Showing posts with label Christ. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christ. Show all posts

Sunday, August 12, 2018

Christ, The Power, And The Wisdom Of God!



1st Corinthians 1:18-19, 21-24

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God."

Christ is the power AND the wisdom of God, so why do we hear so many messages like, 'your best life now', 'ten steps to a better you', reposition yourself for prosperity', 'name it and claim it', etc....?  It's because satan knows that if Jesus is preached less and less, and His teachings are not taught and practiced, the people of God will be powerless and without spiritual understanding.

Paul, the apostle who had so many revelations of Christ, that he received a thorn in his flesh to keep him humble, wasn't some great orator and speaker. He didn't come to the people with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and the POWER of God!

1st Corinthians 2:1-5

"And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God."

That's the way every minister of the gospel should think, it's totally about the preaching and declaration of Jesus Christ and Him crucified! He IS the POWER OF GOD! How many ministers come before the people in weakness, fear, and trembling? Jesus said His power is made perfect in weakness! That's the way of God! John said 'He must increase, but I must decrease.', it's ALL about JESUS!

So many ministers get up in the pulpit today with lengthy speeches and power point presentations, with beautiful illustrations and displays, but forget about the number one reason they are even preaching in the first place. JESUS!
1st Corinthians 4:18-20

"Now some are puffed up, as though I were not coming to you. But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord wills, and I will know, not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power. For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.

Paul wasn't even concerned with what prideful people were saying, he wanted to see the power! Were they demonstrating the Spirit and power of God? Were they preaching Christ Jesus and Him crucified, that's where the power is!
Acts 14:8-10
"And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped and walked."

Christ, The Power, And The Wisdom Of God!
In Jesus,
Tyrone

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Jews & Gentiles, One In Christ

Genesis 17:1-8

“When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.” Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”

Question: Did God make Abraham a father of one nation or many nations?

Question: Where is the land of canaan? Who has always lived there?

Thought: God made a covenant with Abraham and promised to bless him and his descendants. He gave him and his descendants all the land of Canaan, this land is the traditional home of the Hebrews (Jews) and the people who lived there were called the children of Israel or the nation of Israel. The name Israel comes from God who changed Jacob’s name to Israel after Jacob wrestled with the angel of the Lord all night. (Genesis 35:9-12)

Genesis 22:17-18

“That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.”

Thought: Jesus Christ is a direct descendant of Abraham, and through Him all the nations of the earth are blessed. Because of Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross, every nation of people on this earth is able to have a relationship with the One True God who created all man-kind.

Matthew 1: 1

“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:”

Isaiah 7:14

“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”

Footnotes: Isaiah 7:14 (Immanuel) Literally God-With-Us

Galatians 3:26-29

“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

Colossians 3:1-11

“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.”

(Read Revelation 21:1-8 and 22-27)

Sunday, November 29, 2009

The Gospel of Christ (good news for your soul)


The good news is that God so loved the world that the Word was manifested in the flesh and was born of the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit and was given the name Jesus. And Jesus is the only begotten Son of the Father.

John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

John 1:14 “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

1 John 1:1 “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.”

God sent Jesus to be the propitiation for your sins, for my sins, and for the sins of the whole world.

1 John 2:2 “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”

Propitiation - To conciliate – to gain (as goodwill) by pleasing acts (an offended power); appease: propitiate the gods with a sacrifice.

Jesus appeased or satisfied the wrath of God by willingly going to the cross as a sinless, perfect, and unblemished sacrificial lamb paying the penalty of sin that was due, so that we could be reconciled to the holy and righteous God. Jesus didn’t go to the cross as a substitute for us, but as a propitiatory sacrifice to God because we could never satisfy the requirements of God.

Substitute – To put (a person or thing) in the place of another. To take the place of; replace.

If Jesus was a substitute for us, that would mean we were equal to Him, like a substitute teacher at a school. They have the same qualifications as the teacher, but they’re not the teacher. When the teacher gets sick they call in a substitute to replace the teacher, and Jesus certainly was NOT a substitute or replacement for us.

Hebrews 10:4-7 “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.”

Hebrews 10-12 “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;”

This is good news for the whole world because the wages of sin is death!

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Paul explained to the Ephesian saints what some of the works of the flesh are:

Galatians 5:19-21 “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”

When Jesus Christ went to the cross as a propitiatory sacrifice He not only paid the penalty of death for our sins but he also:

1. Redeemed us: 1 a : to buy back : repurchase b : to get or win back

Jesus bought us back with His own blood, freeing us from the law of sin and death.

1st Corinthians 6:20 “For ye are bought with a price:”

Hebrews 9:11-15 “But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”

2. Made Atonement for us: satisfaction or reparation for a wrong or injury; amends.

Jesus satisfied God and paid the cost for all sin with His sacrifice on the cross and God reconciled us to Himself through the death of His Son.

Romans 5:10-11 “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.”

3. Reconciled us: To re-establish a close relationship between.

When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden the covenant relationship that God had with man was broken because of that sin and since that day every soul born is spiritually dead or disconnected from God and is in need of reconciliation and salvation. By the death of Jesus Christ on the cross our relationship with God has been re-established.

Colossians 1:21-22 “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:”

Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.”

2nd Corinthians 5:18 “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;”

4. Cleansed us: to remove by or as if by cleaning: to cleanse sin from the soul.

Through the shedding of the blood of Jesus we are cleansed of our sin if we repent (to think differently) and accept His testimony and the gift of salvation that God offers us through the sacrifice of Christ.

1 John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

5. Purchased A New Covenant for us: the conditional promises made to humanity by God, as revealed in Scripture.

Literally, a contract. In the Bible, an agreement between God and his people, in which God makes promises to his people and, usually, requires certain conduct from them. In the Old Testament, God made agreements with Noah, Abraham, and Moses. To Noah, he promised that he would never again destroy the Earth with a flood. He promised Abraham that he would become the ancestor of a great nation, provided Abraham went to the place God showed him and sealed the covenant by circumcision of all the males of the nation. To Moses, God said that the Israelites would reach the Promised Land but must obey the Mosaic law. In the New Testament, God promised salvation of the soul to those who believe in Jesus and keep His commandments.

Matthew 26:28 For this is My blood of the New Covenant, which concerning many is being poured out for forgiveness of sins.

Hebrews 8:6-10 “But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:”

6. Took away our sins:

John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Colossians 2:11-14 “In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;”

1 Peter 2:24 “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”

We have learned so far in this message many of the things that Jesus did for us on the cross, but the acceptance of His death, burial, & resurrection is just the beginning of the salvation of our soul.

In Acts 2 we read the gospel message Peter preached to those in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. He told them how Christ was crucified by them and was raised up from the dead by God and ascended into heaven sending the promised Holy Spirit to indwell those who believed in Him.

Acts 2:36-39, 41 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized (water) every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (Spirit). For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.”

Many professing Christians believe that you don’t have to be baptized in water at all for the salvation of the soul, and many don’t believe in the Lord’s baptism (baptism in the Holy Spirit) (Matthew 3:11) but this baptism is a part of God’s plan of salvation. Jesus Himself was baptized in water by John and anointed with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:16). He told His apostles to baptize those who believed in Him (Matthew 28:19), and that is what the apostles did in the 1st century. We can contrast the message Peter spoke to the people in Jerusalem to the message he spoke to Cornelius the centurion and his household.

Acts 10:36-48 “That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree: Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly; Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.”

The gift of the Holy Ghost in Acts 2:38 and Acts 10:45 is the baptism of the Holy Spirit, (evidenced by speaking in tongues), the initial outward sign of tongues is a physical manifestation of the inward engrafting of the Spirit of God.

Matthew 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

Acts 1:5 “For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.”

Acts 2:1-4 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

We see more examples of the baptism in water and of the Spirit when Paul comes across some disciples who had received John’s baptism, but had not yet heard the message the apostles were preaching.

Acts 19:1-6 “And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.”

The sinner must not only accept the testimony of Christ, which is His death, burial, and resurrection, believing in the heart that He is the Son of the living God, and repent of their sins, but they must also be baptized in water and baptized with the Holy Spirit (born again), then they are sealed to the New Covenant of God and are able to serve Him daily by offering up spiritual sacrifices of praise as His priests.

Ephesians 1:13-14 “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

John 3:5-7 “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”

1 Peter 3:21 “The like figure whereunto even (water) baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:”

Romans 6:4-5 “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:”

1st Corinthians 12:13 “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”

It’s by the baptism of Holy Spirit that we are placed into the body of Christ.

Mark 16:15-18 “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”

When we speak in unknown tongues we edify ourselves and speak mysteries unto God, this is a spiritual act of worship in the New Covenant.

1st Corinthians 14:2,4 “For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself;”

John 4:23-24 “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”

1. The sinner must hear the gospel message of the kingdom of God preached
2. Believe this message in their heart
3. Repent
4. Be baptized in water and the Holy Spirit
5. Serve the living God in the New Covenant until death or the Second Coming of Christ.

This is God’s plan of salvation for the soul and can happen to a repentant sinner all in one day.

I pray that this message has given you a better understanding of the good news of Christ, and that the grace of God will be poured out abundantly upon you in these last days as we prepare ourselves for the return of the Bridegroom.

With Love In Christ,
Your Servant, Tyrone D Palmer