save”. What God accomplishes in saving someone from spiritual death to spiritual life is equivalent to what the Lord Jesus Christ experienced through His death, burial, and resurrection, as Eph 1:19-20 indicates: “And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places”. We can see why those in Heaven praise God for His salvation as Rev 15:3 underscores, “And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.”

Deu 5:15 “And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out [typifying our deliverance from the power of darkness (col 1:13)] thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.”

Luke 11:21-22 “When a strong man [Satan] armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: But when a stronger [Christ] than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.”

Isa 53:12 “Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

1 Tim 3:16 “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”

The Unlimited “Might” of God’s Wrath - Deu 10:17 declares: “For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward”. Jer 32 highlights and illustrates God’s perfect holiness and mercy in meeting out His justice and righteousness. Eternal God of the Bible is the only True and Living God – and He is a God of wrath as well as a God of salvation as the following verses show: “Thou shewest lovingkindness unto thousands, and recompensest the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them: the Great, the Mighty God, the LORD of hosts, is his name” (Jer 32:18). Apart from salvation there can be no true biblical success regardless of how rich, famous, or powerful one might be. Those who consider themselves mighty will one day have to reckon with the One Who is infinitely mightier than they are as Jer 9:23-24 declares: “... neither let the mighty man glory in his might ... But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth ...”. In Psa 93, God mentions “floods” and gives us a vivid description of His power over tumultuous “waters” and the “sea”. Now, it is true that God is in total control of the forces of nature as Jesus dramatically illustrated in Matt 8:27 “But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!”, but how does all that relate spiritually? When we “compare spiritual with spiritual" with Isa 17, we see that “the seas” represent “the multitude of many people” and the “mighty waters” represent “the nations”. As a just Ruler or Judge, God must punish sin, which the Bible defines as “transgression of the law” in 1 John 3:4. Psa 45:3 also emphasizes that God will punish His enemies with His sword: “Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty with thy glory and thy majesty”. The language presented in the New Testament is equally frightening as Rev 19:15 declares in parallel: “And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations ...”. The sword symbolizes the power of the Word of God to inflict eternal punishment. The first time Christ put in his appearance was as the babe in a manger as the Savior of His people. The second time, Christ will come as a judge to execute judgment, as we also read in Jude 1:14-15. Matt 24:29-30 describes the unspeakable horror that awaits all who remain unsaved. Rev 6:17 asks the ultimate question that the vast majority of human beings want to avoid at all costs: “For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”. And Rev 6:15-17 sadly illustrates the futility of human might. Of course, the Lord Jesus Christ is King of all kings and Lord of all lords and all the kingdoms of the world will be undisputedly His when the last trumpet sounds on the Last Day, according to Rev 19:11-16.

Jer 10:10 “But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation”.

Jude 1:14-15 “And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”

Psa 93:1-5 “The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved. 2Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting. 3The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves. 4The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea. 5Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh thine house, O LORD, for ever.”

Isa 17:12-13 “Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters! 13The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.”

Mat 24:29-30 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man [Lord Jesus Christ as Judge] coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”

Rev 6:15-17 “And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of his wrath is come ; and who shall be able to stand?”

Rev 19:11-16 “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword [The sword symbolizes the power of the Word of God to inflict eternal punishment], that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

Unto Us a Son is Given - “COUNSELLOR” is His Name. Read more...

2012-03-17T19:42:00.004-07:00

With whom took God Counsel, and who Instructed God? - Consider this awesome description of God in Isa 40:12-15, as this passage declares God’s unparalleled creative power and His infinite wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. As one looks around at this beautiful world and the seemingly infinite universe we are awed at the One who brought this fantastic creation into existence by His Word. Isa 40:14 poses this rhetorical question:“With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding?”. The infinite chasm that exists between God’s thoughts and man’s is addressed in Isa 55:8-9: “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts”. God created the universe and established His physical, moral, and spiritual laws according to His infinite wisdom and sovereign will. He enforces His rules for His righteous purposes and for His glory according to His standards of perfect justice. Likewise Isa 45:20-24 reveals His “re-creation”, or “regeneration” power through salvation. It is His Word that accomplishes the salvation of a sinner as Isa 55:11 declares: “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it”. Isa 25:1 affirms this: “O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth”.

Isa 40:12-15 “Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? 13Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him? 14With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding? 15Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.”

Col 1:15-19 “Who [Jesus Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 18And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. 19For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;”

Isa 45:20-24 “Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save. 21Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. 22Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. 23I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.”

The Counsel of the LORD Standeth for Ever - Pro 21:30 declares “There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD”. Deu 32:4 proclaims, “He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he”. Not only is God the Truth, but in every aspect of His Divine personality He flawlessly operates on that same basis as He purposefully executes His plan with meticulous care to redeem each of His lost sheep for His own glory and honor. In Psa 105:8-10, God alludes to the everlasting covenant of the “promised land” – the land of Canaan, a picture of Heaven, or the Kingdom of God (Heb 11:9-10 and 16), as He spoke to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and, by extension, to all true Christians (Gal 4:28, Gal 3:29): “He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations. Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac; And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant …”. The Living God is the very essence of Truth as Heb 6:16-19 highlights: “... Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability [unchangeableness] of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation ...”. Mic 7:20 further adds, “Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old”. Mal 3:6 affirms, “For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed”. Psa 146:5-6 states: “Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God: Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever …”. In Isa 46:9-10 God states: “Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure …”. The pleasure of the Lord is accomplished by the atonement work of Christ as Isa 53:10-11 declares: “... thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin ... and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand”. The Lord Jesus is even typified by the pagan king, Cyrus, in Isa 44:28, “… He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid”. 2 Cor 6:16 informs us that believers “… are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people”. Heb 10:7 (quoting Psa 40:7) proclaims: “… Lo, I [Jesus Christ] come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God”.

Heb 6:16-19 “For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability [unchangeableness] of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;”

Psa 33:10-11 “The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect. The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.”

Jer 23:5-6 “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS”.

Unto us a Son is Given: His Name shall be called “Counsellor” - Isa 9:6 is a passage that is quoted frequently at Christmas time and is sung in Handel’s “Messiah”: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace”. “Counsellor” is the second title given to the Lord Jesus Christ in this familiar passage, which is the prophetic utterance that Christ would take upon Himself a human nature and still retain His eternal position in the Godhead. We are confronted in this passage with the sheer magnitude and glorious majesty of God Himself as it lists five of the Lord Jesus’ names: Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. In Psa 119:24 one learns that God’s Word is the counselor : “Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors”. Actually, the Bible is filled with the “counselors” we so earnestly need. Pro 11:14 says, “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors [which is the Bible] there is safety”. It is His Word that created this infinite universe, it is His Word that accomplishes the salvation of a sinner and it is His Word that leads and guides us to eternal life. One of the most marvelous truths of Scripture is the “incarnation” (“in the flesh”) of the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Word personified as we see in John 1:1,14 : “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God … And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us ...”. John 1 continues in verses 3, 4, 9: “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men ... That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world”. Simeon under the inspiration of Holy Spirit, also spoke of Lord Jesus in Luke 2:32 as: “A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel”. 1 Cor 1:24 reminds us, “… Christ the power [dunamis:G1411] of God, and the wisdom of God”. The Greek word for “power” is dunamis, and we can get us some idea of the amazing “power” God possesses when we realize that the English word “dynamite” was derived from this Greek word. However, the greatest demonstration of God’s power is seen in Rom 1:4, “And declared to be the Son of God with power [or dunamis, G1411], according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead…”. We must not forget the vital role of the Holy Spirit (as a person of Triune God), as well as that of God the Father and God the Son in transmitting, preserving, and interpreting the God-breathed words of Scripture for each child of God (1 Cor 2:12-14, John 14:26, John 16:13). Even the mystery of the Trinity is revealed in this verse Isa 9:6, as God the Son, Jesus Christ, is called the “Counsellor”, “the Mighty God” and “the Everlasting Father”. The Scriptures declares in Col 2:9, “For in him [Lord Jesus] dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily”. Hence, God the Son boldly asserted in John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me”.

Isa 41:28-29 “For I beheld, and there was no man; even among them, and there was no counselor, that, when I asked of them, could answer a word. 29Behold, they are all vanity; their works are nothing: their molten images are wind and confusion.”

Isa 42:1-8 “Behold my servant [or the Lord Jesus], whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. 2He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. 3A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. 4He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law. 5Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: 6I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; 7To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house. 8I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.”

Luke 4:17-19 “And there was delivered unto him [Lord Jesus Christ] the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, 18The Spirit of the Lord is upon me [Lord Jesus Christ], because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”

Luke 2:25-33 “And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. 26And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, 28Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, 29Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: 30For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, 31Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; 32A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel [Israel of God or the Elect]. 33And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.”

Unto Us a Son is Given - “WONDERFUL” is His Name. Read more...

2012-03-17T19:41:00.001-07:00

Unto us a Son is Given: His Name shall be called “Wonderful”- The Hebrew word translated as “Wonderful” is pele (H6382), which describes the “wonder” of God Himself. And when we try to speak about God, we are discussing an Infinite Being Who is so far superior to man that our tiny minds can only comprehend glimpses of His glory, power, and majesty in the Scriptures. Our spiritual bondage to sin and subsequent salvation by the work of Christ is illustrated by the Israelites, who were slaves in Egypt for over 400 years until God delivered them out of Pharaoh’s hand. God appeared to Moses for the purpose of revealing His will for the Israelites in Acts 7:34, “I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them …”. The Israelites (a picture of the elect) were “safely” delivered by God (a picture of salvation) out of the hand of Pharaoh (a picture of Satan), and in the process He destroyed the Egyptian army (a picture of unbelievers): “And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies”(Psa 78:53). The Israelites were physically “saved”, or “delivered”, out of slavery in Egypt; and, of course, symbolically this is a marvelous illustration of the nature of salvation. However, those over the age of twenty died in unbelief and ultimately had to pay for their sins in Hell. God had simply allowed them to escape from their oppressors. So we can say that even though the Israelites did obtain political freedom, they did not necessarily obtain spiritual freedom. That is, they saved their physical lives, but many lost their souls in the process because of lack of faith (Heb 3:16-19). In Exo 15, we witness this in the song of praise that Moses and the Israelites sang in worship to God for having delivered them from Pharaoh and his army typifying God delivering us from the kingdom of Satan (Col 1:13, Rev 15:2-4). God has provided a Savior, or Redeemer – that is, One Who is able to deliver us from our slavery to sin, and the subsequent punishment in Hell, which we so richly deserve: “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins”. (Matt 1:21). This was Jesus’ mission, as He Himself declared in Luke 4:18-19: “... to preach deliverance to the captives, ... to set at liberty them that are bruised ...”. The word “wonders” at the end of verse Exo 15:11 is the Hebrew word pele (H6382): “Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders (pele)?”.

Isa 9:6 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

Exo 15:1-2, 6, 11 “Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. 2The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: ... 6Thy right hand [representing Lord Jesus Christ], O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy ... 11Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders (pele)?”

Col 1:12-20 “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: 15Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:”

Rev 15:2-4 “And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. 3And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. 4Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.”

The “Marvelous” Work of Salvation - In Psalm 78, which outlines the history of the nation of Israel, pele (H6382) is rendered as “marvellous things”: “Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan” (Psa 78:12). As we seen above, spiritually, the historical great deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt symbolizes the nature of salvation by God’s power and grace alone. This is clearly understood from a citation like Exodus 14. Moses, under divine inspiration, declare to the people, “… stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day”. The Israelites were trapped with mountains on either side of them, the sea in front of them, and the greatest army on earth on their heels. In reality, they could do absolutely nothing but wait on God, and trust that what God had proclaimed He would most certainly fulfill. But isn’t this what one has to do with regard to salvation? Doesn’t Lam 3:26 declare this? “It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD”. This is what God has accomplished in saving each of His elect children through the work of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Let’s look a little more closely at the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus to better understand the spiritual significance of our deliverance. Jesus had to become a man as we read in Heb 2:14-15: “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; ...”. This in itself is humbling for eternal, infinite God. We read in Php 2:8, “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross”. Christ’s death served to free the true believers from their bondage to sin, the world, and Satan as Heb 2:14 declares, “… that through death he [Christ] might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil”. Gal 1:4 affirms that Christ fulfilled the will of God the Father: “Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world: according to the will of God and our Father”. And 1 The 1:10 affirms “… whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come”.

Exo 14:13 “And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.”

Lam 3:24-26 “The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.”

Heb 2:14-15 “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”

The “Wonderful” Works of God - The promise that God uttered in Deu 31:6 by Moses, at the end of his life, should be a tremendous encouragement to every Christian: “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee”. Indeed, Moses had exclaimed earlier in Exo 33:15, “And he [Moses] said unto him [God], If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence”. In fact, for the next 40 years “… the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night”, as we learn from Exo 13:21. Prior to Joshua’s death at 110 years of age, he records these words as a reminder to the Israelites, as well as to us, in Jos 24:17: “For the LORD our God, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and which did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went and among all the people through whom we passed”. As the Bible chronicles God’s faithful care and love for His people – His flock – the tender words of Isa 40:11 come to mind: “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young”. After we have received salvation, God leads us to the “still [or quiet] waters” to drink of the Water of Life – the Gospel – and to “green pastures” where we feed upon the Word of God. “Wonderful works” in Acts 2:11, describes the events of Pentecost Sunday, when Holy Spirit was given to believers to lead them the way: “Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God”. As incredible as that may seem, a true believer has become the dwelling - place of the living God, as Rom 5:9 teaches: “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his”. Lord Jesus gave us more information concerning the Holy Spirit’s wonderful ministry to every single Christian, in John 16:13: “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come”. It is not too difficult to assume that if God is so wonderful, then His Word – The Word of Truth must likewise reflect His infinite wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. In fact, the Bible reveals His Holy nature and attributes. What are the “wondrous things” in Psa 119:18: “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law”, that we are to behold in God’s Law, the Bible, which he gave to believers to give them light? It is Christ and His Gospel!. May God indeed open our eyes to His Truth as He did to those two men (by saving them) on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:45). May Psa 25:5 be our prayer each day: “Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day”. Moreover, may God give each of us an increasingly greater desire to obey His Word.

John 10:2-5 “But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.”

Psa 78:4-7 “We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. 5For he established a testimony in Jacob [typifying Elect of God], and appointed a law [Bible] in Israel [typifying born again believers], which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: 6That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: 7That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:”

Good Tidings of Great Joy

2012-03-17T19:38:00.000-07:00

Jesus (Jehovah Saviour) - Saviour from Our Sins. Since Christmas is celebrated in almost every country, the birth of Christ is undoubtedly the best-known part of the Bible for people all over the world. But beyond the Baby in a manger Who would bring "peace" on earth and "good will toward men", most people do not grasp the real significance of Jesus' birth. Christ came for a very specific mission.

Mat 1:21"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins."

Isa 43:11 "I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour."

Hos 13:4 "Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me."

Luke 2 :10-11 "And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."

Tit 1:3-4 "But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour; 4To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour."

Titus 3:4-6 "But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, 6Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;"

Acts 4:12 "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

Tit 2:13 "Looking for that blessed hope [second coming of our Lord], and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."

Peace on Earth - Yes, He did come to bring "peace", but it is a spiritual peace that ends the warfare between mankind and his Creator, God Almighty. Why does such "enmity", or hatred, exist between man and God? It is because of our sin, which is sending us to Hell.

Luke 2:14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

Acts 10:36"The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all)."

Eph 2:14-15 "For he [Lord Jesus Christ] is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 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."

Rom 5:8-10 "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life."

2 Cor 5:18-20 "And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God."

The Righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ - This passage clearly underscores the necessity of Jesus' first coming to pay for the sins of His people, to clothe them with His righteousness, and to qualify them to enter heaven. Isa 61:10 beautifully describes this gift which God graciously bestows upon His elect.

Isa 61:10"I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels."

Phil 3:9 "And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:"

2 Pet 1:1 "Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:"

Lord Jesus Christ is the bread of life - The birth of the Lord Jesus was foretold by Micah the prophet in Micah 5. Micah's prophecy informs us that the Lord Jesus was to be born in Bethlehem, or the "house of Bread". This should not surprise us because the Bible refers to Jesus Christ as the "Bread of Life".

Mic 5:2 "But thou, Bethlehem Ephrata, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

John 6:35"And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst."

John 6:51 “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”

Emmanuel, God with us - The Bible also details His virgin birth, His eternal deity, and His many names. Because of time we will be able to look at only a few of His names. Mat 1 speaks about His virgin birth and emphasizes that one of His names is "God with us". Isa 9:6 is a passage that lists five of the Lord Jesus' names.

Mat 1:18 "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost."

Mat 1:23 "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us."

Jer 23:5-6 "Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS."

Isa 9:6 "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

Light of the World - The Lord Jesus was not welcome as a baby, nor as man. He is the Light of the World but we love darkness rather than light, because our deeds are evil.

Luke 2:7 "And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn."

Isa 53:2-3 "He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not."

John 3:16-21 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."

Good Tidings of Great Joy - The good tidings that the "angel", or messenger, announced in this verse is referring to the spreading of the Gospel of salvation. Once again we need to be reminded that this was Jesus' mission, as He Himself declared in Luke 4. The responsibility of preaching the Gospel did not fall on Christ alone, but on every one of His followers thereafter. May God give us grace to be obedient to this command.

Luke.2:10-11 "And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."

Luke 4:18-19, 21 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me [Lord Jesus Christ], because he hath anointed me [Lord Jesus Christ] to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord… And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears."

Mark 16:15 "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."

Rom 10:14-15 "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15And 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!"