Is the Church a Sanctuary for sinners!

Is the Church a sanctuary for sinners?

I recently watched a television program, and the Host asked the participants the question, “Where do you find most sinners?” The first participant replied, “In the church”, and she scored a hefty twenty nine (29 points. Another participant was asked the similar question, and he replied, “In hell”, he scored only six 6) points. Then the host said, “church was the number one answer”.

 I have just read an article where a so called minister encouraging fornicators, drug addicts, gay and lesbians, and anyone with an addiction to anything to go to church anyways! Churches are hospitals for the broken. Even people saved are not perfect.

 Really! What a travesty! The result of this survey and this article is a clear indication of how people generally perceive the church. Most people perceive the church as a sanctuary for sinners. But is the church in the true sense of the word a sanctuary for sinners?

Church is indeed a sanctuary, but is it a sanctuary for sinners! Or is it a sanctuary for the sacred (holy) things of God?

 First of all Jesus Christ established His church by giving directives to Peter saying; “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven" (Matthew 16:18-19).

The church in the true sense of the word is the body of Christ, as clearly explained by the apostle Paul who after explaining about the unity and diversity that should exist in One body wrote; “Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually” (1Corinthians 12:27).

It is clearly stated that Jesus Christ, “is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence” (Colossians 1:18).

Now since the church is the body of Christ, in whom we are told, “dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and that we are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.” The logical question is, how can the church be a sanctuary for sinners?

When, in order to have fellowship with one another, which incidentally is also with the Father and the Son, 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.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us” (1 John 1:5-10).

So I beg to ask the question, are not the adulterers, fornicators, gays, lesbians, and drug addicts walking in darkness? So how does that square with the fact 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? 

 The irony of truth is, despite the fact that Jesus Christ Himself made a clear distinction between the church (the body of believers) and the world, people refuse to make this distinction, assuming a more loving, compassionate, and pitiful attitude than Christ Himself Who said; “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is struth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth” (John 17:14-19).

 Believers have been duly forewarned to come out from the system to which the dragon (Satan) has given his power, his throne and great authority. They have been forewarned saying; "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!

For all the nations have drunk (deceived)of the wine (doctrine) of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury."

And I heard another voice from heaven saying, "Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities” (Revelations 18:2-5).

Remember that Jesus Christ did not come to destroy either the law or the prophets, and to one of the prophets the Lord said, “The conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing the prey; they have devoured people; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in her midst. Her priests have violated My law and profaned My holy things; they have not distinguished between the holy and unholy, nor have they made known the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they have hidden their eyes from My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.

Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, to shed blood, to destroy people, and to get dishonest gain” (Ezekiel 22:25-27).

And to another prophet, this is what the Lord said concerning those who enter the gates to worship Him; "Behold, you trust in lying words that cannot profit. Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom you do not know, and then come and stand before Me in this house which is called by My name, and say, 'We are delivered to do all these abominations'? Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of thieves in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it," says the LORD” (Jeremiah 7:8-11).

One of the main reasons why people refuse to make a clear distinction between the holy and the profane, and refusing to teach the difference between the clean and the unclean is because of dishonest  gains, and fame. But there is a protocol by which one can appear before the Almighty God, and it is by abiding by the instructions which says; “by those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.' “(Leviticus 10:3).

Now to regard the Lord as holy, one must also himself be holy, for it is written; “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy" (1 Peter 1:13-16).

Now there is one and only way by which one becomes holy, and it is by eating of the things by which the atonement was made. For thus it is written; “Then Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram, and the bread that is in the basket, by the door of the tabernacle of meeting. They shall eat those things with which the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them; but an outsider shall not eat them, because they are holy” (Exodus 29:32-33).

It is the requirement of everyone who seeks an audience with the Lord to, “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:” And what gives one the assurance and boldness to draw near to the Father is as the apostle Paul says; “ Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10: 19-22).

It is imperative that believers understand their status as members of the church. Those who constitute the church are regarded as, “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His (God's) own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy”.

As a nation of priests and the Lord's chosen people, our main objective is to, “Come to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2: 9-10,4- 5).

As a nation of priests, their objective is be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God, for they offer the offerings of the Lord, and the bread of their God; therefore they shall be holy. It is for this reason believers have been duly instructed saying; “I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world.'

^“But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner --- not even to eat with such a person. For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? But those who are outside God judges: Therefore, "put away from yourselves the evil person" (1 Corinthians 5:9-13).

The high calling of the believer is that of holiness, and therefore have been admonished saying; “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: " I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people" (2 Corinthians 6:14-16).

So how could this group of people called the church be a sanctuary for sinners? Except it has been converted to the synagogue of Satan! One should be careful not to misconstrued the church's commission which is to, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you;” with the status of the one who has been delivered from the power of darkness and conveyed  into the kingdom of the Son of God's love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

The growth of the church comes not by inviting the world into the church, and allowing it to become a sanctuary for sinners, but by those who gladly received the word becoming baptized; And continue steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers, praising God and having favor with all the people, and the Lord will add to the church daily those who were being saved.

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Truly these times of ignorance God has overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent.

Copyright © 2014 by Lucius Joseph

All rights reserved

How steadfast are we in the faith?

We have been forewarned by the apostle Peter saying; “Beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked;” He then encouraged believers by saying; “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen” (2 Peter 3:18).

It must first be noted that the main reason for stumbling is through being led away with the error of the wicked. And so the admonition is to; “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2: 15).

But the sad reality is that, most believers professed to be steadfast in Jesus Christ, but blatantly rejecting the word of truth, as though having faith in Jesus Christ as a person relegates them from the responsibility of being obedient to the word of truth.

So let us take a very close examination of our own steadfastness in four inseparable integral aspects of our Christian life, taking first of all into consideration the fact that“Truth”.is the most important criterion or building block of our steadfastness.

The first most important consideration is the fact that we are a New Creation:

For it is written; “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new.” Also, “for in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor un-circumcision avails anything, but a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17, Galatians 6:15).

But the big question however is what are the old things that have passed away?

The old things that have passed away are as follows:

• The old man with his deeds and lustful desires

For we have been duly instructed 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.”  (Ephesians 4:22).

We have also been admonished saying: “Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds” (Colossians 3:5-9).

Therefore, the big question is, are these works of the flesh still being manifested in our lives as believers? Remember, we are admonished to “examine ourselves as to whether we are in the faith: Test ourselves. Do we not know ourselves that Jesus Christ is in us? ---unless indeed we are disqualified:” For, if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged” (2 Corinthians 13:5; 1 Corinthians 11:31).

One clear and absolute indication to prove that Christ is living in us is stated as follows; “If Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness”. In other words, the body is now insensitive to sin (the transgression of God`s laws and the desires of the flesh), but the Spirit is life because of righteousness” (the keeping of God`s commandments) (Romans 8:10):

• The spirit of man

For we have been admonished 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).

The spirit of man was dead, separated from God because of sin (transgressing the laws of God) as eluded to by the prophet Isaiah who wrote; “Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear” (Isaiah 59: 1-2).

• The carnal mind

The third old thing that has passed away is the carnal mind, with this regard we have been duly instructed saying; “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.” And that, “the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are to him foolishness; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (Romans 8:7, 1 Corinthians 2:14).

• The deceitful heart

With regards to the heart we have been instructed saying: “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who can know it? Now the plan that God has for His people is to give them one heart, put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh (Jeremiah 17:9, Ezekiel 11:19).

Now, what are the all things that have become new?

The all things that have become new are the same old things that have now been renewed in order to fulfill their original purpose, which is the exact opposite to their counterparts. For example:

•  A new creature/man

The new creature/man unlike the old man which according to the Psalmist David, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me:” In contrast, we have been admonished to; “ put off, concerning our former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of our mind, and that we put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians :4:22-24). •           

•  A new spirit

With the old spirit, it was dead because of transgression and could not understand the things of the Spirit: But now, we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God” (1Corinthians: 2: 12).

And the rationale for the new spirit is clearly stated as follows:, “ I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God” (Ezekiel 11:.19-20).

• A new mind

In contrast to the old carnal /fleshly mind that is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. The new spiritual mind is subject to the law of  God, for thus says the Lord; “This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” (Jeremiah 31:33, Hebrews 8:10; 10:16).

• A new heart  

In contrast to the hard stony heart, and one that is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, believers have now received the assurance saying; “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. And you shall be My people, and I will be your God.

So then what is the radical or diametrical difference between the old man or the life which is in accordance to the flesh and the new man or the life which is in accordance to the Spirit!

The diametrical difference between the old man and the new man is a being that is no longer antagonistic to the laws of God, but is now a new creature that is living in harmony with the laws of God. For we have been clearly admonished saying; “And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin (transgressing the laws of God), but the Spirit is life because of righteousness (obedience to the laws of God) (Romans 8:10).

Therefore, if we allow ourselves to be led away by the errors of the wicked and are not steadfast and firmly grounded in the truth, we can only blame ourselves, because truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent.

The critical choices of life

The bible talks about a time of ignorance which God has overlooked: and now commands all men everywhere to repent.

This ignorance is the ignorance of the one and only true God who created the heavens and the earth, and man’s duality, by which man is both the offspring of the first Adam which is natural and of a temporary existence; and the offspring of the Last Adam Jesus Christ, which is divine, spiritual and eternal.

For this reason man’s life encompasses a series of choices which he has to make between these two diametrically opposite entities, which under no circumstances can or will co-exist together. These entities are at variance with each other, they are derived from two different sources, and any form of merger between the two entities is unacceptable before God and it is corruptible.

The choices one has to make because of his duality are:-:

1.      1. The choice between adopting God as the Father: Or, Satan as our father.

 Jesus, in no uncertain terms told the Jews who did not believe in him; “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44).

The crux of the matter is, we were all born into the kingdom of darkness under the ruler-ship of Satan the devil, and it is only to as many as received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, "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" (John 1:12-13).

2.      2. The choice of having God as our Master: Or the riches of this world [mammon] as our master

Jesus told His disciples, “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24).

3.      

      3. The choice of having Jesus Christ as our King: Or, the rulers of this world.

The Lord said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me that I should not reign over them” (1 Samuel 8:7).

Samuel then said to the people, “You have today rejected your God, who Himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations; and you have said to Him, ‘No, but set a king over us’ (1 Samuel 10:19)!

When the people realized the evil they had done in rejecting God who was their King, and asking for a king like the other nations, they said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we may not die; for we have added to all our sins the evil of asking a king for ourselves” (1 Samuel 12:19).

Then Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear. You have done all this wickedness; yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. And do not turn aside; for then you would go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver; for they are nothing.

For the Lord will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake. Because it has pleased the Lord to make you His people, moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way. Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you. But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king” (1 Samuel 12:20-25).

This choice is what is termed, the lesser of two evils, where God allows man the freedom to choose their own king, healer, protector and reaps the benefits or the consequences of their actions, which of course is not the ideal choice, but God allows it because of man´s rejection of His sovereignty.                                                                                                                                                                               

4.     4. The choice of having our citizenship in the Kingdom of light in heaven: Or, having our citizenship in the kingdom of darkness in this world.

 It is stated clearly that, at conversion, God delivers us from the power of darkness, and translates us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, qualifying us to become partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the [kingdom of} light (Colossians 1:12-13).

Unfortunately many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthy material things.

But our citizenship should be in heaven, and should be eagerly awaiting a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body” (Philippians 3:18-21).

5.      

      5. The choice of living in accordance to the Spirit: Or, living in accordance to the flesh.

There is definitely a life which is lived either in accordance to the Spirit, or lived in accordance to the flesh. As it is clearly written; “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want” (Galatians 5:16-17).

In fact, our human body is actually the instrument or mechanism that we use to either live in accordance to the Spirit, or to live in accordance to the flesh. Therefore have been admonished saying, "And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God...I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness" (Romans 6:13,19).

6.      

      6. The choice to live by faith in Jesus Christ: Or, by the requirements of the law.

We have been instructed saying; "Before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor” (Galatians 3:23-24).

Implying that, before one can come to have faith in Jesus Christ, and be justified byfaith, he/she must first be tutored by the law, so as to be in conformity with Jesus Christ. Because, faith comes by hearing: and hearing by the word of God, and also, it is through the law one has the knowledge of what sin is. For 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).

But do we make void the law through faith? The unequivocal answer is; “Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law” (Romans 3:31).

7    7. The choice of having faith in the power of God: Or, having faith in the wisdom of men.

The apostle Paul said, “My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:4-5).

Everything which man has invented, regardless how brilliant it seems to be, citizens of the kingdom of light should not place their faith in it, because, there is a way which seems right to a man, but the end of it is the way of death.

      8. The choice of justification by Grace: Or justification by works

It is stated quite explicitly that, “If [justification is] by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work." Grace is simply something which is unmerited, something one can never attain on his/her own merit  (Romans 11:6).

Nevertheless, it is stated quite clearly that; "We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" Therefore, justification by grace did not do away with good works..

    9. The choice between two opinions, “If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, then follow him” (1 Kings:18:21).

The choices we have to make is simply the choice between living the true, real, abundant life which Jesus Christ brought to humanity, or, living the alternative way of life which man has chosen to live for himself.

These two diametrically opposite life styles are compared to two trees, each bearing its own fruit. You either make a tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad. Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree, cannot bear good fruit.

In like manner a good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. No spring can yield both salt water and fresh water from the same spring; nor can fresh water and bitter water issued from the same spring.

Our human body is the instrument that is used as being servants of the spirit or, the servants of the flesh.  Just as we have presented our members as slaves of uncleanness leading to more lawlessness, we must now present our members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. We are servants to whom we present ourselves slaves to obey, whether sin – the alternative way of man which seems right to him, and leads to death, or of obedience to the laws of God which leads to righteousness, and produces fruit to holiness, and the end everlasting.

Which will you choose?

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

When is the first day of the year

 When is the first day of the Year! Depending on whom this question is addressed, you will definitely receive different answers, but I would like to specifically address this question to all those who profess to be believers in Jesus Christ, the Lord and Creator of the universe.

Therefore, to all who profess to believe in Jesus Christ, the only Begotten Son of God, is the 1st January the first day of a new year to you? Please take into consideration the following:

1.      1. Jesus Christ is the Lord God of the Old Testament by whom all things were created and He is the same yesterday, today and forever.

2.      2. In the control of this world are two literal kingdoms, the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness.

3.     3.  If we are a true believer, the Father 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.

Let us all therefore with open minds consider the above mentioned scriptures and be honest with ourselves and affirm whether we are following the principles of the kingdom of light or that of the kingdom of darkness.

•           “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men”…” And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:1-4, 14).

•           He (Jesus Christ) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence” (Colossians 1:15-18).

•           “For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live” (1 Corinthians 8:5-6).

•           “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Remember, this name was given to Jesus Christ eight (8) days after His birth when He was circumcised (Philippians 2:9-11; Luke 2:21).

•           “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

Now, if we all believe and truly understand all what is mentioned above concerning Jesus Christ, and truly believe that He is the head of the church, and that in all things He may have the preeminence, the superiority above all others, why then do we give others the preeminence over Him?

The majority of those who claimed to believe in Jesus Christ, unfortunately, do not regard Him as being Lord, for the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you” (Exodus 12:2).

So when is the first month of the year according to the Lord, who created the heavens, the earth, the seas and all that are in them? The first month of the year according to the Almighty God, the Creator of heaven and earth is the month on which the Lord’s Passover falls.

For thus says the Lord; “On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household…Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight” (Exodus 12:3, 5, 6).

Now this ordinance which the Lord gave to the children of Israel is an everlasting one, for thus says the Lord; “So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance…And you shall observe this thing as an ordinance for you and your sons forever” (Exodus 12:14; 24).

Now please bear in mind that, what the children of Israel were observing was only the copy and shadow of the reality, but today, we have the reality, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself a ransom for all on the exact date of the Passover which is on the fourteenth (14th) day of the first month of the year, which corresponds to fourteen days beginning with the first new moon in Spring, and normally falls between the middle of March or early April in the Roman or Gregorian calendar.

The sad and unfortunate thing is that, the majority of those professing to believe in Jesus Christ consider these things to be trivial and insignificant, but according to Jesus Christ, “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46).

And what has eluded the eyes of the many who profess to be believers, but seeing absolutely nothing wrong in giving the preeminence, the honor and the glory to another Deity is the fact that they have not truly perceived the profoundness and magnitude of what is taking place behind the scene.

The irony of truth and the facts of the matter is that, there are only two masters, we can either love one and hate the other, or be loyal to one and despise the other. There are only two kingdoms and we can either be a citizen of the kingdom of light, or be a citizen of the kingdom of darkness. There is either the truth which is Jesus Christ or the lie which is Satan; one is either a slave of righteousness or a slave of sin, one can either live in accordance to the Spirit or live in accordance to the flesh.

The only middle ground is when God in His loving kindness allows us to choose our leader, healer etc and receive the consequences of our choice.  As the Lord said to Samuel saying, "Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.” And this by the way is called the lesser of two evils. (1 Samuel 8:7).

So then, I beg to ask the question, where did we get the idea that the 1^st. day of January is the beginning of a new year? And to make matters worse it begins at midnight!

When the origin of the word December which precedes the month of January from Latin, denotes ‘ten’ and was originally the tenth month of the Roman year, and therefore, the first month of the year would be around March. In addition to this, how can one begin a new day at midnight? How can something new originate from something that has no source!

Darkness has no source, it is the absence of light and therefore, a new day cannot originate from something that has no source. The root cause of this dilemma of vain worship is the quest for Satan the father of lies and prince of darkness, to dominate over light and truth which represents the kingdom of God. It is Satan’s quest to be worshiped just as God is worshiped. So what seems to the majority of professing believers as trivial and insignificant is more profound and significant than they realized.

The irony of truth is, the above mentioned changes were established by the fourth beast which is the Roman Empire, to whom Satan has given his power, his throne and great authority. Therefore, when we reject the basic principles established by the kingdom of light and adopt the principles established by the kingdom of darkness, we are giving Satan the preeminence over our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

By giving the customs and traditions of men established by beast the preeminence over the principles established by the Lord, whether knowingly or unknowingly, we are automatically worshiping the dragon who gave his power, his throne and great authority to the beast, because ignorance of the law is no excuse. (Revelation 13:4).

Therefore, the Lord’s admonition to His people is, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven and God has remembered her iniquities” (Revelation 18:4).

The question is will we all take heed, the choice is ours.

Copyright © 2016 by Lucius Joseph

All rights reserved

Is the date of Jesus`birth unknown? (part 2)

I recently read a short documentary from a well established religion with the caption stating that "The Bible is Silent on The Day of Christ Birth". They further stated that: " Had the Lord deemed this knowledge essential to our salvation, he would have spoken through His prophets and apostles that we might know all about the matter.'
"But the silence of the scriptures upon this point evidences to us that it is hidden from us for the wisest purposes" (EGWSROCHG 1.2).

Let me explain first and foremost that, there is nothing one can do to attain salvation. Salvation is God's free gift to man without man's input. Anything we do, is an expression of our faith demonstrated in love, gratitude and thanksgiving, but must be in spirit and in truth.

THE DAY OF CHRIST’S DEATH DIRECTS TO THE DAY OF HIS BIRTH

It is generally accepted according to the book of Luke that, “Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age.” And His ministry lasted for three and a half years .He died on the fourteenth day of the first month according to the Jewish sacred Calendar, which theoretically points to His birth date as the fifteenth day of the seventh month, exactly six months after the date of His death.
Jesus’ ministry began at the Feast of Tabernacles. It is written, “Now the Jews feast of Tabernacles was at hand. So His brothers said to Him, “Leave here and go to Judea that Your disciples may see the works You are doing. For no man works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world. For even His brothers did not believe Him” (John 7:2-5).
But Jesus said to them: "My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready. The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil. You go up to this feast. I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come" (John 7; 6-8).

Now, about the middle of the Feast Jesus went up to the temple and taught. The Jews marveled at it, saying, “How is it that this man has learning, when He has never studied? (John 7:14-15).

Therefore, Christ's three and a half years of ministry began with the Feast of Tabernacles, on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, and culminated with His death on the 14th day of the first month at the Passover.

The birth of John Baptist also points to the birth of Jesus Christ to the seventh month of the Jewish sacred calendar.

It was the official duty of Aaron and four of his sons, namely; Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar to offer sacrifices on the altar of burnt offering and the altar of incense, for all the work of the most holy place, and to make atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded (1 Chronicles 6:49; 1 Chronicles 23:27-32).
Two of the sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu died before Aaron their father, and had no children; therefore Eleazar and Ithamar ministered as priests. David divided the services of the temple between the sons of Eleazar who numbered sixteen, and the sons of Ithamar who numbered eight, giving a total of twenty four divisions.(1 Chronicles 24:1-4).
Dividing twenty four divisions to serve during a period of twelve months means that, each division would have to serve for a period of two (2) weeks: or more precisely two weeks, one day, and four hours, by dividing fifty two weeks in the year into twenty four divisions.
The scriptures state clearly that, Abijah from whom Zacharias the father of John Baptist descended was of the eighth division. Implying that the time Zacharias was visited by the angel it was during the fifteenth and sixteenth week of the Jewish sacred calendar, or the last two weeks of the fourth month of the year.
Now according to Luke’s gospel, “As soon as the days of his [Zacharias’] service were completed, that he departed to his own house’. Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months saying, thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.”
Zacharias left the temple at the end of the fourth month mute, and unable to speak because he did not believe what the angel told him, went home to his wife at the beginning of the fifth month, now since it is clearly stated that, "after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived;" one can therefore conclude that Elizabeth was conceived during the fifth month of the year.
Now, nine months of normal pregnancy will lead us to the birth of John Baptist, to be during the first month of the following year. It is well documented in the scriptures that John Baptist was six months older than Jesus Christ (see Luke 1:26, 36).
Therefore if John Baptist was born during the first month of the year, it is therefore conclusive that Jesus Christ was born six months later, which leads us to the seventh month of the year according to the Jewish calendar, which begins its first month with the first new moon in spring, between the months of March – April, and the seventh month begins with the new moon between late September and early October.
The feast of Tabernacles therefore, celebrates the birth day of Jesus Christ and the Eighth Day of the feast commemorates His circumcision.
These times of ignorance God has overlooked and now commands all men everywhere to repent.

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With brotherly Love
Lucius Joseph.

Is the date of Christ's birth unknown!

According to the World Book encyclopedia, “No one knows the exact date of Christ’s birth, but most Christians observe Christmas on December 25th. On this day, many go to church, where they take part in special religious services.”

The encyclopedia also states that, “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”

But is the notion that no one knows the exact date of Christ’s birth true?

And should we make this an excuse to honor pagan gods, in the name of Jesus Christ?

One of the instructions the Lord gave the children of Israel when they left Egypt was this; “I am the Lord your God. According to the doings of the land of Egypt, where you dwelt, you shall not do; and according to the doings of the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you, you shall not do; nor shall you walk in their ordinances. You shall observe my judgments and keep My ordinances, to walk in them: I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the Lord” (Leviticus 18:2-5).

We are reminded in the New Testament that, “God is Spirit, and they that worship Him, must worship Him in Spirit and truth.” Therefore, is there any veracity in celebrating December 25th as the date of Christ’s birth?

If the saying that, “No one knows the exact date of Christ’s birth” is true, then this must be a conspiracy to conceal His true identity, and to deny Him of His honor and reverence.

The gospel of John chapter seven verses twenty five to twenty seven tends to suggest something of this nature. Because on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles when Jesus spoke openly in the temple, knowing that they were plotting to kill Him: some of the people who heard Him spoke said, “Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ? Yet we know where this Man comes from; and when the Christ appears, no one will know where He comes from.”

This seems to suggest that the notion, “When the Christ appears, no one will know where He [Christ] comes from” has gain acceptance and credibility through the world.

But according to the scriptures, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Word of God who was made flesh, and dwelt among us was well known by the authorities, they affirmed this by saying, “Yet we know where this man comes from” and so the whole details of His date of birth was not a secret.

On the exact day on which Christ was born we are told that, “In the region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night, and an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, “Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all people; for to you is born this day [today] in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:8-12).

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased!”

As soon as the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherd said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” ‘And they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they saw it they [widely]made known the saying which had been told them concerning this child, and all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them”(Luke 2:13-18).

So then, was the birth of Christ a secret?

How could such a remarkable day and event which was widely made known not be recorded in history: If it is not through a conspiracy to conceal it?

Now at the end of eight days, we are told that He was circumcised, and was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. (Luke 2:21).

Also, when the days of Mary’s purification was completed, which according to the law; thirty three [33] days for a male child, Jesus was brought to Jerusalem to be presented to the Lord [as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord].

And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon and this man was just, and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.

So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, Simeon took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel” (Luke 2:25-32).

So again, I beg to ask the question, how could such a remarkable day, in the life of such a remarkable individual not be recorded in history!

Some people make excuses by saying that, the date of Christ’s birth is not that important, hence the reason why His date of birth is not known.

But the irony of truth is; if Jesus Christ was not born on the day on which He was born, we would not have had a Savior, and we would still be in our sins. And what further proof and pronouncement does one need other than that of the angel who said to the shepherds, “For to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord,” and that of the multitude of the heavenly host who praised God and said, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!”

THE BIRTH OF CHRIST INAUGURATED HIM AS THE KING OF KINGS

The prophet Isaiah prophesying about the birth and reign of the Prince of peace wrote, “For unto us a child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder, and His name will be called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting father, Prince of peace.” ‘Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David, and over His kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and for evermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this” (Isaiah 9:6-7).

When the wise men from the East came to Jerusalem seeking for Jesus, they did not say “Where is he who is born to be the king of the Jews?” but rather, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?” For we have seen His star in the East, and have come to worship Him.” And when they came to the house, they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold [to honor Him as a king], frankincense [to honor Him as God], and myrrh [to honor Him as man].Therefore Jesus Christ was a king from birth (Matthew 2:1-3, 110-12).

During His earthly trial before Pilate, Pilate called Him and asked Him, “Are you the King of the Jews? Jesus answered, "Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?"

Then continued and said; “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom was of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews, but now My kingdom is not from here.” 

Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are you a King then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a King. For this cause I was born: and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice” (John 18:33-37).

Therefore, the logical question is, since Jesus Christ was born a king, and for this cause He was born and for this cause He came into the world, there is a Feast of the Lord called the Feast of Tabernacles, who is this feast honoring? And what is the rationale for observing this feast? Is it not to honor Jesus Christ as the King of kings? So how can one say that they do not know when Jesus Christ was born?

The date of Jesus' birth is so important that, in the future everyone will have to observe this feast  or face severe punishment. For it is written: “Every one that survives of all nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of Tabernacles. And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, there will be no rain upon them. And if the family of Egypt do not go up and present themselves, then upon them shall come the plague with which the Lord afflicts the nations that do not go up to keep the feast of Tabernacles. This shall be the punishment to Egypt and the punishment to all the nations that do not go up to keep the feast of Tabernacles” (Zechariah 14:16-19). 

To be continued

With brotherly Love

Lucius Joseph.