From The Pastor's Pen... 12/19//11 - Jesus' First And Second Advent

“But thou Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from old, from everlasting” (Micah 5:2 AKJ).

In this, the final week of the Advent season, we of the church need to proclaim, as did the prophets of old, the soon coming appearance of the King of Kings. Throughout the Old Covenant writings, as exemplified in the above verse from Micah the 5^th Chapter, God the Father chose to periodically reveal to national Israel the promise of a Messiah Redeemer, who would bring light, hope and ultimate victory to the dark struggles they faced in the world around them. And that promise was fulfilled, in part, in the birth and earthly ministry of Jesus, the Anointed Son of God.

Likewise, in our day and time, as our world seemingly degenerates into chaos and pervading gloom, we can take heart in the prophesied future advent, and return of Messiah Jesus, and the magnificent light, which He will bring with Him. For His second coming is equally as sure a truth, amidst the prophetic promises of both the Old and New Covenants, as was His first. Yet, for the true Church, there is an added dimension to that greatly anticipated event. The scripturally promised, victorious deliverance of His Bride, the believing remnant, from the judgment to be visited upon the nations of the earth, who oppose His divinity and crown rights to rule over all His creation in heaven and earth

So, as we of the Church joyfully celebrate the message of His birth and life, let’s not forget the ultimate purpose of that divine Light which He brought into the earth, as well as its future significance to all who believe on His name. He is coming soon to seize all that is rightfully His, which includes all the Kingdoms and peoples of the earth! Are you ready?

 In the 7^th verse of the 9^th chapter of his book, the Old Testament prophet Isaiah, in a rhema word from God, proclaimed the future scope of Messiahs inheritance, as follows;

“Of the increase of His government there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His Kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth for ever…”

From The Pastor's Pen... 12/12//11 - For Unto Us A Child Is Born

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government, there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His Kingdom to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice, from hence forth even forever. The zeal of the Lord of Hosts shall perform it” (Isaiah 9:6-7 AKJ).

At the very moment of the birth of the prophesied Son, the Child whom Isaiah alluded to in the above discourse from the 9^th Chapter; the dark powers of heaven and earth were both shaken, and revealed, in the blinding light of His divine presence. God Himself, incarnate in the person of the Son, had entered the arena of the age-old spiritual battlefield, and the worlds of the natural, and supernatural, would never again be the same. 

The Apostle John tells us in the 1^st Chapter of his gospel that the life embodied in the person of Jesus the Living Word, was indeed the Light of the souls of all mankind (vs. 4). He, John, then testified further of the Light, and His ability to pierce the prevailing darkness in the world, at large. For John was sent to bear witness to the Light.

The birth, and subsequent ministry of Christ Jesus, the Anointed Son, was an event of cataclysmic significance. In this Christmas season, the body of Christ must declare, and magnify this Good News to the world, amidst the hustle, bustle and glitter of commercialism, which seeks to overshadow the powerful truths of the scriptures.

We at Old Paths wish all a safe and happy holiday season!

From The Pastor's Pen... 12/05/11 - Jesus! The Light Of The World!

“ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:1-4 AKJ).

The first four verses of John’s gospel account perfectly illustrate the foundation truth of the light of God’s glorious earthly incarnation in the person of the Son, Christ Jesus, the Living Word. In fact, that creative light, or shekinah glory, was manifested by His person among men upon the earth at the very instant of His birth at Bethlehem. It was, in effect, a divine light both equal to, and an extension of, the light, which His Father spoke into being at the dawn of creation. The Hebrew word for light, “or”, found in Genesis 1:3, appears approximately 120 times in the Old Testament and primarily denotes a diametric opposition to darkness. As such, it carries with it a corresponding significance to the Greek “phos” found in John 1: 7-9.  While the understanding of that concept is vital to the eternal future of all mankind; the scriptures, in their entirety contribute an even more complete picture of His identity when taken as a whole.

You see, the manifestation of that light in Jesus’ earthly life and ministry brought a new dimension of clarity onto the world stage, which pierced the prevailing darkness of both the natural and spiritual realms. Its availability to all during the New Testament Church Age serves to remove any excuses which mankind may devise to justify personal sin and evil.  In the first chapter of his gospel, John clearly connects the illuminating power of that light which Jesus possesses to the ability of man to believe by faith (John 1:7). 

Further, John writes in verse 4 that, the divine life that resides in Messiah Jesus, is the Light of men. Truly, all grace and truth is found in Him, whom the Father gave as a free gift to all, who would, by the drawing power of the Holy Ghost, receive Him, and believe on His name (John 1:12). That is the message of the season…the most valuable gift that anyone could give, has already been given by God the Father to mankind in the person of Jesus Christ the Anointed. Yet, in the hustle and bustle of the modern, commercialized shopping season, even the most committed believers are often in danger of losing sight of its true meaning. May each of us who are called by His name strive to reverse that earthly trend and influence this holiday season and pass the Light along to all!