People from all walks of life and educational fortitudes have and still learn wisdom and knowledge from His teachings.

Nations, especially the west owes much of their reforms to Jesus Christ. People of every generation, gender and culture have found consolation, knowledge and wisdom from His words and doctrines.

Jesus is “The master” no matter the subject. He talked almost about everything; every issue that faces mankind, from that which is sacred to the secular.

He spoke to people of all ages, class and gender. Take for example, His sermons on the mount which contain ten components from the book of Mathew (chapters 5-7):

1.   The Beatitudes

2.   Moral Standards

3.   Religious Motives

4.   Mammon Worship

5.   Temporal Cares.

6.   Social Discernment

7.   Encouragements

8.   Summary Statement

9.   The Two Ways

10.                Warnings on Falsehood

Jesus teachings are incomparable in history. He gave a lengthy discourse on the signs of the end times, which I believe every person should take the time to read in Mathew 24, especially world leaders.

The main subject of His teaching and preaching was the “Kingdom of God.” The Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of heaven mean one and the same and can be used interchangeably.

Jesus Christ went from city to city teaching and preaching that His presence is a sign that the Kingdom has arrived. He spoke openly daily in the temple, synagogues, open countryside, the sea side and wherever the Jews resorted:

“And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people” (Mathew 4:23; cf. 9:35; John 18:20).

No man taught like Jesus Christ the people said. He spoke as having heard from the Father; therefore speaks the very words of God. He said His teachings were not of His own, but that of the Father, and quoted the prophecy of the prophet Isaiah to support His claim:

“And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children” (Isaiah 54:13).

His teachings were attested to by the populace, even His enemies acknowledged the truth and the depth of wisdom in His teachings:

“We know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men” (cf. Matthew 22:16; Mark12:14).

His audience saw Him as a man possessing the truth and the dispenser of truth:

“The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him” (John 3:2).

His teaching method was simple. As already said, He was truthful and no man pleaser.

At the beginning of His ministry, he taught the people plainly, but later He began to teach them in parables with the exception of His disciples because the populace together with their leaders rejected His teachings (cf. Mathew 13:11):

“Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand” (Mathew 13:13; cf. verse 11-12).

The parables veiled the truth from the unbeliever, but were plain to the sincere disciple. Truth comes with responsibility.

John the Baptist, the forerunner and a cousin to Jesus Christ was actually the torch bearer of Jesus teaching on the Kingdom.

Dressed like one of the ancient prophets in goat and Carmel skin, he renounced the whole Jewish system of political and hypocritical religious dogma and called on the people to “repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mathew 3:2).

He demanded of the people that they prove of their repentance by being baptized and called upon the baptized to bring forth fruits worthy of repentance. Many people from all walks of life came to him to be baptized at the river Jordan.

His was a radical movement for no prophet had demanded this of the Jews before. To John, being a pious Jew was not enough. He even rebuked Herod, the ruler of Galilee for taking his brother’s wife which later caused him his life.

But, before his death, Jesus Christ stepped out of the shadows to the center stage. His message of the kingdom was a direct sequel to that of John the Baptist:

“Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee . . .  From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mathew 4:12-17).

At the time of Christ, almost everyone was eagerly waiting for the Kingdom of heaven to come.

In spite of the many separatist groups in Palestine with divers understanding and opinions about the Kingdom, they all had one common expectation. That the Messiah will come and deliver them from the hateful Romans and set up the physical Davidic throne as prophesied.

And so, when Jesus appeared on the stage announcing the Kingdom, people thronged to hear and to be with Him.

In one of His opening addresses, for example, Jesus identified Himself with the prophecy of the prophet Isaiah saying:

“This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears” (Luke 4:21).

The atmosphere was charged following this statement and the eyes of all were fastened on Him as they “wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth.”

For the skeptic and unbelieving they could not come to terms with the carpenter’s Son being the expected King and Messiah. They were much offended.

In quoting the prophet Isaiah, Jesus intentionally left out a significant part of his prophesy: “to proclaim . . . the day of vengeance of our God” (Isaiah 61:1). But, this was because this portion has to do with His Second Advent.

Jesus has already come and is at the moment preparing a people for His Kingdom through His Spirit and His disciples. He would come the second time to reign.

One day, a Jewish leader came to Jesus by night and this is what followed:

“There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?

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” (John 3:1-5; cf. Mark 10:17-30).

New men make new society; therefore, all must be made new if all must enter into the new heaven and new earth.

The primary meaning of the phrase “Kingdom of God” is “God’s sovereign rule.” The Kingdom of God is both the rule of God and the dwelling place of God. It is also the home of the Holy angels and the saints of God.

To inherit eternal life is to be saved and to be saved is to be a citizen of the kingdom of Christ and of God.

Unregenerate man is generally rebellious and cannot accept the rule of God and neither can he enter the Kingdom of heaven. It is impossible for the fallen man or the unregenerate to please God; therefore, every man must be saved or born again to live as God intended.

The Jews at Jesus time were concerned about the rule of Rome, but Jesus was concerned about their rebellion to the rule of God. He was concerned about their sin and sins. This is the reason why even to date the cross is a rock of offense to the Jew and foolishness to the Gentile.

Israel dreamed of an earthly utopia. They hoped for a material prosperity, a world of provision in profusion, but had no room for the moral requirements preached by both John and Jesus Christ.

True, a future, historical and visible kingdom as promised to King David is to be expected; but first, Israel and the nations must accept a spiritual kingdom with such entry requirements through the hope-for-ruler (Messiah).

This explains why they were not moved by the death of the greatest prophet of their time John the Baptist who is the epitome of the Old Testament prophets and even went on to crucify their King and Messiah.

Caiaphas being the high priest for the year correctly prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation, but this was politically assumed (John 11:50). It is sad to say, even today, Israel is still asleep.

And the blindness which in part has happened to them will remain, until the time of the Gentiles is over according to the Scriptures:

“For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins” (Romans 11:25-27).

Upon the implicit rejection of the King and the kingdom, Jesus announced the turning-point; “I will build my Church.”

His church at the moment is made up of both Jews and Gentiles on earth and in heaven.

For now His Church exists in its spiritual form and will continue to do so till He returns to set up the “throne of David” and the “house of Jacob:”

“He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:32-33).

The fact that we have His First Advent means we shall also have His Second Advent. When Jesus Christ the King returns, repented Israel shall say, “Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

The hope-for ruler of Israel shall be realized; and all the Old Testament prophecies fulfilled and completed:

“Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord” (Luke 13:35).

The Kingdom has a future as well as a present. It has an already and not yet. Already the kingdom is with and in all who are spiritually born again.

And not yet, because we are waiting for the return of  the King of kings and Lord of Lords who will mark an end of the worldly systems and usher in a new world order:

“And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:

And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

And he said unto me, these sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.

Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book” (Revelations 22:3-7).

The church is not the Kingdom, but it is within the Kingdom. The vocation of every disciple of Jesus Christ is to preach and teach the good news of the Kingdom:

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Mathew 28:19-20).

We shall know what God is saying to each of us if we pay attention to the teachings of Jesus Christ. God the Father calls on every man to listen to His Son:

“This is my Son, the chosen One. Listen to Him” (Luke 9:35; cf. Deuteronomy 6:4).

Jesus Christ is the Word become flesh. The work of the Holy Spirit is to reveal Him to all who seek to know God. The Spirit of God testifies to the deity and redemption work of the Son:

Even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me,” (John 16:26).

The teachings of Jesus Christ are not empty words or the words of a braggart. His words are with power. He demonstrated His doctrine with signs, wonders and miracles and we His disciple still works miracles using His name:

“And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him” (Mark 1:27).

Further, His teachings are the very words of God to His human creatures. Jesus Christ did not learn them from any religious institution; even His hearers did testify to that saying:

“How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?” (John 7:15).

Here is God’s admonishing to all of us: “Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness.”

We must all kiss Jesus the Christ with a genuine kiss if we are to escape eternal condemnation on the Day of Judgment and accountability:

“Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him” (Psalm 2:12).

Let us be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving ourselves.

I pray none of us would be like the man who looks at his face in the mirror and forgets who he is immediately he walks away from it. If any man pays attention to His words he shall live.

Thanks for reading

Jesus Christ spoke with Authority.

His words were powerful. His audiences were spellbound and astonished at His doctrines.

Listeners left His presence with deep fear and uncertainty of His person asking themselves; “what manner of man is this” (Mathew 8:27):

“And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine” (Mathew 7:28; cf. 22:33).

The outstanding feature of His teaching was His authority, meaning He delivered His message with divine approval and authority.

Such straightforward preaching, based on the depth of His impeccable life and mission, is in contrast to any human being born in History.

The scribes were the copyists of the law and the theologians in the earthly days of Jesus the Christ. They relied on the tradition for their authority, but this was not the case with Jesus the Christ.

Jesus was His own authority.

Jesus knew where He had come from, what His purpose was on earth, where He was going after mission accomplishment.

Everyone who heard Him marveled and wondered at the gracious words which came out of His mouth.

Multitudes spent days in the harsh and dry plains of Palestine just to hear Him speak (cf. Mathew 15:32):

“And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son?” (Luke 4:22).

He taught the people in a manner that was quite different. He taught them as one having power and authority (Mark 1:22).

His words were with power – His words carried great weight:

“And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power” (Luke 4:32).

“And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes” (Mark1:22).

Even today many people express awe and shock when they read the sayings of Jesus Christ from the Bible with the exception of the unaided minds.

(The key to understanding and appreciation the sayings of Jesus is the Holy Spirit. cf. John 16:13ff).

His words are the very embodiment of truth.

Jesus called for allegiance unparalleled.

Take a look at a few examples from the book of Mathew:

“He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Mathew 10:37).

“And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Mathew 16:19).

“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it” (Mathew 16:25).

“And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life” (Mathew 19:29).

He spoke with such confidence and exactness of his future in such a way that left His audiences no choice but to accept or turn and bite.

They were compelled to either accept Him as the Christ or reject Him as one who is beside Himself:

“And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory”  (Mathew 24:30)

“When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory” (Mathew 25:31).

“But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father” (Mark 13:32).

”For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day” (Luke 17:24).

His words were transcended and everlasting – they were words of eternal life.

They were words which traveled beyond His time.

Jesus spoke as one who lived in the past, present and future and as a man who lives forever to make His words and promises good:

“I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Mathew 28:20; cf. 24-25).

Jesus Christ was a man in full control of His words.

He spoke the truth at all times and with great compassion.

He spoke of His death and resurrection with great detail well in advance.

He talked of His impending death as a blessing and essential for the salvation of all humanity:

“For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth(John 12:40).

“And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead” (Mathew 17:9).

“Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death” (Mathew 20:18).

“The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born” (Mathew 26:24).

“The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day” (Luke 9:22).

“Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things” (John 8:28).

Jesus spoke as one who has all the facts and the power to execute His will.

Power was His at all times to dispense at will.

He saw Himself as the only hope of mankind and called men to acknowledge it to be so.

What He said and did proved who He said He was.

Jesus promised He would return to earth, so let us wait for Him because He shall surely come.

Here is a piece of what He said concerning His Second Coming:

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Mathew 24:29-31; cf. 26:64; Acts 1:11).

The note of authority in the Sermon on the Mount is a warning that no man can ignore or reject Jesus teaching without consequences.

Beyond its moral, ethical, and spiritual teaching is the person of the Preacher Himself.

He calls attention to Himself as the focal point of His entire message:

“Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:

But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; it is God’s throne (Mathew 5:33-34).

In conclusion, no man alive or dead ever spoke with authority like Jesus Christ.

He was a man of authority and spoke with authority. I do not think any man can truly say:

“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away,” with the exception of the man who came from heaven and who claim to be fully God and fully man.

Thanks for reading. Leave us a note of how our writings are impacting your life and the understanding of the Gospel of God.

The claims of Jesus are such that no man can accept them unless first, one accepts Him for all that He claims to be – Jesus the Christ, Son of God, Savior, and Lord.

Let me start with one of the most profound claims that Jesus made which I believe eclipsed all others. This was His constant usage of the divine name, “I am.”

Jesus did not only use this name one time but was His habit of personalizing the divine name. (Remember, God is not arbitrarily name by men as one object among others).

In the Gospel of John alone, Jesus uses “I am” more than twenty times. A typical example was His conversation with the woman from Sychar in Samaria (take the time to read John 4)

“The woman saith unto him, I know that Messiah cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus said unto her, I that speak to thee am he” (John 4:25-26; cf. 6:20,35,41,48,51; 8:12,18,24,28,58; 10:7,9,11,14, 11:25; 13:19; 14:6; 15:1,5; 23:5,6,8).

“I am,” translated in Greek is Ego eimi.

Both ego and eimi means I am. The former emphasizes “I” and the latter “am.” Thus ego eimi expresses personal being in the strongest possible way.

“What Jesus said to the Samaritan woman was the use of ego eimi with the maximum implication.”

Using the name I am, Jesus was saying to this woman I, who is talking to you, am (the divine) or I am the expected Messiah – I am the Christ, the one in whom Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is fully revealed.

This is the way the Jewish community understood His repeated usage of this revered holy name of God. So, you can understand why they were infuriated and gnashed their teeth at Him.

Technically, Jesus Christ was by this repetitive personal usage claiming to be equal with God or God. He claimed equality with God almost at all levels. He claimed every honor due to God.

Carefully, read the following example and deduce for yourself, if these sayings of His are that of a mere man:

“Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.

For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.

For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,

And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me” (John 5:19-30).

Another example is the incident at the Sea of Galilee.

The former fishermen now made disciples of Jesus were out of their wits in their battle against the ferocious storms at sea. As if this was not terrifying enough, Jesus came walking on the sea towards them?

They screamed in fear and  right away Jesus spoke to them using the divine name:

“Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid” (Mathew 14:27; cf. verses 28-33).

Jesus said to them, “Be of good cheer it is I, the all powerful God who is with you, do not be afraid.

What followed soon after fully supported His claim. Jesus granted Peter the power and authority to walk on the sea. Can you imagine the wonder in the faces of these disciples in the making?

They were convinced beyond all doubt that the man walking on the sea and the man they have come to love is no other man than the Son of God – Israel’s Messiah and the Savior of all mankind.

Read for yourself what they did to Jesus Christ when He came into the boat:

“Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God” (Mathew 14:33; cf. Revelation 22:9).

They followed their faith by giving Him the worship and honor that is only due to God and Jesus accepted it. He accepted the worship that even holy angels revere (cf. Revelation 19:10).

This event at sea brings to mind the debate Jesus had with the Jewish leaders in John 8. Jesus claimed Abraham rejoiced to see His day and saw it and the Jews, especially, the leaders were overly offended.

They responded by saying, “thou art not yet fifty years old, and thou hast seen Abraham?”

Jesus response immediately sparked an attempt to stone Him and this is what Jesus said to them:

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58).

But, this was no boast on the part of Jesus Christ.

God Himself testifying of His Son (servant) in the Old Testament had this to say:

“Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.

I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God. Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?” (Isaiah 43:10-13).

Clearly, from this prophecy we can again deduce that the Yahweh and Savior of the Old Testament is Jesus the Christ of the New Testament.

God sent Him into the world of mankind so that we may know that He is the only One and true God and be reconciled to Him through His only mediator (cf. 1 Timothy 2:5).

Here are few of His “I am’ claims for your personal study:

1. “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever” (John 6:51; cf. verse 41).
2. “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12).
3. “I am the door of the sheep” (John 10:7-9).
4. “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine” (John 10:11-14).
5. “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live” (John 11:25).
6. “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me” (John 14:6).
7. “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing (John 15:5).

Jesus was teaching during one of the Feast of Tabernacles, and the common people were debating among themselves if He was indeed the Christ.

But, they were overheard by the Jewish leaders. Afraid of their own positions, these leaders immediately sent officers or soldiers to arrest Jesus.

However, the soldiers after hearing Jesus speak, had a change of mind and decided not to arrest Him. Returning to those who sent them without Jesus, they were questioned why they failed to bring Him and here was their reply:

“Never man spake like this man” (John 7:45-46).

Probably, if I were one of these officers, my answer might be the same, so I dare not blame them.

I am fifty four years old, but I cannot think of any man in history that has ever come close to the claims of Jesus Christ and not to talk of His works and flawless life.

Recognizing that the Jews, especially the leaders would not accept His testimony, Jesus called upon God as His witness. Only He who claims to be God can call upon God as a witness.

Jesus Christ also called three other witnesses: His own works, John the Baptist, and the Scriptures. Examine the following:

“But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me” (John 5:36).

“And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not” (John 5:37-38; cf. 5:34-35).

“Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. I receive not honour from men. But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive” (John 5:39ff).

The bad news is that the Jewish leaders understood His claims alright, yet, they rejected Him.

Who knows why? Probably, they could not contain Him in their religious pride and arrogance. His sinless and shining life revealed the dark corners of their own hypocritical life. Jesus was simply too much for their religious pride.

Whether the claims of Jesus Christ are the sayings of men or that of God is up to each of us also to decide.

Believe it or not, the claims of Jesus are not the claims of a mere man who is endowed with the gifts of the Spirit or that of a prophet speaking the words of God. They can only be the claims of a man who is God.

Peter said the words of Jesus Christ are “words of eternal life” (John 6:68). He witnessed Jesus forgive sin and demonstrated His authority to do by healing the sick, raising the dead and casting out devils.

Read the following example:

“And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.

And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, this man blasphemeth.

And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?

For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?

But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.

And he arose, and departed to his house” (Mathew 9:2-6).

Jesus was fully aware of His sinlessness (Mathew 11:27; 12:8,32,40).

At one point He said to the people:

“Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God” (John 8:46-47).

He said He would be recognized for who He claims to be when He raises from the dead.

Jesus Christ resurrection from the dead is the single most powerful proof of the success and completeness of His Messianic mission. It overshadows all that He did and said:

“Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things” (John 8:28cf. Mathew 11:2-6; cf. 16:16,20; Luke 3:15).

Today billions of people are His followers and daily the list grows.

The dead are being raised back to life and all kinds of diseases and infirmities healed in His name across the nations. His words have come true.

As already stated, the devils, though evil in their motives are not left out in the parade of testimonies proving His claims.

Terrified by His presence they could not keep still. They came out of many, crying out:”

“Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One sent from God! Jesus cut him short. “Be quiet! Come out of the man,” he ordered” (Mark 1:24-25,34; cf. Luke 4:41; Mathew 8:28-29).

Jesus Christ aligned Himself with God as the only one who can give eternal life.

He claimed: “He came that mankind might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10 paraphrased).

He claimed no man can see or know God unless he first has a relationship with Him:

“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3).

“I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?” (John 11:46-47).

He claimed to be the only one man who can decide the fate of every man. The decision as to who enters the kingdom of God solely rest upon Him. The kingdom of God or heaven is His to appoint (Luke 22:29).

He claimed to possess the keys of heaven, death and hell. He said at the end of the ages; it would be up to Him to decide the final destiny of all creatures:

“All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him” (Mathew 11:27).

Jesus claimed He Himself is the fulfillment of all the Old Testament prophesies – he came to fulfill all that was said of Him in prophesy.

The Old Testament ceremonies and laws as shadows are lost in Him as the substance and cease to be binding. They are fulfilled in Him. He did not come to do away the law but to give its true and intended meaning:

“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil” (Mathew 5:17; cf. 1:22; 2:15,17, 23; 4:14; 8:17 12:17; 13:35; 21:4; 26:56; 27:9,35).

Space and time would not permit me to quote all the claims of Jesus but here are a few for your personal studies.

1. “Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of the world; I am not of this world” (John 8:23).
2. “When ye have lifted the Son of man, then ye shall know that I am he” (John 8:28).
3. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, if a man keep my saying, he shall never see death” (John 8:51).
4. “The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live” (John 5:25).
5. “He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:25).
6. “If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest hath asked of him, and would have given thee living water” (John 4:10).
7. Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God” (Luke 22:69).
8. “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Mathew    24:35).
9. “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Mathew 28:18-19).

10.  “And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self                             with the glory which I had with thee before the world was” (John 17:5).

11.  “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day (John 6:44).

Again, ponder over the following as my summary.

1. “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12).
2. “No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him” (John 1:18).
3. “And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven” (John 3:13).
4. “Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed” (John 6:27).
5. “Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you” (John 6:53).
6. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself” (John 5:19,26).

Personally, I do not think that any religious leader, prophet, priest, guru, or Imam has ever made and can make such claims as that of Jesus Christ.

No mere human being by any stretch of the imagination can claim that his relationship to humanity decides the fate or the final destiny of the rest of mankind and neither can any mere man say he is the object of saving faith.

Thanks for reading.

Paving the way for one world government

We are in the last days, but the end of the world is not yet.

The crisis in the world will continue to increase due to changes in the economies of the world.

There will be a balance or shift of power from the status quo – the West being the superior, but the balance of power or superiority will neither fall to the West nor East with the so-called Third World countries scrapping for the remnants.

The power struggle in the world will be between the wealthy and rich (wealthy-rich) people versus the poor people in the nations of the world.

In between the wealthy-rich and the poor of every nation, will be the educated masses (politicians, scientists, engineers, doctors etc.) who will only serve as the puppets of the wealthy-rich.

Organized religion, for the better part of the cake, will become an extraction (exploit the resources of the poor) and a propaganda machine for the wealthy.

Jesus Christ and His message will become secondary or a Bronze Age doctrine. He will be mystified and denied.

(The dream for a Christian nation, a better world, or a theocratic nation is an illusion – a fairy tale. Jesus Christ did not come to fix this world, or make it a better place to live. He came to establish the Kingdom of God on earth).

Instead, a super-charged atmosphere as never seen before, which has already begun in a miniature form in many countries will gather momentum and spread across the world. Evil and wars will continue to spread far and wide.

There will be a great time of unrest. Truth, trust, and equity will be trodden under foot, and the heart of many people will fail them. Peace of mind will be a hard commodity for both rich and poor.

Despite, commerce will boom, and the entertainment industry will continue to grow with alcohol, oil (black gold) and gas playing the leading role.

The answer to this crisis will be this magic or miracle man the Bible calls the “Antichrist,” whose spirit of falsehood (false hope, false peace) and extreme perversion is already at work in the world:

“Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time” (1 John 2:18).

As to whether this figure man is born and already gathering followers in the political system or not yet born, the answer is yes and no. No man knows. But, this is how we can detect or know him.

The temple in Jerusalem will be rebuilt sooner or later. But, unlike Antiochus Epiphanes, who profaned the Jewish temple in the first century A.D. by sacrificing a pig on the altar, the antichrist will offer himself as God; therefore, demand worship by all men.

Here is the sign:

“Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,

That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God” (2 Thessalonians 2:1-4).

The sign is simply this: The man who shall be seen entering and sitting in the newly rebuilt temple in Israel, “claiming to be God,” shall be the antichrist.

Additionally, read the following:

“And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.

And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand)” (Mathew 24:4-15).

We are approaching the end but not yet.

Therefore, let us gather all the resources at our disposal to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We do not have much time, yet, there are many souls to be saved.

The harvest is plenty, but the laborers are few. Let us call on God to help us reach the unsaved with the truth – truth is life for every human being.

The consummation of the Kingdom of God is fast approaching; let us work harder, fully depending on the Holy Spirit to glorify Jesus Christ in us, and through us:

“Because he (God) hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man (Jesus Christ) whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead” (Acts 17:31).

Thanks for reading.  www.preachthegospel2all.com

Will the crisis in the world end? The answer is no, but look out for these events:

At the moment, the world is desperately looking for a leader – a man who will solve our never ending political, economical, and religious problems.

Since the world rejected God’s appointed Savior and King, Jesus the Christ, God has permitted that the world choose its own leader. The economies of the world will continue its downward trend.

Also, organized religion and the church will be indistinct from the rest of the religions of the world, and politicians will lose the respect and support of their people.

But, soon, a man of great ability, extra-ordinary powers, genius, and very promising will emerge (most likely from the west), who will head a one-world government.

He will be a man of religion, commerce and a brilliant politician. Even though his rule will be unreal and ephemeral, he will be able to temporarily cause the unrest in the nations to cease.

The nations of the world including Israel will rally behind him, (he will bring peace to the troubled Middle East).

At the moment, knowingly or unknowingly, the world is bracing for a one-world system.  As to the time of the appearing of this great man, it could be any day from now.

In the midst of all that is to come, this is what the Bible says to the faithful:

“The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light” (Romans 13:12).

As to the true identity of this man and the source of his powers, look out for the next issue.

It is clear that sin, with all its attendant sufferings, exists throughout the world.

Adam and Eve parents and representatives of the human race gave birth to their first son outside the Garden of Eden and they named him “Cain,” which means, “possession, to acquire, or get.”

Probably, in their mind, Cain was the promised deliverer because they declared (cf. Genesis 3:15):

“I have gotten a man, the Lord or Jehovah (cf. Genesis 4).

But, soon the couple realized their disappointment when a second son followed; they named him “Abel,” which means, “vapor or vanity” a sign of their disappointment.

Adam gave birth to daughters, but their names are not given in the Scriptures – “Biblical narrative is never concerned with the mere lapse of time and genealogy, but with the moral significance of events:”

“And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters” (Genesis 5:4).

How the human race progressed from Adam in history actually began with these two natural born sons of the earth.

The human race progressed through the two lines of sin and righteousness through Cain and Abel with fallen Adam being the focal point.

In Cain, we see the nature of the rebellious and unrighteous man unfolds, for Cain lived outside the will of God.

In Abel, we see the nature of righteousness, and how the unrighteous persecutes the righteous. Cain chose the way of evil, but Abel chose the will of God.

The first murderer in human history

Briefly, this is what happened to these two sons of the earth and the paths they chose:

On a particular day the two men, Cain and Abel, voluntarily decided to offer free-will offering to God.

Cain, who was a farmer, offered the fruit of the ground as his sacrifice to God, and Abel the shepherd, offered the firstlings of his flock, and the fat thereof as his sacrifice.

But, God accepted Abel’s offering, and rejected the sacrifice of Cain simply because of Cain’s improper attitude and lack of faith (“Without faith, it is impossible to please God”).

The Scriptures declare:

“By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh” (Hebrews 11:4; cf. 1 John 3:12; cf. Hebrews 11:6).

Cain became angry as a result, but instead of repentance through doing the right thing he decided to take his anger on his only brother Abel.

God warned Cain of the intention of sin to rule over him, and encouraged him to rise above it for he is well able to overcome. However, Cain would not be talked out of the evil he had purposed in his heart to do.

Cain had the tendency and the will power to do what was right, but chose to do evil:

“The LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it” (Genesis 4:6-7).

A correct view of God demonstrates itself in a right attitude toward God and fellow man; likewise, a wrong view of God shows itself in a mere paucity and empty religious rites.

Further, “right behavior results in good feelings and vice versa” (cf. Genesis 4:7).

Surely, on a certain day, while the two were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and slew him: “Jealousy is cruel as the grave.” (cf. Jude 11).

Cain, out of envy, killed his brother because his ways were evil, and that of his brother righteous:

“Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous” (1 John 3:12).

No man is free from sin – the struggle between good and evil within the human soul exist throughout life, but through God we can have mastery over it.

Man has the power to speak right and act right, but to do this every one of us must exercise faith in God to master sin.

God called Cain to account for his brother, but finding him still un-repented, impudent and full of hate passed judgment upon him:

“Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”

And He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.

When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth” (Genesis 4:11-12).

Cain, the first natural born son of the earth, chose the path of evil – a life without God is a life of total defeat and purposelessness, and always ends in ruin.

Driven from the presence of God, “Cain went out and dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden,” and there he formed the first godless society, and the first city, which he named after his son Enoch (cf. Genesis 4).

The descendants of Cain were men of great skills, who developed impressive worldly arts, culture, and sciences that were advanced well into the future.

Yet, despite their blessings and advancements, they were evil. They were men who did what was right in their own eyes, and had no fear of God in them.

Among the notables of Cain’s descendants is Lamech, seven generations from Cain who became the first polygamist and the first recorded bigamist. He sang the first recorded poetry, which was a confession of boastful arrogance against God to his wives (cf. Genesis 5:23).

Lamech had three sons Jubal, Jabal, and Tubal-Chain. Jubal became both a herdsman and a trader of cattle. Jabal invented diver’s musical instruments like the harp and flute, and instituted music and other fine arts. Tubal-chain was mechanically endowed, and invented tools out of stones and iron.

God, being so good, after Abel, Eve had another son and named him “Seth,” which means “appointed.”

It was during the time of Seth, and especially after the birth of Seth’s son Enos, that men began to call upon the name of the Lord – men began to worship God:

“And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, and after his image; and called his name Seth” (Genesis 5:3).

Through divine revelation, Seth’s line came to know God not only as the all-powerful Creator or Elohim, but Jehovah the covenant keeping God, who wants to be or is with His people.

But, mark, the saying that Cain’s line were ungodly may not mean that every single individual was evil, and neither does it imply that every single one of Seth’s line were godly, but this saying reflects on taking the family lines as a whole.

People lived much longer in the days of Seth. Enoch is the father of Methuselah (the oldest man who lived), and the great grandfather of Noah. Methuselah lived 965 years and did not die until the very year of the flood.

Enoch, for his godliness “was not for God took him;” he was translated alive into the abode of God: “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God” (Mathew 5:8).

To be continued. Thanks for reading.

Remember, we are not sinners because of a particular sin committed; no, we are sinners because we are born sinners (we are born with a corrupt nature).

 Apart from our first parents and Jesus Christ, every other human being is born a sinner.

Even though, none of us were alive when our parents sinned, yet, we have all inherited the corrupt and sinful nature that became of them due to the fall, and we prove it to be so by our own daily sins: 

“(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. “Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come” (cf. Romans 5:13-14).  

Without salvation, we are all considered fallen creatures and prisoners of sin, death, Satan, and the wrath of God to come upon the disobedient.

All the great works of religion, art and science, mathematics, and literature fall far too short of divine expectation; we are nothing, but condemned sinners in need of mercy and salvation from our holy and just God: 

“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away” (Isaiah 64:6). 

The entire human race became liable to suffer divine wrath the moment our first parents sinned.

The life clock for every man stopped the moment Adam sinned – in Adam, we all die. Adam’s experience is that of every man for we all die, but mark the divine counsel to every man: 

“I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see” (Revelations 3:18). 

Thankfully, with the entrance of sin also came the awakening of the gift of conscience, guilt, and shame.

Adam and Eve experienced guilt and shame the moment they sinned – shame stands as the corollary of sin, and we must all be thankful to God for both:  

“And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.” 

The birth of religions 

Now, finding nothing to replace what was lost, with fear and desperately wanting to be re-clothed (at least to hide their shame from each other and from God), our first parents decided to help themselves.

Instead of crying out to God for help, the couple sewed fig leaves to cover themselves, which is a deepening of their rebellion.

This act of our first parents is the root of all self-righteousness, natural religion, and every form of cult. Religion is man’s varied attempts, sincere but mistaken, to be morally and socially correct.

Undeniably, the fear of death, poverty, old age, sickness, disease, lost of a loved one, protection, and the desire for power to dominate fellow man, has caused man to wonder into the unfamiliar and dangerous territories of the devils.

Man has invented dumb idols, gods, and graven images made of wood, bronze, gold and clay, which are incapable of saving themselves, and much more their worshippers in contradistinction to the Creators will and purpose: 

“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments” (Exodus 20:4-6). 

 “What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols? (Habakkuk 2:18). 

Religion, like the “fig leaves,” may cover a man’s physical nakedness, but not the spiritual nakedness and neither can it provide a path and reconciliation to God.

It is externalism; it may work on the outside, but not on the inside – religion reforms, but cannot transform or regenerate. True, man is ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth (cf. 2 Timothy 3:7).

Our world is filled with “Do it yourself,” – “How to do it,” – and “Where to find it” philosophies. Religiously, we may look clean, but inside we are full of rottenness and this is how God sees every unregenerate regardless of prayer, fasting, and devotion to sacred sites and holy books.

Joshua, the high priest, is an example of how each of us without rebirth stand before God; even the most religious or pious under the grace of God. Because of sin in the nature, even Joshua the high priest was naked before the Creator and needed to be clothed: 

“And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.

And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.

And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by” (Zechariah 3:1-5).  

In truth, if any man thinks he or she can placate sin by simply asking God for forgiveness, or please God through religious rites, then such a man must think twice – “Human sinners cannot save themselves through good deeds but must rely on the grace of God.”

Without atonement (amends) there is no forgiveness of sin. Transformation through second birth is the only cure for sin: 

“For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God” (Romans 10:3). 

Again, the personal effort of man to attain spiritual satisfaction, inner peace, ultimate reality, and happiness falls far below the divine requirement.

In truth, what every man needs as a result of the fall is the righteousness of God. We must willingly, through faith in God, cast away the filthy garment of self-righteousness, self-made religion, and to be clothed with the righteousness of God.

God’s provided covering is the only means by which a man can gain a holy standing before the holy God, and thereafter live happily. The self effort of man to be morally, socially, and politically correct is a facade.

But, mark, by my saying “religion,” I do not include the church, or the community of those born of God (born-again), and this is because the church is a living organism; it is the body of which the living Jesus Christ is the head.

The church is made up of individuals hand picked by God, indwelt by God, and led by God. The church is not an institution, organization, a building, doctrine, dogma, a collection of rules or do’s and don’ts, but the living family of the living God.

Again, the church is not founded on the teachings of Christ – vitally important though to the born again, but on His person. No man or woman can join the church without divine invitation and acceptance; in fact, – who becomes a member, is the prerogative of the divine.

The church is God reaching out to man; it is God who has come down to man, – and man’s response to faith, or His command. Every one of us belongs to a family; likewise, everyone who is born of God belongs to God’s family. Family and religion are not the same.

The Holy Spirit, who is also the spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ, acting through the Bible, is the source of authority for the church (every Christian).

A true Christian is a person who is born of God, indwelt by God, and led by God: “If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his” (Romans 8:9b): 

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Romans 8:114). 

Chosen before the world began; the church is the light of the world and the embodiment of truth.

Here is the purpose for which God established the church in Christ: 

“According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love” (Ephesians 1:4; cf. Romans 8:28-29). 

A low view of sin is a low view of God 

Surprisingly, many people prefer to have their own religion or assume the religion of their ancestry to the way of God (a religion where God is not the head).

Many adhere to their current religion and beliefs because it is the beliefs or religion of their fathers and not as a result of personal choice. For example, one may be a Christian, Moslem, Hindu and Buddhist because his or her parent (s), grandmother, leader, husband, wife, or someone he or she admires is such.

Again, I have come to the realization that many people have the desire to serve and worship God, but prefer their way and method. Now, you can understand why there are so many religions in the world today, and more still sprouting.

Even though, all claim to be ladders leading man to God, the light, a greater illumination, greater goodness, higher perfection, freedom, and spirituality they all fall far too short of the divine requirements and expectation.

Man is nowhere near the desired dream of utopian lifestyle, despite our hope-for socialism, communism, democracy, religions, financial wealth, great inventions, political gains, and great entertainments, because they fall short of providing salvation from sin, happiness and peace.

It is a heart break to acknowledge the fact that the nations of the world would rather choose the so-called “political-religions,” such as Communism, Socialism, Nazism, Democracy, Nationalism, capitalism, scientism and every kind of isms over theocracy (the rule of God).

This is not to say all of these acts are evil; no, by no means. By themselves some may be necessary, but these become evil when they replace the knowledge of the one and only true God, or when they claim to lead us to Him – no man is free until freed from sin.

Yes, there may be good in all religions,” but to what good? If religion is taught as a “search for the truth” then God is the truth. Again, if religion is service or devotion to the one and only true God, then Jesus Christ is our access to Him.

True religion is to accept unequivocally the revealed will of God. Here are the words of divine wisdom: 

“Hear this, all ye people; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world: Both low and high, rich and poor, together. My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.

I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my dark saying upon the harp. Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about?

They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him: (For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:) That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption.

For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others. Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names.

Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish. This their way is their folly: yet their posterity approve their sayings. Selah.

Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling.

But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah. Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased; For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him.

Though while he lived he blessed his soul: and men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself. He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light.

Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish” (Psalm 49:1-20). 

There is no joy, beauty, and utopia in rebelling against the rule of God. The reward for disobedience is shame, death, and punishment.

He who sins loves death. The wages sin pays to every sinner is shame, sorrow, and death (cf. Romans 2:5).

Thanks for reading. Please, tell your friends and neighbors about this site.

A man becomes a servant to whom he or she chooses to obey. Through the fall, the entire human race became servants to sin and Satan: 

“Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin” (John 8:34).  

Sin is enmity against God. We demonstrate our love for God when we obey His commandment:

“If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15; Romans 8:7).

Through sin, man abdicated his sovereignty to Satan – Satan became the prince and god of this world (John 14:30; 16:11; 2 Corinthian 4:4; Ephesians 6:12): 

“Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?” (Romans 6:16). 

Sin is the failure to attain to the divine standard – this deliberate act of sin ended man’s righteousness and upright standing before the holy and just God.

Living forever in a state of unchangeability and blissfulness in the presence of God comes by exercising faith in His Word and not by disobedience. Faith obeys, but unbelief disobeys, and man is warned to beware of the subtlety of unbelief. The root of all sins is unbelief.

The purpose of Satan’s temptation for each of us is to plant the seed of unbelief in the heart and mind, and to bind the will of man under his will: 

“Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God” (Hebrews 3:12). 

Adam willfully reached out for the forbidden fruits against the express command of God.

Adam could not accept the divine limitations placed on him and was willing to side with the devils to rebel against the rule of God – sin is disobedience to the word of the living God: 

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Mathew 4:4). 

In fact, Satan himself sinned against God through this very reason. He sought to become like the most High, but how could this be?

God would forever be God; likewise, men and angels who are creatures would forever be creatures: 

“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High” (Isaiah 14:12-14). 

Our first parents did not become like God as Satan had suggested to them, instead, they became like him – evil in thoughts and actions. They did not ascend into higher glory, but descended into shame and dishonor.

Satan is a liar – sin is betrayal and wickedness. How foolish it is for an angel, or any human being to think that he or she would somehow, and by some means, become God:   

“The LORD most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth” (Psalm 47:2): 

“For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward” (Deuteronomy 10:17): 

“The government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). 

It is true that some day believers shall become sons of God, but that is where it ends: 

“But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever” (Daniel 7:18; cf. verse 27). 

Sin destroys all that is beautiful, good and righteous – sin is a mistake and a mockery. 

Freedom forfeited 

With the entrance of sin also came an end to man’s freedom, righteousness, and the blessing to live forever in a state of blissfulness.

From the moment of the fall, our first parents died spiritually. Even though our parents continued to live for a while, it was only a matter of time. The eyes of both were opened, and Adam and Eve knew they were naked.

The pristine glory that clothed them was gone – man was no longer innocent and free; instead, a sinner bound in sin, fear, and under divine wrath and judgement: 

“And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons” (Genesis 3:7).           

Here is a brief breakdown:

First, the couple experienced a departure – they realized their divine or Spiritual covering was gone, and that they were naked.

Second, they lost their happy union and communion with their Creator – faith gave way to unbelief (when faith in God goes everything goes). Where there was love they experienced fear guilt, shame, and death.

Third, Man became immoral; man became a sinner and unable to act righteous – innocence was gone and no longer a possession.

The Holy Scriptures summarises the moral condition of Adam’s race (the state of the human race in the following):

“All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God:”

“There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Their throat is an open sepulcher; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways:

And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes. Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:10-20; cf. 3:23; 5:13-15). 

We are by nature captives to sin, sold under it, condemned, and under its curse. We are unable not to sin (cf. Ephesians 2:3; 1 John 5:19). 

Sin is depravity 

Beloved, it is this indictment and its dire consequences that call for a Savior and a redeemer for the human race.

Further, it is primarily due to sin that God demands every man must be born again to obtain eternal life, and to escape the wrath and punishment to come upon the disobedient and unfaithful: 

“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (Revelation 21:8). 

Sin corrupts holy conduct, produces sicknesses and diseases (death), and finally destroys the soul in the Lake that burns with fire and brimstone (second death) – sin destroys hope and life.

Fallen man is “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1). Sin, once acted, becomes a state. Every one of us in root, branch, and fruit is corrupt because every man inherits the corruption that became of Adam through the fall: 

 “The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies” (Psalm 58:3). 

Sin, upon entering the world and finding a dwelling place in the heart of man, has corrupted the human nature to the core; body, soul, and spirit are corrupted beyond repair.

We are all witness to what sin has done to us and to our world. To the present day, evil has plagued the thoughts and crowned every action of man. Man is incurably sinful from the womb: 

“Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me” (Psalm 51:5). 

Sin has marred the image and likeness of God upon man to the extent that only a second birth, transformation, or regeration can restore man to the original glory of felicity and life eternal.

But, mark, the fall did not only create schism in the nature of man and estranged him from the Creator, but even brought discord between man, nature and the animal kingdom.

The whole earth is corrupt; “for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth” (Genesis 6:12). Take a clue from this verse, which gives a hint that there were no flesh-eating animals in the beginning: 

“The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD” (Isaiah 65:25). 

The present environmental changes and climate threats speaks loud and clear.

The entire creation has been groaning for the last six thousand years for freedom from the bondage to corruption due to the fall of man: 

“For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now” (Romans 8:22). 

It is hard to measure the strength of sin. How could our parents listen to a total stranger who belittles and rebuffs the command of their beloved Father and Creator?

Could not the only man whom the Scripture says, “is a type of Christ,” have followed the example of the man he was modeled after? (cf. Mathew 4:10; Romans 5:14).

Further, could not Adam have rebuked the devil, or cast him away from the Garden and banned, from reentering the earth?

Again, one wonders why Adam, who is the head, never prayed or petitioned for Eve, and instead went along with her disobedience. “Fools make a mock at sin” (Proverbs 14:9).

Notwithstanding, can man entirely blame Satan for his downfall? The answer is maybe not; after all, Satan could only tempt. This is what our beloved apostle James has to say to us, only if we are teachable: 

“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” (James 1:12-15). 

Graham had this to say in describing the events of the fall:

“By accepting . . . (Satan’s) word and (Satan’s) system in preference to God’s Word and God’s order, they handed over the deed of trust to Satan and enthroned him as the legal ruler. They transferred their allegiance from the Father of lights to the Father of lies.”

Even though, both Adam and Eve were culpable. The Scriptures placed the fall squarely on Adam – Eve was deceived, but Adam was not, he willingly chose to disobey.

Adam chose to rally behind Satan in rebelling against the rule of the holy God: 

“And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression” (1 Timothy 2:14).  

Eve allowed her emotions to overrun her reason. Mark the progression: Satan first captured her ear, then the eye, then the inward desire: 

“The woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat,” 

Eve saw that the tree was good for food, which is the lust of the flesh. She saw the fruit as pleasant to the eyes, which is the lust of the eye. She saw the fruit could make her wise, which is the pride of life.

This is true for every temptation, for Satan’s method has not changed for the last six thousand years. When Satan tempts us, he commonly does it by exciting and raising to the highest pitch our native passions. He does not make us act contrary to our nature, but leads us to act out our proper disposition.

Many of us allow our feelings to override reason. We live on feelings, instead of plain common sense and faith in the word of God. Even though we know that feelings can be deceptive and not trustworthy, we still trust feelings with most of our choices.

The same is true for the born again; we often like the blind leading the blind flirt with the world, and by our sins, influence others to follow us into the path of waywardness. Sin is not something to be desired.

Sin produces death and life, which if not destroyed would end the human soul in the Lake that burns with sulphur and brimstone.

Sin is a lie 

Satan told Eve: “For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil,” but nothing is further from the truth.

If only Eve had been a little thoughtful, she would have discerned how preposterous Satan’s statement was. After all, if God was so terrified that by eating of the fruit of the tree man would be equal to Him in knowledge why would He create the very means of acquiring such knowledge?

Honestly, one wonders why Eve never registered any surprise when the serpent spoke to her. “God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind” (Genesis 1:25). And we know that snakes do not speak. Only man possesses the ability to speak.  

Nevertheless, I guess this is a tangible question we must all ask our mother when someday we meet her, but here is a quick lesson we can all take from this temptation:

Never begin a conversation with devils, or be caught in conversation with them because devils are nothing, but liars: 

He (Satan) was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it” (John 8:44). 

Instead, we must all follow the example of Jesus Christ on how He dealt with the devil in His temptation.

Jesus never suffered the devils to talk (cf. Mathew 4; Mark 1:25; Luke 4:41). Second, we must never misquote God’s word. The word of God is the word of God; we must not take from it or add.

He who loves God loves His word and obeys His word – wisdom is not gained through disobedience: 

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10).  

“The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver (Psalm 119:72). 

Through the temptation and the fall, Satan succeeded in rallying the human race behind him in rebelling against the Law of God – sin is the denial of the divine right to command.

To be continued . . . Thanks for reading.

The Entrance of Sin and Satan 

The entrance of sin and the fall of man is the darkest day in the history of the human race. Probably, you might have heard the phrase, “the fall of man” or simply, “the fall.” By the fall, we mean all of the following:

The day sin entered the world; the day that representative man, Adam, fell into sin through the tempter Satan; the day the human race, through Adam, trespassed divine boundaries; the day man sinned and became what he was not;

The day man abandoned the purpose of his divine creation and calling; the day man became faithless or an unbeliever; the day it was all over for mankind; the day man missed the mark; the day man voluntarily became a rebellious creature, and assumed for himself a depraved and a carnal nature;

The day man chose death to eternal life; the day man willingly broke the law of God; the day man disobeyed, and became lawless; the day sin corrupted the nature of man; the day man died spiritually, and also became a victim of physical death; the day man became spiritually bankrupt, and a voluntry slave of evil.

Further, the fall answers why God is angry with man; why man is estranged from his holy Creator; why without the salvation of God, man stands before the holy God a condemned sinner and perishing; why God became a man and died on the cross of Calvary for every man; why every human being must have faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be saved;

Why every human being must be born again (regenerated) or suffer an everlasting punishment (cf. 1 John 5:11-12); why we have different religions with all kinds of idols and gods in the world, and all claiming to lead us to God, into the truth, heaven, a higher reality, self-realization, the light, and spirituality.

In short, the fall answers all the questions as to why and how man and the world is disjointed and far removed from the Creator’s origin, and why sin, with all its attendant sufferings, exists throughout the world.

All human vices can be traced down to this one event in history, the fall, and its consequences at this mundane time. 

There was a tempter and temptation was permitted  

Unfortunately, the period man lived in innocence was relatively short as already mentioned. Our first parents had no children before the fall; therefore, every man inherites their corrupt nature because of the fall – “man is unable not to sin.”

This statement by Israel’s great King David is true of every man: 

“I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me” (cf. Psalm 51:5). 

But, as already mentioned, in view of man’s exalted position, and in the education of mankind, it is difficult to see how this necessary test could have been avoided.

Further, should there not be room for man to express willingly the gratitude to his gracious maker? Furthermore, are rights, privileges and responsibilities not inseparable and that wherever one is the two are in the shadows? A man left on his own is a stray animal.

According to the word of God sin began with Satan, also known as Lucifer (Lucifer may be his original name before he became a sinner). Satan properly means an adversary or an accuser – he is the prince or leader of demons (evil spirits). He is the accuser of the righteous (saints).

In the Bible, Satan is called by other names such as adversary, deceiver, devil, great dragon, the evil one, old serpent, enemy, tempter, persecutor, and the adversary of God. Once a guardian and obedient angel, Satan became evil: 

“You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones” (Ezekiel 28:14; cf. Mathew 13:19; 1 John 2:13-14; 3:12). 

Satan was created perfect, but lost it and became the architect of sin. He rebelled against the rule of God – sin is a rebellion: 

Thou was perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee (Ezekiel 28:15; cf. Jude 6; 2 Peter 2:4; Isaiah 14:12-20; Ezekiel 28:12-19). 

It was Satan who first introduced sin to the human race and into the world not long after man was created and given dominion over the earth.

Adam and Eve, representatives of the human race, were warned against the very thing Satan sought to make them do. The test was tailored for Adam; it was that which man could overcome.

The fact that man was put under probation made man liable to temptation, but there was no reason to yield and no reason to fall (cf. Genesis 2:16ff). The tempter could only tempt and man was well prepared for the test – Satan could only go as far as God permitted him (cf. Job chapters 1 – 2).

The devil tempts us to fall, but God allow us to be tested for our profit: 

“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). 

God is holy and His holiness is the standard of all conducts: “Be ye holy, for I am holy,” places a demand upon both angels and men to line up under the divine holiness.

In fact, James took the bite out of temptation in the following statement:

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds. Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing” (James 1:2-4).

Now, Genesis chapter 3 explains how sin entered the world, and finally made its way into the heart of man.

Griffith Thomas once commented: “This chapter is the pivot on which the whole Bible turns.” Here is the Bible narrative of the fall: 

“Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat” (Genesis 3:1-6).  

According to the above quotation, Satan entered the Garden of Eden in the body of a serpent.

Probably, the serpent was only a representative or the actual embodiment of Satan; we are not told the details. Again, we are not told how Satan assumed or entered the body of the serpent, but this should pose no problem for the Scriptures warn us to be aware of Satan’s multi-personality: 

“And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14; cf. Revelations 12:9; 20:2).  

Because the serpent was more subtle than any other creature, Satan took advantage of it to accomplish his end.

As for the temptation itself, it was first introduced to Eve in solitariness, which is a common practice of Satan.

Further, the temptation was connected with the beautiful; its real character was concealed – sin is deceptive and seductive.

As Robert Louis Stevenson said, sin offers: “pleasure with a thousand faces, and none of them perfect; with a thousand tongues, and all of them broken; with a thousand hands, and all with scratching nails.”

The serpent approached Eve feigning ignorance, and asked a seemingly sincere question: 

“Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 

Eve could have stopped Satan right there and then, but did not; instead, she foolishly listened to Satan question the very motive behind God’s command, and even added her own version to Satan’s preposition.

Compare Satan’s beguiling question and Eve’s answer: 

“Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die,”  

With the original command from God: 

“And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die” (cf. Genesis 2:16-17). 

Further, Eve could and should have followed the Biblical admonishment and not give the devil a foothold: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7; cf. Ephesians 4:27).

As unbelief slowly and seductively crept into the human heart and began to take root, Satan maligned God’s word – sin is a lie: 

“And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.”  

Satan is very subtle; see how he negatively restates the prohibition: “Ye shall not surely die.”

By this Statement, Satan’s job as the tempter was done, he could go no further. 

Sin is unbelief – sin is a mistake 

The stage was now set and the curtains were drawn. Heaven looked on, and man had to make the final decision to follow the divine will, and the express command of God, or opt for the evil counsel of the devil.

Representative man had to make the ultimate decision that would determine the destiny of the human race, and for this choice, only man can make. Neither God nor the holy angels could decide for man; man must decide and be culpable.

But, mark, man was free to ask God for help in every trial and temptation or decide on his own: 

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). 

Sadly, representative man Adam chose to follow the evil council of Satan, and by this sinful act chose death for themselves and all of us (descendants): 

“And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” 

The human race through Adam chose Satan, sin, and death above God, righteousness, and eternal life.

Thanks for reading. To be continued . . .

Saturday, May 21, 2011 will not be the end of the world and neither will it be the day of the Rapture, nor the second coming of Jesus Christ to begin His millennial reign on earth.

True, there will one day be the rapture of those in Christ. The word Rapture does not appear in the Bible, but this exclusion is no argument for the unreality.

When the apostle Paul used the phrase, “caught up” in the quotations below, he meant exactly the meeting of the living and the resurrected dead together with the risen Savior in the air.

Read the following from the King James version of the Bible:

“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17).

“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (Mathew 15:51-52).

“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you.

I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:1-3).

Further, it is true, that Jesus the Christ will return to earth with the saints who were “caught up” in the air (all who are born again are saints).

At the end of this age, Jesus shall return to bring to completion the work He begun in His ministry, death, and resurrection. He Himself said:

“Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him” (Revelations 22:12).

Language has no meaning if Jesus Christ is not returning as He said. Again, read the following:

“Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” (Mathew 24:44).

“Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven” (Mathew 26:64).

“And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven” (Mark 14:62). 

“Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).

“So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:7).

“So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation” (Hebrews 9:28).

“And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him” (Jude 1:14-15).

“Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen” (Revelations 1:7). 

Furthermore, it is true that in the distant future, the present earth will be reformed:

“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful” (Revelations 21:1-5).

“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Romans 8:19-21).

“Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless” (2 Peter 3:13).

But, the time when each of these events will take place, no man knows.

Just when the above events will take place is unknown, and we are warned against attempts to set an exact date for Christ’s return. The general signs of its approach have been given, but the precise moments (day or hour) knows no man, not even the angels.

Only the Father knows the time of Christ’s return since it has been set by His authority (cf. Acts 1:7):

“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only” (Mathew 24:36).

Nevertheless, the Bible admonishes us all to be ready for we know not when Christ would come, or when any of us would be called home (die).

It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment; hence, let us pray to God to help us number our days and to redeem the time (cf. Hebrews 9:26-27).

Thanks for reading. Do not forget to support us in any way that you can.