Can the date of Christ´s birth be biblically proven.

 

Can the date of Christ´s birth be biblically proven

The majority of people grew up with the notion that no one knows the exact date of Jesus’ birth and therefore, regard and observe the pagan festival of Christmas as a substitute to commemorate the birth of our Savior despite the fact that worshiping God according to the customs and traditions of men is both vain and idolatrous.

According to the encyclopedia, “The first mention of the celebration of Christmas occurred in AD 336 in an early Roman calendar which indicates December 25th as the day of observance. This celebration was probably influenced by pagan [unchristian] festivals held at that time. The ancient Romans held year end celebrations to honor Saturn, their harvest god, and Mithras, the god of light. Various peoples in northern Europe held festivals in mid-December to celebrate the end of the harvest season”

Therefore, the objective, the rationale, the spirit for celebrating Christmas is to honor Saturn, the harvest god, and Mithras the god of light which according to the word of God is forbidden, for thus says the Lord; “And take heed, lest you lift your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, you feel driven to worship them and serve them, which the LORD your God has given to all the peoples under the whole heaven as a heritage” (Deuteronomy 4:19).

Furthermore, when it comes to the worship of God two things are paramount which are, the worship of God in spirit and truth as we have been duly instructed saying; “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:2-25).

On this basis alone I see no logical reason why those of us who profess to be believers in Jesus Christ should associate the birth of Jesus Christ with a pagan festival. Some people try to sugarcoat it by saying that it is a time for family reunion which again is a camouflage to substitute this festival with the true festival which commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ.

So then, with all the lies and deceptions that surrounds this very important event and leading so many sincere, honest people astray and having them to commit idolatry and worshiping God in vain is there any possibility of verifying the exact date of Christ´s birth? There are enough biblical proof to prove the date of Jesus ‘birth which are:

1.      The conception of Mary

Mary we are told was visited by an angel who said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David” (Luke 1:28-32).

Then Mary replied to the angel and said, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?" Then the angel answered her and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren: For with God nothing will be impossible" (Luke 1:35-37).

It is therefore conclusive that John Baptiste was six months older than Jesus Christ, because as soon as the angel departed, Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy” (Luke 1:39-44).

Signifying that, Mary became conceived at the moment she believed the announcement of the angel and said to him, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her” (Luke 1:38).

So then, the next thing one needs to prove is when was John Baptist conceived, and when was he born  in order to arrive at the date of Christ´s birth since he was six months older that Jesus Christ.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XYGDD7M

To be continued

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

The State of Righteousness

 The state of righteousness is another area where innocent sincere people have been misled, deceived and led astray by the workers of darkness and children of the devil. Righteousness as one can clearly see in combination with holiness forms the nature of the new man that was created n Jesus Christ as clearly stated saying; “if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians (4:21-24).

What therefore is true righteousness? According to King David righteousness is the act of saying and performing what is right, as he wrote saying; “My tongue shall speak of Your word, for all Your commandments are righteousness.” He who speaks truth declares righteousness,” In the way of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death.” Righteousness therefore, is the act of saying and performing what is true which is the word of God (Psalms 119:172. Proverbs 12:17, 28).

Righteousness therefore comes first and foremost from a renewed spirit of the mind. Originally, as children of the devil, living under the dominion of the kingdom of darkness the mind was carnal and was and could not be subject to the laws of God, for we have been duly instructed saying, “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit: For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:5-8).

It is important to note that, once the transformation from carnal to spiritual and the transfer from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light, the mind is no longer in enmity against God but is now in subjection to the law of God as we have been duly admonished saying; “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness (Romans 6: 16-18).

Righteousness therefore, comes as the result of obedience. Human beings are not independent creatures; they are either a slave to sin, which is to habitually transgress the laws of God, or a slave to being obedient to the laws of God, which leads to righteousness. Therefore man has to denounce one master and be loyal to the other, as Jesus clearly says; "No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon" (Luke 16:13).

So the question us, why have we become slaves of righteousness? The answer is clear it is because we were once darkness dead in trespasses and sins, in which we once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others .but now we are light in the Lord, we therefore, are to walk as children of light.

The verification of this new way of life is demonstrated by exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit which is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth, finding out what is acceptable to the Lord” (Ephesians 2:1-3: 4:7-10)

What is good and acceptable to the Lord are all contained in His law as alluded to by the apostle Paul who wrote; “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, "You shall not covet" (Romans 7:7).

Therefore, it is not that difficult or judgmental to make a clear distinction between a child of God and a child of the devil, for we have been instructed saying; ‘Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.” It is further stated that; “In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother” (1John 3:7, 10).

True children of God have denounced their former slave master, sin, which is the transgression of the laws of God and have become loyal and obedient to Righteousness their new master and have been admonished saying; “And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him” (1John 2:28-29).

To understand why we are to become slaves of righteousness, it is imperative that we first understand righteousness in its true perspective. There is imputed righteousness and there is practical righteousness. Now, just as there are three.-fold aspects of sin, which are, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, similarly, there are three-fold aspect of true righteousness which is actually God´s righteousness.

Unfortunately, the majority of us who profess to believe in Jesus Christ are completely ignorant of God´s righteousness as alluded to by the apostle Paul who wrote: “For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Romans 10:2-4):

So then, how is Christ the end of the law for righteousness? And how can this state of righteousness be attained..

to be continued

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

 

 

Children of God

The logical question therefore is, when does a person becomes a child of God?  Remember, Jesus said plainly, “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do.” He also said, “He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God." Therefore, there is a clear distinction between a child of God and a child of the devil as confirmed by the apostle John who wrote; “In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.” (1 John 3:10).

So when is a person a child of God! One becomes a child of God when he/she believes in Jesus Christ and surrenders to Him as Lord and Savior as we have been instructed saying; “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John1:12-13).

It is at this juncture that the individual is transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:12-14).

From this point on it is the believer´s responsibility to live and walk in the light as we have been duly admonished saying; “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1John 1:5-7).

Remember, light and truth are synonymous, therefore, the way we can distinguish a child of God from that of the devil is by teaching and practicing the truth and so we have been admonished saying; “Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God” (1John 3:7-9).

There is a test to prove whether or not we are the children of God for thus it is written; “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him: He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked” (1John 2:3-6).

Being human does not qualify anyone to be a child of God; our physical body is simply a vehicle or a body that embodies the soul and spirit. One becomes a child of God through faith in Christ Jesus and when the individual’s spirit is joined to the Spirit of God. And so Jesus said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water (flesh) and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again” (Galatians 3:26; Romans 8:1; John 3:5-7).

One is born again and becomes a child of God when his spirit is joined to the Spirit of God, before that, man`s spirit is drawn to the spirit of the prince of the power of the air which works in the sons of disobedience as we have been instructed saying; “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others” (Ephesians 2:1-3).

Anyone who habitually sins, transgresses the law of God is not a child of God, they are those whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. Because, the word says clearly, “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God” (2 Corinthians: 4; 4; 1John 3:8-9).

One becomes a child of God through the connection of our spirit with the Spirit of God, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God: For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs --- heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together” (Romans 8:1-17)

Therefore, living a sinful, licentious life, walking after the imaginations of one´s own evil heart and doing what seems right in one´s own eyes and still claiming to be a child of God is both erroneous and deceitful because, the outward sign of a child of God is righteousness. For we have been admonished saying: “And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him” (1John 2:28-29).

Righteousness, which according to David pertains to all the commandments of God is clearly the test or the outward sign of a child of God, for by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. We therefore, should not allow anyone to deceive us for, it is he who practices righteousness that is righteous, just as Jesus Christ is righteous thereby, allowing His nature to be formed in us.

Why is humanity so divided?

 

Why is humanity so divided?

Humanity as everyone can clearly see is grossly divided, whether it is racial, ethnical, political, religious, and denominational or whatever the case may be, but the logical question we all should be asking ourselves is why! Why all this divisions when it is clearly stated that, “God has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings,”

Now, not only has He pre-appointed the boundaries of their dwellings but has also given them the identical purpose for their existence which is, “ so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring” (Acts 17:26-28).

In order to resolve this global issue one has to find the root cause of the problem and deal with it from the roots and not merely dealing with the effects. Now the root cause of this global situation that is causing so much contentions and divisions among human beings is Satan who has deceived the whole world.

For we have been admonished saying, “And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him” (Revelation 12:7-9).

Let us note carefully the manner by which we are to seek the Lord in order to find Him, the way we will find the Lord is by groping for Him although He is not far from anyone one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our existence, He is the vine and we are the branches, nevertheless, in order to find Him we are to grope for Him, the question is why?

The fact that we are to grope for the Lord in order to find Him signifies that we are blind or we are walking in darkness or both and there is no light in us. Therefore, our first duty is to seek for the light and find it. This light as proclaimed and witnessed by John the Baptist is Jesus Christ and His kingdom, for it is written; “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was thetrue Light which gives light to every man coming into the world” (John 1:6-9).

Thus signifying that, before the arrival of Jesus Christ the world was in darkness and was under the control and dominion of the kingdom of darkness, as eluded to by Jesus Christ who said, “And this is the condemnation that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God" (John 3:19-21).

Light and truth are synonymous and therefore, signifies that before the advent of Jesus Christ the whole world was living in lies and in complete darkness under the sway of the devil and humanity were by nature children of the devil as we have been admonished saying; “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me” (John 8:44-45).

The sad reality is, from the time Adam surrendered his authority and dominion to Satan in the Garden of Eden by partaking of the tree of knowledge of good and evil and was sent out from the garden, Satan has been the god of this world and mankind has been living under his dominion.

 Hence the reason why Satan was able to take Jesus to a high mountain and, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time and said to Him, "All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours" (Luke: 5-7).

Jesus Christ Himself in consoling His disciples said to them; “You have heard Me say to you, 'I am going away and coming back to you.' If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, 'I am going to the Father,' for My Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe. I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.” (John 14:28-30).

Therefore, the worse cloud of deception that is hovering over planet earth which is causing much chaos and confusions is the false belief and perception that we are all children of God when in truth and in fact we were all citizens of the kingdom of darkness and were by nature children of wrath.

To be continued

With brotherly love 

Lucius Joseph

The testing of our faith

 

The Testing of our faith

To all those who have been ordained or may have assumed the responsibility of being a Shepherd of the flock of God which is among us, not only are we required to serve as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to us, but being examples to the flock, we are also called to be a watchman and to warn God´s people of any impending disasters, which if we don´t will result in serious consequences as forewarned by the prophet Ezekiel saying:

“If the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman's hand. So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me.

When I say to the wicked, 'O wicked man, you shall surely die!' and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.” (Ezekiel 33:6-9).

What is coming very fast and furious to destroy and devour the flock of God which needs to be addressed urgently before it is too late is the testing of our faith in regards to our future heavenly inheritance which is the ultimate objective of our existence. To all of us who claimed to be believers in Jesus Christ should be assured and continue reminding ourselves of the reason why Jesus Christ took on flesh and paid the price of sin in our stead, otherwise, we will easily lose sight of the objective of this high calling.

For this reason we have been admonished saying; “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith --- the salvation of your souls” (1Peter 1: 3-9).

I am afraid to say that, this incorruptible, undefiled inheritance which we are destined to inherit is on the verge and in danger of being compromised by those who are lacking knowledge and faith in Jesus Christ because what is being promulgated and advocated today is very detrimental to our future inheritance and it is in diametric opposition to what we are supposed to do. What is being advocated today is that we are to have faith and follow science which is diametrically opposite to what we have been duly instructed to do.

What we have been duly instructed to do is not to be persuaded by words of human wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power and that our faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

According to the apostle Paul, “However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” (1 Corinthians 2:5-8).

Unfortunately, instead of us relying on the wisdom and power of God which He ordained before the ages for our glory, we are placing our faith and confidence in the wisdom of men which are coming to nothing and despite of their confessions some people are still not taking heed. Imagine hearing from a top scientist that, “the vaccine will prevent a person from getting sick but may cause infections.”

So I beg to ask the question, what is an infection? Is it not when another organism enters the body and causes disease! Is it not referring to an invasion of the body by harmful microorganisms or parasites ranging from mild to fatal in severity?  And in the case of the COVID 19 vaccine doesn’t it contain tissues from other creatures which will mutate and alter one´s DNA and neutralizes one´s immune system which has a vital role in safeguarding the body from harmful substances, germs and cell changes that could make us ill?

But the worse condemnation of all is the promulgation of the idea and belief that a vaccine is the only solution to this pandemic which in effect disrupts and neutralizes the very guard the Creator designed to safeguard, protect and to heal the body, thus implying that, man´s wisdom is far superior to the wisdom of God, what a travesty? And so many people are gullible to such profanity.

What all sincere believers should consider is the fact that, God in His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for us, This incorruptible undefiled inheritance is our human body which is formed in the image and likeness of God, it is the temple of the Holy Spirit and should not be mutated with tissues of other creatures.

For we have been duly admonished saying; “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).

It is therefore imperative that those of us who profess to be believers should consider having our faith in the power of God and not in the wisdom of men by believing and demonstrating our belief and confidence in what Jesus Christ has attained for us as we have been duly admonished saying;

“Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.” (Psalms 103: 1-5)

Please note carefully that these benefits are current, it is not something of the past it is currently in force but applicable only to those who abides in the presence of the almighty as confirmed by King David who consoles us by saying, “Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, and see the reward of the wicked.

Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone” (Psalms 91:3-12)..

Our guaranteed protection is to abide under the shadow of the Almighty, and have the truth of God as our shield and buckle. But those who will partake of the mark which grants them the privilege to be able to buy or sell will not be protected from the wrath of God, For we have been forewarned saying, “Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, "Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth." So the first went and poured out his bowl upon the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image” (Revelation 16:1-2).

So then, let us be candid with ourselves is there a proposed mark that unless we have it we will not be allowed to enter any institution, commercial center or even gain any employment? The choice is yours you have been forewarned.

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

Heart and core of the Gospel (part4)

In as much as Jesus Christ has taken away our sins and sorrows and made them His very own, even bore the burdens on Calvary suffered and died alone. we should all be able to confidently say, “Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's” (Psalms 103:1-5).

Unfortunately, not too many of us are reaping these benefits because, our knowledge and understanding of Jesus Christ which we all claim to know and believe is very limited. To most people, our knowledge of Jesus Christ can be compared to the limited amount of knowledge and understanding we have of the digital gadgets we have in our possessions such as the smart phones, laptops, smart televisions.

 I am sure that the majority of us can attest to the fact that these devices contain more apps and features that we are not aware of and cannot operate, than those we know about and are able to operate successfully.  So it is with our knowledge and understanding of Jesus Christ, who possesses more features than that of a digital gadget and his accomplishments more profound than that of any software. But the good news however is, while the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. Those who are spiritually minded are able to understand and judge all things, because they have the mind of Christ.

Therefore, it is imperative that we all have the mind of Christ as we have been duly instructed saying; “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2; 5-8).

Having established this essential aspect of who Jesus Christ is, let us now extend our focus on the heart and core of the gospel which is the grace of Jesus Christ and Him crucified. But the irony of truth is, despite the simplicity of the gospel, it is very profound and only those with a spiritual mind are able to comprehend it because, the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Unfortunately, since the inception of the church, during the time of the apostle Paul many people expressed a zeal for God but without knowledge, because this is what the apostle Paul wrote; “For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God: For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Romans 10:2-4).

Here is one of the major reasons why there are so many divisions and confusions in the body of Christ, the ignorance of God´s righteousness and how to submit to the righteousness of God. It is therefore imperative that we first and foremost establish what God´s righteousness is and how do we submit to it because, there is a huge price to pay for being lack of knowledge as eluded by the prophet Hosea who wrote, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children” (Hosea 4:6).

I think it is important to note also that believers are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God´s own special people and have been made kings and priests to our God to rule with Jesus Christ. Therefore, there is a heavy price to pay for being ignorant of God´s righteousness.

To be continued

 With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

Heart and cone of the Gospel (part 3)

The grace of Jesus Christ

The second integral component of the true gospel is the grace of Jesus Christ which is the receipt of the unmerited favor, mercy compassion, forgiveness etc. which God endowed to man without their input, toil, or involvement but was granted to us or done for us as a matter of love as alluded to in scriptures which states, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John3:16-17).

Therefore, in order to have a good and profound understanding of the grace of Jesus Christ, it is imperative that we take into consideration the love of Jesus Christ who is one with the Father, divesting Himself of His glory, taking on the sinful nature of man, giving us an undeniable evidence or testimony of the certainty of Jesus Christ as God’s witness for it is written; “This is He who came by water and blood – Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood; and it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth.”

The term, “By water" is often mistaken by some to represent baptism, but here in this context the water symbolizes the human flesh which is born out of water and is made up of 65% water, with most of the chemical reactions that occur in the body requiring water. Therefore, the term by water and blood” refers to the humanness of Jesus Christ who became flesh and blood.

This belief or perception is strongly supported by the fact that the soldiers who broke the legs of the two thieves who were crucified along with Jesus Christ, when they came to Jesus to break His legs and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs, but one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out, confirming exactly what the scripture says, :This is He who came by water and blood – Jesus Christ; not by water (flesh) only, but by water and blood” (1John 5:6).

The testimony which God has given us regarding His Son Jesus Christ is undeniable linked by these three inseparable links or the three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one. We are told quite emphatically that, “He who believes in the Son of God [according to the testimony God has given us concerning Him] has the witness in himself [that is, the Spirit, the water, and the blood];’ But, “He who does not believe God, has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son” (1John 5:10).

This is a serious indictment to be calling God a liar by not believing in the testimony that He has given us of His Son! Now the testimony which God has given us regarding His Son is that; “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1John 5: 11-12).

What this testimony is simply implying is that God has given us eternal life through His Son, whom He sent as His witness on earth, in Spirit, water [flesh] and blood. Therefore, eternal life is found only in believing in the Spirit, water [flesh] and blood of Jesus Christ, which denotes, believing in the humanity of Jesus Christ the Son of God.

And so we have been duly admonished saying; "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God" (1John 4:1-3).

Therefore, I think that it is imperative that we understand the significance and rationale for Christ coming in the flesh and how we should respond after receiving such vital information because, Jesus Christ took on flesh, man´s nature, in order to achieve what man on his own merit could not have achieved. In addition to that, He took our sins and sorrows and made them His own; He bore the burdens to the cross on Calvary, suffered and died alone. In order words He paid the penalty of sin for us in full.

To be continued

With brotherly love 

Lucius Joseph