Tag: Scripture

Take Everything to God

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[Psalm 55:22]
“Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.”

[1 Peter 5:7]
“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.“

God doesn’t want just some of our cares and burdens, He wants everything. The big things, the little things–He wants us to rely on Him more than our next breath. He wants us to cling to Him for direction and protection with all of our might. He wants to be the One we talk to first, the One we run to first, the One we cry to first. He desires to be our Father: loving, caring, and strong.

Run into the arms of Jesus with every little thing. Pour out your heart before Him constantly. Let Him take your cares and replace them with His peace. ✨

Getting Lost in Him

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I love getting lost in You. In Your Word. In Your presence. In Your love. I love hiding away with you in that secret place only meant for us. I love being with You. I love being Yours. I love crying to You, with all of my cares and burdens. I love telling You how much I love You. I didn’t know my heart could love this much, until you swept me off my feet like the King You are. I’m so in love with you and I’m so glad You’ll be mine forever. I’m going to hold on to you tightly for the rest of my life. So tight that nothing could possibly get between us. So tight that we’re one. I love You so much, I desire You more than life itself, and I want You more than all the treasures this world has to offer. You are so worthy! I adore you! Thank You for Your passionate love – the love that saved my life.♥️

Everything I’ve Ever Done

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Jesus, my King: I don’t want to do a single thing in my life without You! I want to experience it all with You, and can’t imagine my life without Your love. I’m so glad I get You for the rest of my life, every single moment. I’m so in love with You that I just don’t even know what to do with myself half the time. I love you so deeply that I feel weak.

[Hebrews 13:5]
“For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee“

[Song of Songs 2:5]
“Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love.”

Get Close To God

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Never let any single thing, human or otherwise, be closer to you than your Maker is. Your union with Jesus must be a union untouched by outside hands – it must be so deep and strong and high and wide and all-consuming and first and foremost above all other relationships, that nothing on the outside can penetrate it. Jesus is your Saviour, your God, and your first love. Your relationship with Him will set the foundation of your entire life and all of your relationships – none of which should ever be more important or close to you than Jesus Himself. Get close to God, deepen your bond with Him. Love Him more than anything this world has to offer. Be satisfied in Him above all else. Be willing to serve Him unto death if He so desires. Jesus is a jealous God and wants all of you.

Make Him your everything, because He is your Maker.♥️

[Revelation 2:4]
[Jesus said], “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.” 

[Hebrews 12:29]
“For our God is a consuming fire.”

[Exodus 34:14]
“For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name isJealous, is a jealous God:” 

Jesus

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Ohhh how beautiful is His name! How wonderful is He! My heart swells and burns within me at the thought of who He is. It’s almost unbearable.

Praise Him! Praise Him! Praise the living God! He is so worthy! So beyond worthiness. He’s such a sweet, beautiful,
amazing
sacrificial
glorious
precious
loving
saving God!

Song of Songs 5:16
“His mouth is most sweet: yea, he isaltogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.” 

1 Peter 1:8
“Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:” 

Christ Sets Us Free

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Jesus Christ sets the soul free. He unlocks the bondage we’re enslaved to in this world and gives us  t r u e  life. There is no life apart from Jesus. You may think you’re living, but if you don’t have eternal life living inside of you (Jesus), you are dead inside and enslaved to sin and this world. 

You may think true freedom is doing whatever you want, but it’s a false deceptive “freedom”. True freedom is to be forgiven and have a reconciled, close and intimate relationship with the God who made your soul. There is no freedom greater than this. He is the way to eternal life. It’s only through Jesus, nobody and nothing else. He is the door, all who enter will find true life.

John 8:36
“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”

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

John 14:6
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” 

My God is Able

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And He is perfect. And strong. And Mighty. And able to do abundantly more than we can ever imagine.

Ephesians 3:20-21
“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.“

Worship Our Maker

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“And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” Galatians 4:6.

I’m meditating on this right now. One day a little while ago, I was weary and exhausted. So I began listening to worship music.

I needed my love and I needed to rest and be filled by Him. So I put on worship music and just got lost in the beautiful worshipful words to Jesus. And I could physically feel my heart burn as I was saturated in the truth of His beauty and grace as I worshiped Him. I could feel His love just be poured in me and my love for Him and desire for Him just fill me to overflowing. In that moment, nothing else mattered. In that moment, everything about Him and His love was intensified and I could have just melted; only He mattered, and my eyes were fixated on Him. The world washed away, and only He was present.

“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” John 4:24

This is what it is to worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. He poured His love into us by His Spirit, and our response is deep heart worship and yearning for Him, and a personal intimate affectionate relationship where we cry out, “Abba, Father!”.

“And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” Romans 5:5

This deep heart burning worship of our Maker is a testimony that we’re His sons and daughters and have eternal life inside of us. We have eternal life inside of us because we love, we cry out to, and we worship e t e r n a l life Himself.

His Strength is Made Perfect in Our Weakness

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The other day I was having a rough morning and it seemed like my weakness and sin shined forth and I was acting in the flesh. Tired and drained from a great deal of fiery arrows coming my way, I had no strength.

Frustrated, I began walking outside in the winter rain. I felt horrible. Even if nobody else noticed my sinful shortcomings, I did, because it was all in my heart. Not only was I overcome by my weakness, but I knew God knew it even more than myself.

Shuddering, with a sorrowful and repentant heart I sighed a tearful groan and weakly whispered, “I’m sorry…I wish I was better, I don’t deserve you’re love, I’m not good enough.”

While on the bus, wet and cold, I began listening to worship music accompanied by reading continuous bible passages. One scripture stood out to me and it was as if this passage covered me like a soft warm blanket. I wasn’t cold any longer.

1 Corinthians 12:9-10
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

This simple passage spoke to me more than an hour long sermon would.

His grace. His strength.

He told me to come, find rest for my soul. I’ll never be good enough, but He is. I’ll never be strong enough, but He is. I’ll never be able to hold myself up, but He carries me. I’ll never be able to be sinless, but He was without sin. I’ll never be perfect, but He wants me to rest in HIS perfection.

And He wants you to rest in Him too. Come to Jesus, and find rest. Don’t rely on yourself, rely on Him. His grace is enough to cover every ounce of your weakness, sin and flesh.

Matthew 11:28-29
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Fall into the arms of the only One who can hold you up. The One whose grace is enough.♥️

Joy

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Knowing that I’m tenderly and protectively loved and cared for by the Most High God;
Knowing that nothing can separate me from Him;
Knowing that He’s loved me before the foundation of the earth with an everlasting love that knows no beginning and no end;
Knowing how incredibly amazing He is – so Holy and worthy;
Knowing how close He is to me, closer than even my breath;
Knowing that He’s with me always, that He’ll never leave me nor forsake me;
Knowing that this earth is temporal and will pass away one day;
Knowing that my hope will not lead to disappointment, because He’s the One who first loved me and is the Author and Perfecter of my faith;
Knowing that I’ll see His face one day,
that I’ll be with Him in His presence,
worshipping and loving Him forever,
And ever,
And e v e r…

Oh! The inexpressible joy full of satisfying delight in knowing my God and being known by Him.💛🌞

{Romans 5:5}
“And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”

Ephesians 1:3-6
“Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly [places] 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: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.”

Hebrews 13:5
“I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.”

1 Peter 1:8
“Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:”

Deuteronomy 33:27
“The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.”

Written by Tanya

 

Trust in the Lord

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Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

During times in our Christian walk, our trust in the Lord may be tested. He tests our faith in Him and there is always a purpose in the testing: to strengthen us, grow us, refine us, sanctify us, and make us more like Him.

Romans 5:1-6
“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.”

1 Peter 1:3-9
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see himnot, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

Perhaps when we go through a difficult season we do not fully see the purpose behind the difficulty we experience. But there’s absolutely no difficulty in the life of a child of God that isn’t for his or her good and for God’s purposes.

Romans 8:28
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

He promises that all things work together for the good of those who love God! Thankfully, it doesn’t say that only some things work together for the good to them that love God, but all things! How incredible is this divine truth, that as His children, we can be rest assured that no trouble we face in this world is outside the hand of God or outside His good purpose for us. Our Lord knew that if it said in His Word in Romans 8 that only some things work together for good to them that love God, then it would be easier for us to doubt difficult circumstances we walk through, and our faith in God would dwindle during these hard seasons because we wouldn’t have a solid rock to cleave to. But praise be to God, Christ is our Solid Rock amidst any storm a believer must face in this dark world. He knows every difficulty, and He will walk us through every difficult storm. He calms every storm.

Mark 4:39
And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

If it wasn’t for God and His amazing promises to work all things out for our good, we would drift about with every wind, unsure if our lives are truly in the hands of the God who saved us and gave Himself for us. We would wonder if our lives, our safety, our growth, our happiness is all dependent on whatever happens to us at random whim – that our lives could be destroyed and in the hands of the darkness, wickedness and uncertainty of this world. In other words, that our lives are really in the hands of the god of this world, the devil. This is not so! He promises that every single little thing will indeed work together for good to them that love God! Praise be to God.

What an incredible, beautiful God, abundant in love and faithfulness.

There is a false idea amongst unbelievers who deny God (and even some professed Christian sects) –  that our lives as Christians are not completely in the hands of God. This, at the very root, is an antichrist belief system and has no place in the heart of any true believer – this thought that the ‘universe’ guides our life, attributing sovereignty to created things. This new age spirituality is anti-biblical and rips attributing power and glory to the Creator of all things. God is the one who is in control and in His child’s life, nothing is happenstance. This gives us so much comfort in this world and propels us to be fearless servants of the Most High God. It frees us to serve him willingly, lovingly, freely, and relentlessly, knowing that He loves us, is with us, desires the very best for us, knows what we need and will provide it, and who is watching over us and protecting us. This understanding calms our hearts knowing that if anything bad does happen to us, He’s still protecting us.

It’s imperative to understand that if you belong to God, there is nothing in this world that can destroy you because you are a child of God and your soul is safe with Him. However, if you are an unbeliever and do not belong to Him, your life is at the hands of this dark world.

Matthew 10:28
“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

This truth gives us the strength to have peace and joy when circumstances seem grim, because it is the Almighty God who is caring for us and we’re no longer under the dominion of the evil one, but we are now children of God. And as a good Father, He will care for us all of our days.

Romans 8:15
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

We might go through seasons of difficulty on this earth, and we may be tested, but we will never lose the ultimate treasure – eternal life in God’s presence forever once we are done in this earth. Not a single thing can take us away from the safety of His hands.

John 10:28
And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

He wants us to trust Him more fully day by day as we walk with Him and grow in Him, and sometimes He will allow us to go through difficulties so that He will show Himself faithful through it and thus we trust Him all the more.

Lamentations 3:22-25
“It is of the Lord‘s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.”

So trust God knowing that if you belong to Him and have trusted in Christ the Son of God for salvation, saving you from your sins and giving you eternal life, He will care for you all of your days as you navigate life in this temporary world.

Matthew 10:29
“Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.”

If He’s given you salvation only available through the death of His son, won’t He not give you everything else?!

Romans 8:32
“He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”

One of the astounding beauties of God is that He knows every need and concern we have, and He cares, and He will provide according to the riches of His kindness and His endless wisdom. He will work everything out for our good, that’s His promise.

Philippians 4
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

I am so blessed to be given such a treasured gift from God – a faithful godly man who trusts God and loves God, and is a fearless servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. This man trusts His Lord through every season, loves Him so passionately and is obedient to Him above all else and in every circumstance that arises. He encourages me everyday in his godliness and Christlikeness and I look up to him more than anyone on this earth. He exudes Christ more than anyone I have ever met. He is a true spiritual leader and so Christlike in all of his ways. God has blessed me abundantly to overflowing, my cup runneth over (Psalm 23:5)!

Written by Tanya

Appreciate the Creator

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We grow up with food as our source of sustenance that keeps us alive. Because we essentially “eat” from our mother’s womb, food is just…well, food. That delicious stuff we put in our mouths, that stuff that keeps us alive, and it’s just there. From a “big bang” billions of trillions of billions of ions ago, with no cause, no intelligent Creator who created food to nourish us creatures. This beautiful food that’s keeping us alive is just here by accident, right??

No, not by accident, but by design.

We never really acquire a wonder and awe for something that is such a part of our lives and something we’re surrounded with every single day. It just is. Nothing special – it just is.

That is, until we come to know our Creator through His saving grace. The natural world around us then goes from purposeless to purposeful.

When we’re saved and begin a true, real, living relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, we’re reset as humans and we are made completely new creations. Because of this, we see the world as entirely different than before. We come to truly appreciate the beauty in creation.

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
2 Corinthians 5:17

What was once just bland everyday existence becomes the most colourful, vibrant life. We once looked at the natural world as not special because we didn’t know the Creator. Loving and being loved by the God who made food (amongst other things) opens our eyes to the beauty of it. Only when we truly appreciate God can we then truly appreciate food. We won’t truly appreciate anything until we truly appreciate God.

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Food is so beautiful, and that’s because it’s the creation of a beautiful Creator who  loves us. He nourishes us and cares for us abundantly. He didn’t have to bless us with colours, tastes, and nutrition that heals us and keeps us thriving, but He did.

And it says so much about Him. He’s loving, full of grace, tender, caring, creative, providing, and oh so beautiful beyond our ability to fathom or comprehend.

Look at creation around you and appreciate the Creator – the Lord Jesus Christ by whom all things were made. Existence and life is emptiness and death without Him.

“In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”
Colossians 1:14-17

Look at creation differently, and come to appreciate the Creator of all of this beauty. It is in no way by accident, it is all in existence by the Word of His mouth, that is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Creator of Heaven and Earth.

Written by Tanya

John 8:58 (Scripture Illustration)

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Sharing the progress I’m making on the John 8:58 drawing I’ve been working on. After I complete the pencils and the ink work I’ll most likely copy this over into Illustrator in order to further develop this with the hopes of making it available for anyone who would like to have one for themselves.

John 8:58

The Person of Christ: His Underived Eternal Sonship 
The words of the Lord in John chapter 8:58 could not be clearer: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.” Note that it proves conclusively that our Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son. Repeatedly in this chapter He has been speaking of God as “My Father.” Now this climactic statement of the chapter shows that this is eternally so. If there was a time when He came into being, He would have said, “Before Abraham was, I was.” The verbs translated “was” and “am” are not the same, and they show that the meaning of the statement is “Before Abraham came to be, I exist.” His use of “I am,” which would make the statement ungrammatical under normal usage, shows that He never came into being. Moreover, His use of “I am” immediately reminds us that this is what God called Himself when speaking to Moses at the burning bush (Exo 3:14). It is highly expressive of His eternity and His deity. – McAllister, David T&T

Exodus 3:13-14 “And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.”

The always existing Son of God will forever be seated in glory, and one day soon all believers in Christ will worship Him in heaven. What a glorious day that will be!

Written by Jason

The Christian Calling

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I was reading the book of John recently, and particularly John 10:15 really struck me.

“As the Father knows Me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down My life for the sheep.”

He laid His life down for us. He sacrificed His precious, perfect life for us. He was a servant for us. Reading this passage really moved my heart because as His children, we’re to follow His example and be a servant. No matter how much it hurts or how tired we get. It’s not about me, or my desires, or my flesh, or my “needs”. It’s about serving others and fulfilling my calling. It’s about putting others first, above me. It’s about walking in humility among those I am serving and among this world. It’s about making myself low so I can lift others up. It’s about me decreasing and Him increasing in me. This isn’t my life, it’s His Life in me. I’m not called to live for myself, I’m called to live for Him. He was my example. He sacrificed His life for me and I’m to do the same for others.

“Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
Philippians 2:3-8

“He must increase, but I must decrease.”
John 3:30

 

IS JESUS CHRIST REALLY GOD?

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IS JESUS CHRIST REALLY GOD

[Part 1] There’s some confusion, well actually a lot regarding the subject of Jesus Christ’s deity and rightly so, without the mention of names there’s cults and false doctrine being taught and it’s our responsibility as Christian’s to study the scriptures (2 Timothy 2:15) to see if these things be true. Let’s not forget our noble brethren of Berea.

Acts 17:11 “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”

The question remains did Jesus plainly say “I am God”? Bare along as this is not easily explainable. I’ll reference scriptures which you can study for yourselves. As with anything that pertains to God’s word I would highly advise to look in the Bible for yourself and come to a conclusion on your own. We all will stand before God and will have to give an account, no one else will be able to speak for you before God.

The four Gospels

The gospel according to John targets the deity of Jesus Christ while the other 3 gospels focus upon the genealogy of Jesus, and fulfillment of OT prophecies written to a Jewish audience (Matthew), testimonies and miracles, written for a Gentile audience (Mark) and fact finding and Jesus as the great physician or healer written by the beloved physician (Luke). We all are familiar with the opening verse in the gospel according to John.

John 1:1–3 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made”

Jesus Christ is the Word of God (one of His many names) reading the verse above we see that “the Word” (Jesus Christ) has always existed. God (the Father) is not a created God meaning He was once created and had a starting period, no! God is the alpha and the omega the beginning and the end, therefore, God’s Word (Jesus) has always existed with the Father.

Another question is was Jesus begotten? Yes, He’s the only begotten Son of God. The word begotten is not speaking of the Lord Jesus being created as some may try to argue, nothing of the sort, when speaking of the eternal Son of God the word begotten speaks of His position. He’s above all and comes before all having the preeminence (John 1:18, John 3:31, Colossians 1:17-18, Hebrews 1:1-10, Psalms 45:6-7).

The words of the Lord in John chapter 8:58 could not be clearer: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.” Note that it proves conclusively that our Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son. Repeatedly in this chapter He has been speaking of God as “My Father.” Now this climactic statement of the chapter shows that this is eternally so. If there was a time when He came into being, He would have said, “Before Abraham was, I was.” The verbs translated “was” and “am” are not the same, and they show that the meaning of the statement is “Before Abraham came to be, I exist.” His use of “I am,” which would make the statement ungrammatical under normal usage, shows that He never came into being. Moreover, His use of “I am” immediately reminds us that this is what God called Himself when speaking to Moses at the burning bush (Exo 3:14). It is highly expressive of His eternity and His deity. – McAllister, David T&T

Begotten

μονογενής monogenḗs, mon-og-en-ace’; from G3441 and G1096; only-born, i.e. sole: — only (begotten, child).

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

Genesis 1:3 “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”

Notice God said “Let there be light” Jesus Christ is also known as the light of the world. He came unto his own, and his own received him not (John 1:11). 

John 3:19 “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”

Jesus Christ has many names and titles in which He goes by some of the more recognizable ones are The Son of God, Son of man, The only begotten Son of the Father, Emmanuel “God with us”, Lord etc… But there are scriptures in the Old Testament which also names our Lord Jesus. Here’s an Old Testament scripture speaking about Jesus and His names.

Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and 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.”

Notice the above verse is talking about Jesus “a child is born…a son is given” as we continue it states of Him being “The everlasting Father”. This speaks of the deity of Jesus, He’s not just a prophet as some would claim, Jesus shares the same nature as the Father. The Godhead consists of God the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God and the Holy Ghost. This explains verses like (John 5:19, John 7:16–17 ). And with this piece of scripture below showing all three in one place at the same time.

Matthew 3:16-17 “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

IS JESUS CHRIST REALLY GOD 2

After reading the above portion there’s no denying God has three distinct persons (Father, Son, Holy Ghost) and all three consist of the Godhead and together they are one God.

The writer of the book of Hebrews makes a reference from one of the Psalms speaking of the Lord Jesus and His deity. While reading bear in mind that this is God the Father speaking to the Son of God. The verses say and I quote “But unto the Son [he saith], Thy, throne, of God, is for ever and ever” (Hebrews 1:8 – 1:9, Psalms 45:6).

Thanks for reading I pray that this helped you in understanding more about who God is. In [part 2] I’ll further show whom Jesus is helping you to examine for yourselves and draw your own conclusions as to the question, is Jesus Christ really God?

Cleaving to God

On By Whatsoever Things Are TrueIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Something that is imperative in our Christian walk is cleaving.

Cleaving to God. 

I have been deeply meditating on this truth lately, and the beauty that lies behind it. God wants us to cleave to Him, in this close, ongoing, intimate, everlasting relationship.

My mind started to toy with the wonder of what cleaving actually looks like. What cleaving actually means. What the definition of cleaving, unaltered with my own ideas, consists of. God says in His word over and over and over again for us human beings to cleave to Him. I’ve always received so much deep joy and have actually cried over this because I find it to be so tender, intimate, and sweet, as well as it displays His desires in His relationship with us. God reveals Himself through the scriptures, and when we understand the truth that He desires for us to cleave to Him, it displays who He is and what He wants.

I remember the time I first came across God telling His people to cleave to Him, it was in the Old Testament. As a newborn Christian, I was reading through the Bible – and very quickly did I see of God’s desire of His people to cleave to Him. I remember the feeling of being so captivated and awe-struck by this valuable truth, as I was only a couple months deep into my relationship with the Lord Jesus and was just learning who He is, and what He is like. When I came across it, I would be lying if I said that tears did not well up in my eyes and poured onto the pages. This is my God, whom I love so deeply, and I see that He loves me deeply too. Enough for Him to desire for me to cleave to Him. Enough for Him to die on a cross to save me from my sins and give me eternal life.

So, what does cleaving mean, and what does cleaving actually look like?

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To me, this is a perfect representation of how we’re to cleave to our Maker in the most important relationship we as human beings can have.

We’re made to hold onto Him.

In curiosity, I looked up the definition of cleaving, and reading it, I felt my heart become full and flooded with His love, as I took a deep breath in. Everything within me wanted to sing in love for Him and melt at the same time.

The definition?

Cleaving definition: stick fast to, adhere strongly to, become very strongly involved with or emotionally attached to (someone), to cling to a person or thing closely.

Cleaving synonyms + related: combine, connect, join, marry, mend, sew, unite, meld. Adhere: attach, cement, cleave, cohere, fasten, fix, freeze to, glue, hold fast, paste, stay put, stick like glue, unite, cleaving.

Clinging definition: fitting closely to the body and showing its shape; hold on tightly to; adhere or stick firmly or closely to; be hard to part or remove from; remain very close to; remain persistently or stubbornly faithful to something; dependent on someone emotionally. 

Clinging synonyms: hold on to, clutch, grip, clasp, grasp, attach oneself to, hang on to; embrace, hug; stick, adhere, hold, cohere, bond, bind; hold to, stick to, stand by, abide by, cherish,  remain true to, have faith in.

Upon reading this, everything within me exhaled a resounding YES!

And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.
Deuteronomy 30:6

Really. This is exactly how we’re to cleave to God. We’re to love God with all our heart, soul, and strength. He wants us to cleave to Him, because He’s our protection. He is our Father. He gives us life. He is our steadiness. He is our safety. He is our first love. Koalas hugging trees physically resembles what it looks like to spiritually cleave to our Maker. He wants us to be this way with Him. He desires this type of close, intertwined, mended, molded together relationship. He’s in us, we’re in Him.

The Lord Jesus’ words,

“And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”
John 10:28

“That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.”
John 17:21-23

And, let’s face it, cleaving to God (along with the godly husband or wife He gives us, because it is picture of Christ and His Bride) is pretty much the only thing we can cleave to that’s actually good for us. I mean, really, really good for us.  It’s what we were designed for. To hold on to the One who made us and knows how many hairs we have on our head. The One who knows all our thoughts, needs, desires, wants, and yearns to fulfill them in us with Himself. The One who knows our worries, fears, struggles, hardships, downfalls, flaws, hurts, and tears, and yearns to wipe all our tears away, make our fears disappear, and heal and protect our hearts. He yearns for us to cleave to Him as His Bride. He sees and captures every tear that falls down our cheeks. He doesn’t let one tear fall without collecting it, and without knowing every single reason behind those tears. He grieves when we hurt, and he so desires to make every wrong right in our lives. He will, if you surrender your heart to Him and cleave to Him for the rest of your life.

“Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?”
Psalm 56:8

“He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.”
Isaiah 25:8

“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.”
Revelation 21:4

He is deeply concerned with every single tear that falls down our face! He’s tender and soft with us.

When we give Him our hearts and surrender to Him, we belong to Him forever. We are cleansed by His blood at conversion and forgiven of our sins. Thus begins our lifelong cleaving to Him that will never end. At our conversion, we become supernaturally sealed with His Holy Spirit. Nothing can reverse it. In that moment, He commits Himself to closeness with you, and devotes Himself in love to you. And God would never go back on His promises. He’s perfect. He holds us, and we cleave to Him, and nothing and nobody could ever take us away from Him. He’s ours, for eternity. And we’re His, forever.

“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:38-39

“For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.”
Psalm 48:14

Oh, the deep joy and satisfaction of cleaving on to our beautiful God for dear life. Because he is life. There is absolutely nothing better than this kind of relationship with Him. Nothing better.

That said, here’s a nice cup of hot chocolate I made from scratch. It turned out so yummy and filled me with warmth.

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Written by Tanya

The Love of God Never Ends

On By Whatsoever Things Are TrueIn UncategorizedLeave a comment
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Photo taken by Tanya

When my eyes feast on beauty like this, I fall in love with God even more. I didn’t think I could love Him any more, yet I go deeper. And that’s because His love never ends. You know what that means? Never-ending love is just that: never-ending. One will never find the end to His love. Never find a limit. Never find a wall. It goes on forever, and it’s a love that never tires. It’s always fresh, always new, always true. It takes you by surprise, it fills you in new ways, it compels you to love Him with everything in you. His love is stronger than death. It’s multifaceted. It always goes deeper. It overcomes and consumes and turns your insides into fire.

He IS love. Real love.

Not the fake love that society is saturated with, but real love. Love that never gives up, never runs dry, never abandons. Love that is fierce, protecting, and shielding. Love that is caring, tender, and compassionate. Love that never requires anything from the other in order to love. Love that never hurts, never acts selfishly, and never lies. Love that stands the test of time, and passes into eternity. Love that seeks, pursues, allures. Love that romances, enchants, and dazzles. Love that respects, is loyal, and attached. Love that does whatever it takes to look after the betterment of the other, no matter the cost. Love that is so powerful, death seems like nothing. Love that makes the heart beat faster, the pulse race, and breathing quicken. Love that overcomes all obstacles. Love that will never die. Love that lasts forever.

The love of God, and His Bride returning that love back. This is true love. Jesus is love. And when a soul loves Him back…no words can fully describe it. It’s beyond this world.

His love is absolutely inexhaustible and completely perfect in every single way. If you don’t have it, don’t you want a love like that? The true endless love of God.

Isaiah 62:4
“Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.”