Chapter – 41 ‘Who is God ask Yosef’
The following week as Yosef was preparing to speak at the CENTER on the following Saturday evening, his mind was going through cartwheels; he wanted to talk about GOD. He wanted to clarify a few gray areas based on what he thought the scriptures taught; not on what some religions or denomination taught their people.
There were many ideas floating around the world on who it was that created mankind. He knew more now [intellectually] than when he had met his friend Jeff several years earlier. To be technical and absolutely correct; God was Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God was all knowing and all powerful; HE was also loving and forgiving just to mention a few of HIS attributes. Some of his favorite passages on the subject were in the gospels: Luke 3:21-22 – Matthew 3:16-17 – John 1:29-34 – Mark 1:9-11. He would like to tell those who attended the CENTER that ‘Scripture interrupts scripture’, [Scripture repeats itself to help its reliability to us mortals].
Then he thought about Jesus; for that short time from HIS resurrection until HE ascended up to heaven. He thought about Acts 1:6-8. Jesus had told the early Disciples that there would be some mysteries concerning Israel but that they were to share the Gospel throughout the world. Then Yosef thought, “Isn’t that what ALL Christians should be doing? If so why wasn’t it happening more?” What was it that Jesus had told his Disciples in John 20:20-22? Maybe, once again, he should remind them who Jesus was; Colossians 1:13-22.
Jesus, God the Son, breathed on the Disciples for a brief moment. He breathed God the Holy Spirit on them to empower them as they were about to go out into the world and share the Gospel. Wasn’t it true, even in today’s world, that to be an effective teacher of the Word; a person must have the Holy Spirit from within, convicting each of us that scripture is the truth; isn’t it what God wants to share with the world today? Just as Jesus breathed on the early Disciples; their lives were never the same. If it were true for their lives then, shouldn’t it be true for we who are saved to serve, in today’s world?
He thought about how Eve was deceived in the Garden by the deceptive enemy of God; it was the fallen angel called Lucifer. Isaiah 14:12-14. The same enemy who attempted to deceive Jesus when he was in the wilderness for forty days preparing for HIS three year ministry here on earth. Matthew 4:1-13. In today’s world he is called the devil; sometimes the word Satan is used but he is the same deceiver of mankind. What the Word conveys is that Satan will do whatever it takes to trick people into downplaying the Gospel of Christ. Yosef thought, “How many people in Tel Aviv are being deceived; how many people in America are being deceived?”
As his mind was deep in thought he asked himself, “If people believe there is a place called HEAVEN; what do they think it takes to live there for eternity? Is it an automatic once they die or maybe the good has to outweigh the bad; what does scripture say?” SCRIPTURE? Wow! Is it outdated? Yosef laughed out loud and then he spoke to himself, “If the dry bones can come back to life, there is a God still in control…. Take that one to the bank, Satan.” Ezekiel 37. Next, Yosef took his pencil and wrote Daniel 12 and then added, when knowledge greatly increases, so to speak, maybe a spike in it somehow; kind of like technology going wild. When travel is more than riding on a donkey or a camel; like a human going to the moon; then does that possible mean the ‘time of the End’ is just around the corner? Could this mean the 11th hour or maybe it was one stroke before midnight?
With science and math a person can calculate how fast earth travels through space and also the speed it rotates on earth’s axis. It has to be perfect for the survival of a human body; God calculated all of it; before Adam was created; possibly around six-thousand years ago if the Jewish calendar is close to correct.
The answer to Yosef’s thoughts was YES there is a God and scripture is the PLAN that we should be following. All of us have choices to make and where we spend eternity depends on those choices. He wrote a few more notes, looked them over and thought, “This is just a good starting point.” A moment later his phone rang; he flipped his pencil on his desk as he answered.
Scripture reference
Mark 1:9-11, NASB 9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 Immediately coming up out of the water, He [John the Baptist] saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him; 11 and a voice came out of the heavens: “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.”
John 1:29-34, 29 The next day he [John the Baptist] saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is He on behalf of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’ 31 I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water.” 32 John testified saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. 33 I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.”
Isaiah 14:12-14 KJV, How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
John 1:9-11 KJV, And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. 10 And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: 11 And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 12 And immediately the spirit driveth him into the wilderness. 13 And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.
Acts 1:6-8 KJV, When they [Disciples] therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 7 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. 8 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.
John 20:20-22 KJV, And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. 21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost.
Colossians 1:13-22, ..first born of all creation & creator of the heavens and earth… [Believe by Faith]
Matthew 4:1-6 NASB, Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’” 5 Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command His angels concerning You’; and ‘On their hands they will bear You up, So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’” [Looks like Satan tried to deceive God the Son but it did not happen]
Ezekiel 37; ‘Read it..’ The nation of Israel basically became extinct in AD 70 until 1948; vs. 21 the sons of Israel will be gathered from the nations and be brought back to their land. [God’s PLAN; Dry bones to living bones]
Daniel 12; ‘Read it..’ Verse 4 speaks of sealing up the mystery until the time is in God’s PLAN.
For my math friends:
C=TT x D, then C / (365 x 24) = mph… In theory the earth travels through space _____ mph. Do ‘U’ feel it?
Given – 93,000,000 miles = radius [distance from earth to the sun] so go figure out in theory; the speed of our earth.
How fast in THEORY does the earth rotate as it travels thru space? _____
DG