Ephphatha

18/12/2024

“What is Meant by the Kingdom of Heaven?”
By Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

“Perhaps I can put it all finally in this concept. The truth is that the Christian and the non-Christian belong to two entirely different realms. You will notice the first Beatitude and the last Beatitude promise the same reward, ‘for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’ What does this mean? Our Lord starts and ends with it because it is His way of saying that the first thing you have to realize about yourself is that you belong to a different kingdom. You are not only different in essence; you are living in two absolutely different worlds. You are in this world; but you are not of it. You are among those other people, yes; but you are citizens of another kingdom. This is the vital thing that is emphasized everywhere in this passage.

What is meant by this kingdom of heaven?

Our Lord’s whole object here is to show that His kingdom is Primarily a Spiritual One. In other words, He says to them, ‘You must not think of this kingdom primarily as anything earthly; it is essentially spiritual. It belongs to the heavenly rather than to the earthly and human sphere.’ What is this kingdom then? It means, in its essence, Christ’s rule or the sphere and realm in which He is reigning.

It can be considered in three (3) ways as follows.
(1) Many times, when He was here in the days of His flesh, our Lord said that the Kingdom of Heaven was already present.

Wherever He was present and exercising authority, the kingdom of heaven was there. You remember how on one occasion, when they charged Him with casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub, He showed them the utter folly of that, and then went on to say, ‘If I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you’ (Matt. 12:28).

Here is the kingdom of God, His authority, His reign was actually in practice.

Then there is His phrase when He said to the Pharisees, ‘the kingdom of God is within you’, or, ‘the kingdom of God is among you’. It was as though He were saying, ‘It is being manifest in your midst. Don’t say ‘look here’ or ‘look there’. Get rid of this materialistic view. I am here amongst you; I am doing things. It is here.’

Wherever the reign of Christ is being manifested, the kingdom of God is there.

(2) It also means that the Kingdom of God is present at this moment in all who are True Believers.

The Roman Catholic Church has tended to identify this kingdom with the Church, but that is not right, because the Church contains a mixed multitude.

The Kingdom of God is Only Present in the Church in the Hearts of True believers, in the hearts of those who have submitted to Christ and in whom and among whom He reigns.

Remember how the Apostle Paul puts it in writing to the Colossians he gives thanks to the Father, ‘Who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son’ (Col. 1:13).

The ‘kingdom of His dear Son’ is ‘the kingdom of God’, it is ‘the kingdom of heaven’, it is this new kingdom into which we have entered.

In Philippians, Paul says, ‘Our citizenship is in heaven.’
We who recognize Christ as our Lord and in whose lives He is reigning and ruling at this moment, are in the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of heaven is in us. We have been translated into the ‘kingdom of His dear Son’; we have become a ‘kingdom of priests’.

(3) The third and last way of looking at the Kingdom is There is a Sense in Which It is Yet to Come.

It has come; it is here in us now; and yet it is to come. It was here when He was exercising authority, it is here in us now; and yet it is to come.

It will come when this rule and reign of Christ will be established over the whole world even in a physical and material sense.

The day is coming when the kingdoms of this world will have become ‘the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ’, when: ‘Jesus shall reign where’er the sun, Doth his successive journeys run; His kingdom stretch from shore to shore, Till moons shall wax and wane no more.’

It will then have come, completely and entirely, and everything will be under His dominion and sway. Evil and Satan will be entirely removed; there will be ‘new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness’ (2 Pet. 3:13), and then the kingdom of heaven will have come in that material way.

The spiritual and the material will become one in a sense, and all things will be subject to His sway, that ‘at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father’ (Phil. 2:10,11).

There, then, is the general account of the Christian which is given in the Beatitudes.

Do you see how essentially different he is from the non-Christian?

The vital questions which we therefore ask ourselves are these:

Do we belong to this kingdom? Are we ruled by Christ? Is He our King and our Lord?

Are we manifesting these qualities in our daily lives?
It is a simple question. My immediate reaction to these Beatitudes proclaims exactly what I am.

If I feel that they are harsh and hard, if I feel that they are against the grain and depict a character of life which I dislike, I am afraid it just means that I am not a Christian. If I do not want to be like this, I must be ‘dead in trespasses and sins’; I can never have received new life.

But if I feel that I am unworthy and yet I want to be like that, well, however unworthy I may be, if this is my desire and my ambition, there must be life in me, I must be a child of God, I must be a citizen of the kingdom of heaven and of God’s dear Son.

Let every man examine himself.”

- ‘Studies in the Sermon on the Mount’ page 30-32; Martyn Lloyd-Jones

07/12/2024

🙏

The Bible teaches us not to waste energy arguing with those who do not believe. In 1 Corinthians 2:14, it says, The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.

This means that spiritual truths can only be understood when the Holy Spirit opens someone's heart. Instead of arguing, we should focus on living the truth and sharing it in love, praying for God to open their eyes. Jesus reminds us in Matthew 7:6, Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs.

This is not to insult, but to teach us to discern when someone is not ready to receive the truth.

In these end times, as described in 2 Timothy 3:1-5, people are becoming lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy... This generation mirrors the days of Noah (Matthew 24:37-39), where people ignored the warnings of God's judgment. Our task is to patiently share the gospel with those who will listen, while praying fervently for the Holy Spirit to soften hearts. Let us remember, it is God who transforms hearts not us (John 6:44).

-ctto

24/11/2024

This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

-Mateo 24:14

19/11/2024

📌

👉 THE POWER OF CHOICE: SIN OR OBEDIENCE

The devil cannot make you sin—you must choose to sin. Likewise, God will not force you to obey—you must decide to obey.

📖 Deuteronomy 30:19 (KJV):

"I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live."

👉 Key Lessons:

Resist the devil. He only tempts; the choice is yours (James 4:7).

Take responsibility. Don’t blame others for sin (James 1:14-15).

Choose obedience daily. Walk in God’s Word and follow His Spirit (John 15:5).

Each decision matters. Will you choose sin or obedience?

Choose wisely—eternity depends on it. 🙏

18/11/2024

01/11/2024

Have a meaningful ALL SOULS DAY y'all! ❤

01/11/2024

Napakagandang tanong. And this is my shortest answer.

It would test his faith. Sharing his faith or the gospel is one of the basic characteristic and practices of a Christian. It reminds me sa book ni John MacArthur "Evangelism", ang sabi niya, yung mga newly converted believers daw ay mas nakikitaan ng passion for sharing the gospel dahil fresh sa kanila yung pagkaligtas nila. They know na merong nabago sa kanila. Nakita nila yung impact ng grace ng Diyos sa kanilang buhay at yung beauty ng gospel. Natural sa isang tao na when he is in possession of good news, unang-una niyang gustong gawin ay ibahagi ito sa ibang tao.

Pero, nagiging reality din sa loob ng church na habang tumatagal tayo bilang Kristyano at napapansin natin na hindi naman pala concern ito ng lahat, not everyone thinks the gospel is such good news, hindi na nagiging fresh sa atin yun gospel, yung same impact nung tayo'y bagong naligtas and so, ang nangyayari, the passion diminish over time. Habang tumatagal tayo sa Christianity natin doon din hindi tumatagal yung passion natin for the gospel. And that's a sad reality. Visible yan sa maraming churches and my church is not exempted from this reality.

Kaya, kailangan natin hikayatin ang ating mga kapatiran na hindi ito mawala sa kanilang Christian life. Sabi nga ni Emeal Zwayne, ang "evangelism ang pumapatay o lunas sa sakit ng pagka-bored sa simbahan" (emphasis added). Hindi dapat ito mawala sa atin.

13/10/2024

10/10/2024

PERICHORESIS

• “The one True God is made up of a community of three persons who eternally share their lives with one another. Within the Godhead, the Father pours Himself into the Son. In turn, the Son gives Himself unreservedly to the Father. And the Spirit, as the Holy Mediator, pours their love from each to each. WITHIN THIS DIVINE DANCE OF LOVE, THERE EXISTS NO HIERARCHY. THERE EXISTS NO CONTROL. THERE EXISTS NO AUTHORITARIANISM. THERE EXISTS NO CONFLICT OF INTERESTS. Instead, there’s mutual love, mutual fellowship, and mutual subjection. The mutual sharing that perpetually flows within the Godhead is the cornerstone of love. In fact, it’s the very reason that John could say, ‘GOD IS LOVE’ (1 John 4:8). For if God were not community, there could have been no one for Him to love before creation. The act of loving requires the presence of two or more persons.” ~ Frank Viola. Chapter 12 pp225 of his book “Reimagining Church” (emphasis mine)

• “The church is an organic extension of this community (of three persons in One God) in the Triune God. It was conceived in time (Eph. 1:4-5) and born on the day of PENTECOST (Acts. 2:1 ff.). Properly conceived, the church is the gathered community that shares God’s life and expresses it in the earth. Put it another way, the church is the earthly image of the Triune God. (Eph. 1:22-23). ~ Frank Viola. “Reimagining Church”

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NOTES ON TRINITY

Lesson 1: In Trinity there is 1 What and 3 Who:

1. ONE person that is THREE PERSONS? X
2. ONE being that is THREE BEINGS? X
3. ONE BEING EXISTING AS THREE ETERNAL AND DIVINE PERSONS! ✔

Luke 3:21-22/John 4:34/John 5:31,27/1 John 2:1/John 14:26/Romans 8:27

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the NAME (singular) of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." -Matthew 28:19

Lesson 2: What does Scripture say about Jesus?

1. John 1:1-3/John 5:18/Hebrews 1:2-3
2. Mark 2:10-11/Romans 9:5/Colossians 2:9/Titus 2:13
3. 2 Peter 1:1/Matthew 4:10/Acts 7:59-60

Verses where Jesus is worship as God:
* Matthew 2/Matthew 14:33/Matthew 28:9/John 9:35-38/Hebrews 1:6/Revelation 1:17-18/Revelation 5:11-14

* Stephen call upon Christ to receive his spirit:
Acts 7:59-60 >>> Psalm 50:15

"I AM THE FIRST AND THE LAST!" -Jesus Christ:
* Isaiah 44:6 >>> Revelation 1:17-18

THE TRIAL, THE CLAIM and THE BLASPHEMY: "I AM"
* Mark 14:61-64 >>> Exodus 3:14
* "I AM" mentioned 7 times in the Gospel of John.
* “I am,” said Jesus, “and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven." - Mark 14:62 >> Jesus qouting Psalm 110:1-5 and Daniel 7:13.

✓ Mark 2:5-12 - Jesus has the authority to forgive sins.
✓ Hebrews 1:2-3 - Jesus created and upholds all things. He is the exact representation of God’s nature and radiance of God’s glory.
✓ John 5:18 - Jesus made himself equal with God.
✓ John 1:1-3 - The Word—Jesus—did not come into being. Nothing came into being apart from him.
✓ Romans 9:5 - Jesus is over all.
✓ Colossians 2:9 - All the fullness of deity dwells in Jesus.
✓ Titus 2:13 and 2 Peter 1:1 - Jesus is God and Savior.
What does Jesus admit in Mark 14:61-64 that reminded the Pharisees of Psalm 110 and Daniel 7?
✓ He is the Christ.
✓ He is the Son of God.
✓ He is the Son of Man.
✓ He will be seated at the right hand of God.
✓ He will come with the clouds of Heaven.

Summary:
1. The WORD-who became Jesus-never came into being.
2. The WORD created all things.
3. Jesus claimed to be EQUAL with God.
4. Jesus did things only God had the authority to do.
5. Jesus is called God by Peter and Paul.
6. Jesus received worship.
7. Jesus was prayed to.
8. Jesus declared himself to be the "The First and the Last" which Isaiah says is a title for God alone.
9. Jesus claimed to be the great "I AM", the "CHRIST", the "SON OF GOD", the "SON OF MAN", coming on the clouds, and seated at the right hand of God.

THE TRINITY
Class 4: Is the Holy Spirit God?
1.) The Holy Spirit is a person (not a force)
a.) The Holy Spirit is a "he" (John 15:26-27)
b.) The Holy Spirit speaks. (Acts 13:2)
c.) The Holy Spirit knows things/has a mind (1 Corinthians 2:10-11)
d.) The Holy Spirit can be grieved, which means he has emotions. (Ephesians 4:30)
e.) The Holy Spirit has a will (1 Corinthians 12:11/Matthew 11:27/Hebrews 6:17) (will=boulomai)
2.) The Holy Spirit has attributes of God
a.) The Holy Spirit is a spirit of life (Romans 8:2)
b.) The Holy Spirit is all-knowing/omniscient (Isaiah 40:13-14)
c.) The Holy Spirit is everywhere present/omnipresent (Psalm 139:7-8)
d.) The Holy Spirit is good (Nehemiah 9:20/Psalm 143:10)
(Mark 10:18)
e.) The Holy Spirit is eternal (Hebrews 9:14)
f.) The Holy Spirit is holy (1 Samuel 2:2)
g.) The Holy Spirit is and only speaks truth (John 14:16:17)
3.) The Holy Spirit is identified with God and called God.
a.) 2 Peter 1:21 - it is the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, who gave the autors of the Bible the words of God.
b.) The Holy Spirit is called "the Lord." (2 Cor. 3:17-18)
Yahweh = Kyrios/Lord = The Holy Spirit
c.) The Holy Spirit is defined as God (1 Corinthians 3:16/Acts 5:3-5)

Therefore, the Bible is clear about this facts:

The doctrine of the Trinity means that there is one God who eternally exists as three distinct Persons — the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Stated differently, God is one in essence and three in person.

And the reason why for others, there’s no perfect analogy or word to define or explain the truth about the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and their divine relationship with each other, even by just a single word “TRINITY”, is because we as human has a limited mind, whereas God’s thoughts are way higher than our thoughts. His ways are much higher than our ways.

To understand God and to know who He is as ONE TRUE GOD in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one must be born of water and Spirit because Spirit gives birth to Spirit.

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゚

27/09/2024

“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

14/09/2024

🔥

14/09/2024

❤

14/09/2024

"Ang hangin ay umiihip kung saan nito ibig. Naririnig mo ang ugong nito ngunit hindi mo alam kung saan ito nanggagaling at kung saan pupunta. Gayon ang bawat ipinanganak sa Espiritu." (Juan 3:8)

"Dadalangin ako sa Ama, upang kayo’y bigyan niya ng isa pang Tagapagtanggol na magiging kasama ninyo magpakailanman. Siya ang Espiritu ng katotohanan, na hindi matanggap ng sanlibutan sapagkat siya ay hindi nakikita ni nakikilala ng sanlibutan. Ngunit nakikilala ninyo siya, sapagkat siya’y nasa inyo at siya’y mananatili sa inyo." (Juan 14: 16-17)

“Humingi kayo at kayo'y bibigyan; humanap kayo at kayo'y makakatagpo; kumatok kayo at kayo'y pagbubuksan. 8 Sapagkat ang bawat humihingi ay tatanggap; ang bawat humahanap ay makakatagpo; at ang bawat kumakatok ay pagbubuksan." (Mateo 7:7-8)

04/09/2024

What is true heresy?

Heresy is something that, if it were true, would falsify the Christian gospel. An example of heresy is the claim the church faced in the early centuries that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was not eternal or coequal with the Father but came into being at some point in time. In short, he was other than God. If this were so, we could not be saved. If Christ were less than God and not of the same being as the Father, he would not have been the true revelation of who God is. He could not have truthfully said, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). The gospel—and our salvation—was at stake in this issue.

c: Crossway

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