Friday 15 May 2009
The Coal Basket Bible
The story is told of an old man who lived on a farm in the mountains of
Kentucky with his young grandson. Each morning, Grandpa was up early
sitting at the kitchen table reading from his old worn-out Bible.
His grandson who wanted to be just like him tried to imitate him in any
way he could.
One day the grandson asked, "Papa, I try to read the Bible just like
you but I don't understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon
as I close the book. What good does reading the Bible do?"
The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and
said, "Take this coal basket down to the river and bring back a basket
of water." The boy did as he was told, even though all the water leaked
out before he could get back to the house. The grandfather laughed and
said,
"You will have to move a little faster next time," and sent him back to
the river with the basket to try again.
This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he
returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was
"impossible to carry water in a basket," and he went to get a bucket
nstead. The old man said, "I don't want a bucket of water; I want a
basket of water. You can do this. You're just not trying hard
enough," and he went out the door to watch the boy try again. At this
point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his
grandfather
that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before
he got far at all.
The boy scooped the water and ran hard, but when he reached his
grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he said, "See
Papa, it's useless!" "So you think it is useless?" The old man said,
"Look at the basket."
The boy looked at the basket and for the first time he realized that
the basket looked different. Instead of a dirty old coal basket, it was
clean.
"Son, that's what happens when you read the Bible. You might not
understand or remember everything, but when you read it, it will
change you from the inside out. That is the work of God in our lives.
To change us from the inside out and to slowly transform us into the
image of His son."
Take time to read a portion of God's word each day, and remind
a friend by sharing this story.
Live Simply, Love Generously, Care Deeply, Speak Kindly, Leave The
Rest To God"
Kentucky with his young grandson. Each morning, Grandpa was up early
sitting at the kitchen table reading from his old worn-out Bible.
His grandson who wanted to be just like him tried to imitate him in any
way he could.
One day the grandson asked, "Papa, I try to read the Bible just like
you but I don't understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon
as I close the book. What good does reading the Bible do?"
The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and
said, "Take this coal basket down to the river and bring back a basket
of water." The boy did as he was told, even though all the water leaked
out before he could get back to the house. The grandfather laughed and
said,
"You will have to move a little faster next time," and sent him back to
the river with the basket to try again.
This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he
returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was
"impossible to carry water in a basket," and he went to get a bucket
nstead. The old man said, "I don't want a bucket of water; I want a
basket of water. You can do this. You're just not trying hard
enough," and he went out the door to watch the boy try again. At this
point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his
grandfather
that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before
he got far at all.
The boy scooped the water and ran hard, but when he reached his
grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he said, "See
Papa, it's useless!" "So you think it is useless?" The old man said,
"Look at the basket."
The boy looked at the basket and for the first time he realized that
the basket looked different. Instead of a dirty old coal basket, it was
clean.
"Son, that's what happens when you read the Bible. You might not
understand or remember everything, but when you read it, it will
change you from the inside out. That is the work of God in our lives.
To change us from the inside out and to slowly transform us into the
image of His son."
Take time to read a portion of God's word each day, and remind
a friend by sharing this story.
Live Simply, Love Generously, Care Deeply, Speak Kindly, Leave The
Rest To God"
Desiderata
Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.
Echoes of our Hearts
By Joe D'Mango
Sometimes we close our eyes and just listen to the echoes of our hearts. We all fall in love and there are times that we love so much that we lose ourselves in our own emotions. More often than not, we wonder why there are love that grows and love that grows cold. We would start to search for answers and try to find where love has gone wrong. But in the end we find ourselves where we started. We cannot question love when it has its own reasons. Love will always be as it always has been. Silent, mysterious, and deeply profound. Many of us believe that love is forever. That love never dies, only to be disillusioned in the end when we find our hands empty and our hearts longing. We mistakenly have looked at love as need to be fulfilled. But love is only a gift given to us. We should not hold it in our hands for we may never find the strength to let it go when it decides to leave. We should only embrace its warmth and glow while it lasts and then freely open our hearts when it's time to say goodbye. When we fall in love with someone, we don't want that feeling to end for it is everything that we are and everything we wanted to be. We pray that love will stay and grow in our hearts. But if it doesn't, then we should never let our lives be taken by it for life should not end where heartaches begin. There's always a reason why we have to move on. When we have to say goodbye to the feelings we wanted to stay forever, let us not wave our hands with a heavy heart for love will have to set its wings free and find a place where it belongs. We may have lost it but then again, when we close our eyes and listen to the echoes of our hearts, we will hear that feeling resounding silently forever then we'll know that it has never left us for the good we have become because of love will always stay. It will always be there reminding us that we should be thankful and happy not because we have lost love but because for once in our lives that feeling lived in our hearts and made us happy.
Sometimes we close our eyes and just listen to the echoes of our hearts. We all fall in love and there are times that we love so much that we lose ourselves in our own emotions. More often than not, we wonder why there are love that grows and love that grows cold. We would start to search for answers and try to find where love has gone wrong. But in the end we find ourselves where we started. We cannot question love when it has its own reasons. Love will always be as it always has been. Silent, mysterious, and deeply profound. Many of us believe that love is forever. That love never dies, only to be disillusioned in the end when we find our hands empty and our hearts longing. We mistakenly have looked at love as need to be fulfilled. But love is only a gift given to us. We should not hold it in our hands for we may never find the strength to let it go when it decides to leave. We should only embrace its warmth and glow while it lasts and then freely open our hearts when it's time to say goodbye. When we fall in love with someone, we don't want that feeling to end for it is everything that we are and everything we wanted to be. We pray that love will stay and grow in our hearts. But if it doesn't, then we should never let our lives be taken by it for life should not end where heartaches begin. There's always a reason why we have to move on. When we have to say goodbye to the feelings we wanted to stay forever, let us not wave our hands with a heavy heart for love will have to set its wings free and find a place where it belongs. We may have lost it but then again, when we close our eyes and listen to the echoes of our hearts, we will hear that feeling resounding silently forever then we'll know that it has never left us for the good we have become because of love will always stay. It will always be there reminding us that we should be thankful and happy not because we have lost love but because for once in our lives that feeling lived in our hearts and made us happy.
COURAGE OF LETTING GO
A dear friend of mine recently talked about his grief when he finally decided to let go of someone he loves dearly. Many people often say that if you love someone, you should let him or her go. Whether or not to let go is one's issue. To hold on to a losing ‘battle’ and losing your dignity is another.
The very first notion would be if the person comes back to you, then he or she is yours. But if he or she doesn’t then he or she was never meant to be.
However, no one in his right mind would let someone he loves go. Yet, we all want to do the right thing because if we ever want to look back, we want to be able to say that at least, at one time in our lives; we were once generous and brave. Still the cost of magnanimity and courage, believe it or not, hurts.
The truth is when someone we love pulls away from us, our first instinct is to hold on. We hold because the thought of losing the one person we love is just too painful to bear. And in our pain, we lose sight of what is sane and only see the need to stop him or her from fleeing and so instead of giving way, we block the path of their getaway.
But it is absolute madness to cling on to someone who perhaps no longer wants you. So let the person go. What are you afraid of? That he or she won’t come back? The truth is that you can’t really hold on to someone who doesn’t want you anymore, so there really is no point in holding on. You might as well let go with dignity and grace. Hold your head high and let go. But this is no easy task. It will take a lot of courage, patience and time.
Letting go is difficult because it is against human nature. It is just like saying “No” when all you wanted to say is “Yes”. It is resisting the flow, going against the wind and is like walking away when all you wanted to do is stay. It is transcending our humanity and rising to our divinity. Letting go commands us to be larger than life.
Ultimately, it is vital to let go only when you are ready. Don’t be so hard on yourself if you can’t let go. No one ever said it would be easy. But if you know what is good for you, then you must learn to do what is hard and painful. For if you really want to know if this love is meant for you, then, you must have the courage to submit to its ultimate test.
Of course it will be terrifying and painful. And if he doesn’t come back, then of course it will be devastating. But surely, there will be life after the tears and the heartbreak, if you can let go of your love and hold on to your faith.
I think that all stories can end happily. They may not always end the way we wanted them to but then who wants a boring and predictable story anyway? I, for one, am certainly against monotonous tedious endings.
They say it’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. But I personally say it is better to have loved and let go then to have loved and held on to the unworthy one.
The very first notion would be if the person comes back to you, then he or she is yours. But if he or she doesn’t then he or she was never meant to be.
However, no one in his right mind would let someone he loves go. Yet, we all want to do the right thing because if we ever want to look back, we want to be able to say that at least, at one time in our lives; we were once generous and brave. Still the cost of magnanimity and courage, believe it or not, hurts.
The truth is when someone we love pulls away from us, our first instinct is to hold on. We hold because the thought of losing the one person we love is just too painful to bear. And in our pain, we lose sight of what is sane and only see the need to stop him or her from fleeing and so instead of giving way, we block the path of their getaway.
But it is absolute madness to cling on to someone who perhaps no longer wants you. So let the person go. What are you afraid of? That he or she won’t come back? The truth is that you can’t really hold on to someone who doesn’t want you anymore, so there really is no point in holding on. You might as well let go with dignity and grace. Hold your head high and let go. But this is no easy task. It will take a lot of courage, patience and time.
Letting go is difficult because it is against human nature. It is just like saying “No” when all you wanted to say is “Yes”. It is resisting the flow, going against the wind and is like walking away when all you wanted to do is stay. It is transcending our humanity and rising to our divinity. Letting go commands us to be larger than life.
Ultimately, it is vital to let go only when you are ready. Don’t be so hard on yourself if you can’t let go. No one ever said it would be easy. But if you know what is good for you, then you must learn to do what is hard and painful. For if you really want to know if this love is meant for you, then, you must have the courage to submit to its ultimate test.
Of course it will be terrifying and painful. And if he doesn’t come back, then of course it will be devastating. But surely, there will be life after the tears and the heartbreak, if you can let go of your love and hold on to your faith.
I think that all stories can end happily. They may not always end the way we wanted them to but then who wants a boring and predictable story anyway? I, for one, am certainly against monotonous tedious endings.
They say it’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. But I personally say it is better to have loved and let go then to have loved and held on to the unworthy one.
Jesus Is GOD
Jesus is God of both Old and New testament. in fact, He is the fulfillment of the prophecies of the OT that God will manifest in flesh.
Isaiah 9:6-7 Isaiah, who lived 700 years before the time of Jesus, gave a prophecy about a "son" who would be called "Mighty God." Jesus fulfills this prophecy by being God incarnate as a man. Jesus is fully human and fully God. He is the Son of God. As such, he is both "son" and "Mighty God."
Isaiah 7:14- will be a born of a virgin
Micah 5:2 - will be born in Bethlehem
Genesis 12:3; 18:18 - will be a descendant of Abraham
Psalm 16:10,11 - will be resurrected
Psalm 22 - will be crucified
Psalm 22:17 and 34:20 - bones will not be broken although traditionally they do.
and many more. these prophecies prove Jesus' uniqueness among other prophets. all of it are fulfilled by Jesus in the NT.
God's purpose to incarnate Himself to man is to unite earth to heaven. mission of the Son's coming included a plan that would enable man to see and know himself as God sees and knows him. God wanted show His love and compassion to His creation by being one of them. and of course to redeem us.
The following Scriptures, given the character of Jesus Christ, are only logically explained on the basis of His deity:
-I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I AM!" (John 8:58)
-All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you. (John 16:15)
-Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him. (John 3:36)
-I and the Father are One. (John 10:30)
-He who has seen Me, has seen the Father. (John 14:9)
-[The Father has entrusted all judgments to the Son] that all may 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 5:23)
-"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."Jn 1:1."And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us"Jn 1:14
-"For this is how God loved the world: He gave his unique Son so that everyone who believes in him might not be lost but have eternal life.John 3:16
-"Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."John 8:24
Christ conforms the attributes of deity:
ETERNITY - In the beginning, He always was (John 1:1, 2, 14, 15). Jesus had glory with God before the world was created (John 17:5).
OMNIPRESENCE - He is with us always (Matthew 28:20). Where two or three are, He is there (Matthew 18:20). He is in every believer (John 14:20-23). He fills all (Ephesians 1:23; 4:20).
OMNISCIENCE - He knows people’s thoughts (Mark 2:8; Luke 6:8; 11:17). He knew the manner of His death (Matthew 16:21; John 12:33). He knew who would betray Him (John 6:64, 70-71). He knew the future (John 2:19-22; John 18:4; John 13:19; Matthew 24:35).He knew all men (John 2:24, 25). ONLY GOD KNOWS THE FUTURE
OMNIPOTENCE and SOVEREIGNTY - He is the Almighty (Revelation 1:8). He does whatever the Father does (John 5:19). All authority, including over all mankind, is given to Him (Matthew 28:18; John 17:2, 3). He has power to subject all things unto Himself (Philippians 3:21). He exerts control over His own life and death (John 10:18). He has power over nature (Luke. 8:25). He is Lord of all (Revelations 19:16; 1 Peter 3:22, Colossians 1:18; Acts 10:36).
IMMUTABILITY - He is always and forever the same (Hebrews 13:8 cf., 1:12, 8, 10). His words will never pass away (Matthew 24:35).
HOLY - He is holy (Revelation 3:7). He is the holy offspring that will be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35). He is holy, innocent, undefiled, and separated from sinners (Hebrews 7:26).
TRUTH - The truth is in Jesus (Ephesians 4:21). He is full of grace and truth (John 1:14). He is the truth (John 14:6).
Designations of God in OT Ascribed to Christ in NT:
- The first and the last—Isaiah 41:4; 44,6; 48:12 / Revelation 2:8; 22:13
- I AM—Exodus 3:14 / John 8:58; John 13:19
- Author of eternal words—Isaiah. 40:8; Psalm 119:89 / Matthew 24:35; John 6:68
- Forgiver of sins—Jeremiah 31:34 / Acts 5:31
- Redeemer—Hosea 13:14; Psalm 130:7 / Titus 2:13,14; Revelation 5:9
- Light—Psalm 27:1 / John 1:4-9; 8:12; 1 John 1:5
- The Lord of Glory—Isaiah 42:8 / John 17:1-5; 1 Corinthians 2:8
- Shepherd—Psalm 23:1 / John 10:11; Hebrews 13:20
- The First Coming God—Isaiah 40:3 / Matthew 3:3
- The Second Coming God—Zechariah 14:5 / Matthew 16:27; 24:29-31
- The Lord Almighty—Isaiah 6:1-3; 8:13-14 / John 12:41; 1 Peter 2:8
- King of Glory—Psalm 24:7, 10 / 1 Corinthians 2:8; John 17:5
- Judge—Joel 3:12 / Matthew 25:31-46
- Emmanuel—Isaiah 7:14 / Matthew 1:23
- The eternal God and Creator—Psalm 102:24-27 / Hebrews 1:8, 10-12
- Lord of the Sabbath—Genesis 2:3 / Matthew 12:8
- The great God and savior—Isaiah 43:11-12 / Titus 1:3-4; 2:10, 13; 3:4-6
- Confess that He is Lord—Isaiah 45:23 (Jehovah) / Philippians 2:11 (Jesus)
- Creator of all things—Isaiah 40:28; Psalm 148:1-5 / John 1:3; Colossians 1:16
- Lord of All—1 Chronicles 29:11-12 / Acts 10:36; Romans 10:11-13
- The Judge of all men—Psalm 98:9 / Acts 17:31
- Raiser of the dead—1 Samuel 2:6; Psalm 119 (11 times) / John 11:25; 5:21 w/Luke 7:12-16
- Judge of the nations—Joel 3:12 / Matthew 25:31-41
- Salvation by calling on the name of the Lord—Joel 2:32 / Romans 10:13
Prerogatives of Deity Ascribed to Christ:
- Giver of eternal life with authority over all mankind (John 17:2; John 10:28).
- Worshipped by angels (Psalm 148:2): God—Hebrews 1:6; Jesus—Luke 4:8.
- Addressed in prayer (Acts 7:59).
- Raising the dead while on earth (Matthew 9:25 Luke 7:12-16 John 11:44)
- Forgives sin (Matthew 1:21; Mark 2:7)
- Raising the dead for judgment (John 5:24-29; Acts 10:42; Acts 17:31
- Power to transform the bodies of all believers (Philippians 3:21).
- Worship by people. Only God is worthy of worship (Psalm 95:6). Neither people (Acts 10:25-6), nor angels (Revelation 19:10) are to receive worship, only God (Luke 4:8). But Jesus received worship from:
>man born blind (John 9:38); the disciples (Matthew 14:33; 28:17); the wise men (Matthew 2:2, 11); the young ruler (Matthew 9:18); women (Matthew 28:9); the disciples (Matthew 28:17); the demons (Mark 3:11; 5:6); everyone (Philippians 2:10, 11); the four elders (Revelation 5:14).
scripture explicitly saying Christ is God:
- John 1:18 "The only begotten God."
- John 20:28, Thomas said to him [Jesus] "My Lord and my God."
- Titus 2:13, "Our Great God and Saviour Jesus Christ."
- 1 John 5:20, "Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life"
- Colossians 2:9, "In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form."
- Colossians 1:15-17, "He is the image of the invisible God… by him all things were created."
- Romans 9:5, "Christ, who is God over all, forever praised."
- 2 Thessalonians 1:12, "Our God and Lord Jesus Christ."
- John 10:33 "You a mere man claiming to be God" (the Jews)
- Mark 14:61-64 "You have heard the blasphemy" (high priests)
- John 5:18 "Making Himself [Jesus] equal with God" (John)
Isaiah 9:6-7 Isaiah, who lived 700 years before the time of Jesus, gave a prophecy about a "son" who would be called "Mighty God." Jesus fulfills this prophecy by being God incarnate as a man. Jesus is fully human and fully God. He is the Son of God. As such, he is both "son" and "Mighty God."
Isaiah 7:14- will be a born of a virgin
Micah 5:2 - will be born in Bethlehem
Genesis 12:3; 18:18 - will be a descendant of Abraham
Psalm 16:10,11 - will be resurrected
Psalm 22 - will be crucified
Psalm 22:17 and 34:20 - bones will not be broken although traditionally they do.
and many more. these prophecies prove Jesus' uniqueness among other prophets. all of it are fulfilled by Jesus in the NT.
God's purpose to incarnate Himself to man is to unite earth to heaven. mission of the Son's coming included a plan that would enable man to see and know himself as God sees and knows him. God wanted show His love and compassion to His creation by being one of them. and of course to redeem us.
The following Scriptures, given the character of Jesus Christ, are only logically explained on the basis of His deity:
-I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I AM!" (John 8:58)
-All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you. (John 16:15)
-Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him. (John 3:36)
-I and the Father are One. (John 10:30)
-He who has seen Me, has seen the Father. (John 14:9)
-[The Father has entrusted all judgments to the Son] that all may 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 5:23)
-"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."Jn 1:1."And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us"Jn 1:14
-"For this is how God loved the world: He gave his unique Son so that everyone who believes in him might not be lost but have eternal life.John 3:16
-"Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."John 8:24
Christ conforms the attributes of deity:
ETERNITY - In the beginning, He always was (John 1:1, 2, 14, 15). Jesus had glory with God before the world was created (John 17:5).
OMNIPRESENCE - He is with us always (Matthew 28:20). Where two or three are, He is there (Matthew 18:20). He is in every believer (John 14:20-23). He fills all (Ephesians 1:23; 4:20).
OMNISCIENCE - He knows people’s thoughts (Mark 2:8; Luke 6:8; 11:17). He knew the manner of His death (Matthew 16:21; John 12:33). He knew who would betray Him (John 6:64, 70-71). He knew the future (John 2:19-22; John 18:4; John 13:19; Matthew 24:35).He knew all men (John 2:24, 25). ONLY GOD KNOWS THE FUTURE
OMNIPOTENCE and SOVEREIGNTY - He is the Almighty (Revelation 1:8). He does whatever the Father does (John 5:19). All authority, including over all mankind, is given to Him (Matthew 28:18; John 17:2, 3). He has power to subject all things unto Himself (Philippians 3:21). He exerts control over His own life and death (John 10:18). He has power over nature (Luke. 8:25). He is Lord of all (Revelations 19:16; 1 Peter 3:22, Colossians 1:18; Acts 10:36).
IMMUTABILITY - He is always and forever the same (Hebrews 13:8 cf., 1:12, 8, 10). His words will never pass away (Matthew 24:35).
HOLY - He is holy (Revelation 3:7). He is the holy offspring that will be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35). He is holy, innocent, undefiled, and separated from sinners (Hebrews 7:26).
TRUTH - The truth is in Jesus (Ephesians 4:21). He is full of grace and truth (John 1:14). He is the truth (John 14:6).
Designations of God in OT Ascribed to Christ in NT:
- The first and the last—Isaiah 41:4; 44,6; 48:12 / Revelation 2:8; 22:13
- I AM—Exodus 3:14 / John 8:58; John 13:19
- Author of eternal words—Isaiah. 40:8; Psalm 119:89 / Matthew 24:35; John 6:68
- Forgiver of sins—Jeremiah 31:34 / Acts 5:31
- Redeemer—Hosea 13:14; Psalm 130:7 / Titus 2:13,14; Revelation 5:9
- Light—Psalm 27:1 / John 1:4-9; 8:12; 1 John 1:5
- The Lord of Glory—Isaiah 42:8 / John 17:1-5; 1 Corinthians 2:8
- Shepherd—Psalm 23:1 / John 10:11; Hebrews 13:20
- The First Coming God—Isaiah 40:3 / Matthew 3:3
- The Second Coming God—Zechariah 14:5 / Matthew 16:27; 24:29-31
- The Lord Almighty—Isaiah 6:1-3; 8:13-14 / John 12:41; 1 Peter 2:8
- King of Glory—Psalm 24:7, 10 / 1 Corinthians 2:8; John 17:5
- Judge—Joel 3:12 / Matthew 25:31-46
- Emmanuel—Isaiah 7:14 / Matthew 1:23
- The eternal God and Creator—Psalm 102:24-27 / Hebrews 1:8, 10-12
- Lord of the Sabbath—Genesis 2:3 / Matthew 12:8
- The great God and savior—Isaiah 43:11-12 / Titus 1:3-4; 2:10, 13; 3:4-6
- Confess that He is Lord—Isaiah 45:23 (Jehovah) / Philippians 2:11 (Jesus)
- Creator of all things—Isaiah 40:28; Psalm 148:1-5 / John 1:3; Colossians 1:16
- Lord of All—1 Chronicles 29:11-12 / Acts 10:36; Romans 10:11-13
- The Judge of all men—Psalm 98:9 / Acts 17:31
- Raiser of the dead—1 Samuel 2:6; Psalm 119 (11 times) / John 11:25; 5:21 w/Luke 7:12-16
- Judge of the nations—Joel 3:12 / Matthew 25:31-41
- Salvation by calling on the name of the Lord—Joel 2:32 / Romans 10:13
Prerogatives of Deity Ascribed to Christ:
- Giver of eternal life with authority over all mankind (John 17:2; John 10:28).
- Worshipped by angels (Psalm 148:2): God—Hebrews 1:6; Jesus—Luke 4:8.
- Addressed in prayer (Acts 7:59).
- Raising the dead while on earth (Matthew 9:25 Luke 7:12-16 John 11:44)
- Forgives sin (Matthew 1:21; Mark 2:7)
- Raising the dead for judgment (John 5:24-29; Acts 10:42; Acts 17:31
- Power to transform the bodies of all believers (Philippians 3:21).
- Worship by people. Only God is worthy of worship (Psalm 95:6). Neither people (Acts 10:25-6), nor angels (Revelation 19:10) are to receive worship, only God (Luke 4:8). But Jesus received worship from:
>man born blind (John 9:38); the disciples (Matthew 14:33; 28:17); the wise men (Matthew 2:2, 11); the young ruler (Matthew 9:18); women (Matthew 28:9); the disciples (Matthew 28:17); the demons (Mark 3:11; 5:6); everyone (Philippians 2:10, 11); the four elders (Revelation 5:14).
scripture explicitly saying Christ is God:
- John 1:18 "The only begotten God."
- John 20:28, Thomas said to him [Jesus] "My Lord and my God."
- Titus 2:13, "Our Great God and Saviour Jesus Christ."
- 1 John 5:20, "Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life"
- Colossians 2:9, "In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form."
- Colossians 1:15-17, "He is the image of the invisible God… by him all things were created."
- Romans 9:5, "Christ, who is God over all, forever praised."
- 2 Thessalonians 1:12, "Our God and Lord Jesus Christ."
- John 10:33 "You a mere man claiming to be God" (the Jews)
- Mark 14:61-64 "You have heard the blasphemy" (high priests)
- John 5:18 "Making Himself [Jesus] equal with God" (John)
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