clorabmoore88

[clorabmoore88]

Chaos or Jesus?

As you look around at all the chaos, and uncertainty today, one must ponder: Where is God in all of this? Why would God allow all the injustice and destruction all over this nation? In fact, we see this pattern in most, if not all, of the world. How did we reach this point, why would God allow it?

God is With Us, Even in Chaos

God is a God of love. He is a God who gives good things to all men. Essential things like water and food are all from God and yet we ponder, where is God when we need intervention, healing and law? In Matthew 1:23 we read, “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name ‘Immanuel,’” which translated means, “God with us.”

God with us, is it possible? “Why, why” the people cry, “if God is with us, why does He seem to sit on the sidelines as the world crashes in all around us?” We all desire that perfect world, that perfect day and that easy, calm life. It seems like the rich and famous have it so easy but when we look closely, we see that everyone has suffering and tribulation.

Jesus Died For Our Peace

Jesus wanted us to understand that in this (sin filled) world, tribulation and suffering were something we were going to have to deal with. While we ask God to stop everything we don’t like in the world, God has another plan. He sent Jesus to be sin for us, so we could live in peace and prosperity even in a suffering world. When we go through tribulation, we are challenged to overcome all things, and that is where Jesus Christ is with us. The peace of Christ pictures a way to overcome pain and suffering. Yes, the truth will set you free. Jesus is the truth, the way and the life. The knowledge of truth, pictured by Jesus’s life opens our hearts and minds to the “whys” and the “why nots.” The simplicity of Christ is found in example after example of how Christ lived His life. Yes, there is hope in the midst of a chaotic world.  The great thing was He offered us a way out. A way where chaos turned into peace and suffering turned into a glorious ending.  Through Jesus we can overcome the world, by following His examples.

Let Christ Be Your Guide Through The Chaos

So, who is Christ? A man who loves even his enemies. A man who lives justly and treats all people the same. In this world all men, women, and children are given opportunity and a promise. He is kind to all even those who spitefully use Him; even His enemies are blessed, yes even the unthankful and ungodly.

Jesus is full of mercy and compassion and long-suffering. He does not want one person to perish, so He tells us to love our enemies, and pray for those who treat us wrongfully. He tells us to pray “thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.” He gives us the key to peace, by telling us how to count it all Joy when we fall into life’s trials and tribulations.

We are praying for a kingdom free from the pain, the suffering, and the death of this world. Did you know this is exactly what God promises to those who love him?  It is given to the children of God, to those who come to know Him. He’s called you to this blog, and He has chosen you to come and learn more about this Good News of Jesus Christ.

Come Worship Christ, Our Lord, This Sabbath

To rejoice in the fellowship afforded us by the grace of Jesus and the love of the Father, please join us Saturdays at 10:30am for the live sermons of Greater Phoenix Church of God at 4300 North 82nd Street in Scottsdale, Arizona, or watch live at https://greaterphoenixcog.org/.  Our church is casual and welcoming to all.

from https://greaterphoenixcog.org/chaos-or-jesus/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=chaos-or-jesus

source https://greaterphoenixcog.weebly.com/blog/chaos-or-jesus

[clorabmoore88]

Stand Up

We sing that glorious song, “Stand up, Stand up for Jesus ye Soldiers of the word, lift high His royal banner, ye must not be deterred.” We are prompted by the song to lift our banners high.

What Does It Mean to Stand Up For Jesus?

Lifting your banner high sounds like a commission for the Gospel’s sake doesn’t it? It seems Jesus expects us to be his soldiers of faith. What does that look like to you?  Jesus wanted his followers to believe He is the savior and help Him do the Father’s work. Wow, Jesus wants men of faith to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom of God. Jesus came  teaching about the Kingdom of Heaven. As men began to follow him, He taught them so they might follow after Him and do his will. To those who chose to follow him he said this in Matthew 28:19, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

Our commitment to God as faithful followers is real.Jesus spoke many parables on the subject of following after him and we can conclude that Jesus expects us to be doing the Father’s works, just as He did. Jesus stated in John 5:17, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” What was that work? Jesus said His work was to preach the good news as written in Luke 4:18, “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.” He sent the Apostles out to every city to fulfill this commission. In Mark 16:15 we read, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Belief in Jesus is Just the Beginning of our Work

God is calling you to do more than just believe He is Jesus, He wants you to uncover the mystery for others, just as it was uncovered for you. Jesus has made known the riches of the glory toward us. That glory starts with a personal relationship with all who would come and sit down with Him and drink from His cup and eat of His bread. This dispensation is given to us so we may pass it on to others in that same manner. Paul explains in Col 1:19,  “since the day we heard it, we do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” We see that belief in Jesus is just the start, once we come out of the water of Baptism, we should be filled with joy, a joy that has us singing “Come on everyone let’s battle evil with Good. Let’s preach the Gospel, heal the broken hearted, break the chains that bind others to sin, open the eyes of man and show them the mystery, the blessed Gospel!”

Join Greater Phoenix Church of God This Sabbath

Come and join a band of Christian soldiers worshiping the Lord. Bring your voice, your instruments and your heart for Jesus this Sabbath. Christ has called you to stand up and put your belief in action. Hope to see you there.

from https://greaterphoenixcog.org/stand-up/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=stand-up

source https://greaterphoenixcog.weebly.com/blog/stand-up

[clorabmoore88]

The Resurrection Offer

The resurrection offer is just that – a free gift for the taking.

While many Christians look to the death and resurrection of Jesus as something holy, do they look at it as something precious and something to hold onto closely, like their wallet or purse for example? Jesus is our hope and our way into a promised future that is likened to mansions and treasure in the Bible. The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it (Matthew 13:44-46 RSV).

Will You Accept Christ’s Precious Gift to Us?

A pearl of great value. What an offer. Who does not appreciate gifts of great value? Christ has given us something precious, but what value do we put on it? Would we leave all, like Abraham did? In the book of Matthew, there was a rich young man, who kept the commands of God and he asked Jesus, what do I lack? You see Jesus wanted this young man to commit to him, follow him, and put the free gift first. He wanted him to treat the promise of eternal life as his most prized possession.  Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

Sadly, this young man liked his worldly goods more than treasure from heaven. How about you, will you accept this offer or do you hold other things as more valuable? “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”(1 Peter 1:3). We are given an opportunity, the same one Adam had in the garden: eternal life. We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life (Romans  6:4 ).

In His Resurrection, Jesus Paid the Penalty for Sin

Jesus paid the penalty for sin, and He expects us to no longer live a sinful life, but walk in newness of life. While man tends to trip up, and fall from time to time, he must strive for the prize. The Bible says when we fall short, we have an advocate, a way into the presence of the Father, where we may repent and be forgiven. A place where God forgives because mercy reins. For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for his own Possession who are zealous for good work (Titus 2:11).  A Righteous man knows his goal, the kingdom, in fact he prays thy Kingdom come. He does not pray for God to save this world as he knows this world is passing away, along with all perishable things like silver and gold.

Accepting the Resurrection Offer is All That Matters

Paul explains what we must grasp and hold dear.  First he explains that all he did and had was worthless to him, “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.  Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ  and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith  that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,  that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.  Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own” (Phil 3:7-14). Unlike the rich man, Paul understood the Resurrection offer. In today’s world, your worldly treasures and accomplishments and good deeds mean nothing if you don’t walk with Jesus and accept his resurrection offer.

Grace, mercy and life everlasting is available for you, what a precious gift to be offered. All we need to do is repent and be baptized, that is to say, walk in the newness of Life. Join Greater Phoenix Church of God in worship on Saturdays at 10:30am.

from https://greaterphoenixcog.org/the-resurrection-offer/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-resurrection-offer

source https://greaterphoenixcog.weebly.com/blog/the-resurrection-offer

[clorabmoore88]

Christs Triumph over Death

In our previous blog, we found our Bible asking where death’s sting was. We saw that death’s sting came from sin. Adam and Eve suffered death, or rather, the penalty for death only after they sinned. So many people are under the impression that the sting of death is found in death itself. The Bible says otherwise. 1 Corinthians 15:56 states that” the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.” What does this mean to you and me?  Well, Jesus destroyed Satan’s control over man’s destiny.

Christ Triumphs over Death

John tells his audience that they should not be amazed at the notion of a resurrection. He states in John 5:28 “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”This is showing us men now have a choice; they can keep on leading a sinful life or they can except what Jesus did for them, and choose Life.  This means the penalty for sin only stays with the man who does not choose life. What John surmises here shows the beauty of Christ. That is why we read “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord” (Revelation 14:13). This should prompt us to believe what Adam and Eve did not believe. Sin brings death to all men. Death’s power came by sin but Christ triumphed over death by living a sinless life. God gave us his only begotten son, to pay the penalty of sin “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Elsewhere we read “And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin” (1 John 3:5).

Jesus Destroyed Satan’s Control Over Man’s Destiny

It is said that since Eden this is Satan’s world. In fact, Jesus told the Apostles if this were my Kingdom I would fight, proving it is Satan’s kingdom now. But Jesus came and broke the chains that sin has on man. He delivered us from sin and death thru his sinless life and his painful death. Hebrews 2:14: “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage.” Hebrews states this was the very reason Jesus became flesh and blood. He came to triumph over Satan and thus triumph over sin and death.

Jesus did what the law could not do. The law only points out sin; the law was like a lamp that guides man away from sin and brings him close to God. The law does not make us righteous. There are a couple of key verses explaining this concept. “For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:3-4) and “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous” (Romans 5:19). Adam disobeyed God and brought the curse upon all men, and Christ came and took away our sins, through His death on the Cross.

Man Does Not Have to Be Ruled by Sin

Today, we do not have to be ruled by sin, but are told to rule over sin instead.  “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace” (Romans 6:12-14). Jesus triumphed over death so you and I could live. We are told this profound statement found in John 5:24“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that hears my word, and believes on him that sent me, has everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” This our hope, we will pass from death to life. More on that in our next blog on the hope that lies within us.

Greater Phoenix Church of God Welcomes All

At Greater Phoenix Church of God, we consider ourselves to be easygoing, fun, and accepting. We invite you to join our church family for worship on Saturday mornings at 10:30am.

from https://greaterphoenixcog.org/christs-triumph-over-death/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=christs-triumph-over-death

source https://greaterphoenixcog.weebly.com/blog/christs-triumph-over-death

[clorabmoore88]

Marriage Series 7 - The Roles of Husband and Wife

from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnUFOA25wco

source https://greaterphoenixcog.weebly.com/blog/marriage-series-7-the-roles-of-husband-and-wife

[clorabmoore88]

Marriage Seminar Part 6 Exposing Flesh

from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qclMOQ7Ih50

source https://greaterphoenixcog.weebly.com/blog/marriage-seminar-part-6-exposing-flesh

[clorabmoore88]

Marriage Seminar Part 6

from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9wgzGmF2_0

source https://greaterphoenixcog.weebly.com/blog/marriage-seminar-part-6

[clorabmoore88]

Marriage Series Part 5

from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13fenzfEaBg

source https://greaterphoenixcog.weebly.com/blog/marriage-series-part-5

[clorabmoore88]

Marriage Series Part 3

from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbyOb0aUvCk

source https://greaterphoenixcog.weebly.com/blog/marriage-series-part-3

[clorabmoore88]

Marriage Series Part 4

from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIlO-fZkeu0

source https://greaterphoenixcog.weebly.com/blog/marriage-series-part-4

[clorabmoore88]

A Free Gift

The resurrection offer is just that, a free gift for the taking. And yet while many Christians look to His death and resurrection as something holy, do they look at it as something precious and something to hold on to closely, like their wallet or purse, for example? Jesus is our hope and our way into a promised future that is liken to mansions and treasure in our bible. The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it. (Matthew 13:44-46 RSV)

The Kingdom of Heaven is A Valuable, Free Gift A pearl of great value. What an offer. Who does not appreciate gifts of great value?  Christ has given us something precious, but what value do we put on it? Would we leave all, like Abraham did? In the book of Matthew, there was a rich young man, who kept the commands of God. He asked Jesus, “what do I lack?” You see, Jesus wanted this young man to commit to him, to follow him by putting the free gift first. He wanted him to treat the promise of eternal life as his most prized possession.  Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” Sadly, this young man chose worldly goods over treasure from heaven. 

Righteous Men Know the Kingdom Through Jesus is the Goal How about you? Will you accept this offer or do you hold other things as more valuable? “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” (1 Peter 1:3). We are given an opportunity, the same one Adam had in the garden, eternal life. We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4). Jesus paid the penalty for sin, and He expects us to no longer live a sinful life, but walk in newness of life. While man tends to trip up, and fall from time to time, he must strive for the prize. The Bible says when we fall short, we have an advocate, a way into the presence of the Father, where we may repent and be forgiven. A place where God forgives because mercy reins. For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good work (Titus 2:11-14).  A Righteous man knows his goal, the kingdom, in fact he prays “thy Kingdom come.” He does not pray for God to save this world as he knows this world is passing away, along with all perishable things like silver and gold.

We Must Repent and Be Baptized Paul explains what we must grasp and hold dear.  Man must count everything to be of less value. Paul said “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.”  Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him. I do not have a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith  that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and may share His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.  Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. (Phil 3: 7) Unlike the rich man, Paul understood the Resurrection offer. Grace, mercy and life everlasting is available for you, what a precious gift to be offered. All we need to do is repent and be baptized, that is to say walk in newness of Life. We will discuss the Newness of Life next time.

from https://greaterphoenixcog.org/a-free-gift/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-free-gift

source https://greaterphoenixcog.weebly.com/blog/a-free-gift

[clorabmoore88]

The Promise

In the book of Genesis, God made a promise to Abram. What that promise did has a great bearing on all the foundational concepts we find within the pages of the Bible. Picture Abram living in an ungodly place and put it into the concept of a sinner living in sin. God called Abram out of the sinful land and offered him a new life in the same manner God offers sinners a new life. God tells Abraham Genesis 12:1, “Now THE LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee.” The story goes on with Abram believing God and leaving the land of Ur. He did this not knowing the consequences. It takes faith to step out into the unknown and yet Abram believed that God would lead him to a beautiful place. It says Abraham obeyed the Lord. Hebrews 11:8, “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should later receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.”

 What was God’s Promise to Abram? We read that Abraham would become a great nation, he would be blessed beyond measure, so much so that God would bless those that blessed him and curse those that cursed him. His faith would create blessings the whole world would come to enjoy. We see and taste these blessings every day. Through no deeds of our own, we wake up each morning blessed because Abram believed God and therefore God accounted Abraham as righteous. So much so that in Abraham eventually ALL nations were blessed.

What does the promise to Abraham mean to us today? Galatians 3:16 explains “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He said not, and to seeds, as of many; but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ.” His seed here means offspring. Abram’s offspring or his lineage can be followed all the way down to Jesus Christ. The book of Matthew lays out that lineage. What does that mean for you and me? We are heirs, according to the promise of God. Galatians 3:26-29 explains, “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, or all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

When we believe in Jesus like Abram believed in God, we have HOPE. Peter explains in 2 Peter 1:2-4, “Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust”. When we believe in Jesus in the same manner as Abraham we no longer have “no hope”. The grave is just a resting place as we are told we will be partakers of God’s divine nature. Galatians 3:6 so also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. Understand that those who have faith are the children of Abraham. So we find unmerited pardon, a new life when we believe. We become justified by the blood of Jesus, through faith and now our sins are forgiven. We are washed by the water of His word.  Romans 4:13 explains “For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.” We conclude here, believe the promises of God can motivate man to great faith and lead us to want to accept the resurrection offer. More on that next time.

Greater Phoenix Church of God Welcomes All We are a community church, casual and welcoming to all.  Please join us Saturdays at 10:30am for our live Sermons and join us in the fellowship afforded us by the grace of Jesus and the love of the Father.

from https://greaterphoenixcog.org/the-promise/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-promise

source https://greaterphoenixcog.weebly.com/blog/the-promise

[clorabmoore88]

The Hope

Hebrews 11 is called the “faith chapter.” It begins in verse 1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Faith Begins When We Believe, and That Belief Leads Us to Hope…

We read that faith involves “evidence” of things that are not seen. What Paul is saying here is Abraham and all people of faith are assured by the word of God. They have not seen the promises come to pass and yet they hope for them to come. Like Abraham, they leave everything behind and head in the way the Lord leads them. Faith starts when we believe, and that belief leads us to hope, and hope leads to obedience, and obedience leads us into being Christ like in every way. This is why the Gospel message is called “The Good News.” Man was destined to return to the dust and be no more until Christ came, lived a sinless life, was battered, was bruised for our transgressions, and died for our sins. This opened a new window of opportunity for mankind.

Jesus Came to Bring Hope and Light Why did Jesus need to come? There are many reasons, let’s look at a few.  John 6:38 says “For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of Him who sent me.” Just as Abraham was told to go out of his country, Jesus went from heaven to earth. Notice they both obeyed. Jesus explained another reason in John 12:46, “I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.” Jesus came so the penalty of death could no longer have dominion over this world. Hebrews 2:14 explains, “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.”

Another reason is found in John 6:51, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” Here Jesus uses an analogy to explain what hope is. His life, His way of life was to be a pattern for all believers. This was called great joy in Luke 2:10 and the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. The good news had him preaching the truth and suffering for the truth and dying for all mankind’s benefit.” Mark 10:45 says “for even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. He came to save sinners from the penalty of sin.”

Jesus’s Death Destroyed The Power of Death We read in earlier blogs that the wages of sin was death, but now man was going to be able to forget past sin and move on in confidence, that is to say hope, thanks to Christ. Ephesians 2:14 puts it this way, “For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.” Did you get that? He suffered for our wellbeing, His death destroyed the power of death and we now have access to the Father by the power of Christ. Jesus’s death on that stake brought hope back to life. But our hope has not yet come to fruition, but we hope and pray “thy kingdom come.”

Jesus has laid down a foundation that will lead all those who believe, to the hope of us rising to a new kingdom, where the builder and maker is God. This is a promise that we will explore next time.

from https://greaterphoenixcog.org/the-hope/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-hope

source https://greaterphoenixcog.weebly.com/blog/the-hope

[clorabmoore88]

Life and Death Part 2

In our previous blog, we saw that God created man. He put them in the garden and gave them free moral agency. They had the ability to choose. God told them a clear command, but they chose to disobey that command. This one transgression forever Changed their life. One moment they had the tree of life to sustain them, and the next moment they found themselves cast out of the garden of Eden. This is when God told them this hair- raising statement. Genesis 3:19 “In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return.” What did God mean by that statement? It meant that Mankind would no longer live forever in Paradise. Adam and Eve’s disobedience changed everything. The living soul would now be subject to the penalty for sin. Man could now die.

We see that disobedience, and wickedness brings an awful curse on mankind One proof text is found in the Genesis story of Noah. Genesis states that the people on the earth had become wicked and God became grieved that He even made them. God’s heart breaks when man sins. Yet God created man with the ability to do what he wants. God always lets man choose his course; in fact, one phrase can be seen throughout the pages of the Bible. God begs us: Choose life. And yet, His children disobey. They did not fully believe the facts God had laid out for them. In Adam’s case he was deceived into believing a lie. Even though we are warned of the consequences of sin, do we really believe the Answer?  Ezekiel quoted in Ezekiel 18:4 “Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sins it shall Die.

Since sin entered so did the penalty for sin. Mankind was now subject to death. And since all men sin, the outlook was gloomy at best. Death and the ideas surrounding death are a mystery to most men. All we know is we will one day die. The Bible has a lot to say on this subject.

What Happens When We Die?

Let’s take a walk through the scriptures and see how the patriarchs described death.

Job understood what happens to man at death. He said in Job 14:10  “But man dies and is laid away.” Indeed, he breathes his last – And where is he? Where does man go? Job says elsewhere Job said 17:1 “My spirit is broken, My days are extinguished, The grave is ready for me.” King David explains in Psalm 13:3 “Consider and answer mw, O Lord my God, Enlighten my Eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of Death. So, how did the Patriarchs describe death? 1 Kings 2:10 “So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.”

Man’s death is likened to “sleep.”

Let’s look at a few more examples. Job 14:12 “So man lies down, and rises not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.” Today many people would laugh at the notion that being dead is being asleep. Also, there’s the story about a small child who had just passed away.  Jesus comes into the room where everyone was mourning and “He went in and said to them, Mark 5:39 ‘Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.’” But they laughed at him. After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (Which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around. What we see here is astonishing, Jesus has power over death. When all seemed lost Jesus saved the little Child. Although sin has brought death to all of mankind, Jesus brings us the victory over death.  The great promise of things to come for all who believe in Christ and his unmerited pardon is pictured in this little Child. God loves us so much that He sent His only son to pay the penalty for our sins.  All Jesus had to do was speak and as the little girl came back to life.

With Jesus, we will have eternal life.

In future blogs, we will find all Jesus has done for us.  Man’s final destiny is not the grave. We will see that as we talk more about. Christ and what his life and Death did for all mankind. We will find how death is destroyed by Jesus and how he has brought us the victory over the grave. While Paul quotes “for the sting of death is sin.”, we who believe the gospel, ask. O death! where is thy sting? O grave! where is thy victory?

Look for more on Christ’s triumph over death in our next blog.

from https://greaterphoenixcog.org/life-and-death-part-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=life-and-death-part-2

source https://greaterphoenixcog.weebly.com/blog/life-and-death-part-2

[clorabmoore88]

Jesus and the Sabbath

from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fT8Oq5Y6lSM

source https://greaterphoenixcog.weebly.com/blog/jesus-and-the-sabbath

[clorabmoore88]

Keep the Sabbath Holy

from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkcsNWQTfBU

source https://greaterphoenixcog.weebly.com/blog/keep-the-sabbath-holy

[clorabmoore88]

Life and Death Part 1

Life and Death: What Happens When We Die? Part 1

“What happens when we die?” is not a question of biology.. We know that blood stops flowing through our veins, and our hearts, lungs, and brains stop functioning. Beyond the obvious physical aspects of “dying,” as Christians, we can rejoice in the promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ.  Before we get into what happens when we die (which we will cover in our next blog), let’s look at the “life” part of “life and death.”

First, How Did We Come to Exist?

Genesis 2:7 “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” 

God made man out of dust, therefore we can say dust and all its elements are ingredients needed to make man. Another ingredient comes from God’s mouth. It is described as the breath of Life. It comes from God breathing into the nostrils of man. These ingredients create a living Soul, a nephesh. This is a simple concept, God takes matter and creates by speaking it into being. 

Adam literally means red clay; God molded him out of the earth’s creation and as God spoke, Adam became a living soul. Look how Job explained the Creation of man. Job 33:4 “The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.”  Different ingredients, some substance and some of power. That is to say, the power of the breath of the Almighty God spoke, man was created in the same manner as the heavens and earth. Everything that was made came from the power of God Almighty. 

Consider what King David said about Creation and how it came to be. Psalms 18:15 “Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.” Job understood that man was a living soul only by creation, that is to say the work of God’s hands. Job10:8 “Your hands fashioned and made me altogether, And would You destroy me? Remember now, that You have made me with clay and would You turn me into dust again?” The prophet Isaiah quoted the exact same idea when he said – Isaiah 64:8 “But now, O Lord, You are our Father, We are the clay, and You our potter; And all of us are the work of Your hand. Isaiah realized that all mankind lived, walked and breathed due to the Lord almighty.”

Isaiah 42:5 “Thus says God the Lord, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread out the earth and its offspring, Who gives breath to the people on it. And spirit to those who walk in it.” Notice Isaiah says God breathes life into man using the term “breath.” In Hebrew, this term literally means the spirit of God imparting life and wisdom- creation.

 A living soul? Think about Creation itself, God made other living things as well.

In Genesis 1 we read Genesis 1:24, “And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.” The English word Creature is how the Translators used the Hebrew word Nephesh. So a living soul describes more than man, here we see it used for Animals. The Bible expresses that man and beast were created differently. They all were created after their own kind and yet God breathed into them all, and that is how they came to life. God calls his creation a living soul.

We all know the story, God created Adam and Eve and put them in the Garden of Eden. But something happened that would change the lives of Adam and Eve.  Adam and Eve lived in the garden, and had the tree of life to keep them alive; at that moment in time a soul did not die. God blesses Adam and Eve, but warns them in Genesis 2:16, “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou may freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eat thereof thou shalt surely die. God said they would die.”  Sin changed everything, now as punishment, we read in Genesis 3:19 “In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return.” Notice verse 22 “And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever.”  Therefore, the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. Man no longer had access to the tree of life. His curse, hard work, and an appointed time to die. He now has what the bible calls length of days.

Now, death was imminent. Romans describes the fate of sinners, Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” This is why we all need a Savior. Sin has created a need for a Savior. So, what happens when we die?  We will discuss that in the next blog. 

from https://greaterphoenixcog.org/life-and-death-part-1/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=life-and-death-part-1

source https://greaterphoenixcog.weebly.com/blog/life-and-death-part-1