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Apr 4 2013

Me vs God

 

Me: “It’s impossible”

God: All things are possible! But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” (Luke 18:27, ESV)

Me: “I’m too tired”

God: I will give you rest! Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30, ESV)

Me: “Nobody really loves me”

God: I love you! “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  (John 3:16, ESV)

Me: “I can’t  go one”

God: My grace is sufficient! But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  (2 Corinthians 12:9, ESV) Continue reading →

Mar 22 2013

Christ Came to Fulfill the Law part III

Law-ScrollThe assembly of believers from Jewish and Gentile into one spiritual body (the Church) is called by Paul a “mystery”, meaning a truth that hasn’t been revealed clearly to people in antiquity, but has now been revealed to the children of God.  For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. (Ephesians 3:1-6, ESV)

In the New Testament  all differences between Jewish and Gentile disappear. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28, ESV) Like all nations, to obtain the salvation, Jews must accept Christ. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16, ESV) 

Of course all believers must overcome the ethical standard of the Old Testament and live now at height of the teachings of Christ. What Christ told us is not a contradiction of the teaching of the Old Testament, but rather a complement and a deepening of them. Christ came not to abolish but to fulfill. Continue reading →

Feb 1 2013

Christ Came to Fulfill the Law part II

new_covenant_1_Just as we have shown that the law and grace are also found in both Old Testament and New Testament, we must emphasize now that a Christian can not restrict only to the New Testament. The Apostle Paul taught us that:  “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV)

God’s revelation we have in the New Testament is not splintered from the on received through the Old Testament, but derives from it, as a natural continuation. Everywhere in the New Testament we are reminded that the Old Testament was the Word of God. There is a continuity not only regarding the content of the two testaments, but also in the characteristics of God’s people which are found in them. Approximately two thousand years before Christ, God called Abraham and chose to turn him into a numerous people through which bestow to the world His two greatest blessings : The Scriptures and Messiah. Continue reading →

Jan 27 2013

Christ Came to Fulfill the Law part I

images1The Scripture emphasizes again and again that in front of God’s Law all men are sinners. The Law,  any kind it would be,  is not able to save anyone. “Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.” (Rom. 3:19-31ESV) However the Law is important.  It  shows people that they need a Savior. Paul says that he would not have known what sin is, if the Law would not tell him : “You shall not covet” (Rom.7: 7ESV) Continue reading →

Jan 19 2013

Twenty-five Old Testament prophetic promises fulfilled in the New Testament Part V

21. Promise: By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? (Isaiah 53:8)

Fulfillment: Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. (Luke 23:46) Continue reading →

Jan 17 2013

Choose good advisors

Good advice comes only from good advisors, so it’s important that you give some thought to whom you are going to listen to.

1. You should be listening to people who disagree with you. 
 If the only people you ever listen to are the ones who agree with you, your mind will never be stretched, your actions will never be challenged, and your course will never be altered, even though it might need to be.

2. You should be listening to people who love you.
They may not always give the best advice, and sometimes they might  offer it in a way that grates on your nerves, but chances are good that they’ll have your best interest at hart. And for that reason alone, they  deserve to be heard.

3. You should be listening to people who have achieved the success you are longing for.
Ask yourself a few basic questions:
– Does this person have any expertise in this area?
– Has he been  where you want to go?
– What has happened to others who’ve listened to his advice?
– Would you be happy to follow in his footsteps?

4. You should be listening to people who demonstrare wisdom.
“Only the wise can give good advice. Proverds 15:7”
The thing to remember here is that sometimes wisdom cames wrapped in some funny-looking packages. Sometimes it’s the person you’d last expect. Never judge a book by its cover. Sometimes people are sharper than they look.

5. You should listening to people who know and love God’s Word.
When you find a person who knows and loves God’s Word, someone who has not only studied it, but build his life on its principles and preceps, you need to listen very carefully.

Jan 15 2013

Twenty-five Old Testament prophetic promises fulfilled in the New Testament Part IV

16. Promise: He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. (Isaiah 53:7)

Fulfillment: But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. (Matthew 27:12)

17. Promise:  For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet. (Psalm 22:16)

Fulfillment:  And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. (Luke 23:33) Continue reading →

Jan 11 2013

Twenty-five Old Testament prophetic promises fulfilled in the New Testament Part III

11. Promise: Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me. (Psalm 41:9)

Fulfillment: And he came up to Jesus at once and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” And he kissed him. Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. (Matthew 26:49-50)

12. Promise: Then I said to them, “If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” And they weighed out as my wages thirty pieces of silver. Then the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the lordly price at which I was priced by them. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD, to the potter. (Zechariah 11:12-13)

Continue reading →

Jan 9 2013

Twenty-five Old Testament prophetic promises fulfilled in the New Testament Part II

6. Promise: When Israel was a child,  I loved him, and out of Egypt I  called  my son. (Hosea 11:1)

Fulfillment:  Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.”  And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt  and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” (Matthew 2:13-15) Continue reading →

Jan 7 2013

Twenty-five Old Testament prophetic promises fulfilled in the New Testament Part I

1. Promise: I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspringand her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”  (Genesis 3:15)
Fulfillment:  But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born fom woman, born under the law… (Galatians 4:4)
Continue reading →