Jesus Christ The Same! By James L Lantz
Jesus is the Eternal Word of God who was made flesh and born of a virgin! Jesus was with The Father from the beginning and everything that was made was made by Him and made for Him. Jesus is to have the preeminence in everything! God has always dealt mercifully and kindly to everyone who desired to have fellowship with Him. Those who refuse His extreme goodness suffer His vengeance as seen in Noah’s flood and other places where whole groups of people were destroyed. God told Abram that his descendants would be afflicted for four hundred years in a land that was not theirs until the iniquity of the Amorites was full. God reveals His tremendous mercy in giving abundance of time for the Amorites to repent knowing that He would have to bring judgement upon them for their iniquity! Gen. 15:14-16 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. . . . But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. God knows when people get to the point where they will
God Connects Four Hundred Years With Four Generations!
never change and yield their life to Him. God held back destruction from the great flood in Noah’s day as long as possible, until only eight righteous people remained. God reveres those who revere Him, and revealed to Moses those who were in faith through whom The Seed would come. God graced Noah’s grandfather, Methuselah, who was the son of Enoch, to live longer than any other man on the earth, and only died the same year of the flood. Noah was also privileged to have his father, Lamech, alive until five years before the flood came. None of Noah’s brothers and sisters heeded the word of the Lord, and apparently his wife’s family refused to believe as well. God reveals to His church that the things that were unacceptable to Him in the beginning are still unacceptable to Him today. The Spirit of God through Paul writes that we must not give ourselves to idolatry, fornication, nor speaking evil of others. 1 Cor. 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. Jude, the half brother of Jesus, warns us not to live like those who were destroyed in Sodom and Gomorrah or we too will suffer in eternal fire. Jude 1:7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. We are a holy people and we serve a Holy God! Believers are an elite group that is only accessed through genuine faith in God! Jesus Christ is still the same, the righteous are delivered from God’s wrath while the wicked foolishly reject the truth.
God has always been gracious and kind to everyone from the very beginning. The Lord brought a word of warning to Cain that if he would repent he would be spared from the trap the devil was laying for him. Gen. 4:6 CEV The LORD said to Cain: What’s wrong with you? Why do you have such an angry look on your face? Gen. 4:7 CEV If you had done the right thing, you would be smiling. But you did the wrong thing, and now sin is waiting to attack you like a lion. Sin wants to destroy you, but don’t let it! God was very gracious to those destroyed in the great flood by giving them a warning through Noah’s preaching and the manifestation of Noah’s faith in the building of the ark. God wanted to save everyone in the city of Jericho but only Rahab and her family would believe. The glory of God shone brightly in Capernaum where Jesus had his headquarters during His earthly ministry. Everyone had to have heard of the mighty miracles accomplished through Jesus ministry in this region and yet many refused to come to the light. Jesus said, if Sodom had been privileged to have the mighty works that were done in Capernaum be done there, they would have repented and their city would still be here.
Men are only counted righteous through their personal faith in God, both those who lived before Christ sacrificial death and resurrection and those of us who came afterwards. We now have a better covenant with better promises, but my emphasis here is that no one is made right with God through any other person than the Lord Jesus Christ. Ezekiel 14:20 Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness. Again and again this truth is proclaimed in the new testament, he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Acts 2:38 . . .Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Rom. 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. The understood subject in these scriptures is you, the individual who comes to God, must believe!
Healing is another gift from God that we receive by faith. Israel ate the passover lamb in faith and when they left Egypt their was not one feeble one among them. Ps. 105:37 He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes. These children of Israel were not an easy group to disciple as we read about their journey. After a number of difficulties they became very discouraged and began to speak against God and against Moses. Num. 21:5 And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. Num. 21:6 And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. The good news is that the people came to Moses and confessed their sin and asked Moses to pray that God would remove these poisonous snakes. God had Moses make a serpent of brass and hang it on a pole that everyone who was bitten may behold the brass serpent and live. The serpent on the pole is a type of Jesus taking the curse for us by hanging upon the cross. Galatians 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: God brought healing to those who would believe Him, looking away from their problem and gazing steadily at God’s provision. Since Jesus bore the curse for us, that would include every sickness and every disease. 1 Pet. 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. God has numerous methods in which people can receive their healing today with varying degrees of faith. The greatest faith is just to believe that you receive what God said in His Holy Word and declare that you are healed. The healing anointing is also released through the laying on of hands, gifts of the Holy Spirit, casting out devils, through the prayer of faith, calling for the elders of the church to anoint you with oil. Perhaps the easiest way to receive healing is by being with other believers with the corporate anointing flowing.
The Holy Spirit has inspired and empowered people from the beginning of creation and all the more in these last days before Christ return. Seven of the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit were active in the days before Christ was born. Tongues and interpretation of tongues are God’s signature gift’s for this dispensation of grace. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever! However, since the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit is offered to everyone who will obey the Lord. Acts 2:18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: Call on the Lord and you will be saved, delivered, healed, filled, Blessed, and made whole!
Heb. 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
Consistently Reading God’s Word Helps Safeguard Us From Error!
Reading God’s Word, meditating God’s Word, speaking God’s Word, and Doing God’s Word are all critical parts of setting our love on the Lord. These are all manifestations of loving and abiding in Him!
Psalms 91:14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
Ps. 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.
Mark 13:22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.
Pro. 4:20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
Pro. 4:21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.
Pro. 4:22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
Pro. 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.
Is. 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void,
but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
2 Pet. 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
2 Pet. 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
2 Pet. 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
Luke 6:47 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:
Luke 6:48 He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
2 Tim. 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2 Tim. 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
