The Superiority Of Jesus in the News today, as shown in the last three posts, should be obvious to believers who have been given the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, and have had their eyes of the heart opened.(Eph 1:17-18.) by”the Truth.” Other so-called “religions” or “powers of darkness”, are now -due to the Superiority of Jesus- under painful attack when their injustices are exposed by modern western media-“the darkness hates the light(Jesus -the light of the world!),as the light exposes the sins of the darkness.“John 3:19,20.
The superiority of Jesus is further stated by Him in John 7:7 “the World cannot hate you (“the disciples” were not yet “born again” of the Spirit) but it hates me (and “my Supreme Truth”) because I testify that its works (including rules, rituals and spirit)are evil.” John1:4 “in Him was (resurrected)LIFE and that LIFE was the light of the world.”
The destructive forces of these superstitious “world-views” to their people -although they are still God’s special creation– were described in the previous post “The Spiritual Supremacy of Jesus II.” The wrath (or anger) of God cannot be under-estimated as “…for the Lord, whose name is jealous, is a jealous God”Ex:34:14(God is ‘personified’ as a Supremely dedicated, human being.)
Slick Western beliefs and doctrines are included in these anti-god and anti- Jesus religions. These are described in the previous post –“The Spiritual Supremacy of Jesus II”.(14/ 03/15) Such as “new-age” spiritualism -(A re-packaged Eastern belief.) Do you see the historical “Love Of Me” in this doctrine? “I am in control; I make the choice!”In the same arena of selfish beliefs rejecting the Supremacy of Jesus are the Mormons and Jw’s.- but with opposite dress codes!)Their errors are biblicaly explained in ( Jesus II).
Let’s face it! The greatest obstacle to the full belief of Jesus and the Wordis the existence of pain and suffering seen continually in the news. Right? Most people have other gods or none at all(which could be a “religion” or world-view). Why and how is this so?? This argument must be answered successfully or else there is a problem!! “Is Jesus in control?”
Jesus explains,in John 6:44” No one can come to Me unless the Father , who sent me, draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
Simple! – God the Father, or “Yaweh”, the revered Jewish name, calls you from the vast multitude ,to be reconciled in friend-ship to Him first( this is called “pre-destination”,– you were known and called by Him before the earth was formed.(Rom.8:29,& 3 more verses). If you are having a problem accepting this, Stretch your mind! God is in control! not you!
You didn’t come to Him first,- He called you First,(by various ways, and in His “God”- time). Then ,” fast forward” to your exit from this life,and your “sleep with the Lord” (It can be a short nap! as “a thousand years is as a day to ( and in) the Lord”.
Then when Jesus comes back the second time “the dead in Christ will be raised first, and then the living”. Then we believers will have un-corruptible( perfect) bodies.. and we will reign with Christ in a new earth.(By saying ‘a new earth” the author was prophesying our recent “environmental damage” to His Creation.)
So the vast billions of people through all ages have purposely not been called by grace by God the Father. Many or most have chosen to be deceived by other “Gods of man”(previous post) There is also that pain and suffering world-wide. Does this sound like a God of love?
But first-If there is a biblical answer to this fact ; -will any non-believer or immature Christian reading this – first- throw away their worldly pride,vanity and cynicism, as“…The evil one deceives the whole world”.Rev.12;9 and humbly ask Jesus into your heart ? Becoming a believer and going to church doesn’t cost any money!!
1)Knowledge of “the Truth of God” has been given to all mankind already.ie “His divine nature and eternal power have been seen by all men already, so that none are with-out excuse.” Also “the universe proclaims the glory of God” Ps.19 – to those who see it!! 2)Mark 4:11-12 Jesus infers that people should not and cannot be converted without the work of the Holy Spirit first.”..all things come in parables so that Seeing they may see and not perceive,and hearing they may hear and not under-stand..” 3)1 Cor 2:14 For the natural (carnal) man does not understand the words or things of The Spirit of God , for they are foolishness to him and he cannot understand them ,for they are spiritually discerned.”As most people are not called by God yet, they are not Spiritual believers.
It is all a matter of “His timing” -“God is the beginning and the end”– He is not worried or concerned. In 2 Cor.6:2 God says ” In an acceptable time I have heard you and in the day of salvation I have helped you. Behold Now is the day of Salvation.” He is always working on your salvation, even now.
As said in the previous post III, after everything,when Jesus hands over the Kingdom (1Cor.15:24)to God the Father who is sitting (Rev.20:11ff )on the Great White Throne,” and earth and sky flee from His Presence….And I saw the dead, great and small,..and books were opened. Another book was opened (only one!)which is the book of LIFE.”(a Resurrected Life?) v12..the dead were judged according to what they had done..” v15 “If anyone’s name was not found written in the Book Of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”
God has everyone covered – the great and the small, -the saved, and those to be saved- when they are judged by the Truth who is a compassionate and merciful God. And ,dear friends ,if you think life is very un-fair to most people, You can be sure God the Father, and Jesus, who is pleading our case with Him now, is also aware of this fact. He is forgiving us, “as we forgive those who trespass against us!” Amen?
God the father has not even called His own people, Israel, to Him-self yet.This is why the vast majority still persecute Christians in Israel. Paul, speaking about Israel,in Rom.10:2″ For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God,(he was previously one of them, a religious pharisee)-but their zeal is not based on knowledge”(they ignored the Messiah’s coming, foretold in their scriptures which they studied)Rom.10:3″…they did not submit to God’s righteousness.“Further in Rom. 11:7ff “what then? What Israel sought so earnestly-(Its’ salvation through a Messiah) it did not obtain,but the elect did.”(the few Jewish people called by grace to Jesus and who did not worship Baal or other Gods)”
By the design of Jesus “The others (the remaining Jewish nation) were hardened”,as it is written“. Paraphrased -“God made them stupid, blinded them and deafened them -” so they cannot hear to this very day.”(these words were written by Isaiah shortly after 701 BC,the year the Assyrian army was destroyed by the Babylonians. The prophet lived until at least 681 BC. It is written in Isaiah Ch. 6:10 ,”about a judicial hardening of Israel.” Why??Ch.6:12 ff “until the Lord has sent everyone far away(prophesying the dispensation of the “wandering Jew” over the globe)v13″ …so the holy seed(Jesus) will be the stump in the land”.(foreshadowing the return, the re-planting and growth of Israel. This followed the 1948 UN Resolution to settle the Jews in their own Home-land in Palestine.This area was formerly the home-land along the Mediterranean coast given by God to the tribe of Dan, but they were thrown out by the Philistines, a people from the sea.
Look at this!! Part of “His mystery” is revealed here! Rom.11:25″Israel has experience a hardening in part until the full number of Gentiles has come in.And so(then) all Israel will be saved.(also prophesied in Isa.59:20). Wow!!This means that each gentile believer- you and me- is numbered or counted when we become “saved” and part of the Kingdom of God. What an honor we have! When that ordained total is reached, then the Israeli people will become believers. “The veil over their faces will be lifted from reading the Old Testament,as they behold the glory of the New Covenant.”
In order to show the True purpose of His reconciliation, and His omniscience over all creation, Rom.11:32 says” for God has bound all men over to disobedience, so He may have mercy on them all.” This helps to explains present-day pain and problems. These are intended to bring people, earnestly seeking Him, back to Him-self.
The Superiority of “Jesus (who is “the Word” in person) and the Truth,( as stated in the last post), should stand “Alone”, -with-out support or other decoration(s), and to be un-changeable over time.
“The passing of time proves scripture”, with many prophecies coming true.Even God says ” I the Lord do not change.So you O descendants of Jacob,(Israel) are not destroyed.” Mal. 3: 6“(This is in keeping with His promise First made to Abraham in Genesis times “to be their God”, despite the on-going wickedness of Israel)
“Love” is a very resolute force. We do not have annual stampedes (where are the toilets ?) of crushing thousands of people dying while doing religious rituals, or traveling to, or praying at rivers or other sacred spots. These -“over time”- have become a now- polluted and ruined creation(Rom.8:18 ff “all creation will be liberated from its bondage to decay..”). Our “treasure”- His presence and peace-which is beyond description- enthrones even the most humble of His Children. He has actually come to us! not we going to Him.We are given a small deposit of His future blessing now- His Holy Spirit as a guarantee, which we have done nothing to deserve.
The bible truth has been proven to have not changed over the thousands of years since Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible (the Pentateuch”). He was then leading the fleeing Jewish people in the Sinai desert in approx. 1450 BC,( as best deciphered by Biblical archeologists.)
The “Dead Sea Scrolls”, whose parchments date from the First Century AD,were found, in 1945, in caves left by the Essene community of monks (of whom John the Baptist is thought to have come from). These legible remains of scrolls show a mis-translation ,or error , of about one-two percent from the Old Testament used in synagogues today. The book of Isaiah was found to be 95 percent legible, with less than 1 to 2 percent error. But only tiny scraps were found of most of the other books, but with the same level of accuracy.
This wondrous fact is testament to the biblical translators who have ,through the centuries dedicated their lives to their task.(Nobody ever dedicates their life knowingly to a lie!) This also acknowledges the Truth said by Jesus in Math.5:18 and Luke 16:17,”I tell you the Truth,until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen,will by any means disappear from the Law(the Old Testament) until everything is accomplished.”
Later Jesus says” I have not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it.”Mth. 5:17 That prophecy is being fulfilled by YOU believers all over the world today as you –no matter how bad or good your circumstances are- allow the Holy Spirit to live in you by faith “…as praise to His glory.”Eph1:14.
To repeat James Ch.1:27″Religion that God our Father in heaven accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after widows and orphans in their distress and to keep one-self from being polluted by the world”. Who can criticize this? This work is, and has been, done by His missionaries, all over the world.
In finishing,- (source 1) below says ,in its “introduction to the Psalms’ theology”, -that the core of the psalmists theology is the conviction that the gravitational center of life( of right human under-standing,trust, hope, service,morality ,adoration)but also History and of the whole creation (of heaven and earth) is God (Yahweh-“the LORD”). Our “topical” Judea-Christian Heritage should never be under-valued at any time.
I apologize for this extra long post. I hope it reveals things of the Lord you did not hear from your local church.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
The NIV Study Bible 1985, The Zondervan Corp.,Mich.