What Is His Name?

What Is His Name?

 

      God forbid that we should be afraid or ashamed to speak the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim him as our Savior.

      The name of Jesus Christ is forbidden to be mentioned in public ceremonies and places today in our great country which was founded upon the principles of Jesus Christ and Christianity. At sporting events, commencement exercises and other public events, those who are called upon to pray are warned not to mention his holy name lest they offend unbelievers and disturb their guilty conscience.  It is ok, we are told, to pray to a generic, unknown god: the man upstairs; the divine power or influence, the god that will satisfy everyone's own individual convictions.

      Sad it is to observe that many professed Christians, who claim to be saved and redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, hesitate to speak his name among friends and acquaintances. It seems that the only time public prayer is permissible nowadays in our great country is when our country is in great danger. Then we are urged to cry out with a loud voice: “God bless America”; but who is the God that we want to bless America?

      I, for one, will tell you who he is. He is the Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten son of God. There is no other name under heaven among men whereby we must be saved. “This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4: 11, 12.

      Jesus said: “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him  will I also deny before my Father whichis in heaven. Matthew 10: 32,33.

Facing Our Enemies!

Facing Our Enemies!

When we answer the call to be a volunteer in the service of the Lord, we must be prepared to face enemies that we have never had to face before. We will find ourselves in a spiritual combat zone. Giants of adversity will constantly be rising up before us and we will seem to be as sheep among wolves. There are many wolves in the world who pretend to be fellow sheep and cloth themselves in sheep's clothing: of these we must be aware, and when we are among them we must be wise as servants, but harmless as doves.

Ungodly, wicked men do not appreciate hearing about their wickedness and sin, and are not gospel friendly. The preaching of the truth of God's word is an abomination to the wicked, therefore, we must be aware of men for they will deliver us up to judges, and councils and imprisonment. Sometimes our most subtle enemies are members of our own household: wives against husbands; husbands against wives; children against parents; brother against brother.

The world hated Christ and wanted him put away, and we can be sure that those of us who love him and are soldiers of the cross will be hated also. We must remain strong and of good courage. We already know, according to the word of God, the final outcome of this war. We are, and forever shall be, more than conquerors through Christ our Lord and captain of our salvation.

Jesus said: “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues, and you shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak but the spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death and ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake; but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.” M atthew 10: 16-22

Ripe Unto Harvest!

Ripe Unto Harvest!

“And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and disease among the people. But when he saw the multitudes he was moved with compassion on them because they fainted, and were scattered abroad having no shepherd.” Matthew 9: 35, 36.\ Jesus sees the multitudes that are in the world today who are fainting and scattered abroad, and have no shepherd, and are spiritually starving for words of compassion and comfort. When Jesus ascended into heaven, he gave his disciples the great commission to go into all the world and preach his gospel of salvation; and to heal the sick, to comfort the weary; and to bring hope of eternal life to the lost. They, through the word of God, have passed this great commission down to us today. All who call themselves Christians have been given this great responsibility to continue the ministry of Jesus here on earth until he returns for his church.

One only has to look upon the world conditions today to see the multitudes in need of teaching and spiritual leadership. The harvest is truly white and ready, but who will answer the call, who will go? The call for laborers has been issued, the need is great, but few are those who will answer the call.

Some one has wisely said: “None of us can do everything, but all of us can do something, and what we can do we ought to do” all for the glory of God to draw all men and women, boys and girls to a saving knowledge of Christ.

“Then saith he unto his disciples, the harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few, pray ye therefore, the Lord of the harvest that he will send forth laborers into his harvest.” Matthew 9: 37,38.

Once I Was Blind!

Once I Was Blind!

Once I was blind, but now I see. From the moment of my physical birth until the moment of my rebirth as a child of God, my spiritual eyes and understanding were afflicted with blindness. This is true of all people whether or not they will acknowledge this truth.

“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God” for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” I Corinthians 2: 14. Jesus said: “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3: 3.

Unfortunately, there are certain religious leaders today occupying pulpits and teaching and preaching some form of religion who are blind leaders of the blind. Jesus said: “Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up. Let them alone, they be blind leaders of the blind, and if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” Matthew 15: 13,14.

These blind leaders have never truly been born again and experienced a personal relationship with Jesus Christ; therefore, they teach the doctrines of men, a social gospel of good works, good deeds, the keeping of rules and commandments . More emphasis placed on tolerance and love, and at the same time neglecting to teach the penalty of not being forgiven and pardoned by God and having a personal relationship with Christ.

Praise God! Christ is willing and able to open the blind eyes of all those who will come to him and ask to receive their sight. In asking we must believe that he is, in fact, the divine son of God, and is the only way, the truth, and the light. We must believe that he is the propitiation for our sins: he paid the price of our redemption, and we are forever saved by his grace. We must believe that he arose from the dead and ascended into heaven, and is now our great high priest who makes intercession for us before the throne of God. We must believe that if we will confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

When we receive all this truth by faith as a free gift of God's grace, we are miraculously born again, and then and only then can we see spiritual things. We must have the confidence that Jesus can and will do all this for us, and as we believe, Jesus said, it shall be done unto us.

“And when Jesus departed thence two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, thou son of David, have mercy on us. And while he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saitjh unto them, believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, yea, Lord. Then touched he their eyes, saying, according to your faith be it unto you. And their eyes were opened, and Jesus straitly charged them, see that no man know it.” Matthew 9: 27-30.

In this case Jesus gave physical sight to physical eyes, and at this time he was not yet ready for it to be known abroad. Today Jesus will give spiritual sight to spiritual eyes and he wants all those who have received spiritual eyesight to go into all the world and preach the gospel.

Not To Call The Righteous!

Not To Call The Righteous!

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. When God the Father saw the lost condition of the human race, he did not want to pour out his righteous wrath upon us to punish, but he had compassion and revealed his great love for mankind by giving himself in the person of Jesus Christ as a ransom for our redemption.

While here on earth, Jesus purposely drew near and associated himself with the lowest of the low, so that he might save us and lift us up and plant our feet on higher ground. Jesus, the great physician realized that a healthy person does not need a physician, but the sick for whom he came to minister. God who is the God of love and mercy does not require sacrifice and penance, but rather, offers as a free gift to all who will receive it, grace and mercy. Jesus did not come to call the righteous, or those who thought that they were righteous, instead he came to call the lost, the weak, the sick, the hopeless; those who were poor in spirit and were well aware that they were sinners and needed salvation.

The self righteous scribes and Pharisees could not understand why, if he were God, Jesus would want to associate and sit down and eat and have fellowship with such people.

Jesus did not wait until we became righteous through our own good works before he gave himself for us to save us: but “while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.” “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior that being justified by his grace we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Titus 3: 5-7.

While sitting at the table with the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus discerned their thoughts: “And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, why eateth your master with publicans and sinners? But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, they that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth. I will have mercy and not sacrifice; for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Matthew 9: 10-13.

They Turned The World Upside Down!

They Turned The World Upside Down!

Someone has said: “The mark of the first century Christian disciple was that they “had been with Jesus” and that they had “turned the world upside down.

The mark of the modern Christian is often only that of a good fellow, who in good weather visits a building called a church on Sunday Morning.”

“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.” Acts 4: 13.

“But the Jews which believed not moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people, and when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, these that have turned the world upside down are come hither also; whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.” Acts 17: 5-7

What Do We Believe Concerning The Sayings Of Jesus?

What Do We Believe Concerning The Sayings Of Jesus?

      After hearing all these sayings of Jesus great multitudes followed him when he came down from the mountain. We have listened to his sayings, how do we believe?

      A leper approached Jesus and begged him to heal his leprosy. He believed that if Jesus wanted to, he had the power to heal him and restore him to health. “And Jesus put forth his hand and touched him, saying, I will be thou clean, and immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” Matthew 8: 3. A centurion came to Jesus entreating him for his sick servant, that he might come and heal him. “And Jesus saith unto him I will come and heal him.” Matthew 8: 7.

      The centurion indicated his faith in the power of Jesus by saying that he need not come to his house, but that he speak the word only and it would be accomplished. Jesus commended him for his faith. And said: “Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no not in Israel. And I say unto you, that many shall come from the east and west and shall sit down with Abraham and Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 8: 10-12.

      We have heard Jesus say to us that before we can enter in to the kingdom of heaven we must be born again and become new creatures in Christ. He said that he would accomplish this for us if we would believe him. We heard him say that he was the way, the truth, and the light, and that he was the narrow gate by which all men would enter into heaven. He told us that we all are sinners and cannot save ourselves, that we need to be forgiven and receive pardon from God. He told us that without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin, and that the divine blood of the Lamb of God (himself) was the only acceptable sacrifice given freely to all who will ask. He told us that we can ask and receive, to knock and it shall be opened unto us, to seek and we shall find. He promised to forgive our sins and heal our diseases All that we receive from the Lord depends upon what we believe.

      “And Jesus said unto the centurion, go thy way: and as thou hast believed so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.” Matthew 8: 13.