Is the date of Christ's birth unknown (part two)

1.                  Mary’s conception

Now let us delve into the history of the life of Jesus Christ to see whether the date of His birth is a secret as we have been led to believe, or is it openly revealed in scriptures. The day that Jesus Christ became conceived in His mother’s womb we are told that it was the day the angel Gabriel visited Mary and 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. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."

Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" And the angel answered 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." Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word" (Luke 1:30-38).

So again I beg to ask the question, when was the titles “Son of God,” King of Kings; Lord of lords, Everlasting Father, Prince of peace bestowed on Jesus Christ! Was it not from the time of His birth? The truth of the matter is, from the time Mary believed what the angel Gabriel said to her and she replied; “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word" she became conceived and since the angel informed her by saying; “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,” verifies that John Baptist was six months older than Jesus Christ and so, if we can prove when John Baptist was born we simply have to add six months to that time.

And so, the question we should all be asking ourselves is there a biblical festival that honors Jesus Christ as the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Everlasting Father and the Prince of Peace? And what does it means to have a feast and celebrate it to the Lord? Doesn’t it mean that we are to celebrate or commemorate this particular festival in His honor? And if we are in honor of what!

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To be continued, stay tuned

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

 

Is the date of Jesus Christ's birth unknown?

Is the date of Christ’s birth unknown”

The popular teaching with regards to the date of Christ’s birth is that, “no one knows the exact date of Christ's birth.” People even go as far as saying that, if Jesus Christ wanted us to celebrate His birth we would have known just as we know of the date of His death and so we are to celebrate His death and not His birth. Now to those who felt it necessary to celebrate His birth have substituted the pagan festival of Christmas to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ.

But let us be candid with ourselves is it true that the date of Jesus’ birth is unknown? Well let me say from the outset that, if the date of Christ's birth is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose mind 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.

If the date of Christ's birth is unknown as most deceivers are saying it is because they have not accepted Him as who He is, for as it is written; “Now some of them from Jerusalem said, "Is this not He whom they seek to kill?  Look! He speaks boldly, and they say nothing to Him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is truly the Christ? , we know where this Man is from; but when the Christ comes, no one knows where He is from." Then Jesus cried out, as He taught in the temple, saying, "You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know. But I know Him, for I am from Him, and He sent Me" (John 7:25-29).

With this being said let us have a chronological examination of the life of Jesus Christ and see whether His date of birth is a secret or unknown as being promulgated or, is it clearly documented and preserved for all to see, so let us examine and inspect the history concerning the life of Jesus Christ

1.                  The prophecy of the prophet Isaiah

The prophet Isaiah prophesied concerning the birth of Jesus Christ saying; “For unto us a Child is born, unto 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 and Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this” (Isaiah 9:6-7).

Before preceding any further please note carefully that, all the things the prophet Isaiah prophesied concerning this Child became effective from the date of His birth and continues from that time forward even forever. Therefore, everything in this prophecy related to Jesus Christ stem from the day He was born and will last forever.

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To be continued, stay tuned

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

 

Are we ascribing to the Lord the glory due to His name?

Are we ascribing to the Lord the glory due to His name?

In this critical time in which we live it is imperative that we all who profess to be believers in Jesus Christ assure ourselves whether we are ascribing to the Lord the glory due to His name because the Lord in no uncertain terms said; “But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46).

We have also been forewarned saying; “Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” (Matthew 7:21-23).

We have also been duly admonished saying; “For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him” (John 5:22-23).

Then Jesus lamented on our sad state of affairs by quoting the prophet Isaiah and said; “this people honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men --- the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do." He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition” (Mark 7:6-9).

Having been reminded of the above-mentioned scriptures I beg to ask the question, are we all who are calling Jesus Lord, Lord are ascribing to Him the honor and glory that are due to His name? And if we are certain that we do, the humble question is, how?

The one and only way one ascribes to the Lord the glory due to His name is by observing His Sabbaths (plural), for thus says the Lord; “You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary: I am the LORD” (Leviticus 19:30; 26:2).

And the rationale for this is simply because the Sabbaths give honor and glory to God for what He did for humanity on that particular day and so we have been duly admonished saying; “The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts” (Leviticus 23:2. 4).

Please note carefully that these festivals are described as the Lord’s festivals which were given to the Jews who in turn had to teach them to other nations. They were commanded not to add to the word nor take away from it. They were commanded to be careful to observe them; for this is their wisdom and their understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.'

Moses said to them again; "For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the LORD our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him? And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day? (Deuteronomy 4:6-8).

The Lord’s Sabbaths are what ascribe to the Lord Honor and Glory and they are as follows:

·         The seventh day Sabbath as the Creator

·         Passover / days of Unleavened Bread as our Redeemer and Savior

·         Feast of first-fruits as our resurrection and the life

·         Pentecost as our Helper, Guide, Teacher, Healer, Provider

·         Feast of trumpets as our Conqueror, Deliverer

·         Day of Atonement as our sin bearer and High Priest

·         Feast of Tabernacles as our King of kings and Lord of lords

·         Eighth Day as our circumcision and Eternal God

This is how we ascribe to the Lord the glory due to His name by appearing before Him on these days and bring Him the food for His offerings as an expression of our gratitude, thanksgiving and love for what He did for humanity on that particular day. The question is, are we ascribing to the Lord the glory due to His name? Or are we rejecting the commandments of the Lord to keep our own customs and traditions of men.

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 To be continued, please stay tuned

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

No excuse

No excuse

I would like to pose this question to everyone who profess to be believers in Jesus Christ; Is there a logical, sensible, specific reason why the festivals of the Lord are not being commemorated when the Lord Himself who is the same yesterday, today and forever spoke to Moses saying; “These are the feasts of the LORD, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times” (Leviticus 23:4).

Regardless of what reasons one may come up with, I would like us to first and foremost consider the Lord’s festivals as our yearly holidays such as, discovery day, independence, emancipation day etc. a day which is observed to commemorate and perpetuate a specific event which transpired in the lives and history of man.

This year’s celebration of emancipation day and the plans for the future expansion and development of this event should serve as a catalyst to all who profess to be believers in Jesus Christ to consider why the festivals of the Lord should be commemorated as we have been duly admonished saying; “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20).

When one considers and takes into account the rationale and objective for commemorating such events and occasions it is evident that the rationale for observing and celebrating these events and activities is an expression of gratitude and thanksgiving to those by whom the occasion came to fruition and as a perpetuation for future generations.

This is exactly the rationale and objective for observing the Lord’s festivals, it is to express one’s gratitude and thanksgiving to God for what He did for humanity on these specific days and perpetuating it for future generations: For example:

1. The seventh day Sabbath, a day to express one’s gratitude for His creation, for on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.” In addition to that we are asked to; “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” And the reason is to commemorate the creation of the world.
2. Passover: This day is to commemorate and express one’s gratitude to the Lord for paying the price of sin in our stead.
3. Seven Days of Unleavened Bread: Seven denotes completion and this event is to express one’s gratitude to the Lord for delivering us from sin and to be observed as a commemoration and perpetuation for future generations.
4. Feast of first-fruits: This is the Sunday which falls during the seven days of Unleavened Bread, on this day one expresses his/her gratitude to the Lord for giving us a new life in the spirit, the day He presented Himself to the Father after His resurrection from the dead.
5. Feast of Pentecost: Fifty days after the feast of first fruits, a day to commemorate and express one’s gratitude for the arrival of the Holy Spirit who is our Helper, Teacher, Guide etc.
6. Feast of Trumpets: The rationale for this festival is precisely as the Lord stated; “a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.” A time to sound the alarm and warn the nations of impending danger and also of the upcoming festivals.
7. Day of Atonement: This day commemorates Jesús Christ as our faithful and merciful High Priest who makes intercessions and atonement for our sins.
8. The Feast of Tabernacles: This festival commemorates the arrival of the King of kings and Lord of lords, the day the Word became flesh and tabernacle among us and we beheld His glory the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. This festival also foreshadows the millennial reign of Jesus Christ on earth.
9. The Eighth Day: This day commemorates the circumcision of our Lord and Savior, the day the Father highly exalted Him and gave 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.” It also commemorates the circumcision of the Gentiles by which they became joint citizens of the commonwealth of Israel. This day also foreshadows eternity.

I therefore beg to ask the question, why are these festivals not being celebrated even by those who professed to be believers in Jesus Christ? Are they not worth commemorating and perpetuated like our national holidays, anniversaries etc.? God has overlooked these times of ignorance and now commands all men everywhere to repent.

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With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

 

The manifold wisdom of God

The manifold wisdom of God

The manifold wisdom of God which is, the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; is now the responsibility of the church to make known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, the eternal purpose which God the Father accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Unfortunately, the majority of believers have not grasped and understood the profoundness, the magnitude and the rationale of this fellowship of the mystery which the Father accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. For example, most professing believers do not comprehend the phraseology which states; “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes.”  

They do not know how often it should be taken when the Lord Himself spoke to Moses and said to him; “Command the children of Israel, and say to them, 'My offering, My food for My offerings made by fire as a sweet aroma to Me, you shall be careful to offer to Me at their appointed time” (Numbers 28:2).

There is therefore, a prescribed, ordained time for which we are to offer to the Lord the food for His offerings. Remember, the reformation did not do away with the ordinance it simply replaced the copy and the shadow with the reality, so instead of animal sacrifices with their food and drinks we now have the body and blood of Jesus Christ in the form of the bread and wine.

The other misunderstood factor concerning the fellowship of the mystery which the Father accomplished in Jesus Christ our Lord is the phraseology; “you proclaim or commemorate the Lord's death till He comes.”  The question is how do we proclaim or commemorate the Lord’s death until He comes?

To proclaim or commemorate the Lord’s death is a call to remembrance the purpose, the rationale and the reason for Christ’s death which is first and foremost to destroy the works of the devil which is sin and death as we have been duly admonished saying; “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” (1John 3:8).

Therefore, whenever we partake of the fellowship of the mystery which the Father accomplished in Jesus Christ we are destroying the works of the devil by having our sins forgiven and guaranteeing our eternal life Just as Jesus Christ plainly said; “Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”

Please note carefully that it is while we have fellowship with one another at the appointed time ordained by the Lord Himself to offer to Him the food for His offerings that we get cleansed from our sins. As alluded to by the apostle John who wrote; “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 1:7).

Again note carefully that the word is “cleanses” something that is current and not cleansed as in the past. This also coincides with the statement made by the apostle Paul when he wrote; “Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion (fellowship) of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion (fellowship) of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread” (1Corinthians 10:14-17).

The apostle had to chastise the church in Corinth due to the manner in which they partook of the fellowship offering, he said to them; “For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you. Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper. For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk. What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I do not praise you” (1Corinthians 11:18-22).

But after chastising them for the manner in which they partook of the Lord’s Supper he then instructed them saying; “Therefore, my brethren, when you come together (as a church) to eat(the Lord’s supper) wait for one another. But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest you come together for judgment. And the rest I will set in order when I come” (1Corinthians 11:33-34).

And the possibility of coming together for judgment is as the result of not discerning the Lord’s body, by eating and drinking of the body and blood of Jesus Christ in an unworthy manner and it is for this reason many of us are weak, sick and some have died. God has overlooked this time of ignorance and now commands all men everywhere to repent. I implore you, let us not receive the grace of God in vain.

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With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

The call to holiness is paramount

 The call to holiness is paramount

 Holiness and righteousness are the main objective of our calling, they both form our new nature as we have been duly instructed saying; “and that you put on the new man who was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24).

Although both were imputed through the righteousness of Jesus Christ nevertheless, both are required to be practiced and perfected for we have been duly admonished saying; “Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.” And, “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” ( 1John 3:7; 2Corinthians 7:1).

Holiness is actually the fruit or the product of righteousness, not our own righteousness which is as filthy rags before God, neither is it by the works of the law, for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified, but it is by having faith in Jesus Christ our Righteousness.

Now since faith without works is dead, I beg to ask the question, how can one nourish and develop this new nature which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness? Remember, holiness is the fruit or the result of righteousness as alluded to by the apostle Paul who wrote; “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 6:19).

And so the noble question is, how do we present the members of our body as slaves of righteousness in order to produce holiness? Or in other words, how do we nourish the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness?

The nourishment of the new man is precisely as Jesus quite emphatically said; “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven --- not as your fathers ate the manna and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever" (John 6: 53-58).

The irony of truth is, one cannot chide away from the act of righteousness that produces holiness for it has been God's plan for man even before the foundation of the world: His plan for achieving His goal was the secret mystery that was hidden from men of other ages, for had they know they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory.

And it is only when one practices this act of righteousness that one becomes righteous and ultimately culminates in holiness which is to be free from sin as we have been duly admonished saying; “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. 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” (1 John 3: 4-9).

Please note carefully that the scripture states quite emphatically that, “Whoever abides in Him does not sin.” So the logical question is how does a person abide in Christ so as not to sin? Jesus Christ stated quite emphatically, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him” (John 6:53-56).

Failure to understand and believe the rationale for the new covenant is the main reason why believers are encountering the difficulties that they are experiencing for it is stated quite clearly that; “Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself, that is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep” (1Corinthians 11:27-30).

The literal and practical terms of the new covenant is 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. But the question is, have we received this amazing grace of God in vain?

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To be continued, stay tuned

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

The formula for holiness

The formula for holiness

The state of holiness is a condition that has been foreordained before the foundation of the world to all those who will be adopted as sons of God through His Beloved Son Jesus Christ, but the irony of truth is, there is one and only one way by which anyone can become holy and it is by partaking of the body of Jesus Christ in a worthy manner. For thus it is written; “And you shall take the ram of the consecration and boil its flesh in the holy place. 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 29:31-33).

It is by eating of the thing with which the atonement was made that one becomes holy, and in our new dispensation, the thing by which the atonement was made is the sacrificial body and blood of our Lord and Savor Jesus Christ.

Now by the grace of God, through His Son Jesus Christ God's gift to man, provisions have been made by which man can attain holiness. For thus it is written; “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:3-6).

Now the call for holiness, which was ordained before the foundation of the world, is not a once a year phenomenon; neither is it a quarterly, monthly, or a weekly requirement but it should be a daily process as we have been duly admonished saying; “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited and redeemed His people, and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David, as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, who have been since the world began, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us, to perform the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant, the oath which He swore to our father Abraham: To grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life” (Luke 1: 68-75).

The call for holiness in order to have access and fellowship with the Father should be on a daily basis. In fact the instructions regarding the offering of the food for the Lord's offerings, the medium by which one attains holiness reads as follows;- "Command the children of Israel, and say to them, 'My offering, My food for My offerings made by fire as a sweet aroma to Me, you shall be careful to offer to Me at their appointed time' (Numbers 28:2).

Now the appointed time to offer to the Lord the food for His offerings according to the scriptures is as follows:

·         Regularly (morning and evening)

This is to express our gratitude to God for His lovingkindness in the morning and His faithfulness in the evening.

·         On the Sabbath/s (weekly and yearly)

This offering is known as a peace or fellowship offering, the medium by which members have fellowships with one another and with the Father and the Son. It is also the main reason for having a holy convocation as we have been duly admonished saying; “These are the feasts of the LORD which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire to the LORD, a burnt offering and a grain offering, a sacrifice and drink offerings, everything on its day ---besides the Sabbaths of the LORD, besides your gifts, besides all your vows, and besides all your freewill offerings which you give to the LORD” (Leviticus 23: 37-38).

As one can clearly see, offering the Lord the food for His offerings is the main objective for having a holy convocation without which no one has access to the throne of grace, no fellowship with one another and with the Father and the Son. Offering the Lord the food for His offerings is the new and living way by which we draw near to the Father and have fellowship with one another.

·         Monthly (new moon)

The other appointed time to offer the Lord the food for His offerings is as we have been duly instructed saying; “'At the beginnings of your months you shall present a burnt offering to the LORD…this is the burnt offering for each month throughout the months of the year.” This of course is at every new moon which commemorates the beginning of a new month (Numbers 28:11, 14).

If one truly knows, understands and believe the terms and conditions of the new covenant and the reformation that took place in its implementation should know that the body and blood of Jesus Christ in the form of the bread and wine has replaced the burnt offering since Jesus Christ gave Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

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 To be continued, stay tuned

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph