God Speaks

Today's sermon by Gary Balius:

There is a God.
God has spoken to us.
God means exactly what He said.

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
Hebrews 1:1-4 (KJV)

And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
Luke 24:27 (ESV)

The Word of God points to Christ for these purposes:
1. Our salvation in eternity;
2. Our life on earth to glorify God.

Works Cannot Save

For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. (Isaiah 64:6 NASB)

Many people do good works to gain salvation. But God consider our good works as filthy garment. They are not acceptable. They have to be washed in the blood of the Lamb to be clean. God Himself will provide the garments of salvation.

These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (Revelation 7:14 NASB)

I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, My soul will exult in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. (Isaiah 61:10 NASB)

Good works does not save. However, all Christians are saved to do good works for the glory of God.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10 NASB)

The Gospel Highway

A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." (Acts 16:9 NASB)

A friend once told me that the gospel travels westwards from Jerusalem and will complete the cycle by returning to Jerusalem from the east. This is my observation. The gospel goes west into the Roman Empire (Europe), crossed the Atlantic to America, then crossed the Pacific to China. I believe it will proceed westward to Jerusalem to complete the cycle. Then the Messiah will come.

For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man comes. (Matthew 24:27 NLT)

Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary which looketh toward the east; and it was shut. Then said the LORD unto me; This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the LORD, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut. It is for the prince; the prince, he shall sit in it to eat bread before the LORD; he shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate, and shall go out by the way of the same. (Ezekiel 44:1-3 KJV)

And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate facing toward the east. (Ezekiel 43:4 NASB)

By the way, the Bible is silent about the gospel going one cycle westward. This is just my personal observation.

Angels, Archangels Seraphim and Cherubim

There are many fancy tales about angels and archangels.

Angels are mentions many times in the Bible and they always appeared as men. The Bible never mention that angels had wings. One angel that was named in the Bible was Gabriel (Daniel 8:16, Daniel 9:21, Luke 1:19, Luke 1:26). Actually only Luke 1:26 identified Gabriel as an angel. The other verses simply described him as a man.

The Bible mentioned the term "archangel" twice in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and Jude 1:9. Michael was called an archangel in Jude 1:9.

Isaiah 6:2 and Isaiah 6:6 mentioned another class of heavenly creature, seraphim. Seraphim had six wings. They surround the throne of God.

Cherubim are heavenly creatures that surround the throne of God. They have strange appearance (Ezekiel 10:3-14). Ezekiel 1:4–25 described similar heavenly creatures, but did not identify them as cherubim. Cherubim have wings.

The Bible never said that Satan is an archangel. Satan is a cherub (Ezekiel 28:14).

Finally Revelation 4:6-8 described four living creatures that surround the throne of God. Are they Seraphim or Cherubim? They were not identified.

Are Seraphim or Cherubim angels? The Bible never said that directly, unless we infer from Job 1:6 and Job 2:1 that all heavenly beings are collectively classified as angels.

Shealtiel's Father

Who is the father of Shealtiel?

Jeconiah (Matthew 1:12)
After the deportation to Babylon: Jeconiah became the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel. (NASB)
And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel; (KJV)

Neri (Luke 3:27)
the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, (NASB)
Which was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri, (KJV)

God's unconditional promise to David that his seed will build an house for God and God will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever (2 Samuel 7:12-13, Psalm 132:11).

God's conditional promise to David's descendants that they will sit on David's throne only if they keep God's covenant and testimony (Psalm 132:12).

God's curse on Jeconiah:
Thus says the LORD: "Write this man down as childless, a man who shall not succeed in his days, for none of his offspring shall succeed in sitting on the throne of David and ruling again in Judah." (Jeremiah 22:30 ESV)

Jeconiah and his sons might had been made eunuchs (2 Kings 20:18, Isaiah 39:7) in Babylon.

Feast of Tabernacles

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us (John 1:14 NASB).

When was Jesus was born? Someone proposed that He was born in October, during the Feast of Tabernacles, rightly justifying John 1:14, that the Word tabernacled (dwelt) among us.

Cedar Girls Graduation

Cedar Girls Secondary School got Pines Food Catering to cater for their graduation ceremony. Is this a case of flora of the same kind grows together?

Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs died on 5th October 2011. Many people want to be like Steve Jobs. Now that he had died, we can learn a few things from his death.

First, he died.
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Hebrews 9:27 KJV)
For the wages of sin is death; (Romans 6:23 KJV)

Next, he did not bring his wealth along.
And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: (Job 1:21 KJV)
As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand. (Ecclesiastes 5:15 KJV)
For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. (1 Timothy 6:7 KJV)

Finally, as far as I know, he did not make any attempt to find out who is his Maker, who created him for His own glory.
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. (Revelation 4:11 KJV)

What Should I Do After I Am Saved

What should I do after I am saved?

Sin no more (John 8:11).

This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:17-32 KJV)

Abide in me (John 15:4).

Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation - if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. (1 Peter 2:2-3 ESV)

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. (2 Peter 1:5-7 ESV)

Love one another (John 13:35)

We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother. (1 John 4:19-21 NIV).

Bear fruit (John 15:16)

Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. (Matthew 3:8 ESV)

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. (Colossians 1:9-10 ESV)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23 ESV)

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20 NASB)

What Did Jesus Save Me From?

What did Jesus save me from?

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23 (NASB)

He saved me from the wrath of God, the consequence of sin.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:16 (KJV)
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John 3:18 (KJV)
Much more then, since we have now been declared righteous by His blood, we will be saved through Him from wrath.
Romans 5:9 HCSB
And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.
Revelation 20:12 (NASB)
And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Revelation 20:15 (NASB)

He saved me from my sins by dying for me.
For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Romans 8:3-4 (NASB)
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.
1 John 2:1-2 (NASB)