abideinhislove:

I received a question from an Anon that I thought would be easier to make into a post. Here’s the message:

Hello! Where does it say in the bible that Jesus was God? Did he ever say that? Another question, how come there is always new testaments? If the bible was the word of Jesus, and if Jesus was dead, how come there are new testaments? Thank you. I am not trying to be offensive in any way, just curious. Bye! :)

Hello Anon! I’m glad you’re curious and I encourage you to keep asking questions! I’d be happy to answer any you have (though it does take some time for me to do so, haha).

From what I can tell there are three different questions here, so I’ll separate and answer each one!

1. Where does it say in the Bible that Jesus was God?

There are quite a few places in the Bible where Jesus is called God, I’ll try to cover most of them. Here goes:

This is a verse from the book of Isaiah, it’s a prophecy concerning Jesus.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

Another from Isaiah:

“You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. I, I am the LORD, and besides me there is no savior.

Isaiah 43:10-11

In this verse from Isaiah God the Father and God the Son (Jesus) are mentioned. Anything in parenthesis is my own addition:

Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel (God the Father) and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts (God the Son): “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.

Isaiah 44:6

In Isaiah 44:24 God says that He created the world by Himself, and then there are these verses that say Jesus created the world, making Him God:

For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.

Colossians 1:16 

All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

John 1:3

Peter called Jesus God:

To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:1

John called Him God:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. …And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:1,14

Paul called Him God:

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

Philippians 2:5-7

The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

1 Timothy 1:15-17

Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.

1 Timothy 3:16

Waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

Titus 2:13

But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”

Hebrews 1:8-9
(Hebrews may or may not have been written by Paul, I’m unsure)

There are probably a bunch of others verses that I didn’t cover, and if anyone knows any please feel free to let me know and I’ll include them.

2. Did Jesus ever say that He is God?

Obviously the fact that the Apostles and some Old Testament prophets called Jesus God might bring about some skepticism—how do we know that these guys are telling the truth? Did Jesus ever call Himself God?

He sure did.

But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”

This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

John 5:17-18

In this passage the Pharisees are upset because Jesus is healing on the Sabbath. At first it doesn’t seem like much, but the Pharisees recognized the claim to deity here. Because Jesus here claims to be Lord of the Sabbath, He is able to work just like His Father because He is God. Jesus also calls Himself the Lord of the Sabbath (Matt. 12:8, Mrk. 2:28, Lk. 6:5).

The following verse is also a claim to deity; Jesus not only claims to be ever-living (saying that He existed before Abraham was even born by saying “I am” instead of “I was”). But “I AM” is what God called Himself when speaking to Moses in the burning bush (Ex. 3:14).

Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

John 8:58

Another instance:

“I and the Father are one.”

The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.”

John 10:30-33

Can’t forget doubting Thomas:

Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

John 20:27-29

And Philip:

Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”

John 14:8-9

Here Jesus says that He has the keys to Death and Hades—meaning He rules over hell, something we know only God can do:

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.”

Revelation 1:17-18

God stands beyond the universe’s beginning and its end as Sovereign Creator and Consummator, the first and the last, the Alpha and the Omega (Isa. 41:4; 44:6; 48:12), and that’s what Jesus calls Himself:

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.

Revelation 22:13

Here Jesus says that even King David called Him Lord:

Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.” He said to them, “How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying,

“The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet’”?

If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?”

Matthew 22:41-45 

Jesus also asks us to pray to Him, notice He says that He will answer our prayers, something only God can do:

Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

John 14:13-14

Jesus also forgives sin, something only God can do:

And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.”

Mark 2:5-10 

Jesus called Himself the “Son of God”, and so did others, which I would argue is another way of saying that He is God. But that argument is for another post entirely! Let me know if you’d like me to actually write that up. As for now, here are the verses:

Others call Jesus the Son of God: Matthew 8:9, Matthew 14:33, Mark 1:1, Mark 3:11, Luke 1:35, Luke 4:41, John 1:34, John 1:49, John 11:27, John 19:7, John 20:31, Acts 9:20, Romans 1:4, 2 Corinthians 1:19, Galatians 2:20, Ephesians 4:13, Hebrews 4:14, Hebrews 6:6, Hebrews 10:29, Hebrews 7:3, 1 John 3:8, 1 John 4:15, 1 John 5:5, 1 John 5:10, 1 John 5:12-13, and 1 John 5:20.

Jesus calls Himself the Son of God: John 3:18, John 5:25, John 10:36, John 11:4, and Revelation 2:18.

Again, there are probably so many more that I’m forgetting. If anyone would like to share some more verses, please feel free to.

3. If the bible was the word of Jesus, and if Jesus was dead, how come there are new testaments?

When we call the Bible the “Word of God”, that doesn’t mean that every word in there was spoken by God, but that it was divinely inspired by God. The Bible is considered the Word of God, technically making it the Word of Jesus as well—but the words Jesus spoke during His earthly ministry and when He appeared to some after His ascension to Heaven, are written in red letters in most Bibles, making it easier for us to know when Jesus is directly speaking to someone.

Concerning “new testaments”, I’m assuming you’re talking about the New Testament? It’s the second half of the Christian Bible and was written and complied after the death of Christ. Why do we have it? Well, the first four books of the NT are the Gospels written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These four books give an account of Jesus’ life and ministry. We wouldn’t know what Jesus taught or did without them. At the end of Jesus’ ministry He says this:

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

John 14:26 

I believe this statement explains the Gospels (the teachings of Jesus), because Jesus says after He leaves the Holy Spirit will be sent to remind them of what He’s already taught them. This also explains the other books of the NT (the teachings of Paul, Peter, John, James, and Jude), because Jesus says that the Holy Spirit will also “teach them all things”, that includes His own teachings and other things as well.

Jesus also says that there is much more that He wanted to teach them during His ministry, but that He couldn’t because they couldn’t bear it yet—and that the Holy Spirit would come after He left and teach them all things:

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

John 16:12-15

So, in short, the reason we have the New Testament is because Jesus promised that He would send the Spirit once He was gone to remind us of all that He’d taught throughout His ministry and to teach us much more.

I hope I answered your questions, if you have anymore please feel free to ask. God bless you and keep you!

Much love in Christ,
Malak

(via a-restless-wind)

thanksforthebubbletea:

I’ve been thinking about the 10^th anniversary of September 11^th, and I feel like that day really shows us one thing: the immense impact a small group of people can have on the world when they are determined to do something evil.

There were 19 hijackers.  Nineteen.  Think about that for a second.  Not even two dozen people.  I bet that’s a smaller number of people than in your youth group or college group.  I’m sure it’s a smaller number of people than in your church.  In fact, if your folks have ever done a Christmas party at your house, I bet you had more than 19 people there that night.

It’s nothing, right?  And, yet, just 19 people, with a plan (a really evil one) and a determination to live it out can strike a wicked blow that the world will never forget.

Now, why do I say all that?

I say it because just as a small group of people can have a terrible impact on the world when they are determined to do something evil, how much more can a small group of people transform the world when they are determined to do something good?

About 2,000 years ago, Jesus took 11 people – eleven!  Barely even half of 19! – and gave them a plan to transform the world.  Here’s what Jesus said:

“Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

Those 11 people took that plan to heart.  They were determined to live it out, andnothing has ever been the same. 

For those of you who are Christians, you have a relationship with the God of the universe, you are saved for all eternity, you have an inheritance in the Kingdom of God, because 11 people had a plan and were determined to follow it, no matter what. 

And it isn’t just you, of course.  There isn’t a corner of the globe that hasn’t been touched by the message of Jesus Christ.  Think of the number of hungry people fed and sick people cared for.  Think of the abolition of slavery.  Think of the overthrow of tyrants.  Think of orphans and widows crying out to God and receiving an answer in the form of a flesh-and-blood Christian.

That all happened because 11 people had a plan, and followed it.

Of course, those 11 people have long since moved onto glory.  But the plan is still here.  And that leads us to you.

You’re called to be a part of the plan, too.  When we see evil in this world, we can cower in the corner, hoping it doesn’t find us.  Or we can stand up, square our shoulders, and make the decision to face it head-on.

What would happen if you said, “I’m gonna follow God’s plan for my life no matter what?”  How would the world be transformed?

Today, we remember what happened when a small group of people decided to do their worst.  And it was and remains terrible.  But what would happen if Christians – one by one, ten by ten, twenty by twenty – decided to do their best?

Make up your mind to show the world exactly that would look like.

(via lovecourtney)

racham:

One glance.
Two glances.
Another…
…And another.

I was at the Youth night. My first Youth night. The Lord has specifically called me to this unlovable sector of the church to use my testimony as a weapon of mass salvation (through Him, not I). My testimony is marked with countless tears, many things lost and given away, and much learned and experienced. In my flesh, it is the last place I’d want to be. On numerous occasions that night, I felt like getting up and leaving. It just wasn’t me. Loud heavy metal music, flashy lights, girls flirting viciously with boys… Give me a night in, a good book and a cup of tea any time. 

But what happened that night was something I have never experienced in my entire existence. I got wandering gazes from the opposite sex. I tried not to notice. At first, it stroked my pride and fueled my ego. I’ve never been a girl to get many looks from the male species. Growing up, I was the girl that had a million guy friends and no suitors. I was and still am very plain by the world’s standards. My figure isn’t anything amazing either. Short and stocky. I was also the dumpy girl in my High School days. However, for the past few weeks, I’ve been working out, and cutting out processed sugars from my diet, and as a result, I’ve lost 3.5kg (7lbs). I admit that I welcomed the looks, even smirking as they were given. I wasn’t in immodest clothing, so I reasoned. It felt good to have attention. It felt good to turn heads.

Yet, as I stood in the kitchen alone, making a coffee, the gentle Holy Spirit reminded me that, “love is not self-seeking” (1 Corinthians 13:5), and since I had the ultimate Love in my heart (Jesus), enjoying these looks weren’t of Him, and it certainly wasn’t right of me to feel borderline seductive. I felt pretty guilty right then and there. I had lavished the looks.

From that point on, each look from a Christian male made me feel slightly uncomfortable. It only reinforced that I wanted out as soon as I could. The worst thing is, I could sense some of them (most of them did not) looked upon my body as a tool for their lust and it made my flesh crawl. Their eyes flickered down my frame, and I winced. 

On the way home, as Lachlan was driving, I jokingly mentioned it to him.

“I kept getting glances from the young men at Youth tonight. Ha… Anyone would guess it was all-you-can-eat!” I gave an on queue nervous laugh.

“Yeah… Well… You’re an attractive single woman that’s looking at a leadership role in the Youth Ministry. These men are in constant look for a wife. You’re fresh meat to them!”

Even in the darkness of the car, I could sense Lachlan’s grin. But there it was. Fresh meat. I felt like a mere object that instant. I said a silent prayer of thanksgiving that I was never beautiful or model worthy, particularly in my young teens. Those open stares from guys were absolutely damaging.

As humans, we are supposed to appreciate beauty. Yes, some of the young men weren’t looking at me with lust, and probably were genuinely curious about who this new girl was. It is true that Adam was supposed to desire Eve in the garden. That’s the way God ordained it. That’s the way it should be. Male and female compliment one another in such a holy, sacred and amazing way intellectually, emotionally, spiritually, sexually and physically. Women have curves where men are flat. Men have muscles where women are soft. It’s a phenomenal blueprint.

But the world has marred this design. Hollywood penetrates our sanctuaries (minds and homes) with garbage. They scream to young men that if they do not hunt and be always constantly after a mate, they’re the lesser of men… In fact, they aren’t males at all. Pornography is bigger than any major league sport industry, and bigger than Hollywood itself. Men are being exposed to such filth as early as nine years of age nowadays. It’s engrained. If they aren’t looking at a girl’s figure, comparing them to that of the actresses in porn films, and picking out the closest one they can get to, then they don’t deserve to be masculine.

This isn’t a feministic rant. In fact, I’m pretty anti-feminism. This is to say… Look what the media has made it become. Look what pornography does to men. It soils what God made as good. It taints what He considers beautiful. I became “fresh meat” last night to a lot of the men in that room. Isn’t that tragic?

Even Job in the Bible questioned it. “Can a man be pure before his Maker? Or be more cleansed than He is” (Job 4:17) 

The answer is no, he cannot. It seems like a hopeless and losing battle. One only has to go out onto the street to be bombarded with half naked posters of models, and girls as young as twelve dressing like they’re wearing lingerie as if they are clothes. This world makes sexual activity to be a game, and a competition. 

However, there is always hope. Men, there is always Light. And Who is that Light? Jesus Christ. In Psalm 119:9, King David held the key—”How shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed and keeping watch on himself according to the Lord’s word”. Sometimes, it does take a conscious choice not to look and a physical pull to walk in the other direction. It isn’t promised it will get easier. But if you delight yourself in His word and in prayer, the more dark, vile and disgusting these impure things that the world vomits up, look. A relationship with Him should never be taken lightly or with mere words. Live like He was coming back this very moment. Live as if your future wife was there with you. Life like Jesus was there with you, because He is.

I think one of the girls I ate with today would appreciate this.

(via a-restless-wind)