He Is God :: By Nathele Graham

Published on: June 3, 2023 by RR10

“It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: if we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us” (2 Timothy 2:11-12).

Jesus Christ is God. That is a fact and is not debatable. Many people have the wrong idea that Jesus was a created being like the angels. Some believe that Lucifer and Jesus were brothers. I can hardly type that because it’s so filled with blasphemy. Jesus was the Creator, but Satan was created. The Apostle John makes it very clear that Jesus was God incarnate.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not” (John 1:1-5).

As one of the first followers, John had spent three years learning directly from Jesus. John watched as Jesus healed the blind, the lame, and even brought some back from the dead. The Greek word translated “Word” is “logos” and is used by the Apostle John as a descriptive title of Jesus. John states that not only was Jesus (the Word) in the beginning “with God” but that He “was God.” Of course, that harkens back to Genesis.

“In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).

The creation account tells us that God spoke things into existence. Don’t be confused by man-made ideas, but place your faith in the truth of God found in Scripture.

The Apostle John goes on to say, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

It’s been said that mercy is not getting what we deserve. For instance, our sin is so great that we deserve eternal death. Still, by God’s mercy, our faith in Jesus Christ will bring eternal life instead of what we deserve. Grace is getting what we don’t deserve.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Without the grace of God, nobody could be worthy to be saved from eternal death. I know that I’m not worthy through any effort of my own. Thank God for His mercy and grace through the blood of Jesus… The Word made flesh.

It’s very important to understand that Jesus was fully human and fully God. If you don’t believe that, then you must believe that human sacrifice is condoned by God and can take away sin. Wrong. Jesus had to be human in order to be a kinsman to humanity. Remember, Jewish Law teaches us about our relationship with God. In Leviticus chapter 25, we learn about the need for a kinsman redeemer. If a man had to sell his property, a near relative (kinsman) could redeem what was lost. The book of Ruth is all about the kinsman redeemer, an Old Testament foreshadowing of Jesus Christ, our Kinsman Redeemer.

Mankind’s inheritance was forfeited by Adam. God had been very clear that Adam and Eve could eat from every tree in the Garden of Eden except from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:17).

This command was given to Adam prior to Eve being created. Eve talked with the serpent, ate the fruit, and convinced Adam to eat. They didn’t become like gods, as the serpent said, but they did die. God is always Truth, and Satan is always lies. Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden and separated from God. Eternal separation from God has been a curse of mankind ever since.

God put animal sacrifices in place in order to cover sin, but only the blood of a kinsman to Adam, a human, could redeem mankind. (That’s why Mary was merely a human. She was not deity so should never be worshiped. Yes, we can admire her, but never pray to her or worship her.) God never condones human sacrifice. We are to sacrifice our will to His but never offer a human blood sacrifice. The animal sacrifices were only a temporary covering of sin.

“For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4).

Where does that leave us today? There is no temple in order for a Jewish priest to properly offer animal sacrifices, which were only temporary sin-coverings. Today we have a perfect sacrifice… the blood of Jesus. Jesus wasn’t just a human. He was God. His blood was not tainted by Adam’s sin. Today, science tells us that genetic traits are passed from father to son. Jesus had an adopted father on earth, but His true father was the third person of the Trinity… the Holy Spirit. When the angel came to Mary saying she had been chosen to give birth to the Messiah, she had no idea how that could happen since she was a virgin.

“And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35).

Wow! Jesus was our Kinsman because Mary was human, but His blood wasn’t tainted by sin because He had no human father. He was fully human and also fully God.

The Apostle Peter was among those first followers of Jesus. He was a fisherman, but his life was changed because of Jesus. Peter had a lot to say about Christ.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:1-5).

Peter understood more about the truth of God than most Christians today. He knew that being born again was the way to eternal life. “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abid3th for ever” (1 Peter 1:22-23).

This is the same truth that Jesus spoke to Nicodemus. “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:5-6).

Jesus was God, and we must be born again of the Spirit in order to be a part of His family. You must be a part of His family in order for Him to be your Kinsman Redeemer. If you choose to reject Jesus for salvation, you have made your choice to remain dead in the curse of the original sin that Adam brought upon all of humanity. The gift of salvation is precious, and if you claim to have accepted Christ’s sacrifice for salvation, then your eternity is secure. If you have any doubts or don’t understand what salvation through Christ is, then you need to talk with a Christian who understands.

Your sin condemns you, not God. True faith justifies you. You will never be perfect, but God sees you through the shed blood of Christ. Don’t think that you can be justified by any human. Going to a priest or a pastor to be declared free from sin is ridiculous. Only God can declare you justified.

“He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us” (Romans 8:32-34).

Don’t place faith in any man or acts of man. Your eternal life depends upon your faith in Jesus, not humans. Only Jesus is God. Only Jesus can save.

There is no Temple in Jerusalem on which sacrifices can be made, but there is still a Temple. “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16).

There’s no sacrifice that can take away sin other than the one Christ made for you. The Holy Spirit is sealed within every Christian, and He will guide our thoughts and actions. We will always have a sin nature, but we individually need to sacrifice our self-will to God. The Holy Spirit will never guide you into sin. This is the sanctification process. Failing in our walk isn’t failing to receive eternal life. We need to ask God to forgive us when we sin, and then we need to turn away from that sin. We need to turn loose of the idols of our sinful nature.

“And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (2 Corinthians 6:16).

Idols are anything we put before God, such as a car, money, or yourself. Only Jesus is God and is to be worshipped.

The most important thing you can do right now is to be sure that you’ve placed your life and faith in Jesus. If you have, then live for Him. Share that faith with family and friends. Use Scripture as your guide.

John the Baptist called the nation of Israel to repent and proclaimed the Messiah. “In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, and saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight” (Matthew 3:1-3).

Jesus called twelve men to follow Him and learn how to spread the Good News. Those men knew He was God. One day Jesus asked the disciples who people said He was. They said the people thought he was a prophet or John the Baptist. Still today, there are many ideas about Jesus. Some say He was a kind and gentle man, some say He was a great teacher, and some say He was the brother of Lucifer or Michael. Some even think He is an alien left here to enlighten us. Scripture reveals the truth. After His general question, Jesus asked them who they personally said He was.

“And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16).

Peter had the right answer. What about you? Do you sit in a congregation that thinks Jesus is a created being who is the brother of Satan? Or maybe you’re in a congregation that thinks the man in the pulpit can forgive sin. Who do you say Jesus was… who Jesus is? Many pastors forget to teach the pure truth of the Gospel. They forget that Jesus is God or don’t think it’s an important part of the Gospel.

The same Jesus — who shed His blood on the cross and conquered death for all who believe — will come again one day soon. At His second coming, He will be at war with His enemies. “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful” (Revelation 17:14).

The war will be with those who have rejected Christ and chosen to follow the Beast. At least seven years before this final battle, all Christians will be taken Home to Heaven in the Rapture. The only way to avoid God’s judgment is to choose for yourself to accept God’s free gift of salvation. Follow Jesus, not the world.

“Behold I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:51-53).

We don’t know when this will happen, but we can rest assured that it will happen before the final seven years of life on earth. Because Jesus is God, He will take all believers Home before Judgment is poured out upon those who remain and follow the Satanic leader. If Jesus wasn’t God, this wouldn’t be possible.

If you’ve put your faith in a human, you need to correct that thinking before it’s too late. Even if the Rapture is many years away, you need to be sure you’re clear that Jesus is God before you die. That isn’t a side issue. We are all only a heartbeat away from entering eternity with no second chances. Jesus is your only salvation.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com
ron@straitandnarrowministry.com

Recommended prophecy sites:

www.rapture ready.com
www.prophecyupdate.com
www.raptureforums.com

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.

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God Made It Simple :: By Nathele Graham

Published on: May 27, 2023 by RR10

According to Scripture, salvation isn’t complicated, but humans have complicated it. Justification happens at the moment of true faith in Christ, sanctification takes a lifetime, and glorification comes when we finally are Home with Jesus. God made salvation simple. You only need to realize that you’re a sinner and believe that only Jesus can forgive your sin. Your faith should result in a changed life, and that’s the sanctification process. We all sin, but a true Christian will ask for forgiveness and learn from mistakes.

One evening, a Pharisee came to Jesus to ask about some important truths, and the conversation is very enlightening. “There was man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: the same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God; for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him” (John 3:1-2).

Nicodemus had some understanding but needed to hear the truth from Jesus. He could have listened to the gossip on the street or the prejudice and misinformation among his fellow Pharisees, but he did the right thing; Nicodemus went directly to Jesus for answers. Jesus didn’t beat around the bush. He knew why Nicodemus was there. Eternal life is something most people have questions about, and there are many complicated and wrong answers to that question.

For instance, the Sadducees didn’t believe there was life after death. Today, we have some people who think there’s a place called purgatory where sinners go after death, but it’s not permanent. That’s not Biblical. God made it simple. “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Born again. Now there’s a phrase that has stumbled many well-intentioned people.

Nicodemus was a man who was searching for truth. He knew the Old Testament and had enough head knowledge to recognize Jesus as a “teacher come from God,” but he didn’t have the heart knowledge to recognize that Jesus was God incarnate. Without that heart knowledge, he was blind to the fact that he was speaking with the Messiah. All who seek Jesus need to have more than an intellectual knowledge of Him.

Nicodemus asked many questions that night, and Jesus was patient to answer. Being “born again” was an idea that confused Nicodemus, and Jesus explained. “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth; so is every one that is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8). Jesus wasn’t talking about a physical rebirth but a spiritual one. The word “wind” is the Greek word “pneuma,” which appears 385 times in the New Testament and is often translated as Spirit. Neither the wind nor the Holy Spirit can be seen, but both can be felt.

Without the Holy Spirit, we cannot know the things of God. Nicodemus was smart to seek answers directly from Jesus, but what do we do today?

“For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:11-14.

Is it complicated to receive the Holy Spirit? No, God made it simple. When a person truly and honestly accepts the free gift of salvation only found through Jesus, the Holy Spirit is sealed within that person.

“In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:13-14).

People like to complicate this and try to convince you that you need to do something aside from believe in order to receive the Holy Spirit. People might tell you that you aren’t Spirit-filled if you sin again. Scripture says we only need to believe. The Holy Spirit will never guide us into sin and will help us to understand Scripture. It is possible to ignore this gift, and that’s where trouble comes from. We can choose to live contrary to God’s ways, but that isn’t God’s desire for us.

“And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:30-32).

Godly character should follow your belief, so listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit and study Scripture. Apply God’s truth to your life. If you continue to hold tightly to sin and ignore the Holy Spirit’s guidance, you will have little joy in your life.

Nicodemus questioned how a man could re-enter his mother’s womb, but as the conversation went on, Jesus explained, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:6). Being born again is something that happens inside a person after faith in Jesus. No human has the ability to judge another person’s faith in God, but our faith should be evidenced by changes to our lifestyle and attitude.

The Apostle Paul was a man who allowed his faith in Christ to govern his life. His heart was changed, and his way of life was evidence of the inward change. He stopped hating others, and he shared the Gospel with everyone he met, even if it meant his life was in danger. He chose to praise God in even the most perilous situations. Paul and Silas were once asked by a jailer in Philippi what he could do to be saved. “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house” (Acts 16:31).

Paul could have told him to be baptized, or perform community service, or say certain prayers, or any number of other “works” related “evidences” of salvation. Instead, Paul and Silas shared the Gospel. “And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house” (Acts 16:32).

Nobody can be born again unless they hear the Gospel. “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Romans 10:14). If you have truly placed your faith in Jesus for salvation, you are a born-again Christian, and you need to share your faith with others.

My grandmother always said, “You can preach a better sermon with your life than with words.” That means we can say “I’m a Christian” all we want, but our actions will speak louder than words. “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works” (James 2:18). We can’t work for our salvation, but we can let others see Christ in us by doing good works.

God made salvation simple for us because He loves us. If you claim to be a Christian, that means you’ve repented of your sin and asked Jesus to forgive you. Repent means you’ve changed your mind about sin. Don’t stay in the sin that once separated you from God. By faith you’ve become a new creation in Christ. “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13).

Being born again is a personal choice. Nobody can make that choice for you. It’s been said that God has no grandchildren; we all have to make our own choice. If you think you’re a Christian because you were baptized as an infant, think again. A baby can have no understanding of his or her need for salvation, and the parents made the choice. Baptism is outward evidence of a choice you personally have made, but it doesn’t bring salvation.

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10). An infant cannot make a confession of faith. Notice, too, that this verse says nothing about adding works to belief. God has made salvation simple, but all the many Christian denominations have complicated it.

The important thing for you to do right now is be sure that you have believed upon Jesus.

When my husband and I were married, he wasn’t a Christian. He thought he was because he lived in the United States and it was a Christian nation. That really bothered me, and I spoke to him about it; I also prayed and prayed. One day, he was talking with a Christian friend, and the Gospel suddenly made sense. Ron accepted Christ, and I was amazed as I watched the Holy Spirit work in him and change him into a man who was a fearless witness for Christ.

Ron died ten years ago, and my greatest comfort is knowing that he is with Jesus. If he had continued thinking he was a Christian because of the nation where he was born, he would have been eternally lost. That’s as wrong as thinking you’re a Christian because you’re a Baptist, a Catholic, or any other man-made denomination. Only faith in Jesus brings salvation.

What about you? Are you born again? The Rapture is very near, and that means all Christians will be taken from earth prior to the time when God’s judgment falls upon all the unbelieving world who will be left behind.

Some people like to complicate things by judging who is a Christian based on works. Mostly those who judge another’s salvation set themselves up as the standard to aim for, forgetting that they, themselves, fall short of God’s standard.

“Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God’ being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Romans 3:22-26).

One interesting idea is saying only born-again Christians will be Raptured. That’s true, but it’s belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ that makes us a born-again Christian. If you just attend Sunday morning services but have no faith in Jesus, you aren’t a Christian. Being baptized doesn’t make you a Christian. Being a very nice and kind person doesn’t make you a Christian. Only Faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross makes you a Christian.

God made it simple. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:16-18). Yes, it’s that simple.