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In this blog, I provide encouragement and biblical teaching on the glory, majesty, and power of our Lord Jesus, the Sun of Righteousness.

As the Scripture says:

"But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves." (Mal 4:2)

"This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all." (1 Jn 1:5)

Some of the topics covered include the deity of Jesus, the supremacy of Christ, the Lordship of Christ, the ongoing earthly ministry of Jesus, His ascension, the name of Jesus, the Refiner's Fire, and the bodily form of the Lord Jesus Christ.  I hope this will be an edifying and encouraging experience for you that will help you to grow in your walk with the Lord.

Light of the World	Being a Light in a Dark World	Is Jesus God?
Supremacy of Christ	Candle in the Dark	Ongoing Earthly Ministry of Jesus
Christ's Two Ascensions	The Eternal Firstborn of All Creation	All Things Handed Over to Jesus Christ
The Name of Jesus	Jesus is Yehova	The Refiner's Fire
The Bodily Form of God the Father	The Bodily Form of the Lord Jesus Christ	The Light and the Glory
Christ the Beginning	Jesus Alone Reveals the Father	The Glory of the Lord Revealed
Prophecy of Christ's Resurrection on the Third Day	There's No One Like the Lord	The Sinlessness of Christ
The Titles of Christ	Coronation of Christ as King	The Name Above All Names
Three Stages of Christ's Earthly Mission	The Seven Last Words of Jesus

Attribution notice: Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted.

Please read Opportunities to Serve the Body of Christ.  You may also access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Name Above All Names

From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture speaks about the name of the Lord, which is a unique name unlike any other. I would like to cover some of those passages here in this article, so get ready, because this is going to be powerful.

Men began to call on the Lord's name
It was in the days of Seth's son Enosh that men began to call upon the name of the LORD. (Gen 4:26). This is interesting, since Enosh was the third generation from Adam, so it seems like it took a while before this practice started. Of course, Adam had a relationship with the Lord God, and before the fall, God would walk in the garden during the cool of the day and talk with Adam (Gen 3:8). Later on after the fall, Adam's son Abel sacrificed offerings to the Lord. But the first reference to men in general calling upon the name of the Lord was during the days of Enosh.

His Name is Immanuel
The name Immanuel means "God with us", and that is the name of Jesus, who was born of a virgin. "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." (Isa 7:14).

He'll Be Called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father...
The prophet Isaiah foretold, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isa 9:6)

From the Womb He Has Spoken My Name
God actually spoke the name of Jesus while He was still in the womb. Isaiah prophesied about Christ with these words:

"Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations: Before I was born the LORD called Me; from my mother's womb He has spoken My name." (Isa 49:1)

This passage is part of the Servant Song about the Messiah beginning in Isaiah 42, which some people mistakenly assume is referring to Israel or to the prophet Isaiah. The things that are said of the Lord's Servant indicate that they are speaking of Christ.

His Name is Jesus (Yeshua)
The angel Gabriel gave this news to the virgin Mary:

"But the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.'" (Luk 1:30-31)

"On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived." (Luk 2:21)

Salvation in His Name

Paul the apostle wrote that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved:

"If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, "Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame." For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Rom 10:9-13)

Peter said on the day of Pentecost who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved:

"And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Act 2:21)

He was quoting the prophet Joel who said:

"And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has said, even among the survivors whom the LORD calls." (Joe 2:32)

In the passage from Joel, the fact that the Bible publisher printed the name of the LORD all in CAPS means that the original Hebrew word in this passage is YHWH or Yehova (also spelled Jehova). Thus we see in Joel that everyone who calls upon the name of Yehova will be saved, and Peter cites this passage with reference to the Lord Jesus, which indicates that Jesus is Yehova.

My Name is the LORD
Yehova says, "I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols." (Isa 42:8). Again, the fact that LORD is all in CAPS means that the Hebrew word is Yehova, so He is saying, "I am Yehova; that is My name!"

Protection by the Power of the Name Given to Jesus by the Father
In His high priestly prayer on the night He was betrayed, Jesus prayed to the Father:

"I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled." (Joh 17:11-12)

From this passage we learn that the name of Jesus is also the Father's name, which the Father gave to Him. During His days on earth, Jesus protected His disciples by that name, and now He was praying that after His departure from this world that the Father would continue to protect His disciples by that same name.

Likewise, David wrote: "May the LORD answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you." (Psa 20:1)

The Name Above All Names
The apostle Paul wrote that the Father gave to Jesus the name above all names:

"Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Php 2:9-11)

No Other Name by which to be Saved
Peter said that salvation is found in no other name:

"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved." (Act 4:12)

Preaching Repentance and Forgiveness in Jesus' Name
Jesus said: "repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." (Luk 24:47)

Repent and be baptized in His Name for the Forgiveness of Your Sins
Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Act 2:38)

Life in His Name
The apostle John said that by believing in Jesus as the Messiah, you may have life in His name.

"But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name." (Joh 20:31)

Cast out Demons, Heal the Sick, Speak in Tongues, Do Miracles in Jesus' Name
Here are the signs that follow those who believe in the Lord:

"And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well." (Mar 16:17-18)

Healing in Jesus' Name
Peter said of the lame man who was healed:

"By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see." (Act 3:16)

"...then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed." (Act 4:10)

Those Who Call on His Name
Ananias was the brother who laid hands on Saul of Tarsus when he first came to Christ. Up to that point Saul had been persecuting those who call on the name of Jesus.

"Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name." (Act 9:13-14)

Suffering for the Name of Jesus
The Lord told Ananias that Saul, later called Paul, would suffer for the name of Jesus:

"But the Lord said to Ananias, 'Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.'" (Act 9:15-16)

Endure Hardships for His Name
We must endure hardships for Jesus' name. Jesus told the Church in Ephesus:

"You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary." (Rev 2:3)

Remaining True to His Name
We must remain true to Jesus' name. He said to the Church in Pergamum:

"I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives." (Rev 2:13)

Don't Deny His Name
We must not deny His name. Jesus said to the Church in Philadelphia:

"I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name." (Rev 3:8)

Ask the Father in Jesus' Name
"Jesus promised His disciples He would do whatever they ask the Father in His name:

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." (Joh 14:12-14)

"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you." (Joh 15:16)

"In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete." (Joh 16:23-24)

"In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God." (Joh 16:26-27)

Not Everyone Who Calls Him Lord Enters the Kingdom of Heaven
Jesus warned us that not everyone who calls Him Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of the Father in heaven:

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" (Mat 7:21-23).

Notice that He said many people who call Jesus their Lord, who prophesy in His name and cast out demons in His name, will not enter the kingdom of heaven, because they are evildoers in His sight, who do not do the will of the Father in heaven.

Purified Lips to Call Upon His Name
The Lord said we need purified lips in order to call upon His name:

"Then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the LORD and serve him shoulder to shoulder." (Zep 3:9)

Jesus is Present Where Two or Three Gather in His Name
Jesus said He would be present whenever two or three gather in His name:

"For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them." (Mat 18:20)

Beware of False Christs Coming in Jesus' Name
Jesus warned: "For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Messiah,' and will deceive many." (Mat 24:5; cf. Mar 13:6; Luk 21:8)

Welcome Little Children in Jesus' Name
Jesus said, "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me." (Mar 9:37; cf. Luk 9:48)

Those Doing Miracles in Jesus' Name
"Do not stop him," Jesus said. "For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me," (Mar 9:39)

Give a Cup of Water in Jesus' Name
Jesus said that He would surely reward those who give a cup of water to one of His disciple because they belong to Him. He said:

"Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward." (Mar 9:41)

The Father Sends the Spirit in Jesus' Name
Jesus said the Father would send the Spirit in Jesus' name. He said:

"But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." (Joh 14:26)

Pronouncing Blessings in His Name
The Levite tribe pronounced blessings in the name of the Lord and we should do so, too, if we know the Lord.

"At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister and to pronounce blessings in his name, as they still do today." (Deu 10:8)

Speaking in His Name
The prophets of the Lord spoke and prophesied in His name.  Jeremiah said he could not keep from speaking the word in the Lord's name:

"But if I say, 'I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name,' his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot." (Jer 20:9)

Living Securely in His Name
"I will strengthen them in the LORD and in his name they will live securely," declares the LORD. (Zec 10:12)

Believe in His Name
If you believe in Jesus' name, God gives you the right to become His child. John wrote:

"Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—" (Joh 1:12)

Many Believed in His Name
In the early days of Jesus' earthly ministry, many believed in His name.

"Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name." (Joh 2:23)

Saved by His Name
David prayed, "Save me, O God, by your name; vindicate me by your might." (Psa 54:1)

"Then I called on the name of the LORD: 'LORD, save me!'" (Psa 116:4)

Put Your Hope in His Name
"In his name the nations will put their hope." (Mat 12:21)

Our Help is in His Name
David prayed, "Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth." (Psa 124:8)

His Name is Good
"For what you have done I will always praise you in the presence of your faithful people. And I will hope in your name, for your name is good." (Psa 52:9)

His Name is Majestic
David sang: "LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens." (Psa 8:1)

His Name is Exalted
"Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens." (Psa 148:13)

His Name Reaches To The Ends Of The Earth
"Like your name, O God, your praise reaches to the ends of the earth; your right hand is filled with righteousness." (Psa 48:10)

His Name Endures Forever
Solomon prayed, "May His name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun. Then all nations will be blessed through him, and they will call him blessed." (Psa 72:17)

His Name is Holy
David prayed, "Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion," (Psa 103:1-4)

Since His name is holy, and since it is in His name that we have all these benefits -- like forgiveness of sins, healing from diseases, redemption from the pit, and being crowned with love and compassion -- we should praise His name.

Seek His Name
Asaph prayed, "Cover their faces with shame, LORD, so that they will seek your name... Let them know that you, whose name is the LORD— that you alone are the Most High over all the earth." (Psa 83:16, 18).

Love His Name
The Lord promised a blessing upon those who love His name. He promised to bring them to His holy mountain, to give them joy in His house of prayer, and to accept their offerings and sacrifices on His altar. He said:

"And foreigners who bind themselves to the LORD to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be his servants, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant— these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations." (Isa 56:6-7).

Notice that these people don't simply love His name, they bind themselves to Him 1) to minister to Him, 2) to love His name, and 3) to be His servants; they keep His Sabbath without desecrating it and they hold fast to His covenant.

Praise His Name with Dancing
"Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with timbrel and harp." (Psa 149:3)

Praise His Name in Song
David said, "I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving." (Psa 69:30)

"Praise the LORD. Praise the name of the LORD; praise him, you servants of the LORD, you who minister in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God. Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant." (Psa 135:1-3)

Praise His Name
David prayed, "I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your unfailing love and your faithfulness, for you have so exalted your solemn decree that it surpasses your fame." (Psa 138:2)

"Let the name of the LORD be praised, both now and forevermore." (Psa 113:2)

Extol His Name Forever
"I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever." (Psa 145:1-2)

Rejoice In His Name All Day Long
Ethan the Ezrahite prayed, "Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim You, who walk in the light of Your presence, LORD. They rejoice in Your name all day long; they celebrate Your righteousness." (Psa 89:15-16)

Glory In His Holy Name
We should glory in His holy name and proclaim His name:

"Give praise to the LORD, proclaim His name; make known among the nations what He has done. Sing to Him, sing praise to Him tell of all His wonderful acts. Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. Look to the LORD and His strength; seek His face always. Remember the wonders He has done, His miracles, and the judgments He pronounced," (Psa 105:1-5)

To His Name Alone Be the Glory
"Not to us, LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness." (Psa 115:1)

Putting it All Together
The name of Jesus is the most wonderful of all names. Scripture teaches us that His name is Immanuel -- God with us. He is called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. From the time He was in the womb God has spoken His name, which is Jesus (Yeshua), the name above all names. There is no other name by which we must be saved. Salvation is found in His name, which is Yehova (Jehova).

We preach repentance and forgiveness in Jesus' name, telling all men that they must repent and be baptized in His name for the forgiveness of their sins. We cast out demons, heal the sick, speak in tongues, and do miracles in Jesus' name. There is life in His name, healing in His name, and deliverance in His name.

All of us who truly follow Jesus are those who call on His name. Many believe in His name. However, not everyone who calls Him "Lord" enters the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of the Father in heaven. We must suffer for His name, endure hardships for His name, remain true to His name, ask the Father in His name. We must not deny His name.

God purifies our lips so that we may call upon Jesus' name. Jesus is present where two or three gather in His name. We must beware of false Christs coming in His name. We must welcome little children in Jesus' name. When we give a cup of water to a disciple of Christ in Jesus' name, we will not lose our reward for it.

The Father sends the Spirit in Jesus' name, so ask Him to do so. We pronouncing blessings in His name, we speak in His name, we live securely in His name, we believe in His name, we are saved by His name, we put our hope in His name. Our help is in His name.

His name is holy, it is good, it is majestic, it is exalted, it reaches to the ends of the earth, it endures forever. We seek His name and love His name. We praise His name, even with dancing and songs. We extol His name forever. We rejoice in His name all day long. We glory in His holy name. To His name alone be the glory.

Attribution notice: Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission.The image may be subject to copyright, used per the Fair Use Act for educational and commentary purposes.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, I invite you to read my articles The Name of Jesus, Jesus is Yehova, If My People Who Are Called by My Name, The Titles of Christ, Repentance That Leads to Life, Seeking Him in the Wee Hours of the Night, Crying Out to God Loudly, Lifting Your Face in Prayer, and Lifting Hands in Prayer. You may find the Main Directory for this blog at Home, and you may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Titles of Christ

Our wonderful Lord Jesus has many titles in Scripture. Here are some of them, although not all of them:

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, our Peace, the Christ, the Son of the Living God, the Son of the Most High God, the Son of the Blessed One, the Holy One of God, the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End, the Word of God, the Word of Life, the Way, the Truth, the Life, the eternal Life, the Living One, the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Ruler of the kings of the earth, the Head over every power and authority, King of kings, Lord of lords, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, the Chief Shepherd, the Good Shepherd, the Lamb of God, Savior, Redeemer, the Son of Man, the Righteous One, the Sun of Righteousness, the bright Morning Star, our Advocate, Immanuel, the Bread of Life, the Light of the world, the Branch, the true Vine, and the Door.

Now here are some of the Scriptures where those titles come from:

Isaiah 9:6 - "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Isaiah 47:4 - "Our Redeemer—the Lord Almighty is his name— is the Holy One of Israel."

Luke 4:33-34 - "In the synagogue there was a man possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon. He cried out in a loud voice, 'Ha! What do You want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are, the Holy One of God!'”

Isaiah 7:14 - "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel."

Matthew 1:23 - “'The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel' (which means 'God with us')."

Ephesians 2:14 - "For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility..."

Matthew 16:16 - "Simon Peter answered, 'You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.'"

Mark 5:7 - "He shouted at the top of his voice, 'What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God's name don't torture me!'"

Mark 14:61-62 - "But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer. Again the high priest asked him, 'Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?' 'I am,' said Jesus. 'And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.'”

Matthew 14:33 - "Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, 'Truly you are the Son of God.'”

John 1:1,14 - "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

John 1:29 - "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, 'Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!'"

Revelation 5:8, 11-12 - "Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints...Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice:

'Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
To receive power and riches and wisdom,
And strength and honor and glory and blessing!'"

John 4:42 - "Then they said to the woman, 'Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.'”

Acts 5:31 - "Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins."

Acts 13:23 - "From this man’s seed, according to the promise, God raised up for Israel a Savior—Jesus—"

Ephesians 5:23 - "For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body."

Philippians 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,

Col 2:10 - "And in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority."

John 8:12 - "When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'”

John 9:5 - Jesus said, "While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

John 10:7-9 - "Therefore Jesus said again, 'Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.'"

John 10:14-15 - "I am the Good Shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—  just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep."

John 15:1 - Jesus said, “I am the true Vine, and my Father is the Gardener."

Isaiah 11:1 - "A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit."

Hebrews 3:1 - "Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus." (KJV)

1 Peter 2:25 - "For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls." (KJV)

1 Peter 2:25 - "For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls." (NASB)

1 Peter 5:4 - "And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away."

John 6:35 - "Then Jesus declared, 'I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.'"

John 14:6 - "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'"

1 John 1:1-2 - "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us."

Acts 28:31 - "He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance!"

Romans 1:4 - "And who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord."

1 John 2:1 - "My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One."

Acts 3:14 - "You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you."

Acts 7:52 - "Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him—"

Acts 22:14  - “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth."

Malachi 4:2 - "But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves."

Revelation 1:18 - "I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades."

Revelation 3:14 - “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation."

Revelation 4:4-5 - "John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits[a] before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood..."

Revelation 17:14 - "They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”

Revelation 19:16 - "On His robe and on His thigh He has this name written: King of kings and Lord of lords."

Revelation 22:13 - "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End."

Revelation 22:16 - “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” (cf., 2 Pe 1:19; Rev 2:28)

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible New International Verion, copyright Zondervan, used by permission.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, I recommend reading Supremacy of Christ, You're Better Off Following Jesus, Christ the Beginning, Light of the World, The Bodily Form of the Lord Jesus Christ, Is Jesus God?, There's No One Like the Lord, and Jesus is Yehova. You may also access the Main Directory for this blog, or my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.  

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Sinlessness of Christ

In this day and age when liberal pastors and theologians are challenging the sinlessness of Christ, it would do our souls well to protect ourselves from such lies by holding fast the faithful Word. If anyone doubts whether Christ was sinless, they need only to examine the Scriptures to see that He was. Here are seven verses that speak of the sinlessness of Christ:

He Committed No Sin
“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” (1 Pe 2:22, NIV). The meaning of this verse is clear. Jesus Christ committed no sin.

He Had No Sin
"God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Cor 5:21, NIV). Once again, the the Bible says that Jesus had no sin. The only sin he ever had was yours and mine, which he bore in his body and paid the penalty for on the cross.

In Him There is No Sin
"You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin." (1Jn 3:5). As with the previous verses written by the apostles Peter and Paul, the apostle John here affirms that there is no sin in Jesus Christ.

Without Sin
"For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin." (Heb 4:15). The Scripture plainly says that Jesus was without sin.

Always Pleasing to God
Jesus said, "And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him." (Joh 8:29). The Lord explicitly says that He was always pleasing to God, and God would not have always been pleased with Him if he had committed even a single sin.

Without Blemish or Defect
"For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect." (1 Pe 1:18-19, NIV). The apostle describes Jesus as a lamb without blemish or defect. If he had committed even one single sin, then he would not be without blemish or defect.

Perfect as the Heavenly Father is Perfect
Jesus said, "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Mat 5:48). He taught us that we must be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect. Since Jesus did not require us to do anything that He Himself did not do, we know that He was perfect. And just in case there is any uncertainly over what the word "perfect" means, Jesus compared this to the Father's perfection. That's the highest level of perfection, which He Himself was walking out, and He said we must be like that.

He said, "I and the Father are one." (Joh 10:30). Since Jesus and the Father are one, we would expect perfection from Him just as the Father is perfect. The apostle alludes to His perfection when he says, "For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form." (Col 2:9). This means that all he fullness of the Godhead, which includes His perfection, dwells in Jesus in bodily form.

Putting it All Together
In these seven verses, along with the supplemental ones I quoted in the final section, we have explicit, biblical proof that Jesus was in fact sinless. According to God's Word, He committed no sin, He had no sin, in Him there is no sin, He was without sin, He was always pleasing to God, He was without blemish or defect, and perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect. The implications of this for us are twofold.

First of all, He alone is the one person who is entirely without sin. All of us have sinned and fallen short of God's glory, except for Jesus, since He is God incarnate. He came and led a sinless life, and then died on the cross as our sacrifice of atonement to take away our sin. He died in our place, the innocent for the guilty. He's a perfect Savior, and your life is in good hands when you turn it over to Him, trusting Him to save you.

Secondly, if Jesus lives in you, and you no longer live, because you have been crucified with Christ, then we know what kind of fruit that should produce in your life. It should produce only the good fruit of the Spirit, like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Christ will not produce any sin in us, but only righteousness, holiness, and truth. As we trust and obey the Lord, abiding in His Word, we will see the evidence of that in our lives, because He is a perfect Lord. Since He was sinless, then we, too, should aim for perfection.

Perhaps the best way to summarize these two implications is with the words of John the apostle, who said, "My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One." (1 Jn 2:1, NIV).

I hope this has give you a new appreciation for Jesus our perfect Lord and Savior, and some insight into what it means for us to follow in His steps.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible New International Verion, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. Other Scriptures taken from the NASB, copyright The Lockman Foundation, used by permission. Image may be subject to copyright of ShareFaith.com, used per the Fair Use Act for educational and commentary purposes only.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, I recommend reading Aim for Perfection, Following in His Steps, and Called to Be Blameless.  Supremacy of Christ, You're Better Off The Bodily Form of the Lord Jesus Christ, Is Jesus God?, and Jesus is Yehova. You may also access the Main Directory for this blog, or my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

There's No One Like the Lord

In my previous article, I wrote about the Supremacy of Christ, and in this post I'd like to continue along that same theme. I want to take this opportunity to exalt the Lord and give Him all the praise for who He is. Let's look at the Scriptures that say there is no one like the Lord, and remember that the same is true of both God the Father Almighty and Jesus Christ His Son, because Jesus is the image of the invisible God (Col 1:15) and the exact representation of His being (Heb 1:3).

The prophet Jeremiah said, "No one is like you, LORD; you are great, and your name is mighty in power."  (Jer 10:6, NIV)

God certainly proved to Pharaoh that there was no one like Him in all the earth when He unleashed the full force of His plagues against him. "Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Get up early in the morning, confront Pharaoh and say to him, "This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me, or this time I will send the full force of my plagues against you and against your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like Me in all the earth."'" (Exodus 9:13-14)

After Moses led the Israelites across the Red Sea out of Egypt, he sang a song, which says in part: "Who among the gods is like you, Lord? Who is like you— majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders? (Exodus 15:11)

When Moses pronounced a blessing on the tribe of Asher, he said, “There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides across the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty." (Deuteronomy 33:26)

King David prayed, "Among the gods there is none like you, Lord; no deeds can compare with yours." (Psalm 86:8)

Hannah prayed, “There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides You; there is no Rock like our God." (1 Samuel 2:2)

The apostle Paul said that Jesus is "far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come." (Eph 1:21)

He is incomparable. He is matchless. Since there is no one else even in His league, and no one even comes close, He is peerless. He is far above all others who have ever been, who are now, and who shall ever be throughout eternity. He is highly exalted to the right hand of God and reigns supreme. He is the Name above all names. Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God -- the Son of the Blessed One, the Son of the Most High God. He is the Holy One of God. He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. He is the First and the Last, the Living One who was dead and behold He is alive forever and ever. He holds the keys of death and hell. He is ready to judge the living and the dead. He searches the hearts and minds of men. He holds the key of David. What He opens no man can shut, and what He shuts no man can open. He is the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the ruler of God's creation. He is God over all forever praised, Amen. In Him all the fullness of the Deity dwells in bodily form. The Father was pleased to have all of His fullness dwell in Him. He is the Ruler of the kings of the earth -- the Head over every power and authority. He is King of kings and Lord of lords. And He shall reign forever and ever. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! He is the high King of heaven, Power of my power, my Savior and my Redeemer, with high thanksgiving I pour out my soul to Him. Eternal praise shall be His forever.

The hair on His head is white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes are like blazing fire. His face shines like the sun in all its brilliance. He is dressed in a robe reaching down to His feet and with a golden sash around His chest. In His right hand He holds seven stars, and a sharp, double-edged sword proceeds from His mouth. His feet are like polished brass glowing in a furnace, and His voice is like the sound of rushing waters. He is the Light of the World.

He is Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. The government shall be upon His shoulders, and of the increase of His government there shall be no end. He is the Apostle and High Priest of our confession. He is the Bishop of our souls, the great Shepherd of the sheep, the Lamb of God. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and praise. He's the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no man comes to the Father except by Him. He is the one Mediator between God and man.

No greater love has any man than His. He laid down His life for His friends. He gave His life for you on the cross, and rose from the dead. He bore your sins on the cross and paid the penalty of sin on your behalf. He carried your sickness in His body on the cross, and by His stripes you are healed.

If you don't know Him, you need to know that He loves you more than you can ever imagine, and He wants you to live with Him in heaven forever. I strongly encourage you to see the last section below at the bottom of this post.

Meanwhile, if you do know Him personally as your Lord and Savior, then give Him all the praise that's rightly due His name. Give Him the glory He deserves, because there's no one like Him in all the earth.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible New International Verion, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. The "All Hail King Jesus" painting © 2012 is by Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, I recommend reading Supremacy of Christ, You're Better Off Following Jesus, Christ the Beginning, Light of the World, The Bodily Form of the Lord Jesus Christ, Is Jesus God?, and Jesus is Yehova. You may also access the Main Directory for this blog, or my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.  

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Prophecy of Christ's Suffering, Death, and Resurrection on the Third Day

After Jesus rose from the dead, He appeared to His disciples in a room where they had met together with the doors locked for fear of the Jews. He spoke to them and explained that what had happened to Him in his crucifixion and resurrection was a fulfillment of all the things written about Him in the Scriptures.

"Now He said to them, 'These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.' Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said to them, 'Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.'" (Luk 24:44-48)

In this passage, Jesus summarized very concisely all the key things that were written about Him throughout Scripture, which had just been fulfilled during the previous three days. I'd like to focus on the part where He said, "Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day." In other words, Scripture had foretold that He would suffer, die, and rise again on the third day. Where does it say that in Scripture?

Suffering
There are many places where it speaks of the sufferings of Christ. There are all the sacrifices called for in the Law that prefigure Christ's sufferings, especially the paschal lamb. And one passage in particular is Isaiah 53, which I recommend you read in its entirety. It says in part:

"Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the living For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due? His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth. But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand. As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities. Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors." (Isa 53:4-12)

That prophecy speaks of both His suffering and His resurrection. He bore our griefs, carried our sorrows, was stricken, smitten by God, oppressed, afflicted, pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities, chastened for our well-being, and scourged so that we may be healed. That spoke of His suffering.

Death
Isaiah clearly prophesied His death when he spoke of the Lord's Servant as a lamb led to the slaughter (Is 53:7), who "poured out His life unto death" (Is 53:12), and was "cut off from the land of the living for the people's transgression" (Is 52:8). Isaiah spoke of His death and His grave. He specifically prophesied with accuracy that the Servant would be with the wicked in His death (Is 53:9), which we know from history that the Lord was crucified between two criminals. The prophet spoke of the Servant being with a rich man in His death (Is 53:9), which we know was fulfilled by the wealthy Joseph of Arimathea burying the Lord in his own tomb cut out of rock.

Resurrection

The prophet also made a clear reference to the Servant's resurrection from the dead as well, when he said that He would see His offspring, prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the Lord would prosper in His hand. He would ultimately see the light of life and be satisfied after the anguish of His soul was completed, and in the end He would be given a portion with the great, dividing the booty with the strong (Is 53:10-12).

While the prophet spoke of the Servant's resurrection, he did not say it would be on the third day. In fact, there seems to be no Scripture that explicitly says He will rise again on the third day. However, there is a cryptic reference to His resurrection on the third day, which is hidden in one of the prophets. In Hosea we read:

“Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but He will heal us; He has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence. Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge Him. As surely as the sun rises, He will appear; He will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.” (Hos 6:1-3, NIV)

In this passage, the prophet speaks in the first person plural (ie., "us" and "we"), which pertained to Israel at that time, but it is also a double reference to Christ. He prophesied that the Lord would tear Him (Christ) to pieces and He would be injured, that the Lord would heal Him and bind up His wounds, that the Lord would "revive" Him after two days, and that He would be "restored to life" on the third day.  The Hebrew word for "revive" means to give life, let live, recover, revive, or save. And the Hebrew word for "restored to life" means to "rise again", so the prophet said He would rise again on the third day! This is the Scripture Jesus was referring to when He said it was written that He must rise again on the third day. Hosea spoke further of His resurrection by saying, "As surely as the sun rises, He will appear." (Hos 6:3, NIV).

Another one of the prophets named Malachi also alluded to the sun rising when he prophesied regarding Christ: "But for you who revere my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in its rays." (Mal 4:2, NIV). Also see Light of the World.

Moreover, Jesus said that He would be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth, just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish (Mt 12:40). In saying so, He indicated that Jonah was a type of Christ, which means that Jonah's three days and three nights in the belly of the huge fish was a prophetic even foreshadowing the suffering and death of Christ, followed by His resurrection on the third day. Also see Jonah as a Type of Christ.

Repentance for Forgiveness of Sins
Jesus told His disciples that the Scriptures said repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name (Lk 24:47). The Scripture speaks a lot about the need for repentance. For example, in this very same passage in Hosea, it says, "Come let us return to the Lord." The Hebrew word for "return" is "shub" meaning to turn back again, and it is often used to refer to repentance. I have covered this in more detail in my article, Repentance That Leads to Life. The nation of Israel had been unfaithful to God and was unrepentant. For the people had dealt treacherously with God, but the prophet was calling the nation to repentance.

Ezekiel also prophesied, "For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies," declares the Lord GOD. "Therefore, repent and live." (Eze 18:32)

The passage in Isaiah 53 says, "By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities." This means that by knowing the Lord's righteous Servant Jesus, many will be justified, since He Himself bore our iniquities.

Hosea also spoke of knowing the Lord in the passage from the sixth chapter that I have cited above. He said, "Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge Him." (Hos 6:3, NIV). In the NASB, it says, "So let us know, let us press on to know the LORD."

Therefore, when we put these passages together with others from the Hebrew Scriptures, we find that by repenting and knowing Jesus, men receive justification and forgiveness of sins from God. 

The psalmist also wrote, "Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against him."

Preached to All Nations

Jesus said the Scriptures prophesied that this gospel would be preached to all nations, when He said to His disciples that it "would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations" (Lk 24:47). Again, there are many Scriptures that say this. But just a couple will suffice to prove my point.

"Praise the LORD, all nations; Laud Him, all peoples! For His lovingkindness is great toward us, And the truth of the LORD is everlasting. Praise the LORD!" (Psa 117:1-2)

"Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise You. Let the nations be glad and sing for joy; For You will judge the peoples with uprightness And guide the nations on the earth. Selah." (Psa 67:3-4)

All the peoples of the earth and all the nations praise the Lord, because they have received forgiveness of sins through repentance and faith in Christ.

"God blesses us, That all the ends of the earth may fear Him." (Psa 67:7).

Jehovah spoke to His Servant Yeshua (Jesus) in this passage from Isaiah that says: "I am the LORD, I have called You in righteousness, I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You, And I will appoint You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the nations." (Isa 42:6)

In Isaiah again He says, "It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth." (Isa 49:6)

Glory to God!

Invitation

As you can clearly see from Scripture, all of the things that happened to Jesus were prophesied hundreds of years in advance, right down to the minute details, including that he would suffer, die, rise again on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all nations. That proves that He is the Son of God.

If you don't know Jesus yet, today is the day of salvation; now is the time of God's favor. Jesus is coming back soon to judge the world and take vengeance on the enemies of God, so don't wait or else it may be too late.

The Lord does not take pleasure in your perishing. Therefore, repent and live. As Peter said, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Ac 2:38, NIV). 

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Other Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible NIV where noted.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like Is Jesus God?, The Amazing Sign of Jonah, Supremacy of Christ, Repentance That Leads to Life, Ongoing Earthly Ministry of Jesus, The Son of Man, and Christ's Two Ascensions. You may also access the Main Directory for this blog, or my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Glory of the Lord Revealed

One of God’s primary desires is to reveal His glory to men on the earth. He wants us to see it. Let’s look at the will of God about this in Scripture.

First of all, it is evident in the passage in Isaiah, where the gospel is foretold. It describes the calling of John the Baptist who would prepare the way for the Lord, and it also speaks of the coming of Christ. “Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, And all flesh will see it together; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken." (Isa 40:5). This firmly establishes that it is God’s will to reveal His glory.

Moses cried out to God, “Show me your glory!” And the Lord answered the cry of his heart.

And He said, "My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest." Then he said to Him, "If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here. "For how then can it be known that I have found favor in Your sight, I and Your people? Is it not by Your going with us, so that we, I and Your people, may be distinguished from all the other people who are upon the face of the earth?" The LORD said to Moses, "I will also do this thing of which you have spoken; for you have found favor in My sight and I have known you by name." Then Moses said, "I pray You, show me Your glory!" And He said, "I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion." But He said, "You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!" Then the LORD said, "Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock; and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. "Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen." (Exo 33:14-23)

In another instance, Moses and Aaron said to the sons of Israel, “And in the morning you will see the glory of the LORD…” (Exo 16:7a). Even the sons of Israel would see His glory.

“It came about as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.” (Exo 16:10)

“The glory of the LORD rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; and on the seventh day He called to Moses from the midst of the cloud. And to the eyes of the sons of Israel the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a consuming fire on the mountain top. (Exo 24:16-17)

His glory once filled the tabernacle, when it was a tent. “Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.” (Exo 40:34). It’s still God’s desire to fill His tabernacle with His glory.

When He does that, we will be unable to enter or stand. “Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.” (Exo 40:35)

When His glory falls, men are unable to stand. In the days of Solomon, “The priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD.” (1Ki 8:11; cf., 2Ch 5:14)

“Now when Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the house. The priests could not enter into the house of the LORD because the glory of the LORD filled the LORD'S house. (2Ch 7:1-2)

Moses said, "This is the thing which the LORD has commanded you to do, that the glory of the LORD may appear to you." (Lev 9:6)

"Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting. When they came out and blessed the people, the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people." (Lev 9:23)

“But all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Then the glory of the LORD appeared in the tent of meeting to all the sons of Israel.” (Num 14:10)

“Thus Korah assembled all the congregation against them at the doorway of the tent of meeting. And the glory of the LORD appeared to all the congregation.” (Num 16:19)

“It came about, however, when the congregation had assembled against Moses and Aaron, that they turned toward the tent of meeting, and behold, the cloud covered it and the glory of the LORD appeared.” (Num 16:42)

“Then Moses and Aaron came in from the presence of the assembly to the doorway of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces. Then the glory of the LORD appeared to them;” (Num 20:6)

When holy men see His glory, they bow down with their faces to the ground. “All the sons of Israel, seeing the fire come down and the glory of the LORD upon the house, bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave praise to the LORD, saying, ‘Truly He is good, truly His lovingkindness is everlasting.’" (2Ch 7:3)

His glory is great. “And they will sing of the ways of the LORD, For great is the glory of the LORD.” (Psa 138:5)

His glory is blessed. “Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard a great rumbling sound behind me, ‘Blessed be the glory of the LORD in His place.’" (Eze 3:12)

His glory endures forever. “Let the glory of the LORD endure forever; Let the LORD be glad in His works;” (Psa 104:31)

He wants His saints to speak of His glory and make it known to the sons of men. David said, “All Your works shall give thanks to You, O LORD, And Your godly ones shall bless You. They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom And talk of Your power; To make known to the sons of men Your mighty acts And the glory of the majesty of Your kingdom.” (Psa 145:10-12)

Ezekiel tried to describe the glory he saw as having the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds. It was so awesome that he fell on his face. “As the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell on my face and heard a voice speaking.” (Eze 1:28)

“So I got up and went out to the plain; and behold, the glory of the LORD was standing there, like the glory which I saw by the river Chebar, and I fell on my face.” (Eze 3:23)

"Then He brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the house; and I looked, and behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD, and I fell on my face." (Eze 44:4)

“And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, like the appearance which I saw in the plain.” (Eze 8:4)

“Then the glory of the God of Israel went up from the cherub on which it had been, to the threshold of the temple. And He called to the man clothed in linen at whose loins was the writing case.” (Eze 9:3)

When the temple is filled with His glory, there is a brightness of it. “Then the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub to the threshold of the temple, and the temple was filled with the cloud and the court was filled with the brightness of the glory of the LORD.” (Eze 10:4)

“And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the way of the east. And His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shone with His glory.” (Eze 43:2)

When Israel wandered away from God into idolatry, His glory departed. “Then the glory of the LORD departed from the threshold of the temple and stood over the cherubim.” (Eze 10:18)

“When the cherubim departed, they lifted their wings and rose up from the earth in my sight with the wheels beside them; and they stood still at the entrance of the east gate of the LORD'S house, and the glory of the God of Israel hovered over them.” (Eze 10:19)

“Then the cherubim lifted up their wings with the wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel hovered over them.” (Eze 11:22)

“The glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city and stood over the mountain which is east of the city.” (Eze 11:23)

“And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate facing toward the east.” (Eze 43:4)

“And the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house.” (Eze 43:5)

"Then your light will break out like the dawn, And your recovery will speedily spring forth; And your righteousness will go before you; The glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.” (Isa 58:8)

"Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.” (Isa 60:1)

The Lord wants the whole earth to be filled with His glory. “But indeed, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the LORD.” (Num 14:21)

"For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea.” (Hab 2:14)

Putting it All Together
It’s God’s will to reveal His glory. It will be revealed, and all flesh will see it together. It is visible, if God allows you to see it. You can cry out as Moses did, “Lord, show me your glory!” He did see God’s glory, which sometimes appeared in a cloud and at other times was like a consuming fire. Ezekiel described the glory as having a brightness and appearing as a rainbow in the clouds.

The glory of the Lord can move from one place to another. It can come in and it can depart. When the glory departs, it is desolate and empty. This is what has happened in many of the churches these days. We have come to rely on our programs so much that we seem to think we no longer need the presence of God or His glory. But if we get hungry enough and desperate enough for it, we will cry out for it to return once again.

When His glory fills the temple, His priests are unable to minister before Him. They all fall on their faces. It’s so great that they cannot stand. Blessed be the glory of the LORD in His place. If we haven’t experienced that yet, being incapacitated and prostrated under the glory, then we haven’t experienced what it means for His temple to be filled with His glory.

It’s time to seek Him until He comes, and all the earth will be filled with the glory of the LORD.

Attribution notice: Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's Note: If you enjoyed this article, you may also like: The Light and the Glory, For the Glory of God Alone, Seeking Glory from God, Jesus Alone Reveals the Father, Light of the World, The Glory of Martyrdom for Christ, and Being a Light in a Dark World. You may also access the Main Directory for this blog, or my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Jesus Alone Reveals the Father

Many people have looked for God in all the wrong places. They have looked for Him through yoga, meditation, mysticism, occultism, New Age, Islam, Hinduism, idolatry, taking drugs, and many other ways. If you want a revelation of God, then look no further than the Lord Jesus Christ, who reveals the Father.

Jesus said, "All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him." (Luk 10:22).

This means that the Lord Jesus is the only one who knows who the Father is, and anyone to whom He chooses to reveal the Father. In other words, if Jesus doesn't choose to reveal to you who the Father is, then you will not know God. You may believe in one God according to the Scriptures, and still not truly know the Father. That was true of the Jews to whom Jesus spoke in John 8, who had believed in Him (Joh 8:31).

He told them, "You are doing the deeds of your father."

They said to Him, "We were not born of fornication; we have one Father: God." (Joh 8:41). They truly believed they had one Father, which was God. But He told them their father was the devil.

"You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. (Joh 8:44)

Likewise, you may call yourself a Christian or profess Jesus as Lord, but not know who the Father is or do His will. You don't believe me? Listen to what Jesus said:

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'" (Mat 7:21-23)

These people call Jesus their Lord and perform miracles in His name, but He does not know them, because they practice lawlessness, rather than do the will of His Father who is in heaven. A person naturally takes after their father and wants to do the desires of their father. The way to tell whose child you are is to observe your deeds. You will do the deeds of your father, whether you are a child of God or a child of the devil. Jesus said to them, "If you are Abraham's children, do the deeds of Abraham." (Joh 8:39)

So they were saying to Him, "Where is Your Father?" Jesus answered, "You know neither Me nor My Father; if you knew Me, you would know My Father also." (Joh 8:19).  If you knew Jesus, you would know His Father also. He said, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father." (Joh 14:9b). To know Jesus is to know the Father, because He reveals the Father.

The apostle John said, "No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him." (Joh 1:18). This means Jesus is the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, and that He has explained, made known, or revealed the Father.

"And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power." (Heb 1:3a). This means that Jesus is the exact representation of God's nature or being.

This does not mean that Jesus is the Father. It means that Jesus and the Father are one. He said, "I and the Father are one." (Joh 10:30)

Therefore, if you seek to know God and who God is, seek the Lord Jesus Christ, who said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." (Joh 14:6). That means Jesus is the only way to the Father.

He said to His disciples, "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him." (Joh 14:6-7). He will make known who the Father is to those who truly seek Him.

Let me give you an example. When Jesus was on the cross, they said, "He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him. He trusts in God; let God rescue Him now, if He delights in him; for He said, 'I am the Son of God.'"  (Mat 27:42-43)

You see, their view of God was that God would not let anyone hurt Him or nail Him to a cross. God would not suffer. God would not allow mere men to subdue Him. God would not die. God would prove who He is by miraculously coming down from the cross. They assumed God would use His divine power to save Himself. But they were badly mistaken.

They failed to realize that God is love. God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, so that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have eternal life (Joh 3:16). No greater love has any man than this: that he lay down his life for his friends. And that is what Jesus did for us, and in doing so, He revealed to us the Father's heart.

You need to know the Father for yourself, and nobody else can do that for you. Your parents cannot do it for you. Your husband or wife cannot do it for you. Your boyfriend or girlfriend cannot do it for you. Your pastor cannot do it for you. Instead you must get to know Him for yourself. Let me encourage you to to do that today. And if you believe you already know Jesus and the Father, check your deeds to see if it is really so. If your deeds are those of the devil, then you don't know the Father, no matter what you believe or say with your mouth.

If you do the deeds of your heavenly Father, then you will be bearing good fruit. We will recognize you by your fruit (Mat 7:16,20). You should have the fruit of the Spirit in your life, which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control (Gal 5:22-23). If you do see those fruit in your life, then that's great. Now let me encourage you to seek to know the Father more through His Son Jesus Christ.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. The "All Hail King Jesus" painting © 2012 is by Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Author's note:  I recommend reading my articles Jesus is Yehova and The Name of Jesus. Other related articles include Yehova as Both Father and Husband to the Hebrews, Is Jesus God?, Christ the Beginning, The Holy Trinity, Baptized with the Spirit and Holy Fire Baptism.

You may also access the Main Directory for this blog, or my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.