Tag: yeshuah

Good From Nazareth?

~ Kim Balogh ~ 3 Comments

Luke Chapter 4, tells us that Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by the devil. ” If you are really the Son of God then prove it,” (my paraphrase)

Jesus does not comply. He had nothing to prove. Jesus knows who he is!

Considering the source, Jesus rejects the temptation. He tells the devil to take a hike.

Then after that temptation trial Jesus returns in the power of the Spirit into Galilee.

There Jesus becomes well known throughout all of that region. Jesus teaches in the synagogues, heals the sick, casts out devils. All the people are blessed!

After that Jesus comes to the city of Nazareth where he grew up and where every one knows him as Jesus the carpenter.

It was in a synagogue in Nazareth (where he probably went every Sabbath as a kid) that Jesus reads from the book of Isaiah, announcing that he is the fulfillment of that Messianic prophecy.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. Isaiah 61:1,2

After closing the Torah Jesus sits down. Everyone’s eyes are on him.

Then Jesus gives notice to all the people that he had grown up with that he is the promised Messiah.

This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. Luke 4:21

Only Messiah could fulfill that scripture. He knew that. They knew that.

The people of Nazareth were blown away by that announcement. Is this not Joseph’s son?

Whaaattt? Is he saying what we think he’s saying?

Then Jesus tells these people who he knows on a personal basis.  And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country. Luke 4:23

Seems quite fantastic that Jesus knowing full well he would be rejected in Nazareth would make the announcement of his being the promised Messiah there. To all his friends and family.

Is there a bigger picture happening here?

Nazareth was a small town. Populated mostly with farmers, shepherds and labourers. It basically was a place with low social status.

That is why Nathanael said to Jesus “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” John 1:46

Jesus goes to his own home town, small and insignificant, tells them he is their promised Messiah and they out right reject him!

Who saw that coming?

After Jesus tells them that a prophet is never honored in his own home town the people in the synagogue get so riled up that they literally grab Jesus and haul him to a cliff in order to toss him off. They were intent on harming Jesus. Maybe even kill him.

The guy had the audacity to call himself a prophet! That’s it! He’s out of here!

But passing through their midst…what? How could that happen? They had him by the scruff of the neck and he passed through them?

Well Jesus transported or something because he got away.

Then Jesus goes to the next town and preaches in their synagogue. The people in that place were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power.

That place loved him! At least they loved the miracles.

I think Jesus was making a point or a prophetic act if you will when he announced who he was in Nazareth.

Nazareth was a foretaste of what was going to happen to Jesus in the future. The whole nation of Israel would reject him but this time instead of throwing him off a cliff they would crucify him.

Interesting but it goes even further than that today. Now it seems the world is rejecting Jesus’ Christ’s claim to be Messiah or Savior of the world with the same old unbelief.

Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Where is the promise of his coming? Who made that guy a ruler over us?

Jesus gives the same answer today as he always does to the doubters. 

One day you will say to me …if you really are the Son of God ….prove yourself…make these stones turn to bread….fix all these problems we ourselves have created. You are only an historical figure. We don’t want you! Give us Barabbas. You know that rebel! We want him not you!

History really does repeat itself doesnt it?

There is a good ending to this story however. Remember what the angels said after Jesus rose from the dead and was taken up in the clouds in front of over 100 of his disciples?

Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!” Acts 1:11

And don’t forget this time, “Every eye will see him!” Revelation 1:7

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Can anything good come out of Nazareth?

Maranatha! 

Father God is Waiting For Your Return!

God in the Flesh

~ Kim Balogh ~ Leave a comment

The diety is something that most of us have a hard time wrapping our heads around.

The Bible specifically describes God as being a Godhead, divinity or substance of the divine. (theotés)

Colossians 2:9 tells us that in Jesus Christ dwells all the fullness of the Godhead in bodily form.

Christ was filled with or filled up with God. (plērōma)

God himself took on flesh. That means that God was incarnate in a body.

“Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me. ” Hebrews 10:5

The Pharisees went builistic when Jesus told them he was the I AM. They could not grasp such a thing.

In fact this is the very reason that the Pharisees had Jesus arrested. For the “crime” of Blasphemy under the law.
John 10:33

Scriptures tell us that
God was in Christ reconciling himself to the world.

“To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:19

That means that God himself was in Mary’s womb placed there by God the Holy Spirit himself. Luke 1:35

God’s body, his blood, his very nature came into the world through the vehicle of a human but God was not human in the sense that we are human.

He had flesh and blood but his flesh and blood were not contaminated by sin. Nor was God created out of the earth like Adam.

Jesus was called the second Adam because his body was created by God the Holy Spirit but he was God himself in that body.
1 Corinthians 15: 45-47

God was incarnate in flesh or dwelling in a body that was created by God the Holy Spirit.

God came to save that which was lost. He had to take on flesh in order to do that but his flesh was not the same as our flesh. His flesh was sinless.

1 Peter 1:18-20
“For as much as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.”

While Jesus the Christ or redeemer anointed with the Holy Spirit was confined to a body he was still very much God.

In the Psalms David talks about a body being prepared for him.
Psalm 40:6

The blood of Jesus that was shed on calvary was God’s own blood. It was not human blood.

Jesus’ blood was divine. It was not from human origins. 1 Peter 1:19

The Bible says that Jesus was the exact expression of the likeness of God.
Colossians 1:15, Hebrews 1:3

Jesus told his disciples that by looking at him they could see the Father. The Holy Spirit dwelt in Jesus and did all the miracles.
John 5:19
John 14:9,10

In other words Jesus represented on earth all the Godhead fully.

Jesus was fully God incarnate in flesh. One with the Father and the Holy Spirit even when he was on the earth.

God himself took on flesh and gave his body and blood as a sacrifice for sin.

God was able by his sacrifice to reconcile humanity which had been lost back to himself. 2 Corinthians 5:19

Those who are born of God are now in him and he is in them. John 3:3, Acts 2:38

Only God himself can save you from sin. If you believe and turn to him with all your heart God will save you and reconcile you to himself through the body and blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Mark 1:15
“And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

Jesus is God incarnate in the flesh.

1 Timothy 3:15

“And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”

He Comes Like a Thief !

~ Kim Balogh ~ 2 Comments

Why does Jesus say in scriptures that he comes like a thief in the night?

A thief sneaks in without anyone knowing to snatch something away. Jesus was referencing in this parable to his coming for his bride.

In Revelations 3:3 Jesus is reprimanding his church. In particular the church that was in Sardis. He tells them that if they don’t repent of dead works and strengthen their walk in the Lord by returning to him zealously and being watchful (watching in prayer) then as punishment for disobedience they would find Jesus coming to them as a thief in the night.

In other words, like a thief who comes unaware to the owner of the house, ,Jesus will come to snatch away his prepared bride but those luke-warm and not watching will be left behind.

This scripture reveals that there will be unrepentant believers left behind in the snatching away of his bride. Referred to by some as the rapture or translation of the Spirit.

In Matthew 25
Jesus talks about coming for his bride.
There are 5 virgins with oil in their lamps and 5 virgins without oil. The 5 with oil were watching and waiting having their lamps filled with oil.

What is this oil? A Holy Spirit filled life. The other 5 virgins had the word. They knew what the Lord’s will was. They knew he said he would come to get them someday but these 5 did not take his word seriously. They were fooling around in the world. They thought they had lots of time but suddenly like a thief in the night the bridegroom came and they were left behind.

In 1 Peter 3:10- 11 it also says that the day of the Lord’s return is going to come like a thief in the night.

Peter goes on to exhort Christians to keep the Lord’s exhortation in mind. To walk worthy of our calling while we are here. Not walking in riotous living but in holiness and the fear of the Lord.

That is what Jesus was talking about. Having our oil burning. Having zeal in our walk with the Lord. Going about our Father’s buisness but at the same time having our eyes fixed on his return. Living in the world but not of this world.

Jesus told his people to be zealous and repent for not watching and living a Spirit filled life. He warned that if the owner of the house had been watching he would have known in what hour the thief would come.

Are you watching for the Lord’s return? Are you ready for his appearing? Is the oil in your lamp burning with zeal? If not return to the lover of your soul today! You do not know in what hour your Lord will appear!

He comes like a thief in the night!

Remember Lot’s Wife?