December 2018 "Dearly Beloved" Articles
Dearly Beloved 12/31/18 "A Glorious Announcement"
A Glorious Announcement
Dearly beloved by the Father, it’s New Year’s Eve once again, so the trumpet of God hasn’t sounded yet.
We will hear a whole bunch of trivial horns tonight, but I’m anxiously awaiting the sound of the glorious one that will sound from the heavens to announce the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for the members of his body, the Church.
The Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout that assembles us, with the voice of an archangel, and the trumpet of God will be blown to announce this glorious event.
The dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are alive will be snatched up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we be with the lord forever and ever.
Read more ...Dearly Beloved 12/30/18 "The Promise of Life"
The Promise of Life
Dearly beloved of the Lord, Jesus Christ came so we might have life. He came to give life to the world. Anyone that believes on him has everlasting life.
He sent the promise of his Father, the holy spirit, and it is that spirit that gives life. The Lord told the Jews at the feast, “And you will not come to me, that you might have life.”
It is the spirit that makes alive, the end of the flesh is death and corruption, not life. Jesus Christ spoke words that enabled people to receive spirit life.
Christ’s coming is the decisive event that provides life. His first coming provided the new birth which is spirit life.
Read more ...Dearly Beloved 12/29/18 "I Am Come that They Might Have Life"
I Am Come that They Might Have Life
Dearly beloved of the Lord, Jesus Christ said, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” He is speaking of spirit life, which will result in eternal life when he returns.
“Except a man be born again [begotten from above], he cannot see the kingdom of God.” A few verses later he says, “Except a man be born of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”
He then explains this by saying, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again."
The spirit is that which allows us to see and enter the kingdom of God. When we are born of the spirit it makes alive spiritually and it provides us entrance into the kingdom of God.
Read more ...Dearly Beloved 12/28/18 "Speak to Me Father"
Speak to Me Father
Dearly beloved of God, there is always profit when God’s people listen to Him.
He expects us to hear His written Word and respond to what He says by believing it. His Word reveals His will to us; it reveals His thinking, His purposes and plans. His Word reveals the general pattern of how He works.
For example, He sent His Son so that those who believe on him could be saved. We can read it in John 3:16. We know that His will is for all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth because He tells us so in I Timothy 1:2.
Read more ...Dearly Beloved 12/27/18 "Who is Jesus Christ?"
Who is Jesus Christ?
Dearly beloved, since we just celebrated Jesus Christ’s birth, I thought we might consider who God reveals him to be in His Word. As you look up these references, I hope His Word burns in your heart and it brings you great joy.
He is the promised seed of the Woman (Genesis 3:15)
Made of a woman (Galatians 4:4)
The seed of Abraham (Galatians 3:16,19)
Conceived by Divine conception (Luke 1:27-38)
The Son of God (Luke 1:35; Matthew 4:3, 4:6, 8:29, etc.); The Word of God refers to him as the Son of God 50 times.
Read more ...Dearly Beloved 12/26/18 "Perversions of Truth"
Perversions of Truth
Dearly beloved of God, the promised seed of the woman was born! The birth of Jesus the Christ miraculously fulfilled hundreds of years of prophecies and God intricately and precisely documented it with the witness of the stars. How God brought His Word, celestial events, and history together in one extraordinary moment of history is stunning.
In spite of everything God did to authenticate the birth of His Son it goes nearly unnoticed today because of the perversions of the old serpent the devil.
In the place of truth we are left with tradition.
Instead of the precision and glory of astronomical events in the heavens that signaled Jesus Christ’s birth, we are left with the corruption of astrology. Instead of the witness of the stars beginning in Virgo with the promised seed, tradition begins with the Ram.
Read more ...Dearly Beloved 12/25/18 "From Birth to Glory"
From Birth to Glory
Dearly beloved, from his birth, to his coming for the members of his body, the church, to snatch us up to meet him in the air, the hope of redemption squarely rests on the Lord Jesus Christ.
He came the first time to pay the price for redemption; when he comes again, he will redeem those whom he purchased with his life. The result of his first coming was forgiveness of sins and the gift of holy spirit as the down payment of our salvation. When he comes again, we will receive new deathless bodies like his, and everlasting life.
All hope pivots on Christ; it rests on his accomplishments, and what he will yet achieve when he returns.
Read more ...Dearly Beloved 12/23/18 "When was the King of the Judeans Born?""
When was the King of the Judeans Born?
Dearly beloved, the Magi did not return to report to Herod after they found the young child Jesus in Bethlehem; they were warned of God that they should depart to their own country another way.
After they departed, the angel of the LORD appeared to Joseph in a vision and told him to take the young child and his mother and flee into Egypt and to stay there until he brought him word because Herod was going to seek to destroy him.
Meanwhile, Herod had decided to kill all the children that were in Bethlehem from two years old and younger, according to the time he had diligently inquired of the Magi according to Matthew 2:16. He would not have set two years of age as the cutoff had he not known from the Magi that the child was born in 3 B.C.
We have seen previously that evidence from God’s Word, history, and astronomy converge on 3 B.C. as the year Jesus was born. The book of Revelation gives us additional pertinent information concerning the timing of the birth of the king of the Judeans, Jesus Christ.
Read more ...Dearly Beloved 12/23/18 "The Magi and His Star"
The Magi and His Star
Dearly beloved of the Lord, God had His prophet Daniel train the Magi in the understanding of the witness the stars while he was in captivity in Persia. These Magi were the only ones to recognize the witness of the stars concerning “the King of the Judeans.”
There were six astronomical events concerning the king planet,Jupiter, between August 12, 3 B.C. and August 27, 2 B.C. that captured the attention of the Magi.
In the first one, the king planet Jupiter was not only in conjunction with Venus, which is the bright and morning star, but in the constellation of Leo, the constellation which represented the rulership of Judah.
This event coupled with five other notable conjunctions, the first and fourth involving Jupiter and Venus in conjunction in the constellation Leo, and between them a series of three conjunctions of Jupiter and the star Regulus in conjunction in the constellation Leo.
Read more ...Dearly Beloved 12/22/18 "Simply Awe Inspiring"
Simply Awe Inspiring
Dearly beloved, I stand in awe of God’s workmanship to create the heavens and the earth, to so wonderfully form and make the human body, to send His Son Jesus Christ by divine conception, to raise him from the dead, to conceive the plan of redemption and bring it to pass.
Our lives are but a vapor compared to the power and glory of the Eternal One. He is the Creator, the One True and Living God; He conceived the plan for our redemption and salvation and made it available.
Our God designed the heavenly bodies and wrote the witness of the stars in the heaven above to mark the birth of His Son, His only begotten Son.
In ancient times a star was any luminous, non-terrestrial body. Planets were also called stars since they were celestial bodies. The sun and moon were the only exceptions to this.
Read more ...Dearly Beloved 12/21/18 "Even Better Than Bethlehem"
Even Better Than Bethlehem
Dearly beloved of God, we may not have been in Bethlehem when God’s only begotten Son was born, but we have the Word of the Lord that we will not miss his second coming; not even death can keep us from it.
The Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout to summon us, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we which are yet alive will be snatched up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
We will be gathered together up to him, and we will be with him and like him… forever! Comfort one another with these words dearly beloved.
We may have missed out on his first coming, but eternity with him will make up for it. From the moment we confessed Jesus as Lord, and believed that God raised him from the dead, we were saved and sealed for the day of redemption.
Some anticipate the arrival of Christmas, but it pales in comparison to the arrival of Christ Jesus our Lord! How much more we should anticipate his coming.
Read more ...Dearly Beloved 12/20/18 "Revelation Truth"
Revelation Truth
Dearly beloved, we must all have a reference for learning outside of themselves. Truth isn’t in-born. If it were, we would all hold the same beliefs. We don’t come from the factory preprogrammed with it – it must be learned. We must ask ourselves, “Why do I believe what I believe?” This question is crucial for all of us.
The scriptures are the word of truth, and all scripture is God-breathed. God gave it for our profit, one of which is doctrine, which is the God-given standard that He gave for our believing. Believing comes by hearing; by hearing the word of God.
The Word of God is the revelation of God’s will to us, and it is our reference for truth concerning matters of which He speaks. Therefore, we are instructed to study to show ourselves approved unto God as workmen who do not need to be ashamed by rightly-dividing the word of truth.
God bears witness to His Word with signs, wonders, and miracles. This was never so evident as it was in the birth of His only begotten Son.
God revealed the key people involved, the time, the place, and the importance of his birth in unmistakable language. He provided prophesies that span about twenty five hundred years that document the who, what, when, where, and why concerning his birth.
He supplied us with historical data and astronomical events that support the timing of his birth.
He furnished us with his genealogy back to Adam so that we do not miss that he was the promised seed spoken of from Genesis 3:15. His genealogy established that he was King David’s descendant and as prophesied, he would sit on his throne forever.
He provided us with eastern customs woven in the scriptures, that when understood further verify the detail and accuracy of what took place.
In spite of God’s revelation which reveals the truth, tradition gives us December 25, 1 A.D. as the date for the birth of the Christ. The truth of God’s Word has been overlooked and replaced by the traditions of men. People today place more credence on Christmas carols than on the revelation of the scriptures that God gave us for our believing.
I grew up thinking that Jesus was born on December 25, even though it was too cold for shepherds to abide in the fields with their flocks after October. When and why do shepherds abide in the fields with their flocks?
Tradition teaches that three wise men appeared at Jesus’ birth bearing gifts, while nowhere do the scriptures mention that there were “three” wise men. Who were these “wise men from the east?”
Tradition says that a brilliant star stood over Bethlehem when Christ was born. What was “his star” seen by the wise men and that caused them to undertake their pilgrimage?
We are told that there were “three” wise men at Jesus’ birth, but the scriptures reveal that they did not arrive for more than a year and three months later. The Magi found the young child in the house, not the newly born baby in the animals feeding trough behind the inn.
After the Magi left and did not return to tell Herod where to find the newly born king, why did Herod have all the children two years of age and younger murdered if Jesus was born the night the Magi arrived?
God’s Word gives us the answers to these questions and more if we will study it.
I can’t express how thankful I am for the birth of God’s only begotten Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. When we come to the resplendent truth of God’s revelation it is absolutely breathtaking. What more can we say than, “Glory to God in the highest?”
His Word should cause us to glorify and praise God and to make it known as the shepherds did. Search the scriptures, dearly beloved of God, they are the word of truth.
Dearly Beloved 12/19/18 "The Significance of His Birthday"
The Significance of His Birthday
Dearly beloved, when you combine the evidence of scripture, with the timing of historical and astronomical events, the birth of God’s only begotten Son, Jesus the Christ, took place on Tishri 1, 3 B.C. on the Judean calendar, between 6:18 and 7:39 P.M. What is the significance of this date?
Tishri was originally the first month on the Judean calendar until God instructed Moses to change it in Exodus 12. The change made Nisan the first month, and Tishri became the seventh. After Moses changed the calendar, Tishri retained its position as the beginning of the civil year; their New Year’s Day falling on Tishri 1.
Today in Judaism it is known as Rosh Ha-Shanah, and it celebrates not only the new year but also the birthday of the world. Old rabbinical tradition holds that Tishri 1 was the first day of creation.
God instructed Moses to designate Tishri 1 as the Day of Trumpets. “Trumpets” is the Hebrew “shofar”, literally meaning “rams’ horns.”
Read more ...Dearly Beloved 12/18/18 "The Due Time of Christ's Birth"
The Due Time of Christ's Birth
Dearly beloved, although undetected by the world, prophecy, astronomical events, political events, genealogies, marriages, and two pregnancies intersected by divine design in due time for the birth of the promised seed, God's only begotten Son.
Luke 2:7: And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn.
Jesus was Mary’s firstborn, but he was God’s only begotten Son.
According to Eastern culture when the son of a king was born, he was salted “and wrapped in swaddling clothes.” The newborn babe would be washed in water containing salt. This represented that as king he would be a man of his word; he would mean what he said and say what he meant. He would keep his word even if it cost him his life. His words were salted.
Read more ...Dearly Beloved 12/16/18 "The Stage is Set"
The Stage is Set
Dearly beloved, we have considered records in God’s Word from about a year before the birth of Jesus Christ.
There had not been a man of God in Israel for 400 years. Their religious leaders were blind spiritually and were headed by a man born of the seed of the serpent. The Word of God was hidden under layers of tradition and religion. Israel was captive and came under the rule of the Roman Empire. The stage was set for the birth of God’s only begotten Son.
However, during this dark time God was busy at work behind the scenes preparing for the birth of His Son. During this year a number of prophesies were fulfilled which had been spoken hundreds of years earlier. Every detail dovetailed in the birth of Jesus the Christ, yet no one expected what was about to occur.
The witness of the stars, political and historical events, genealogies, and prophecies all came into play with the birth of Jesus the Christ.
Read more ...Dearly Beloved 12/15/18 "Joseph's Difficult Dilemma"
Joseph’s Difficult Dilemma
Understanding the marriage customs that were prevalent in the lands and during the times the Bible was written, let’s consider the record of Joseph and Mary on the night they were to come together and consummate their marriage. He faced a quite difficult dilemma.
Matthew 1:18 and 19: "Now [But] the birth [gennesis: the begetting] of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused [betrothed] to Joseph, before they came together, she was found [was discovered] 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."
Mary having been betrothed to Joseph, before their living together and having sexual intercourse, was discovered to have a child in the womb by the Holy Spirit – God. Mary was at least three months pregnant.
Read more ...Dearly Beloved 12/15/18 "Eastern Wedding Customs"
Eastern Wedding Customs
After the bride's selection, arrangement of the dowry, the betrothal ceremony ending with the giving of the ten pieces of silver, and the betrothal period, they would have the wedding ceremony itself. The ceremony could last up to ten days. It was a time of rejoicing.
The bride would choose ten virgins as bridesmaids, each having a responsibility to carry out during the ten days.
The bridesmaids would all go out to meet the bridegroom’s party as it approached the town. They each used special torches that were passed down in their families from generation to generation.
One of the groomsmen, who was a friend of the bridegroom, would go ahead of his party to announce their arrival by blowing a horn at the town’s gate.
Read more ...Dearly Beloved 12/14/18 "Selection and Betrothal"
Selection and Betrothal
Dearly beloved, the Bible was written in the east, not in America or England. Their expressions and customs were different from ours in the west. If we are to understand the records about Jesus’ conception and birth, we need to understand Eastern marriage customs at that time.
Their marriage consisted of a number of different events: the selection of the bride, the arrangement of the dowry, the betrothal ceremony, the wedding ceremony, the time set to first come together for intercourse, the honeymoon, and finally the preparation for their permanent home.
First, the groom’s family would select a bride for their son. The women in the family usually did this. They put careful consideration into this selection because they wanted the best possible companion for their son.
Read more ...Dearly Beloved 12/13/18 "How the Virgin Conceived"
How the Virgin Conceived
Dearly beloved, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth in Galilee to Mary, a virgin who was espoused to Joseph of the house of David.
Luke 1:30-35
“And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God.
And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
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 the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.”
Dearly Beloved 12/11/18 "It's Alive!"
It’s Alive!
Dearly beloved, the Word of God is alive and powerful. It is our only reference for truth concerning spiritual matters; it is our point of contact with the Living God. God’s Word reveals His will. You cannot separate God from His Word any more than I could separate you from your word.
When we have the Word of God rightly divided, we are standing in the presence of God as much as Moses was when God spoke to him out of the burning bush.
His Word reveals what He made available to us. It is profitable; it reveals what He has promised to us in this life and in that which is to come. The Word of God is faithful and worthy of all acceptance.
Read more ...Dearly Beloved 12/10/18 "What Should I Wear Today?"
What Should I Wear Today?
Dearly beloved, it is time to get up and get dressed. What should we put on today?
Let’s put on the mind of Christ and be sound minded, and clothe ourselves with the breastplate of believing and love, and for a head covering, the hope of salvation because God has not appointed us to wrath; we will obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ when he comes to gather us unto him in the air! That’s an outfit that will be in style for the ages to come.
God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. He gave us power for abundant living, the love of God in the renewed mind in manifestation, and the revelation of His Word so that we may think sober thoughts.
Read more ...Dearly Beloved 12/9/18 "His Living Epistles"
His Living Epistles
Dearly beloved, when we confessed Jesus as Lord and that God raised him from the dead we were saved. Having believed in the Christ, we were sealed with the holy spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory.
“Earnest” is the Greek word “arrabon” meaning down payment, token. The word is used here in Ephesians 1:14, II Corinthians 1:22 and in 5:5. We were sealed by the promised holy spirit and it is the down payment of the inheritance we will receive when Christ returns to gather us together unto him in the air.
We were born of the spirit from Him that raised up Jesus from the dead; His spirit now indwells us. We are now God’s habitations by the spirit.
Read more ...Dearly Beloved 12/8/18 "Walk in the Reality"
Walk in the Reality
Dearly beloved, if we are to walk in the spiritual power that we received in the new birth, the Word of God concerning who we are in Christ must live in us richly. The Word produces results; the flesh profits nothing, it only produces consequences. As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him.
God gave us the revelation that it is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” It is no longer I that live; Christ lives in me. If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation. We are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus on the basis of his good works so that we can walk in them. Old things passed away; behold, new things have come, and all the new things are from God.
We received the spirit from Him that raised Christ from the dead; it now dwells in us. The spirit is power from on high. In Christ, we are now enabled by the power of the spirit within.
Read more ...Dearly Beloved 12/7/18 "Great Expectations"
Great Expectations
Dearly beloved, God always fulfills His Word when the time is right, in due time, the right time, although it may not be the time we expect it to happen. When we go to God we should have great expectations.
God delivered Israel from Egypt when they were reduced to captivity, and then by His mighty hand he brought them out of their captivity. Were there oppressors? Yes, and they were slaves in a foreign land ruled by them.
Were they unarmed? Yes. Were they stuck between the Red Sea and the pursuit of the greatest fighting force of that time, but God parted the sea and dried up its floor so they could pass through it while the invincible army that pursued them into the sea was destroyed.
Read more ...Dearly Beloved 12/7/18 "God's Heart Concerning Us"
God’s Heart Concerning Us
Truly phenomenal things are in store for us, dearly beloved of God. “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.”
What marvelous revelation! This is what is in God’s heart concerning His people because of His great love for us. This is the good pleasure of His will concerning us, and it is truly good, beloved ones. He will absolutely “freely give us all things with Christ!”
Listen to this: “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace you are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: [WHY, beloved?] that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”
Read more ...Dearly Beloved 12/6/18 "Three of the Greatest Words Ever Spoken"
Three of the Greatest Words Ever Spoken
Dearly beloved, God sent His Son into the world to save us, and he did. The climax of his life’s work was summed up in his last words as he hung on the tree, “It is finished (accomplished).” He was our offering for sin. He paid the redemption price for us with his life. We were healed by his stripes.
Beloved, God freely gave us all things with Christ. His work was not in vain. He accomplished what none of us could accomplish for ourselves. By God’s grace and mercy, we now stand before God in Christ. We are members of his body, filled with all in all of us.
It is accomplished! We are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus on the basis of his good works. We are who He says we are, we have what He says we have, and we can do what He says we can do.
Read more ...Dearly Beloved 12/5/18 "It's the Same"
It’s the Same
Dearly beloved of God, when we were born again, we all received the same gift of holy spirit as the twelve apostles did on the Day of Pentecost. We received the same gift of holy spirit that about three thousand Judeans received that day after the Apostle Peter taught them about its significance. We received the same gift of holy spirit that the Gentiles received at Cornelius’s house.
There is no difference in what we receive today than what they received then; it is the same gift of holy spirit.
The Lord Jesus Christ told the disciples they were to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father which they heard from him.
Read more ...Dearly Beloved 12/4/18 "Proof of the Reality"
Proof of the Reality
Dearly beloved, the sun came up this morning and it’s a day closer to Christ’s return. Come quickly Lord Jesus! Until then, we walk with the great expectation and anticipation that he is coming. Therefore, dearly beloved, be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
Our journey began in grace and it will end in glory. Until that day arrives, our Father gave us the proof that we are born of His spirit; His spirit bears witness with our inner being that we are His children, His heirs, and joint heirs with Christ, and that we will be glorified together with him. We received the spirit of sonship, by which we cry unto Him, “Abba" meaning, "Father".
No one can really say, “Jesus is Lord” except by speaking by the spirit of God. He provided us with the proof that he is our Lord. As our Lord, he will save and redeem us on the day of redemption for eternal life.
Read more ...Dearly Beloved 12/3/18 "From Birth to Glory and All In Between"
From Birth to Glory and All In Between
Dearly beloved of the Lord, God will perform every Word out of His mouth. The Word of God that holy men of God spoke as God inspired them did not come by the will of man; but rather holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. His Word declares His will to us, moreover He promises to perform it as we believe Him. He is both able and willing to do it.
Oftentimes His Word stands in utter contradiction to situations that we face. Our circumstances do not hinder or limit Him in any way; they make no difference to Him. The Almighty God, the One True and Living God that spoke makes the difference.
Our Father instructs us to walk with Him by believing, not by the circumstances we see before our eyes.
Every time He answers our prayers by His supernatural power it glorifies Him. The more difficult the challenge we face the greater the victory of deliverance, and the more it is undeniable that only He could have provided it.
Read more ...Dearly Beloved 12/2/18 "The Walk of Power"
The Walk of Power
Dearly beloved of God, life is full of challenges, isn’t it? It does not matter what you are confronted with at the moment, God is greater than it is. He has empowered us to overcome, triumph, reign, and conquer by the power of His spirit.
From birth we are conditioned to walk by the five senses, but God instructs us to walk by believing, and to walk by the spirit. His way is completely contrary to the world’s way.
To walk by believing is to walk having trust and confidence that God will perform His Word. It never fails. It is to walk in alignment with His will; believing that He is able and willing to do as He said.
Read more ...