This study ... Part Ten ... will conclude this series. And, I hope it will stay with you from now on. To recap, Parts 1-6 were meant to lay a solid foundation, and highlight a number of those who personified the theme of this series ... God always has a plan ... and He always has a man. Parts 7, 8 and 9 focused on hitting a few of the high spots regarding who Jesus "really" is, along with my personal confidence of knowing (first-hand) that the Word of God will unequivocally reveal the marvelous mystery that God actually "became" a man in order to do what no other man in human history was capable ... or qualified ... to do, PROVIDED they truly hunger and thirst after righteousness, AND have the capacity to lay aside all of their preconceived ideas, indoctrination, theories, opinions and traditions. At any rate, this "mystery" is hidden to many due to some very effective indoctrination and traditions of man ... AND is still just as misunderstood and resisted today, as it was 2,000 years ago, amazingly by respected and, otherwise, religious people.

Our Precious Lord and Savior ... Jesus Christ (Messiah) ... was known, among the many things, as the "Lamb of God" ... the "Son of God" ... AND the "Son of man.". And, the blood of the Lamb is spoken of as being "slain from the foundation of the world" in Revelation 13:8. As Abraham and Isaac were traversing up the mountain with the wood and the fire, in Genesis 22:7, Isaac asked his father, "where is the lamb?" To which Abraham responded (in verse 8) "... God will provide Himself a lamb ..." It significant to notice that he didn’t say God will provide FOR Himself a lamb, but "God will provide Himself a lamb." That day, God miraculously spared Isaac, and provided Himself a lamb. However, many centuries later, God actually manifested Himself in flesh, and provided Himself a Lamb that would end all sacrifices, when He came down and walk among His own Creation as a lowly servant, while being Lord of all. **IF** the princes of this world had known who Jesus "really" is "they would not have crucified the Lord of glory" (1 Corinthians 2:8). Jesus suffered and endured all the things you and I face and/or go through, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). And, He is able to succour [HELP] them that are tempted (Hebrews 2:18). That said, "... if any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of His" (Romans 8:9). After He finished that strange mission of Immortal God taking upon Himself mortality, and coming into this world, God manifest in the flesh ... the Incarnate Christ ... called, trained, prepared, equipped, empowered and commissioned His "foot print" followers to carry out His Plan, which ... by the way ... was fore ordained of Him "from the foundation of the world." Following His earthly ministry ... death, burial, resurrection AND ascension back up into Heaven, God opened up a door which was NOT limited to just His "foot print" followers, either. It is for "whosoever will" ... which includes you and me, today.

This sets the stage for this final part in this series (Part 10). And, this is worth repeating: Sometimes a person can appear to be a million miles away from God. But, just underneath that hard surface, their heart may be crying out for someone to show them the way. That is why we should be focused on doing what God has called us to do ... and doing it with all our heart. No one has to be concerned about God doing His part. I can assure you of that. God always have a plan ... and He always has a man. When He calls someone for a particular task, He also prepares and equips them to do the job. He looks for "availability" ... NOT necessarily "ability". More often than not, He takes the weak things to confound the wise, and does things in very unconventional ways. When you and I minister, witness and testify to others, it is NOT our job to judge, and decide who will take heed and who won’t. We’re just supposed to plant and water. It is God who gives the increase. It is God who convicts and draws a person to a place of repentance **IF** they’ll ever be born again ... the Bible way. By the way, many times those we think will, won’t ... and those we think won’t, will.

Mark 1:1-8 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins. And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey; And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.

Luke 13:3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

John 15:12-27 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. These things I command you, that ye love one another. If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me. If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin. He that hateth me hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause. But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.

Luke 24:44-53 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy: And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.

Acts 1:1-15 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? 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. Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey. And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,)

Acts 2:1-4 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

At the conclusion of Peter’s very first "Spirit-filled, Spirit-led" sermon in Acts Chapter 2 ... Acts 2:36-42 .. we read: Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

The Apostles One God Monotheistic Doctrine has NOT changed from the day Peter uttered those Spirit anointed words until the day which you and I read them on the pages of God’s Holy Word. That said, in this present world, there are thousands of Christian denominations which utilize a doctrine of salvation other than the "apostles’ doctrine" which we’ve just read. However, this is certainly NOT a new phenomenon. There were divisions and strive in the First Century. That’s why it is so essential that you and I adhere to the Apostles One God Monotheistic Doctrine instead of the doctrines and creeds of man which are NOT in harmony with it. Furthermore, here’s what the Apostle Paul had to say about such ...

But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:8-9)

Peter had been given the "keys" of the Kingdom of Heaven by Jesus, Himself, and told whatsoever he bound on earth would be bound in Heaven and whatsoever he loosed on earth would be loosed in Heaven. However, I have had people tell me that they were going to obey Jesus (or their understanding of the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19), and NOT Peter. However, the name "Jesus" is the name that was alluded to in Matthew 28:19, AND is the name which was invoked by His "foot print" followers and "original" New Testament leaders at baptisms ... AND is verified and documented BOTH Scripturally AND Historically, which I will provide to anyone who doubts, questions or disputes this.

God really does have a plan. And, I encourage ... and challenge ... each and every one of you to be the man, the woman, the boy or the girl who has the courage and commitment to be what God wants you to be ... nothing more and nothing less. Thanks ... and God bless!

 Back to Studies