The Lamb of God was born into the world that had no cradle for a bed, no home where to lay down his head, and no grave to be buried in. Yet, no one has brought man closer to God than the solitary Man from Nazareth in Galilee. And Jesus keeps doing it through the "Network of His Holy Spirit" who resides in his followers.
Month: April 2018
Restoring God’s Image and Likeness in Man
The “Priestly Kingdom” was the restoration of the Levitical Theocracy. The leaders of the system were Moses and Aaron. Both were of the tribe of Levi. Their ancestor was not highly regarded by his father Jacob for shaming his name, when they killed all the people of prince Shechem who wanted to marry their sister Dinah (Genesis 34:25-31). In his last will, Jacob held forth little hope for Simon and his brother Levi the sons of Leah and Jacob:
The Covenant is God’s Will for Man: #1
A “Covenant” is an agreement between two parties and a pledge by the recipients to abide by the agreement. That is not the case in the Bible. God, the Creator, who employs man to manage God’s affairs on earth, set up the “Covenant" with conditions via an oath or a promise. Then, God leaves it up to man to adhere or to reject the "Covenant." By the time of Moses, these conditions were set in the “Ten Commandments,” which throughout history, with adaptations and with additions and with subtractions, have been the foundation of all civilizations. By the time of Jesus, traditions had replaced the “Ten Commandments.” And therefore, Jesus insisted on restoring the "Ten Commandments" (Matthew 5:17-20). Essentially, the "Ten Commandments" are what God has willed for mankind on earth.
Restoring God’s Image and Likeness in Man
The prophet Elijah had an enormous impact on Hebrew thinking in his time and in the future. In fact, his entire period was dominated by “The spirit of Elijah,” rather than by the “Spirit of the Lord.” The Spirit of the Lord was merely the vehicle that moved Elijah out of reach for Ahab and Jezebel (I Kings 18:12; II Kings 2:16). The deplorable conditions and the needs energized the human spirit to confront Baalism very successfully. Elijah’s boldness led Elisha to ask for a double portion of his master’s spirit and so did others. Elisha’s students, bonded together into groups of fifties, gave the Baal prophets some of their own medicine. They repaid violence with violence. They had the new pretenders for the throne on their side, as well as Jehu; the replacement for Ahab’s family, was their main executioner.
Restoring God’s Image and Likeness in Man
David was greatly beloved by the historian, who very skilfully made his transgression appear small. He made this comparison between David and Solomon’s grandson Abijam:
Restoring God’s Image and Likeness in Man
The enhancing of a man’s spirit by the Spirit of God was especially visibly demonstrated in the life of Elisha. The work this prophet did pointed to a source that was more than human. It reminds us of Nicodemus addressing Jesus, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him” (John 3:2). Jesus, Himself, passed on His Spirit to his disciples, “He breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit'” (John 20:22). His Spirit had to do with dealing with difficulties and handicaps, “Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall hurt you” (Luke 10:19). This was the kind of power Elisha received from Elijah. And believers also can receive this power from Jesus, their Christ.
Restoring God’s Image and Likeness in Man
David was greatly beloved by the historian, who very skilfully made his transgression appear small. He made this comparison between David and Solomon’s grandson Abijam:
How God Stays in Touch with Man: #23
Man did what God had willed. The Son of God obeyed His Father to the letter! Jesus laid down His Life when He was ready, and at the "Will" with His Father:
Restoring God’s Image and Likeness in Man
The fundamental belief of Christians is that Jesus, the Christ, has come to save man from eternal condemnation! There should be no doubt, that Jesus is the only way back to God. It is also true, that man has lost that relationship by doing what is wrong, and man continues to persist in making bad choices. What, then, made Jesus different from Adam? What did Jesus have that Adam did not have? What is it that a Christian can have, which an unbeliever does not have? The truth is, that Adam had what Jesus had, but Adam, in his will, failed to do what Jesus did. Unfortunately, so does every human being who retains his or her sanity. All human beings are endowed with the “image” or the “likeness” of God; otherwise, they would not be rational human beings, capable of making decisions that are either beneficial or harmful. And what is by far more beneficial than saving a soul? But if the soul or the human life has obliterated or even marred the “image” and “likeness of God” in the person, how will that person recognize the need to be saved? For that reason, Jesus came into Galilee preaching the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:14-15).
Restoring God’s Image and Likeness in Man
The fundamental belief of Christians is that Jesus, the Christ, has come to save man from eternal condemnation! There should be no doubt, that Jesus is the only way back to God. It is also true, that man has lost that relationship by doing what is wrong, and man continues to persist in making bad choices. What, then, made Jesus different from Adam? What did Jesus have that Adam did not have? What is it that a Christian can have, which an unbeliever does not have? The truth is, that Adam had what Jesus had, but Adam, in his will, failed to do what Jesus did. Unfortunately, so does every human being who retains his or her sanity. All human beings are endowed with the “image” or the “likeness” of God; otherwise, they would not be rational human beings, capable of making decisions that are either beneficial or harmful. And what is by far more beneficial than saving a soul? But if the soul or the human life has obliterated or even marred the “image” and “likeness of God” in the person, how will that person recognize the need to be saved? For that reason, Jesus came into Galilee preaching the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:14-15).