The Triune God Revealed in The Old Testament (Sunday Nov 23, 2025)

Listen to Audio Message: The Triune God Revealed in the Old Testament

Joel Henry

Good morning. God bless. It’s good to be back in the house of the Lord again. Glad to have our dear family members here—Sister Susie, Sister Jane, and Brother Joe. I’m really happy to see you all; we definitely missed you.

Last week I told the pastor what I was going to share today, but I was torn between two topics. When I sat down to read and take notes, a short video popped up online—completely unprompted—and it was about the second topic I had been considering. So even though I told Pastor I would do a song, I decided instead to expand on this subject.

The clip was from a debate about ten years ago between a Muslim scholar named Shabir Ali and a Christian apologist named Nabeel Qureshi. The debate was titled “What Is God Really Like? Tawhid or Trinity?”

For context, Tawhid means the absolute oneness of God in Islamic belief—the idea that associating anything with God, including the Trinity, is the greatest sin (called shirk), unforgivable and in some regions punishable by death.

Shabir Ali’s main argument wasn’t simply that the word “Trinity” doesn’t appear in the Bible. His argument was that the concept itself does not exist in Scripture, especially in the Old Testament. Many people assume the Trinity is something Christians invented later, and so I want to walk through Scripture—especially Old Testament passages—that show otherwise.

My goal today is simple:
To remind us where the Scriptures reveal the Trinity, so that when we share our faith, we speak with clarity and confidence.

Before diving into verses, we need to define the Trinity:

1. Three distinct, co-eternal Persons.

2. One essence or nature shared by all three.

3. Each Person is fully God, yet there is one God.

The key is the shared essence. If they were three different essences, then yes, that would be three gods. But the Bible teaches oneness of being and distinction of persons.

1. Creation

Genesis starts with plurality:

Genesis 1:1–3
“In the beginning God created… and the Spirit of God was hovering... Then God said…”

We see:

• God (the Father)

• The Spirit of God

• The spoken Word (later revealed as Christ)

John explains this openly:

John 1:1–5
“In the beginning was the Word… and the Word was God… all things came into being through Him…”

Paul confirms:

Colossians 1:16–18
“All things were created through Him and for Him…”

Jehovah’s Witnesses use “firstborn” to argue Jesus was created, but the term means preeminent position, not origin. The First Lady is not the first woman ever created; she holds a position.

Also, John 1:3 makes it impossible for Christ to be created:

“Apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.”

He cannot create Himself. Therefore He is uncreated.

2. Abraham and the Lord Who Appeared

Genesis 18
Three men appear to Abraham. One is called “the LORD.” Abraham speaks with Him as Judge of all the earth.

Genesis 19:24
“The LORD rained fire… from the LORD out of heaven.”

Two persons, both called Lord.

3. The Angel of the Lord — A Pre-Incarnate Christ

Hagar meets Him:

Genesis 16
The Angel of the Lord promises, “I will multiply your descendants”—something only God says.
Hagar responds: “You are the God who sees me.”

Abraham meets Him:

Genesis 22
The Angel of the Lord says,
“You have not withheld your son… from Me.”

Moses meets Him in the burning bush:

Exodus 3
The Angel of the Lord appears…
Then God speaks from the bush:
“I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

The Angel of the Lord is called God, speaks as God, and receives worship.

4. Isaiah 63 — All Three Persons

Isaiah 63:7–14 shows in one passage:

• The LORD (Father)

• The Angel of His Presence (Son)

• The Holy Spirit

It even says Israel “grieved His Holy Spirit.”

5. Judges — The Angel of the Lord Again

Judges 2
The Angel of the Lord says:
“I brought you up out of Egypt.”

Judges 6
The LORD says:
“I brought you up out of Egypt.”

Same action, same claim, same identity.

Judges 13 (Samson’s parents)
The Angel’s name is “wonderful.”
Isaiah says the Messiah is Wonderful Counselor.

When He departs, Manoah says:
“We shall surely die, for we have seen God.”

6. The Clouds — Divine Presence

In Matthew 26, Jesus tells the high priest:

“You will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven.”

He is quoting Daniel 7:13–14, where the Son of Man receives worship and an eternal kingdom.
The high priest tears his clothes because Jesus is claiming divine identity.

In the Old Testament, clouds always represent God’s glory:

• Mount Sinai

• The Tabernacle

• Wilderness guidance

Only God rides on the clouds.

7. Salvation — All Three Persons Working Together

1 Corinthians 6:11
“You were washed… in the name of the Lord Jesus… and in the Spirit of our God.”

Titus 3:4–7
God saves, through the Spirit, poured out through Jesus.

Conclusion

If the Trinity were not true, the Bible would contradict itself repeatedly:

• The Angel of the Lord claiming God’s authority

• The Spirit giving rest, grieving, speaking

• The Son creating all things

• God being seen, yet “no one can see God”

• Two Persons both called “LORD” interacting

The Trinity makes sense of every passage.

Within the Godhead, love eternally existed.
From that love came:

• grace

• mercy

• forgiveness

• salvation

Every doctrine flows from who God is.

Thank you all for listening. I know this involved a lot of reading, but the Word of God speaks with more power than any commentary we could add. May this strengthen our understanding so we can confidently share Christ with anyone who asks.

God Builds those that are Broken (Sunday Nov 16, 2025)

Listen to Audio Message: "God Builds Those That are Broken

By Manoj MK

Today I want to share a message that the Lord has been ministering to me for months. It is a reminder of who God is when we fail, when we struggle, and when we feel unworthy.

The anchor for this message is found in Luke 15, where Jesus gives three parables—each one revealing the heart of God toward the lost:

• A lost sheep (1 out of 100 or 1% lost)

• A lost coin (1 out of 10 or 10% lost)

• A lost son (1 out of 2 or 50% lost)

God searches, God waits, and God restores.

And what amazes me is why Jesus told these stories. People were criticizing Him for spending time with sinners and tax collectors. Instead of defending Himself, He revealed the Father’s heart.

God Pursues the Broken

Some believers live wonderfully disciplined lives. They get saved, and from that moment on, it seems like their walk with God is smooth and strong. But many of us have stumbled, struggled, and at times failed miserably.

Yet God remains merciful.

He doesn’t excuse sin, and He doesn’t want us to keep falling—but when we truly come back, He receives us.

The High and Holy God Lives With the Lowly

“For thus says the high and exalted One
Who lives forever, whose name is Holy:
‘I dwell on a high and holy place,
And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit
In order to revive the spirit of the lowly
And to revive the heart of the contrite.’”
— Isaiah 57:15 (NASB1995)

What an incredible contrast!

Heaven cannot contain His glory. He dwells in unapproachable light. He is the King of kings. Yet He chooses also to dwell in the heart of the one who repents.

The only door into that fellowship is humility. Pride is the very thing that caused Satan to fall. Pride still destroys lives today. But God is close to the broken and contrite.

Why God Allows Us to See Our Weakness

There were seasons in my life when I asked God:

“Why didn’t You stop me?”
“Why did You let me fail?”

God showed me three reasons.

1. So that the power is clearly from God, not me

“We have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves.”
— 2 Corinthians 4:7

If we never struggled, we would trust in discipline, willpower, and systems—not in God.

2. So we can understand and help others

When you’ve been delivered from something, you can really minister to someone going through it. Not with theory—but with compassion and lived experience.

God is forming counselors through former failures.

3. So He can display His restoring power

Jesus said of the blind man:

“It was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”
— John 9:3

Sometimes God allows an “impossible” situation just so He can show the world what grace can do.

A Picture That Changed My Thinking

One day I felt deeply discouraged about my past—how patchy and inconsistent it had been. I wished my Christian walk looked like the lives of others.

Then God gave me this picture:

Imagine a rich man who owns every car. One more new car brings him no joy.

But imagine he finds a broken, rusted, worthless vehicle. He lovingly restores it—piece by piece. When it finally runs, that brings him joy.

God whispered to my heart:

“That’s how I feel about you.”

He delights to restore. Not because we are worth less—
but because His workmanship shines most beautifully in redeemed brokenness.

What This Means For Us

Let me leave you with four practical responses:

1. Trust God daily—don’t trust your strength

Your righteousness will fail. His grace never fails.

2. Return to God quickly

If you’ve fallen, don’t wait. The enemy wants delay. God wants restoration now.

3. Let repentance be real

Saying “sorry” is not repentance. True repentance:

• Is appalled by the sin, not just the consequences

• Makes corrections and restitution when possible

• Comes without entitlement—only trusting mercy

• Results in changed thinking and behavior

4. Take one obedient step at a time

God’s Word is a lamp—not a floodlight (Psalm 119:105).
You rarely get to see the whole road—just the next step.
Obey what you already know, and more light will come.

Closing Encouragement

Your past does not disqualify you.
Your failures do not surprise God.
Your broken places are not wasted.

Say with Samuel:

“Ebenezer—thus far the Lord has helped me.”

If you come to Him in humility and truth, you will find:

• A Father who runs to meet you

• A Shepherd who carries you home

• A Savior who restores what was lost

Amen.
Let us return to Him with true repentance—and walk forward in His mercy.

Inheritance (Sunday November 9, 2025)

Listen to Audio Message: "Inheritance"

Robin John

First of all, I just want to thank God for the opportunity to share what’s on my heart. I’m so grateful for our church, for how He is using each person here — through testimonies, worship, and lives that are impacting our community. Today, I want to talk about a subject that can feel a little uncomfortable — tithing. But my message isn’t really about money. It’s about inheritance — about what it means to recognize the weight behind what we bring to God.

What Tithing Really Means

When we hear the word tithe, it simply means “a tenth.” It’s setting aside a portion — 10% — of what God has blessed us with and offering it back to Him. It’s a principle that appears all through Scripture. Abraham gave a tenth of everything to Melchizedek, who blessed him. Later, God told His people, “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” (Malachi 3:10, NASB 1995).

For years, I struggled with this. I used to do the math in my head — “If I have $500, that’s $50, but over a year that’s $2,600… that could pay bills!” Eventually, I’d compromise with God — give a little more here, a little less there — but something strange happened. I started noticing that when I withheld from God’s portion, other areas of my life began to feel uncertain or fragile.

It wasn’t about God “needing” my money — it was about trust. I realized my heart was saying, “God, I don’t fully trust You to take care of me if I give this.” That’s when I learned tithing isn’t about the amount; it’s about the posture of our hearts.

The Story of Inheritance

The Scripture that changed my perspective was Deuteronomy 26:1–7. God tells His people:

“Then it shall be, when you enter the land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance and you possess it and live in it, that you shall take some of the first of all the produce of the ground which you bring in from your land that the Lord your God gives you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place where the Lord your God chooses to establish His name.”
— Deuteronomy 26:1–2, NASB 1995

God told the Israelites that when they entered the Promised Land, they were to bring the first fruits — their tithe — to Him. But He didn’t stop there. He asked them to recite their history: “My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down to Egypt and sojourned there…”

At first, that seemed strange to me. The generation bringing this offering didn’t even experience slavery in Egypt — they were born in the wilderness! All they ever knew was the presence of God — the pillar of fire at night, the cloud by day, manna from heaven. Yet God told them to remember. Why? Because the offering they brought carried the weight of 400 years of history. It wasn’t just a piece of fruit or grain — it represented generations of prayer, suffering, and faithfulness.

God wanted them to see that what they held in their hands was the result of someone else’s obedience. The fruit they enjoyed was planted by people who might never see it.

And that’s true for us too. The blessings we walk in today — the opportunities, the faith, the community — are often the result of prayers our parents, grandparents, or spiritual mentors prayed long before us.

The Weight of the Offering

When I bring my tithe today, I don’t see it as a transaction. I pause and ask, “What’s the weight behind this?”

I think of my father — the first man in his village to follow Christ. He faced rejection and ridicule, but he stayed faithful. He built a little church on a small piece of land with his own hands. For over thirty years, that church has been a place where people have found Jesus.

I think of my mother, who never missed a Sunday, even when it meant walking kilometers and taking two buses with me as a child. Her persistence led other family members to salvation. And I think of my grandmother, who prayed over us every morning before school.

When I tithe, I’m not just giving a portion of my paycheck. I’m standing on the shoulders of those who prayed, sacrificed, and believed when it wasn’t easy. I’m saying, “God, I remember. I see what You’ve done in my family line.”

God’s Faithfulness in My Journey

There’s another story close to my heart. When I was young, someone prophesied that I would become a computer engineer. But I was a terrible student — I failed exams constantly. Still, I held onto that word. It took me ten years to complete my degree. There were so many nights I wanted to quit. Then, two years before graduation, God gave me another promise: “Before you graduate, you will have a job.”

That seemed impossible. But two days before graduation, I started my first job. God kept His word exactly. When I give today, I remember that journey — the countless times He carried me through.

The weight behind our offering is our story — the years it took to get where we are, the grace that sustained us, the promises fulfilled.

Why the Tithe Matters to the Church and the World

In the Old Testament, the tithe was divided into two parts: one for the priests and the work of the temple, and another for the poor — the widows, orphans, and foreigners (Numbers 18:25–28).

That still holds meaning today. When we give to the church, we’re saying, “God, thank You for giving me a spiritual family.” Every Sunday, we’re surrounded by believers who stand with us through joy and sorrow, and by pastors who pray, teach, and care for us. Our giving supports that community — it’s an act of gratitude.

And beyond that, God’s heart has always been for those in need. The tithe reminds us to remember others. When we set aside a portion to help the poor, we’re saying, “God, I haven’t forgotten the grace You showed me.”

There’s no reason I’m here and someone else is homeless, except for the grace of God. So I give — not out of obligation, but out of gratitude.

Remember the First

Finally, God has a special place for the forerunners — those who are the first in their family to believe, the first to step out in faith. Abraham was the first, and because of his faithfulness, generations were blessed.

If you are that person — the first in your family to follow God — know that He sees you. Your obedience will echo through generations. One day, your children and grandchildren will bring their offerings before the Lord, and God will remember you.

In Closing

When you come before the Lord with your tithe or offering, pause for a moment. Remember the weight behind it — the story of your family, the prayers that brought you here, and the grace that sustained you through the wilderness seasons of life.

It’s never been about the money. It’s always been about the heart — a heart that remembers, honors, and says,

“God, I thank You. I remember all You’ve done.”

May we give with that heart, knowing we’re standing in the inheritance of those who went before us — and leaving one for those who will come after.