Jesus - Christian Passion For the Truth by Nick Poulios

Religion and everything philosophical about religion, started during the prehistoric period when people faced with ignorance, and covered with fears about what they could not explain, begun the journey of believing in something bigger than themselves, gods that deserve their obedience and servitude.

We see this at the extreme when the Greeks, who while able to explain that all matter is made of atoms, they worshiped not one, but twelve gods, who were there to help them anytime there was something difficult to deal with. In fact, gods were there regardless of human difficulty; there was even a god to join the wine party!

We have made progress with regards to the teachings about morality but they still carry some unexplained, if not unwise - unwritten laws that do not make sense. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth; he that without sin among you, let him cast a stone at her (from the woman adultery story), seem to imply that only non-sinners are allowed to punish. Hence the dilemma about how imperfect societies are supposed to punish their sinners. Even Jesus' authority to forgive implies that people who had to be done wrong were left without compensation. We also see the gender bias in the woman adultery case, where Mosaic Law required that her male partner must also undergo the stoning. But where is he?

Then, we have the miracles. If we define a miracle as modification or alteration of the expected and/or established course of things, this of course would involve anything and everything, from apples falling inversely from the ground to the trees, tides going into the seas, to the sun rising in the west, etc., etc. The presentation of a miracle has to have two derivatives: one has to do with the laws of physics being violated, and the second has to do with the observation that the party witnessing this miracle is suffering from infinite imagination.

Modern day miracles, the Harry Houdini types, or the UFO sightings, have to be put in contrast to the ones described in the New Testament. Just about all types are being witnessed today, with the exception of course of the resurrection. We have been told that Jesus managed this task three times: one by raising Lazarus and two by raising the daughter of Jairus and three by raising himself. Following the "Murder at Golgotha" reasoning of forensic investigator, you would think that someone would have taken the time to interview all survivors and document their amazing extra-humane experience. In any case, what happened to them? Why did they vanish from history?

Questions about Jesus, and in general about religion are of paramount importance, given the cost of human life and sacrifices that humanity has endured over thousands of years. One can accept the fact that Jesus walked the streets of Jerusalem, and by most accounts suffered a brutal death. But, what about his father, what about God? What about paradise or the afterlife? What if there is God but not afterlife? What about if there is afterlife, but not God?

What about humans? Are they to remain mortals? Latest scientific discoveries have shown that life, in its primitive ameba form, can be artificially recreated. Religion on the other hand, claims to know all about "the end", a process of thought known as "eschatology". In the end, we are all after the truth, although the truth can take several interpretations depending on the ends that intends to justify.

The Greeks proclaim "know thyself", i.e., you need to learn about yourself, your inner-soul, first, if you are to know anything about anything else. After all, the truth is not a function of possessions, nor are possessions required to know the truth. It is rather a process, the truth, that takes you to a place where you perhaps have never expected to arrive, but nevertheless have painstakingly worked to get there - and when there, you feel fulfilled.

One wonders how the brightest minds approach these concepts. For example, how would Einstein feel about Jesus, religion? According to Einstein, "science is the century-old endeavor to bring together by means of systematic thought the perceptible phenomena of this world into as thorough-going an association as possible. To put boldly, it is the attempt at the posterior reconstruction of existence by the process of conceptualization."

How does the idea of an omnipotent personal God stand up to the might accumulation of science? For one thing, the idea that God is able to help man while in solace and guide towards the good deeds is not necessarily unreasonable. However, this is where the weaknesses appear with respect to defending beliefs and feelings and taken them in a dogmatic sense; if God is omnipotent, then everything we do, every action we take, everything we think is the result of his work. And if this is the case, how can men be held accountable for their actions, if these actions are God's anyway?

Assuming that punishments and rewards are the results of our actions, then one would conclude that God holds himself accountable, i.e., punishes himself. Some would argue that this is precisely why Jesus came to our world, to serve as the extension of God, hence allow us to sin and in the process take the punishment himself. But, it has been argued before that if Jesus is godly, punishment offers no pain, no deterrent, so how does this help humanity? There is obviously a duality here, good and evil, right and wrong, and how you see each one evolving is relative to where you are sitting and observing the world while the world is evolving.

In the end, perhaps it is not so important if Jesus was a man, god or Son of God, or even whether his existence is a myth. What is important is whether we live our lives according to some order, an order that follows a reasonable approximation of the true values Jesus presumably taught us to live by. If we do that, the world will be a better place and perhaps we can spend more time thinking about how to do good in this world - and less about the afterlife. We know - or at least have an approximate knowledge of, our small-immediate world, and we can therefore spend time trying to improve it, rather than spending time and resources planning for some unknown afterlife.

The Biggest Mistake Jesus Ever Made by Gregory Vanden Berge

I know, Jesus was the only person who ever walked the earth that was without sin, but this doesn't mean that he didn't make any mistakes. Jesus obviously made a couple of bad decisions in his lifetime, but I want to share something with you today, that's the biggest mistake Jesus ever made.

One of the big mistakes that Jesus made was never getting married. This broke some of the Jewish laws at that time and created a lot of confusion in the future, but the biggest mistake the Jesus made, was the fact that he never wrote anything down.

There are plenty of people that believe in the Bible and when they read the four Gospels, they seriously believe that this stuff actually happened. Even though there is plenty of contradicting information within the four Gospels, it seems like most people never even question the validity of this information.

If Jesus would have written a diary about his lifetime activities, we wouldn't have needed the four Gospels. We wouldn't have to second-guess certain events that might not have ever happened.

It's also a well-known fact, that plenty of religious scholars don't even know if Jesus could actually read or write. The only time that this is mentioned in the Bible, is in the book of John, when he suggests that Jesus wrote something in the sand, while he was making a point to Mary Magdalene's accusers.

We really don't even know for sure who wrote the four Gospels or some of the other books in the Bible, could you imagine what we could actually do with the information directly from Jesus. If Jesus could actually read and write, it's too bad that he didn't provide his loyal followers with a few written words.

The Biggest Mistake Jesus Ever Made by Gregory Vanden Berge

I know, Jesus was the only person who ever walked the earth that was without sin, but this doesn't mean that he didn't make any mistakes. Jesus obviously made a couple of bad decisions in his lifetime, but I want to share something with you today, that's the biggest mistake Jesus ever made.

One of the big mistakes that Jesus made was never getting married. This broke some of the Jewish laws at that time and created a lot of confusion in the future, but the biggest mistake the Jesus made, was the fact that he never wrote anything down.

There are plenty of people that believe in the Bible and when they read the four Gospels, they seriously believe that this stuff actually happened. Even though there is plenty of contradicting information within the four Gospels, it seems like most people never even question the validity of this information.

If Jesus would have written a diary about his lifetime activities, we wouldn't have needed the four Gospels. We wouldn't have to second-guess certain events that might not have ever happened.

It's also a well-known fact, that plenty of religious scholars don't even know if Jesus could actually read or write. The only time that this is mentioned in the Bible, is in the book of John, when he suggests that Jesus wrote something in the sand, while he was making a point to Mary Magdalene's accusers.

We really don't even know for sure who wrote the four Gospels or some of the other books in the Bible, could you imagine what we could actually do with the information directly from Jesus. If Jesus could actually read and write, it's too bad that he didn't provide his loyal followers with a few written words.

What If Your God Wasn't the Creator of Everything? by Gregory Vanden Berge

Most religions believe that their god or gods created everything, but what if your God wasn't the creator of everything? What if your specific god didn't create everything but someone else's God did?

Now I want you to bear with me for a moment as I start to share some other religious beliefs that you might not have ever heard before. Christians, Jews and Muslims believe that the God Jehovah created the universe, but do you realize that there are more gods and these people actually believe that their gods are the true creators of the universe.

If you're a Muslim, would the Hindu gods make any sense to you? Think about this for a moment what if you went back in time and could actually choose different parents and you would have been raised in a Hindu community. Do you think that you would still be a Muslim?

If you sincerely believe that your religion is the one truth and your God created everything and all the other gods are fakes, you had better start giving some serious thought to three words. Location, location, location and would you still believe that your God created everything, if you were born in another country who believed in a different God.

If you're right and they're wrong, you win and they lose. If they're right and you're wrong, do you think that their God will have mercy upon your soul and let you enter into their heaven? Something to think about and I seriously suggest that you start giving it some more of your precious time.

Eight Reasons Why Only Jesus Saves by Lynn Bradley

1. There is no other name under heaven, given among mortals by whom we must be saved (Acts 4:12). This is not politically correct, but it is biblical truth straight from God. All the other prophets are dead. Only Jesus lives and is seated at the right hand of God.

2. There are other books claiming to be from God, but they are full of mistakes and contradictions. The Bible has been proven to be accurate in every way. Though not primarily meant to be for scientific fact, when it is given it is accurate. It spoke of the circle of the earth (Isaiah 40:22), when men thought the world was flat. The paths of the sea (Psalms 8:8), were discovered after a ship captain read about them in the Bible.

3. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except by me" (John 14:6). There is no other way to God except through his son. The religious world believes that there are many ways to heaven, but that is not what the Bible says. There are only two ways. The broad way leads to destruction. The narrow way leads to heaven (Matthew 7:13-14).

4. No one but Jesus Christ was prophesied for thousands of years before he arrived. The record of his genealogy can be read in Matthew chapter 1. There are numerous Scriptures in the Old Testament that give many details of his life. The New Testament identifies each one and proves that there had to be supernatural knowledge for this to happen

5. God the Father affirmed that Jesus was his beloved son with a voice from heaven at his baptism (Matthew 3:17), and his transfiguration (Matthew 17:5). Peter wanted to build three tabernacles, one for Moses, one for Elijah and one for Jesus at the transfiguration, but the voice from heaven said to hear only his Son in matters of authority.

6. You will not be judged by what some other prophet said, but what Jesus said. "The one who rejects me and does not accept my word has a judge; the word I have spoken will judge him at the last day. I have not spoken from my own authority, but the Father himself who send me has commanded me what I should say and what I should speak" (John12:48-49).

7. The Father in heaven gave Jesus all authority both in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). Your fate is in his hands. Furthermore, the Father does not judge anyone, but has assigned all judgement to the Son, so that all people will honor the Son just as they honor the Father. The one who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him (John 5:22-23).

8. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). No one else died to forgive your sins. No one else promised that you can ask anything in his name and he will do it. Why put your trust in anyone else? There is indisputable evidence in the Bible that Jesus is the only one that can save you.

King Of Kings - It's Not What You Think It Means

King of kings?

Lord of lords?

We hear Jesus referred to as "King of kings" but what does it mean? We have a great deal of "Christianese" of this genre that we are prone to throwing around, arrogantly expecting that everyone who hears our pious, self-righteous, spiritual jargon will (A) understand us and (B) be impressed with how we wield that sword. For example, I recently gave a young man a book with the word "Christ" in the title. He couldn't even pronounce it, uncertain as to whether the "CH' were pronounced like a "K" (as in Kitten) or as the "CH" in "Children." In case you did not know, "Christ" comes from the Greek "Christos" which refers to the "Anointed One." Every king and high priest was anointed on the head with holy oil in ancient times, a tradition that continues during coronations of monarchs of European and Arabian history to this day. The Hebrew word for "Christos" is "Messiah."

Many believe that "King of kings and Lord of lords" refers to Jesus Christ's supremacy over biblical kings such as Herod, Pontius Pilate, all the rulers whose names are mentioned in the Old Testament. Certainly, history's kings like Charlemagne and Henry VIII, even America's Presidents were all much lower "kings" than the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But the phrase refers to something much more important than earthly kingdoms and territorial governments.

God, through His Christ - the Anointed King - broke into the world to establish His own sovereignty in the lives of every man and, thereby, defeat the powers of Satan (I John 3:8). Logically, the message we have to offer the world should center upon this. Sadly, too often it does not. A primary example of this - a major issue within the Body of Christ that serves to do little more than create or fuel the fires of dissension - is that we are unwittingly, if not deliberately, preaching a Gospel of Salvation rather than the Gospel of the Kingdom as Jesus exemplified.

Think about it! From one denomination to the next, the methods regarding how an individual is "saved" are legion. Baptism, professions of faith, adherence to dogmas and doctrines of men, recited prayers, mere membership...the list goes on and on, especially in "Christian" America. The Kingdom message has cosmic dimensions WAY beyond conversion of the masses (Jesus instructed us to make disciples, not mere converts). It calls people to repentance on the basis of the works of the King - NOT their own deeds. This King governs a spiritual Kingdom; He loves them and desires to rule with them in the world. Once that commitment is made, one can be properly discipled to reflect the nature of this holy God in whose image we were made, spirit-beings whose earthly mission is to advance the Kingdom by sharing this Good News with others, NOT converting them or even merely dragging them to a church service.

KING OF THE JEWS...AND OTHERS!

Our King elected a people to become His kingdom even though all the world was already His (Deut. 7:6-8). Apparently, Kings can do that sort of thing. His chosen people - the Jews - were to be "a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Ex. 19:5-6). As the Levites were priests of Israel, so Israel was to be a kingdom of priests for the world. In case you don't know or have forgotten, priests represent a people to God; prophets deliver the will of God to His people.

Under the New Covenant, Jesus is, of course, our HIGH priest with His followers (you and me included) serving as priests.

No pecking order.

No hierarchy.

No titles.

Just responsibilities motivated by love.

In the Old Testament, we see Israel as the only nation ever in the history of mankind living according to a theocracy with God Himself as the Ruler of His Divine Government. Muslims would, of course, argue that point. Wrong god actually.

But Israel wanted an earthly king like all the nations had. They preferred someone they could elect and unelect. But that does not describe a king, does it? No, because kings are BORN, not elected. The prophets Gideon (Judg. 8:22-23) and Samuel (1 Sam. 8:1-8) told the Israelites that God was their king. That wasn't good enough. So, God allowed them to have their earthly counterfeit, warning them that their king would take their sons to do his fighting and their daughters to do his bidding and their belongings as taxes. Unphased, they persisted and Saul was eventually anointed the first king over Israel with the words "Has not the Lord anointed you a ruler over his inheritance?" (1 Sam. 10:1). Obviously, the rule of God would always be sovereign over the rule of the king. Earthly kings who followed the reign of God, were blessed. When they forsook Him and acknowledged the sovereignty of other gods, or took the reigns themselves, even declaring themselves to be god, they were driven out of their promised land (2 Kings 17:13-18). In the case of King Saul, just as surely as he was chosen by God to be King, the Lord rejected Saul when he failed as King. I Samuel 13 records how Saul disobeyed a direct order from the Lord and how the prophet Samuel immediately told the king that his lineage would not continue as Kings of Israel and that the Lord had already chosen another to take his place as King. Though Saul continued as a sort of "lame duck" king for a while before David became king, God's blessing was no longer on him and Saul and his house ended in tragedy.

Today, when we forsake the New Testament concept of "Jesus is Lord," ("Lord" coming from "kyrios" meaning "owner") what we are actually doing is choosing another god (note lower case "g"). Whether it's power, money, prestige, fame, addictions, careers, even religion...many are the gods who are vying for rulership over our lives, essentially, holding us in bondage as their slaves. While we're convinced that WE are in control, the truth is that we are mere puppets in their icy grip. As Bob Dylan sang, "We're gonna serve somebody."

Although Israel was God's special kingdom of priests, God ruled over ALL nations and they were ALL accountable to Him for their sins (Amos 1-2; Ezek. 25-32). In other words, He is God whether one acknowledges Him or not. WARNING: Every counterfeit kingdom WILL fall and fall hard. You may recall that God, who freed the Israelites from Egyptian captivity, also delivered the Philistines from Caphtor and the Arameans from Kir (Amos 9:7). God not only gave Canaan to the Jews but also gave the Moabites and Ammonites their own lands (Deut. 2:16-19). God sent the Jewish prophet Jonah to save the Assyrian city of Nineveh. The theme of Daniel is that "the Most High God is sovereign over the kingdoms of men" (Dan. 5:21). "The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all" (Ps. 103:19).

So, Israel was elected by God to become a "kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Ex. 19:5-6), chosen to represent God to the entire world (Deut. 7:6-8) as "a light to the nations" (Isa. 42:6; 49:6). Unfortunately, Israel abandoned her priestly role and followed after the gods of other nations, forsaking the Kingdom of God.

The expectation that God's rule would be experienced more fully by the entire world in the person of the Messiah was prophesied throughout the Old Testament. Isaiah prophesied that one would come and proclaimed "Your God reigns!" (Isa. 52:7). Ezekiel raised the expectation that Israel and Judah would be reunited and that God's "servant David" would be king over them (37:24; 34:23, see also 30-31). The chapters of Daniel that deal with the setting up of a great Kingdom compare the kingdoms of the earth to the coming spiritual Kingdom of God (2, 7, 8). God's Kingdom, which will "never be destroyed" (2:44), will crush all earthly kingdoms (7:13-14, 17-18). The Messiah, who would bring the Kingdom, ruling it as the Anointed One, or Christ, was given "dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and men of every language might serve Him" (7:14).

These passages give a sampling of the Old Testament's prophetic Kingdom concept. The Jews of Jesus' day wondered aloud if He could be the foretold Messiah who would bring in the expected kingdom (John 7:40-43). The difference was, they were expecting an earthly King to establish an earthly kingdom.

Matthew comments that Jesus "went throughout Galilee,...preaching the good news of the Kingdom" (4:23). This proclamation was backed up by the deeds that defeated the powers of Satan: demons were cast out by the finger of God and the sick - most of them anyway, according to their faith - were healed (Matt. 4:23-24). By Mark's account, those who heard Jesus' Kingdom message were told to "repent, and believe in the Gospel" (1:15).

That's it?

All He required of them was to believe in the Gospel He proclaimed? The word "Gospel" means "Good News." What good news? The Good News that the Kingdom of God was now in operation among them; the Kingdom of God was at hand (Matt 3;32;4:17;10:17; Mark 1:15), in other words. It was within reach; touchable. It was Jesus! It was now time for each person individually to respond to the mighty acts of God as displayed by Jesus Himself.

With many having expectations set upon the establishment of a new earthly kingdom, in excited anticipation, the people came to see Jesus in droves. When they heard His message and experienced His miracles, many believed and He was acclaimed as being the long-awaited Messiah. Word spread fast, as anyone living in a small town knows. We cannot imagine the ruckus Jesus must have caused!

THE KING DWELLS WHERE?

1 Peter 2:4-10 reads as follows:

Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Therefore, it is also contained in the Scripture,
" Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame."

Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient," The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone,"

and

" A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense."

They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

The Lord wants His priests and kings to start believing in their calling. How can we when so few ever hear this message taught?

2 Chronicles 6;18 begs the question, "But will God really dwell on earth with men?"

Will God dwell among us? It appears that He has already begun the process: "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us." (Matthew 1:23). Yes, God is with us.

God is a family man, so to speak. He desires intimacy with His kids. Now, because of the resurrection of Jesus, Romans 8:37-39 says, "Nothing can separate us from the love of God …" That's exactly how He planned it.

Paul tells the Ephesian church, "I pray, that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being." (Eph. 3:16). Where is the Hoy Spirit? Apparently, Paul says He's within us. He adds, "… that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God," (Eph. 3:19). Yes, Jesus Christ has taken up residence within us.

More proof? 1 Corinthians 6:19 reminds us that, "...your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit WHO IS IN YOU, whom you have from God, and you are not your own..."

He dwells not merely among us but WITHIN us: "But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you." (Rom 8:11)

We have residing WITHIN us, all that we need to advance God's kingdom here on earth as His priests and kings.

Where the King dwells so is His Kingdom. Luke 17:20-21 declares, "Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you."

What's this Kingdom like anyway? Frankly, it's like no Kingdom on earth. Righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. The first shall be last. The weak are strong. We are instructed to pray for those who abuse us, love our enemies, give to receive, befriend sinners, the greatest will be the servants.

More? We have to become like little children if we ever hope to enter into it. We have to roll-back our grown-up habits and programming - even our theology. It helps to visualize an upside down pyramid, not a Corporate Pyramid with the bosses at the top. With the upside-down pyramid, Jesus is at the very bottom playing a foundational, supporting role to everybody else as servant of all, setting an example for every king and priest who will follow.ALL THE KING'S MEN

So...are we kings?

Revelation 1:5-6 says we are: "...and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first-begotten of the dead, and the prince over the kings of the earth. Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father, to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."

Logic says that, if we have been given authority to declare the decrees of the King, we are, essentially, as good as being King. After all, "In Him we live and move and have our being." (Acts 17:28). Also, 1 Corinthians 1:30 tells us: "It is because of Him [God] that you are in Christ Jesus..."

We are in Him and He is in us.

In other words, God made us kings; it was His idea.

To help us understand this concept, I offer the following story which I overheard from a missionary in Africa years ago, He was pulled low to the ground by his African guide, forced to bow to the courier who was running past them carrying the royal baton, the symbol that this runner was an ambassador of the King. We, too, are ambassadors of a kingdom. In most cases, we just don't know it yet.

Paul said it best, I think, giving us a wonderful example of HOW to share with others what we have been given: "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

Much better than, "You're a sinner, bud, and you're going to Hell." Most people already KNOW they're sinners...they want an answer to that problem.

In Daniel 7, the prophet sees one like the "son of man" ascending to the ancient of Days to receive all power and dominion. This does not refer to a "second coming," but predicts the ascension of Christ. Jesus, the Last Adam, would overcome the four empires of the ancient world, and would be enthroned at His Father’s right hand.

It's important to note that the rule of this "son of man" also involves the rule of the "saints" (Daniel 7:18, 22). Verse 27 is worth noting: "...the sovereignty, power, and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be given to the saints of the Most High. His kingdom will last forever, and all rulers will serve and obey him." The situation that results when dominion is "given to the saints" is called "His kingdom." Jesus’ ascension establishes not only His reign but the dominion of His people. The apostle Paul understood this concept. In Ephesians 2:6, he says, "...[God] raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus." Those who were formerly dead in transgressions and sins have now been exalted into the heavenly places in Christ. Being positioned in the heavens means we are enthroned (see also Ephesians 1:21-23).

In short, we were crucified with Christ.

We were resurrected with Him.

We are enthroned with Him

We are already kings...not in the future but NOW!WARRIOR KINGS...THAT'S US!

Kings not only rule but they engage in warfare, too. Even when he ascended to the throne, King David continued to wage war against the Lord’s enemies and his own. Jesus is enthroned, but He is also the Warrior King who leads His people in conquest.

Likewise, we are warrior kings. The training for kingship means having our fingers trained for battle, our hands to make war.

How? In Romans 6, we have been given the power, by the Holy Spirit, to wage war against the flesh and to subdue it. In James 3, the apostle speaks of dominion over the tongue by comparing it to Adamic dominion over animals. This is a crucial point. Adam’s fallen children continued to take dominion, building cities, discovering metallurgy, composing music (Genesis 4), but the result of their dominion was a world filled with violence and evil. Unbelievers may have astonishing cultural dominion, but outside of Christ they remain slaves of Satan, sin, and death.

In our homes, unbelieving and believing parents are supposed to rule. There should be a significant difference in HOW they rule. Ruling a family as a Christian means ruling it according to the King's decrees as noted in Scripture. The Bible has a great deal to say about how we are to rule our homes. It teaches about relationships between spouses (Ephesians 5:22-33) and parents to children (Proverbs). Paul warns against provoking children to wrath (Ephesians 6:4). Being a Christian king means ruling your family in obedience to Christ. Children are more likely to follow this example when they see it modeled.

Christians as kings will also seek to rule in the workplace in obedience to the King's decrees in Scripture. Christian employers, for example, will keep the biblical command to give employees a "Sabbath"in which to rest (Exodus 20:8-11) and to provide fair and timely wages (Lev 19:13; Deut 24:14-15; James 5:4). They will give the Lord a tithe of business profits (Malachi 3:7-12), and will not run their business as if Mammon were their god (Matt 6:24). No matter where we labor - even as volunteers or within our own gardens at home - it can be done in obedience to Christ and for His glory. Even slaves, as Paul wrote, should not work to please men but to please Christ (Ephesians 6:5-8).

I was once given a vision of miniature white castles dotting the landscape - dozens of them. The Lord revealed to me that these were churches with many ministers either setting themselves up, or being looked upon, as kings. One thing that the Lord has never given man dominion over is other men. As we revert to our Adamic nature to be ruled over by people - just as the Children of Israel desired a king like all the other nations had when they already had God Himself - we ascribe greatness to others and, true to form, start believing our own press, reveling in the adulation and popularity.

This happens even in the Church.

Deal Bountifully With Me Oh Lord by Mark E. Baker

Psalms 119:17: Deal bountifully with Your servant, That I may live and keep Your word.

This is one of the prayers of the psalmist in the 119th Psalm. The wonderful thing about this prayer is that it has been fulfilled by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The Hebrew word for “deal” is gamal, which can be translated to bestow on, deal bountifully, do (good), recompense, requite, and reward.

Ephesians 1:3: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

Because of what Christ accomplished for us on the cross and through His resurrection, we are now blessed with all spiritual blessing in Christ. God has dealt bountifully with us, he has bestowed on us, rewarded us with all spiritual blessings, which include salvation, eternal life, healing, prosperity, wisdom, discernment and much more!

2 Peter 1:3-4: as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

God through His divine power has given to us everything that pertains to life and godliness. God through His power enables us to live a godly life. Another translation says this:

-- Simple English

2 Peter 1:3-4: God's divine power has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We know God. He called us to His own glory and goodness, which He used to give us great and precious promises. Through these things God wants us to share in His divine nature. And, we must escape from the pollution which is in the world in evil desire.

It is important for us to realize that God has given us everything we need to fulfill the second part of our original verse.

Psalms 119:17: Deal bountifully with Your servant, That I may live and keep Your word.

As we saw in the verses from 2 Peter, God has given us everything we need to be partakers of His divine nature and thus escape the corruption of this world. What has God given us?
He has given us His power. He has given us power to tread on the serpent’s head and walk in victory in every aspect of our lives. It is very important that you understand this. Paul realized the importance of this power and prayed for the Ephesians to understand it, too.

Ephesians 1:15-23: Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Paul prayer is relevant to us today. The eyes of our understanding can be enlightened to know what are the riches of the inheritance in the saints, i.e. the new birth, eternal life, divine health, our needs met, forgiveness of sins and much more because of our faith in Jesus Christ. We can understand what God’s power in us enables us to do in this life.

The same power God used to raise Jesus from the dead is available to you as a believer to help you be an overcomer in this life! Amen! God put all things under the feet of Jesus and put Jesus to be head over all things to the church which is us. Jesus explained this to his disciples and thus to us.

Matthew 10:1: And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.

Mark 3:14-15: Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons:

Mark 6:7: And He called the twelve to Him, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.

Luke 10:19: "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

We see in these four references that Jesus empowered the disciples to have victory in their lives and because we are now disciples, we have this victory also.

Mark 16:15-18: And He said to them, "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.''

Jesus said these signs would follow those who believe. It means that we have authority over all the demonic attacks in our lives. Taking up serpents is not snake handling. It is in one way the power to be victorious in anything the enemy, represented by a serpent, tries to bring against you. Whether it is your health, finances, rebellious children, nemployment, loss of income or anything else you may be going through, you are victorious because of Jesus Christ living in you!!

1 John 4:4: You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

Always remember that! If you are born again, you are of God and greater is He that is in
You! God is greater than anything you may be going through! Because He is greater, you are victorious in this life! Because you are victorious in this life you can live and keep God’s Word as the psalmist said in our original verse.

God has dealt bountifully with us, His servants. The Word says we are no longer slaves or servants but sons of God.

Galatians 4:7: Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

But I submit to you that even in our relationship as sons and daughters of the Living God, we continue in the role of servant.

2 Corinthians 5:15: and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

1 Corinthians 4:1: Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.

Paul considered himself a servant of the Living God, in that he willingly worked all his life to further the Gospel of Christ. This is our purpose also, as believers who God has dealt bountifully with, to continue to serve God with all our heart, to work to spread the Good News of the Gospel, to heal the sick, deliver the oppressed, to teach others what serving the Lord is all about! Amen!

So you see, God has dealt bountifully with us, that we can live and keep His word! Amen!

Do you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Do you want to be a joint heir with Christ?

Do you want to receive the bountiful blessing of God?

If so, I urge you to earnestly pray the following prayer.

Dear Heavenly Father, I come to you in the name of Jesus. Your word says, “…and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.” (Jn.6:37),

So I know You won’t cast me out, but You take me in, And I thank you for it. You said in your Word, "whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.'' (Ro. 10:13).

I am calling on Your name, So I know You have saved me now, You also said, “…that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation.” (Ro.10:9,10).

I believe in my heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. I believe He was raised from the dead for my justification. And I confess Him now as my Lord, Because Your Word says, “… with the heart one believes to righteousness…” and I do believe with my heart, I have now become the righteousness of God in Christ. (2 Cor. 5:21),

And I am saved! Thank You, Lord!

I can now truthfully say, I see myself as a born again child of God!

Glory to God! Amen.