Christ is God in Scripture

Our detractor states: "Jesus never claimed to be God-He never actually said "I am God".

On the contrary. Jesus is co-equal with God. This is the consistent teaching of the whole bible, especially the New Testament. Though not every statement is expressed with equal explicitness, every statement bearing on the nature of Christ proves He is full Deity & humanity in one person, without contradiction. The various names and titles of Jesus are unequivocal of his full Deity.

Just a few verses will bear this out:

Micah 5:2, King James Version But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting

Vs. 2b, New American Standard Bible His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity.


Isaiah 42:8 I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another...

Isaiah 48:11c I will not yield my glory to another.

John 17:5 [Jesus prayed] And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.

Psalms 45:6 Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.

Hebrews 1:8 But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom

John 1:1, 14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.... [14] The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 5:22-23 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him

Matthew 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Psalms 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

Ezekiel 34:31 You my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are people, and I am your God, declares the Sovereign LORD.

John 10:14 I [Jesus] am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.

Hebrews 13:20 ...our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep...

Romans 9:5 Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.

Now that you know Jesus is clearly called God in many ways throughout Scripture...what will you do with that knowledge?

Series on Genesis At Pyromaniacs

Because it's such an excellent series, I need to link to John MacArthur's & Phil Johnson's stuff at Pyromaniacs. In essense, Genesis One is truth. It shows God's existence, & his Creation of the universe as supernatural acts, and Christians who compromise on the literal meaning of Genesis as a historical narrative are undermining the text as well as Christian orthodoxy on original sin and soteriology.


http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2010/06/humanistic-religion-and-origin-of-life.html It begins here, with follow ups at Phil's blog. READ IT!

The Real Cause of Starvation

As I was reading the Proverbs, I came across one of the truest statements in the bible.

"The fallow ground of the poor would yield much food, but it is swept away through injustice." Proverbs 13:23

Consider the problem of poverty and starvation in Africa, particularly Ethiopia. There are many natural resources that could build the infrastructure of these countries, and stabilize them. The quest for power and control of rich resources like the Nile River have created political injustice.

When resources are sent to help the poor and starving, often some or all of it is stolen by regional warlords who stockpile the goods for their troops.

The solution is right there in the very rich lands that God has ordained in places like Africa, but evil prevails, and injustice prevents the people from having enough basic goods. It's a sad reality.

We must realize that as Chrsitians we need to continue to have compassion on our neighbours. We cannot solve or rid the world of it's evil, but we can give the Gospel with compassion, and offer our worldly goods to help. This is no social gospel. It's love for our neighbour.

What Hinders Our Prayers?

Unconfessed Sin
If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. Psalm 66:18

Rebellion Against God
Pro 28:9: "He that turneth his ears from hearing the law even his prayer shall be an abomination".

Lack of Faith
"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways." James 1:5-8

Unforgiveness
"For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" Matthew 6:15

Dishonoring Your Wife
"You husbands likewise, live with our wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker vessel, since she is a woman; and grant her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered."(1 Peter 3:7)

Impure Motives
James 4:3 “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures."

See also D.L. Moody's book, Prevailing Prayer, What Hinders It? There is a Google(C) scan of the book
at  Sermon Depository here.

Bach - Matthaeus Passion - 01

A classic piece. This sure beats the "campfire" music of worship bands in most Evangelical churches. This music elevates the senses to a grandeur lacking in most worship. Enjoy!

Satan's Opportunities

I posted this as a comment at another blog, but I thought it would make for a quick post given my time limits.

Satan tested Jesus in the wilderness. Satan also tests those who follow Jesus. The Bible likens the Evil One to a roaring lion who roams the earth looking for prey. And here are some opportunities to definitely avoid so as not to give the devil opportunity to work. Satan's opportune moments come:

1. when you are not in the right place where you should be.
   2 Samuel 11:1-2; Proverbs 1:8-19

2. when you're anger is unresolved.
    Epesians 4:26-27

3. when you are physically weary.
     Matthew 26:41

4. when you are locked in some secret sin.
     John 13:27

5. when you're pride is ripe.
     Proverbs 16:18

6. when you are fliritng with temptation.
     Matthew 6:13

There are many other opportunities to be sure. Let's watch and pray until the devil is put under our feet.

When The Preacher is Not That Great

This is an older post from Steve Burchette, of Christian Communicators Worldwide. He makes a few good points about how to handle the situation of a less- than- stellar preacher, or like he says it..."When Your Preacher Is NOT John Piper".  Good reading.