Church Minute
If you have a minute, we can learn God’s Word together. Church Minute with Minister Lola Richey seeks to teach the Holy Bible so everyone can live the way God planned and experience heaven on earth with Jesus.
Episodes
Saturday Feb 01, 2025
History of Salvation - Old Testament
Saturday Feb 01, 2025
Saturday Feb 01, 2025
The Holy Bible is the living Sovereign LORD God’s love story of salvation for ALL humankind. Salvation means deliverance and redemption from Satan’s sin and its consequence brought about by our repentance with faithfulness and obedience to the Sovereign LORD God and His Son, Christ Jesus. The story of God’s salvation starts with the Old Testament. Everything written in the Old Testament points to Christ Jesus our Savior, encouraging everyone to remain faithful to the Sovereign LORD God. The Old Testament begins with the Sovereign LORD God’s creation of a world of goodness with His Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Genesis chapters 3 through 11 describe the rebellion of Adam and Eve causing the Original Sin (Great Fall), then the violence and corruption of Noah’s generation leading to the Great Flood, and humankind’s pride to reach heaven at the Tower of Babel leading to the shattering of humans throughout the earth. Then, the story of salvation begins with the Sovereign LORD God calling Abraham and His sons Isaac, Jacob (Israel), and Joseph to bring His message of salvation and blessings through faith in Him. Then, Jacob’s twelve sons-the tribes of Israel come to live in Egypt and succumb to Egyptian slavery. The Sovereign LORD God led Israel by His grace out of Egyptian slavery through His servant Moses and brought Israel to Mount Sinai by giving His Law so they could become a holy nation and His priesthood to the world. Then, Joshua led Israel into the Promised Land of God (Israel-Palestine). After Joshua’s death, Israel was ruled by various Spirit-filled judges until the prophet Samuel anointed Saul as Israel’s first king and followed by Israel’s greatest kings-King David and his son Solomon. Solomon built Israel’s first Temple. After David and Solomon’s deaths, Israel was divided into two kingdoms-Israel in the north with 10 tribes and Judah in the south with two tribes. Many different kings and one queen ruled the northern kingdom of Israel, and all of Israel’s leaders were evil. The southern kingdom of Israel (Judah) had several good kings who followed the holy ways of God, like King David, such as Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, and Josiah. The Sovereign LORD God anointed many prophets, including Elijah and Elisha, calling Israel and Judah to return to Him wholeheartedly, faithfully, and obedient. However, Israel and her sister Judah continued their rebellion against the Sovereign LORD God until 722 BC when the Sovereign LORD God called the Assyrians to destroy Israel and then called the Babylonians in 586 BC to destroy Jerusalem, Judah, and Solomon’s Temple. However, Israel had hope of salvation when the Sovereign LORD God allowed Israel to return to her homeland of Israel-Palestine to rebuild the Temple and Jerusalem wall and the hope of the Messiah coming from King David’s family to bring salvation to the world. The New Testament writers announce that the Messiah (Anointed One) came in Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior of the world.
Wednesday Jan 29, 2025
God's Amazing Grace
Wednesday Jan 29, 2025
Wednesday Jan 29, 2025
The Holy Bible defines grace as the Sovereign LORD God’s kindness, unmerited favor, forgiveness, goodness, blessings, salvation, and eternal love. The essence of the Holy Trinity (Triune) of God - the Sovereign LORD God, His Son Christ Jesus our Lord, and the Holy Spirit of God - means grace and peace. Grace is a good gift from God. The Holy Bible speaks of the Sovereign LORD God coming and giving His amazing grace, forgiveness, and mercy to Jacob (Israel), Israel’s children in Exodus, the prodigal sons, Apostle Paul, and many others, not because of any righteous act nor ritual but when they were dead in Satan’s darkness and bondage. The Good News (Gospel) is the message of the Sovereign LORD God’s amazing grace and love for all people by sending His Son Christ Jesus to bring salvation (healing) and a new spiritual life through faith in Him and His Son Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior. Those who have experienced the Sovereign LORD God’s amazing grace, salvation, and forgiveness receive the Holy Spirit of God with new hearts, equipping, strengthening, and transforming them to live holy lives and producing good fruits of righteousness and love within their lives and hearts. The Sovereign LORD God empowers believers in Jesus to walk with Him by humble faith from their whole hearts and live blameless lives filled with honesty, decency, and integrity. Christ Jesus declared in His teaching that living a life of mercy, forgiveness, goodness, humility, generosity, faith, and love for one another leads to God’s blessings and grace. Everyone can access the Sovereign LORD God’s abundant grace and mercy through our repentance (turning from Satan) with faith and obedience to Him and His Son, Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior. The Sovereign LORD God gives His abundant grace, favor, and inheritance to those who repent and turn from evildoing and live and walk with Him by faith in truth and goodness with a humble spirit. The New Testament writers encouraged believers of Jesus to continue living in God’s grace with obedience to Him and never abuse God’s grace with Satan’s dark living.
Wednesday Jan 22, 2025
Miracles
Wednesday Jan 22, 2025
Wednesday Jan 22, 2025
The Holy Bible is filled with miracles, including Israel’s exodus from Egyptian slavery and deliverance at the Red Sea, the miracles of Joshua, David versus Goliath, and the prophets Elijah and Elisha, the miraculous birth and resurrection of Christ Jesus, and the numerous miracles and wonders of Jesus and His true disciples. Miracles are extraordinary and supernatural events declaring the power and divine work of the Sovereign LORD God and His Kingdom into the human affairs of the world. Signs and wonders” are often defined and associated with miracles in the Holy Bible. Also, there are individuals with the divine gift of miracles given by the Holy Spirit of God to help strengthen, edify, and encourage the church of Jesus. Miracles are for God’s glory. However, miracles are NOT magic, but they are connected to the Sovereign LORD God’s providence - the protective care of God (fate, destiny, or divine intervention). The Sovereign LORD God can perform miracles and wonders as He controls and governs all aspects of life in the heavens and earth. The Holy Bible teaches that the Sovereign LORD God makes the rain fall, causes the grass to grow, and holds all things by His word and power. Satan and his lawless workers of darkness also perform miracles, signs, and false wonders for money, pride, and fame to take people away from the loving Sovereign LORD God Almighty and His abundant grace and goodness. Christ Jesus taught that everyone can recognize these lying demons of Satan by their bad fruit and evil deeds of darkness. The Sovereign LORD God and His Son Christ Jesus are greater, mighty, and more powerful than Satan and his evil workers of darkness. Everyone can access the Sovereign LORD God’s miracles of grace through our humble prayers, seeking Him with our wholehearted belief and faith in His goodness and grace found in Christ Jesus our Lord. Nothing is impossible nor too hard for God.
Thursday Jan 16, 2025
Who Is God
Thursday Jan 16, 2025
Thursday Jan 16, 2025
The Holy Bible states that there is ONE true and living God of heaven and earth, and He is the Sovereign LORD God and Holy Father of Christ Jesus our Lord, who is our Mediator and Peacemaker with God. The Sovereign LORD God is King of the Universe, and He is ONE with this Son, Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit of God. There are many names for the Sovereign LORD God in the Holy Bible, including Adonai, El Shaddai (God Almighty), Elohim, and the Holy One. The essence of God’s Name is Yahweh or Jehovah - translated as the LORD, meaning “the I AM WHO I AM” or “I AM the Existing One,” and He is the Father of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob filled with unending love, mercy, forgiveness, and justice. The eternal Sovereign LORD God like His Son Christ Jesus is the First and Last - Alpha and Omega. Every one who loves and trusts the Sovereign LORD God is known by Him. The living Sovereign LORD God reigns and rules the world, and we can always trust in Him as our loving provider, shield, and helper. However, an idol is nothing in the world because an idol represents no real god and possesses no power, and we must NEVER worship an idol or any other god. The all-knowing Sovereign LORD God is our good and faithful Heavenly Father, and He and His Son Christ Jesus are our Savior and Creator of the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all living things that live in them - our life. The heavens and earth reveal the Sovereign LORD God’s existence and power as our merciful Redeemer, Savior, and LORD of Heaven’s Armies (Sabaoth). Finally, the Holy Bible states that everyone must love and trust but also fear the all-wise Sovereign LORD God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength as He is the King of the Universe. Let the whole earth seek and worship the Sovereign LORD God and love Him first with our hearts, and also love one another because love and goodness strengthen the church of Christ and the world.
Friday Jan 10, 2025
Salvation and Holiness
Friday Jan 10, 2025
Friday Jan 10, 2025
The Gospel message of Jesus is the righteousness and goodness of God that brings everyone salvation and holiness from heaven. Salvation has many different meanings, but biblical salvation means redemption, deliverance, or lifeline from Satan’s evildoing and its consequences. Our salvation and holiness that brings new Kingdom life from heaven come to everyone through our repentance with faith and obedience to the living Sovereign LORD God and His Son, Christ Jesus, as our Lord and Savior. The Sovereign LORD God and His Son Christ Jesus are our Savior. Everyone who repents and turns from Satan’s evildoing, confesses wholehearted faith to the Sovereign LORD God and His Son, Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior, and believes in God’s grace through Christ Jesus’s death and resurrection for their sinfulness will be declared righteous and saved. The Holy Bible declares that everyone is saved and delivered from Satan’s wrath, condemnation, and eternal death by living and walking in continual faithfulness and obedience to the Sovereign LORD God and His Son, Christ Jesus as Lord. Our salvation through repentance with faith and obedience to Christ Jesus includes forgiveness of all our past sinfulness and evildoing, present deliverance from Satan’s dark living and our holiness (sanctification) into a new life from heaven, and future glorification when Christ Jesus returns from heaven in the Glory Cloud of God.
Biblical salvation requires humility with repentance and turning from Satan’s dark and evil living, which leads to depression, despair, and death. Believers of Jesus must no longer follow Satan’s lies, hatred, lawlessness, adultery, and greed but instead produce the fruit of righteousness and goodness in the world for God’s glory. Here is the Good News: the Sovereign LORD God through His Son Christ Jesus sends the Holy Spirit of God as our Helper and Guide to live inside our hearts and minds. The Trinity of God - God the Father, God the Son Jesus, and God the Holy Spirit are all involved in our salvation, justification (righteousness), and holiness (sanctification). As our Helper and Guide, the Holy Spirit empowers and strengthens believers in Jesus to produce good and righteous fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control toward others in the world for God’s glory. In other words, the Holy Spirit of God is living inside the hearts and minds of believers of Jesus, empowering us to live in obedience to the Sovereign LORD God and practice righteousness with holiness so we no longer walk in Satan’s dark and evil living.
Sunday Jan 05, 2025
Living Your Best Life
Sunday Jan 05, 2025
Sunday Jan 05, 2025
Our faith and belief in Christ Jesus as our Lord and Savior gives everyone a fresh start and new beginnings with a new heart. As believers in Christ, we have been given a new nature and new birth from heaven by the Holy Spirit of God. With these new beginnings, we become believers in Jesus, Jesus’ disciples, and importantly citizens and family members inside God’s Kingdom.
As Kingdom citizens, Jesus calls believers in Him to walk faithfully and obediently to Him and His Holy Father - the Sovereign LORD God of heaven and earth with truth, humility, gentleness, patience, peace, goodness, and importantly love towards one another. Daily, believers of Jesus must turn away and flee from Satan’s dark and sinful living filled with lies, stealing, greed, hatred, witchcraft, sexual sins, anger, filthy talk, crime, and drunkenness, as such dark living removes us from the living Sovereign LORD God’s abundant grace and blessings and brings God’s wrath. Also, these dark and evil deeds were part of our old self before our faith and obedience in Christ Jesus as our Lord. Believers of Jesus must walk in the newness of life with Christ Jesus as Lord with the Holy Spirit as our Helper and Guide so we can live our best life now on earth and for all eternity with joy and peace. Living our best lives means walking and living each day with love and obedience to the Sovereign LORD God and His Son Christ Jesus and love, goodness, patience, kindness, and forgiveness towards one another, even our enemies. Also, living our best lives means being good to our spouses and children, the best workers at our jobs, and good neighbors in our communities. Our Kingdom's deeds of goodness and love shine the light of God for God’s glory and bring God’s grace and blessings into our lives.
Finally, Christ Jesus has given believers in Him spiritual weapons and the armor of God to defeat Satan and his evil attacks so we can live our best life. As believers in Christ Jesus, we have truth, goodness (righteousness), peace, faith, God’s Word, salvation (victory), and prayer we can use daily to defeat Satan’s spiritual and physical attacks so we can live our best life now on earth and for all eternity. These spiritual weapons and the armor of God strengthen believers in Jesus with strength and power by the Holy Spirit of God living inside our hearts and minds through our continual faithfulness and obedience to Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior. Let everyone live their best life with Jesus!
Thursday Jan 02, 2025
In Christ
Thursday Jan 02, 2025
Thursday Jan 02, 2025
In Christ Jesus, the living Sovereign LORD God of heaven and earth blesses everyone with blessings and grace through our repentance of sins with faithfulness and obedience to His Son, Christ Jesus as our Lord and Savior. In Christ means we become united, baptized, and reconciled with Christ Jesus and His Holy Father as One by the Holy Spirit of God. In Christ Jesus, the Sovereign LORD God of heaven and earth has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. Through our faithfulness and obedience to Christ Jesus, we are
Adopted into the Kingdom family of God as Jesus’s co-heirs, Jesus’ fellow brothers and sisters, and Abraham’s seed with Abraham’s blessings.
Loved by the Sovereign LORD God of heaven and earth.
Saved from Satan’s condemnation, darkness, depression, disease, and death.
Receive the Holy Spirit of God with an inpouring of God’s love into our hearts and our outpouring of God’s fruits of the Holy Spirit - fruits of righteousness.
Rebirth and renewal from heaven by God’s Holy Spirit so you are reborn and renewed with a new heart and new life. In other words, you are a new creation!
Declared holy and sanctified by the washing and cleansing of God’s Holy Spirit. In other words, you are a saint with God’s seal of approval!
Redeemed and declared righteous and no longer guilty of Satan’s sinfulness.
Become wise with heavenly wisdom. In other words, you become smarter!
Forgiven of sins and healed.
Victorious and made more than conquerors with spiritual weapons of warfare.
Access to God’s abundant grace and mercy for help during the time of need.
Spiritual gifts for service in God’s Kingdom to serve Jesus and help others.
All these blessings and gifts in Christ require our repentance by turning from Satan’s lies, dark living, and evildoing and turning by faith with a heart of obedience to the Sovereign LORD God and His Son Christ Jesus. Repentance with faithfulness and obedience to the Sovereign LORD God and His Son Jesus are the keys to a blessed life! Here is the Good News… the Holy Spirit of God is God’s Helper that comes inside our hearts to help and strengthen us to walk faithfully with obedience in Christ. Let everyone come to and live in Christ Jesus by faith and obedience and receive all these heavenly blessings!
Grace and peace to you from God our Holy Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior. Romans 1:7
Have a blessed day and blessed week in Jesus!
Sunday Dec 29, 2024
Real Faith
Sunday Dec 29, 2024
Sunday Dec 29, 2024
Real Faith
Life is filled with good and wonderful days of joy and fun but also trials and tribulations. Romans 5:3-5; James 1:2-4.
Life has highs and lows, ups and downs as taught in the wisdom literature in the book of Job and Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.
Everyone stumbles and falls in life, including the rich and poor.
The Holy Bible instructs us to be patient, persevere, and endure hardships and difficulties, knowing that patience and continual faithfulness to the Sovereign LORD God, like Job, lead to the Sovereign LORD God’s blessings. Matthew 5:10-12; Job 42:1-17; James 5:7-11.
One God
One God existing as God the Father, God the Son - Jesus, and God the Spirit. Matthew 3:16-17; Matthew 28:19; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 1:2-13; Ephesians 4:4-6; Titus 3:4-6.
Living Sovereign LORD God of heaven and earth, who is the Holy Father of Christ Jesus our Lord. Deuteronomy 6:4-6; 1 Corinthians 8:4, 6.
One with Son - Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit of God. John 10:30, 36-38.
Love and worship the true and living God of heaven and earth. Exodus 20:3-5; Matthew 22:37.
Repentance
Repentance brings healing and life. Ezekiel 18:23, 32.
Jesus, all the Old Testament prophets, and Jesus’s apostles taught repentance. (Matthew 3:2; Matthew 4:17).
Count your blessings and each joy.
We can always count on the living Sovereign LORD God of heaven and earth when we need wisdom and guidance by seeking Him and looking up to heaven in prayer and wholehearted faith. Matthew 7:7-11; Mark 11:23-24; James 1:5-6.
Sovereign LORD God is filled with blessings and goodness from heaven as we humbly and faithfully follow Him. John 3:27; James 1:17.
Crown of Life.
Sovereign LORD God promises His blessings, grace, crown of life, and glory if we faithfully and humbly walk with Him daily. Matthew 6:1-21, 33; 1 Corinthians 9:25; 2 Timothy 4:8; James 1:12; 1 Peter 5:4.
Sovereign LORD God gives His abundant grace to those who are humble and trust in Him by faith and obedience. James 4:6, 10.
Draw near the Sovereign LORD God, and He will come to you with His goodness and light. Isaiah 1:16; James 4:8.
Sovereign LORD God is good and gracious to everyone - the least and the greatest of these who come to Him by faith and obedience. Matthew 20:1-16.
Flee Evildoing
Walking and following Satan’s evil and dark ways lead to death and destruction. Romans 5:15; Romans 6:23; James 1:12-15.
Flee the evils and temptations of Satan. Isaiah 1:16.
Lay aside and turn away from all Satan’s wickedness and darkness. James 1:21; James 4:7.
Satan’s selfishness and greed lead to wars, fights, murder, and quarrels. James 4:1-4.
Riches and fame are only temporary and can lead to misery and despair if obtained by lying, cheating, and hurting others. James 5:1-6.
Obedience as Doers of God’s Word
Christ Jesus has commanded everyone to obey Him and His Holy Father’s teaching and words. Matthew 7:15-23; Luke 8:21; John 14:15-17.
Good deeds towards others with kindness lead to God’s blessings from heaven. James 1:22-27.
Our daily conduct, actions, and behavior matter in the eyes of the Sovereign LORD God because He wants everyone to live and produce the righteous fruit of His Kingdom - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control and not the evil deeds of Satan’s evil and dark kingdom of division, selfishness, and hatred. Romans 12:1-15:33; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13; Galatians 5:19-23; Colossians 3:12-15.
Christ Jesus has called everyone to good and faithful service as Kingdom citizens for His Holy Father’s glory. Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 19:11-27.
Loving others equally and never hating or discriminating against others, whether rich or poor, black or white. James 2:1-8
Mercy and fairness toward others are what Jesus demands of all people. Matthew 5:8; Matthew 7:12; Matthew 9:13; Matthew 12:7; Matthew 22:34-40; Matthew 23:23; Luke 11:42; James 2:13; cf. Leviticus 19:18.
Caring and sharing for others. James 2:12-26; 1 John 3:17-18.
Our goodness towards others shines God’s light in the world for His glory. Matthew 5:14-16.
Everyone is justified and declared right or righteous before the Sovereign LORD God by our good deeds and works. James 2:24-26.
According to the New Testament book of James, faith without good works and good deeds is dead faith. James 2:26.
Our good deeds and good works done in humble service reveal our divine wisdom. Galatians 6:7-10; James 3:13.
Let us all aim to do good deeds towards others for God’s glory and praise. Proverbs 3:27; Romans 12:9-14, 21; 1 Corinthians 10:31; Titus 3:8, 14.
True wisdom comes from goodness and helping others, not selfishness, envy, self-indulgence, and greed. James 3:13-16.
Fruits of righteousness…. Peace, love, mercy, truth, and humility. James 3:17-18.
Our Words
Use your words and tongues wisely to encourage and uplift others and yourself, not speak evil of one another. James 4:11.
Our words can bring poison, death, life, hope, blessing, and curses. Matthew 12:36-37; Matthew 15:11, 18; James 3:6-10.
Continual Prayer
We must pray daily and seek the Sovereign LORD God as our loving Heavenly Father for all our daily needs, good health, and life’s enjoyment. Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:1-13; James 5:13-18.
Pray with persistence. James 5:17-18.
Pray without ceasing. Matthew 7:7-11; Luke 18:1; Ephesians 6:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:17.
In our daily prayers, we must continually lean upon and trust in the Sovereign LORD God.
Our loving and good Heavenly Father knows what we need, so we can always trust and depend on Him for all our needs. Matthew 6:8, 32.
When praying, confess your sins, always forgive, and not have hate and unforgiveness in your hearts. Matthew 6:14-15; James 5:16.
We must also pray for one another. James 5:16.
Love One Another
Above all, we should continue to love the Sovereign LORD God and one another as Christ Jesus commanded. Matthew 22:34-40; John 15:12, 17; 1 Peter 4:8.
Our love for one another reveals we are Jesus’s disciples - true Christians. John 13:34-35; 1 John 3:23; 1 John 4:7-8, 11-12, 19-21.
Tuesday Dec 24, 2024
Christmas Promise
Tuesday Dec 24, 2024
Tuesday Dec 24, 2024
Christmas Promise
John 1
The story of Christmas is the Sovereign LORD God’s great gift to world of salvation and His great promise
Story
The story of Christmas is the Sovereign LORD God coming into the world in His Son Jesus the Messiah. John 1:14.
God
Jesus is God and the Word of God. John 1:1-2.
Light and Life
He came from heaven to bring us Light and Life of heaven so that we would no longer walk in Satan’s darks and despair. John 1:3-5; John 3:19-21, 36.
Creator
Jesus is the Creator of the world and all creation was created through Him. John 1:3, 10; Colossians 1:16-17.
Truth and Grace
Jesus is filled with the truth and abundant grace. John 1:14, 16-18; John 14:6.
John the Baptist
Jesus’s cousin John the Baptist announced to the world Jesus’s gift of life and light to everyone from His Holy Father who believes and accepts Jesus so they can come into God’s Kingdom and become a member of God’s family. John was a voice sent to announce Jesus’s coming. Matthew 3:3; Luke 1:36; John 1:6-9, 12-13, 23; Galatians 3:26-29.
Predicted by the Old Testament prophet Isaiah. Isaiah 40:3-5.
Holy Spirit
Jesus baptists and cleanses with the Holy Spirit of God. Matthew 3:11; John 1:26.
Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit of God. John 1:33.
Lamb of God
Jesus is the Old Testament Passover Lamb of God that takes away the sins of all the world. John 1:29, 36; 1 John 2:24.
Predicted by the Old Testament prophet Isaiah. Isaiah 53:5.
Jesus
Son of the living God. Matthew 16:16; John 11:27.
Great Rabbi - Teacher. John 1:38.
Savior. His Name means salvation. Matthew 1:21.
Messiah - Christ - Anointed One of God. Matthew 1:1, 16-17; Mark 1:1; John 1:41.
Promised from the Old Testament Scriptures. John 1:45; Zechariah 6:12.
Jewish - an Israelite filled with all truth. John 1:47.
True King of Israel and the World. Matthew 2:2; John 1:49.
Vine:
Jesus is the Vine and Way that connects everyone to His Holy Father - the Sovereign LORD God of heaven and earth. John 1:51; John 14:6; John 15:1-17.
Prays
Jesus prays for us to His Holy Father that we can share His glory and become one with God. John 17:20-26.
Peace:
Jesus gives us heaven’s peace and joy through His Holy Spirit. Isaiah 9:6-7; John 14:27; John 16:33.
Monday Dec 09, 2024
Jesus: Life of History Part One
Monday Dec 09, 2024
Monday Dec 09, 2024
Jesus and His Life of History
Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. John 21:25 English Standard Version
A. Introduction and Overview
The New Testament story about Jesus the Messiah is the message of the Sovereign LORD God to the world and continues the Old Testament story of Adam, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel). The New Testament writers wanted EVERYONE to know and believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior because He is the long-awaited Promised Messiah (Christ) and Hosanna from the family line of Abraham and King David predicted in the Old Testament Hebrew Scriptures that brings salvation to the world. Indeed, the Sovereign LORD God sent His Son Jesus and appointed His Son Jesus the King of the Jews and Ruler of the world with all power, authority, glory, and dominion as promised in the Old Testament.
The Old Testament promised that the Sovereign LORD God would save the world through the holy Seed of a woman and defeat Satan by this holy Seed. The Sovereign LORD God’s saving promise to save the world with His covenants to Abraham, Moses, and David, and then the new covenant promised to the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Jesus fulfills these Old Testament promises and continues the Old Testament as the Apostle and High Priest appointed by His Holy Father – the living Sovereign LORD God. The hopeful message about Jesus in the New Testament cannot be separated from the Old Testament storyline.
When the New Testament opens, Jesus the Messiah came with the saving grace and life of God’s Kingdom. Jesus is the Son of Man and the Christ (Messiah, Anointed One) who received the Kingdom from His Holy Father – the Ancient of Days with all glory, power, authority, and dominion. Jesus is the new and better Moses and the great Prophet that Moses predicted would come speaking His Holy Father’s word as He is the Word of God – the Logos. Even more, Jesus is the new Joshua that gives everyone the heart rest from His Holy Father – the Sovereign LORD God of heaven and earth. Jesus is the true wisdom that leads us in the ways of God. Significantly, Jesus is the Righteous Servant of God and Immanuel (God with us) predicted by the Old Testament prophets who atoned and gave His sinless life for our sins and the sins of the world as the perfect Lamb of God. Jesus is our Creator, and He deserves our love and worship as Lord like His Holy Father – the Sovereign LORD God. Most important, Jesus is God and the Son of the living Sovereign LORD God of heaven and earth.
Everyone who believes and accepts Jesus as their Messiah (Christ) and the Son of the living God receives salvation and abundant life now and for eternity through our repentance with faith and obedience to Jesus and His Name. During His short public ministry on earth, Jesus announced that He is the Resurrection and Life as Jesus is the Word of Life and Author of Life that speaks and teaches the Sovereign LORD God’s words. The Name of Jesus means Savior, as Jesus is the Lord and Savior of the world. Jesus’s Greek name is related to the Hebrew name Joshua, which means the Lord is salvation or Yahweh saves. Jesus the Messiah is the Savior and King who changed world history.
Jesus LIVES! The New Testament writers wrote to inform EVERYONE that the Resurrected Jesus is ALIVE, and He was a REAL historical person. The Gospel writers tell of Jesus’s humanness, including His sorrow, disappointment, displeasure, anger, amazement, fatigue, and even uncertainty. Jesus is Lord as the covenant Yahweh of Israel – the Great I AM. The Gospel writer John presented Jesus as the Great “I AM” – covenant Yahweh (LORD) sent from His Holy Father in heaven. John’s favorite designation of Jesus is that Jesus was “sent” by His Holy Father – the Sovereign LORD God. Jesus’s title as Lord is rendered “Kurios” in the New Testament and functions as the Greek equivalent to the Hebrew divine name Yahweh.
The New Testament writers tell the stories of many people who saw and eyewitness Jesus in human flesh and witnessed Jesus’s many miracles, wonders, and divine signs, including His resurrection from complete death to bring salvation and forgiveness to the world. The Gospel writers – Apostle Matthew, John Mark, Luke, and Apostle John – agreed that Jesus’s tomb in Jerusalem was empty on Sunday morning. Mary Magdalene saw the Resurrected Jesus in Jerusalem on Sunday, and Mary Magdalene became the first evangelist as she ran and told the other remaining apostles of Jesus. Then, the Resurrected Jesus appeared with other women who faithfully followed Him during His ministry on Resurrection Sunday. Next, the Resurrected Jesus appeared to two men who were going to Emmaus on Resurrection Sunday. Afterward, the Resurrected Jesus appeared ALIVE as promised to Peter and the other remaining apostles after evil Judas Iscariot plotted with the envious religious leaders to kill Him for the love of money. The Resurrected Jesus appeared to His disciples at Mount Olives in Galilee as He promised before ascension to heaven into the Glory Cloud, and He commanded His disciples to take the Good News (Gospel) of His life and message to the whole world to obey. Even more, the Apostle Paul proclaimed that the Resurrected Jesus appeared ALIVE to more than 500 people and then to His half-brother James and all His apostles. Notably, the Resurrected Jesus appeared to the Apostle Paul on the Damascus Road in His shining glorious light.
The four New Testament Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John – give the story and public life of the historical Jesus. The New Testament writers wanted the world to know that Jesus was a real historic man with human flesh and blood, but Jesus was also God. Jesus was the God-Man that walked and lived amongst the world He created. Thus, Jesus was both fully Man and God – the God-Man – united in His Divine Body. The Holy Bible teaches that the Resurrected Jesus lives in the heavens, and He is seated at the right hand of His Holy Father. After Jesus endured suffering on Calvary’s Cross for the sins of the world, Jesus sat down at the right hand of His Holy Father in heaven. Sometimes, the Resurrected Jesus stands at the right hand of His Holy Father when He receives His holy servants into heaven.
Jesus is One with His Holy Father – the Most High God, Yahweh. Significantly, Jesus is filled with His Father’s glory and grace. The King of the Universe has appointed His Son Jesus – the Son of Man – over His Kingdom with all His power, glory, authority, and dominion. Therefore, Jesus has all power and authority in heaven and earth, and He is the King and Head of the church. The King of the Universe appointed Jesus as King and Heir of all things and gave the Resurrected Jesus all authority in heaven and on earth as Lord. Therefore, Jesus deserves all respect and allegiance as God.
Other sources outside the New Testament give evidence that Jesus lived and walked the earth. Proof of Jesus’s existence appears in non-Christian writings from historian Josephus (ca. A.D. 37-100), who wrote the great Jewish War with Rome. Also, Roman historians and other Roman writers noted the existence of Jesus, but they labeled Jesus as a troublemaker and magician who performed miracles. Rabbinic and other Jewish writings such as the Talmud and Midrashim have references to Jesus as “Yeshu” or “Yeshu ha Notzri” (“the Nazarene’), and they also considered Jesus a magician and a deceiver of Israel. The Qur’an references Jesus, His mother Mary, and Jesus’s disciples as well as Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension.
Jesus is the Jewish descendant of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob (Israel), and King David, as the world’s salvation is from the Jews. The New Testament writers continued Israel’s story and promise from the Old Testament with the coming of the Sovereign LORD God’s only begotten and unique Son, Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah (Christ, Anointed One). In the Old Testament, the Sovereign LORD God made covenants (promises):
• Noah’s covenant regarding the flood (see Genesis 6:18; Genesis 9:1-17) • Abraham with the Promise Land of Canaan (Israel-Palestine) and turning Abraham into a great nation (see Genesis 15:1-21; Genesis 17:1-27)• Israel at Mount Sinai (see Exodus 19:1-24:18)• Phinehas for a priestly dynasty (see Numbers 25:10-13)• King David with the promise of a royal dynasty (see 2 Samuel 7:5-16)• Promise through the prophet Jeremiah to make a “new covenant” of writing God’s Law (Torah) on the people’s hearts (see Jeremiah 31:31-34).
The complete and final fulfillment of the Sovereign LORD God’s covenant with His servant David is found in Jesus the Messiah, the Son of David and the Most High God. The prophet Isaiah predicted that Jesus the Messiah would come from David’s family. However, Jesus the Messiah was more than a descendant of King David because King David called Jesus his Lord.
The Sovereign LORD God, as the King of Glory and King of the Universe, called Abraham and Abraham’s descendants Isaac, Jacob (Israel), and Jacob’s twelve sons (Twelve tribes of Israel) to take His holy message of goodness and justice into all the world as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. With Jesus’s coming, the Sovereign LORD God sent His Son, Jesus the Lamb, into the world to proclaim and continue His message to all the world and bring salvation through repentance with obedience and faith in His Son, Jesus. Jesus brought heaven’s goodness to earth – the Kingdom of God and the transforming Holy Spirit’s power, and He continued His Holy and Righteous Father’s message to the world with a Spirit-driven message of repentance. Jesus’s message of repentance means to actively change one’s mind and whole heart from Satan’s selfish, lawlessness, and evil actions with sorrow for sin and turn through repentance with obedience and faith to Him and His Holy Father, which leads to God’s transformation of life by the Holy Spirit of God. The Sovereign LORD God and His Son Jesus want a world filled with love, mercy, kindness, joy, patience, and peace towards one another and not Satan’s idolatry, murder and hatred, division and prejudice, adultery and sexual sins, lies and corruption, stealing and embezzlement, bribery, greed, and jealousy. The Holy Bible promises that the new heavens and earth will be created and filled with light and righteousness and none of Satan’s evil, sorrows, and darkness.