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GOD’S SPIRIT Acts 2:16- Acts 2:18 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 17And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 18And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: How wonderful was the blessing of the Spirit that was given to those gathered in the Upper Room on the Day of Pentecost. Jesus had told His disciples to tarry in the city of Jerusalem until they be endued with power from on high. It came as a mighty rushing wind that filled all the house. Acts 2:4 tells us that they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. This outpouring of the Holy Ghost was the fulfilling of the scripture given by Joel as quoted by Peter to those who were amazed and wondered about this that they did not understand. Praise God for the enlightenment they received from Peter and their desire to obey what they were told. Thank God for those who still desire everything the Lord has to give to His people today. The Holy Ghost equips us for service in the Kingdom of God. It is not just an experience that we can brag about having, but it is an experience that will lead us, guide us, and direct us in our walk with the Lord. We can make it if we will allow the Lord to pour out His Spirit upon us and then allow the leadership of that Spirit in our walk with God. - Elder Franklin Hill
MERCY AND TRUTH Proverbs 3:3 "Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart; 4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man." None of us are deserving of God’s abundant mercy, but because of His love for us, He has given it to us in full measure. We must not trample His mercy under our feet. The way to be forsaken by mercy is to continue to do those things that are displeasing to God. This is willfully sinning, which Paul strictly preached against. Romans 6:1-2 "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" Truth stared Pilate in the face, but in order to please the people, he washed his hands in their presence and let Truth be led away to be crucified. But, thank God, Truth is still alive and will not forsake those who hold to it with all their being. John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him (Thomas), I am the way the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." Yes, Jesus is the Truth. God’s Word is Truth, because throughout His Word we are given the revelation of Jesus from Genesis to Revelation. All the Scripture is about Him, the fullness of the Godhead bodily, the Word in the beginning. But when the fullness of time came, Truth (Jesus) sprang forth from the womb of the virgin Mary to fulfill the purpose for which the Word is given--to redeem all mankind from the bondage of sin once and for all by the shedding of His blood as the sinless Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world. Yes, we are all undeserving, but God’s plan includes us anyway. Praise His Name! - Elder Franklin Hill
HAVE YOU TALKED TO GOD TODAY? One of the most important things we can do is talk to God. Prayer is the key to a victorious life full of blessings from God. I read somewhere that a day hemmed in with prayer will not easily unravel. Prayer is talking to God. Many never make contact with God unless there is a need. When things are going smoothly, they think they have no need of God. That kind of thinking and living is far from what God desires of us. We need to talk to God every day. Dottie Rambo penned these words: "I didn’t come here to ask You for anything, I just came to talk to You, Lord. You’ve answered a million prayers or more, that I forgot to thank You for, I just came to talk to you, Lord. Maybe tomorrow, there’ll be trouble and sorrow, and a million teardrops may fall. But until I face tomorrow’s task, I have no special favors to ask. I just came to talk to You, Lord." We must talk to God! We must let Him know that we need Him each and every day of our lives. Paul tells us in 1 Thess. 5:17, to "Pray without ceasing." Jesus tells us in Matt. 7:7-8, to "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." We must remember to talk to God. The key to receiving is praying and believing. Matt. 17:21, "Howbeit, this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. Let’s talk to the Lord and tell Him what we want. Bro. Emmett Allen used to sing these words that are so true if we pray and believe. "Every promise in the book is mine. Every chapter, every verse, every line. I am trusting in His love divine. Every promise in the book is mine." - Elder Franklin Hill
A CLEAN HEART AND A RIGHT SPIRIT Psalm 51:10-12 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.12Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. David sorely displeased the Lord because of his sin with Bathsheba, but when Nathan the prophet came to him with rebuke, he was ready to repent. David, a man after God’s own heart, sought for the mercies of the Lord. If you read the 51st Psalm in its entirety, you will see just how frail we are as creatures prone so easily to sin but how merciful God is to those who seek him with a broken and a contrite heart. Haughtiness never gets God’s attention. Brokenness in spirit does. Notice David’s first words in this Psalm. "Have mercy upon me, Oh, God, according to thy lovingkindness: according to thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions." He appeals to God to "wash me throughly," and "cleanse me from my sin." David realizes that he has sinned against God and has done evil in the sight of God. He is not trying to bargain with God or telling God how good he(David) is. He is simply acknowledging the fact that he has sinned. The prophet drove home to David the fact that what he had done was displeasing unto God, and David throughout the Psalm is constantly pleading to God for renewing and restoration. - Elder Franklin Hill
MY BELOVED IS MINE! Song of Songs 6:3 3I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine: he feedeth among the lilies. What a wonderful blessing it is to personally know that I am His and He is mine. That’s a relationship that each of us can have with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! It is not a distant relationship, but intimate and personal. Even more personal is that which is stated in Song of Songs 7:10 10I am my beloved’s, and his desire is toward me. We are not just a nobody in the sight of our God, but He knows us personally and loves us with an everlasting love. Jeremiah 31:3 3The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. Truly we can say that there is no love like the love of our Savior. He loved us so much that He laid down His life for us. John 15:13 13Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. He laid it down freely because of His love for us. He rose again and ascended into Heaven, where He has prepared a place for us. But He did not leave us comfortless. He gave us His Spirit, the Holy Ghost, to lead and guide us in our walk with Him. He promised that He will come again for us. Why? Because of His love for us. Very soon those who love Him will see Him in the clouds when He returns for His church. As Solomon puts it, in Song of Songs 2:10 -13 10My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. 11For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; 12The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; 13The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. I am longing for that day! - Elder Franklin Hill
THANK GOD FOR HIS LIGHT! 1 John 1:5-7 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. I’m so thankful that God is light. There is nothing about Him that expresses darkness. It was He who divided the light from the darkness, the good from the evil! He is light, and he desires that His creation walk in His light that He has shined in our pathway. There are those who are making a mockery of God in the hour we are living. They try to claim a walk with God and live in darkness. They call evil good and good evil. Isaiah 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! We will never go wrong by walking in God’s light. John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. What is that light of life? It is Jesus! He is our light. He is our source of strength in a world that has groped itself in darkness and degradation. Satan is having a heyday with those who claim to be living for God. He is making them think that they can live in darkness and in the dregs of sin and still be saved. That is far from the truth. 1 Thessalonians 5:3-4 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. - Elder Franklin Hill
LIFE MORE ABUNDANTLY John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. The Lord wants all of us to experience abundant life. We can have that when we completely commit our ways unto the Lord. Satan desires to have each one of us in his clutches so that we will be unfruitful and only fit for him, but our God has given us Himself that we might be free from the bondage of sin. The only real life is living for Jesus. Some think that the pleasures of sin will keep them high, but these things only last for a short time and carry a very high price tag. Think of the life of a drug addict. Once that high is reached one time, there is no satisfaction until the next high. The craving is for more and more to satisfy. Jesus can satisfy every longing in our hearts, and the only price tag is forsaking sin and serving Him. When serving Jesus is all that matters, life has meaning and can be lived abundantly. - Elder Franklin Hill
WORSHIP THE LORD IN THE BEAUTY OF HOLINESS We are told in 1 Chronicles 16:29 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. The only way to truly give glory due the name of the Lord is to worship Him in the beauty of holiness. There is no other way to worship Him. Notice we are told to bring an offering. It is not that God has need of anything. He is self-sufficient, but He wants us to realize that anything we give of ourselves, whether it be time or monetary, will not be enough to repay Him for all He has done.While it is certainly true that our righteousness is as filthy rags in His sight, we can approach God because He has broken down the middle walk of partition that we might have access to His throne. Therefore, we can come boldly to Him because He allows us to partake of His righteousness. When we obey His word by repenting, being baptized in the Name of Jesus, for remission of sins, being sanctified by His blood, and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost; we do not have to come before Him shy or timidly, but boldly. When we worship Him, we must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. True worship involves losing sight of our flesh and tuning in to who He really is. Let us today come before Him and truly worship the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! - Elder Franklin Hill
CHRIST ACCORDING TO ISAIAH Isaiah 60:1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. Praise the Lord! His coming into the world changed the course of all history. Even time is measured from His birth. He is truly the light that has come into a world groped in darkness. Not only did the Shepherds see the brightness of the heavens and the glorious angelic chorus of angels proclaiming His birth and His glory, but the wise men saw His star in the East and came to worship Him. Again, Isaiah talks about the light. Isaiah 9:2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.Isaiah vividly prophesied of the birth of Christ. Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah also tells of our Lord’s suffering for our sins. Isaiah 53:5-9 - 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. 8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. 9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. These are but a few of the prophecies of Isaiah concerning our Lord Jesus Christ. Thank God for the confirmation of the Word that Christ indeed has come into the world to bring us light (salvation) and that He is coming back again for those who have accepted Him and looking for His appearing. - Elder Franklin Hill
THE LORD, OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS Jeremiah 33:14 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. 15: In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. 16: In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness. Praise the Lord! He has performed every thing He said He would. All of Israel longed for the coming Messiah that would be their deliverer. The genealogies trace His roots back to David. Read Matt. 1:1-17. Indeed Jesus came to bring deliverance and righteousness to a world that was groped in sin and darkness. The nation of Israel was looking for a promised Messiah to free them from the tyranny of Roman rule, but they received a Messiah who would rule and reign in their hearts and turn them back to worship of the true and living God. There was no earthly deliverer, but God Himself became flesh to rule and reign in the lives of born-again believers. People today are looking for relief by every means they can find, but that longing of their innermost being can only be satisfied by that one who fills to depths of our souls with His abundant mercy and grace. The only real peace that Israel would experience was in Jesus. He is the only real peace that any of us today can experience. You see, the greatest peace comes in knowing that we are saved. Matt. 1:21 ...thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. - Elder Franklin Hill
ONE OF THE LEAST OF THESE (Mat 25:35-40) "For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: {36} Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. {37} Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? {38} When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? {39} Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? {40} And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." All of God’s children are precious in His sight. Many times we get so caught up in ourselves and forget that there are so many people who are in need of a helping hand. Christianity is so much more than talk. It is an experience that prompts us to lose sight of ourselves and our own specific needs and reach out to others with the Love of God shining forth in our lives. We are reminded in (James 1:22) "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." Let us ever be aware of the fact that actions speak louder than words. (James 2:15-16) "If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, {16} And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?" - Elder Franklin Hill
COME NOW (Isa 1:18-20) "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. {19} If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: {20} But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it." The urgency of the message is to "come now." There is not much time left for us to make our preparations to meet the Lord. The price has been paid and the call is clear. (Mat 11:28-30) "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. {29} Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. {30} For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." There is much turmoil, pain, and strife in the land today. Everywhere we look, there seems to be no end of heartache in the lives of people. The only sure thing we can depend on is that Jesus is soon coming for His chosen ones, those who have obeyed His plan of salvation and are serving Him. The time to come to Him is now, and the time to be up and about the Father’s business is now. Some are looking for the right time to give their hearts in service to the Lord. That time is now. (Heb 3:7-8) "Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, {8} Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:"(2 Cor 6:1-2) "We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. {2} (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)" - Elder Franklin Hill
ENDURING TEMPTATION (James 1:12) "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he
is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised
to them that love him." Notice that this verse of scripture talks
about enduring temptation. It is hard to bear temptation. We want
everything in our lives to run smoothly, but life will not afford us that
luxury. We haven’t made it home yet, and Satan is out to steal, kill, and
destroy. He uses every tactic at his disposal to try to trap those who love
God into yielding to his devices. Notice the next verses. (James
1:13-15) "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for
God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: {14} But
every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
{15} Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it
is finished, bringeth forth death."
THE FEAR OF THE LORD
(Prov 1:7) "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but
fools despise wisdom and instruction." Many people possess earthly
wisdom and knowledge, but they do not ask for instructions from the Lord in
directing their lives. Notice (Prov 21:2) "Every way of a man is
right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts." People
desire to be right, but many want to be right by their own store of
knowledge. They have no fear of God and refuse to be instructed in the
things of God. The "if it feels good, do it" and "I’ll do
what I want to do" attitudes have invaded the ranks of the Church. We
are living in the day of "anything goes."
THE SOURCE OF OUR HELP! (Psa 121:1-2) " I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence
cometh my help. {2} My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and
earth."
There is a song that says, "When I think of the
goodness of Jesus, and all He has done for me. My soul cries out, ‘Hallelujah!
Praise God for saving me!’"
MONEY CAN’T BUY WHAT JESUS CAN GIVE (Acts 3:1-8) "Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. {2} And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; {3} Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. {4} And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. {5} And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. {6} Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. {7} And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. {8} And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God." The lame man expected the same as always had been his lot. If he could receive a few coins from passersby, maybe he could buy enough food to sustain him until someone else gave to him. He got more than he expected on this occasion. The Holy Ghost had just been given on the day of Pentecost, and Peter and John and all the others who had received the blessing were equipped to use this power to promote and build up the kingdom of God. Peter did not have money, but he had the power of God in his life. He knew that whatsoever we ask in the Name of Jesus we can receive if we ask in faith. Praise God for His healing power. It takes finances in order that the work of God may go on, and God expects His people to be good stewards. But no amount of money can buy eternal life or supply the healing that comes only from God. When Philip preached in Samaria and won converts to the Lord, delivering them from witchcraft and healing them of all manner of diseases, Simon the sorcerer thought he could buy the power of God (Holy Ghost) with money. (Acts 8:20) "But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money." Let us receive the blessings of God in our lives by seeking after Him with all our hearts. He will supply our every need!
A CUP OF COLD WATER (Mat 10:42) "And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these
little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I
say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward."
STANDING ON HOLY GROUND (Exo 3:1-7) "Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. {2} And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. {3} And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. {4} And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. {5} And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. {6} Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God. {7} And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;" How wonderful it is to stand on holy ground with the Lord! But notice that in order to prepare for this, Moses had to leave the comfort of Pharaoh’s palace and go to the back side of the desert to be alone. If we today want to stand on holy ground with Jesus, we must be willing to leave our comfort zone and hear the voice of God as He speaks to us. God spoke to Moses from the burning bush, but He could speak to us just through a still small voice. However God chooses, we must listen and be obedient.
MAKE A JOYFUL NOISE! (Psa 98:4-6) "Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. {5} Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm. {6} With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King." God is looking for a joyful people, who will assemble themselves together to worship and adore Him. When God’s people assemble together for true worship, the flow of the Spirit is allowed to dictate the service. As God’s people begin to praise the Lord in music, in song, clapping the hands, and even dancing in the Spirit, God is greatly pleased. He is looking for a people who are not ashamed to praise and worship Him. Notice the scripture says to make a joyful noise unto the Lord. There is nothing more refreshing than music and singing that honors and glorifies the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I am so thankful for those who devote their lives to playing music and singing songs and hymns that promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The family of God has something to praise Him for! He has saved us and takes care of our every need. He is a God who is not only with us in the good times, but also takes care of us when the way gets rough. (Psa 150) "Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. {2} Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. {3} Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. {4} Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. {5} Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. {6} Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD." - Elder Franklin Hill
SEALED WITH THE SPIRIT (Eph 1:13-14) "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, {14} Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory." Praise God for the Spirit that has been poured out in these last days that we are living in. We are told in (Rom 8:9) "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." Receiving the Spirit (Holy Ghost) is so important in our experience with God. Notice Paul says that we are sealed by the Spirit and that it is but our down payment to that which is to come. Jesus did not leave us comfortless but sent us His Spirit to lead and guide us until that day that He returns for His chosen Bride, the Church of the living God. The Lord wants us to receive the fullness of His promise to us, and our salvation is not complete until we receive all that He has promised. Notice the Lord’s words in answer to the inquiry of Nicodemus. (John 3:4-5) "Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? {5} Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." There is no plainer reason given in the Scripture than these words of Jesus to Nicodemus of the necessity of receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. Water baptism and Holy Ghost baptism are important! - Elder Franklin Hill
IT’S ALL IN THE NAME (Luke 24:47) "And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." Notice that Jesus told them to preach repentance and remission of sins in His Name, the Name of Jesus Christ. Peter told inquirers on the Day of Pentecost to (Acts 2:38-39) " Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. {39} For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." There was no doubt that the Name is important. Later, Peter told them in (Acts 4:12) "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." To be identified with Jesus we must take on His Name. Jesus clearly taught that He came from the Father and that He came in His Father’s Name. You see, Jesus was God manifested in the flesh. (John 1:14) "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." The King of Glory veiled Himself in flesh to become the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. What a wonderful mystery that has been revealed to those who will accept and believe. Jesus let it be known that He was a man who was tempted like as we are but was yet without sin. The truth of the matter is that He was both God and man! (1 John 4:2-3) "Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: {3} And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world." - Elder Franklin Hill
FROM EVERLASTING TO EVERLASTING (Psa 90:1-2) "LORD, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. {2} Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God." The Word of God begins with the words, “In the beginning”, but God existed even before that. His revelation of Himself to us started with the recording of His Word, the Bible. God is not just a God of known history. He is the God of eternity, which stretches both into the ages of the past and future. He is the God of past, present, and future. He said to John on the Isle of Patmos, (Rev 1:8) "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty." Futhermore He appeared to John and told Him the write the things which he saw about present, past, and future. Notice John’s reaction. (Rev 1:17-19) "And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: {18} I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. {19} Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;" We can rest assured that God is in control. History does not change God. God changes history. Even when it seems that everything is in chaos, God still has it under His control. When God has had enough of what Satan is doing, He takes over. And when the fullness of time comes, Satan will have been put in the lake of fire prepared for him and his angels. Take heart, if you are discouraged today. Every promise God has given in His Word He will keep. He will not leave nor forsake those who will remain faithful to Him. The Lord appeared to Moses as the “I Am.” (Exo 3:14) "And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you." This same God of yesterday who delivered Israel in Moses’ day is the same God of today and tomorrow. Jesus, who was God manifested in the flesh, also claimed to be the “I Am.” (John 8:58) "Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am." The writer of Hebrews expressed a wonderful truth when he wrote, (Heb 13:8) "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever." God had a plan and purpose from the very beginning. Things have not happened in the course of history by mere chance, but they have happened because of the power of almighty God controlling all events and circumstances. He planned and ordained His coming into the world as a Babe in a manger and His atonement on Calvary’s cross. He ordained that He would have a church to be His bride. He planned and ordained that those who remain faithful in this life will rule and reign with Him. That Jesus would be the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world was planned and ordained from the foundation of the world. (1 Pet 1:18-20) "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; {19} But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: {20} Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you," That the Church would be His chosen Bride was planned also from the very foundation of the world. (Eph 1:4) "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:" The God of Yesterday History has already proven that God will carry out that which He has planned. We, as God’s chosen, can have great assurance that He will finish what He has started. (Phil 1:6) "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:" The deliverance of Israel from Egypt’s bondage came about as a result of the blood of a slain lamb on the doorposts of the their houses. Our deliverance has been brought about by the blood of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. All the events of the past took place to point to the time that God would manifest Himself in the flesh. Moses was allowed to see the glory of God when He passed by. (John 4:24) tells us that "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." Alll that Moses saw was the glory of God and only after the glory had passed by. (Exo 33:22-23) "And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: {23} And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen." All through the history of the Old Testament, God was always the same, the eternal, invisible Spirit, but still glorious. God could never be seen by man until He revealed Himself as the Word made flesh. (John 1:14-18) "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. {15} John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. {16} And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. {17} For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. {18} No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." Paul declared Him to be (Col 1:15) "Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:" The Word of God predicts with accuracy prophecies concerning the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ (God manifested in the flesh). (Isa 7:14) "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." (Isa 9:6) "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Zec 14:9) "And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one." (Micah 5:2) "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." (Isa 53:5) "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." God of Today The events of today are not just happening by chance. The far-reaching happenings of today are proof that God is in charge and is directing the affairs of men. Christian friend, keep your eyes on the events shaping up today in the Middle East. Things are not just happening by chance. They are ordained by God and point to the soon return of the Lord. (Isa 11:11-12) "And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people… {12} And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth." God has also ordained that He is the God of whosover will. (Acts 10:34) "Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:" (John 3:16) "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (Mat 11:28-30) "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. {29} Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. {30} For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." God has also ordained His church to be His bride. The purpose of the virgin birth was that there might be a Calvary; the purpose of Calvary was there might be a Pentecost. The Church was born in the Upper Room on the Day of Pentecost and will be here when the Lord comes back to rapture it out of this world. No opposing force can destroy the church. The God of Tomorrow Our Lord Jesus Christ will personally, visibly, and literally return for His Bride. The scriptures confirm it. (John 14:3) "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." (Acts 1:10-11) "And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; {11} Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." (1 Th 4:16-17) "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: {17} Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." There will also be tribulation and the mark of the beast. Then comes Armageddon, the last great battle, and the judgments of God. The Millenium, thousand year reign will take place, and Satan will be bound a thousand years that the earth might enjoy peace. A new heaven and a new earth are promised. The former things will be passed away, and His saints will rule and reign with Him. (1 Cor 2:9) "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."
WHAT SHALL I DO THEN
WITH JESUS?
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