Trustworthy sayings of the Apostle

Passages to ponder over . . .

15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst.
16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.
17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
1 Timothy 1:15-17  New International Version

1 Here is a trustworthy saying: whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task.
2 Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
3 not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.
1 Timothy 3:1 - 3  New International Version

7 Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.
8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.
9 This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance.
1 Tim othy 4:7 - 9  New International Version

11 Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with him,
we will also live with him;
12 if we endure,
we will also reign with him.
If we disown him,
he will also disown us;
13 if we are faithless,
he remains faithful,
for he cannot disown himself.
2 Timothy 2:11 - 13  New International Version

4 But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared,
5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Saviour,
7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
8 This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.
Titus 3:4 - 8  New International Version

Brothers and Sisters in the Anointed One. Let us ponder over these trustworthy sayings and take them to heart.

May the grace of the Lord Iesus the Anointed be with us all.

He who endures to the end will be saved

Passage of the Day

5 Believe ye not in a companion, put not confidence in a familiar friend: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom. 6 For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law: a man's enemies are the men of his own household. 7 But as for me, I will look unto Jehovah; I will wait for the °God of my salvation: my °God will hear me.
Micah 7:5 – 7  JN Darby's Translation

21 “Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child. Children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 22 You will be hated by all men for my name’s sake, but he who endures to the end will be saved.
Matthew 10:21 - 22  World English Bible

34 “Don’t think that I came to send peace on the earth. I didn’t come to send peace, but a sword. 35 For I came to set a man at odds against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 A man’s foes will be those of his own household. 37 He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me isn’t worthy of me.
Matthew 10:34 - 37  World English Bible

The Prophet Micah of Moresheth-Gath prophesied that a perplexing time will come in future when people become so wicked that one cannot even trust his own family and friends. In fact, a man's enemies will come from his own household (Micah 7:6)

This words are echoed in the teachings of our Lord Iesus in Matthew chapter 10, when the Lord warned his disciples about the difficult times that will have to pass before his Second Coming.

In fact, our Lord told the disciples that it was his very ministry among the children of Israel at that time that would trigger such disturbing conflicts, setting children against parents to the extent that a man's foes will be those of his won household (Matthew 10:36).

In saying these words, our Lord revealed to his disciples that the fulfilment of the prophecy in Micah chapter 7 was already happening.

It is in this context — that of the fulfilment of Micah's prophecy — that our Lord told his disciples these solemn words in Matthew 10:37 :

He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me;
and he who loves son or daughter more than me isn’t worthy of me.

Brothers and Sisters in the Anointed One, we are living in difficult times. We are surrounded by wickedness. Many around us will hate us because of the Name of Iesus, even those of our own family. What shall we do? How shall we live through such times?

The prophet Micah has the answer, "But as for me, I will look unto Yehovah, I will wait for the God of my Salvation. My God will hear me" (Micah 7:7 JND).

Our Lord likewise told his disciples, " . . . he who endures to the end will be saved." (Matthew 10:22 WEB)

Let us continually look to Our Father in Heaven, the God of Salvation. He will hear us. Let us endure to the end. We will be saved.

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The following are links to several related blog posts on the Lord's teaching about loving our Lord more than our family, that I have written between the years 2010 and 2019 —

• The Course of Discipleship (Feb2010)
• The Course of Discipleship: a Summary (Feb2010)
• Trying Times (Sep2019)

Now is the Accepted time, Now is the Day of Salvation

Passage of the Day

1 We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For He says:

“In an acceptable time I have heard you,
And in the day of salvation I have helped you.”

Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
2 Corinthians 6:1  New King James Version

8 Thus says the Lord:
“In an acceptable time I have heard You,
And in the day of salvation I have helped You;
I will preserve You and give You
As a covenant to the people,
To restore the earth,
To cause them to inherit the desolate heritages;
Isaiah 49:8  New King James Version

Today we are reminded from the writings of the Apostle to the believers in Corinth, quoting from the Prophet Isaiah, that our God has heard us and has helped us in an acceptable time.

When is this acceptable time?

The Apostle tells us, "Now is the accepted time, Now is the day of salvation". In saying this, he pleads with the Corithian brethren not to receive the grace of God in vain.

Brothers and Sisters in Iesus the Anointed One, has any of us received the Grace of God in vain? Let us ask our Father in Heaven to search our hearts that we may live our lives in His Grace.

Let us offer a sacrifice of praise through our Lord Iesus

Passage of the Day

12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap according to mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek Jehovah, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.
13 Ye have ploughed wickedness, reaped iniquity, eaten the fruit of lies; for thou didst confide in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men.
Hosea 10:12 – 13  J.N.Darby's Translation

1 O Israel, return unto Jehovah thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.
2 Take with you words, and turn to Jehovah; say unto him, Forgive all iniquity, and receive [us] graciously; so will we render the calves of our lips.
Hosea 14:1 – 2  J.N.Darby's Translation

2 Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God; for the people have fallen through your iniquities.
3 Take with you words, and turn to the Lord your God: speak to him, that you may not receive the reward of unrighteousness, but that you may receive good things: and we will render in return the fruit of our lips.
Osee 14:2 – 3  Septuagint British English 2012

The prophet Hosea ben Beeri prophesied to the children of Israel, particularly to the tribes of Ephraim and Judah in Hosea chapter 10, telling them to break up their fallow ground, to sow in righteusness instead of ploughing in wickedness; and to reap according to mercy instead of reaping iniquity.

In verse 12, Hosea tells them, "it is time to seek Yehovah"

Towards the end of the book in chapter 14, the prophet Hosea calls the children of Israel to return to the Lord (Adonai) their God, taking words with them, to render to God the fruit of their lips (ref Osee 14:3 LXX)

This call to offer the fruit of our lips to God is again given by the Apostle in Hebrews chapter 13, quoted below:

Through him (Iesus) then let us offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of lips which make confession to his name. Hebrews 13:15  American Standard Version

Brothers and Sisters in the Lord Iesus Anointed, let us likewise remind ourselves to break up fallow ground in our lives, to sow seeds of righteousness, that we may reap according to the mercy of God our Father in Heaven.

It is time to seek God, to return to Him with our words, offering a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of our lips through Iesus our Lord.

The Son of Man was brought near to the Ancient of Days

Passages of the Day

13 I beheld in the night vision, and, lo, one coming with the clouds of heaven as the Son of man, and he came on to the Ancient of days, and was brought near to him.
14 And to him was given the dominion, and the honor, and the kingdom; and all nations, tribes, and languages, shall serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom shall not be destroyed.
Daniel 7:13 – 14  LXX Brenton Updated

The Father loves the Son and has placed all things under his authority
John 3:35  New English Translation

And Jesus came to them and said, All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.
Matthew 28:18  Bible in Basic English

He put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things for the assembly,
Ephesians 1:22  World English Bible

Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
1 Peter 3:22  King James Version

Brothers and Sisters in the Anointed One, today let us remind ourselves that our Lord Iesus is given dominion and honour and the Kingdom by our God, the Ancient of Days. God has placed all things under the authority of our Lord Iesus, in heaven and on earth, and has made Iesus the head over all things in our Assembly.

Today, our Lord is seated at the right hand of God our Father in heaven. Angels and authorities and powers are being made subject to our Lord. Let us live under the authority and Lordship of Iesus the Son of God.

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The following are links to my observations about the Lord Iesus as the Son of God, posted on my devotional blog over a span of thirteen years:

• The Three Amens (May2009)
• Worship Him who sits on the Throne (Aug2014)
• Amen, Faithful, True Witness, Head of God's Creation (Nov2020)
• I will be their God, They shall be my people (May2022)

Our Lord iesus received the Holy Spirit from God

Passage of the Day

23 Jesus answered him, “If a man loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 He who doesn’t love me doesn’t keep my words. The word which you hear isn’t mine, but the Father’s who sent me.
John 14:23 – 24  World English Bible

23 This Jesus, God has raised to life -- a fact to which all of us testify.
33 'Being therefore lifted high by the mighty hand of God, He has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out this which you see and hear.
34 For David did not ascend into Heaven, but he says himself, ''The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand
35 until I make thy foes a footstool under thy feet.'
36 'Therefore let the whole House of Israel know beyond all doubt that God has made Him both LORD and CHRIST--this Jesus whom you crucified.'
Acts 2:32 – 36  Weymouth New Testament

We read from Acts chapter 2 the words of the Apostle Peter, speaking to the huge crowd of Jews from every part of the world (Acts 2:5, 9,10 WNT) telling them that God has raised "this Iesus" to life and that Iesus has received the promised Holy Spirit from God.

Particularly, in verse 33, Peter said that Iesus has poured out the Holy Spirit on all the 120 disciples together with him in the upper room on that Pentecost Day (Acts 1:15). As a result of that outpouring of the Spirit, the disciples spoke in various foreign languages — "which you see and hear" (Acts 2:33b) — a confirmation of the Holy Spirit.

Brothers and Sisters in the Lord Iesus, like the Peter and the 120 believers in the upper room, let us also be full of the Holy Spirit. Let us walk in the Spirit as we also live in the Spirit. And let us seek the confirmation "which you see and hear" from the Lord.

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I wrote two blog posts on my devotional blog in 2013 about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit — oon the Jews in Jerusalem and on the Gentiles in Caesarea. And again last year, I wrote related observations in another two blog posts, all links below :

• The Promise that is for you, for your children and for all afar (May2013)
• So I knew (Sep2013)
• The Day of Shavuot (Feb2022)
• The day of outpouring of the Spirit upon the Gentiles (Feb2022)

The Son of Man must be lifted up

Passage of the Day

13 There is no one who has gone up to Heaven, but there is One who has come down from Heaven, namely the Son of Man whose home is in Heaven.
14 And just as Moses lifted high the serpent in the Desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
15 in order that every one who trusts in Him may have the Life of the Ages.
John 3:13 – 15  Weymouth New Testament

5 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.
6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Jeremiah 23:5 – 6  King James Version

15 “In those days and at that time,
I will cause a Branch of righteousness to grow up to David.
He will execute justice and righteousness in the land.
16 In those days Judah will be saved,
and Jerusalem will dwell safely.
This is the name by which she will be called:
The LORD our righteousness.”
Jeremiah 33:15 – 16  World English Bible

Brothers and Sisters our Lord Iesus is the promised righteous Branch, the King who shall reign and execute judgment and justice on earth. He is called "YHWH our Righteousness".

The Lord told Nicodemus in John chapter 3 that He had come down from Heaven, that His home is in Heaven, and that just as Moses lifted up the brass serpent on a pole in the wilderness so that the children of Israel who looked up at the serpent could be saved from their snake bites, our Lord Iesus "the Son of Man" must also be lifted up (meaning to be crucified) so that all who put their trust in Him may be saved from sin and have everlasting life.

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Over the last nine years, I have written my thoughts and observations about the expression "to be lifted up", as used by our Lord Iesus in the Gospels, in several blog posts, links below:

• I am He (Feb2023)
• If I am lifted up (Nov2022)
• Lift Jesus higher? (Mar2014)

In His Name the Gentiles will hope

1The LORD says,
“Here is my servant, whom I strengthen —
the one I have chosen, with whom I am pleased.
I have filled him with my Spirit,
and he will bring justice to every nation.
2He will not shout or raise his voice
or make loud speeches in the streets.
3He will not break off a bent reed
or put out a flickering lamp.
He will bring lasting justice to all.
4He will not lose hope or courage;
he will establish justice on the earth.
Distant lands eagerly wait for his teaching.”

5God created the heavens and stretched them out;
he fashioned the earth and all that lives there;
he gave life and breath to all its people.
And now the LORD God says to his servant,
6“I, the LORD, have called you and given you power
to see that justice is done on earth.
Through you I will make a covenant with all peoples;
through you I will bring light to the nations.
7You will open the eyes of the blind
and set free those who sit in dark prisons.
Isaiah 42:1 – 4; 5 – 7  Good News Bible

1 Jacob is *my servant, I will help him: Israel is my chosen, my soul has accepted him; I have put my Spirit upon him; he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. 2 He shall not cry, nor lift up his voice, nor shall his voice be heard without. 3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench; but he shall bring forth judgment to truth. 4 He shall shine out, and shall not be †discouraged, until he have set judgment on the earth: and in his name shall the Gentiles trust.
Esaias 42: 1 – 4  Septuagint Brenton

15 Jesus, perceiving that, withdrew from there. Great multitudes followed him; and he healed them all,
16 and charged them that they should not make him known:
17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying,
18 'Behold, my servant whom I have chosen; My beloved in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my Spirit on him,
He will declare judgment to the Gentiles.
19 He will not strive, nor shout; Neither will anyone hear his voice in the streets.
20 He won't break a bruised reed, He won't quench a smoking flax, Until he sends forth judgment to victory.
21 In his name, the Gentiles will hope.'
Matthew 12:15 – 21  World English Bible

A long time ago, the prophet Isaiah had prophesied that the Anointed One, the Servant of God, will be filled with the Spirit of God and will come to bring justice to all Gentile nations.

In the LXX, Isaiah (Esaias) 42:4b records Isaiah's prophecy, " . . . in his name shall the Gentiles trust".

This is quoted in Matthew 12:21, "in his name, the Gentiles will hope".

Brothers and Sisters in the Anointed One, let us always put our trust and hope in Iesus our Lord, the Anointed One of God.

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Back in 2013, I wrote my thoughts, based on the prophecy of Amos 9:11,12 quoted in Acts chapter 15, in a post entitled, "Gentiles who bear the Name of Yehovah" (link below).

In February last year, I wrote another two posts, one about how the Holy Spirit was first poured on the Gentiles in the house of Cornelius the Centurion in the city of Caesarea, and another about God waiting until the full number of Gentiles come into His Kingdom before the children of Israel is saved (all links below).

• Gentiles who bear the Name of God (Nov2013)
• Outpouring of the Spirit upon Gentiles (Feb2022)
• Until the fulness of Gentiles come (Feb2022)
• Gentiles called by God (Dec2022)

Understanding the fear of the LORD

This morning's passage brings to me a truth that I have missed through my 47 years of belief in the Lord Iesus the Anointed. This truth is found in the first five verses of Proverbs chapter 2, shown below:

1My son, if you receive my words
and treasure up my commandments with you,
2making your ear attentive to wisdom
and inclining your heart to understanding;
3yes, if you call out for insight
and raise your voice for understanding,
4if you seek it like silver
and search for it as for hidden treasures,
5then you will understand the fear of the LORD
and find the knowledge of God.
Proverbs 2:1 – 5  Good News Bible

I have often heard people quote the verse that says, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom . . ." (Proverbs 9:10). This verse makes me ask myself what the fear of the LORD means in my life.

This morning's passage answers my question by telling another side of this truth about the fear of the LORD — that if I seek wisdom from God, seeking it like silver, searching for it like for hidden treasures, virtually calling out and raising my voice for insight and for understanding, then I will understand the fear of the LORD.

Brothers and Sisters in Iesus the Anointed One, do you want to understand the fear of the LORD? Do you wish to find the knowledge of God? I urge you to seek wisdom and understanding from God. Seek wisdom. Search for it as for hidden treasure. Then you will understand the fear of the LORD.

Why was Jacob loved, and Esau hated?

Why was Jacob loved and Esau hated?

I first wrote these notes four years ago, on 18 August 2019 14:45 hrs GMT+8.

Today, I have decided to post them here as part of my devotional blog collection.

The following are references that I have gleaned from the books of Genesis and Numbers, as well as from some of the books of the Prophets, that I have grouped under two headings:

1. Notes about Jacob's obedience to his father Isaac, in remembering YeHoVaH.
2. Notes about Esau's disobedience to his father Isaac, in turning away from YeHoVaH

Jacob obeyed his father and remembered YHWH

Genesis 27:46
Jacob obeyed his father Isaac by going to Laban's house in Mesopotamia to marry one of Laban's daughters.

Genesis 28:20-22 (First visit to Bethel)
Jacob set up and dedicated a memorial stone at Bethel to YHWH and promised to take YHWH as his God if he returns safely from Mesopotamia.

Genesis 32:10-12 (cf Genesis 28:14)
Jacob crossed the River Jordan with only a walking stick but eventually returned from Laban's household with two large families. He remembered the promises of YHWH.

Genesis 33: 10-11
Jacob reconciled with Esau and did his best to regain Esau's favour.

Genesis 33:16,17
After Esau had returned to Edom, Jacob went on to Sukkot (lit. booths), where he built a booth (sukkah) for himself and for his cattle. He arrived safely in Shechem, bought a field from the descendants of Hamor for 100 silver, set up an altar and named it after El - the God of Israel.

Genesis 35: 1-4, 7 (Second visit to Bethel)
At the command of Elohim (v.7), Jacob returned to Bethel, built an altar there and told his family to remove all foreign Gods and purify themselves before going)

Genesis 35:14 (Third visit to Bethel?)
Jacob set up another memorial stone again at Bethel.

Esau disobeyed his father and turned away from YHWH

Genesis 25: 27-34
Esau sold his birthright, with a vow, in return for a mere bowl of lentils. He despised what YHWH has ordained for him.

Genesis 26: 34-35, 27:46
Esau married Hittite wives and became a heartache to his mother.

Numbers 20:14-21
His descendants - EDOM - refused safe passage to Israel who were sojourning in the wilderness on their way to Kadesh.

Amos 1:11-12
The Edomites sinned repeatedly and hunted down their Israelite brothers, showing no mercy, unrelenting and unlimited anger. God will destroy city of Teman and the fortress of Bozrah.

Isaiah 34:5-17
YHWH will strike Edom and destroy them with his sword, likened to a great sacrifice at the city of Bozrah - to rescue Zion and to take vengeance on her enemies. V.11 tells us that its land will be barren wasteland again like before creation!

Isaiah 63:1-6
YHWH will come dressed in red, in power and strength, trampling the Nations like one who tramples grapes - from Bozrah - to save His people and to punish His enemies.

Jeremiah 49: 7-22
Again, Bozrah city will become a horrifying sight, a desert, a permanent ruin at which all will shake their heads, comparable to Sodom and Gomorrah. Likewise the city of Teman (v.20)

Ezekiel 25:12-14
Edom had been cruel to Israel. Their guilt endures. Israel will take revenge on Edom - from Teman to Dedan. Edom will feel the fury of YHWH

(Note: Edom is located in a high mountainous area.)

Ezekiel 35: 1-5
Adonai YHWH declares himself an enemy of Edom. He will make Edom (on the mountains of Seir) a desolate wasteland and because Edom was Israel's constant enemy, they will pay for their anger, jealosy and hatred towards Israel.

Obadiah 1 - 14
YHWH will pull Edom down from its high mountain fortress. Teman will be terrified. v.15 - Edom will receive retribution for what she has done, a bitter cup of punishment.

Malachi 1: 2-5
Edom's attempts at rebuilding their towns will be futile. She has become a nation with whom YHWH is angry forever.

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Brothers and Sisters, let us remember the example of Jacob and be warned not to follow the footsteps of Esau and his descendants Edom.

Malachi 2: 1,2
This command is for you: you must honour Me (My Name) by what you do.

Beneath the facade of Artificial Intelligence

The article linked below talks about researchers successfully inventing a liquid metal robot that can shapeshift like a Terminator:

A liquid metal robot that can shapeshift like a terminator, 28Jan23.

Software and robotics engineers are making rapid progress in artificial Intelligence.

Soon, AI stuff like ChatGPT will become child's play.

Here's my two cents worth of opinion on the recent emergence of artificial intelligence on the Internet:

From electronic calculators to supermarket point-of-sale terminals to utility bills, from bar codes to Quick Response codes, from e-banking to e-wallets, we have steadily "surrendered" the task of checking and counting to computer systems.

We trust the computer to be correct all the time, as long as the input data has been keyed or scanned in correctly.

Few realise that such trust can be misplaced when we depend on sophisticated software systems like google search, for instance, to look for answers to questions, for general knowledge and for links to websites.

It is no longer a matter of computation or calculations.

Instead, the people who control the search engine can control what we see and what we don't see. They can conceal some inconvenient truths or hide some historical facts if they want to, perhaps at the behest of a powerful "deep state".

Recently, AI has made another leap forward in providing, and also controlling, answers to our questions.

Instead of being a search engine that merely displays a list of stuff for us to browse through, AI robots like chatGPT responds to our questions (called prompts) by replying us in complete and articulate sentences composed into a coherent passage.

In other words, it combines information from multiple sources, including language and even local culture (I have seen examples of chatgpt replying in malaysian slang) when responding to our prompts.

In doing so, this artificially intelligent robot seems to converse intelligently with us. Hence its name "chatbot".

Here is where our fascination should end, and our precaution should begin:

1. The organisations that produce chat robots can control what sources the chatbot includes and what it leaves out, i e. it can control what it wants us to read or learn. Imagine an entire generation of young people who take chatbots as the final authority in all areas of knowledge without question.
2. Chatbots will continue to advance rapidly, to reply our prompts with such flair and eloquence, with such persuasive statements and convincing arguments that we will gradually, even progressively lose our ability to think, to write and to articulate our thoughts. We will soon be surrendering yet another basic life-task to the computer.
3. AI users who steadily lose their ability to carry out basic tasks, will increasingly become more dependent on such robots.
4. Such chatbots will continue to evolve into "higher" forms e.g. a life-like robot who actually sits down and chats with you at Starbucks, or in a more undesirable way, a robot that can threaten you with harm and violence.

The shape shifting liquid metal robot described in the link at the beginning of this article is a precursor to more sinister AI stuff in years to come.

It may herald the fulfillment of some of the prophecies in the Book of Revelation e.g. the image of the Beast.

Brothers and Sisters in Jesus the Anointed One, let us be watchful. We are living in the last days.

NPY
20Feb23
17:55 hrs GMT+8

God our Father raised His Anointed Iesus from the dead

During my readings in the recent week, my attention is drawn to the words of the Apostles in the Book of Acts, reiterating their affirmation that God raised His Son Iesus from death.

I came away with the deep conviction that the Resurrection of Our Lord Iesus was the very act of God our Father in Heaven.

The Apostle Peter and the other Apostles told the High Priest and the Council in Acts 5:32 that they were witnesses of "these things" and that the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to all who obey Him, is also a witness too. See passages quoted below:

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22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
Acts 2:22 – 24  King James Version

This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
Acts 2:32  King James Version

13 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.
14 But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;
15 And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.
Acts 3:13 - 15  King James Version

Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
Acts 4:10  KJV

30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.
31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.
Acts 5:30 - 32  KJV

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Between 2010 and 2013, I have written my observations and thoughts, in three separate blog posts, on the teaching that God raised His Anointed One from the dead. Links below

• Did the Messiah raise himself from the dead? (Jan2013)
• Implicit allusions vs Explicit Assertions (Dec2012)
• Reasons why you should not believe in the Trinity (Sep2010)

I am He

This morning in my readings from the Gospel according to John, my attention was drawn to two passages in chapter 8, quoted below:

28 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.
29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.
John 8:28 – 29  King James Version

56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.
57Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?
58Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
59Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
John 8:56 – 59  King James Version

The scribes and Pharisees who questioned the ancestry of our Lord in John chapter 8 could not believe and refused to understand the truth that our Lord Iesus came from God.

" . . . he that hath sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone;" said the Lord in verse 29.

Just before making that statement, Iesus had told his skeptics that when they had "lifted up the Son of Man" then will they know that "I am He", i.e. Iesus is the promised Messiah, the Christos, the Anointed One.

The expression lifted up was used in those days to refer to death by crucifixion, during which a convict was lifted up on a cross. See John 3:14; 12:32,33.

Later on in the passage, the Jews questioned the credibility of our Lord's assertion that Abraham rejoiced to see his day – perhaps referring to his advent and earthly ministry. They asked Iesus how he could have seen Abraham when he was not even fifty years old yet, to which our Lord gave his famous reply in verse 58, "Before Abraham was, I am."

John 8:58 comes across to me with a profound meaning — that our Lord had already existed in eternity long before Abraham came into being.

Brothers and Sisters in the Anointed One, let us hold fast our belief the words of our Lord, " . . . then shall ye know that I am He."

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About ten years ago, I wrote my observations from John chapters 7 and 8, that Iesus is the Anointed One who came from God. In another post that I wrote the following year, I elaborated on the need to understand correctly the expression "lifted up", that our Lord was crucified when he was lifted up on the cross.

• Do we really know him? (17Mar2013)
• Lift Iesus higher (16Mar2014)

Each day at the temple, each night on the hill

Each day Iesus was teaching at the temple, and each evening he went out to spend the night on the hill called the Mount of Olives,
and all the people came early in the morning to hear him at the temple
Luke 21:37 – 38  New International Version

Our Lord Iesus showed us the necessity of spending much time alone in prayer with God each evening, even through each night, before he goes to teach in the temple each morning and through the day.

For each day he taught in the temple, he spent each night on the hill.

Brothers and Sisters in the Anointed Iesus, let us learn from our Lord how to find strength and wisdom from God by spending much time alone in prayer before we embark on doing His work.

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Last month I wrote briefly on similar observations from the Gospel of Luke chapters 5 and 6:

• Our Lord prayed alone (29Jan23)

The believers from Cyprus and Cyrene

After the disciple Stephen was martyred, a great persecution arose and many Jewish believers in the Lord Iesus had to flee to faraway places like Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch (Acts 11:19). There they continued to speak the Gospel of the Anointed One to the Jews.

One day something different happened.

Some men from Cyprus and Cyrene went to Antioch and preached the Gospel of the Lord Iesus to the Greeks there for the first time. A large number of the Greeks believed in the Lord.

20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Greeks, preaching the Lord Jesus.
21 The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.
Acts 11:20 – 21  World English Bible

We can make at least three observations about these Jewish men from Cyprus and Cyrene:

Firstly, they went with a Deliberate Purpose.

The men from Cyprus and Cyrene had made up their minds purposefully to preach the Gospel of the Anointed Iesus. They did not just go to the city of Antioch merely to trade, or to buy supplies, or perhaps to settle down in that new land. Instead, they preached the Gospel of Iesus when they reached Antioch.

It was not by chance nor by accident that the Greeks in Antioch heard the Gospel. It was by the deliberate purpose of the Cypriot and Cyrenean believers that resulted in a large number of Greeks turning to the Lord.

Secondly, they went to a Distant Place.

The city of Antioch (present Antakya) was a long way from Cyprus, more than 270 km by sea. It was even further away from the city of Cyrene (present day Shahat, Libya), a distance of more than 1,000 km on the North African coast. In those days it took much time and patience to travel such long distances.

The believers from Cyprus and Cyrene did not merely go out to a nearby village to spend a few days. They went to a city far from home, on a journey that was hazardous and fraught with great danger along the way. Perhaps they could not ascertain when exactly they would be able to make their way back to Cyprus and Cyrene.

They had to sacrifice much to bring the Gospel to the Greeks at Antioch.

Thirdly, they went among a Different People

Those men from Cyprus and Cyrene were Jews. Despite having believed in the Lord Iesus as their Christos, their promised Messiah of God, nobody among them had preached the Gospel of Iesus to any Gentile friends. In those days, many continued to hold fast the belief that only the Jewish race were the chosen people of God, that only Jewish people were called into the Kingdom of God.

It would have taken them much courage and conviction to preach the Gospel to Gentile "outcasts", to bring them into the Kingdom of God in the Name of Iesus His Anointed King.

Without them, the Gentile people in the city of Antioch would not have had the opportunity to enter the Kingdom and become part of the children of God our Father.

Brothers and Sisters in the Anointed Iesus. Let us learn from the examples of the believers from Cyprus and Cyrene. As many among us as are called, let us go out to preach the Word of the Lord with a deliberate purpose, even to a distant land, among a different people

May God help us. Amen

Why did the LORD drive out the Canaanites?

In Leviticus chapter 18, the LORD commanded Moses to warn the children of Israel against following the ways of the Egyptians and the Canaanites, that Israel "must not do as they do in Egypt, . . . as they do in the land of Canaan".

A long list of those things that Israel must not do is given in verses 6 - 23, as shown below. A further list of things they must not do is given in Leviticus chapter 19, with their corresponding punishments spelt out in Leviticus 20.

Leviticus 18:1 – 23  New International Version

1The Lord said to Moses, 2“Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘I am the Lord your God. 3You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices. 4You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees. I am the Lord your God. 5Keep my decrees and laws, for the person who obeys them will live by them. I am the Lord.

6“ ‘No one is to approach any close relative to have sexual relations. I am the Lord.
7“ ‘Do not dishonor your father by having sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother; do not have relations with her.
8“ ‘Do not have sexual relations with your father’s wife; that would dishonor your father.
9“ ‘Do not have sexual relations with your sister, either your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether she was born in the same home or elsewhere.
10“ ‘Do not have sexual relations with your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter; that would dishonor you.
11“ ‘Do not have sexual relations with the daughter of your father’s wife, born to your father; she is your sister.
12“ ‘Do not have sexual relations with your father’s sister; she is your father’s close relative.
13“ ‘Do not have sexual relations with your mother’s sister, because she is your mother’s close relative.
14“ ‘Do not dishonor your father’s brother by approaching his wife to have sexual relations; she is your aunt.
15“ ‘Do not have sexual relations with your daughter-in-law. She is your son’s wife; do not have relations with her.
16“ ‘Do not have sexual relations with your brother’s wife; that would dishonor your brother.
17“ ‘Do not have sexual relations with both a woman and her daughter. Do not have sexual relations with either her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter; they are her close relatives. That is wickedness.
18“ ‘Do not take your wife’s sister as a rival wife and have sexual relations with her while your wife is living.
19“ ‘Do not approach a woman to have sexual relations during the uncleanness of her monthly period.
20“ ‘Do not have sexual relations with your neighbor’s wife and defile yourself with her.
21“ ‘Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molek, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the Lord.
22“ ‘Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable.
23“ ‘Do not have sexual relations with an animal and defile yourself with it. A woman must not present herself to an animal to have sexual relations with it; that is a perversion.

Two verses in particular, tell us how grave and abhorrent these practices are in the sight of the LORD God Almighty. In Leviticus 18:24 and again in Leviticus 20:23, the LORD told the children of Israel that it was because of such ungodly and highly immoral behaviour that the LORD was driving the Canaanite nations our of their land before the eyes of Israel.

Leviticus 18:24 – 25; 20:23  New International Version

18:24

Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled.

18:25

Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited out its inhabitants

20:23

You must not live according to the customs of the nations I am going to drive out before you. Because they did all these things, I abhorred them.

Brothers and Sisters in the Anointed Lord Iesous, let us beware, lest we fall into the sin of behaving like the the immoral nations around us. Let us be careful not to fall into the ungodly practices like those of the Canaanites described in today's passage.

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About three years ago, I made some observations about the commands of the LORD recorded in Leviticus chapter 19, reading from the LXX Brenton, link below:

• Looking deeper into the Ten Commandments (11Aug2020)

The Least in the Kingdom of God

In my reading from the Gospel according to St Luke today, I came across a saying of our Lord that I found difficult to understand.

In Luke 7:28, the Lord told his audience that, whilst John the Baptist was the greatest among all born into this world, the "least" in the kingdom of God is greater than John.

How can this be? Who is the "least" in the kingdom of God that our Lord was referring to?

I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John,
yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.
Luke 7:28  New International Version

I found my answer in a verse two chapters later, in Luke 9:48.

In this verse, the Lord Iesus used an example of a little child to teach his disciples that the least among them (in the kingdom of God) is the greatest.

It is not surprising therefore, that such a person, the "least", will also be greater than a great person like John the Baptist.

Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me;
and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.
For he who is least among you all — he is the greatest.”
Luke 9:48  New International Version

Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Anointed One, let us endeavour to be among the least in the kingdom of God.

Our Lord prayed alone

Today, in my reading of the Gospel of Luke, I came across two verses telling us that our Lord Iesus the Anointed made it a habit to pray alone by himself in quiet places.

The first verse I saw is Luke 5:16 which say that our Lord often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
Luke 5:16  New International Version

The second verse is Luke 6:12 which tells of a time when Iesus spent a whole night praying alone by himself in the hills.

One of those days, Jesus went out into the hills to pray, and spent the night praying to God.
Luke 6:12  New International Version

Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Anointed One, let us follow the example of our Lord Iesus who often withdrew to lonely places to pray alone. Let us find time to pray alone by ourselves too.

The Power of the Name of God

20 Behold, I send an angel before you, to keep you by the way, and to bring you into the place which I have prepared.
21 Pay attention to him, and listen to his voice. Don’t provoke him, for he will not pardon your disobedience, for my name is in him.
Exodus 23:20–21  World English Bible

Today I learned that the Angel of the LORD, sent ahead of Moses and the Children of Israel as they sojourn in the wilderness, carried the Name of the LORD (Yehovah). This implies that the Angel carried the power and authority of the LORD Himself. In other words, wherever the Angel went, the Presence of the LORD was with him, even in him. One can say that the Angel of the LORD represented the LORD Himself.

This passage also reminds me of the words of our Lord Iesus in his High-priestly Prayer recorded in John 17:11 – 12a:

11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.
12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me.
Exodus 23:20–21  World English Bible

I can observe that just as the Name of the LORD was given to His Angel who accompanied the Children of Israel in their wandering in the wilderness, the same Name of God was also given to His Messiah. It was by the power of "that Name you gave me" (Jn 17:12a), that our Lord Iesus kept his disciples safe throughout his ministry on earth. Our Lord also prayed for his disciples, and for all who would believe in him (see John 17:20), that the Father will protect all believers by the power of His Name.

Brothers and Sisters in the Anointed One, let us remind ourselves — that we who have put our faith in the Lord Iesus are protected by the power of the Name of God.

Thanks be to God.