{"id":23447,"title":"He's Always Been There - The BELIEVE Blog","description":"\u201dIn the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  Through him all things were made\u2026\u201d\n\nI\u2019m sure that if you conducted a large poll on when people believe Jesus\u2019 life to have begun, most would say, \u201cChristmas, when He was born.\u201d\n\nNow, I\u2019m not going to get into an argument on whether Christ was actually born on December 25th! There\u2019s something much more important to understand here.","content":"<blockquote><p><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/UfgxAVdVZ9ElpPtkRcWEkV0rACY1zvnj2S2GlBCk1pM3Nv14.jpeg\" alt=\"UfgxAVdVZ9ElpPtkRcWEkV0rACY1zvnj2S2GlBCk1pM3Nv14.jpeg\" \/>\u201dI<span style=\"font-family:'system-ui', '-apple-system', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Noto Sans', sans-serif, Arial;\">n the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made\u2026\u201d John 1:1-3<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote><p>I\u2019m sure that if you conducted a large poll on when people believe Jesus\u2019 life to have begun, most would say, \u201cChristmas, when He was born.\u201d<\/p><p>Now, I\u2019m not going to get into an argument on whether Christ was actually born on December 25th! There\u2019s something much more important to understand here.<\/p><p>The correct answer to this hypothetical poll is found in John\u2019s Gospel, in literally the first line.<\/p><p>It cannot be mistaken and it cannot be argued.<\/p><p>Jesus was <em>always<\/em> there.<\/p><p>Because, contrary to the belief of some so-called Christian sects, Jesus IS God.<\/p><p>Without that truth, there is no Gospel.<\/p><p>Jesus said to the rich, young ruler in Mark 10:18 \u201cWhy callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God.\u201d<\/p><p>The question Jesus first asks here is provocative and I love it. If He is truly good, then He is God.<\/p><p>If there is none good, only God, then only God can be the perfect sacrifice necessary to be the propiation for our sins, 1 John 2:2.<\/p><p>An incredible account that illustrates Jesus as God, pre-Gospels is found in Joshua 5.<\/p><p>It says that Joshua was by Jericho. I imagine this to be a scene where the leader of God\u2019s people is contemplating the task ahead.<\/p><p>In this moment, Joshua sees a man with a sword and so Joshua asks who\u2019s side this man fights for. What this man says is stunning, \u201c\u2026as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come\u2026\u201d verse 14.<\/p><p>How do I know this is Jesus? Because Jesus is the leader of the angel-armies of Heaven and Joshua worships this man and the man does not try to stop him as all other angels do in their encounters with men.<\/p><p>In fact, this captain gives the same command to Joshua that the voice from the burning bush did to Moses. \u201cLoose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy,\u201d verse 15.<\/p><p>If John\u2019s opening statement to his account of Christ is not good enough for you, we have the very words of Jesus Himself in chapter 8, verse 58, <em>\u201cI solemnly declare it: before Abraham came to be, I AM.\u201d<\/em><\/p><p>Just imagine the utter outrage of the religious leaders who were there (perhaps even some today!) when Jesus uttered these unmistakeable words.<\/p><p>He was leaving no room for doubt. Anyone who did not believe that Jesus was the promised Messiah, God in the flesh, was believing something else on purpose.<\/p><p>The only question that remains now is, what do <em>you<\/em> believe?<\/p><p>Jacob Shepherd<\/p><p>CEO &amp; Co-Founder | Revival<\/p><p>:::::::::::::::::<\/p><p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/revivalforeveryone.com\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Shop with us<\/strong><\/a><\/p><p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/revivalforeveryone.com\/about-us\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Learn more about us<\/strong><\/a><\/p><p>Follow us on instagram -\u00a0<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/revivalforeveryone\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/revivalforeveryone\/<\/a><\/p>","urlTitle":"hes-always-been-there-the-believe-blog","url":"\/blog\/hes-always-been-there-the-believe-blog\/","editListUrl":"\/my-blogs","editUrl":"\/my-blogs\/edit\/hes-always-been-there-the-believe-blog\/","fullUrl":"https:\/\/revivalforeveryone.com\/blog\/hes-always-been-there-the-believe-blog\/","featured":false,"published":true,"showOnSitemap":true,"hidden":false,"visibility":null,"createdAt":1672226578,"updatedAt":1672272473,"publishedAt":1672272473,"lastReadAt":null,"division":{"id":233745,"name":"Revival"},"tags":[],"metaImage":{"original":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/8v2pu3qoibxsvncnkzs6owgyyloui08jig9rwbqgoszydvsv.jpeg","thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/8v2pu3qoibxsvncnkzs6owgyyloui08jig9rwbqgoszydvsv.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/8v2pu3qoibxsvncnkzs6owgyyloui08jig9rwbqgoszydvsv.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"metaTitle":"","metaDescription":"","keyPhraseCampaignId":null,"series":[],"similarReads":[{"id":30846,"title":"Life, Light & Love - the BELIEVE Blog","url":"\/blog\/we-need-light\/","urlTitle":"we-need-light","division":233745,"description":"You could put every colour of the rainbow into a stained glass object and then weave into it a tapestry depicting a whole chronicle of tales. Yet, without a significant light behind it, that work of art will never be realised at any where near its potential.\n\nDid you know that you are a work of art? It\u2019s true! You were made on purpose, for a purpose. Just like a stained glass, however, you need the light of Christ, not just within you, but shining through you, in order that you reach your intended brilliance.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/jqx3w6psdsroibisubycidsawooqdgdh221c2wzuud59wytm.png.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/jqx3w6psdsroibisubycidsawooqdgdh221c2wzuud59wytm.png.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":31894,"title":"The Father We Don't Deserve - the BELIEVE Blog ft. Nathanael","url":"\/blog\/the-father-we-dont-deserve\/","urlTitle":"the-father-we-dont-deserve","division":233745,"description":"We all know the story of the prodigal son. We've been taught it since our first days of Sunday school or at home. This story is glossed over and a lot of people never fully understand it and in doing so often become the first born son or 'the bad guy' of the story. \n\nThe eldest only ever worked hard for his dad so surely he deserved the feast more than the one that ran away into sin, right? Well, no, hear me out...","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/n7efau0fnxgythyb8tuaa2ambufslaeyuc6atw0ia5zwgfxq.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/n7efau0fnxgythyb8tuaa2ambufslaeyuc6atw0ia5zwgfxq.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":34543,"title":"The Power of Encouragement - The BELIEVE Blog","url":"\/blog\/the-power-of-encouragement-the-believe-blog\/","urlTitle":"the-power-of-encouragement-the-believe-blog","division":233745,"description":"Man was made in the image of God, right? Genesis 1:27. And how was it that God created everything? Genesis 1:3 \u201cAnd God said\u2026\u201d It was the spoken word that brought all existence to life. And, having been made in God\u2019s image, you have received the same power to both create and destroy with your words.\n\nThe spoken word has the power to destroy friendships, churches, even nations. Words can provoke and, in fact, they\u2019re designed to. God has given us this power but...","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/oahov3inap2y7wh8rk9stoaqa4syggqu7ywkneolwrwohmfy.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/oahov3inap2y7wh8rk9stoaqa4syggqu7ywkneolwrwohmfy.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0}],"labels":[]}