The Holy Spirit is the Helper that Jesus promised to send us. All of Scripture is inspired by the Spirit and that Scripture bears witness to our Savior. The Spirit empowers us with Gifts that are to be used to preach the Gospel and build up the Church. It is impossible to follow God unless we are led by the Spirit. He is our Counselor that guides us. He is our Comforter that prays for us. He is the third member of the Trinity: God the Spirit.
Timely Truths – Who is Jesus
Jesus is Lord. He is the Creator of All Things. He is the second member of the Trinity. He is our Savior and our Redeemer. The Great Commission tells us to go into all of the world and preach the Good News of Jesus Christ. The next time someone asks you who Jesus is, confidently tell them that he died on the cross for the sins of all those who believe in his great name!
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Timely Truths – Who is God?
Has anyone ever asked you, “Who is God?” Have you ever been stumped for a good answer? We should always be able to answer questions like these. Yet, when put on the spot it is some times difficult to organize all the thoughts that run through our heads when someone is talking about God. In this Timely Truth, the question of “Who is God?” is answered in a concise, three minute video. Hopefully after watching this presentation, the next time someone asks you about God, you will be able to describe our Almighty Creator with both gentleness and respect (1st Peter 3:15).
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The Great Story – Week 22: The Messiah is Born
Silence. For 400 years, the Jewish people had heard nothing from God. Malachi had promised a prophet that would proceed the long-awaited Messiah, but the wait seemed endless. Finally, John the Baptist was born. He was filled with the Holy Spirit even while he was in the womb. He was to be the voice crying in the wilderness, “Make Straight the way for the Lord”. If only the people had accepted their Messiah.
Mary was a virgin. She was betrothed to Joseph, but they had not yet come together as man and wife. When an angel appeared to Mary and told her that she would conceive a child and that He would be the savior of her people, she was confused. How could a virgin conceive a child? The angel told her that this would be the work of the Holy Spirit and to not be afraid. Her child was born in Bethlehem, in a manager, without the fanfare that should have accompanied the coming King. The Shepherds came to worship Him, but Herod tried to kill him. The hand of God was on this child, and nothing could prevent Him from fulfilling the plan of God.
Jesus was born in Bethlehem, called out of Egypt, and named a Nazarene. Even as a child, He fulfilled messianic prophecies. There has never been another person in history that claimed to be Messiah and proved it as He did. Jesus is God incarnate. He is the Messiah. He came to earth as fully man and fully God, becoming the second Adam. He took upon Himself the punishment of sin for all who believe in Him. He is the Lamb of God. He is the King. He is the Savior. He is the Lord God Almighty! Amen!
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The Great Story – Week 21: The Wall Rebuilt
When Ezra returned to Jerusalem, he found the people there had once again turned away from God. They had taken foreign wives and were worshipping their gods. This was the same offense that caused the original exile to Babylon. Seeing their sin, Ezra called upon the leaders of Jews to repent. In accordance with the Will and Law of God, they did.
Nehemiah was a cup-bearer for the king of Persia when he asked permission to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem. The King agreed and gave him the authority to do what was necessary. Despite threats of violence, subterfuge, and blackmail, Nehemiah was able to complete the work that God had commanded and the walls of Jerusalem were reforged. After the construction, he returned to the king of Persia as promised and remained with him for a period of time. When Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem, he found that the people had once again ignoring the Commandments. As a result, Nehemiah established reforms that ensured that the Law of God was honored in Israel.
Malachi was the last prophet recorded in the Old Testament. After him, no other prophets were raised up for 400 years. His book records the sins of Israel during the time of Nehemiah’s absence and calls for the coming Messiah. In Malachi 3:1, a Messenger is spoken of. This messenger is the same Messenger mentioned in Isaiah 40:3. He is the voice of one crying in the wilderness. He would be, John the Baptist.
Men love the Darkness. The Bible says that, No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him” (John 6:44). It is easier to sin than to obey the word of God, and that is witnessed by the constant backsliding of Israel. Only when a prophet or man of God convicted the people of their sin did they recognize their evil acts and repent. There is so much we can learn from the Old Testament.
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The Great Story – Week 20: Esther
God had a plan for Esther. His Providence is on display throughout the book bearing her name. Esther replaced Vashti as queen of Persia after the latter refused to obey the command of King Xerxes. Even in this pagan kingdom, God had the right people in the right place, at the right time.
Haman was a descendent of the Amalekites; the same Amalekites that God had ordered Saul to destroy but were not. As such, Haman’s hatred for the Jews was fierce and he vowed to kill them all. With the king’s approval, a plan was approved for all the Jews to be killed.
Mordecai, Esther’s cousin, encouraged her to go before the king and beg for both her life and the life of her people. Esther was afraid to act because appearing before the king without being summoned was punishable by death. Yet, in the face of this reality, she petitioned the king and he accepted her. When Haman was exposed to the king as the one who threated the queen and her people, he was executed for his crime. God had once again shown that He was always in control and the Jews were saved.
Our God is both immanent with us and transcendent beyond us. He is everywhere, in everything, and always in control. Yet, at the same time, He is above and beyond His Creation, completely unaffected by it. Our God is all power and almighty! Amen!
Visit “The Great Story” page to download your weekly study guide or listen to the audio version of the study: The Great Story
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