THE STANDARD AND THE STAND

Part One

So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west,

And His glory from the rising of the sun;

When the enemy comes in like a flood,

the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.

The Redeemer will come to Zion,

And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob. 

Isaiah 59:19,20 NKJV

Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.

Let all you do be done with love. 1 Corinthians 16:13,14 NKJV

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you

may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having 

done all, to stand. Ephesians 6:10,13 NKJV.

The book of the prophet Isaiah, in the Old Testament was written at about 700 BC. It is a book declaring God's displeasure with and judgment upon sin in Judah, Israel and the surrounding nations. Almost all the 

Hebrew words for sin are employed by the prophet. It is also a book that seeks to lay a foundation of hope and promise to the faithful remnant of God's people.It is a book full of God's promises of restoration and redemption, of the certain coming of the Messiah, of salvation for all the nations, and of the triumph of God's purposes in spite of intervals of suffering. (Adapted from the introduction to the book of Isaiah in the New Spirit Filled Life Bible).

The Book Of Isaiah is probably my favourite of the Old Testament prophets, as it is so full of Messianic prophecies - those that speak of the coming Messiah, whom we know as the Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world, the eternal Son of God, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit, make up the Trinity, the eternal Godhead. How exciting for the follower of Jesus Christ to be able to read "tomorrow's news", as it were, in the Old Testament prophets and to be living today in a personal relationship with the Messiah, the Hope of the Ages, the eternal Son of the Living God, the Lord Jesus Christ.

In Isaiah 7:14, the prophet says: "Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel (meaning God with us....") clearly foretelling the birth of Jesus to the virgin Mary, as well as God's participation in the more immediate deliverance from the Syrian and Israelite coalition.
In Isaiah 9:6,7 it says: 
For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His Shoulder.
And His name will be called 
Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government
and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over
His kingdom, 
To order it and establish it with
judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will
perform this.

Another year has almost gone, and Christmas (at the time of writing this), is just ten days away. As we plan to celebrate Christmas with family and friends, let us not forget the true meaning of Christmas. To quote from the song by Randy Stonehill, "Christmas Song for All Year Round":
"I wonder if this Christmas they'll begin to understand
The Jesus that they celebrate was much more than a man
'Cause the way the world is I don't see how people can deny
The only way to save us was for Jesus Christ to die
And I know that if St. Nicholas was here he would agree
That Jesus gave the greatest gift of all to you and me
They led him to the slaughter on a hill called Calvary
And mankind was forgiven when they nailed Him to the tree
But most of all the children they''re the ones I hope will learn
That Jesus is our savior and He's going to return
And Christmas isn't just a day and all days aren't the same
Perhaps they'll think about the word and see it spells His name
And I know that if St. Nicholas was here he would agree
That Jesus gave the greatest of all to you and me
They led Him to the slaughter on a hill called Calvary
And mankind was forgiven, mankind was forgiven
We were all forgiven when they nailed Him to the tree
So Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas
Hoo-hoo. Oooh-ooh
I wonder if this Christmas they'll begin to understand?
(Song featured on Randy Stonehill's album "Welcome To Paradise.")

If you would like to know more about how to become a Christian, go to www.vision.org.au - the home of Vision Christian Media in Australia. Click on the "Grow your faith" tab then "Looking for God."
End of Part 1

IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME

In Philippians 2:5-8, the Apostle Paul speaking to all who identify as Christians, true followers of Christ: Let this mind be in you all, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
But He emptied Himself,
taking upon Himself the form of a servant,
and was made in the likeness of men.
And being found in the form of a man,
He humbled Himself
and became obedient to death,
even death on a cross.

The Christmas season is here once again, where we remember with great joy the birth of the baby Jesus in a dirty stable in the little town of Bethlehem, not far from Jerusalem - where He was laid in a manger, an animal feeding trough filled with hay.

Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son of God, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit together make up the Trinity, the one true God, who has always existed- this same Jesus willingly became one of us, born into this world, taking on a human body, and in so doing, emptied Himself of some of His divine attributes and privileges while confined in time and space during His thirty three years living amongst us in bodily form.

The Greek word kenosis describing the self-emptying
in the above passage in Philippians 2 makes it clear that Jesus as the God-man could not be omnipresent, omniscient or omnipotent in Himself. The Bible says that He fully relied on the power of the Holy Spirit within Him, and only did those things told to Him by the Father.

Of Jesus, the apostle Paul says in Colossians 1:
By Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they are thrones or dominions, or principalities, or powers. All things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things and by Him, all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the Church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that in all things He may have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him all fullness should dwell, and to reconcile all things to Himself by Him, having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him, I say - whether they are things on earth or things in heaven.
And you, who were formerly alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and blameless, and above reproach in His sight.

Isaiah says: All our righteousnesses before God are as filthy rags.
Romans 3:23 states: All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
The Greek word for sin means "to miss the mark." One way of picturing this is that of someone shooting arrows at a target. No matter how hard one tries to hit the target, the arrows all fall short. 

Once, the Bible says, we were without God, and without hope in the world.
Once we were not a people, but are now the people of God (speaking of those who have committed their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ).

Speaking of Jesus, the Word of God says that: He became sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21.
We, who were far away from the covenants and promises of God have been brought near by the blood of Jesus.

That's why Jesus instituted what what is known as the Lord's Supper or Communion the night He was betrayed - as recorded in the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke - and restated by Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
I have received of the Lord that which I delivered unto you: that the Lord Jesus, on the night that He was betrayed, took bread. When He had given thanks, He broke it and said: "Take and eat. This is My body which is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of Me." In the same manner, He took the cup after He had supper, saying: "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, Do this, as often as you drink it in remembrance of Me." As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.

THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT JESUS IS COMING BACK. LET US MAKE SURE WE ARE READY FOR HIS RETURN.

POSITION YOURSELF!

If you are a Christian reading this, let me encourage you today. You and I are not meant to live our lives without direction and without God-ordained purpose. Too many Christians, sadly, seemingly have no idea what their calling is meant to look like, and have little, if any, sense of their destiny in God. I remember the director of the Bible College I attended in New Zealand many years ago saying that it was probably true that the graveyards of the nation (s) are filled with the bodies of Christians who never reached their potential in God - for various reasons.

I remember reading of several high-profile Christian leaders, such as Rick Joyner from MorningStar Ministries in the USA saying that sometimes when preaching in different places, he has asked the audience how many know their calling or purpose in God. Only five to ten percent were able to respond positively to this question, and of those, only about half were actually fulfilling that God-ordained calling or ministry! For the Church of the Living God, this is tragic!

Over the years, my wife and I have received a number of personal prophetic words related to aspects of ministry the Lord has been preparing us for. We have been greatly encouraged by these words, many from people of known spiritual maturity and integrity in ministry. Although encouraging, the specifics of the outworking of some of these words has not been made clear, and as with much personal prophecy, we have realized that there is a time period and a process to get from the prophecy to the place of fulfillment. This, of course, requires faith, obedience and much patience on our part!

At least on two or three occasions when I have received a personal prophetic word, I have been told to "Position Yourself!" 
The Word of God provides plenty of examples of men and women whom God used mightily who positioned themselves to hear from God and then to see the outworking of His direction for their lives fulfilled in specific detail. 
As a people of God, in the book of Joshua, as they were about to cross the Jordan River, they were instructed: "When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God and the Levite priests carrying it, then you shall set out from where you are and go behind it. There must be a distance of two thousand cubits between you and it. Do not draw closer to it, in order that you may know the way you should go. For you have not passed this way before."
Joshua said to the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wondrous deeds among you." Joshua 3:3-5.
So the children of Israel as a whole were instructed that they needed to consecrate or sanctify themselves - to position themselves for breakthrough in being able to cross the river. 
We too, as Christians need to consecrate ourselves as a means of positioning for all the Lord would lead us into in His purposes for our lives. 
The apostle Paul in Romans 12:1,2 says I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service of worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. [Emphasis mine]
Following the great faith hall of fame chapter in Hebrews - chapter eleven, the writer encourages us in Hebrews 12:1,2 Therefore, since we are encompassed with such a great cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.
Again, we see this is all to do with how we position ourselves for blessing, guidance and ultimate breakthrough and fulfillment of the outworking of God's purposes in our lives.
Faith is a vital key in realizing our God-given destiny in practice. As the writer of Hebrews reminds us in chapter 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He exists and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Faith will require us to step out of the boat as it were into the unknown at times, to overcome fear of failure, that we might begin to walk in our callings in God. I have often heard it said, that if you want to get an idea of what God is calling you to do in your life, be committed to a local church and volunteer in areas of service in the church. You may then start to sense in God, and others may recognize also where you are gifted and the areas of strength in ministry. 
I remember hearing Joyce Meyer say how that, in her early Christian life when she was seeking the Lord about her particular ministry gifting, she volunteered for children's church, and it only took a couple of weeks to discover that was not where she was meant to be.
God will honour those who walk humbly before Him who really want to know His will for their lives. The verse in Zechariah 4:10 about not despising the day of small things or small beginnings comes to mind. God honours our faith and our faithfulness!
Patience is another vital key in seeing promises fulfilled, and destiny realized for the glory of God in our lives!
Again, the writer of Hebrews in chapter 6 says: God is not unjust so as to forget your work and labour of love that you have shown for His name, in that you minister to the saints and continue ministering. We desire that every one of you show the same diligence for the full assurance of hope to the end, so that you may not be lazy, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. (verses 10-12)
The church in this day is being called to "Arise and shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
For the darkness shall cover the earth
and deep darkness the peoples;
but the Lord shall rise upon you,
and His glory shall be seen upon you.
The nations shall come to your light
and kings to the brightness of your rising. Isaiah 60:1-2.
Melbourne, Australia, the nations second largest city, has just hosted a strategic gathering of Christians from across the nation and from other parts of the world in a powerful witness to the Lordship of Jesus Christ - in Awakening Australia. Tens of thousands attended the meetings and hundreds, maybe thousands of people committed their lives to Jesus for the first time. God is on the move in Australia. Revival is coming! It is pivotal that every believer in Christ is on fire for God, and fully functioning in his or her God-ordained cailing and purpose. JESUS IS LORD!

If you have read this blog, and would like to know how to become a Christian, please go online to www.vision.org. Click on the Grow your faith tab then Looking for God! god Bless.

TWO WORDS TO DETERMINE DESTINY

Recently we were blessed to sit under the ministry of a young prophetic married couple, Nate and Christy Johnson from Brisbane (everydayrevivalists.com), at a couple of meetings while they were ministering in southern Tasmania where we live.

Christy shared in one of the meetings, how, at the beginning of this year, she kept seeing the same two words over a period of a couple of weeks. One day she was driving, and stopping at an intersection, a truck went past with the words on the side. Obviously, the Lord was bringing these two words before her because, for the Christian, these two words are very significant. In fact, as she stated, what we attach to these two words can determine our destiny.

In our nation, there are so many people who are going through an identity crisis. 

 She shared that she believe we have crossed over to a time of HARVEST! Far from being disinterested and closed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the world is hungry. We, as children of God really do need to know who we are - we need to clearly know our God-ordained identity.

What are those two words this anointed servant of the Lord kept seeing before her? The two words are: I AM.

She challenged us with the question: What are we declaring with our mouths?

Hebrews 11:3 states By faith we understand that the universe was framed by the word of God, so that things that are seen were not made out of things which are visible.

Genesis 1:27 says So God created man in His own image;

                                   in the image of God He created him;

                            male and female He created them.

The image of the Father God in us was marred through sin, but as we commit our lives to Him through the redemptive power of the blood of Jesus shed for us on the Cross at Calvary, we are reconciled to the Father God, and are being changed from glory to glory into His image through the power of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God renewing our minds.
We need to be speaking words of LIFE! Our identity, as Christians is in the Father.
Jesus in John 10:10 says: "The thief does not come, except to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." The thief, Satan, is on a mission to steal your identity, and he really doesn't care how he does it. If he can stop you from knowing your true identity in Christ, and discovering what the Word of God says about you and me, as blood-bought heirs to the Kingdom of God, then he has succeeded in keeping you from your destiny, from Kingdom fruitfulness and from fulfillment in God's purposes for you. 

It is imperative that we know, as the title of the Hillsong worship song says: "WHO YOU SAY I AM."
This is a powerful song of declaration affirming God's provision for His children. To see the full lyrics of this song, simply Google "Who You Say I Am."
As a child of God who has been reconciled to the Father, through faith in Jesus Christ, I Am:
 - Bought at a price (the shed blood of Jesus) 1 Corinthians 6:20
- Set free from the power of sin John 8:32
- Chosen, not forsaken. 1 Peter 2:9; Ephesians 1:4
- Redeemed from the curse of the law Galatians 3:13
- Accepted in the Beloved Ephesians 1:5-7
- Delivered from the dominion of darkness to light Colossians 1:13
- Called of God 2 Timothy 1:9
- Reconciled to God 2 Corinthians 5:18
- Free from condemnation Romans 8:1
- More than a conqueror Romans 8:37
- Complete in Him.
If you are a Christian - that is, you have acknowledged your sin before a Holy God, and by faith, have confessed Jesus Christ as your Saviour, you and I have no grounds Biblically to confess  and profess with our mouths negative soul-destroying statements such as: I AM a mistake, a failure, hopeless, forgotten or unforgivable. We need to replace these lies from the enemy of our souls with the Truth of God's Word.
God is calling forth an army of worshipping warriors, who know their God, and who know Who They Are In Him, to go forth into this world with bold faith proclaiming the liberating message of the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost and ever increasingly confused and hope-less generation. More than ever, those who name the name of Christ as Savior and Lord, who are in close communion with Father God, and being led daily by the Holy Spirit - will be those who have the unspeakable joy of imparting life and truth to those who desperately are seeking their true identity. How wonderful and amazing to read in the Bible that God knew all about each one of us even before we were born. See Jeremiah 1:5; Psalm 139; Galatians 1:15; Ephesians 1:1-23 Revelation 13:8.
In this army of worshipping warriors that God is calling forth, young and old will play a vital part. Even now, the Lord is raising up children to know their calling and purpose in God, and as children, will bear good fruit for the Kingdom of God. The supernatural equipping through the power of the Holy Spirit is being poured on those who are hungry and thirsty for all that the Lord has in store for them. 
God is looking for those who will say YES to Him, no matter the cost, and who will follow Him in full surrender to His will. The I AM God is the All-Sufficient One!

If you have read this and would like to know how to become a Christian, one online resource I would recommend is: vision.org.au This is the website for Australia's Vision Christian Media. Click on the Grow your faith tab then Looking for God. God Bless!

THE FEAR OF THE LORD

Proverbs 1:7 says: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,

                              But fools despise wisdom and instruction."

Proverbs 9:10 says: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,

                                And the knowledge of the Holy One is 
                                understanding."

The Bible uses the word fear at least 300 times in reference to God, so it must be vitally important for us to, not only have a Biblical understanding about what the fear of the Lord is, but in experience, if we are to fully walk in the ways of the Lord, we must personally be walking in the fear of the Lord.
Jesus, in the New Testament, speaking to His disciples, states: "Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." Matthew 10:27,28.
The fear of the Lord is demonstrated by personal holiness, as seen in the following passage from 2 Corinthians 6:14 - 7:1.
Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness. What communion has light with darkness. What agreement has Christ with Belial? Or what part has he who believes with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
                          "I will live in them
                           And walk in them.
                           I will be their God,
                           and they shall be My people."

Therefore,
                          "Come out from among them
                           and be separate,
                           says the Lord.
                           Do not touch what is unclean,
                           and I will receive you."

                          "I will be a Father to you,
                           and you shall be My sons and
                                 daughters,
                           says the Lord Almighty."

Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
(The verses in quotes above are highlighted by the apostle Paul, originally being stated in the Old Testament - Isaiah 52:11; Isaiah 43:6; Jeremiah 31:9).

Christian author and speaker, John Bevere, who is known for his uncompromising approach to God's Word, says concerning the Fear of The Lord: WHEN WE FEAR GOD
WE CHOOSE TO LOVE
WHAT HE LOVES 
AND HATE WHAT HE HATES.
john Bevere says that to fear God is to love Him so much that we are afraid to be away from Him. We love and value His presence above all. Out of reverence for Him, we choose to love what He loves and hate what He hates.
He goes on to say:
The fear of the Lord can be identified by one simple thing: OBEDIENCE. People who fear God....

             - Obey Him instantly
             - Obey Him even if it doesn't make sense
             - Obey Him even if it hurts
             - Obey Him even if they don't see the benefit
             - Obey Him to completion.

A prime example of this is seen in the life of Abraham in Genesis 22, the first book of the Bible.
Chapter 11 of Hebrews in the New Testament is called the Faith chapter, the "Hall Of Fame" citing many of the giants of the faith in the Old Testament,who, in spite of personal weaknesses and failings, shone through to accomplish great exploits for God.
Of the patriarch Abraham, it says: By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out into a place which he would later receive as an inheritance. He went out not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the promised land, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs of the same promise, for he was looking for a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. By faith Sarah [Abraham's wife] also received the ability to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man, who was as good as dead, sprang so many, a multitude as the stars of the sky and innumerable as the sand by the seashore.

Back to Genesis 22, where the Lord asks something of Abraham, which, in light of the above would have seemed to be bizarre. As a test of Abraham's obedience, God calls to him: "Abraham!"
And he said, "Here I am."
Then He said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you."
You can read the rest of the story in Genesis 22, and discover that Abraham passed the test as he obeyed instantly in every detail the instructions the Lord gave him.
When Abraham responded to God: "Here I am", the Hebrew word used by Abraham, Hineni, apparently means "Whatever you ask of me, I'll do it." It was much more than a mere acknowledgement of God calling him. It was an affirmation of Abraham's total obedience to the Lord. Although it did not make sense to Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, his son of promise, he obeyed the Lord's instructions explicitly. He was about to sacrifice his son on Mount Moriah, when the LORD called to him: "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, because now I know that you fear God, seeing that you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me."
Abraham then saw a ram caught in a thicket by his horns, and proceeded to sacrifice the ram. Verse 14 tells us: Abraham called the name of that place The LORD will provide [Jehovah Jireh], as it is said to this day, "In the mount of the Lord it will be provided."
Here are a few more of many wonderful verses about the fear of the LORD in the Bible:
 Proverbs 22:4 The reward of humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, honor and life.
Psalm 34:7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them.
Psalm 145:19 He will fulfill the desires of those who fear Him; He will also hear their cry and save them.
Luke 1:50 AND HIS MERCY IS UPON GENERATION AFTER GENERATION TOWARD THOSE WHO FEAR HIM
Psalm 103:11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindess toward those who fear Him.

If you would like to know about how to become a Christian, two of many websites I would recommend are: livingwaters.com and vision.org.au  The Vision website is that Vision Christian Media in Australia. Vision Christian Radio and Vision180, the youth Christian online station can be accessed here. God Bless

THE BIBLE

God's Indispensable Word To Man Part 3

Although the Bible is not set out as a scientific textbook, a large number of now accepted scientific facts, some only formulated in the last two hundred years, are clearly attested in the Bible. 
Some examples, cited by evangelist Ray Comfort of livingwaters.com and wayofthemaster.com in his excellent "The Evidence Bible" can be viewed online by googling Bible Facts The Evidence Bible. I will not reproduce them all here, but there is a fascinating list of clear evidences given for many now accepted scientific facts and principles in various scientific disciplines, including medicine and cosmology, provided by the all-knowing Creator God, and recorded by men of God, thousands of years ago for our understanding and benefit.
Such facts as: the Earth being round, and not flat
- the importance of washing hands and infected clothes after contact with sick or diseased persons,
- the importance of blood to our bodies - up to one hundred and twenty odd years ago, people were "bled" to seek to rid them of disease, resulting in many deaths,
- clear Scriptural support for a revolving earth etc.
Ray lists the Scriptural references for each of these facts and others.
Another classic book which makes for fascinating reading is a book called "None Of These Diseases" written by S.I. McMillen, a medical doctor, which has been recently been revised and has sold over one million copies worldwide. It is also a great source of discovery of how the Creator God recorded in the Bible many facts relating to our bodies and healthy living, which have only been confirmed in medicine and scientific endeavours in the last two hundred years.
There are are other websites listing many Biblically attested facts related to science and medicine, astronomy, chemistry, physics and biology.
In John 1:1. we read, concerning Jesus, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
Verse 14 reads: "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."
Jesus said of Himself, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through Me."
The Bible is not merely a history book, but a treasure chest of the revelation of God to man, and a storehouse of life-giving instruction from the heart of the Living God, that when received by the spiritually reborn child of God through inspiration of the Holy Spirit, has the power to transform the vilest of sinners from darkness to light. THERE IS NO OTHER BOOK THAT COMES ANYWHERE CLOSE TO ITS IMPACT ON MEN AND WOMEN AND CHILDREN WHO HAVE A CAPACITY TO UNDERSTAND, AND A DESIRE TO KNOW THE LIVING GOD.
If you have read this blog and would like to know more about how to become a Christian, two websites I can recommend are: livingwaters.com and vision.org.au
God Bless!

THE BIBLE

God's Indispensable Word To Man Part 2

In my previous blog post "THE BIBLE - God's Indispensable Word To Man", I quoted two verses in 2 Timothy 3:16,17 which bear repeating at the start of this blog, as a reminder of the vital importance the written Word of God is for the individual believer in Christ, as well as the wider Body of Christ.

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."

Concerning the inspiration by the Holy Spirit of all the writers of the books of the Bible, the writer to the Hebrews says in chapter 1: God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son,whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;

who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high; Hebrews 1:1-3.

As to the authorship of the thirty nine books of the Old Testament, the first five books, referred to as the Pentateuch, were written by Moses.

Some of the historical books from Joshua to Esther have question marks over them as to their human authors. King David penned nearly half of the Psalms; his son, Solomon, wrote all of the Proverbs save the last chapter, and most, if not all the major and minor prophets' books were written by the men whose book bears their name.

I find it interesting that there is real conjecture concerning the authorship of some of the Old Testament books, and also the Book of Hebrews in the New Testament. What it says to me, is that, in some ways, it does not really matter if we know for sure who physically wrote the books. The most important takeaway is that the Holy Spirit, the third member of the Godhead, provided the inspiration for whoever the human authors were, and it is to Him that all the glory goes for providing us with the outstanding revelation we have of our great God - our Saviour and Lord.

It is estimated that about forty writers were responsible for producing the sixty six books of the Bible, the apostle Paul in the New Testament, having written thirteen or fourteen (if he wrote the letter to the Hebrews) of the twenty seven books.

The people involved over a period of some 1500 years came from vastly differing backgrounds and occupations - such as traders, shepherds, fishermen, soldiers, preachers and kings. They served under different governments and lived within contrasting cultures and systems of philosophy - and yet, there is a common thread that binds all of the books of the Bible together as a unified whole, with the message of God's great love for humanity, His hatred of sin and rebellion, the remedy for sin and the unspeakable rewards, both in this life and in that which is to come, for those who repent of their sin.
Christ, God's provision for the redemption of fallen mankind, is pictured in every book of the Bible through prophecy and through character types in the Old Testament. Various websites can be readily accessed on the theme of Christ in Every Book of the Bible. Genesis 3:15 at the beginning of creation following the sin of Adam and Eve states:"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; it shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel." The Lord, speaking to the serpent in the garden of Eden, spoke of His remedy for sin, already in His mind before the world began - that His only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ would die on a Roman cross, the sinless Son of God dying in our place, that we might be restored to fellowship with Father God.
TO BE CONTINUED
In the meantime, if you would like to know more about becoming a Christian, or as a Christian you would like to access some encouraging Christian resources, a couple of suggested sites are: vision.org.au (the Vision Christian Media online portal) and livingwaters.com (the online site for access to evangelist Ray Comfort's excellent videos, audio messages and other evangelism tools).

THE BIBLE - God's Indispensable Word to Man

The Christian Bible is, without a doubt, the bestselling and most widely distributed book of all times. It is impossible to know how many copies of the Bible have been sold, but a survey by the Bible Society concluded that around 2.5 billion copies were printed between 1815 and 1975, but more recent estimates put the figure at more than 5 billion. Guiness Book of World Records concurs with a similar figure of around 5 billion.

In late April of 2015, Gideons distributed their historic two billionth Scripture. The distribution of the first of the first one billion Bibles and New Testaments spanned 93 years (1908-2001). The second billion was obtained in less than 14 years (2002-2015). Gideons International began distributing free Bibles in 1908. Members of Gideons International currently distribute over 800 million Scriptures annually, and the numbers are growing, especially in places such as Brazil, India and Asia.
The Bible consists of 66 books, divided into sections - the two most obvious being the Old Testament, containing thirty nine books, and the New Testament with twenty seven books.
The Old Testament is divided into further sections:
1.  The Pentateuch or the books of Moses, being the first five books,
2.  The Historical books being Joshua to Esther,
3.  The Poetical books being from Job to Song of Solomon,
4.  The Major Prophets, Isaiah to Daniel, and
5.  The Minor Prophets, being the twelve last books of the Old Testament, consisting of Hosea to Malachi.
The New Testament consists of twenty seven books:
1.  The Four Gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John,
2.  The Book of Acts,
3.  Paul's Epistles of Letters to the Churches - Romans, 1&2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 7 2 Thessalonians,
4.  Paul's Pastoral Epistles - 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus,
5.  The Letter of Paul to Philemon, 
6.  The Letter to the Hebrews ( believed by many to have been written by Paul),
7.  The Epistle of James,
8.  1 & 2 Peter,
9.  1,2 & 3 John,
10.  The Epistle of Jude, and finally,
11.  The Book of Revelation (written by the apostle John).
As with all books, by their very nature, the Bible is made up of thousands - hundreds of thousands of words.
A little Bible trivia is: that there are 8,674 different Hebrew words in the Bible. There are 5,624 different Greek words, and 12,143 different English words in the King James Bible.
Although there are many English versions and various paraphrases of the Bible, with new ones appearing all the time - one of the more recent, which is receiving much positive response is The Passion Translation - it could be said that none of the translations from the Hebrew and the Greek are wholly inspired by the Holy Spirit to the last word.
The original texts, however, were wholly inspired by God, word by word. The apostle Paul, in writing to his son in the faith, Timothy, with instructions for ministry, says: All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16,17
I remember having a book in my possession many years ago called "The Seal Of God" by Frederick C. Payne, which portrays God's incredible design in nature and in His Word. Much of the book was inspired by the study of a Russian mathematician, Ivan Panin, who is remembered for his work on collating clear evidence of Bible numerics, where in the original texts, there are very clear and irrefutable patterns in Scripture relating to numeric values.
The book "The Seal of God" is available online as a PDF download for those who are interested in further study. It is fascinating reading.
The Bible was penned by around 40 different authors over around a 1500 year period. The authorship of all of the books of the New Testament is clear, apart from the Book of Hebrews, which the King James Bible attributed to Paul. He is a strong contender for the author. However, there have been other suggestions, including Apollos, and even the suggestion that the author of Hebrews may have been in fact - wait for it - a woman, namely Priscilla, of Priscilla and Aquila fame mentioned in the Book of Acts in chapter 18, as a married couple, who travelled with the apostle Paul. He described them as his "fellow workers in Christ Jesus." Romans 16:3.
TO BE CONTINUED
In the meantime, if you would like to know more about becoming a Christian or, as a Christian you would like to access some encouraging resources: as a few suggestions, go to www.vision.org.au or livingwaters.com There are many trusted Christian websites I could recommend, but these are a few which may be helpful. God Bless!

WINTER

A short poem by Tessa

The rose survived

                    autumn's pruning

                                             of wind and rain and frost

                                  The child saw

                                        "the first rose"

                                              she said and

                                         hope tinged warmth

                                                             into 

                                                   our hearts.

                                     

HINENI

Every year in Hobart, the state capital city of Tasmania, here in Australia, churches across the city from virtually all denominations and theological persuasions come together for an annual celebration of the Church of Jesus Christ.They put aside the differences in liturgical and worship styles, to celebrate the fundamentals which unite the church - the common understanding that Jesus Christ is Lord of the Church, and that, as the second Person of the Trinity, He came to earth to live as one of us, yet being fully God in human form. He willinglylaid down His life to be crucified on a cruel Roman cross, shedding His life's blood, as the once for all sacrifice for the sins of all those who would acknowledge His substitutionary death for our sins. 

The event is called aptly "Church Together" and has been running now for something in the order of fourteen years. This year, twenty five churches across the spectrum of church expressions - Catholic, Protestant Evangelicals, and Pentecostal churches united under the canopy of the Princes Wharf 1 shed at Salamanca, on Hobart's iconic waterfront, to demonstrate to the city that the church, at its core is united in proclaiming the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and to pray for the blessing of God Almighty on Hobart, Tasmania and the nation as a whole. A number of other church congregations from outside the Hobart Metro area were also represented by those attending.

As well as a program of high quality contemporary, with a couple of older worship, songs lead by singers and musicians from nine different churches across the city, "Church Together" this year was greatly privileged to have as its guest speaker / preacher, world-acclaimed former Hillsong worship pastor, Darlene Zschech, who now, with her husband Mark pastor a church called Hope Unlimited Church north of Sydney, with several other church plant campuses, here in Australia and overseas. It must be said, also, that each year the Church Together rally has been blessed with excellent speakers with national and, in fact, international respect, including the likes of Karl Faase last year, and Will Graham - the son of Franklin Graham, and grandson of the late Billy Graham - several years ago.

My wife and I were blessed by Darlene Zschech's humility, as she told those gathered that she was honoured to be invited, and that she did not take for granted the opportunity to be asked to speak at this event. Having written over one hundred praise and worship songs, many of which have been recorded on Hillsong top selling albums, as well as her own recording projects, and having been in much demand, both in Australia, as well as overseas, as a worship leader, conference speaker, TV show guest, author of a number of books - she has also faced some major crises in recent years, particularly that of battling breast cancer, and emerging victorious after much prayer, surgery and medical treatment - cancer free, now going on for four years. Praise the Lord!

As an aside, it is interesting to reflect that, in 2013, Darlene released a wonderful album called "Revealing Jesus - A Live Worship Experience" recorded in Birmingham, Alabama. One of the most powerful songs on the album is one called "In Jesus Name."
To quote some of the lyrics: God is fighting for us
                                         God is on our side
                                         He has overcome
                                         Yes He has overcome
                                         We will not be shaken
                                         We will not be moved
                                         Jesus You are here

                                         I will live, I will not die
                                         The resurrection power of Christ
                                         Alive in me and I am free
                                         In Jesus' Name
                                         I will declare and lift You high
                                         Christ revealed and I am healed
                                         In Jesus' Name
In the recording, she stops singing and relates how in their time of rehearsal, she had a sense that she wanted to declare to the audience that if anyone was fighting cancer, they needed to declare the words of this song over them. She said a couple of times emphatically: "I hate cancer, I hate cancer!" 
I have wondered if the Lord gave her this song, as well as the boldness to stand against the curse of cancer during this live worship event, because nothing takes the Lord by surprise, and He knew Darlene would in the space of less than two years time, face her own cancer battle. The words of the song no doubt fortified her to stand strong on the Word of God for her healing through that time.

Darlene Zschech's message to the "Church Together" gathering in Hobart centred around a Hebrew word "HINENI" as spoken by Abraham in Genesis 22:1. The Lord had already told Abraham that he and his wife, Sarah would have a son in their old age - Sarah would be ninety and Abraham one hundred when the promised son, Isaac was born.  Some years before this, the Lord had told Abraham, as recorded in Genesis 15:5 "Look up toward heaven and count the stars, if you able to count them." And He said to him, "So will your descendants be." In Genesis 17:17 it says: Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said in his heart, "Shall a child be born to a child to a man that is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?".....................Then God said, "......Your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call his name Isaac. I will establish My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant and with his descendants after him."

As promised, Sarah in her old age, bore Abraham a son and they named him Isaac. Fast forward a number of years to the incident recorded in Genesis 22. We are not told how old Isaac is, but we must assume he was probably at least a healthy strong teenager, or older. 
In verse 1, it says After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, "Abraham!"
And he said, "Here I am!" The response of Abraham: "Here I am!" is a translation of the Hebrew word HINENI, which means more than just a passive response. It has the meaning of not only, Here I am, but, also holds the sense that whatever you ask of me, I will do it! It was a statement of total trust in God. As we read on in Genesis 22, we see God's directive to Abraham to take Isaac to Mount Moriah and to offer him up as a burnt sacrifice. Abraham responded in total trust and obedience to the Lord. He passed the test, and we are told that, just at the time he was going to kill his son, having placed him on the pile of wood, that the angel of the Lord called out to Abraham and told him not to lay his hands on the boy or do anything to him, because now I know that you fear God, seeing that you have not withheld your only son from Me."
The Lord continues to encourage Abraham that because of his obedience, his descendants, through Isaac, would be multiplied as the stars in the heavens and the sand on the seashore and that they would rule with great authority over their enemies.
We as Christians today, and as the Church of the Living God, need to have same Hineni attitude of response to the Lord. Whatever He asks of us, we need to respond with that same faith attitude of Abraham.
Darlene made an interesting statement, which was not original with her, but nevertheless worthy of reflection: When the church loses its voice, the world loses its conscience. 
Let us resolve to walk close to the Lord. To be worshipping warriors, lifting high the banner of God's love and truth, as His image bearers to carry His love, grace and truth.

A FOOLISH MESSAGE?

For to those who are perishing, the preaching of the cross is foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written:

                          "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,

                           and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent."

Where is the wise [man]? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made the wisdom of this world foolish? For since in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom. But we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks. But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, we preach Christ as the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
For observe your calling, brothers. Among you, not many wise men according to the flesh, not many mighty men, and not many noble men are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty. And God has chosen the base things of the world and things which are despised. Yes, and He chose things which did not exist to bring to nothing things that do, so that no flesh should boast in His presence. But because of Him you are in Christ Jesus, whom God made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord." 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 Modern English Version.

In the light of the above verses, it is interesting to note that Easter Sunday this year falls on April 1, traditionally April Fools' Day. Easter Sunday or Resurrection Sunday, as it is referred to by many Christians is the celebration of the triumphant resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, having been crucified on a Roman cross three days earlier. The Cross is central to the Christian message of salvation for repentant sinners from the penalty of sin and separation from the Eternal God. The Bible clearly states that :All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23. The Greek word for sin is hamartia which means "to miss the mark". It can be pictured by thinking of an archer aiming arrows at a target, and never ever being able to either reach the target with the arrows, or totally missing the bull's-eye. Because of our inherent sin nature from birth, we are all separated from relationship with the Living God. No matter how good we think we are, we can never by our own efforts attain to God's standard of righteousness. In fact, the prophet Isaiah in the Old Testament, said it this way: We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind.
The verses at the top of this blog equate the preaching of the cross of Christ as foolishness to those who are perishing (in their sins) - BUT, it is the power of God for all who are being saved.
Jim Elliott, one of five young American missionaries martyred by Auca indians in Ecuador in 1956, is remembered for one of his quotes: "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose."
His wife, Elisabeth Elliott later returned to the same place and was able to lead some of those same Indians to Christ, and wrote the book "Through Gates of Splendour."
The apostle Paul who wrote half of the New Testament books of the Bible under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, was once a prominent Jewish leader who hated Christians, and actively was involved in seeking their arrest and subsequent execution. On one such trip to the city of Damascus in order to arrest Christians, he had a supernatural encounter with Jesus. He fell to the ground, saw a dazzling light and heard Jesus say to him: "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" Saul, who became the apostle Paul, was blind for three days , until a man named Ananias was sent to him by God to pray that he might receive his sight back again. Later, when well established in his apostolic ministry, Paul wrote a letter to the church at Philippi, and in the third chapter of Philippians outlined his impeccable credentials as a Jewish leader before his life-changing encounter with the risen Christ. He went on to say, however:
But what things were gain to me, I have counted these things to be loss for the sake of Christ. Yes, certainly I count everything as loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord....Philippians 3:4-8
Countless millions of people from all walks of life, from nations around the world can testify to the power of the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to transform their lives from hopelessness and despair to ones with real hope and peace and a purpose for living. To many, the preaching of the cross of Christ, and the salvation message of the Gospel might indeed seem foolish, but to those who are being saved, it is indeed the power of God! No one can take that away from them! For further information on how you can come to know Christ as your Lord and Saviour, go to www.vision.org.au Click on the Grow your faith tab, then Looking for God? God Bless!

WHAT IS TRUTH?

(Continued)

As stated at the start of the first blog post on this topic, a simple dictionary definition of Truth could be said to be: That which conforms to reality, fact or actuality. Sounds simple, doesn't it. BUT, in actual fact, Truth has been made such a complicated concept by philosophically-inclined minds, drawing upon human wisdom and knowledge to expound, in some instances, very wordy theories pertaining to Truth, but which nevertheless conflict with a multitude of other Truth concepts and theories. 

In the previous blog, I mentioned in heading form, some of the various philosophical theories concerning Truth which have been postulated over the years by secular philosophers, the most popular of these theories being what is known as the Correspondence Theory. Ah, yes! The Correspondence Theory Of Truth! Sounds great.........but what does it mean? It turns out that there are several aspects to the Correspondence Theory, but basically the theory in general terms states that the truth or falsity of a statement is determined by only how it relates to the world and whether it accurately describes (i.e., corresponds with) the world. It is a traditional model which goes back at least to some of the classical Greek philosophers such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. As an example of the Correspondence Theory of Truth, British philosopher, Bertrand Russell theorized that a statement,to be true, must have a structural isomorphism with the state of affairs in the world that makes it true. For example, "A cat is on a mat", is true if, and only if, there is in the world a cat and the cat is related to the mat by virtue of being on it. Wow! To think, that these great minds with doctorate degrees from the elite halls of tertiary learning are able to come up with such profoundly obvious statements as evidence of truth is somewhat underwhelming! Last time I quoted 2 Timothy 3:7 in the New Testament of the Bible. where the apostle Paul, speaking of the times in which we live said there would be people who would be "ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." As I also previously stated, Truth is to be found in a Person, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, in the Gospel of John stated, concerning Himself: "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
If the God of the Bible is the one true God, and the Word of God can be fully relied upon to be the expression of God's truth, then we can have full confidence in the Absolute and irrefutable Truth in God's Word absolutely.
There has been much written about Truth being either Absolute truth or Relative truth, and the fact that, for an increasing number of people today, Truth is relative to the ever changing cultural norms brought about by societal attitudinal changes. The Ten Commandments of the Bible, which helped form a strong reference point for justice and a framework for morality in Western nations, and in fact, any nation with a Judaeo-Christian heritage, have seemed to become less and less relevant to a world hell-bent on destroying the fabric of society with liberal philosophy espousing the doctrine of relative truth. Relative truth is like a boat adrift in a raging sea, having been ripped from its moorings. It can be stated as: Truth that is only true at one time and at one place. It's true to some people and not to others. It's always subject to change. It is also subject to the perspective of people.
Because of the nature of relative truth, we have seen justification for Biblically abominable lifestyle choices, including the wholesale murder of unborn babies - abortion, in the name of women's rights. We have seen the definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others, for life or "until death us do part" vehemently attacked by the gay rights activists (See Bill Muehelenberg's Culture Watch site for many articles on this and other subjects).
The abandonment of belief in ultimate of Absolute truth in today's culture has led to the "Whatever" philosophy of life. If it feels good, then do it. if it benefits me, even if it goes against long-held moral laws, unless it hurts somebody else, then I can justify it. If science and human reason support it, go for it. If popular opinion supports your decisions in life, then it is easy to justify going along with the crowd for personal convenience - when the "Whatevers" fulfill our concepts of truth relative to our worldview and personal interest.
For the person who is prepared to take the Living God at His Word, Jesus says in John 16:13 that the Holy Spirit, "the Spirit of truth will guide you into all truth."
A generation which does not want to be accountable to anyone for their actions, let alone, to a Holy God whose Word and whose Truth is unchanging, is reaping what they have sown in rebelling against the One in whom is all the wisdom and knowledge necessary to lead a totally fulfilled and complete life. Truth, ultimate truth, is to be found in a person, the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in living according to God's Word, the Bible. For further reading on Absolute Truth and all that implies, may I suggest you Google Absolute Truth- Focus on the Family, for a very insightful and well written article on this topic.

WHAT IS TRUTH?

(CONTINUED)

The unmistakable fact of history since the time of Christ's ministry on Earth and His subsequent death on the Cross of Calvary and His triumphant bodily resurrection on that first Resurrection Sunday is that those who have embraced THE TRUTH in the person of Jesus Christ - find that truth to be life-changing. This is also contingent on them giving heed to the Word of God, which is able to liberate from bondage to sin and its consequences. Satan, the arch deceiver, whom the Bible calls the father of lies, cannot stand up to the searchlight of the truth of God's Holy Word. 

As I was thinking about what to write in this blog, "What Is Truth?", I Googled this question on the internet. I discovered a lengthy Wikipedia article which outlined some of the philosophical theories concerning Truth, and what it means. These include what are known as Substantive Theories, including:

                                  Correspondence Theory

                                  Coherence Theory

                                  Constructivist Theory

                                  Concensus Theory

                                  Pragmatic Theory

Then there are Minimalist or Deflationary Theories. These include:

                                  Performative Theory of Truth

                                  Reduncancy and Related Theories.

There are also what is known as Pluralist Theories.

I discovered that, of the above, the Correspondence Theory seems to have the highest percentage of support in relation to the definition of Truth - in philosophical terms.

I am reminded of the verse in 2 Timothy 3:7 where the apostle Paul speaking of the days in which we are living, describes people who would be "always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."
If you who are reading are on a quest to know ultimate Truth in all its dimensions, may I suggest you take a look in the Bible at the one who is TRUTH HIMSELF, the Lord Jesus Christ. When Jesus finished His earthly ministry, He told His disciples that He would send them a Helper, the Holy Spirit. Jesus said in John 16:13 that ".....when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will tell you things to come."
In John 18:36-38, as Jesus stood before the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, who would decide whether He lived or would be condemned to be crucified, Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world.If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here." 
Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are you a king then?" Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause, I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."
Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?" And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, "I find no fault in Him at all."
Pilate asked Jesus one of the most important questions He could have asked of the Son of God: "What is truth?" and He didn't bother to wait for the answer. Like Pilate, many today are searching for the meaning of Truth in Philosophy, Religion, Science - even Politics and always coming short.
The apostle Paul warns in Colossians 2:8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.
He goes on to say in verses 9 and 10 For in Him [Christ] dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;
and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.
Does it matter what we believe to be the truth today? Isn't truth relative to the circumstances, culture, socio-political setting in which we find ourselves today? Ah...........we shall have to leave the answers to these questions to the next time we meet in cyberspace in the not too distant future.
If you have not yet encountered personally the one who is Truth Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world, may I suggest one of many websites where you can find clear direction on how to become a Christian:
www.vision.org.au Click on the Radio word on the  top left of the screen. Then click on Grow your faith, then Looking for God!