Today Is The Day!

There is a special time, it is called today. Yesterday is gone, tomorrow is not here. Today is Now and Now is the Time of Salvation:

1As God’s fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.
2For he says,
“In the time of my favor I heard you,
and in the day of salvation I helped you.”^[a]
I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.

2 Corinthians 6:1-2 NIV

The present is not the past nor the future. It is now, it is real, we are in it. Just as the Past is what was before now, just as the Future is what will be after, the Present is Today, it is Now, and Now is the Time of Salvation.

Consider the following:

Exposition of Psalm 95: Hearing God’s Word in Faith

3:7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says,

“Oh, that today you would listen as he speaks!

3:8 “Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of testing in the wilderness.

3:9 “There your fathers tested me and tried me, and they saw my works for forty years.

3:10 “Therefore, I became provoked at that generation and said, ‘Their hearts are always wandering and they have not known my ways.’

3:11 “As I swore in my anger, ‘They will never enter my rest!’”

3:12 See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has an evil, unbelieving heart that forsakes the living God. 3:13 But exhort one another each day, as long as it is called “Today,” that none of you may become hardened by sin’s deception. 3:14 For we have become partners with Christ, if in fact we hold our initial confidence firm until the end. 3:15 As it says, “Oh, that today you would listen as he speaks! Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” 3:16 For which ones heard and rebelled? Was it not all who came out of Egypt under Moses’ leadership? 3:17 And against whom was God provoked for forty years? Was it not those who sinned, whose dead bodies fell in the wilderness? 3:18 And to whom did he swear they would never enter into his rest, except those who were disobedient? 3:19 So we see that they could not enter because of unbelief.

God’s Promised Rest

4:1 Therefore we must be wary¹ that, while the promise of entering his rest remains open, none of you may seem to have come short of it. 4:2 For we had good news proclaimed to us just as they did. But the message they heard did them no good, since they did not join in² with those who heard it in faith.³ 4:3 For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said, “As I swore in my anger, ‘They will never enter my rest!’”⁴ And yet God’s works⁵ were accomplished from the foundation of the world. 4:4 For he has spoken somewhere about the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works,”⁶ 4:5 but to repeat the text cited earlier:⁷ “They will never enter my rest!” 4:6 Therefore it remains for some to enter it, yet those to whom it was previously proclaimed did not enter because of disobedience. 4:7 So God⁸ again ordains a certain day, “Today,” speaking through David⁹ after so long a time, as in the words quoted before,¹⁰ “O, that today you would listen as he speaks!¹¹ Do not harden your hearts.” 4:8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God¹² would not have spoken afterward about another day. 4:9 Consequently a Sabbath rest remains for the people of God. 4:10 For the one who enters God’s¹³ rest has also rested from his works, just as God did from his own works. 4:11 Thus we must make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by following the same pattern of disobedience. 4:12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the point of dividing soul from spirit, and joints from marrow; it is able to judge the desires and thoughts of the heart. 4:13 And no creature is hidden from God,¹⁴ but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account.

Hebrews 3:12-4:14 NET

The present is not the past nor the future. It is now, it is real, we are in it. Just as the Past is what was before now, just as the Future is what will be after, the Present is Today, it is Now, and Now is the Time of Salvation. Believe and accept it, and once you have follow the Way!

Amen.

Originally posted 2007-08-31 on http://amencomelordjesus.com/blog

The Names of G~d

I am going to refer you to the following page for an introduction on the subject of the Names of God:

The Name of God

It will also explain the use of the tilde in the title of this post.

I have read where there are 42 different Names for god used in the Bible. I’ll keep my eye out for a complete list.

I think it is important to understand more about the Name of God. The page above explains the Jewish meaning of names in general…it goes much deeper than simply a moniker by which one is called.

And so it is important to learn about and understand the different Names for God, our Father. Here are a couple that are important, and sometimes misunderstood:

YHVH - this is the unutterable Name of God, meaning I AM. It is God’s answer to Moses when he asked His Name. It is what is often translated Yahweh or, incorrectly, Jehovah and even Yahweh is not correct in that there are no vowels and the Name is not meant to be spoken. This Name reveals to us the Eternal Nature of God.

Elohim - this is the first Name of God used and underscores God’s creative power and his position as creator of all things.

When we talk about God, we need to remember He is not a concept, not a myth, not something at all…He is the Eternal Creator of All Things. He is our Father in Heaven. His Names are to be honored.

Likewise, so is His Son, our Saviour’s. Consider the following:

In the original Hebrew “Jesus Christ” is Yeshua haMashiach and is interpreted as “Yah who is Salvation, the Anointed One.” Yah is short for the Holy Name of YHVH, which itself means “He who was, who is, who is to come”, thus “the Eternally Existent One.” So, the full title of the Mashiach is “The Eternally Existent Saving and Anointed One.”

Who Is The Messiah?

Notice that our Lord’s name in His native language includes reference to both the Eternal Name of God and His (Yeshua’s) role as Saviour!

Praise The Lord!

Originally posted 2007-08-27 on http://amencomelordjesus.com/blog

Jesus Saves!

Jesus Christ (Yeshua the Messiah) was the Son of God (Yahweh). He was man and he was of God…conceived by the Holy Spirit. He was unique in that manner…the only man ever to be of God. We were made in God’s image, but were by God, not of God. It is the difference between creating things and procreating children.

We fell short. Deceived by Satan into disobeying God, we, as mankind, are cursed, We have sinned and the penalty is death.

Throughout the Old Testament, we learn that God demands life in sacrifice for the atonement of sin. Sin is separation from God and disobedience to His word.

Jesus allowed Himself to be sacrificed in atonement for all of our sins. All we must do to receive that atonement, that mercy, is to believe.

Thank you, Jesus, for paying the price for us! Thank you Lord God for giving Your Son in sacrifice.

Free yourself from the curse. Believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ and thank God for it.

That is all you have to do. Then, ask God to fill you with His Holy Spirit to guide you.

That is the New Covenant. We are free from the Law of the Old Testament and free from the curse of death. The rules are simple: don’t eat blood or animals sacrificed to idols, avoid sexual immorality. Those things come naturally with the guidance of the Spirit. Not easy, perhaps, there is always temptation. But keep the Lord Jesus Christ in your heart and in your mind, let the Spirit be your guide and thank the Lord God for everything and it all keeps getting easier.

In the meantime, have faith…Jesus saves…by faith and the sacrifice He made.

Peace!

Originally posted 2007-08-25 on http://amencomelordjesus.com/blog

The End...

This is the beginning of the last chapter of the Old Testament:

4:1 “For indeed the day is coming, burning like a furnace, and all the arrogant evildoers will be chaff. The coming day will burn them up,” says the Lord who rules over all. “It will not leave even a root or branch. 4:2 But for you who respect my name, the sun of vindication will rise with healing wings, and you will skip about like calves released from the stall. 4:3 You will trample on the wicked, for they will be like ashes under the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing,” says the Lord who rules over all.

Malachi 4:1-3 NET

I read this and it reminded me of the book of Revelation.

Those who think the End Times have already come are mistaken. There is yet another earthly appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, to come.

Think about it…it seems like there are plenty of arrogant evildoers left.

I’m trying to walk a path of righteous humility. It is hard, but I am trying.

It is easiest when I don’t try but instead let the Holy Spirit guide me.

He can guide you, too. Check out verse two above.

Respect His name. His son’s name was Yeshua in His native language and translated He is known as Jesus. Believe in Him and respect His name and we will be dusting ashes off our soles together before entering New Jerusalem.

Peace!

Originally posted 2007-08-24 on http://amencomelordjesus.com/blog

The Lord's Prayer

It is easy to get lost in all of the opinions and interpretations of the Bible. I was searching for the reference for yesterday’s post and got lost in a site that attacked Paul as a false prophet and even asserted that Jesus Christ was not only not the name of our Savior but a substitution by the early Christians that really translated into the name of a false god.

I’ve also read sites that attack any translation of the Bible except for the King James Version. Whenever I start reading all of that kind of stuff, I wish I could read the original manuscripts. Still reading some of this today, I happened across a site I had visited months ago…

It is called Hebrew For Christians. It contains some great information. There are several pages dedicated to the Lord’s Prayer. It is some awesome information and very interesting. I really dig listening to the sound clips, too. It speaks the prayer in Hebrew, so it can be heard on-line in the same way our Lord spoke it. It will give you chills.

It is important to note that the prayer is also the Lord’s direct guidance to us concerning how to pray. Each line says so much. Before the prayer, there is this guidance also from the Lord:

6:5 “Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray while standing in synagogues and on street corners so that people can see them. Truly I say to you, they have their reward. 6:6 But whenever you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. 6:7 When you pray, do not babble repetitiously like the Gentiles, because they think that by their many words they will be heard. 6:8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Matthew 6:5-8 NET

Prayer is meant to be a personal one-on-one communication with The Lord God, not a ritual or public display. Likewise, how you pray is important. If you pray for a million dollars because you want stuff, you probably won’t see the prayer answered. If you pray for what you need if it be the Will of God, you will likely see it answered. Consider the Lord’s Prayer:

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as [it is] in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Matthew 6:9(b)-13 KJV

Rather than breaking it down here now, I want to share that link with you. Here it is:

The Lord’s Prayer in Hebrew @ Hebrew4Christians.com

Peace!

Originally posted 2007-08-23 on http://amencomelordjesus.com/blog

For The Love of God!

If a person remembers only one verse of the Bible, it is most likely Genesis 1:1 or this one:

For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosover believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life

John 3:16 KJV

Man went astray. God loves us anyway, but He demands the sacrifice of life as the price of atonement. He loved all people of the world so much that He manifested Himself as man and as Jesus Christ gave himself freely in sacrifice as atonement for all our sin.

That is love. Everyday. Folks, I don’t know about you, but I’m a sinner. If you think you aren’t, then think again. We all are, by nature. God gave His one and only Son so that we could have the opportunity to believe in Him and receive life…a commutation of our eternal death penalty.

The Lord then sent His Spirit to be with us. To be in us. Certainly, we are not to sin. But sinful nature still exists in all of us. It is a day to day, minute by minute struggle between our old earthly selves and the new heavenly Spirit-filled selves.

Instead of worrying so much about that, let’s look at it another way. God is Love. The Spirit of God is the Spirit of Love. That Spirit within us can reflect outward if we simply follow the command of the Lord Jesus Christ: Love one another.

If we approach each other with love, we increasingly avoid sin. And God’s love already wiped it away, all we have to do is accept Him.

Peace!

Originally posted 2007-08-20 on http://amencomelordjesus.com/blog

Judge Not, Lest Ye Be Judged…

One of the things I’ve noticed about Christians in general is that they like to judge others, or at least that is the appearance many give. It is unfortunate. It turns a lot a people away from God.

There is no doubt that it is our responsibility as Christians to help guide one another through this walk. That includes calling out sin and improper behavior. But I don’t think it is the place to start. Obviously, one must understand sin to seek forgiveness. That’s not what I am talking about…I am talking about nitpicking each other to the extent that people do not want to hear the Truth about Jesus.

Too many people get bogged down on too many small details and miss the larger points. First of all, we all continue to fall short. We continue to grow in our new lives and leave the old ones behind, but it is not an instantaneous process…it is a lifelong one. Actually, there is an instantaneous process…it is called salvation when one believes the Gospel of Jesus Christ…that saves us from sin and makes us holy. But it is a constant growing process from that point forward until we die, in terms of our earthly behavior. Consider what our Lord said…

7:1 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 7:2 For by the standard you judge you will be judged, and the measure you use will be the measure you receive. 7:3 Why do you see the speck in your brother’s eye, but fail to see the beam of wood in your own? 7:4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye,’ while there is a beam in your own? 7:5 You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. 7:6 Do not give what is holy to dogs or throw your pearls before pigs; otherwise they will trample them under their feet and turn around and tear you to pieces.

Matthew 7:1-6 NET

If you search the web on the title of this post, you will find several essays saying this verse is used by hypocrites being too tolerant of bad behavior. I am not condoning bad behavior…what I am saying here is that we are running people away from the Gospel by judging them first and loving them second. It is that simple.

There is an extensive bulleting board on Bible.org that is a very good resource. Under the pastor’s boards, you can find some interesting and educational posts. You can also find some that illustrate my point. I was reading one the other night about a pastor trying to determine if he should marry a couple. His dilemma wasn’t about their love for each other or some issue they had between them…it was about his issues with them. They were living in sin, they didn’t come to church very often, etc. It was so unloving of an approach that the moderators even stepped in to point out how negative and judgmental he sounded…to paraphrase the site admin’s comments, it was basically “if I heard all that, I wouldn’t be coming to your church either.”

That’s my point here. The entire Church has this image. You would think we were preaching the gospel of Moses with the Law rather than the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the Grace of Salvation. We can all improve our walk with God, and it certainly is fine to admonish the brethren when they walk astray. But how ’bout we let the fledgling brothers and sisters get their legs under them first?

By the way, no one should make any mistake about it…I am at the top of the list of brothers who need to improve their walk. But if I waited until I was perfect to start spreading the word, we’d all be dead, ‘cuz that’s when its going to happen. Until then, I seek to gradually improve with the guidance of the Holy Spirit and approach people with love and caring rather than slander and judgment.

Judge not lest ye be judged means judge people the way you want God to judge you. Personally, I know I need some mercy and than means I need to show some, too.

Peace!

Originally posted 2007-08-17 on http://amencomelordjesus.com/blog

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

This thought occurred to me recently….

A lot has been written about the end times, Armageddon, Christ’s second coming, etc. It is usually in a negative light…the “end of the world” or “World War III” or “Armageddon”…but really, stop to think about it for a minute. Those things are necessary to get to the next step. Why do we all sound like we’re dreading them?

Of course, the trials and tribulations of the end time are nothing to look forward to in and of themselves. But think about what comes after. Christ rules for a thousand years, we all face our final judgment, and those found saved by the Grace of the Lord’s shed blood will then occupy the New Jerusalem…

21:1 Then¹ I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had ceased to exist,² and the sea existed no more. 21:2 And I saw the holy city – the new Jerusalem – descending out of heaven from God, made ready like a bride adorned for her husband. 21:3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Look! The residence³ of God is among human beings.⁴ He⁵ will live among them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them.⁶ 21:4 He⁷ will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death will not exist any more – or mourning, or crying, or pain, for the former things have ceased to exist.”⁸

Revelation 21:1-3 NET

It is the next age and the fulfillment of the entire story of history, God’s plan, and our future! It is our eternal home in the presence of God! What is there to dread?

Without faith, the answer is “a lot.” But with faith, we should be looking forward to the day…that is what has occurred to me. We should be praying for the Lord Jesus Christ’s return, so that day can come…

Peace!

Originally posted 2007-08-16 on http://amencomelordjesus.com/blog