Statements of Faith - Chosen In Him

 

EPHESIANS 1:4

I am chosen in Him before the foundation of the world. 

Ephesians 2:10

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.

Romans 8:16

The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 

John 1:12, 13

But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God--children born not of blood, nor of the desire or will of man, but born of God. 

    The born again Christian is created in Christ Jesus; believing on His Name for our salvation, it is the only way to become a child of God. Taking communion, participating in the remembrance of Christ's sacrifice (the bread and the wine/juice) will not save a person's soul. Only Jesus can save us. Only the blood of Jesus Christ can wash away a person's sins, iniquities, transgressions. Only the blood of Jesus Christ can remove our shame and regret. 

    And only The Holy Spirit can tug at our hearts, calling us to come to Jesus and be born again into His Name, through His Name and His blood. Only The Holy Spirit can prick our consciences, convicting us of sin, rebellion against God--against His Way, His Will and His Word--and bring us to our knees crying out to God to forgive us, save us and make us clean and holy. Now is the time to listen to what The Spirit and The Word are saying to us. Now is the time to be forgiven and set on the road to change, to holiness. 

    [God's plan of salvation began before recorded time. There was a war in heaven. Satan rebelled against God and declared war on Him, persuading one-third of heaven's angels to follow him. That's what he does: he is persuasive, cunning, deceitful, tricky and evil. But God won that war and declared Lucifer (Satan's God-given name) to be persona non grata: he was no longer welcome in heaven, nor in God's holy presence and had to be removed permanently. So God sent him to Earth before there were people there.

    He worms his way into people's minds and hearts by manipulating and questioning God's Word and Authority. He is a devil and he lies and deceives people into believing things that are not true. (If a thing is half-true, it is still a lie. If a statement is omitted, it is still a lie, for the truth was not in it.).]

    But God had a Plan and His Plan is Jesus, His only begotten Son, Who took our punishment, died on the cross, rose from the dead and walked out of the grave! God won another war against Satan. And all who believe on The Name of His Son become God's sons and daughters: we are the children of faith. For it takes faith to believe the impossible or even the improbable. 

    Too many people have died in their sins and gone to hell. They died believing lies about their gods. They died not believing on The Only Name that could save them. They died unforgiven. And as such they condemned themselves to eternal death. They died not knowing their Creator, not knowing that He loved them, not knowing that there was a Way to heaven that they deemed improbable, for some doubted the existence of God and therefore denied His Son Jesus Christ's existence. 

    But God still loves us and His Spirit is still calling us to Come To Jesus and be Washed By The Blood, for Nothing But The Blood of Jesus can cure this disease called sin and be cleansed by His blood which washes away the sins of the world (John 1:29; John 3:16). Come today and see this Jesus Who washed away my sins. Come and see how God is changing me as I walk by faith this journey called life. Come and walk with me and Jesus, for He walks with me and wants to walk with you, too; as God has promised to never leave us nor forsake us. 

    

    

Statements of Faith - 1 Peter 2:9

 

1 PETER 2:9

I am a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that I should show forth the praises of Him Who has called me out of darkness into His marvelous Light. 

CHOSEN GENERATION

    How are we chosen? By believing on The Name of The Lord Jesus Christ for my salvation. By repenting of my sins, iniquities and transgressions against The Word of God. By believing that God's Word is True and Faithful, that He fulfills His promises in His time. 

    We are chosen because we choose to follow Christ Jesus wherever He leads us; whether He leads us in the valleys of our lives or upon the mountains' heights. When He calls us to follow Him, we joyfully answer His call, running to meet Him, where He picks us up and holds us close to His heart. We are His sheep, His little lambs and we stay near our Shepherd. 

    Once we lived in the darkness of this world, too. Once we lived in rebellion, choosing to do things our way: selfishly and with only our interests at heart. But now, now we belong to God, choosing to live a life of honor and sanctification that we might be made pure and perfect in Christ. 1 Peter 2:10 "Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."

ROYAL PRIESTHOOD

    He has promised that they who serve Him on this side of life will not only be blessed immensely now, but also be rewarded on the other side of life. 

Revelation 1:6 "And has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." 

Revelation 5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.Exodus 19:6 "And unto Me you shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words that you are to speak to the Israelites." 

HOLY NATION

    Deuteronomy 7:6

For you are a people holy to The LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His prized possession out of all peoples on the face of the earth.

     2 Thessalonians 2:13

But we should always thank God for you, brothers who are loved by The Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning to be saved by the sanctification of The Spirit and by faith in the truth.

   We are saved by faith in The Truth of the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ and through the sanctification of The Holy Spirit. Though the thief on the hill with Christ came to the realization that Jesus was indeed The Christ, he had just enough time left in his life to do so. By his declaration "Lord, remember me", he acknowledged Jesus to be LORD and asked that his name not be blotted out. And Jesus brought thief to paradise with him. 

    A holy nation also honors its God by not only hearing what He has to say, but by obeying what The Word He speaks. 

PECULIAR PEOPLE

    Exodus 19:5

Now therefore, if you will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then you shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people: for all the earth is Mine.

    Titus 2:14

He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.

    We are God's people, His church, His possession, His congregation. We are set apart from all nations by choosing to be obedient to His Word and choosing His Love and Righteousness for us above all other loves and unrighteous thinking and actions. 

    When someone tells us, "You're weird, strange, crazy", it's because they have noticed your differentness, your born again-ness. As we should be: different, not like everybody else. Remember the teaching song, "One of these things is not like the other"? We are not like the other. We shine bright because our souls have been saved and The Light of Christ now lives in us. 

    The salvation of Christ upon us and the purification process of sanctification through The Holy Spirit cause us to continually praise our God for this wonderful thing He has done for us and in us. 

    Three hundred and three times the word 'praise' occurs in The Old Testament, alone. And in those three hundred and three times the word 'praise', at varying times, indicates different ways to praise. 

    Yadah: to extend our arms out in front of us or lift our hands up to our Lord 

    Halal: to boast in The Lord

    Shabach: to shout praise to The Lord 

    Tehillah: combination of all other words of praise to God 

    Towdah: sacrifice of praise - praising God in adversity

    Barouch: to kneel or prostrate one's self, to bow before The Lord

    Zamar: to play a musical instrument for God

7 WAYS TO PRAISE - Carman

NO LONGER SLAVES - Zach Williams
CHANGED - Jordan Feliz

HAPPY DANCE - MercyMe 

JESUS CAN - Austin French

LIVE LIKE YOU'RE LOVED - Hawk Nelson

    

    

Signs & Wonders of Christ's Arrival - - The Servant King

 

Isaiah 52:13

Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently, He shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 5650

Servant: slave, servant

From the Hebrew word 'ebed' (pronounced eh'-bed). 

While this word has many  usages, in this particular verse it is referring the Messiah as martyr. 

THE MARTYRED SERVANT

Isaiah 52:14, 15

14. Just as many were appalled at Him—His appearance was disfigured beyond that of any man, and His form was marred beyond human likeness—

15. so He will sprinkle many nations. Kings will shut their mouths because of Him. For they will see what they have not been told, and they will understand what they have not heard. 

Psalm 22; Isaiah 50:6; Isaiah 53:2-5; Matthew 27:26-43; John 19:1-3, 16-24. 

Mark 15:32

Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross, so that we may see and believe!” And even those who were crucified with Him berated Him.

THE CHOSEN SERVANT

Isaiah 42:1

"Here is My Servant, whom I uphold, My Chosen One, in whom My soul delights. I will put My Spirit on Him, and He will bring justice to the nations."

Matthew 12:17

"Here is My Servant, whom I have chosen, My beloved, in whom My soul delights. I will put My Spirit on Him, and He will proclaim justice to the nations."

THE RIGHTEOUS SERVANT

Isaiah 53:11

"After the anguish of His soul, He will see the light of life and be satisfied. By His knowledge My Righteous Servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities."

Matthew 20:28

Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many.

THE SUBMISSIVE SERVANT

Luke 22:42

“Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me. Yet not My will, but Yours be done.”

John 5:30

"I can of Mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and My judgment is just; because I seek not Mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent Me."

Philippians 2:8

And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross

THE WISE SERVANT

Isaiah 11:2

The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the LORD.

John 1:32

Then John testified, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove and resting on Him."

THE SERVANT'S SERVANT

Matthew 20:28

"Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

John 13:13-15

13. "You call Me Teacher and Lord, and rightly so, because I am.

14. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.

15. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you."

THE EXALTED SERVANT

Philippians 2:9

Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above all names.

Isaiah 53:12; Daniel 7:14; Matthew 28:18; Acts 2:33.

THE EXTOLLED SERVANT

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 7623

Extol: to praise highly, to lift up, to elevate, to magnify

It is the Hebrew word 'shabach' (pronounced shaw-bakh').

Psalm 145:1

A Praise of David. I will extol You, my God, O King; And I will bless Your name forever and ever.

Isaiah 6:1

In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple.

Romans 15:11

And again: “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and extol Him, all you peoples.”

Have you met The Servant King?  The Servant King came to serve God in the way in which God chose Him to serve. Jesus humbled Himself to serve God with honor and integrity, in love. Are we following the example He has set before us to do the same, to live our lives in the same way? Humbled, surrendered, submitted to the will of God? 

Have we chosen to set aside what we want and how we want it done in order that God may be glorified in our submission and surrender? For my part I can truthfully say, "No." However, having repented of yesterday's transgressions, I can move on and submit and surrender another day to God, hoping for a better turnout than the last. It is all I can do: greet God when I awaken, spend time with Him during the day, speak with Him in the night and/or wee hours of the morning. 

The psalmist wrote, "Early will I seek You" (Psalm 63:1). Which could mean early in my day, early in my life, early in my pursuit of following after God in all my ways. And, again, in all our ways we are to acknowledge Him; and He will lead us (Proverbs 3:6; 16:3). But only if we are willing to follow. So, come let us adore Him, let us serve Him.

THE SERVANT KING by Graham Kendrick

HIGH AND EXALTED by Bob Fitts

HE LIVES Divine Hymns

BEHOLD by Phil Wickham

ADORATION by Newsboys