In the thirtieth chapter of Proverbs, Agur writes some 700 years before Christ, beginning in verse four:  Who hath ascended into heaven, or descended?  Who hath gathered the wind in his fists?  Who hath bound the waters in a garment?  Who hath established all the ends of the earth?  What is his name, and what is his son’s name, if thou canst tell?  He continues in verses five and six:  Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

God gave us a book, it’s called the Bible….God’s Word. This book describes itself (II Timothy 3:16) as given by inspiration of God (theopneustia) which means literally God breathed. This carries the idea of not just that God breathed, but God breathed out, as to source. The Bible is the God breathed book.

For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.  (II Peter 1:21). God the Holy Spirit is the author.  This means that anyone claiming to speak by the Holy Spirit must not contradict Scripture.  God will not lie.  God cannot lie.  He will not contradict Himself.

This book is described in Hebrews 4:12 as; “living and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

In explaining born again Peter says in I Peter 1:23; Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.

Paul charged Timothy before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ to Preach the word… (II Timothy 4:1-5).  Why?  Because faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17).

In John 6 Jesus explained in verse 63, what He meant when He called Himself the living bread which came down from heaven.  It is the spirit that quickeneth (makes alive); the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life.”

Love for Christ is revealed by obedience to the word of God.  Jesus answered and said unto him, if a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. (John 14:23).

The Bible is more important to the testimony of Christ than if one returned from the dead.  In Luke 16 Jesus told of the rich man in hell who wanted someone from the dead (Abraham) to go back and tell his five brothers not to come to this place of torment.  Abraham answered him in verses 29 & 31;  If they hear not Moses and the prophets (scripture), neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

This book is magnified by God.  The Psalmist wrote; .….for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.” (138:2).

Psalm 119 is the longest book in the Bible.  It is written as a discourse on the word of God.  Practically every verse references the word of God and the believers relationship to it.  Verse 9 asks; Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way?  By taking heed thereto according to thy word.   Verse 11 instructs; Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee.  Verse 105 teaches; Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.  Verse 89 declares;  Forever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven. 

Jesus Christ read from it, preached it, expounded it, taught it, quoted it, rebuked Satan with it, and lived it.  He fulfilled the Law down to every jot and tittle.  He is the living word.  Christ declared to the Pharisees in John 5:39 & 40; Search the scriptures: for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.

The Lord instructed two of his disciples on the road to Emmaus after His resurrection as follows:  And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

The Bible excludes all other authority with these words found in Revelation 22:18 & 19;  For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of this book.  If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.  This book is complete from Genesis to Revelation, the Holy Spirit is the author, and as such he will never lead contrary to the teaching of Scripture because He is God and God cannot lie.

You and I should know the Bible.  Whoso transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God.  He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.  If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed (II John 9&11).  

We should test the teaching we are under.  Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try (test) the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world  (I John 4:1).  

We should also ask honest questions;….they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” (Acts 17:11).

Use a translation as opposed to a paraphrase.  A translation is a word for word rendering from the original language.  I currently use the New King James Version.  There are other reliable translations available, such as the NASV and the ESV.  The NIV is probably the most common version available, but it is called a dynamic equivalent and is not a true word for word translation.

If God chose the very words that the Scriptures are composed of to express His intent and will for us, then it is incumbent upon believers not to be careless about the handling of His word.

Believers do not worship the Bible, but we hold it in high esteem because it is from the God we worship.

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Psalm 1:1-6

…….Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly……

And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.  Revelation 20:11-15

The Great White Throne Judgment recorded here is for unbelievers.  Unbelief is the only sin that cannot be forgiven because unbelief is a rejection of God’s provision for all our sins.  All other sins can be forgiven.

I believe that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (the unforgivable sin) and unbelief are one and the same.  No man can come unto God unless he is drawn by Him.  To reject the Spirit’s drawing and conviction is to deny Christ, Christ’s death, burial and resurrection and God’s Word of which the Holy Spirit is the author.  Unbelief denies the truth of the Gospel which makes God a liar.

…..let God be true and every man a liar…..Romans 3:4

You cannot have the peace of God when you are at war with God.

Someone wisely said; No Jesus, no peace; Know Jesus, know peace!

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: Romans 5:1

End the war…….surrender!

In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.

Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.

Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:

And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.  Isaiah 6:1-8

Note: When Isaiah saw God for Who He is, Isaiah saw himself as he was.  When Isaiah was cleansed, then and only then was he ready to serve God.

You’re not here by accident. God loves you. He wants you to have a personal relationship with Him through Jesus, His Son. There is just one thing that separates you from God.  That one thing is sin.

The Bible describes sin in many ways.  Most simply, our sin is our failure to measure up to God’s holiness and His righteous standards. We sin by things we do, choices we make, attitudes we show, and thoughts we entertain.   We also sin when we fail to do right things. The Bible affirms our own experience – there is none righteous, not even one.  No matter how good we try to be, none of us does right things all the time.

People tend to divide themselves into groups – good people and bad people.  But God says that every person who has ever lived is a sinner, and that any sin separates us from God.  No matter how we might classify ourselves, this includes you and me.  We are all sinners.

For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.  Romans 3:23

Many people are confused about the way to God.  Some think that they will be punished or rewarded according to how good they are.  Some think they should make things right in their  lives before they try to come to God.  Others find it hard to understand how Jesus could love them when other people don’t seem to.  But I have great news for you!  God DOES love you!  More than you can ever imagine!  And there is nothing you can do to make him stop!  Yes, our sins demand punishment – the punishment of death and separation from God.  But, because of His great love, God sent His only Son Jesus to die for our sins.

God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners.  Christ died for us.  Romans 5:8

For you to come to God you have to get rid of your sin problem.  But, in our own strength, not one of us can do this!  You can’t make yourself right with God by being a better person.  Only God can rescue us from our sins.  He is willing to do this not because of anything you can offer Him, but JUST BECAUSE HE LOVES YOU!

He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy.  Titus 3:5

It’s God’s grace that allows you to come to Him – not your efforts to “clean up your life” or work your way to Heaven.  You can’t earn it.  It’s a free gift.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.  Ephesians 2:8-9

For you to come to God, the penalty for your sin must be paid.  God’s gift to you is His Son, Jesus, who paid the debt for you when He died on the Cross.

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

Jesus paid the price for your sin and mine by giving His life on a cross at a place called Calvary, just outside of the city walls of Jerusalem in ancient Israel.  God brought Jesus back from the dead.  He provided the way for you to have a personal relationship with Him through Jesus.  When we realize how deeply our sin grieves the heart of God and how desperately we need a Saviour,  we are ready to receive God’s offer of salvation.   To admit we are sinners means turning away from our sin and selfishness and turning to follow Jesus.  The Bible word for this is repentance – to change our thinking about how grievous sin is, so our thinking is in line with God’s.

All that’s left for you to do is to accept the gift that Jesus is holding out for you right now.

If you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.  Romans 10:9-10

God says that if you believe in His Son, Jesus, you can live forever with Him in glory.

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.  John 3:16

Are you ready to accept the gift of eternal life that Jesus is offering you right now?  Let’s review what this commitment involves:

I acknowledge I am a sinner in need of a Saviour – this is to repent or turn away from sin.

I believe in my heart that God raised Jesus from the dead – this is to trust that Jesus paid the full penalty for my sins.

I confess Jesus as my Lord and my God – this is to surrender control of my life to Jesus.

I receive Jesus as my Saviour forever – this is to accept that God has done for me and in me what He promised.

If it is your sincere desire to receive Jesus into your heart as your personal Lord and Saviour, then talk to God from your heart.

If you have any questions, drop me a note at heritagebaptistnorthsioux.com.  

Pastor Larry

(Used with permission.)

Note: Compiled from multiple authors and multiple sources. 

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.

But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:

And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

Matthew 1:18-25 in fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14, which was written approximately 750 years before Christ.

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Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.

And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,

And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

Matthew 2:1-6 in fulfillment of Micah 5:2, which was written around seven hundred years before Christ.

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And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.

When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:

And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.

Matthew 2:13-15 in fulfillment of Hosea 11:1, which was written approximately seven hundred forty years before Christ.

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Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.

Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying,

In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

Matthew 2:16-18 in fulfillment of Jeremiah 31:15, which was written a little over six hundred years before Christ was born.

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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 in fulfillment of Isaiah 40:3, which was written approximately seven hundred years before Christ.

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Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee;

And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:

That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,

The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;

The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.

From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Matthew 4:12-17 in fulfillment of Isaiah 42:6-7 which was written about seven hundred ten years before Christ.

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And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.

And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.

And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.

And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

Luke 4:14-21 in fulfillment of Isaiah 61:1-2, which was written about seven hundred years before Christ’s birth.

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This list of Old Testament prophecies and their fulfillment could go on and on.  This handful was given to illustrate a point; don’t bet against Scripture.  

There are a few sites on the web that investigate the probability of one man fulfilling multiple prophecies.  The odds that one man could have fulfilled as few as eight separate prophecies is so remote that the probability of such a thing lay within the realm of impossibility.

The truth of the matter is that Jesus Christ has fulfilled a multitude of Old Testament prophecies.  He has done the impossible.

Jesus Christ not only said that He is God, His works prove it and the Scripture confirms it.

Don’t take my word for it.  It’s all there.  See for yourself.

Note:  The Bible is the most widely printed and published book in the history of mankind.  It has been and is being translated by dedicated Christian men and women into every language known to man.  If you die as an unbeliever and appear before the Great White Throne Judgment; what can you possibly say?  I chose to be willingly ignorant?

 

After Mary’s visit from the angel Gabriel and during her visit with Elizabeth, John the Baptist’s mother, Mary exalted the the Lord.

And Mary said, My soul doth magnify (to make great) the Lord,

 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden [female bond (willing) slave]: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed (count me happy).

For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy (set apart) is his name.

And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.

He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.

He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.

He hath holpen (helped) his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; 

As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.

Luke 1:46 – 55

Mary’s song is full of Old Testament Scripture.  It contains parts of approximately two dozen Old Testament passages in these nine verses.  John MacArthur lists the passages in the notes of his NKJV Study Bible and he summarizes her song as follows:

Mary’s Magnificat is filled with OT allusions and quotations.  It reveals that Mary’s heart and mind were saturated with the Word of God………….These verses also contain numerous allusions to the law, the psalms, and the prophets.  The entire passage is a point-by-point reciting of the covenant promises of God.

What Mary’s song reveals about her is that she is a willing and obedient servant unto the Lord God.  She is trusting in God’s promises of provision for her own sin.  Mary is trusting in God her Saviour and she is happy!  

Mary is the Old Testament equivalent of a New Testament Spirit filled believer.  She knows God’s Word and she let’s it dwell in her richly.  The result is humility and obedience.

 Her response to the angel Gabriel in verse 38 is; Let it be to me according to your word.  This should be the believer’s prayer; Let it be unto me, O Lord, according to your (written) Word.

Note:  Although Mary’s song reveals much about her, her song is really all about God.

Word definitions are from WE Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words.

Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not?  hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.

Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.

Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.  Isaiah 55:1-7

For through him (Christ) we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.  Ephesians 2:18 KJV

WE Vine’s Expository Dictionary of NT Words:  Access is the Greek word prosagoge’ which means; a leading into the presence of, denotes access, with which is associated the thought of freedom to enter through the assistance or favour of another…….This access involves the acceptance which we have in Christ with God, and the privilege of His favour towards us.

MR Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament defines access as; the act of bringing to.

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For through him….

This is referring to Messiah Jesus.  The first three and a half chapters of Ephesians are about what believers have in Him.  Jesus Christ is the door through which we enter the kingdom.  There is no approach to God aside from the Lord Jesus.  No man can come unto the Father unless he comes through Christ.  No one can come to Christ unless the Spirit draw him.

I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.  John 10:9

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………we both……

We both refers to Israel and the Gentiles.  Under the Law, God chose to reveal Himself exclusively to the Jews.  He chose them as a nation to be His own peculiar people, but they rebelled against God and came under His judgment.  Under Grace and the coming of the promised Messiah, the door was opened to the Gentiles and the individual Jew.  Under Grace we both have access to God through Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit.

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……….have access……….

Having access refers to having the freedom to enter God’s presence through the assistance or favor of another.  When we are in Christ, the Holy Spirit takes us by the hand as dear children and ushers us into the presence of the Father. 

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……..by one Spirit……

There is only one Holy Spirit.  If anyone is being led contrary to the Scripture, he is not being led by the Holy Spirit who is the author of Scripture.  For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. II Peter 1:21 

Believers are exhorted to ….believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.  I John 4:1  

The Holy Spirit is God.  He cannot lie.  He will not contradict Himself.  To be led contrary to Scripture is to be led by another spirit not of God.

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…….unto  the Father……

And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.  Galatians 4:6

  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.  Hebrews 4:16

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…….