Tag Archives: Old Testament

Our Inheritance With Christ Jesus

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Our Inheritance With Christ Jesus

 

 

 

 

 

Matthew 11:11, “Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding, he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

 

 

 

 

 

MATTHEW 11:2-19, LUKE 7:18-35

Much of the Old Testament deals with future events and the coming Messiah and His Kingdom. Not only was John the Baptist the voice of God to his generation, he was also the fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy. He did not merely prophesy about the coming Messiah and the New Covenant, as the Old Testament prophets did, but he actually prepared the way for the hearts of the people to receive Jesus by bearing witness to the Light.

Although John the Baptist was the greatest of the Old Testament prophets, he was not a born again “new creature in Christ”. When Jesus was raised from the dead, He enabled us to be “born of the Spirit” and become children of God, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ. We were enabled to become “partakers of the divine nature” and full-fledged sons of God. John operated under the Old Covenant when none of these promises were yet in effect. Jesus established a new order, “the Kingdom of God,” in which these promises became effective. God saw John and all of the Old Testament prophets through the law.

The new birth is essential for entering into the Kingdom of God. Our spiritual man became dead unto (separated from) God through sin. Just as we didn’t accomplish our physical birth, we cannot produce this spiritual rebirth. We are totally incapable of saving ourselves; therefore, we need a Saviour. We simply believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and we are saved.

Salvation is not a reformation, but rather a regeneration, a new birth, a new creation, that can only be accomplished by a creative miracle of the Holy Spirit. Because of the new birth, He sees us through Jesus. Celebrate Life!

 

 

 

 

 

 

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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Say Yes To God ( A Mother’s Love)

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Česky: Kříže - symbol utrpení Ježíše Krista a ...

Say Yes To God ( A Mother’s Love)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Read:   Acts 10:9-16

 

 

 

 

 

 

Memorize:  “when He has brought them out, He goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow Him, because they know His voice” (John 10:4)

The one God loves has to grapple with certain tough challenges. As the last born of my mother, I was her favourite. While other children were playing, she would compel me to sit and read my books. Sometimes, I would remind her that all the other children were playing, but she would reply that all the others were not her business. I thought she was too strict with me but today, I have reasons to thank God for my strict mother. Ephesians 5:1-7 says if you are one of God’s own, you should not indulge in sins like fornication, uncleanness, foolish talking, etc, not even for once! In other words, other so-called Christians may be doing it but you cannot afford to follow their evil steps. There are certain things some pastors and church leaders would do and God would appear to be quiet about it, yet, if some believers attempted such, they would receive a bashing from the LORD. It shows how much God loves such a believer. If God no more corrects you, you might have reached a point of no return or be on the way to becoming irrelevant to God.

As a believer of God, you must learn to say “YES LORD” to all of God’s instructions. Quite a number of people have lost opportunities for starting large ministries due to their refusal to say, “YES LORD”. God is not static. When Heaven moves, it takes those who can drop their old beliefs and dogmas to move to the next level with Him. One major change ever experienced was the movement from the Old Testament to the New Testament. While most of the leaders in the synagogue resisted change and stuck to the Mosaic Law, others who embraced the change became born-again, and began to enjoy the grace and truth that the LORD brought. Do you say “Yes” or “No” to the promptings of the Spirit? Yield to Him today!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Key Point:  

When God wants something from you, what He expects to hear is, “Yes, LORD”. What is your response today? Always say yes to Him!

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Pastor E A Adeboye

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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About Those Scribes

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Woe unto You, Scribes and Pharisees

Woe unto You, Scribes and Pharisees (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

About Those Scribes

 

 

 

 

 

Luke 6:7, “And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day, that they might find an accusation against him.”

 

 

 

 

 

MATTHEW 12:1-14; MARK 2:23-3:6; LUKE 6:1-11

The scribes were copyists of the Holy Scriptures. They preserved in written form the oral law, and faithfully handed down the Hebrew Scriptures. In New Testament times, they were students, interpreters, and teachers of the Old Testament. Their functions regarding the law were to teach it, develop it, and use it in any connection with the Sanhedrin and various local courts. They were ambitious for honour, which they demanded, especially from their pupils, as well as from the general public. This homage was readily granted them (Mt. 23:5-11).

Ezra was a scribe during the Babylonian captivity of the Jews, and he was a very godly man. The office of a scribe was a worthy one, but the scribes of Jesus’ day were often rebuked by Him for having gone beyond the job of copying out the scriptures. They had a large volume of interpretations that they had added to the scriptures based on traditions, and had thus made “the word of God of none effect” (Mk. 7:13).

The scribes became an independent company of interpreters of the law and leaders of the people. Even they, themselves, sought to evade certain of their own precepts (Mt. 23:2-4). They clashed with Christ for He taught with authority and condemned the external formalism that they fostered (Mt. 7:28-29). They persecuted Peter and John (Acts 4:3-7) and had a part in Stephen’s martyrdom (Acts 6:12). However, although the majority opposed Christ, some did believe (Mt. 21:15).

Later on, we’ll read how Jesus exposed the hypocrisy of the scribes by dealing with issues of the heart. They appeared to be holy outwardly, but their hearts were far from God. It is important for us to keep our hearts tender and receptive to His Word, and give ourselves to Him in worship. Think about the good things he has done for you today and be thankful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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The Lesson of Elijah

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Jezabel and Ahab Meeting Elijah in Naboth's Vi...

The Lesson of Elijah

God is A Personal Spirit!

“Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for Him to act.” (Psalm 37:7)

Do you ever ask, “Why don’t I experience God dramatically as the early believers did? Why do I not see anyone experiencing God that way?” A man from Old Testament times, a prophet named Elijah, struggled with this.

Elijah lived in a day, much like today, when many people doubted or scoffed at God. He longed to see God move with tremendous power and silence the critics. Sometimes God did that. But there was a time when Elijah’s very life was in danger, and God seemed silent. An evil and godless queen named Jezebel sent her armies to kill Elijah. Was this his reward for being loyal and faithful to God? His depression and despair cut so deeply that Elijah finally asked God to simply let him die. If God wasn’t going to speak or act what was the point of even living?

God taught Elijah an unforgettable lesson. He sent the prophet to a mountain and commanded him to stand and watch as the Lord passed. Wasn’t that what Elijah wanted, after all? His heart must have raced as he anticipated looking upon the glory of God with his own two eyes. But instead, God came in a gentle whisper.

Elijah understood the message. God can hurl windstorms whenever He chooses. He can make the earth tremble or set it aflame. But He usually does not choose to move among us in sensational ways, but rather in the sound of a gentle whisper.

Your View of God Really Matters …

Why do you think God allowed Elijah to get so depressed he wanted to die? How did God restore Elijah’s hope? Do you ever get depressed? Next time, listen for the gentle whisper.

Because God is A Personal Spirit, I will seek intimate fellowship with Him.

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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Jesus did not come to accept our sacrificial acts, but to make Himself a sacrifice for our sins. He did all this to give us new life in Him

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Jesus is considered by scholars such as Weber ...

Jesus did not come to accept our sacrificial acts, but to make Himself a sacrifice for our sins. He did all this to give us new life in Him

SOMETHING NEW

 

Luke 5:36-37, “And he spake a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old. And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish.”

 

MATTHEW 9:11-17, MARK 2:16-22, LUKE 5:30-39

These two parables are in response to the scribes’ and Pharisees‘ criticism (v. 30) and the question from John’s disciples about why Jesus didn’t act according to their religious traditions and expectations (Mt. 9:14; Mk. 2:18). The gist of these parables was to show that Jesus came to do a new thing that would not mix with the old covenant ways that were familiar to people (Isa. 43:18-19; Jer. 31:31-34; Heb. 8:7-13).

A new cloth sown on an old garment in Jesus’ day would shrink the first time it was washed. Then it would tear away from the old garment that had already shrunk, making the hole worse. This illustrates that Jesus did not come to patch up the old Mosaic covenant, but to replace it (Heb. 7:18-19).

Also, new wine (not yet fermented) had to be put into new or reconditioned wineskins to allow for the expansion of gases within the skin as the result of the fermentation process. Otherwise, an old wineskin that had already been stretched by use would simply burst and all the wine would run out. The Old Testament laws could never stretch enough to accommodate the New Testament truths of mercy and grace (Heb. 10:1-10). Jesus set us free from the judgment of the Old Testament laws (Rom. 6:14; 7:1-4; 8:2; 10:3-4; Gal. 3:12-14, 23-24; 5:4; Phil. 3:9).

These religious scribes and Pharisees (Lk. 5:30) were making the terrible mistake of trusting in their own efforts to produce their right standing (righteousness) with God. Jesus did not come to accept our sacrificial acts, but to make Himself a sacrifice for our sins. He did all this to give us new life in Him. Thank Him for His grace today.

 

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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God Is Holy (Holiness requires separation from sin)

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God Is Holy (Holiness requires separation from sin)

“And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus.” (Hebrews 10:19)

In Old Testament times the Israelites worshipped God in a tabernacle, which pictured God’s holiness and His separation from sinful mankind. Any priest who entered God’s tabernacle first had to sacrifice an animal on the Brazen Altar to atone for sin. Next was the Laver in which the priest washed his hands and feet before he appeared before the Lord—once again a symbol of our need for cleansing from sin.

The tabernacle had three sections: the large area of service, the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies.

The Holy of Holies was the place where God’s presence resided. It was hidden from view by a curtain so heavy that it took four men to move it. Only the High Priest was allowed to enter this place—and only once a year—to offer sacrifices for his own sins and the sins of the people. If anyone else tried, God would strike him dead.

Why was the place of God’s presence in the tabernacle hidden from view? Because God is so holy that no one can look upon His glory and live. No one can approach our holy God without a sacrifice of blood to atone for sin.

This was the reason for Jesus, the Lamb of God, and His sacrifice on the cross. The only thing that can satisfy the judgment of sin demanded by God’s holiness is the shedding of pure, innocent blood. And only Jesus’ blood met this high standard.

Your View of God Really Matters …

Thank God that He has made you holy by the blood of Jesus. Resolve to follow Him today, allowing Him to make you holy.

What More Does God Say?

Hebrews 10:10; John 17:19

Because God is holy, I will devote myself to Him in purity, worship and service.

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me

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Resurrection of Christ

Resurrection of Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me

Acts 28:23-24

“So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening. And some were persuaded by the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved.”
NKJV

Interesting… Paul used what part of the Bible? He used the Hebrew Scriptures. Paul used the Old Testament to show that Jesus was the Messiah; Yeshua HaMashiach in Hebrew. It’s amazing to me how many churches, pastors, and Christians are willing to throw aside the Hebrew Scriptures calling them outdated or not relevant for today. We see Jesus all through the Old Testament! He’s in Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and all the way through the Psalms and into the prophets. Friend, you cannot throw out the Hebrew Scriptures without saying that Jesus is no longer relevant. Some would try to say that there are other paths to God. It is true that all paths do lead to God, but there’s only one path that leads to heaven. Everyone will stand before God, but without Jesus, you will be eternally separated from heaven and God at that meeting.

John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” NKJV

Jesus did not say, “I am one of many ways.” Friend, God has provided THE way for forgiveness and restoration to Him and that way is through His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus died on a cross and was resurrected from the grave for our sins.

Jesus is the way to God’s forgiveness. He’s the only way.

Acts 4:12 “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” NKJV

Romans 10:9-10 “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” NKJV

 

Life Lesson: Jesus and the Bible teach us that Jesus is the only way to heaven.

Dear Father,
Thank You for providing the means for my salvation. Thank You, Jesus, for dying on the cross for my sins so that I can be saved. Thank You for forgiving me of my sins. Please give me the courage to be a witness for You here on earth. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Touched By Love

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Christ cleansing a leper by Jean-Marie Melchio...

Touched By Love

 

Mark 1:41, “And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him…. and he was cleansed.”

 

MATTHEW 8:1-4, MARK 1:40-45, LUKE 5:12-15

Only Mark records this important statement that Jesus was “moved with compassion” in the healing of this leper. There are three other instances in the gospels when Jesus was moved with compassion which resulted in healing (Mt. 14:14; 20:34; Lk. 7:13; and once in deliverance – Mk.5:19). The difference between seeing a person healed or not healed many times is this all-important ingredient of love.

All three of the Gospel accounts record Jesus touching this leper. This not only illustrates the doctrine of “laying on of hands”, but was probably included because according to Numbers 19:22, this action would have made Jesus unclean. This illustrates the New Testament ministry of the Spirit versus the Old Testament ministry of the letter of the law (2 Cor. 3:6).

Jesus did not have to avoid the ceremonial uncleanness that would come from physical contact with a leper because He came to bear our sins in His own body. As can be seen from Mark’s account, two things happened: (1) the leprosy departed and (2) the man was cleansed. Jesus not only removed the disease but restored the damaged parts of his body. This leper was healed as soon as Jesus spoke.

The Word of God is the will of God, and it reveals that it is always God’s will to heal. Jesus often healed people by touching them, and others received their healing as they touched Jesus. You can transmit the power or the anointing of God through the laying on of hands. Let Him use you today to touch others.

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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The sacrifice of praise

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The Redeemed Christian Church of GOD.
HOLY GHOST CONGRESS!
Theme: A NEW THING.
Date: 12-17 Dec, 2011.
Venue: Redemption camp, KM 46, Lagos Ibadan expressway, Nigeria.
You are invited!

The sacrifice of praise

By Him therefore let s offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His Name (Hebrews 13:15)

The sacrifice of praise are the confessions, declarations, psalms, hymns and spiritual songs of the glory, grace and goodness of God that we make unto Him. It’s different from saying, “I praise You Lord, I just thank You for everything…..”Praise is more than that. Praising God means giving thanks to His Name for definite reasons.

In the Old Testament, the priests offered specific offerings to God; they offered sacrifices of burnt offerings and burnt incense, according to the specifications of the law. We also in the New Testament are admonished to offer sacrifices of praise to God and Hebrews 13:15 clearly describes the content of the sacrifice we’ve been called to offer: “By Him (Jesus Christ) therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His Name.”

As you worship the Lord and adore Him, making confessions to His Name, you’re offering unto Him the sacrifice of praise. As you offer quality praise and present your body to Him as a living sacrifice, you send forth incense unto Him, and His presence rubs-off on you and overshadows you.

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank You for Your Word, the entrance of which has given me light and understanding today, concerning true worship! Thus, from the depths of my heart this day, I worship You for Your goodness and grace towards me, I thank You for making me a heir of the eternal salvation You wrought through Christ Jesus! Amen!

www.christembassy.org

May Our God The Almighty prosper Nigeria and Israel and defend us from all our enemies in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

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Where to find help in the Scripture/Bible

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Photo of the Book of Isaiah page of the Bible

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WHERE
TO FIND HELP IN THE SCRIPTURES/BIBLE!

Whenever you doubt that God loves you                                 John3:16

Whenever God seems to delay                                                     John11:1-44

Whenever evil seems greater than God                                                                   Revelation19:6

Whenever you doubt that God is able                                       Ephesians3:20

Whenever someone has wronged you                                      Colossians3:13

Whenever you are prideful                                                            Romans12:3

Whenever you need direction                                                      Psalms25:9

Whenever you are anxious                                                            1Peter 5:7

Whenever you feel no one understands                                 Hebrews 4:14

Whenever you are feeling shame                                              Proverbs28:13

Whenever you sin                                                                             1John 1:9

Whenever you need forgiveness                                               Psalms51

Whenever you need guidance                                                    Proverbs3:5-6

Whenever you feel sorry for yourself                                     Psalm102

Whenever you want to enjoy life                                               Isaiah 1:9

Whenever you lost hope in business                                       Revelation3:7

Whenever you carry a heavy load                                             Matthew11:28-30

Whenever you doubt your worth                                              Psalms 139:13-18

Whenever you don’t feel at peace with God                         Romans5:1-5

Whenever you are angry                                                               Ephesians4:26-27

Whenever you see evil people prosper                                  Psalms37:1-3

Whenever you worry                                                                      Matthew6:34

Whenever you abandoned                                                           Hebrews13:5

Whenever you need more than human help                      Psalms46

Whenever your past haunt you                                                 Colossians 1:21-22

Whenever you suffer for doing good                                      1Peter.1:6-7

Whenever you need wisdom                                                      James 1:5-8

Whenever there are troubles with your wife                     Ephesians5:25-30

Whenever there are troubles with your husband           Ephesians5:22-24

Whenever you are tempted to commit sexual sins        1Corinthians 6:18-20

Whenever you lose a loved one                                                1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

May God Almighty prosper Nigeria and
Israel and defend them from all their enemies in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

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