The Gospel

The gospel was preached to the OT saints. "But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our report?" Romans 10:16"For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them, but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it." Hebrews 4:2Jesus sent out His 12 disciples to preach the gospel. The gospel the disciple preached did not teach that Jesus would die on the cross for their sins. Do not believe me, search the Scriptures to see if what I write is true. So what gospel did Jesus preach? How is it different from what many preach today?In ChristJeff

Hi Jeffand I thought you didn't like dispensationalism? :-P

Hi Ron,There are diverse dispensations in Scripture. The question is: what, who, when, how do these works of God impact the promise of God to man. What does it mean when God says He will be my God, and I will be part of His people. So you are right, I do not like dispensational theology in general because these questions have not been addressed according to my understanding of Scripture.In ChristJeff

So what gospel did Jesus preach? How is it different from what many preach today?Wow, that is something that i never thought about. Anybody know the answer?~Chanin

Chanin"Repent! For the Kingdom of God is at hand"! The same gospel John the Baptist preceded Him with, and that we still preach today. Mark 1:14Clutch ;-)

Of course! It runs through my mind night and day! No wonder. he he. :-D ~Chanin

Clutch wrote:"Repent! For the Kingdom of God is at hand!" The same gospel John the Baptist preceded Him with, and that we still preach today. Mark 1:14."Clutch there is more to it then that. "...Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our report?" Romans 10:16 Many preached the gospel before John the Baptist.In ChristJeff

Jeff,You're EXACTLY right bro.! That's how I believe it too! :-) Clutch ;-)

First, it is important to understand that the Gospel was preached to Abraham. What we find in the rest of Scripture is the unfolding of the promise to Abraham, which finds its fulfillment in Chirst. And while I am a protestant, I think it is important to realize that the Gospel is far greater than my "personal" salvation, but that is most definitely included. The Gospel is about the reign of God and His Kingdom, which was to extend to all nations. Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness. The Gospel, good news, is preeminently about the reign of God and the Gospel in the N.T. is that Jesus Christ is Lord and that he reigns. "Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the GOSPEL of God, which he promised beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures concerning His Son, who was born a descendent of David, accoring to the flesh, and was declared the Son of God, through the Spirit, with power, by his resurrection of the dead." Paul tells the Corinthians that what he passed on to them was of first importance, which included Christ dying according to the Scriptures, so we can reject any notion that this wasn't the plan of God from the beginning.So, the good news that Jesus preached was His coming reign, and we still preach that today.openairboy

So what gospel did Jesus preach? How is it different from what many preach today?Jesus preached the same good news that we preach and that is that today is the day of God's favor.The account of the rich young ruler is a perfect example and is found in three of the four gospels. Jesus called the rich man to put his faith and trust in Him instead of his riches. This has always been the thrust of the good news; put your trust in God and do the appropriate acts of one who trusts God."Follow Jesus" - that is the gospel, don't walk away sad like the rich young ruler.In Christ,Ron

Can we take a little theology at this time of the day?Bible students have identified something they call the 'kerugma'. It is the content of the heraldic proclamation. It is not 'preaching' that is foolish, but the heraldic content or 'the thing preached'.The kerugma, linked with the word kerussO meaning to cry out as a herald, has been defined as "the facts about Jesus in an eschatological setting which indicates the significance of those facts" (this is a bit heavy, isn't it)The Old Testament had looked to a future time. The gospel accounts of Matt, Mark, Luke and John say it has 'drawn near'. The Acts and what follows say 'this is that' - it's here,look!That future time has primarily to do with the King's perfect reign, hence kingdom. The word kingdom is not primarily a realm, a location, but a rule, a new era.Christ spoke of 'the regeneration' in Matt 19:28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. This is the full coming of the Kingdom; Christ upon the Throne. Our personal regeneration is a foretaste of this 'Christ upon the Throne'; we are tasting of the 'dunamis' of the coming age [Heb 6:5] It was his promise that having received the Spirit we would receive 'dunamis'.In the gospel accounts we have the announcment that the King(dom) is coming. In John we have a frequent little phrase "the hour is coming and has arrived". In Christ, the Kingdom was present but there was more to come. For the genuine believer, now in Christ, the Kingdom has arrived but there is more to come.The culmination of Christ's teaching is found in John's gospel with the phrase 'in that day'. He was speaking of the day when the Spirit would come. Peter's triumphant cry was 'this is that'. I love this phrase. "this" means something within reach, it's here. "that" means something over there, more distant.This is the testimony of every regenerate child of God; "this is that". The distant promise has become the present experience.In the gospel accounts we have details of the Kingdom, its operation, its citizens, a revelation of its King. The gospels hold the manifesto of the coming King; the Acts and onwards are the King in His Kingdom working out His will.and... there is more to come. Hallelujah.It is because we have reduced the gospel to 'come to Jesus' that we struggle. The gospel was, and always will be 'kiss the Son, lest He be angry' [Ps 2:12] The gospel never was 'make Jesus Lord'; the gospel always has been "Jesus Christ is Lord, what are you going to do about it?"

"Oh, that my words were written! Oh, that they were inscribed in a book! That they were engraved on a rock with an iron pen and lead forever! For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on earth; and after my skin is destroyed this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! Job 19:23-27Job preached the gospel too! As someone said earlier in this thread, It is all about the reign of Christ in those who are written in the book of life. Also, for clearity, when I spoke of the gospel preached today. Many only focus on the imputed work of the cross as the only means by which we are saved. The good news that Jesus preached is about the relationship that God creates with man to restore man to His image. Job knew his Redeemer! Supposedly he was a contemporary of Abraham. In ChristJeff

"And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it." Hebrews 3:18-19, 4:1The promise was offered to the OT saints as well as the NT saints. The sacrifice of Christ on the cross made all perfect. However, the future sacrifice of Christ did not prevent those of the OT from entering God's rest. The writer of Hebrews is exhorting the NT saints to press on so that they do not fall short of entering into God's rest. Those who live by faith enter in. "Stand in the ways and see and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not walk in it." Jeremiah 6:16. Some did walk in the old path.In ChristJeff

It is because we have reduced the gospel to 'come to Jesus' that we struggle. The gospel was, and always will be 'kiss the Son, lest He be angry' [Ps 2:12] The gospel never was 'make Jesus Lord'; the gospel always has been "Jesus Christ is Lord, what are you going to do about it?"Amen!

Hi Ron,You said:"Can we take a little theology at this time of the day"?I'll have two lumps with mine please. :-D You said:"In the gospel accounts we have details of the Kingdom, its operation, its citizens, a revelation of its King. The gospels hold the manifesto of the coming King; the Acts and onwards are the King in His Kingdom working out His will".For years I missed it, by trying to live in Matthew through Acts, with out seriously applying Romans through Jude. You can't get THERE from HERE. :-( Sveral years ago, I was in a small unit training exercise at night somewhere in the palmettos of Northern Florida. We had been on the move for several hours, and I knew that we should have already reached our objective. I asked the young Captain who was "leading" the group where he thought we were on the map. He pointed to an area on the map which told me that he didn't have a clue where wqe were. I then asked him how we were going to the objective ( as in which route). His reply will go down in the annals of military history " I don't know how we're giing, but we're making good time". :-D We can't have Matthew through Acts, until we've apllied Romans through Jude. :-oClutch :-P

Clutch wrote: "You can't get there from here."The old testament saints had the gospel, they didn't need the NT to know God and live by faith. Why did Jesus preach the good news of the kingdom? Hint, the answer can be found in Matthew 5:1-12.He taught His disciples what, why, and how it is the good news. O blessed, or O the bliss, of obeying God! NT or OT, the message never changes. You shall love the Lord your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. I will be your God and you will be My people. Read through this Scripture. the first four blessings relate to our relationship with God. A disciple of Jesus will have this as the substance of their hopes. Verses 7-12 cover how we will learn to love others as Christ has loved us.Your are correct, we can't get there from here. We must be yoked to our Savior. He is the only way. "For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold and not another, how my heart yearns within me! Job 19:25-27 Job knew our Savior. The volume of this book is written of Me to do Your will O God! Job had Jesus. In ChristJeff

There are three paths that one might travel. The first leads to the pit. Man is lost without God. Being born of the flesh, his affections are for the things of this world. The world will teach him to worship himself. The world will teach him that high self-esteem is the outcome for which he must strive. The pursuit of money, power, sexual prowess, and the glory of physical and mental domination are the paths one must choose to follow. There is another path which leads man into the pit. Paul warns Timothy of these men who profess God, yet deny Him by the path they travel. "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come; for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanders, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power...always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." 2 Timothy 3:1-7 Paul is giving us a picture of a church in the last days. These men learn the Scriptures, always seeking to be fed, yet they deny the power of the Holy Spirit. They have a form of godliness, which the world sees as hypocrisy. There is one last path defined in Scriptures. "A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, shall not go astray." Isaiah 35:8 Jesus is the Highway of Holiness. Our Lord will teach us to follow Him along this path of righteousness. The world will call our path, a fool's path. Yet, we are His disciples and He will not lead us astray. What will we learn? What will be the substance of our experience? What will our relationship with Jesus mean to us? Let us listen to Jesus, He is faithful to answer these questions. Let's hear the good news! Read Matthew 5:1-12 Believe that it is a blessed life that the world calls foolishness. Listen to His voice. God speaks!In ChristJeff

Jesus came to preach the good news. Within the beatitudes, Jesus defines the substance of the gospel. Paul declares, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power to salvation for everyone who believes." You see, I believe that Paul had at one time struggled with the world telling him that his path was foolish. But as we will see, Jesus promises a blessed life to those who follow Him. Paul learned as Moses, "choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward." Hebrews 11:25-26. The promises far outweigh the reproaches of the world. O the bliss of traveling along the Highway of Holiness! Jesus gives us an itinerary of the experiences we will find as we travel the Highway of Holiness. Verse 3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." O the bliss of one who has been taught by Jesus that his life, controlled by self will and self-centeredness, means spiritual death. The Holy Spirit will say, "Give up, surrender to Me, listen to the words of your Savior." "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God...you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, Abba Father." O the bliss of experiencing a life that is directed by our heavenly Father. We will decrease as He fills our life with His life!In Christ Jeff

Verse 4 As we follow Jesus, He will reveal to us our own sin that put Him on the cross. I believe He does this to reveal His love for us. "My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; for He (chastens us) for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:5-11 The Lord will soften our hearts. We will weep for our sins as He shows us the iniquity within us. He will forgive us and fill us with His righteousness. We will be comforted because of His chastening. For we know that we are sons of God. O the bliss of learning why He sacrificed Himself for me!In ChristJeff

Verse 5 " Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." What do the philosophies of men teach? Darwin preached that competition within species brought about evolution. Those who are able to adapt more readily to their changing environment evolve into something better. Survival of the fittest is the cry of Darwinist. Therefore, the rules by which men live must always change. Denying God and conscience, men strive against one another for the substances the world is hopeful for. The hope in worldly things causes men to war and lust after those things which can never satisfy. In Isaiah, talking about the judgement of the Lord, "His breath is like an overflowing stream, which reaches up to the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of futility; and there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err." Isaiah 30:28. As a child of God we see this foolishness all around us. We see the futility of man's hopes. We learn as the OT saints, to "embraced them (the promises) and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland...But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them." Hebrews 11:13-16. Those who walk this earth following Jesus, will learn that striving, bitterness, covetousness, envy, wrath, pride, and the rage of the flesh are worthless in the heavenly city. Those who experience the yoke of Jesus will rest in His power. O the bliss of walking the Highway of Holiness with Jesus as a pilgrim on this earth! This is good news indeed!In ChristJeff

Verse 6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled." Many teach about the righteousness that is imputed or declared by God for those who call on the name of the Lord. Not many know of the righteousness that comes from following Jesus day by day. In the previous verses we have seen a change come upon those who follow Jesus. Once we were proud in spirit, now poor. Once we were oblivious to sin, now mournful of its consequences in our life. Once we demanded our rights, now we are bondservants. Through the refining work of Jesus by the Holy Spirit we are introduced to our Savior. The more we experience His life, the more we will hunger and thirst for more of Him. O the bliss of being filled with His life!The previous attributes grown into a disciple of Christ speak of the inward work of the Holy Spirit in ones life. These attributes speak of how we have learned to love God with our whole heart, with our whole soul and with all of our strength. The ways and hopes that once filled our life have now diminished and everything that is of Him has increased. In the verses to follow we will learn that our love of God will enable us then to love others as He has enabled us to love Him.In ChristJeff

Verse 7 "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." I have failed many times in trying to minister to others as Christ has ministered to me. I easily forget the path my Savior has led me along. The thoughts I write of today have taken my Lord four years of patiently teaching me. I have stumbled and sinned against my Savior. Yet He has been merciful with me. He is faithful. I easily forget how I learned. And yet I do not faithfully and patiently teach others in the same way that I have learned from Him. I become critical of others, thinking to myself, why don't they understand? Again my Lord convicts me of my sin. I am beginning to understand how mercy affects how I love others. Or more to the point, how the lack of mercy hinders me from learning to love others as He has loved me. I can only imagine the bliss of ministering to others as He has ministered to me. Lord, have mercy on me a sinner. Lead me along the Highway of Holiness.In ChristJeff

Verse 8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." Paul wrote of Timothy, "For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus. But you know his proven character..." Philippians 2:20-22 In another place Paul wrote of Timothy, "...I remember you in my prayers night and day, greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy, when I call to remembrance the genuine (unhypocritical) faith that is in you..." 2 Timothy 1:3-5 Paul testifies of Timothy's pure heart. A heart that does not seek its own glory, but will sacrifice all for the things of Christ. The faith of Timothy relies not on the powers of the flesh but looks to the power that is in Christ. Having anything less than a pure heart for the things of Christ, will only diminish our ability to love one another. "And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread for house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved." Acts 2:46-47 I can't imagine the bliss of seeing God work all around you as the church of Acts did. The promise of Jesus for His disciples remains. Enter His rest.In ChristJeff

Thankyou Gregg...Verse 9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." Paul exhorts us, "to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." To love others as Jesus loves us, requires that we also endeavor to grow together as brothers and sisters in the unity of Christ. Only then, will we understand how Jesus creates the bond of peace within His church. As we travel along the Highway of Holiness, we will experience the unity that comes not by the flesh but by following the Spirit. My heart rejoices when I meet another pilgrim on the path. I see Jesus in them. This last Thursday I met a stranger who is my brother. The joy of the unity I experienced with my brother filled me with bliss! Thinking back to our meeting my heart sings, "For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness." Psalm 84:10As we learn the joy of peacemaking within His church, Jesus will call us to be peacemakers in the world. "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? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace'who bring glad tidings of good things!" Romans 10:14-15 The sons of God will have good things to talk about! Amen!

Quote:"This last Thursday I met a stranger who is my brother. The joy of the unity I experienced with my brother filled me with bliss!" Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore (Psalm 133:1-3). But speaking the truth in love, (we) may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love (Ephes. 4:15,16 ).I noticed earlier today that here Paul says something that goes beyond “edifying one another”. (He says that elsewhere.) Here he refers to the “edifying of itself” in love.Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name (Malachi 3:16).

Thankyou Roger, Psalm 133:1-3 was uplifting.Verses 10-11 "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." A nation under God killed His prophets, a religion representing God said, "You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish." John 11:49-50 God cursed Satan in the Garden of Eden. He declared that there would be hatred between the sons of God and the sons of Satan. James writes to the believers, "...Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scriptures says in vain, "The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously?" James 4:4-5The Holy Spirit will teach us what is pleasing to our Lord and Savior. His life is us will cause the world to hate us as it hated Him. "We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one." 1 John 5:19 Do we accept this truth of the world in which we live? What does it mean to be a stranger, a pilgrim on earth in search of the heavenly country? I hear many pray, thanking God for a country where persecution is minimal. Remember, Israel killed Jesus and the prophets for the sake of self-government. Could it be that Satan like the religion he sees in the West? I know he doesn't like the Believer's Church in India! "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, andis a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.." Hebrews 4:12 Just imagine if the peacemakers would sow and water one heart at a time. Then pray for God to give the increase. The reward in heaven would be great.In ChristJeff

Jesus said that He came to fulfill the law and the prophets. He came to preach the good news of the kingdom. He promised all, who would believe, that they would have life and that life would be more abundant. As we have seen in the beatitudes, Jesus came to enable us to fulfill the two greatest commandments of God. Verses 3-6 gives us an itinerary of the experience of learning how to love God with our whole heart, with our whole soul, and with all of our strenght. Verses 7-12 teaches us how we who walk along the Highway of Holiness, will learn to love one another as Jesus has loved us. Will we become a Believer's Church? Every day is the day of salvation. Every day He will show us the bliss of following Him. This is the good news of the kingdom. Is the substance of our hope in Jesus? Do we believe in His promises? Faith is the evidence of things not seen. This is the gospel that Jesus taught His disciples to go out and proclaim!So where in the OT does the gospel proclaim the good news?In ChristJeff

In the thoughts that I have shared pretaining to the beatitudes, I have covered, you might say, the outcome for a believer who has followed Christ. In a sense, this is the relationship realized by a disciple of Christ. How does God work this work? "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me..." Matthew 11:28-29The Word teaches us. We must give up choosing to yoke ourselves with the world. As we read the Scriptures we must choose this day as the day of salvation. The Holy Spirit will speak to our hearts and give us a choice to obey or to remain yoked to the world. The Word promises: "for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls, for My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Matthew 11:29-30. As Jesus taught in the beatitudes, He promises us here that He is gentle and lowly in heart. Those who follow will take on His nature, His life. This is the good news of the kingdom.Look to Psalm 119, the Word teaches about the precepts, judgements, ordinances, statutes, and commandments that describe, one might say, the components of the relationship we have with Jesus. In Christ Jeff

The power of the New Covenant is declared in Jeremiah 31:33-34. "But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord; I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, "Know the Lord," for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them..." The power is centered in the fact that God promises to teach those who are His people. We know that Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would come and guide us. "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth..." John 16:13The writer of Psalm 119 writes, " I have more understanding than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep Your precepts. I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep Your word. I have not departed from Your judgments, For You Yourself have taught me. How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" verses 99-103Jesus says, "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who love Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him." John 14:21Those who learn the ways that the writer of Psalm 119 speaks of will know Jesus for He will manifest Himself to us who obey.In ChristJeff

Matthew 5:3, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.Psalm 119:1-6, "Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord! Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart.! They also do no iniquity; they walk in His ways. You have commanded us to keep Your precepts diligently, Oh, that my ways were directed to keep Your statutes! Then I would not be ashamed, when I look into all Your commandments."Those who are proud will not walk in His ways. Only those who cry out, "Oh, that my ways were directed to keep Your statutes! Then I would not be ashamed..." The Psalmist tells us of his spirit. What can those who read and meditate on his thoughts learn from the word of God? Should not we seek to have the same spirit? His disciples will walk on the Highway of Holiness.In ChristJeff

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." Matthew 5:4"My soul melts (drops) from heaviness (grief); strengthen me according to Your word. Remove from me the way of lying.." Psalm 119:28-29"Incline my heart to Your testimonies, and not to covetousness, turn my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way." verses 35-37"I entreated Your favor with my whole heart; be merciful to me according to Your word. I thought about my ways, and turned my feet to Your testimonies." verses 58-59"Before I was afflicted I went astray. But now I keep Your word...It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes...I know, O Lord, that Your judgements are right, and that in faithfulness You have afflicted me." verses 67,71,75"My flesh trembles for fear of You, and I am afraid of Your judgments...Let my soul live, and it shall praise You; and let Your jugdments help me. I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Your servant." verses 120, 175, 176"Rivers of water run down from my eyes, because men do not keep Your law...I cry out with my whole heart; hear me, O Lord! I will keep Your statutes. I cry out to You; save me, and I will keep your testimonies...I rise before the dawning of the morning, and cry for help." verses 136, 145-147The psalmist is writing about his relationship with God. His heart crys out for his Lord. We too should begin to experience this relationship with our Lord. His promise, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."In ChristJeff

Psa 119:26 I have declared my ways, and thou heardest me: teach me thy statutes. Psa 119:27 Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works. Psa 119:30 I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me. Psa 119:33 HE. Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end. Psa 119:35 Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight.

Good morning crsschk:Here is another, "Remember the word to Your servant, upon which You have caused me to hope. This is my comfort in my affliction, for Your word has given me life." Psalm 119:49-50God reaches down to His creation and speaks His promise to the faithful. This Scripture is a definition of faith. The bliss of knowing God will cause us to love Him who loved us first.In ChristJeff

"Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth." Matthew 5:5"My soul breaks with longing for Your judgments at all times. You rebuke the proud- the cursed, who stray from Your commandments. Remove from me the reproach and contempt, for I have kept Your testimonies. Princes also sit and speak against me, but Your servant meditates on Your statutes. Your testimonies also are my delight and my counselors.." Psalm 119:20-24"Let Your mercies come also to me, O Lord- Your salvation according to Your word. So shall I have an answer for him who reproaches me, for I trust in Your word...I will speak of Your testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed." verses 41,42,46"Redeem me from the oppression of man, that I may keep Your precepts, make Your face shine upon Your servant, and teach me Your statutes." verses 134-135His servant prays for God to deliver him from the taunts of the lost. Jesus said the world would hate you, because it hated Him first. The substance of His servants hope is in the peace and joy that comes from the relationship with God. Meekness comes when God gives understanding in the midst of the reproaches that surely will come from the world. In ChristJeff

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled."The writer of Psalm 119 cries out for His righteousness. Can we say as he does, "You are my portion, O Lord; I have said that I would keep Your words. I entreat Your favor with my whole heart; be merciful to me according to Your word." verses 57-58Does our relationship with our Lord cause our hearts to say, "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters, He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His names sake.. Yea, through I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.This is the gospel of Christ. This is the good news of the kingdom. This is the substance of our hope. "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name." John 20:31Look for the Life in the word of God. It is a real thing not just an idea. The Life is the gospel. Those who have the Life have salvation and will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.In Christ Jeff

"For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life." This is the gospel. Jesus reconciled us to the Father through His sacrifice on the cross. However, what is far more valuable to us is our relationship with Him. As we walk with Jesus we learn from Him. The testimonies, precepts, ordinances, judgements, and commands that we receive from Him teaches us, makes us to understand His work in us. We experience His life. "We shall be saved by His life." This is the good news of the kingdom. I do not seek to diminish His sacrifice for He will show us the way of the cross and the resurrected life. "He restores my soul, He leads me in the paths of righteousness, for His name sake." In ChristJeff

"In Him was life, and the life was the light of men." John 1:4"Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." John 8:12"To bring back his soul from the Pit, that he may be enlightened with the light of life." Job 33:30"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?" Psalm 27:1"For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light." Psalm 36:9"Then God said, "Let there be light", and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness..." Genesis 1:3-4All things are created through Jesus Christ, even our salvation. "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined toconformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified." Romans *:29-30Justification, sanctification, and glorification are not seperate. All those who have the "Life" will know Jesus. "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." John 17:3In ChristJeff

"I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them." Deut. 30:19Look for the evidence of the Life in the OT. It is there.In ChristJeff

"For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light." Psalm 36:9"but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst, but the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water, springing up into everlasting life." John 4:14'For My people have committed two evils; they have foresaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns--broken cisterns tha can hold no water." Jeremiah 2:13"And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance." Hebrews 9:15"And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all that obey Him." Hebrews 5:9Look for the work of The Eternal Salvation in the OT.See how God worked in the OT saints.In ChristJeff

In Luke 7 we hear Jesus say, "I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!" vs 9In the story of the faithful centurion, Jesus marveled because of the centurion's faith. Based on the explaination of the gospel Christ preached in the beatitudes, does this man of great faith display the evidence of a disciple presented in Matthew chapter 5? The Holy Scripture confirms itself. The Holy Scripture is it's own best commentary. In Christ Jeff

It is said in the Gospels that Jesus traveled from town to town, synagogue to synagogue teaching from the Scriptures. A thought came to mind recently. What did He repeatedly teach? Was it always different? We know that He preached the good news of the kingdom. I once thought that the Sermon on the Mount was a one time occurence. But now I believe the beatitudes and the various teachings found in Matthew 5,6,and 7 were preached throughout His teaching circuit. How is this important? Various denominations teach that this happened once. Or that this teaching only applies to the disciples. I believe Jesus was teaching what a disciple would come to understand. What a disciple of Christ would come to experience. What a disciple of Christ would be. He paints a picture are we in it? In ChristJeff

Blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are those who mourn, blessed are the meek, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, blessed are the merciful, blessed are the pure in heart, blessed are the peacemakers, and blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake. These are the attributes of those who have experienced the cross of Christ. If we are His disciples we will follow our savior to the cross. Art Katz writes in "True Fellowship: To Him Be The Glory In The Church:"The Consequences of the Cross Jesus brought His death upon Himself by His own character, His own life and His message. What then shall be brought upon us if we adopt His character, move in His life, and proclaim his message? The disposition that clamors for prosperity, for “blessings” and the “rapture” as escape is not the spirit that is going to appreciate a message on suffering and the Cross. We know that the spirit of Antichrist is in the world. “Anti” not only means “opposed to,” but also seeking to be something like Him, yet not Him. How shocked and stunned might we be if we were to realize to what degree we ourselves have submitted and may actually be operating in that spirit—if our “Christ” is not the Christ who suffered, died and rose again! We nod our heads to the “doctrine of the Cross,” but in the actuality of our own knowledge and experience where do we essentially live our lives? The Cross is the most unreligious symbol that can ever be imagined. The crucifixion of Jesus, the ending of a life in nakedness that began in nakedness, is the complete negation of every kind of conventional wisdom and religious notion that men could conjure. There is no way to come to an understanding of it by our own reasoning. The fact that we think we have, is contradicted by our lives. We can only come to it in darkness and repentance, and in no other way. It is too perverse, too ugly and too unappealing, for which reasons, only perverse, ugly and unattractive people have never had difficulty in coming to the Cross. We need to not only see Jesus, but also the purpose for which our lives have been called: For is was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings (Heb. 2:10). We were not called to success, happiness, and our own satisfaction, or only to have our own needs met. In fact, we do not have to be clever to realize that this poses a question, namely, if this kind of redemptive suffering was required to make Jesus perfect, by what means then shall we be made perfect? The answer is of course, through exactly the same process by which Jesus entered into perfection ?by the things which He suffered. By sentimentalizing and distorting the Cross, thereby taking the sting out of it, we negate its death and suffering. The Cross should be the central and pivotal event of all our faith and life. All must go dark for us and become as night in the daytime of our comfortable, religious understanding. We have become too used to the Cross, and have made of it only a theory and formula for salvation. We have come to altar call after altar call, and invitation after invitation, laying our lives down before Christ again and again, and yet somehow we are still very much alive. The veil of selfishness, self-interest, vanity and pride is still not rent. The rocks of our hearts are still not split. The Cross of Christ needs to become for us an “event.” There is only one way to enter it, namely, the total negation of all of our life, the doing away of ourselves in the yielding up of the ghost. If His glory is to be manifest in the earth, it shall be only through His resurrection life manifesting through those who have been joined with Him in death and burial, and have been raised with Him into that newness of life. God will only bury that which is dead. We will know that we have entered into the death when we see the evidence of the resurrection. There is a real cutting that requires a real shedding of blood for any covenant of God, and we are in that covenant to the degree to which we have been joined to that cutting. Did we see our water baptism as some kind of biblical obligation, or did we see ourselves as being buried with Him? God knows those who are living in the newness of life and those who are not. Those who are mouthing and pronouncing New Testament terms, and who may actually even be involved in New Testament “ministry,” so to speak, may actually and unconsciously be putting their confidence in their flesh and their own natural ability and aptitude. You can, on that basis, make an impressive show of it ?but it is not newness of life. This is not some religious palaver. We are speaking of an utterly supernatural reality that brings the believer thereby into a new dimension of existence, reality and life. We are in that life or we are not. God has made it absolute. Merely to employ the word “resurrection” and allude to it, quote it, and preach it, does not mean that we have it. What is the evidence of our lives generally speaking and consistently? Are we in the flesh or in the Spirit? How many of us have tried to dismiss condemnation by quoting the Scripture over and over again: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1)—and have not been relieved. You can quote that scripture until you are blue in the face and still be under condemnation, if you are not in Christ Jesus. The pressure of the condemnation is to bring you to that very place. But who likes to be ‘cut,’ and who wants to see blood spilled? The flesh shrinks from it. Only those who love the Crucified One have any desire at all to be joined with Him in that place. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed [because you do not have any other] with Him in glory (Col. 3:3-4 Parenthesis mine). Are we willing to have our lives predicated on that basis, and are we willing to cease our efforts to ‘get by’ on the strength of our own natural ability? Your life is dead except His life be revealed, which means we will be left humiliated often. When we want to shine, be clever, impressive, entertaining or whatever, then He simply will not be there to accommodate us. There will be no glory for us ever, but only glory for Him when His life shall be revealed. We are not living anymore by our own calculations or deliberations. We do not move on the basis of what is logical and reasonable. That is the world’s game. We move by His life. When His life moves, then we move. When His life will be expressed by speaking, then we speak. Trusting for His life, moment by moment, is the faith for which the saints once contended, and the just shall live by this faith."What is the fruit of the Cross? "For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. For they shall see God. For they shall be filled. For they shall inherit the earth. For they shall be called sons of God." Matthew 5:3-10In ChristJeff

Thanks Jeff,This seems to be a very prevalent theme today.Is the Lord trying to tell us something?Maybe it's just me