CONTEXT Matters to GOD

The BEST-known Bible verse is probably John 3:16 -- 'For GOD SO LOVED the World that HE GAVE His ONLY Begotten SON that whoever BELIEVES INto HIM shall NOT PERISH, but have EVERlasting LIFE.' (https://www.mljtrust.org/sermons/book-of-john/the-love-of-god/)

You yourself probably KNOW it by heart--but do you REALLY understand, ACTUALLY comprehend its GREATness of meaning and WEALTH of doctrinal TRUTHs? John 3:16 is like a mountain peak with such GREAT elevation that the other great mountain peaks around it are over-shadowed and even remain UNclimbed. (https://www.mljtrust.org/sermons/book-of-john/god-so-loved-2/)

But the CONTEXT of John 3:16 is revealed by The Risen LORD JESUS Himself in verses 11-21 as He enLIGHTens the highly educated, but spiritually DEAD Nicodemus -- a Pharisee, a ruler of Israel, a teacher himself, YET ignorant of the REALity of The TRUTH, YESHUA Himself -- The CHRIST of GOD, The MESSIAH of Israel. (https://www.mljtrust.org/sermons/book-of-john/understanding-the-spiritual/)

CHRIST JESUS Himself said: 'TRULY, TRULY, I SAY to you, We SPEAK of what We KNOW and bear witness of what We have SEEN, and you do NOT accept Our witness. If I told you earthly things and you do NOT believe, HOW will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? And NO ONE has ascended into Heaven, but HE Who descended from Heaven, The SON of Man. And AS Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, EVEN SO MUST The SON of Man be lifted up; SO THAT whoever BELIEVES will IN Him have ETERNAL Life. (https://www.mljtrust.org/sermons/book-of-john/the-nature-of-belief/)

'For GOD (The FATHER) SO (intensely and supremely, eternally and infinitely) LOVED the (perishing and ALREADY judged and condemned) World (of SIN-natured SIN-practicing Humanity), that He GAVE (delivered up to shameful degradation, excruciating crucifixion) His ONLY Begotten (NOT created) SON (Who IS CO-Equal, CO-Essence, CO-Eternal with The Holy TRInity), that whoever BELIEVES INto Him shall NOT PERISH (condemned INto EVERlasting HELL), BUT have ETERNAL Life (with GOD The FATHER and GOD The SON and GOD The Holy SPIRIT -- forEVERmore). For GOD did not send The SON INto the World to JUDGE (condemn) the (ALREADY condemned) World, but that the World (of hopeless, helpless, perishing Sinners) might be SAVED (from the Power of SIN, Satan, SELF -- from HELL EVERlasting) THROUGH Him (The Sacrificial LAMB of GOD, The PRINCE of Peace, The KING of kings and LORD of lords -- CHRIST JESUS Himself). (https://www.mljtrust.org/sermons/book-of-john/man-and-his-need-of-salvation/)

'He who BELIEVES IN Him is NOT JUDGED; he who does NOT BELIEVE has been JUDGED ALREADY, because he has NOT BELIEVED IN the Name of the ONLY Begotten SON of GOD. And THIS is the JUDGMENT, that The LIGHT has come INto the World, and men LOVED the Darkness RATHER than The LIGHT, for their deeds were EVIL. For EVERYone who does evil hates The LIGHT, and does not come to The LIGHT lest his deeds be exposed. BUT he who practices The TRUTH comes to The LIGHT, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been done by GOD.' (https://www.mljtrust.org/sermons/book-of-john/the-light-has-come/)

The LORD JESUS proclaimed: 'I AM The (ONLY) WAY, The (REAL) TRUTH, and The (EVERlasting) LIFE. NO ONE can come to The FATHER (IN the Heavenly GLORY) except THROUGH Me' (John 14:6). (https://www.mljtrust.org/sermons/book-of-john/the-only-way-to-god/)

Friend -- your personal response to GOD's ONLY Way of SALVATION determines your IMmortal soul's ETERNAL Destination. Your stubborn rejection OR grateful acceptance of GOD's Invitation to His Kingdom of GLORY through His ONLY Begotten SON, CHRIST JESUS, seals your EVERlasting Place. Your willful UNbelief OR heart-and-soul FAITH in The TRUTH, The Incarnate WORD Himself -- cements your Eternal NOW. May you respond GOD's Way. AMEN. \o/

GOD's Amazing CHRISTmas GIFT of GRACE!

WHAT is "AMAZING"? THAT which is Mind-Blowing; THAT which BOGGLES man's FINITE mindset; THAT which is SOOO out of THIS world's ideologies and philosophies that it's INconceivable, INcomprehensible, INexpressible to the spiritually DEAD, the idolatrous IGNORAMUS, the wretched BLIND and LOST soul! (see 1 Corinthians 2:12-16)

WHAT is TRULY, ACTUALLY, REALLY amazing? The GRACE of GOD -- His NEW Covenant of GRACE; His UNmerited Favor and UNdeserved Mercy towards UNdeserving, UNgodly, UNrighteous SIN-natured, SIN-doers like you and me, ALL who are deserving ONLY of GOD's JUST Condemnation and RIGHTeous JUDGment INto EVERlasting HELL! (see Ephesians 2:1-9)

WHAT IS GOD's Amazing GRACE? That GOD Himself, full of GRACE and TRUTH, left His Heavenly GLORY and came into this SIN-corrupted earth. That THE INfinite OMNIpotent, OMNIscient, OMNIpresent GOD of Creation was SUPERnaturally INcarnated in a virgin's womb by the miraculous work of GOD The Holy SPIRIT. (see John 1:1-5,14)

THIS.. IS AMAZING GRACE! That THE ALL-Mighty ONE became helpless, THE ALL-Sufficient ONE became dependent, THE INfinite LORD of GLORY became FINITE flesh. That THE CHRIST, THE Anointed SON of GOD, utterly humbled Himself to become THE SON of Man JESUS to fully accomplish the REDEMPTION of sinners like you and me, from SIN, Satan, SELF -- to SAVE us from the actual, very REAL, experiential EVERlasting HELL -- by dying on Calvary's CROSS to pay IN-FULL the required BLOOD-Price for every REPENTANT SOUL. That by GOD's GRACE alone, through FAITH alone, IN CHRIST alone -- the quickened-ALIVE IMmortal SOUL may be SAVED from the EVERlasting HELL that is ETERNAL Separation from GOD; and SO THAT we 2xborn of GOD may enter freely INto GOD's heavenly Kingdom of GLORY! (see Philippians 2:6-11; 1 Peter 3:18; Ephesians 2:8-9)

CHRIST JESUS, Truly GOD and Truly Man, THE GOD-MAN, IS THE SUPERlative GIFT of CHRISTmas -- GOD's ULTIMATE, mind-blowing, mind-boggling, out-of-THIS-world (literally!) GIFT of GRACE -- The LORD of GLORY, The PRINCE of Peace, The LAMB of GOD Himself! AMAZZZING GRACE inDEED -- GOD GAVE GOD! \o/ (Isaiah 9:6, 53:1-12)

May you personally experience THE ultimate GIFT-exchange this very CHRISTmas -- JESUS' own perfect Righteousness, for your own total SINfulness. CHRIST's own Resurrection LIFE, for your own HELL-bound life. TRUE Peace WITH GOD through The PRINCE of Peace Himself, for your rebellious Enmity with GOD. EVERlasting LOVE-Relationship with The ONE TRUE Living TRIune SOVEREIGN Creator Who created you -- in exchange of JUDGMENT, Condemnation, and the WRATH of GOD. TOday, may you humbly receive GOD's amazing CHRISTmas Gift of GRACE -- The LORD JESUS Himself! AMEN. \o/

The LIGHT is The TRUTH -- The WORD Himself

WHY is the World as it is TOday? WHAT is the source of the World's current mayhem, the present chaotic culture, the rock-bottom REASON for the cause of all the UNhappy events, volatile UNrest, UNmistakable DARKNESS that can be plainly discerned by any REASONable MIND?

IGNORANCE -- Ignorance of TRUTH. Ignorance of REALITY. Ignorance of the TRUE Nature of GOD and of the TRUE nature of his own SELF.

Man's PRIDE of his intellect, PRIDE of his education, PRIDE of his ethnicity -- PRIDE of SELF -- has made him IGNORANT to his own IGNORANCE that he himself is IN DARKNESS and IS DARKNESS himself.Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones preached that the world is as it is today because of IGNORANCE -- ignorance of WHO GOD IS, ignorance of WHAT man REALLY IS. The world is as it is today because of the DARKNESS in the world itself -- and the IGNORANCE of man NOT KNOWing his OWN IGNORANCE -- NOT REALIZING that the DARKNESS is withIN his own HEART, his own MIND, his very own deepest SELF."The world is in a current state of DARKNESS that has pervaded EVERY aspect of human history since The FALL. Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones notes that this DARKNESS is twofold in that it is not only a state of IGNORANCE that mankind is IN, but that the DARKNESS is also withIN man's HEART, as manifested by his LOVE of SIN and HATRED of CHRISTian Doctrine. However, GOD has sent Believers The Holy SPIRIT, who through enLIGHTening the Believer's eyes to The TRUTH about GOD and the GLORY of His Salvation, enables them to be LIGHTs themselves in the persistent DARKNESS." (The LIGHT Shines In The Darkness -- by Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones -- https://www.mljtrust.org/sermons-online/john-1-5/the-light-shines-in-the-darkness/)

The LIGHT is CHRIST JESUS. He Himself proclaimed, "I AM The LIGHT of the world. IF you follow Me, you won't have to walk in Darkness, because you will have The LIGHT that leads to LIFE" (John 8:12).

 

 And what is enLIGHTenment but TRUTH-fullness? And the REAL FULLness of TRUTH is only found in the very Person of CHRIST JESUS Himself. HE is The WAY to The TRUTH. HE is The LIGHT that leads to The LIFE with RESURRECTION POWER, that is lived out before the HOLY Presence of GOD, in His Kingdom of MAJESTY and GLORY.

 

CHRIST JESUS Himself proclaimed, "I AM The RESURRECTION and The LIFE. Anyone who BELIEVES INto Me will LIVE, even after dying" (John 11:25).

Do you have The LIGHT that leads to The LIFE, to The RESURRECTION? Do you KNOW this very LIGHT that pierces the Darkness -- this TRUE LIGHT that the Darkness can NOT spiritually discern or comprehend, and can NEVER extinguish or overcome?

The LIGHT of TRUTH is CHRIST JESUS Himself. The LIFE to Heavenly RESURRECTION is The LORD JESUS, SON of GOD. Has The LIGHT pierced the Darkness of your own SOUL? Do you have The LIGHT -- CHRIST JESUS Himself as your WAY to The FATHER?

 

Do you BELIEVE the Word of The WORD Himself -- The WORD Who IS GOD made Flesh -- Who left His GLORY and MAJESTY with The FATHER in the Heavenlies, to come into His OWN Creation as a helpless human Baby, to grow up sinless and blameless, yet rejected and persecuted by His own people, so that He can pay with His OWN shed BLOOD, the just penalty and punishment of SIN-natured men and women like you and me by Crucifixion -- the utterly most horrific method of execution ever devised by SIN-full man.

Do you have The LIGHT of JESUS shining withIN your soul, withIN your heart of hearts? IF so -- are you shining your JESUS-LIGHT in the Darkness of 2021?

When one has The LIGHT, he or she is IN CHRIST -- with EVERlasting JOY unspeakable! \o/

("The LIGHT Shines IN The Darkness" -- by Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones -- This post was written after listening to the sermon several times. Though it was preached in October 1962, the timeless TRUTHs expounded are SO very relevant today, 2021 -- especially with the very challenging trials that so many individuals, as well as the nations of the world, are experiencing. Dr Lloyd-Jones' message is one of HOPE, despite the REALITY of today's UNcertainties.)

JOY To The World -- the I AM Has Come!

JOY To The World -- the LORD (the Great I AM) Has Come!


GOD said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And He said, "Say this to the people of Israel, 'I AM has sent you.'" (Exodus 3:14)

And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior who is CHRIST the LORD." (Luke 2:10-11)

The (Samaritan) woman said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called CHRIST). When He comes, He will tell us all things." JESUS said to her, I who speak to you AM He. (John 4:26)

I AM the Bread of life; whoever comes to Me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in Me shall never thirst. (John 6:35) I AM the living Bread that came down from Heaven (John 6:51)

I AM the Light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the Light of life. (John 8:12)

Truly, truly, I say to you, I AM the Door of the sheep. All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I AM the Door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have Life and have it abundantly. (John 10:7-10)

I AM the good Shepherd. The good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. I know My own and My own knows me. (John 10:11, 14)

I AM the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die (John 11:25-26)

I AM the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (John 14:6)

I AM the true Vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me, you can do nothing. (John 15:5)

JESUS proclaimed Himself to be equal and one with the Great I AM -- the I AM WHO I AM who spoke to Moses -- the I AM who is the True Living GOD -- YHWH.

Those who say CHRIST was merely a great and holy Teacher cannot mean what they say -- for a great and holy teacher cannot be a liar and still be called "great and holy." Those who say He was merely a Prophet from GOD cannot mean what they say -- for a prophet's words must be 100% accurate and the Word Himself is Truth . And those who deny CHRIST's deity deny His three years' worth of miracles which validated His claim of being one with the Father -- the Great I AM. Who but GOD Himself can perform all the miracles as written in the Holy Scriptures, as well as the numerous not recorded? Who but JESUS Himself fulfilled more than 365 Messianic prophecies from the Old Testament?

CHRIST JESUS declared Himself to be the Great I AM -- is He Liar, Lunatic...or LORD?

CHRISTmas is EVERY day. TOday, will you celebrate Messiah JESUS -- our Mighty GOD, Wonderful Counselor, Everlasting Father...our Prince of Peace -- by totally trusting in The TRUTH?