Biblical teachings

Good Tidings of Great Joy

Raj Hans — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 21:27:40 +0000

The Word of God contains many prophecies of the first coming of Jesus Christ. This teaching looks at a few of those prophecies and their fulfillment during the events surrounding the birth of Christ. These include the following:

Gen 3:15 – would be the seed of the woman
Num 24:17 – of the lineage of Jacob
Gen 49:10 – of the tribe of Judah
Ps 132:11 – of the lineage of David
Is 4:2 – would be the son of God
Is 7:14 – born of a virgin
Micah 5:2 – born in Bethlehem

Since each one of these were fulfilled to the minutest detail, the authority of the Word of God once again is evident. How about all of the other truths that the Word declares? If anyone in the world was ever to predict even a few events they would be revered to no end. The Word of God has been and continues to be accurate on every point. After the birth of Christ, the Word also was correct on the following details that were prophesied:

(Jer 31:15) That many children would be killed in an attempt to kill him – which they were
(Hos 11:1) That he would be called out of Egypt – which he was
(Zech 3:8) That he would be a man, a servant – which he was
(Duet 18:18) That he would be a prophet like unto Moses – which he was
(Is 9:1, 2) That he would be a light to lighten the nations/Gentiles – which indeed he was
(Ps 69:8) That he would be misunderstood by his own brothers – which he was
(Ps 69:4) That they would hate him for no reason – which they did
(Is 8:14) That he would be a stumbling stone for many – which he was
(Is 53:12) That he would be numbered with the transgressors – which he was
(Ps 69:9) That he would bear the reproach of many – which he did
(Ps 55:12, 13) That he would be betrayed by a friend – a man mine equal, mine acquaintance – which he was
(Zech 11:12, 13) That he would be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver – which he was
(Zech 11:12, 13) That the 30 pieces of silver would be thrown away – which they were
(Is 52:13, 14) That he would be beaten beyond human recognition – which he was
(Ps 22:6-8) That he would be despised by the people and mocked while on the cross- which he was
(Is 53:4, 5) That he would bear our sins and sicknesses – which he did
(Ps 31:5) That he would say on the cross “Into thine hand I commit my spirit” – which he did
(Ps 22:18) That they would part his garments and cast lots upon his vesture – which they did
(Ps 22:16) That he would die a Roman death with his hands/feet being pierced – which he did
(Zech 12:10) That they would stick a spear in his side – which they did
(Ps 34:20) That none of his bones would be broken – which they were not
(Matt 12:40) That he would be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights – which he was
(Ps 16:10) That his body would not see corruption – which it did not
(Ps 16:10) That God would raise Him from the dead – which He did
(Ps 110:4) That he would be a priest of the order of Melchizedek – which he is
(Ps 118:22) That he, the stone refused of the builders, would become the head of the corner – which he has

Could it just be possible that it is also correct in its declaration that the Lord Jesus Christ is coming back some day?

Strangers and Pilgrims

Raj Hans — Sun, 05 Dec 2021 21:01:38 +0000

There is an interesting side effect of becoming a believer, of making Jesus Christ your Lord and believing that God raised him from the dead – and that is that you are no longer of this world. You have a new citizenship, one that is heavenly. In fact the more you grow in Gods Word, the less at home you feel in this world. The Word of God shows us that based on things to come in the future those who served God made life changing decisions in the present. Men like Abraham, Moses, etc. turned away from the things of the world and lived in light of what God had promised was to come. They were persuaded of the promises, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims in this world. They looked for that better resurrection that was still future and because of that they made decisions in their current lives. For the church today, the great hope is the gathering together when the Lord Jesus Christ returns. Associated with this future event is the promise of reward based on the work done by each believer to build on the foundation of Jesus Christ. If we are persuaded of these truths as were the believers of old, perhaps we too can be motivated to make decisions in light of eternity.

Openness in Prayer

Raj Hans — Mon, 29 Nov 2021 15:48:39 +0000

The prayer life of a Christian believer is an extremely important relationship. Sometimes that relationship is treated in a rather formal way. God is a God who cares for His people and encourages believers to cast all of their cares upon Him. Our prayer life with Him should be open and honest. It should be the closest relationship of our lives. If that is the case then, we should be able to speak with Him openly about our concerns and fears. We should be able to approach Him with the same boldness that a child speaks to His Father. It is not to be irreverent or arrogant- just confident and honest. That is the way believers in God’s Word like Abraham, Moses, David, Elijah, Jesus Christ, etc. spoke openly to their God. There is no doubt that He heard and answered their prayers.

How the Spirit Helps

Raj Hans — Wed, 24 Nov 2021 01:31:42 +0000

Many Christian believers do not understand or appreciate the incredible significance of having been born again of holy spirit. Many in fact may not even understand the simple truth that they have holy spirit. Jesus Christ spoke very pointedly about the coming of holy spirit and the great benefits that the spirit would bring to believers. Some of these truths included that it would bring them into remembrance of what Jesus Christ had taught and that it would tell them about things to come. After Pentecost, the Church Epistles exhort Christians to walk by that spirit that they have received and by that walk to no longer allow sin to reign. The Epistles encourage a walk that makes full use of the manifestations of holy spirit. They explain how by the spirit we are the children of God, we are joint-heirs with Jesus Christ and that we access to God. And despite all the benefits that are made possible by having received the holy spirit, the Word of God declares that what we have been given is only a token of what God has promised in ages to come.

Service Requires Sacrifice

Raj Hans — Sun, 24 Oct 2021 22:34:21 +0000

To take a stand for the One True God, it requires one to recognize that it will not always be easy, convenient or comfortable. You most likely will have to sacrifice your time, finances and personal desires throughout your life. When Jesus Christ spoke about service and commitment to him he was very clear about what this service could cost those who chose it. We live in a present evil age and by his work, the Lord Jesus Christ has rescued us from that age. We, therefore, are not part of that age nor are we to love it or take part in its rituals. Our first and foremost responsibility ought to be service to the One True God. There are many records in God’s Word of those who stood for God despite the great cost to their personal lives: imprisonment, torture, cold, nakedness, mocking, etc. We do not serve God so that we can “enjoy” these same issues but we need to be ready and aware that these sorts of impacts just may be the result of our service to Him. Thankfully, the One True God is on our side and we are assured of an inheritance that is incorruptible and undefiled, reserved in heaven for us.

God is Not a Man

Raj Hans — Mon, 06 Sep 2021 17:24:29 +0000

There is a wonderful characteristic of God in His Word that can be quite helpful for believers in learning to trust Him: God is not a man. Many times believers may knowingly or unknowingly attribute human characteristics to God. If a particular situation is difficult for us we may think it’s difficult for Him. If it seems impossible for us we may think it’s impossible for Him. Fortunately God is not a man. He created the heavens and the earth and as he said to Sarah and Abraham, “Is there anything too hard for the Lord?” We need to take God at His Word and trust that he is both able and willing to do what He says in His Word. His power is behind His Word. When Jesus Christ ministered on the earth he told those around him that it was God “who doeth the works”. Jesus Christ simply obeyed his Father. When Peter and John healed the man at the gate, they said to those around that it was not by their “own holiness or power” that they were able to do this – it was the power that God had put in the name of Jesus Christ. Once again, it was God’s power that backed up the authority that had been delegated to Jesus Christ and to those who believed on the name of Jesus Christ.

We Serve a Living Saviour

Raj Hans — Sun, 29 Aug 2021 20:58:50 +0000

On the road to Emmaus, Jesus Christ spoke to two men who were speaking of the current events that had taken place. As they walked together on the day that Christ was raised from the dead, he taught them the truths in the Scriptures concerning himself. He showed them from Moses, the prophets and the Psalms the prophecies about the coming Messiah. He also reproved them because they were having difficulty believing that he was now alive. We serve a living saviour – the Lord Jesus Christ. He is alive and has been given tremendous responsibilities by our Almighty God. He wasn’t just raised to sit on the right hand of God and to do nothing else – he is the mediator, the intercessor, the captain of salvation, the head of the body, the high priest, etc. God placed him above every name that is named – not only in this age but also in the ages to come. We can be thankful that our Lord is alive!

Change Your Focus

Raj Hans — Sun, 15 Aug 2021 21:43:25 +0000

A believer always has an option in how to handle the regular barrage of information that comes at us each day. Unfortunately there is only so much control that one have on the fact that the information does come at us – however, we have full control on whether or not we entertain the information. In the record of the Assyrian attack on Judah and King Hezekiah, the Assyrian leaders sent all sorts of information to Hezekiah – most of that information was erroneous. Now they could not do very much about the fact that they had to deal with the information but they certainly could determine if they would continue to consider what had been presented. In that regard their response was to not reply with even a single word – they chose not to give the information the time of day.

There is a great biblical benefit in changing our focus in situations that we encounter each day. We could choose to think about everything that is presented to us to the point that it leads to fear, worry, trepidation, anger, lack of hope and so forth or we can choose to focus on the information that is authored by the One True God – His Word. The Word of God declares that those who meditate therein are blessed and prosperous. It states that by taking heed to the Word of God we can choose peace, light, comfort, hope and direction to avoid the many pitfalls that surround us. Rather than entertain the nonstop flow of worldly information that is presented to us at every turn, why wouldn’t we want to focus on what God’s Word says? Why wouldn’t we want to deliberately change our focus to the truth and then to be blessed by the promises made to us by the One True God? The work of Jesus Christ and results of his walk in obedience to God have truly given us much to focus on as we await his return to gather the Church. Let’s change our focus upwards at every moment that we possibly can.

A Firm Rock

Raj Hans — Sun, 01 Aug 2021 21:32:16 +0000

It seems very difficult these days to find any sort of logical or rational thinking in the world. The idea of absolute truth is a rare commodity. As Christians we should understand that anything in the world that is recognized to be the truth has its origins in the Word of God. The scriptures continue to be a firm rock in the sea of speculation and the ocean of doubt with which we are surrounded.

Jesus Christ who always did His Father’s will declared that if we built our life on Gods Word, only then could we withstand the storms and floods of life that target those who believe God. It is the firm rock. He gave those who followed him God’s Word – it was the Word that set them apart in this world.

The Word of God is true, pure, right and established in heaven forever. Whether it is the written Word or revelation, that word is trustworthy and absolutely reliable because the Author is trustworthy and reliable. In Paul’s finals words to Timothy, he reminded him of how it was the Scriptures that he knew since he was a child that taught him the truth regarding salvation. He encouraged him that despite the leanings of the world and all the false wisdom that is found on every corner, he should continue to preach God’s Word – whether it was convenient or not.

Father Knows Best

Raj Hans — Sun, 04 Jul 2021 20:44:25 +0000

Many times Christians probably find themselves asking the question, “What should I do?” Since we have God’s Word and the spirit of God, that really isn’t a place we should end up. The Word declares that if we let Him, God will direct our steps – by a combination of knowing His Word and being able to hear from Him via the manifestations. We should not expect others to direct our flesh nor should we compare what we do to others in the Body of Christ. We are told that each member has been placed by God as it has pleased Him. Our concern then should be to faithfully do what He wants us to do. After all, He knows best.