Plain and Simple: Where I Stand Before God

I have not been diagnosed by any doctor, nor do I believe that I will ever be, but by now I am sure that I am suffering from ME (Myalgic Encephalomielitis.)  I based this assertion after reading several medical and scientific sources (none of them from the United States, I must say,) that clearly describe the symptoms that I experience every day.  ME, or CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome, as it is more commonly and incorrectly known,) is an untreatable, let alone curable, illness.  Extremely little is known about this illness and, despite its official listing by the CDC, most doctors in the US refuse to admit that this malady is real. 

People who suffer from ME have a great challenge before them.  The first thing that we are told by people is that the illness is psychological in nature, that “it is in our heads.”  I have heard and read anecdotal accounts where ME sufferers are called lazy and are told to “snap out of it.”

So by now you are asking yourself:  What does this have to do with a blog about Jesus Christ?  Everything, my dear reader.  As a true believer, both my ME and my blindness bring to my life certain challenges that an unbeliever does not face.  As a believer, and here I want to remind all my brothers and sisters in Christ, the first thing I have to keep in mind is that the serpent of old, Satan, tries to use my physical weaknesses to separate me from my Lord and Savior.  The devil wants me to think that I am ill and disabled because either there is no God, or God is angry with me and is punishing me, or that God has forgotten and abandoned me to my own devices.  My dear brothers and sisters, never fall for this crap trap!  Always remember that Satan produces nothing but garbage, albeit brilliantly, and you can see this at close inspection. 

Are you suffering from some prolongued, perhaps incurable illness?  Are you permanently disabled?  Declare war on Satan and his hell.  Start a vigorous prayer life.  Pray every single day, and if you do not know how, start by saying to your Almighty LORD of hosts:  “Most wonderful God, teach me to pray.”  If you really, really get stuck during prayers, pick up your Bible, open it on the Book of Psalms and read one or two out loud.  The psalms, among other things, are indeed prayers and meditations.  You can be sure that the LORD will be very pleased to have you read His Word to Him as a form of prayer. 

Another sad challenge that we believers who are ill and/or disabled have to face are other Christians who have fallen into false doctrines.  As you may know, there are many church leaders out there who teach that, if you are Christian, you are supposed to live a honky dory life, a perfect, rosy life without any emotional, financial or health problems whatsoever.  These false teachers stand at the pulpit and tell those members of their congregations who happen to be sick or disabled that they can miraculously be cured, that all they have to do is to say that they will be cured, and God will do it for them.  This is the heresy of God performing miracles on demand.  As a result of this heresy, when the miraculous cure does not happen, then the sick or disabled person is told that he or she is not praying properly, or that they are not a true child of God, or that they have allowed Satan to rule their lives.  As you can see, this false doctrine can be very harmful. 

There is absolutely no shred of evidence in the Scriptures that, if you are saved by the work of the Lord Jesus, all your diseases and disabilities will be cured.  Some people will point out verses where the words, “cure,” or “heal,” appear, and they say that this refers to a literal, physical cure.  Let me give one example of this, and how faulty the literal meaning is:

Psalm 103:2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits:

3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases,

The ending phrase of verse 3 is, “who heals all your diseases.”  This is the phrase that many misinterpret as meaning physical healing of physical diseases.  But go back to verse 2 and read very carefully the opening phrase, “Bless the LORD, oh my soul…”  With this phrase, David is establishing the fact that his references to health, life and the like in this psalm are strictly spiritual, not physical.  In other words, David is refering to the healing of a diseased soul, not body. 

We read in the gospels how the Lord Jesus healed many from their physical illnesses, and some use this to also claim that any and all Christians will be physically healed by God.  These people do not understand that the reason why Jesus healed so many people was not to give them what they wanted because, after all, many of these people continued in their life of rejecting Him as the Son of God.  Jesus used physical healing in His earthly ministry to Glorify the Father who sent Him, to testify that He was the one sent by the Father to save His chosen ones from death, hell and eternal separation from God.  In other words, the Lord Jesus healed people, not for them, but for the Father. 

Ask anyone who believes that a Christian will always be free from illness and disability, and who themselves are sick or disabled, how come they themselves are not enjoying what they believe.  The poor person who is in this predicament will not be able to give you a clear, satisfactory answer because they have none.  Brothers and sisters, do not believe the lies of the devil that have infiltrated the churches.  Pray to our Most High God that He may deliver the people enslaved by these insidious lies. 

So, the question that many of my ill and disabled brothers and sisters out there are probably asking is:  Why has God allowed this illness or disability to afflict me?  Oh, my dear brethren, the answer is simpler than you may think.  Actually, I can declare here with all joy and confidence that the answer to this question is the root of all hope of the believer.  The reason why I am blind, the reason why I am sick, the reason why this world exists, the reason this universe was created, is to give all glory, praise and adoration to God the Creator, the Father, the Savior.  Keep in mind that this is the root concept of our supernatural understanding of our awesome God.  This concept of the purpose of God is a supernatural one, and some people may have trouble understanding it.  No matter, our LORD is so loving that He does not require all His children to fully understand everything about Himself.  What is of absolute importance for us as believers is that we truly believe and accept the fact that Jesus went to the cross bearing our sins, taking our punishment of death and hell, being raised by the Father at the third day in full glory and ascending into the heavens, so that we may be able to follow Him to eternity at our appointed time. 

So, if I am sick now, if I am blind now, it is for a very specific purpose, to glorify my God and bring honor and praise to Him in front of people, angels and demons.  I know why I am here, I know where I am going and I have all the weapons needed to accomplish my mission here on this Earth, weapons all provided by my All Powerful and awesome God.  As far as I am concerned, it does not and it can not get any better than that. 

May you all be blessed in Christ,

Zoraida Morrison

The work of Christ on the cross

What follows is part of a letter I wrote to a new Christian, born of the spirit a few months ago.  I figured I would post it here for readers to share and meditate on this very important week for us true believers.  May this excerpt be of blessing to whoever has not been reconciled to our LORD yet. 

 

 

The light of our LORD God and the grace of our Savior Jesus Christ be with you, dear Margaret.
Your last letter to me made me so happy.  I am honored to have been witness to your birth in Christ.  I am so pleased to see that you understand that you are a sinner, deserving only of eternal death and hell, and that you and me are undeserving of the mercy and grace extended to us by the Father through His blessed Son.  I say this because, as you will see in time, there are lots of people who claim to be Christian but do not believe in these things, people who refuese to see that they are sinners and must have the cleansing of the blood of Christ, but live in their own self-righteousness, just like the people of the world.
I am writing to you in the middle of holy week, your first of many.  This is the week for us to contemplate the awesomeness of what Jesus did for us on the cross, and what that most powerful work cost both Him and the Father.  As you meditate during this week, my sister Margaret, remember that the Lord Jesus went willingly to the cross instead of you and me.  His Father became His judge as He bore all of our sins, and pronounced the just and righteous sentence of punishment and death because of all of those sins.  As the blessed Lord Jesus hung on that cross, having become a curse, the Father had to avert His eyes, for the Father can not behold sin.  Jesus became, in fact, separated from the Father, He was actually left alone.  This is why He said the words: “My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?”  This event of cosmic proportions had to be reflected by our natural world, and so the heavens were darkened for three hours.
And after the agony of our Lord Jesus Christ bearing all of our sins, being separated from and abandoned by the Father, dying and experiencing the punishment of hell, comes the wonderful triumph of His bodily resurrection, His victory over Satan, death and hell, so that we, the saved, His saints, may now be reconciled to the Father and have access to the heavenly throne room at any time, the guidance and comfort of that beautiful and blessed Holy Spirit, and, when our journey on this Earth is over, life in the eternal kingdom, which our Lord Jesus went to prepare for us.  Aleluya!
Blessed be the One who comes in the name of the LORD!

Sharing my letter, ministry in writing

Hello everyone,

It has been a while since I posted anything here.  I know that one of the rules for effective blogging is that you are supposed to blog often.  Well, I will confess here that sometimes I feel bad for not blogging often, but then the LORD, in His wonderful ways, reminds me that, whenever I come here to blog, it is not according to my schedule, but according to His own time, decreed by His sovereign will. 

I am here today because I was cleaning one of my E-mail folders, and I found a short letter I wrote to a brother in Christ late last year.  The letter concerns a mutual friend who was very ill at the time, and we were very worried about him.  As I read this letter a moment ago, the LORD put it in my heart to post it here and share with others.  I know for a fact that there are people out there who know me and at this time are in much need of encouragement.  Beloved, you know who you are.  For you, and for anyone else who might come to this blog to read, here is the letter I wrote last year.  May its message remind you of the presence and power of the LORD in your life, may you be strengthened through Christ Jesus, by the blessed Holy Spirit, to fight the evil one and be victorious day by day. 

 

 

November 19, 2011

 Hello dear Charles,
 I am always glad to read your posts on the forums, and was particularly happy about your last post on the thread about the latest update about John. You wrote in your post that, if it is the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, our prayers will be answered. In other words, if it is the will of God to heal John, which is what we want and are praying for, it will be done.  However, if it is in the purposes of our LORD that John does not recover, we are to accept this heavenly decree as well, as much as it may be a heartbreaker, for our LORD is the sovereign King.  As you may know, there are people out there, including Christians, who believe that God is somehow obligated to bring about the desired outcomes.  These are the people who become disappointed or even become angry at God when He does not fulfill the wishes they pray for.  Accepting the will of God completely, wether that holy will is something we enjoy or something that hurts us, is a rather difficult thing to do.  It takes the Holy Spirit within us to make us see and fully understand this great truth.  I am glad, my dear Charles, to be able to share my faith with you.  May our Lord Jesus Christ grace you with His presence this evening and always.
 In Christ,
 Zoraida
> John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No > one comes to the Father except through Me.

 

The saints of God

When people hear the word “saint,” they usually think of the men and women the Catholic Church has named as such.  But who are the true saints of God? 

The word “saint” is the same word as “holy,” and it means, to separate, or to be separated for.  Unfortunately, men have taken it upon themselves to define who a saint is, but we must learn and always remember that a saint can not be defined as such by men or by a church, but only by God Himself.  Simply put, in the eyes of God, a saint is one of His elect, one of His chosen ones for life eternal. 

The word saint appears in the Bible as early as the book of Deuteronomy, the fifth book in the Old Testament, last book of the five books of Moses, known as the Pentateuch. 

Deuteronomy 33:1 Now this is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death.

2 And he said: “The LORD came from Sinai, And dawned on them from Seir; He shone forth from Mount Paran, And He came with ten thousands of saints; From His right hand Came a fiery law for them.

3 Yes, He loves the people; All His saints are in Your hand; They sit down at Your feet; Everyone receives Your words.

 

Notice that the word “saint” appears in the Scriptures long, long before there ever was a Catholic Church, or an Eastern Orthodox Church, with their earthly procedures and their self-claim to the authority for naming people as saints. 

There were no Christians, no Christianity during the time of Moses, simply because the Lord Jesus would not make His appearance on the Earth for another 1500 years or so.   

 

The saints of God are to praise and rejoice in Him for His righteousness, and for their salvation and protection:

Old Testament- 2Chronicles 6:41  “Now therefore, Arise, O LORD God, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength. Let Your priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, And let Your saints rejoice in goodness.

Old Testament- Psalm 30:4  Sing praise to the LORD, You saints of His, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.

Old Testament- Psalm 89:5  And the heavens will praise Your wonders, O LORD; Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the saints.

Old Testament- Psalm 145:10  All Your works shall praise You, O LORD, And Your saints shall bless You.

Old Testament- Psalm 149:5  Let the saints be joyful in glory; Let them sing aloud on their beds.

 

God is pleased with His saints:

Old Testament- Psalm 16:3  As for the saints who are on the earth, “They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.”

 

Perhaps the most beautiful reference to the saints of God in Scripture is the one that follows:

Old Testament- Psalm 116:15  Precious in the sight of the LORD Is the death of His saints.

 

God’s promise is to keep and protect His saints:

Old Testament- 1Samuel 2:9  He will guard the feet of His saints, But the wicked shall be silent in darkness. “For by strength no man shall prevail.

Old Testament- Psalm 31:23  Oh, love the LORD, all you His saints! For the LORD preserves the faithful, And fully repays the proud person.

Old Testament- Psalm 37:28  For the LORD loves justice, And does not forsake His saints; They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off.

Old Testament- Psalm 97:10  You who love the LORD, hate evil! He preserves the souls of His saints; He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.

Old Testament- Proverbs 2:8  He guards the paths of justice, And preserves the way of His saints.

 

God Almighty does preserve and take care of His saints here on this Earth, but here is the ultimate promise, the reason for the complete work of salvation done by our Lord Jesus Christ alone:

Old Testament- Daniel 7:18  `But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.’

Old Testament- Revelation 11:18  The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great, And should destroy those who destroy the earth.” 

 

The LORD God expects His saints to fear (respect and reverence) Him:

Old Testament- Psalm 34:9  Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him.

Old Testament- Psalm 89:7  God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, And to be held in reverence by all those around Him.

 

In the New Testament, the earliest reference to the saints occurs during the account of the death of Christ on the cross.  Notice that there are still no “Christians” in the world, for all these saints referred to in the account were mostly the children of Israel, meaning Jews:

Mathew 27:50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.

51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split,

52 and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised;

53 and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

 

After the ascention of the Lord Jesus into heaven, His believers grew in number, and the Jewish authorities that held on to the Old Testament laws started to oppose them.  One man in particular rose to become the scourge of the new Christians, Saul of Tarsus, later known as Paul, the apostle of the Gentiles.  In the verse below, Ananias, a follower of Christ, talks to the LORD about the commandment he received to go find Saul of Tarsus:

Acts 9:13  Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem.

 

Once Paul became a servant of Christ, he ministered to the congregations by, among other things, writing them leters in order to correct, instruct and teach.  Notice the salutations of these letters:

Romans 1:7  To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Notice in the verse below how Paul states that sanctification, or being a saint, happens “in Christ Jesus.”

1Corinthians 1:2  To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:

2Corinthians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Achaia:

Ephesians 1:1  Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus:

Philippians 1:1  Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:

Colossians 1:2  To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Notice how, in the verse below, Paul calls himself a saint, and rightly so, for it was God Himself who declared him a saint, and Paul understood this well.  True believers today should also understand this and know that we are the saints of God.  There is nothing arrogant, boastful or incorrect about this, because as soon as we are saved from our sins by the blood and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, we become a member of the household of God, a saint, a separated one for Him.  Therefore, we can say to anyone with confidence and much joy: “I am a saint in the Lord Jesus Christ!”

Ephesians 2:19  Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,

Paul calling himself a saint:

Ephesians 3:8  To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,

 

The word saint occurs frequently throughout the New Testament, all the way to the book of Revelation.  In both Old and New Testaments, the Bible teaches that the saints of God will be persecuted for their faithfulness, the last great persecution will happen during the end times, and will end in triumph:

Old Testament- Daniel 7:25  He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, Shall persecute the saints of the Most High, And shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand For a time and times and half a time.
Old Testament- Daniel 7:27  Then the kingdom and dominion, And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And all dominions shall serve and obey Him.’

New Testament- Revelation 20:7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison

8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea.

9 They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.

10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Today, the saints of God are suffering persecution throughout the world.  In many countries, their houses of worship are being burned down or bombed, and they are being arrested, tortured and executed.  Even here in the United States, we the saints of God are facing satanic forces that are destroying our moral and spiritual values, as well as the social structures that are essential for stability and order.  If any saint is reading this today, I wish to exhort him or her to engage in regular, constant prayer for all the saints of God, wherever they may be.  Pray that all of us may receive from our LORD the strength, hope and endurance needed from the Holy Spirit in order to survive these tough times.  May Jehovah LORD of hosts keep and bless us all, today and always.

Zoraida Morrison

Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon

The following writings are from Charles H.  Spurgeon’s daily devotional entitled, “Morning and Evening.”  Charles Spurgeon (1834-92) was a faithful, courageous preacher from England who was not ashamed of the gospel and of Jesus, and who was not afraid of speaking about the most difficult biblical doctrine, that of election.  This doctrine states that God, in His sovereign holiness, chooses those people to whom He will show mercy (to absolve them from the just punishment of eternal death in hell because of sin,) and to whom He will give grace (to impute to them the righteousness of Jesus Christ and thus eternal life in heaven.)  Note that, in the following devotional, Spurgeon writes on the issue of salvation in the morning portion, and the issue of God’s just sovereignty and election in the evening portion.  May these writings be of blessing according to the will of the sovereign LORD of hosts.

Zoraida Morrison

Morning
“To preach deliverance to the captives.”

Luke 4:18

None but Jesus can give deliverance to captives. Real liberty cometh from him only. It is a liberty righteously bestowed; for the Son, who is Heir of all things, has a right to make men free. The saints honour the justice of God, which now secures their salvation. It is a liberty which has been dearly purchased. Christ speaks it by his power, but he bought it by his blood. He makes thee free, but it is by his own bonds. Thou goest clear, because he bare thy burden for thee: thou art set at liberty, because he has suffered in thy stead. But, though dearly purchased, he freely gives it. Jesus asks nothing of us as a preparation for this liberty. He finds us sitting in sackcloth and ashes, and bids us put on the beautiful array of freedom; he saves us just as we are, and all without our help or merit. When Jesus sets free, the liberty is perpetually entailed; no chains can bind again. Let the Master say to me, “Captive, I have delivered thee,” and it is done forever. Satan may plot to enslave us, but if the Lord be on our side, whom shall we fear? The world, with its temptations, may seek to ensnare us, but mightier is he who is for us than all they who be against us. The machinations of our own deceitful hearts may harass and annoy us, but he who hath begun the good work in us will carry it on and perfect it to the end. The foes of God and the enemies of man may gather their hosts together, and come with concentrated fury against us, but if God acquitteth, who is he that condemneth? Not more free is the eagle which mounts to his rocky eyrie, and afterwards outsoars the clouds, than the soul which Christ hath delivered. If we are no more under the law, but free from its curse, let our liberty be practically exhibited in our serving God with gratitude and delight. “I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds.” “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?”

Evening
“For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”

Romans 9:15

In these words the Lord in the plainest manner claims the right to give or to withhold his mercy according to his own sovereign will. As the prerogative of life and death is vested in the monarch, so the Judge of all the earth has a right to spare or condemn the guilty, as may seem best in his sight. Men by their sins have forfeited all claim upon God; they deserve to perish for their sins–and if they all do so, they have no ground for complaint. If the Lord steps in to save any, he may do so if the ends of justice are not thwarted; but if he judges it best to leave the condemned to suffer the righteous sentence, none may arraign him at their bar. Foolish and impudent are all those discourses about the rights of men to be all placed on the same footing; ignorant, if not worse, are those contentions against discriminating grace, which are but the rebellions of proud human nature against the crown and sceptre of Jehovah. When we are brought to see our own utter ruin and ill desert, and the justice of the divine verdict against sin, we no longer cavil at the truth that the Lord is not bound to save us; we do not murmur if he chooses to save others, as though he were doing us an injury, but feel that if he deigns to look upon us, it will be his own free act of undeserved goodness, for which we shall forever bless his name.

How shall those who are the subjects of divine election sufficiently adore the grace of God? They have no room for boasting, for sovereignty most effectually excludes it. The Lord’s will alone is glorified, and the very notion of human merit is cast out to everlasting contempt. There is no more humbling doctrine in Scripture than that of election, none more promotive of gratitude, and, consequently, none more sanctifying. Believers should not be afraid of it, but adoringly rejoice in it.

=======================

Today’s reading is from:

Morning and Evening
by Charles Spurgeon

Gabriel did not announce first

Hello everyone,

What follows is a copy of a blog post I wrote last year in my other Christian blog.  This other blog is small because of limited space provided by the server.  If you wish to read it in its entirety, here is the link:

http://www.samobile.net/users/rosabella/blog

Dear LORD,
It is that time of year again, when we believers focus our spiritual perspective on the earthly birth of Christ, His coming into our world in human fashion, being born of a woman, even though His birth was like no other before or since. Even the secular world celebrates, to some degree, the birth of the Child Jesus and the joy and hope this brought to the world. Part of the story, as it is told in the gospels of Mathew and Luke, is the announcement of the angel Gabriel to Joseph and his virgin wife Mary that she would conceive of the Holy Spirit and bring forth a Son, the Son that would bring salvation to those He chose for eternal life. What not too many people seem to know or remember, though, is that Gabriel was by no means the first one to announce the virgin birth of the Messiah. The Old Testament is peppered with prophecies about this awesome event. Here are a couple of examples:

Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

This verse from Isaiah is the one quoted in the gospel of Mathew:

Mathew 1:21 “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.”
22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:
23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

Here is another prophecy, also from the book of Isaiah:

Isaiah 9:6 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, Prince of Peace.
7 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.

There are many other references in the Old Testament to the birth of our LORD Jesus Christ. The Old Testament also contains many references to the LORD‘s miracles while You, oh LORD Jesus, were here on Earth. References to Your betrayal by Judas Iscariote, and details of Your suffering before and during Your crucifixion. LORD of hosts, thank You for Your wonderful Word, for the fact that the announcement of Your earthly birth had been done way long before Gabriel visited Mary and Joseph. My only regret is that so many Jewish people have never understood the very scrolls You Yourself gave to them for knowledge and understanding. But then again, this is all according to Your will, for not all will come to a true understanding of the Scriptures. I do hope and pray that more people are moved by Your Spirit to search the Word as You commanded us, so that we may get to see You in Your heavenly kingdom.
Your child,
Zoraida

Posted:

Thursday, December 9, 2010 at 5:15 PM

The birth of Christ: Read all about it

From the Word of God, the Bible, here are the accounts of the great event that is the reason for the believers’ joy and celebration.

THE GOSPEL OF MATHEW

CHAPTER 1

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.

19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.

20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.

21 “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.”

22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:

23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife,

25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS.

 

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE

CHAPTER 1

 

26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,

27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.

28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”

29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.

30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

31 “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.

32 “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.

33 “And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”

35 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.

38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE

CHAPTER 2

1 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.

2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.

3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,

5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.

6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.

7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.

10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.

11 “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

12 “And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.”

16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.

17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.

18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.

20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

21 And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called JESUS, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

22 Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord

23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the LORD”),

24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

25 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.

26 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.

27 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,

28 he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:

29 “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word;

30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation

31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,

32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.”

33 And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him.

34 Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against

35 “(yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

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May these biblical passages move you to read the Bible and seek the LORD in earnest. 

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Quoted from the Bible, the Word of God

Zoraida Morrison

It is that time of year again

Do you know what time of year this is?  It is the time of year when true Christians celebrate the most momentous event in human history, the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  And why was Jesus born?  God the Father sent Jesus to this Earth so that He would be the sacrificial Lamb, the perfect one, to pay for the sins of the elect.  In other words, Jesus went to the cross instead of me.  Each and every human being is a sinner, because of the disobedience of Adam and Eve in the garden.  We all lost our communion with God and are all doomed to be born as dead souls, and then to physically die and spend eternity in the punishment of hell.  Mercifully, it pleased God to provide a way of salvation and reconciliation for those He chose for Himself.  This way of salvation and reconciliation is called Jesus, who was born of the Holy Spirit, lived amongst us and atoned for our sins so that we could gain eternal life with Him in the heavens.  This is Christmas, folks, the real thing. 

Let me list now what Christmas is NOT.  Christmas is not stampeding into stores like cattle, starting on Thanksgiving evening, to waste money buying things just because cultural brainwashing says you are supposed to do so.  Christmas is not Frosty the snowman or Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer.  Christmas is not Grandma got run over by a reindeer or All I want for Christmas are my two front teeth.  Christmas is not even Santa Claus and children being fed our culture’s materialistic values.  I am sorry to say that, when it comes to Christmas, most people got it all wrong.  Notice the word:  CHRIST-MAS. 

Would you rather not be one of the saved?  Would you like to have your sins all paid for by the precious blood of our Savior Jesus Christ and blotted out of God’s records?  Would you like to have the means to get to a wonderful and perfect eternity in heaven through Jesus Christ?  This is what He came to this Earth for, this is what we true believers celebrate with such joy and wonder and grattitude.  On this season that celebrates salvation for many, say no to spending money and Jingle Bells.  Find a very quiet place where you will not be interrupted, call the Lord Jesus and tell Him that you wish to be one of His own.  You do not need to use any pre-written prayers or special words, talk to Jesus as you would talk to your most intimate friend.  Do this and you may receive a gift not found in any stores or anywhere else on Earth for that matter.  You may receive grace, the gift of God Himself, that comes straight down from heaven and is the way for you to go straight up to it. 

Romans 6:23  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Zoraida Morrison

Great resources for Christians

Are you a believer who is seeking to grow in the LORD? Are you someone who would like to receive salvation and grace through the Lord Jesus Christ? Whatever the case may be, you may want to explore the following resources that teach the true gospel in a faithful, scriptural manner.
1. Walk with the King
The late Dr. Robert A. Cook teaches biblical interpretation, doctrine and the Word’s application to our daily lives.
http://walkwiththeking.org
2. Renewing your mind
Professor R. C. Sprowl gives scholarly and understandable studies. The link to Renewing your mind radio is:
http://www.ligonier.org/rym/
Explore the main website for various resources.
http://www.ligonier.org
3. The White Horse Inn
A weekly podcast that discusses what is and is not the gospel. On this website you can also read articles and their blog.
http://whitehorseinn.org
4. Dr. Barnhouse and the Bible
Geared towards mature Christians, these are podcasts of old messages from the late Dr. Donald G. Barnhouse.
http://www.accradio.com/Barnhouse/Programs2.htm
Explore the main website for more resources:
http://www.alliancenet.org/CC_Content_Page/0,,PTID307086_CHID581348_CIID,00.html
I may add more resources at a later time. There are out there more faithful teachers that help the body of Christ grow in the faith. Always remember that the mark of a good teacher or preacher is on his or her faithfulness to the Bible, wether they make Christ’s work of redemption the center of their teaching and preaching, how closely do they adhere to what the Word of God says. May the above resources be of blessing to you.
Zoraida Morrison
Rosa Del Fuego

In Sickness and in Grace

In our Christian world today, there are, unfortunately, many incorrect doctrines circulating among the believers. This situation is not new by any means. Soon after our Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven, having finished His work of salvation, as the first congregations of believers of Christ started to grow and organize, incorrect or false doctrines began to pop up, such as the doctrine that, if you did not get baptized with water, you would not be saved. Today many Christians follow some false doctrines that are too good to be true and bring lots of people, and therefore, lots of money, to some churches.
One of these false doctrines is the one that says that, if you are a child of God, you will always enjoy a life of health, wealth and happiness. This is a very nice concept, something that appeals to everybody. Those who preach this false doctrine use the Bible to try to demonstrate that they are correct. As believers, we must be very careful of how we read our Scriptures and interpret them properly.
One passage used to justify the teaching that God will give you whatever you want is found in both the books of Mathew and Luke:
Mathew 7:7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
Mathew 7:8 “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
Read these words also in Luke 11:9-
10.
If you read these verses by themselves, they seem to be saying that if you ask for perfect health, or money, or a nice house, or any of these things, the LORD will give these things to you because you are His child. We must keep in mind that the Bible is not to be interpreted by looking at isolated verses that seem to talk about issues of the world. The first thing that we believers must always remember is that the Bible is about spiritual, not physical, issues. From Genesis to Revelation, what God wrote about is His unfolding work throughout human history, so that a portion of the human race may be given salvation from our sins through the crucifixion, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible does not talk about how can we get rich, or enjoy perfect health all the days of our lives. An example of this is found in the words of our Lord Jesus:
Mathew 6:19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;
20 “but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
See how the Lord Jesus tells us to place our hearts, our focus, on the spiritual, meaning the health of our souls, and the fact that we are on our way to the kingdom of heaven. Thinking about physical and material things and placing too much importance on them distracts us from what is truly important.
A few verses below, Jesus speaks about the things people worry the most:
Mathew 6:25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
The Lord Jesus asks here a rhetorical question, and the answer to His question is a resounding yes, life is definitely more than food, and the body definitely more than clothing. So what are life and our bodies? Here are just two examples among so many found in the Scriptures:
Our lives:
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Our bodies:
1Colossians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
Continuing on Mathew 6, our Lord Jesus Christ goes on to talk about the necessities of our physical lives in our physical bodies:
Mathew 6:26 “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
The answer to the above question is a definite yes, of course we are of more value than the birds of the air, since we were created in the image of God, fell into sin and spiritual death accompanied by the corruption and eventual death of the physical body, and for whom God sent His only Son to the cross so that many may receive from Him the gift of eternal life, which is the grace of God. Let us read on:
Mathew 6:27 “Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;
29 “and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 “Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, `What shall we eat?’ or `What shall we drink?’ or `What shall we wear?’
32 “For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
Notice the Lord’s warning in the last verse you just read. The Lord Jesus says that the Gentiles, meaning non Jews who did not believe in Almighty God, seek after material things. To us believers in Christ, this should give us a clue to be wary of the prosperity gospel that says that if you keep asking God for material things, He will give you all kinds of luxuries.
Mathew 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
“But seek first the kingdom of God…” So, do you think that when the Lord says in the verses quoted above, “Seek and you will find…” That He is referring to material things? I think not.
Notice as well in the verses above, that when our Lord is talking about us getting food, drink and clothing from our heavenly Father, He is talking about basic needs. The Lord Jesus is not implying here that a child of God will be showered with material riches. Where any of His first twelve apostles rich? Did any of the faithful saints we read in the New Testament, like James, Paul or Peter live in luxurious homesand eat gourmet foods? My brothers and sisters, beware of the false prosperity gospel that only seeks to distract you from focusing on the real thing, our salvation through the precious blood of Jesus Christ, and take your money in the process.
And how about being freed from all sickness? Let me just quote some verses from our great teacher Paul:
Galatians 4:13 You know that because of physical infirmity I preached the gospel to you at the first.
14 And my trial which was in my flesh you did not despise or reject, but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.
Notice how Paul, a wonderful saint of God, refers to his physical infirmity, and talks about “my trial which was in my flesh…” These references not only show that Paul suffered from some physical ailment or weakness, but that this was a trial he understood correctly to be for the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ:
2 Colossians 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.
Paul writes that a thorn in the flesh was given to him. Who gave him this thorn in the flesh? Many will say that it was Satan, and this is technically correct, especially since Paul mentions a messenger of Satan. What we must keep in mind is that Satan has no power or freedom to attack the saints of God. It is the LORD Himself who allows Satan to slightly touch a saint, as was the case with Job, which you can read on the first chapter of the book that bears his name. Now why would God allow Satan to inflict pain, illness or other sufferings upon the elect? Read on:
2 Colossians 12:8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.
9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
God said to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” God’s grace is sufficient, because it is the gift of eternal life, and ultimately, that is far, far more important than having perfect physical health. God also said that His strength is made perfect in weakness. What does this mean? It means that, if or when a saint of the LORD is disabled or chronically ill, his or her witness is even stronger in the eyes of the world and of the angels, both good and evil, because the message is: “Look at this person and her limitations. Life is not easy for this person, but she is one of the elect, one of those who were predestined to be given the undeserved grace of God, the gift of eternal life. Because of this, look at her going through life proclaiming the good news of what Jesus did on the cross and how the Father raised Him from the dead. Look at how the LORD holds her and sustains her, look at how He makes everything in her life work according to His purpose, for His own glory and blessing.”
Some preachers say that God wants all His children to be always happy, wealthy and healthy, and this is a terrible teaching. By implication, what these preachers are saying is that, if a child of God does not get rich or does not get miraculously and completely cured, it is either because the person is not really a child of God, or God is evil or unfair. Anyone who preaches the prosperity gospel of perfect health and wealth is denying what is written in the Scriptures, and no one should follow these false doctrines that take people down the path of destruction. Think about it, my dear brothers and sisters. May the Holy Spirit enlighten your path, guide you and correct you.
Zoraida Morrison
Rosa Del Fuego