Epiphany Ministries Tasmania

  Our Close Relative

    I am  a Christian.

  I believe the Lord Jesus Messiah, that He is the Son of God and thus He is part of the GODHEAD Whom we Christians serve and worship.

 Who is this God?....HE is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob the God of Israel. Genesis  12:1-3, Genesis  21:12& Genesis 35:1-13. , Romans :7

 I give thanks to our LORD and Saviour that by HIS grace I can claim  my place as a Born Again Christian in the Church which belongs to GOD. 

 A Bible believing and GOD honouring Church who seek to serve the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY through the Name of JESUS HIS SON.

 To be part of an Assembly of Christians who seek only GOD in CHRIST JESUS and who  come to fellowship and Worship GOD in SPIRIT and  TRUTH.....a group of devoted Christians who do not seek their own fame or fortune within the Assembly...who do not  want the focus of their Brothers and Sisters on themselves but on JESUS our LORD and SAVIOUR, This is the mark of a true Christian. Those who love the Brethren and have a love and a heart for those lost in this World who have not yet called upon the Name of the LORD our SAVIOUR.

  We rejoice to hear the Word of GOD faithfully preached, with truth and in the Power of the  HOLY SPIRIT, not wanting to have our ears tickled by those who only seek to entertain and deliver a dead, powerless gospel which cannot save nor feed those who are saved.

 The soul of the Christian rejoices and delights in the sound of the voice of the preacher  when HE faithfully brings the Word of GOD and the Scriptures are alive in his  preaching. Not with fanfare and productions but with forceful simplicity and sincerity.

 There is an  urgent need for the continuance and growth of the preaching of the Gospel of  GOD and JESUS......CHRIST ON THE CROSS AND HIM CRUCIFIED FOR SIN....in these days  ..because the  time is short. The Lord  Jesus Messiah is about  to return firstly for His  Church and then to  His people, Israel. We can read of this in   the following.....    1Thessalonians 

43:1-4 & Revelation  19:11-16 (The Return of  Jesus, King of Israel)

 Only this can save a poor lost soul, or direct a lost sheep back to the fold from which it  has strayed.

 And we must remember and believe that the Word of GOD--the Bible, is   not made up of  myths and legends, which have no relevance nor value in   todays world.

 The Bible is the WORD OF GOD, the Power of GOD for Salvation, needful and relevant for  all  time, for HIS Word will not fade nor pass away, and is given for reproof and the growth  of those who believe, to focus our attention on GOD-- FATHER, SON and HOLY SPIRIT.

 The Bible was handed down to us by GOD HIMSELF through the Patriarchs, the Prophets and the Apostles, and every part of it has a reason for being there. 

 The Old Testaments foreshadows the New Testament and all that was to come about in the  life, death and Resurrection of JESUS the MESSIAH.

The Scarlet Thread of this Prophesy winds it way throughout the whole of Scripture.

 We who are Christians should have on our hearts a real heart- felt love and care for  the  people of Israel, God’s chosen people. We must as Christians be seen to be what we are in  our love for  each-other, yes, but also as members of the Church of Jesus Messiah,  His  betrothed Bride, we must  also have love and respect for His people Israel, to whom by  virtue of that betrothal to the King of  Israel, Jesus Messiah, we have become close  relatives  to the Jewish People, the children of Israel.  John  10: 16,

  After-all~~the LORD JESUS our Messiah and Redeemer is Himself 

in  His flesh a  Jewish  man...  

Matthew 1:1-17 & LUKE 3:23-38

 So where did I get this from? you might ask. Well, the Bible in its   completeness has given  us many  lessons and pictures, “types and examples “if you will, in both the Old and the  New Testaments.

  Remember we need to take the whole Bible into account, paying attention   to only the Old or the New Testament will only give you half of the  teaching and revelation of God to His  people.

 So the Old Testament points to the coming of the One who was foretold from the  Beginning...from before the World was made.                         Genesis 3:14- 15 and John 1:

 On the other hand, the New Testament is the fulfilment of those         prophesies. John1:14

 So we can look into the Old Testament and open the Book of Ruth….what a   beautiful  picture of Jesus, Israel and the Church it is.

 In it we see Ruth the daughter in law of Naomi pledging to her mother in 

 law to be with her  no matter  what. Ruth 1:16-18

 Ruth is redeemed by the close relative of Naomi, and Ruth’s by virtue of her marriage into  the  Nation of Israel. This man’s name was Boaz, who for us is a clear picture of Jesus  Messiah in His  redeeming work upon the Cross where He bought us through the shedding  of His Blood in payment  for our transgressions.

 Ruth’s willingness to follow Naomi back to Israel even though she herself   was a Moabite and as such, would not be welcome in Israel, by faith she   came to Israel, and because of  that faith and  willingness  she was   redeemed by Boaz, the close relative. Ruth 4:1-12

 So we as professors of Christianity  because of our faith/belief in our Lord   Jesus who is also our  Redeemer and by virtue of the grace of God makes   us therefor sons of God we  are a close relative of  Jesus Messiah. 

  Acts13:48,   Romans 8:15-17.

 We are also brought into the commonwealth of Israel by virtue of our   marriage to Jesus who is King of Israel, a Jewish man. Revelation 21:9

 We must remember that the Jewish people are heirs by virtue of   blood Genesis 12:2. 

 We Christians, the Nation called out onto God are heirs by virtue of the promise. Romans 9:8

 There had to be a blood line for our Messiah Jesus to come to earth, those of Abraham's blood, Abraham was told by God that through him all the Nations of the earth would be  blessed Genesis 12:3

 How do non Jewish people attain admittance to that promise? Well  we are brought close by virtue of  our betrothal to the King of Israel (Jesus) and our place as Christians..... as the bride of Messiah Jesus.    Revelation 21:9 .

 What I am saying here is…when Abba Father, made the promise to bless the Nations  through  Abraham, God set in place the mechanism by which the Saviour of the world  would come, God was  also telling us that not only would the Jewish people be blessed but  also every Gentile man, woman or child who came to believe on the Name of JESUS    Romans1:16.                                              

So Dear Saints, in light of our position what should our attitude to Israel be. As we see in  the Book  of  Ruth Israel/Naomi is the “Mother-In –Law” to the Church/Ruth, we should be to Israel as Ruth  was to Naomi. In love for her mother-in-law, Ruth was willing to leave parents, family, country, her  native religion Ruth 1:16, in fact she gave up everything, and for this, God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of Israel rewarded her.

 So shall it be for us when we as Christians, help, love, support and defend the Nation of  Israel, God’s chosen people on this earth, and when we give up all our worldly trappings and follow Jesus Messiah in all humility.

  I am not saying we should live as paupers, but when we give our lives to   Jesus, He should  become  the most important thing in our lives. The   things  of earth, the work of our hands,  (which the world  worships) we   should cease to find important. While we live, we live in this  world, but   we, as Christians are not of the world 1 John 2:15-17. We are a new creation,   a separate Nation called out unto God 1 Peter 2:9-10

 Make no mistake Christian--the King of Israel is returning very soon   indeed--.first  He will call His Betrothed (The Church) out of the World to   join HIM in HIS Father's House.....as HE promised. And then to His people Israel, to Reign as King of  Israel and of  the  whole  World.

 What a time that will be--the Millennial Kingdom of God’s Rest for the people of Israel.

 I for one find the waiting hard, as I’m sure do many others.

 So Dear Saints-- We should be praying for the Church in these days, for   the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to be upon us as we approach the great   day, so that we will be awake, looking up with  anticipation and waiting for   the great call of Jesus our Messiah and Bridegroom when He comes.   Revelation 3:3

 So be in continual prayer for all those who are coming out of the darkness of this sinful lost world into His wonderful light and saving Grace. That they  will truly know and love Him  who died for us all, That they will not be tempted to revert to their old lives of darkness and a lost position because of earthly ties.

 We must pray for our persecuted Brothers and Sisters who dwell in continuous danger  because of the  hate of the enemies of God John 16:2.  These Brothers and Sisters comprised  of both Israel and the Church (the Body of Messiah and they are truly under continuous persecution from those who hate God, these people  include the Nations who have stood against the Nation   of Israel since her rebirth  in 1948.

 Pray for the soon return of Jesus Messiah for whom we wait in faith and love.

 The light is surely growing at the end of the tunnel, we who watch closely can see it growing with each news report, with every Christian we speak   to who says “It is Near” with each new soul saved, with every Jewish person given the gift of sight so that they may see  Jesus as their Messiah, and with  each unbeliever who comes up to us in  the street and says “I  know there   is something about to happen, I don’t know what it is but I am frightened   and don’t know what to do--What an opportunity to tell them that Jesus loves them and that if they put their trust in Jesus they will have nothing  to fear.

 Yes the light is shining at the end of the tunnel, the time is near…….our Lord Jesus is  standing at the  doorway of time and space with His Hand of the door latch, about to come  back to us as He promised   John 14:1-3  when the number of the Gentiles has been brought  in. Romans 11:25-27

                                         

                                          I Can't Wait To See You All In Heaven

                                                          With Love In JESUS Name                                                                                                                                                

Forgiven


Jesus died for me

 and for you

We worthless sinners 

can never come near 

to God our Father

 in Heaven, 

of our own accord.

We need our Saviour Jesus. 

 
 

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