What is the best way to face the next pandemic? Don’t close schools or businesses; no mandates for masks or drugs, and don’t give up your constitutional freedoms!
Watch Jesus Continue to Pursue Your Salvation
For the last five weeks, we’ve taken a little detour into how to effectively share Christ’s message of salvation. (See Jesus is One Serious Son; The New Boss is the Same as the Old Boss; Do You Know How to Enter the Kingdom of Heaven; How to Handle Salvation Doubts; and Revealing the Mysteries of Christian Theology.)
Now, let’s return to where we left off with the adventures of Jesus and His apostles. (See Are Their Limits to the Power of Christ). He was teaching people (and the apostles) in parables. And then He prepared them to evangelize others with His Salvation message.
Last time we heard of John the Baptist, he was languishing in prison, locked up by the governor in Galilee, Herod the tetrarch. The consequences forced upon John for publicly shaming Herod for stealing his brother’s wife.
John was in prison for a year when Herod threw a birthday party for the daughter of Herodias, his new wife. Herod told the birthday girl that she could have whatever she wanted. After she consulted her mother, she asked for the head of John the Baptist. To save face in front of the party’s guests, Herod reluctantly granted her wish.
Jesus learned of fate of John the Baptist in the spring of 29 A.D. and wanted to seek solace by Himself. However, a very large crowd came upon Him asking for healing. Our compassionate Savior granted their request.
…the crowds found out where he was going, and they followed him. He welcomed them and taught them about the Kingdom of God, and he healed those who were sick. Lk. 9:11 NLT
The evening of the same day, the apostles returned from their ministerial travels. Seeing the large crowd, (now numbering 5000*), the apostles asked Jesus to send the crowd away. Instead, Jesus told them to feed the crowd! *That was a count for adult men. There were also women and children present.
…He said to Philip, “Where will we buy bread for these people to eat?” But He said this to test Philip, because He knew what He was about to do. Jn. 6:5, 6. AMP
Jesus asked the apostle Philip, because he was a local to that area. He answers Him – basically telling Him that it would cost far more money than they had:
“Two hundred denarii worth of bread wouldn’t be enough for each of them to have a little.” Jn. 6:7 CSB
At the same time, the apostle Andrew approaches and tells Jesus that there is a boy present with 5 barley loaves and 2 fish, but states that that amount was meaningless with regards to being able to feed the entire crowd.
Jesus tells His disciples to have the people sit down:
Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted. After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.” So they picked up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps left by the people who had eaten from the five barley loaves. Jn. 6:10 – 13. NLT
This miraculous display created many converts that day:
When the people saw the sign (attesting miracle) that He had done, they began saying, “This is without a doubt the promised Prophet who is to come into the world!” Jn. 6:14 AMP (Note: this is the only miracle Christ performed that is in all 4 Gospels).
But the people thought the Messiah was going to come as a military king, to conquer the Roman’s rule over them. That is not part of His plan. Jesus reacts:
Then Jesus, knowing that they were going to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountainside by Himself. Jn. 6:15 AMP
Immediately He directed the disciples to get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side [of the Sea of Galilee], while He sent the crowds away. After He had dismissed the crowds, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. When it was evening, He was there alone. Mt. 14:22, 23. AMP
The disciples were waiting for Jesus, but the boat they were waiting in, drifted away from the shore to the middle of the sea. And the wind thwarted their efforts to row to return to the shore.[1] Suddenly, the see Christ walking on the water towards them!
…but when they saw him walking on the water, they cried out in terror, thinking he was a ghost. Mk. 6:49 NLT
Jesus assures them that it is He. Peter gets a little cocky and tells Him that if He is the Messiah, He should be able to make it possible for Peter to walk on water as well:
“Yes, come,” Jesus said.
So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. Mt. 14:29 NLT
Peter had left the boat with faith in Jesus’ ability to facilitate his walking on water. But he noticed the rough winds, and panicked as he began to sink into the sea – crying out to Jesus to save him.
Jesus pulls Peter out of the water and says:
“You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?” Mt. 14:31 NLT
The moment Jesus gets on the boat, the wind stopped; and the boat supernaturally sailed to the opposite shore. Jesus’ Holy stature is finally sinking into the apostles’ minds:
Then those in the boat worshiped Him [with awe-inspired reverence], saying, “Truly You are the Son of God!” Mt. 14:33 AMP
(This is one of the proofs of Jesus’ deity, that He allowed them to worship Him.)
Christ and His retinue land on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, in the region of Gennesaret. When they debarked, Jesus healed multitudes, some being healed by only touching His garments.
Jesus and the apostles then journeyed to the city of Capernaum – followed by a large crowd, many of whom were just looking for a meal, after hearing about His previous feeding of the 5000. Knowing this, Christ addresses it in His preaching:
“But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.” Jn. 6:27 NLT
Initially, the crowd is confused because the Pharisees previously taught them that one must earn their way to heaven / eternal life. So, in response, the people ask Him what it is that they must do to please Jehovah God. He responds:
“This is the work of God: that you believe [adhere to, trust in, rely on, and have faith] in the One whom He has sent.” Jn. 6:29 AMP
(For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God; not as a result of [your] works [nor your attempts to keep the Law], so that no one will [be able to] boast or take credit in any way [for his salvation]. Eph. 2:8, 9. AMP)
The people answer by asking Jesus for a ‘miracle to prove His Messiahship.’ Jesus will not entertain them like a trained seal. Instead, He leads them into deeper thought as to His purpose in being obedient to His Fathers commands:
“…our ancestors ate manna while they journeyed through the wilderness! The Scriptures say, ‘Moses gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”
Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” Jn. 6:31 – 33. NLT
(“…necessary food for the spiritually starving.” J.C. Ryle)
The crowd cannot keep their minds off their flesh. They ask Him for some of this ‘literal’ bread. Our Lord of infinite patience, love, and mercy responds:
“I am the Bread of Life. The one who comes to Me will never be hungry, and the one who believes in Me [as Savior] will never be thirsty [for that one will be sustained spiritually]. But as I told you, you have seen Me and still you do not believe. All that My Father gives Me will come to Me; and the one who comes to Me I will most certainly not cast out [I will never, never reject anyone who follows Me]. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but to do the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but that I [give new life and] raise it up at the last day. For this is My Father’s will and purpose, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him [as Savior] will have eternal life, and I will raise him up [from the dead] on the last day.” Jn. 35 – 40. AMP
This is a great moment to affirm the above Scripture with my personal biblical favorite:
(And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rm. 8:38, 39. NLT)
Jesus could not be clearer. He is our one and only ticket to eternity – the living, breathing redemptive plan for all of humankind that accept Him as their Savior.
However, He is facing a tough crowd, whose minds are being led into confusion through satanic attempts to interrupt or distort the Gospel. There are many unbelievers in the crowd. Jesus lovingly tries to give them greater clarity to bring them to His Father:
So Jesus answered, “Stop murmuring among yourselves. No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him [giving him the desire to come to Me]; and I will raise him up [from the dead] on the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they will all be taught of God.’[2] Everyone who has listened to and learned from the Father, comes to Me. Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He [who was with the Father and] who is from God; He [alone] has seen the Father. I assure you and most solemnly say to you, he who believes [in Me as Savior—whoever adheres to, trusts in, relies on, and has faith in Me—already] has eternal life [that is, now possesses it].
“I am the Bread of Life [the Living Bread which gives and sustains life]. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.This is the Bread that comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the Living Bread that came down out of heaven. If anyone eats of this Bread [believes in Me, accepts Me as Savior], he will live forever. And the Bread that I will give for the life of the world is My flesh (body).” Jn. 6:43 – 51. AMP
Finally! We get the complete picture of our God-connection:
When we seek God, He leads us to Christ. Jesus in turn, connects us with God through Himself. Christ willingly vacated His heavenly throne next to the right hand of His Father[3] to inhabit flesh, so that we could relate to Him and to the redemption that Jehovah offers through His Son’s sacrifice of His flesh and blood upon the cross.
(Therefore there is now no condemnation [no guilty verdict, no punishment] for those who are in Christ Jesus [who believe in Him as personal Lord and Savior]. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life [which is] in Christ Jesus [the law of our new being] has set you free from the law of sin and of death. Rm. 8:1, 2. AMP)
Yet despite Christ’s entreaty, this thick-skulled crowd is repulsed by Jesus’ flesh and blood analogies. Instead, they take Him literally, thinking they really must eat His physical flesh and drink His blood. Our Savior is relentless with regards to the salvation of humankind. He presses in deeper:
“I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood [unless you believe in Me as Savior and believe in the saving power of My blood which will be shed for you], you do not have life in yourselves. The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood [believes in Me, accepts Me as Savior] has eternal life [that is, now possesses it], and I will raise him up [from the dead] on the last day. For My flesh is true [spiritual] food, and My blood is true [spiritual] drink. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood [believes in Me, accepts Me as Savior] remains in Me, and I [in the same way remain] in him. Just as the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, even so the one who feeds on Me [believes in Me, accepts Me as Savior] will also live because of Me.” Jn. 6:53 – 57. AMP
Jesus is attempting to plant seeds of faith that will be required for the people to hold onto their salvation, once the events in Calvary take place. But He will not violate anyone’s free will.
His flesh is an allegory for the spiritual food (Gospel), that one must ‘eat’ (bind to their hearts) to walk a godly path towards salvation. And His blood (His life) that He will shed for them, must be ‘drunk’ (believed in the cleansing power within), to obtain atonement for their sins, so that they may receive that salvation.
Yet most of the crowd, and even some of His followers, abandon Him.
(For the message of the cross is foolishness [absurd and illogical] to those who are perishing and spiritually dead [because they reject it], but to us who are being saved [by God’s grace] it is [the manifestation of] the power of God. 1 Cor. 1:18 AMP)
After most had left Him, He turns to His apostles and says:
But Jesus, aware that His disciples were complaining about it, asked them, “Does this cause you to stumble and take offense? What then [will you think] if you see the Son of Man ascending to [the realm] where He was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh conveys no benefit [it is of no account]. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life [providing eternal life]. But [still] there are some of you who do not believe and have faith.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who did not believe, and who would betray Him. Jn. 6:61 – 64. AMP
Then Christ asks them if they want to leave Him as well. The apostle Peter rightly responds:
“Lord, to whom shall we go? You [alone] have the words of eternal life [you are our only hope]. We have believed and confidently trusted, and [even more] we have come to know [by personal observation and experience] that You are the Holy One of God [the Christ, the Son of the living God].” Jn. 6:68, 69. AMP
To be continued…
Goodnight and God bless.
[1] Mk. 6:47
[2] Is. 54:13
[3] Rm. 8:34
Revealing the Mysteries of Christian Theology
Over the last four posts, we have been looking at the example of how Jesus prepared the apostles to evangelize His salvation clarion call, why everyone still needs to hear that message in the present age, how to personally evangelize, and finally, how to handle the most common objections people have for not accepting Christ as their Savior. (See Jesus is One Serious Son, The New Boss is the Same as the Old Boss, Do You Know How to Enter the Kingdom of Heaven, and How to Handle Salvation Doubts.)
Now, we are going to learn how to bring our potential converts greater clarity to their doubts concerning deeper aspects of Christian theology. Let’s take them one-by-one:
- ‘I don’t believe Jesus is God.’ Answer: I understand why you wouldn’t. This has been debated for centuries. Let’s let God answer it:
Then God said, “Let Us (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) make man in Our image, according to Our likeness [not physical, but a spiritual personality and moral likeness] … Gn. 1:26 AMP
Note that the Amplified translation inserts a triumvirate description in the Godhead. The New King James, Christian Standard, and New Living Translation says ‘us’ instead. You might think that their translations suggest that Jehovah is speaking in a sense of the royal ‘we’. Personally, I don’t think so.
Let’s see what Jesus had to say:
“It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the one who thirsts I will give [water] from the fountain of the water of life without cost.” Rv. 21:6. AMP
He repeats this again in Rv. 22:13, referring to the fact that He was present at least when time began, and will be again, when time ends.
Jehovah God says the same thing about Himself in Rv. 1:8. Food for thought.
Let’s listen to Christ again:
“I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I am!” Jn. 8:58 NLT
Jesus was referring to His heavenly, spiritual, eternal ‘I AM’, suggesting the name of His Father (Yahweh). He also said this:
Now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began.” Jn. 17:5 NLT
Jesus is placing Himself with His Father before creation began. Thus, He had yet to be incarnated. In that event, Christ was in heaven. So, He must have been a Spirit, because flesh and blood cannot enter heaven.[1]
Now let’s listen to the apostle John:
In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. He was [continually existing] in the beginning [co-eternally] with God. All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him not even one thing was made that has come into being. In Him was life [and the power to bestow life], and the life was the Light of men. Jn. 1:1-4. AMP
Whole lot of information there. Again, Jesus was with God before the beginning of creation, before time. And Jehovah designed the universe and created everything through Christ. No mere man could be a part of that process. Also, after the prophets died, we didn’t hear from God until Jesus was incarnated. He became His Father’s voice to His children:
God, having spoken to the fathers long ago in [the voices and writings of] the prophets in many separate revelations [each of which set forth a portion of the truth], and in many ways, has in these last days spoken [with finality] to us in [the person of One who is by His character and nature] His Son [namely Jesus], whom He appointed heir and lawful owner of all things, through whom also He created the universe [that is, the universe as a space-time-matter continuum]. The Son is the radiance and only expression of the glory of [our awesome] God [reflecting God’s Shekinah glory, the Light-being, the brilliant light of the divine], and the exact representation and perfect imprint of His [Father’s] essence, and upholding and maintaining and propelling all things [the entire physical and spiritual universe] by His powerful word [carrying the universe along to its predetermined goal]. When He [Himself and no other] had [by offering Himself on the cross as a sacrifice for sin] accomplished purification from sins and established our freedom from guilt, He sat down [revealing His completed work] at the right hand of the Majesty on high [revealing His Divine authority], having become as much superior to angels, since He has inherited a more excellent and glorious name than they [that is, Son—the name above all names]. Heb. 1:1-6 AMP
At the very least, Jesus was God-like. In fact, we are called to give Christ equal honor.[2] The Ten Commandments tell us to worship God only.[3] However, Jesus also allowed Himself to be worshipped.[4]
For me, if Jesus is not God, He is so much like Jehovah that there is no meaningful difference. However, some church sects present well thought-out objections. Let’s see how they hold up to biblical scrutiny:
First objection: Jesus died; and God cannot die. Answer: Only the human form of Christ died – that part (the perfect, sinless man) was the only acceptable sacrifice, paying for the sins of all humankind. His humanity was trusting Jehovah to care for Him. It was Christ’s ‘God essence’, Jesus’ Spiritual being, that raised Him from the dead, (which only God could do), so that the world could be reconciled to His Father.
Second objection: No one can see God and live.[5] Answer: True. But all the people saw, was Jesus’ human form, until after His resurrection – whereby they witnessed His integrated God-Man self.
Third objection: Jesus was flesh and blood. Answer: Yes, His human part was. The nature of His God-Man self is unknown. But we know that in that form, He could appear and disappear at will. Yet He allowed His apostles to physically inspect Him.[6]
Fourth objection: Jesus prayed to His Father. Answer: True. But that was prior to His becoming His God-Man integrative heavenly self.
Fifth and last objection: Jesus was tempted; and God cannot be tempted. Answer: Christ was tempted in His human flesh. Jehovah wanted His Son to be the High Priest of humankind. The only way to effectively do that, was for Jesus to gain an empathy towards humans by being one. His ‘God essence’ was not involved. God Himself cannot brook sin. This was the only way to ameliorate the human condition.[7]
Ultimately, even if the Godhead is considered as one, we must acknowledge (even if we don’t understand it), that there is some form of tripartite existence within the whole.
Jehovah declares Himself as one God.[8] We see Him and His Son separately in the prophet Daniel’s heavenly vision.[9] During Jesus’ baptism, we see the three (God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit) separate, but all together. [10] Jesus said that He required His Father’s power to accomplish anything; but that was referring to when He was manifested in the flesh.[11]
Jesus said that His Father was greater than He was.[12] We may consider that in the light of God being the integrative head of the whole Godhead; but that’s only conjecture on my part. Finally, we have the anguished outcries of Christ on the cross, but that was from the pain He was experiencing in His human flesh.[13]
All these Scriptures infers a closeness between the Father and the Son that we may never understand until our heavenly appointment.
As always, meet your potential convert where he or she is at, present your case, and the Holy Spirit will lead them to their needed understanding.
Well, our first deeper theological objection took a lot of sorting out, yes? Let’s consider a second one:
- ‘I believe that when you’re dead, that’s it. Done. No hereafter.’
The question of whether there is life after death has been pondered in the minds of humankind since the beginning of their cognizance. Fortunately, God has left us a rich treasure chest of knowledge regarding the true nature of His eternal disposition of the dead.
The first thing to understand, is that everyone is resurrected:
…the dust [out of which God made man’s body] will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. Eccl. 12:7 AMP
Many of those whose bodies lie dead and buried will rise up, some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting disgrace. Dn. 12:2 NLT
“…the time is coming when all the dead in their graves will hear the voice of God’s Son, and they will rise again. Those who have done good will rise to experience eternal life, and those who have continued in evil will rise to experience judgment.” Jn. 5:28, 29. NLT
It’s clear that there are only two paths for God’s eternal disposition of resurrected humankind – heaven or hell. We cannot sugarcoat this in our evangelizing. The good news is that the hearer learns that they are in complete control over how he or she positions themselves.
You can ignore God’s instructions for how to live your life, which constitutes disobedience to His commands, resulting in living out your eternity in God’s contempt, without love or any chance of redemption. It begins with Christ’s second advent, when He takes the throne of judgment: (Straight from Jesus’ mouth)
“Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons.’ Mt. 25:41 NLT
“If your eye causes you to stumble and sin, throw it out [that is, remove yourself from the source of temptation]! It would be better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where their worm [that feeds on the dead] does not die, and the fire is not put out.” Mk. 9:47, 48. AMP
You are either following God or chasing after the devil. There is no in-between. What happens when you choose God through Christ?
“All the prophets testify about Him, that through His name everyone who believes in Him [whoever trusts in and relies on Him, accepting Him as Savior and Messiah] receives forgiveness of sins.” Acts 10:43 AMP
“The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who rejects the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him.” Jn. 3:36 CSB
‘Eternal life.’ Yes, there is a heaven:
…the day you die is better than the day you are born. Eccl. 7:1 NLT
For surely there is a hereafter, and your hope will not be cut off. Pr. 23:18 NKJV
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I also saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.
Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away. Rv. 21:1 – 4. CSB:
Here is another very common theological objection:
- ‘Why does a good God allow such injustice, cruelty, and suffering?’ Answer: God did not plan a world with these conditions. He first created a paradise.[14] Nor did He design evil. In fact, He can’t, being a Holy God.[15] All He asks of us is obedience, because He knows what is best for us.[16]
God’s hands are tied when we turn our backs on Him. He will not violate our free will, because He wants us to freely choose to love Him. We are not expressing love when we disobey, and we are left to experience that which we have brought upon ourselves. Adam and Eve perpetrated the ‘original sin’ which exposed every subsequent generation to the effects of the corruption of the heart.
And people have been rebelling against Him ever since. They choose Satan and are doomed to perish if left to their own misconceptions.[17]
The devil and his followers are doomed to eternal judgment.[18] The only way out of that is to embrace Christ as your Savior.[19]
Lastly, let us consider the final objection:
- ‘Christians don’t act any better than non-believers’: Answer: Unfortunately, many times that is the case. We all must battle our sin nature, and we all will lose some of those skirmishes.[20] That’s where true repentance garnishes forgiveness from Christ.[21]
Well dear readers, I hope you feel better equipped to share the gospel. What a privilege it is, to contribute to another soul, through serving the living, loving God and His Son.
Goodnight and God Bless.
[1] 1 Cor. 15:50
[2] Jn. 5:22
[3] Ex. 20:4, 5.
[4] Mt. 14:33; Jn. 9:38
[5] Ex.33:20; Jn. 1:18; 6;46; 1 Jn. 4:12
[6] Mt. 28:16 – 20; Lk. 24:13 – 35; Jn. 20:19 – 23; 20:24 – 29; 21:1 – 14.
[7] Ps. 110.4; Zch. 6:13; Acts 3:26; Heb. 2:17, 18; 4:14, 15; 6:20; 7:11, 26 & 27
[8] Dt. 6:4; Is. 46:9
[9] Dn. 7:13, 14.
[10] Mt. 3:16, 17.
[11] Jn. 5:19, 20.
[12] Jn. 14:28
[13] Mk. 15:34
[14] Gn. 1:28 & 2:8
[15] Job 34:10
[16] Lv. 25:18
[17] 2 Cor. 4:3, 4.
[18] Jn 12:31
[19] Jn. 14:6
[20] 1 Kg. 8:46
[21] 1 Jn. 5:18
Building Better Americans 182
Leftists have always embraced socialism, marxism, even communism – making heroes out of brutal dictators.
One so-called ‘hero’ was Fidel Castro, a Marxist-Leninist by his own admission. The New York Times and Dan Rather lauded him as a liberator. Yet, he killed 100,00 people, put 30,000 in jail for political purposes, and drove Cuba into poverty while he amassed a fortune.