Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. The kingdom of God is one
of light and life, which is totally in contrast to and at odds with
the kingdoms and thought processes of this world. The Lord told
Nicodemus, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom
of God. Paul describes this blindness, saying, but the natural man receiveth
not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness
unto him. Neither can he know them, because
they are spiritually discerned. The essence of truth is missing
from those who have not tasted that the Lord is gracious. These
are those who are ever learning and never able to come to a knowledge
of the truth. This essence of truth is that
which is described by John, who was privileged to have walked
in shared discourse in his body of flesh and blood with him who
is the way, the truth, and the life. Though we have not seen
him with these eyes of our flesh, yet by the grace of God we have
indeed seen him through the eye of faith, as the Spirit has enlightened
our minds and opened our understanding to behold Him who is full of
grace and truth. For God, who commanded the light
to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts to give
the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face
of Jesus Christ. The Lord gave to His apostles
the gifts that He did in order that they might in turn glorify
Him in the declaration of those things which they both saw, heard,
and touched. We are extremely blessed by the
testimony of these men, whom the Lord was pleased to call
and send into the earth with the glorious gospel of the blessed
God. John testifies in his gospel
account, saying, And the word was made flesh and dwelt among
us, and we beheld his glory, the glories of the only begotten
of the Father, full of grace and truth. Christ came into this
world in a body of flesh and blood, coming forth from his
mother's womb, just like every other son of Adam. He walked
among the sinners of this earth, and was tempted in all points
like as we, yet was totally without sin of his own. Apart from this
real body, he could in no wise have atoned for our sin. For
we cannot be redeemed except by him who is our near kin. in
the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and
unblameable and unreprovable in his sight. For as much as
ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver
and gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from your
fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb
without blemish and without spot, who his own self bare our sins
in his own body on the tree, that we being dead to sin should
live unto righteousness by whose stripes ye were healed. This
same man who died on Calvary is the same one who was sealed
vainly in a tomb, awaiting the third day, when he split the
bonds of death and arose a victor over sin, death, and shame in
the behalf of his kinsmen. Once again he walked among his
apostles in the same body which was laid in the tomb. He ate
with them on the seashore of a meal which he had prepared
for them. A few days later they beheld him as he ascended back
to the glory which was his from the beginning. There he presently
lives in that same body which was manifested to them, bearing
the scars of his victory in the mantle of that glory which is
rightfully his. In this same body he shall descend
from heaven with a shout and the voice of the archangel to
gather from the far reaches of the earth that possession which
he has purchased with his own blood. This same Jesus which
is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner
as ye have seen him go into heaven. It is true that we which are
alive and remain cannot testify that we have beheld him in his
body, yet we have been given the gift of faith to believe
the testimony of those who have. These are not mere random speculators
or those who have sought to perpetuate some concocted myth. These are
those who have been ordained by the true and living God to
bear witness of him whom they walk with daily. Here once again
the testimony of those men who walked with him in the flesh.
For as much as many have taken in hand to set forth in order
a declaration of those things which are most surely believed
among us, even as they delivered them unto us which from the beginning
were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word. For we have not
followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the
power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses
of his majesty. For he received from God the
Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to him
from the excellent glory. This is my beloved Son, in whom
I am well pleased. And this voice which came from
heaven we heard when we were with Him in the Holy Mount. We
have also a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto ye do well
that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place,
until the day dawn and the day star arise in your hearts. Do
you believe in Him? For a free CD containing 15 of
these radio broadcasts, send an email to forthepoor at windstream.net.