Forever Fellowship

Why should we believe in Jesus Christ?

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 NIV

In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. John 3:3 NIV

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 NIV

In these three verses there is confirmation that one cannot enter the kingdom of Heaven as God's child without first accepting the One He sent.  A person cannot claim to believe in God, the One of whom all things are possible, and not believe He can bring forth a son from a virgin. God can do almighty things and He sent his Word to become flesh to save us. One of the questions God will ask on Judgment day is "Did you love my son?" (How will you answer that?) 

To believe in Jesus Christ is the ultimate form of faith. What eye cannot see, neither ear hear, nor hand touch but still believe in is beautiful. How much more faith can someone have that that? This is the reason we do not receive the Holy Spirit until we are washed with the blood of Jesus Christ. It is a faithful gift. The Holy Spirit is to guide you faithfully through life on earth and to transform you into the humble being God desires and had in mind when He created us. 

A little story about Jesus,

[In fact] under the Law almost everything is purified by means of blood, and without the shedding of blood there is neither release from sin and its guilt nor the remission of the due and merited punishment for sins. Hebrews 9:22 AMP. God says there is not remission of sins unless there is shedding of blood. (this shouldn't be taken out of context) In the Old Testament there were many sacrifices done and since God so loved His creation He sent His only son to be the final sacrifice. Jesus walked the earth in the New Testament and spoke of a day when He would be no more, because He would save his people. On that day when He was crucified; being God's Son, He had the power to save himself and God could have taken Him off that cross, but He didn't. It was God's plan, that it must happen. This was the end of the sacrifices - the only pure blood that has the power to take away the sins of the world. Jesus' blood ran crimson red down His face but flows white as snow when washing away all ungodliness. Jesus was humble, honest and perfect. 

Jesus was a sacrifice but He was also a teacher, a counselor, a healer, a brother and many other things. But what He wasn't was a sinner.  He was innocent; completely blameless. He died to give us life. And He was raised from the dead three days later so the whole world knew He was the Son of God. He gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit so that we might live in constant direction from Him and the Father. We can have constant communication through prayer.Jesus is sitting at the right hand of the Father and is still watching over us. 

God has powers we cannot possibly fathom. He brought a son into our world from the womb of a virgin. His son was given the name Jesus. Jesus served as our example and was literally the speaking, living Word of God. Jesus was crucified and carried our sins with Him in death so that we might be given life. Through baptism we are placed under water as when Jesus was laid to rest, and the rising out of the water symbolizes Jesus being raised from the dead, and our raising from our old life into the new and being born again through faith and the acceptance of Jesus Christ. 

Challenge:

All around the world there is massive erasing of Christianity going on.  Instead of people being free to express the religion, it has now turned into freedom from the religion. Why is it okay for every other religious faith to be expressed except the one that announces Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior? Because there is POWER in Jesus' name. People want to worship any "god" that helps them at the current time, but aren't worried about their future. In order to be prosperous and safe in the future, people have to accept Jesus Christ. 

A definition of Hell:  any place or state of torment or misery. That definition was not taken from the Bible. If there was even a chance that you would have to endure that everyday for the rest of eternity wouldn't you do whatever you could not to? 

(1.) It is time that Christianity sweeps the globe and takes the world through a massive prayer movement to change the hearts of many. Where there is no presence of God, we must invite him. Where there is no knowledge of Jesus Christ, we must provide it. I challenge you now to say a prayer. Ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins. Tell Him you need his mercy and you want to accept him. If you have never prayed before that's okay, pray this:

"Jesus, I know I have been living apart from you. I know I have sinned and right now I ask for you to forgive me for ________ (tell him what you need forgiveness for) Jesus, I ask for your mercy in faith. I believe in your name and I accept you now. In Jesus' name, Amen"

(2.) Now that you have made the choice to accept Jesus Christ, it is time to repent. God says he will not judge anyone on the sins they were forgiven. "This is the covenant I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts and in their minds will I write them; and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more." Hebrews 10:16-17 KJV

(3.) You should be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as well. This is an announcement that you have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior.  Being baptized as a baby is okay but, babies do not have the mindset to know what is morally right and wrong. They don't know virtues. Children are innocent in God's eyes and are already saved. It becomes important later in life when you are aware of consequences. This is also a statement of your faith to others that you believe in Jesus. 

Jesus is coming! What you have to think about is where you will be when He comes back! You can prepare now for his coming instead of being left behind.

Do You Know Jesus?

Recall that Jesus is the Word of God. He had a huge impact on humanity. He spoke having authority - to heal, teach, and provide. Many in Jesus' time did not understand His teachings. Jesus spoke in parables (or code) to the general public, but revealed the meaning behind His words privately to His disciples (Read Mark 4:34). This is because one cannot simply call on Jesus and not the follow Him or keep His Words (Matthew 7:21).The truth is there to be revealed; however, you must seek it! 

John 10:33 talks about how the Jews wanted to stone Jesus for being a man and making himself out to be God.  Jesus proclaimed that He was all that represented salvation - He'd give up His body and blood in love for the remission of sins in humanity. Then after being resurrected, His obedient lifestyle could be lived out in repentant humans through the Holy Spirit. (Symbolism: body and blood are bread and wine, resurrection is baptism of repentance, and repentance itself is a Christ-like character.) Why would anyone choose to be put in the hands of men to be killed in order to save men? In Philippians 3:8 Paul throws out the "trash" of his former life and accepts Jesus as his savior. Recall further that Paul did not like Jesus, and would not follow Him. Why then, would Paul give up everything to follow the testimony of Jesus, if what Jesus said wasn't true? 

Did you know that the angry mob shouting to "crucify" Jesus was given a vote on which prisoner they would like to free? They could have freed Jesus but chose to free an actual criminal.  Jesus was betrayed by those closest to Him - His disciples. Even Peter betrayed Him just as Jesus said he would, 3 times. And later Peter went out to preach the gospel because he now knew that Jesus was telling the truth, and is the Son of God. (Suggested reading Acts 5:29-32.) Are you still wondering why these people changed their minds? Because their heart was changing, read John 14:26 and 16:13.

Did Jesus have to die?

Jesus' resurrection is the most important event. This is when the things He was preaching about finally made sense. People knew when He came back from the dead that He was God. Some were scared and some were amazed but either way this one event changed history. This was a man but fully God. If Jesus would not have risen His words would not be true; He will have lied and there would be no proof to Him being God's Son. By His death He was human, and by His raising from the dead He is God. 

Jesus had accomplished more in His time on earth than any man before or after Him. He healed the sick, taught the ignorant, cast out demons, fed the hungry, walked on water, turned water to wine and many other countless things. (some examples Matthew 4:23-24; John 11:38-44; John 2:1-11; Mark 5:1-16 and Luke 9:10-17). Although Jesus did many great things He still kept His eyes on His mission. The purpose of His life was to seek out humanity. The purpose of His death was to take our sins away. The purpose of His resurrection was for us to know He is God's Son.

How do we come to the Holy Trinity?

First read John 1:1-2. This states that the Word and God were together in the beginning, and the two were one, and one in the same. (a little difficult to understand? It's okay, our minds are not meant to fathom everything, just know the two were separate and one in the same.) Then read John 1:14. This is where it talks about God's Word becoming flesh - or Jesus. So now we have God, and the Word, but the Word becomes flesh to live among us. (We haven't gotten to the third part of the trinity yet.) John 17:5 and 17:24 mention that Jesus was with God before the world was created. This meaning He was the Word in spirit, not of the flesh yet. Read also John 10:30 which states God and the Word, or Jesus, are one. The two are of one spirit but are also two distinct beings. Referring to John 14:9 where Jesus says "He who has seen Me has seen the Father" sheds some light on the fact that God created Jesus in His image. We see in John 12:49 that Jesus has authority given by the Father. (we will get to the third part soon.)

Jesus was living in both realms. He was a spiritual being in a physical body. He was tempted as are we, but He never sinned. Not even once. His thoughts were pure. He was vulnerable to human nature but He never gave in. If Jesus had sinned even one time the whole plan would have failed. There would be no way for us to hear the Good News, and to be saved. We would still live in all unrighteousness with no hope of something better when we go on. It makes sense now when Jesus says He is the only way. (Read Hebrews 4:15). 

In the beginning God could have created clones of what He desired, but He did not want, simply put, "robots." He wanted beauty in different personalities and the willingness and need to rely on others to minister to each other toward one goal. He desired love. God wanted beings that would willingly submit to His love and love Him back. He had to take into account that while doing things this way, there would be impurities. Remember Adam and Eve's sin? What if God had made them immortal and they sinned? Then they would be able to rebel against their maker and had been adversaries. Another reason we had to be mortal to start, to know we were capable of entering the Kingdom of Heaven.  There would have to be a way to separate the   righteous from the unrighteous. Sin was taken into account. There had to be a way for forgiveness. Jesus Christ became that way.

After Jesus died, He sent the Holy Spirit of God to dwell within those wiling to repent and obey the commands of His Father. Recall that Jesus is God's Word. He speaks on behalf of the Father and the Spirit is given as a gift for guidance from the Father. Thus the Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Why so much pressure to fit in?

So if Jesus did all the work why do we have to go through trials in life and be obedient to God's word? Because before Adam and Eve were even created there was a huge rebellion in God's kingdom involving the falling away of 1/3 of all His angels. God's angels were already immortal and didn't have to prove their love in obedience to Him. They got prideful, led by Lucifer. Lucifer was in charge of some things and let his power go to his head. He chose to take his followers and try to rise up against God for supreme power. God was devastated by this rebellion that He chose to create beings that would will to love and obey Him. And because He still loved His creation, even after sin, He chose to create a way for them to live as He desired.  

Where did Scripture come from before Jesus?

But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. 2 Peter 1:20-21 NASB

Scripture is all in the Word of God. It was placed in the minds of men chosen by God, before Jesus came. When Jesus walked the earth He knew the Scripture because He was the exact example of it. After Jesus' death, those repentant and baptized are given the Holy Spirit for help to live by the Word explained in Scripture.

Why didn't Jesus use His godly powers more?

Jesus did not live as God. He lived as fully human, without sinning; however. He humbled himself, and made himself one of the lowest. He did not come to be served, but to serve. He came to serve as an example for humanity as much as a sacrifice for humanity. Because of His obedience, even to death we can follow Him since He also lived as we. (Read Philippians 2:6-8, Hebrews 2:14, Galatians 4:4,Hebrews 2:9 and Romans 8:3).

Jesus was in the flesh as other humans, He was born of a woman and died as do humans. He was tempted, and He did need to eat and drink to survive. He also showed that it is possible to live obedient to God. Just like us being baptized and receiving the Holy Spirit, Jesus walked around with the companionship of the Spirit as well. The only difference was the time in which He received it - being at birth. This same Spirit is available to all humans that was to Christ during His time on earth. Above all, it was Jesus' perfection that made Him a candidate for a Savior. This is why He couldn't use His powers to simply "poof" everything okay, He had to prove something....

How did Jesus accept His fate?

Again read Matthew 26:52-54. Then read John 12:27. Jesus knew it was His purpose given from the Father to be the final sacrifice that would take away the sins of the world. By all means, surely He didn't want to die, but He knew what must be done, and He was on His way to sit with His Father once again. He kept His eyes on the purpose and the reward at the end. Accepting His last minutes of life Jesus spoke in John 19:30 saying "It is finished", and in Luke 23:46 "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." 

How does God use Jesus to change us?

Ezekiel 11:19-20 NIV reads: I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God. God sent His Son to us to save us. By accepting Jesus Christ as the only Son of God, born of the virgin, who died and rose again; we receive the Holy Spirit. This is how God uses Jesus to guide us today by the Holy Spirit.

Salvation has 4 parts:

1.) "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day." John 6:44 NIV

Explanation: God calls His elect.

2.) Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord. Acts 3:19 NIV

Explanation: God applies Jesus' sacrifice to your sins in order to forgive them.

3.) You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:22-24 NIV

Explanation: Jesus lives His life of submission  and love toward the Father all over again in the repentant person through the Holy Spirit. This person is working to overcome their own "old" human nature in obedience to God.

4.) Colossians 2:20 and 3:5-10 

Explanation: The "new person" whose old life and sins were dead and buried with Christ will be found when Jesus comes again. They will be changed into the spiritual being in order to inherit God's family. 

Why is the gospel Good News?

It is the story of Jesus Christ. It tells of His birth, His life, His death and His resurrection. It is Good News because it means He is coming back. Jesus spoke of coming back to call His people. Beside Him we will win the battle of unrighteousness and reign with Him forever - that is some good news!