Tag Archives: Christ

12/23/15

Scriptural Data for Christ’s Claim to Divinity

Some things are worth repeating. 

 

 

Great help to express and confirm your beliefs. Thank you to Peter Kreeft and Ronald Tacelli. Please share this with someone else.

                                                                                     Charlene

 

 

Scriptural Data for Christ’s Claim to Divinity

1. Early Creedal Formula: “Jesus is LORD” (kyrios) Revelation 4:11 “Thou art worthy, O LORD, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things; and for thy pleasure they are and were created”(insert mine) ; 1 Corinthians 12:3; Phillipians 2:11            

2. The title “Son of GOD” (Son of implies “of the same nature as.”) Matthew 11:27; Mark 12:6; 13:32; 14:61-62; Luke 10:22; 22:70; John 10:30; 14:9

3. The New Testament calls Him “GOD”: Titus 2:13; 1 John 5:20; Romans 9:5; John 1:1

4. Absolutely, universally supreme: Colossians 1:15-20

5. Eternally preexistent: John 1:1; Phillipians 2:6; Hebrews 13:8; Revelations 22:13

6. Omnipresent: Matthew 18:20; 28:20

7. Omnipotent: Matthew 28:18; Hebrews 1:3; Revelations 1:8

8. Immutable: Hebrews 1:11-12; 13:8

9. Creates (only GOD can create): Colossians 1:16-17; John 1:3; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Hebrew 1:10

10. Sinless: perfect: Hebrews 7:26; John 8:46; 2 Corinthians 5:21

11. Has authority to forgive sins: Mark 2:5-12; Luke 24:45-47; Acts 10:43; 1 John 1:5-9

12. Rightly worshipped: Matthew 2:11; 14:33; 28:9; John 20:28; Hebrews 1:5-9

13. Speaks the unique, forbidden divine name: John 8:58

14. Called “King of Kings and LORD of Lords” : 1 Timothy 6:15; Revelations 17:14

15. One with the Father: John 10:30; 12:45; 14: 8-10

16. Performs miracles: John 10:37-38, and throughout all Four Gospels

17. Sends the Holy Spirit: John 14: 25-26; 16: 7-15

18. The Father testifies to Him(Jesus)(insert mine) Matthew 3:17; 17:5; John 8:18; 1 John 5:9

19. Gives eternal life: John 3:16; 5: 39-40; 20: 30-31

20. Foreknows the Future: Mark 8:31; Luke 9: 21-22; 12: 49-53; 22:35-37; 24:17; John 3: 11-14; 6: 63-64; 13: 1-11; 14: 27-29; 18: 1-4; 19: 26-30

21: Is LORD over the Law: Luke 6: 1-5

Work Cited: Kreeft, Peter and Ronald Tacelli: Handbook of Christian Apologetics 1994: Intervarsity Press, Madison WI.

08/6/13

The Book of Jude

Jude 1

 

 

1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James,

To those who have been called, who are loved in God the Father and kept for[a] Jesus Christ:

 

2 Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.

 

 

The Sin and Doom of Ungodly People

 

 

3 Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. 4 For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about[b] long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.

 

 

5 Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord[c] at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. 7 In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.

 

 

8 In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings. 9 But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”[d] 10 Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct—as irrational animals do—will destroy them.

 

 

11 Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion.

 

 

12 These people are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead. 13 They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.

 

 

14 Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones 15 to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”[e] 16 These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.

 

A Call to Persevere

 

 

17 But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18 They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” 19 These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.

 

 

20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

 

 

22 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.[f]

 

Doxology

 

 

24 To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— 25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

 

 

Footnotes:

 

Jude 1:1 Or by; or in

Jude 1:4 Or individuals who were marked out for condemnation
Jude 1:5 Some early manuscripts Jesus
Jude 1:9 Jude is alluding to the Jewish Testament of Moses (approximately the first century a.d.).
Jude 1:15 From the Jewish First Book of Enoch (approximately the first century b.c.)
Jude 1:23 The Greek manuscripts of these verses vary at several points

 

 

New International Version (NIV)

 

 

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide

05/27/13

Hebrews 10: Christ’s Sacrifice Once For All

 

Hebrews 10: Christ’s Sacrifice Once For All

 

          Sacrifice is hard, and it is not a part of the natural ways of mankind. As people, we tend to prefer the easier roads to travel, and sacrifice involves traveling the hardest roads without knowing where they may lead, just having a surety that the way will be hard. So how do we obtain the surety that our sacrifice is not in vain? We find it in clinging to Christ, the ultimate Gift of Sacrifice, where we find our joy and stability. It is through His Holy Spirit that we find the key to happiness–living for Him as our sole source of hope and strength. GOD the Father knew before the beginning of time that we would need a Savior, and Jesus, the son of GOD, volunteered to become the sacrificial lamb. Our sins can be forgiven; our hope can be restored.

Is life easy. Absolutely not. People often envy those who appear to have it all, but this is appearance only. Happiness evades those who are dependent upon the world for their identity and substance. Let us cling therefore to Him who is our everything, our identity, and our substance.

 

Praise Ye The LORD.     Charlene

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2013 Charlene Kirst
04/17/13

Words of Life: Unresolved Disappointment

Unresolved Disappointment

by Linda Godsey

 

I remember a time when someone disappointed me so deeply that I didn’t believe that life could ever be the same again. My heart also broke for others involved who were hurting that caused another whole level of pain. When I finally realized that I couldn’t physically or emotionally carry it any longer, I gave it to the Lord to carry it for me.

 

I was driving my car when a wave of emotion came over me that was overwhelming. I pulled to the side of the road, my body fell across the steering wheel of my car as I wept and cried out, “Jesus, help me! I am so disappointed – I bring that disappointment to you. I can’t carry it anymore!” And He took it, just as I asked him to. I felt the emotional pain lift from me and my body relaxed for the first time in days.

 

I’m sure you have experienced disappointment – we all have! Just as we have all experienced regrets that we wish we had the power to change. We’ve all thought, “If only” or “What if”.
Disappointment has been called the twin-sibling to regret. Regrets stem from our human nature to question the path our lives have taken because of the decisions we’ve made. Here is a helpful way to distinguish between regret and disappointment.

 

Regret focuses on the personal choices that contributed to the poor outcome.
Disappointment focuses on the outcome itself: such as failure, non-fulfillment, defeat or setback.

 

I challenge you to consider the “what ifs” and “If onlys” in your life? They will keep you stuck in the past until you deal with them. Does anything come to mind? Have you grieved those losses? Have you asked God to carry the pain? Have you asked God to show you how he sees your regret and disappointment? Jeremiah 33:3 says,“Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”

 

Let God show you his heavenly panoramic perspective of what you are going through. I think you will be amazed!

 

Surely He has borne our grief and carried our sorrows (This represents both physical and emotional sickness and pain). Isaiah 53:4

 

Linda Godsey is the author of Letting Go

 

Charlene’s Source: LifeToday

 

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11/27/12

John 14:15-28 The Promise of The Holy Spirit

Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit

 

 

15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[c] in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

 

 

22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”

 

 

23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

 

 

25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

 

 

28 “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you you will believe. 30 I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, 31 but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.

 

 

“Come now; let us leave.

Footnotes:

John 14:1 Or Believe in God
John 14:7 Some manuscripts If you really knew me, you would know
John 14:17 Some early manuscripts and is

 

 

New International Version (NIV)

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10/14/12

Bishop Morton w/ Aretha Franklin – Seasons Change

 

I am able to fully identify with this song. I am at a changing season of my life–I will come out stronger in Christ after this season changes.

“Seasons Change”  Bishop Morton

 

[duet with Aretha Franklin]

 

SEASONS CHANGE

 

[Verse 1:]

In the snowy, cold of winter, underneath the cloudy sky,

In the middle of December, you share the thinking why;

Why do the leaves fall, why does the sky fill up with gray,

Where do the birds go, think about it seasons change.

 

[Verse 2:]

 

Sometimes life is gray like winter, and the tears fall from your eyes

Your heart is cold like December, you start to wonder why;

Where did my faith go, why don’t things ever go my way,

Why don’t my friends call, be encouraged ’cause seasons change.

 

[Bridge:]

 

Just like a bell has got to ring, just like a bird has got to sing.

Just like the sun has gotta shine, just like a poem has gotta rhyme.

Just like a river has to flow, just like the wind has gotta blow;

After the rain, after your pain,

(You won’t be the same), ’cause seasons change.

 

[Chorus:]

 

Jesus calmed the raging sea,

Jesus set the captives free,

Jesus gave sight to the blind,

Jesus turned water into wine.

Jesus broke the grip of sin,

Jesus died and He rose again,

He’ll do it for you, He’ll carry you through,

He’ll make you brand new ’cause seasons change.

 

[Bridge]

 

[Vamp:]

 

It’s good to know that You’re with me

In the passing of my seasons change.

 

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Charlene’s Source: youtube

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02/3/12

James 1:1-27 Holy Bible NIV

James speaks so succintly and with such fervor that his Words from The LORD stand out and touch the heart, mind, soul, and spirit.

We are all guilty of uttering things from our mouths that do not honor ourselves or others.  Meditate on this Chapter for it tells us truths to follow.

Rev. Charlene

James 1

 1James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

   To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations:

   Greetings.

Trials and Temptations

 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

 9 Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. 10 But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. 11For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.

 12Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

 13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

 16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

Listening and Doing

 19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

 22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

 26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Footnotes:

  1. James 1:2 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in verses 16 and 19; and in 2:1, 5, 14; 3:10, 12; 4:11; 5:7, 9, 10, 12, 19.