Marbaniang, Domenic

Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, And princes will rule with justice. (Isaiah 32:1) Psalm 96:10; 103:17; 2Pet 3:13 A. He is Righteous and True and Just in His Character (Mal.4:2; Jer.23:5) B. He is All-knowing and Nothing is Hid from His Blazing Eyes (Heb.4: 13; Jer.23:24) C. He is All-powerful and No Wicked Can Stand Before His Power (2Thess.1:6-9; Jude 1:14-15) He is Coming Soon. Blessed is the man who trusts in Him.

It was not just because He was sinless; for, even the Father and the Holy Spirit are sinless. 1. It was because all things were created through Him (Jn.1:3); therefore, only through Him could all things also be redeemed (Eph.3:9; Col.1:16; Heb.1:2). 2. It was because He is the heir of all things (created for Him); therefore, He alone had the right to redeem all things (Heb.1:2,3). 3. It was because the old creation was through Him; therefore, it's end could also be through Him (1Cor.15:45; Jn.5:22) 4. It was because the old creation was through Him; therefore, the new creation could also be through Him. (Rev.21:5) 5. It is in Him that all things consist (Col.1:17); therefore, it is in Him that all things (in heaven and on earth, not below earth) can be reconciled and gathered together (Eph.1:10). 6. It is by the word of His power that all things are upheld (Heb.1:3; 2Pet.3:7); therefore, it is by the word of His power alone that all things can be preserved for immortality (Jude 1:1...

It is the blood of the new covenant (Heb.10:29) It is the blood that raised Jesus from the dead, because His life cannot end (Heb.13:20; 7:16) It is the blood that is all-sufficient forever (Heb.9:25-28) The Power of the Blood of Jesus 1. To cleanse us of all sin (1Jn.1:7; Rev.1:5) 2. To cleanse our conscience of dead works (Heb.9:14; 1Jn.3:19) 3. To justify (Rom.5:9; 8:1) 4. To redeem (Eph.1:7; Heb.9:12; Rev.5:9; 1Pet.1:18,19; 1Cor.1:20) 5. To sanctify, set apart, as holy for the Master's use (Heb.13:12; 10:29) 6. To make peace (Col.1:20; Eph.2:13) 7. To give eternal life (Jn.6:53,54,63) 8. Boldness to enter the Holiest (Heb.10:19) 9. To protect (Exo.12:13) 10. To overcome the devil (Rev.12:11)

I wonder what made humans hate the Son of God so much that they wanted Him to die the most agonizing and excruciating death of all--the death of the cross. In fact, the word "excruciating" itself comes from the word "crux" (cross) depicting the intensity and indescribability of the agony. But, the essence of atonement doesn't lie in humans crucifying the Son of God; it lies in the Son of God allowing humans to crucify Him. He allowed humans to do it to Him and in that moment of self-giving, He became our Sacrifice, our Peace. They killed Him not; but, He gave Himself for us. Therefore, He could pray "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." By crucifying the Son of God, mankind had committed the greatest of all crimes; by allowing them to crucify Him despite having all power to crush them forever, Christ demonstrated the greatest of love: the love that embraces hatred, and by embracing it nullifies and vanquishes it forever. Therefore, His...

It is "triumphant" because the King has entered in. 3 Distinctives of Christ's Triumphant Entry His entry shows His -Conviction of Mission -Control over Self -Commitment to Righteousness 1. He moved towards the Cross, not away from the Cross. The Cross defined His mission on earth. He knew where He was going. 2. He was indifferent to both Criticism and Praise. Some praised and some criticized but He committed Himself to no man. It didn't matter what humans thought or said about Him; He knew who He was and what He was supposed to do. 3. He did not Compromise with Truth, with Meaning--He Cleansed the Temple The Temple could not be confused with the Market. Jesus established that. There was no overlooking the truth. The definitions could not be compromised. The Priest made distinction between the clean and the unclean, between the right and the wrong, between the holy and the unholy.

Jesus didn’t just make claims like “I am the Bread of Life” (Jn.6:48), “I am the Light of the world”(Jn.8:12), “I am the Gate” (Jn.10:9), “I am the Good Shepherd” (Jn.10:11), “I am the Resurrection and the Life” (Jn.11:25), and “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (Jn.14:6); Jesus also invited examination of His claims. He called upon men to examine the logic of His teaching and to evaluate what He said by what He did (Jn.10:38). There are a few characteristics of the testimony of Christ that we need to note: 1. The Testimony of Christ is Not Dependent upon the Testimony of Man. When Jesus was at Jerusalem and many people believed in Him because of the miraculous signs that He did, we are told that He would not entrust Himself to them for He knew all men and He did not need the testimony of man about man as well, for He knew what was in a man (Jn.2:25). Regarding the testimony of John the Baptist, Jesus said, “I do not receive testimony from man” (Jn.5:34). The reason, of course, wa...

LIGHT in Darkness 1. Darkness of Sin (Ep.5:11,12) Condition of the unbelievers (Eph.4:18,19) Jesus. Zech 4:2: SUN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS Eph.5:8 - You are Light 2. Darkness of the World Controlled by Devil (Eph.6:12; 1Jn.5:9) -Devil blinds minds (2Cor.4:4) -Devil oppresses people (Acts 10:38) Jesus: Prince of the kingdom of Light (Col.1:12-13) 3. Darkness of Foolish Imagination Rom.1:21-23 Rev.3:17 Jesus: Amen the Faithful and True Witness (Rev.3:14) 4. Darkness of Death Job 10:21,22; Ps.23:4; Jn.8:12; Hb.2:14,15; Ps.18:28; 112:4 CHRIST Light of Life Light of Understanding Light of Good Light of Fearlessness

Did Jesus ever claim to be God? Did He ever use the words "I am God"? Though Jesus didn't use the exact words "I am God", that doesn't mean that He never said that He is God. One doesn't need to use the same framing of words to convey a message; the same message can be communicated in different compositions of sentences. For instance, note the following sentences which all convey the message, "I am employed." 1. I work for a Company. 2. My boss pays me well for my work. 3. I am very busy at office during the day. 4. The staff had a picnic last Saturday. 5. I would like to change my job. So, the right kind of question to ask with reference to the doctrine of Christ's divinity would not be "Did Jesus ever use the words "I am God"?" Instead, one should ask something like, "Did Jesus ever convey the message that He was divine?" To that question, the answer is a definite "Yes." In fact, the "Yes"...

NOTES : And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance (Rev 4:3 NKJ) Precious stones are mentioned many times in the Bible. But, with respect to the presence of God, an exclusive instance are the instructions to embed precious stones in the breastplate of the High Priest (Ex. 28:17-20). In the instruction in Exodus, there were to be four lines of embedded gems, each line having three gems; thus, the total twelve gems would each represent a tribe of Israel. Comparing the appearance of God, who is a Spirit, with these stones does certainly convey some message. William Barclay noted: The jasper is nowadays a dull opaque stone, but in the ancient world it seems to have been a translucent rock crystal, through which the light would come with an almost unbearable scintillation. Some think that here it means a diamond, and this is not impossible. The sardian, so called because it was said to be found mainly near Sardis, was blood-red; it was a gem which was frequent...

The mediatorship of Christ, as we saw earlier, is not only between man and God but also between man and man. He comes in between every relationship. He is the Lord of all. In Him, relationships find true meaning and purpose. He comes between parent and child, sibling and sibling, friend and friend, wife and husband and we only relate to each other through Him. The same applies to our relationship with things, treasures, situations in life, and time. He comes between as Lord and mediator in all things. He stands between the storm and the believer, between an event and the disciple. Nothing happens by accident when Christ rules over a situation. He comes between me and the trains or buses I need to board or have boarded. He comes between me and diseases. Therefore, I cannot just do what I like and go where I want but must do all things in Him and through Him. When He is Lord, He controls all things, supervises all that things - even our connections and people we meet. And when we ask any...

IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, God was known as the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob. He was the God of the Fathers. The possessive phrase "of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob" reminded of at least three aspects of the YHWH-Israel relationship: 1. The Covenant-Basis of the Relationship. God made a covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and with their descendants; so, Israel stood in a covenant relationship with God. (2Kgs.13:23) 2. The Continuity of the Relationship. Jesus declared that the phrase "of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob" implied that God was the God of the living and not of the dead. The phrase didn't become obsolete when the three patriarchs physically died. The phrase was valid because they were alive in the spirit, and God was the God of living; which also meant that the relationship was a living and continuing one (Matt.22:32; Mark 12:25,26; Matt.8:11). God's relationship with Israel as a nation didn't die when the patriarchs died physical...

Two of the biggest offenses that Christianity poses to the world are: The Claim to Uniqueness of Christ as the Son of God The Claim to Uniqueness of Christ as the Only Savior The chief problem is not the moral teaching of Christ. Jesus is regarded by the majority as one of the greatest moral teachers that the world has ever had. In fact, His teachings have made a greater impact on civilization than the ideas of any other man. In his autobiography, Gandhi confesssed Christ's teachings to have had very strong impact on his life. "But the New Testament produced a different impression," he wrote, "especially the Sermon on the Mount which went straight to my heart." However, when it came to the doctrine of the uniqueness of Christ as the Son of God and the only Savior, he disagreed. He confessed: My difficulties lay deeper. It was more than I could believe that Jesus was the only incarnate son of God, and that only he who believed in Him, would have everlasting life....

Clarifications The Quran does oppose a number of heretical views about God and Jesus that were in circulation during the 6th century AD. Following are some clarifications of what the Bible doesn't say and does say about God and Jesus: The Bible doesn't teach Tri-theism or the doctrine of three gods. But, the Bible very clearly teaches about God as One in Three Persons: The Father, The Word, The Holy Spirit. The Three don't make up three different deities. There is only One God. The Bible doesn't teach that Jesus is the biological child ( walad ) of God; but, that He is the only eternally begotten Son ( ibn ) of God. He is ibn even before the world began because Jesus is the Brightness of God's Glory and the Express Image of His Person (Heb.1:3). Verses Quoted from Marmaduke Pickthall's Translation of the Quran. And verily We gave unto Moses the Scripture and We caused a train of messengers to follow after him, and We gave unto Jesus, son of Mary, clear proo...

There are at least two ways in which we can attempt to answer this question: 1. Historical Approach . Try to understand the wedding customs during Jesus' times and see if people in His times gave fermented wine at weddings. But, a general practice doesn't need to be a necessary practice in every instance. For instance, just because a few instances tell us that Christians play also secular music during weddings doesn't prove that they do so in every wedding. Also, every Christian wedding on the same day in the same town may not include non-vegetarian food in dinner. 2. Theological Approach . The logical method in theology would certainly conclude that Jesus could not have made fermented drink to help people get drunk in abundance. That would be a miracle that facilitated drunkenness. Certainly, He made pure unfermented grape juice. Grape juice continues to be served today in hotter regions.  Some Observations by Jim McGuiggan Source: Wine: Fermented and Unfermented (Access...

Sins remitted (Heb.9:22; 10:18) Writing of Law against us cancelled (Col.2:14) Old man crucified (Rom.6:6) Sin's power destroyed (Rom.6:14) Sting of death removed (1Cor.15:55) Principalities and powers disarmed (Col.2:15) Principalities and powers triumphed upon (Col.2:15) Principalities and powers made public spectacle of (Col.2:15) Devil's works destroyed (1Jn.3:8) Fear of death removed (Heb.2:14,15) World crucified to self and self to the world - separation (Gal.6:14) Way into the Holiest paved (Heb.10:20) - Access Flesh crucified with its lusts (Gal.5:24) Man in his sin embraced (justice and love kissed each other) (1Jn.4:10; Rev.1:5) Believer justified (Rom.5:9; 8:1) Believer sanctified (Heb.13:12) Christian given victory power over devil (Rev.12:11) Christ lifted up as a sign (Jn.3:14) Christ becomes the vision of Christian race (Heb.12:2) Christian made possession of heaven (1Cor.6:19,20; 1Pt.1:19) Peace with God (Eph.2:16; Ro.5:1; Col.1:20) Peace with each other (Eph.2:...

In His 7 Sayings on the Cross, the Lord also established the New Testament ethics or Law of Love for Christian life. We understand that the Ten Commandments of the Old Testament had the following structure: 1. Love the Lord your God with all your strength... (The first 4 commands) 2. Honor your parents (5th Command) 3. Love your neighbor as yourself (Last 5 commands) Jesus went a step further when He taught: "You have heard that it was said,`You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. (Mat 5:43-45 NKJ) Now, in His Sayings from the Cross, Jesus establishes the 3 commands of the Old Testament (whose real intent He had earlier uncovered in His Sermon on the Mount), and establi...

This is the title used for Jesus in 1Cor.15:45-47. As the Last Adam, Jesus is contrasted with the First Adam. A few contrasts are as follows: 1. The First Adam was not born of any sexual union; the Last Adam was not born of any sexual union. 2. The First Adam is called son of God (Luke 3:38); the Last Adam is the Son of God. 3. The First Adam brought sin into the world; the Last Adam put an end to sin. 4. The First Adam was made a living soul; the Last Adam was a life-giving Spirit. 5. The First Adam was the head of the sinful race; the Last Adam was the one in whom sin came to an end. The related title of Jesus is Second Man. As the Last Adam, He is the end of the old sinful race; as the Second Man, He is the head of the new holy race, the Church of the Firstborn.

Jesus Christ is the Son of God (Jn.3:16) in whom and through whom God is revealed to us (Heb.1:1,2). He is the Word of God (Jn.1:1), the image of the invisible God (Col.1:15). He was not created or given birth to; He is not a “son” in that sense; He is eternal. He is God (Jn.1:1). He is the only Mediator between God and man (1 Tim.2:5) and between man and man (Eph.2:14). Whatever is finally known to us about God is known through and in Jesus Christ, because the fullness of Godhead dwells in Him bodily (Col.2:9). He is the express image of God’s person, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe (Col.1:16; Heb.1:3). He is not an other God but is God and one with God (Jn.17:22) who is a Trinity. God is Father, God is Son, God is Holy Spirit. But God is not three. He is one. The three are one. How can that be? It is so because God is Truth, God is Joy, and God is Love. As Truth, God is a unity of the Knower, the Known, and the Omniscient Spirit. As Love, He is the Lover, the Beloved, and t...

Some Principles of Judgment in Relationships 1. Not to make a personal judgment about any person without knowing the person personally. “Do not judge!” (Matt 7:1) We have no reasons to subscribe to any other person’s judgment about any other person. 2. A person is not what he/she was in the past, but what he/she is in the present – we must be reminded of the power of God that can transform a person in the split of a moment; so, the situation of even an hour ago is not proof enough to make a judgment about the present situation. To condemn anyone as a hopeless situation is to deny the love and the power of God. 3. Christ is the Mediator in all relationships for a Christian. The third principle is central to both 1 and 2 as well. I wish to elaborate my thoughts on 3. The Vertical-Horizontal Mediatorship of Christ Christ not only destroyed the wall of separation between God and man, but also brought down the wall of separation between man and man (Eph.2:11-16). Thus, we not only have peac...

Answer 1: A contradiction can be defined in the terms "A=not-A"; a non-contradiction, in the terms "A≠not-A". The statements "Jesus is fully God" and "Jesus is fully man" don't involve such a contradiction, i.e, they don't say "Jesus is fully God," and "Jesus is not fully God" at the same time. Christian theology doesn't claim to say that Jesus is not God when it says Jesus is Man; likewise, it doesn't clam to say that Jesus is not man when it says that Jesus is God. Answer 2: The divinity of Christ is eternal and immutable; therefore, in the Incarnation He was fully God. He was not created; He pre-existed. He was not born out of a man-woman relationship; but, was born of a Virgin; because He incarnated, He didn't come into being - there was not when He didn't exist. In the Incarnation, God partook of human nature; He could do that because He created the world and so the world belonged to Him and He ...