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For by
grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of
yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of
works, lest any man should boast.
Ephesians 2:8,9
Salvation is God’s greatest gift to mankind!
It is also mankind’s greatest need and it cannot be
built, bought, earned or learned.
God does not owe us salvation for some good
thing we have done. Actually, we are incapable of doing
anything good enough or being anything good enough to
earn or merit salvation.
The above Scripture tells that salvation is
“the gift of God”. If salvation could be earned it would
lose it’s ‘gift’ status and become a debt but God is in
debt to no man. So our only hope is in the goodness and
grace of God
It is about what Jesus did at the cross. The
above Scripture also tells that “ye are saved through
faith.” But if Jesus had not gone to the cross for us,
faith or no faith, salvation would never come to us.
The effectiveness of faith is determined by
the object of our faith and faith in anything or anyone
except Jesus Christ will bring you no closer to God.
No man deserves salvation, but the
undeserving are invited to place their trust in Jesus
Christ as their Savior and receive the gift of
salvation.
It is a matter of choice and the urgency of
making that choice, now, is pressed upon us. “...behold,
now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of
salvation.” (2nd.Corinthians 6:2)
Faith in Jesus as Savior is the only way.
Nothing else will work! As Jesus explained to Nicodemus
(John 3) it is called being ‘born again. Nicodemus
protested that a man cannot be born again physically.
That is true, of course, and if he could be born again
physically, fifty times over, he would still be no
closer to God.
Jesus explained that it is not a physical
change, that will come later, (1st.Corinthians
15:53) This mortal body will be left behind anyway, it
is the soul that will move on and must be prepared if it
will exist in the heavenly home with God.
It is a spiritual change and spiritual
things are as unseen as the wind (v.8) but the effects
will be become apparent as life moves on. We will have
confidence toward God, that even Nicodemus, good man
that he was, could not acquire by his works.
Accepting Jesus is the most important ‘work’ of our
life.
I charge to keep, I have
A God
to glorify.
A
never dying soul to save,
And
fit it for the sky.
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Now that you have, by obeying the truth,
made your souls clean enough for a genuine
love of your fellows, see that you do love
each other, fervently and from the heart.
For you are not just mortals now but sons of
God; the live, permanent Word of the living
God has given you His own indestructible
heredity.
It is true that:
All flesh is as grass,
And all the glory thereof is as
the flower of grass.
The grass withereth, and the
flower falleth:
But the word of the Lord abideth
forever.
The word referred to is the message of the
gospel that was preached to you.
1st.Peter 1:22-25 J. B. Phillips
N. T.
The sub title for the above verses is;
“Let your life match your high calling”
We are here reminded that
Christians are to be characterized by a
“love of your fellows”. Some are, no
doubt, thinking, “That would be easier to do
if some of my ‘fellows’ were a little easier
to love.” That is true enough and very
likely some of the ‘fellows’ have the same
thoughts concerning you.
It will be easier in heaven but
while on earth, ‘loving’ and ‘being
lovable’ are both something that we must
all work at.
Someone wrote the following bit
of doggerel.
To live above with those we love,
Oh, that will be glory!
To live below with those we know,
Well, that’s another story.
We are given no assurance that
all of the ‘fellows’ will be lovable but we
are told that we can love because “the live,
permanent Word of the living God (Jesus) has
given us His own indestructible heredity”
(An Agape love)
Don’t expect your love to always
be reciprocated! Paul wrote to the church at
Corinth “...the more abundantly I love you,
the less I be loved.” (2nd.Cor.12:15)
Loving those who love us back is
wonderful but our love is not based on that.
If we love only those who love us we do not
accurately represent Christ.
Jesus said, “If you love only
those who love you, what credit is that to
you? Even sinners love those who love them.”
(Luke 6:32)
John says that if we cannot love
the brethren it brings our claim of
loving God into question. (1st.John
4:20)
Paul’s prayer for the church
is, “May the Lord give you the same
increasing and overflowing love for each
other and towards all men as we have towards
you. May He establish you, holy and
blameless in heart and soul, before God, the
Father of us all, when our Lord Jesus comes
with all who belong to Him. (1st.Thessalonians
3:12,13)
Heb 7:19
For the law made
nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is
the bringing in of a better hope, through
which we draw near to God.
NKJV
Heb 8:6
He is also Mediator of
a better covenant, which was established on
better promises.
NKJV
Heb 10:34
Knowing that you have
a better and an enduring possession for
yourselves in heaven.
NKJV
Our present president
campaigned and was elected on a promise of
“Change.” A majority of our people now feel
that the change proposed is not better for
the country but rather worse.
As is written above,
the law was perfect but due to man’s
inability to fulfill the demands of the law
God made a change that was better and easier
for us.
Someone wrote the
following lines;
“To run and work the
law commands
Yet gives me neither
feet nor hands
But better news the
gospel brings
It bids me fly and
gives me wings”
Men can work but they
always come short; Rom 3:23-24
“For all have sinned
and fall short of the glory of God,”
Anyone can, however,
believe if they choose to do so and that is
the better way to God that is promised
above. It is much easier and better to
believe in what Jesus has already done for
us than to believe in the inability and
futility of what we think we can do.
Men can do many good
things but it is that “coming short of God’s
glory” that will do us in. God is perfect
and I think that you will all agree with me
that we are not.
So what is this
“better covenant” all about? Jesus came and
took on the form of a man. Phil 2:7-8
7 but made Himself of
no reputation, taking the form of a
bondservant, and coming in the likeness of
men.
He demonstrated the
perfectness that God requires and offered to
share the credits of His life and death with
us.
John 6:47-48
47 Most assuredly, I
say to you, he who believes in Me has
everlasting life.
The law had no
provision for those who “came short”.
James 2:10-11
10 For whoever shall
keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one
point, he is guilty of all.
When we stumble as we
surely shall, the gospel has provision for
our repentance, restoration and a second
chance.
God, who at sundry times and in divers
manners spake in time past unto the fathers
by the prophets, hath in these last days
spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath
appointed heir of all things, by whom also
he made the worlds. Who being the brightness
of his glory, and the express image of his
person, and upholding all things by the word
of his power, when he had by himself purged
our sins, sat down at the right hand of the
majesty on high.
Hebrews 1:1-3
There are many changes in
today’s world that are unsettling and cause
concern for God’s people. We must remember
that nothing catches God by surprise. He
knows everything that happens before it
happens and has made preparation for all
eventualities.
The preparations began with
Jesus’ decision to be the “Lamb slain from
the foundation of the world.” (Revelation
13:8) He knew what would happen in the world
that He would create, He went to the cross
to redeem it and is here to uphold it. As
far as the men that he created are
concerned, if the cross and Jesus’ death on
it had not been conceived, mankind would not
have survived beyond the fall. And if Jesus
were not here to “uphold all things” mankind
would not survive now.
The world in general opposes Jesus
Christ and all reference to Him more than
any individual who lives or who ever lived
and yet the existence of everything depends
on Him
The Amplified N.T. translates a
part of v.2 as follows, :He created the
worlds and the reaches of space and the ages
of time (that is) He made, produced, built,
operated and arranged them in order.” In
Colossians 1:17 we read “And He Himself
existed before all things and in Him all
things consist –cohere, are held together.”
Since it is necessary for Jesus
to hold everything together, then it follows
that if He is not in control, everything
will fly apart but He isn’t going to let
that happen! Men can reject the influence
and control of Jesus from their own lives if
they choose but God has invested much in
this world and His plans are not going to be
thwarted by any man or group of men. The
future may look a little discouraging but
God’s plan for the world and those who
choose to love and serve Him will be
realized.
The Apostle described things as
they are going to be in Revelation 21,22 and
it is going to happen.
Thank
God, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, that in His great mercy we have been
born again into a life full of hope, through
Christ’s rising again from the dead!
You can now hope for a perfect inheritance
beyond the reach of change and decay,
reserved in Heaven for you.
And in the meantime you are guarded by the
power of God operating through your faith,
till you enter fully into the salvation
which is all ready to be revealed at the
last.
This means tremendous joy to you, even
though at present you may be temporarily
harassed by all kinds of trials.
1st.Peter 1:3-6 J. B. Phillips N.
T.
A considerable part of the Book
of 1st. Peter, is devoted to the
suffering in the world and the Christian’s
attitude toward it. Well, suffering is a
part of life in this fallen world. Some are
devoted to relieving suffering and others
dedicated to causing suffering.
So! What are we to expect? Our
journey will be “eventful” but God is
standing by to help. Through it all, we “are
guarded by the power of God...till we enter
fully into the salvation which is all
ready...”
Carol and I started on our
journey over sixty years ago now and we have
no regrets. The journey has provided some
rough spots but God has always been there
with His great helping hand.
As to our earthly journey, we
have more behind us than we have ahead. We
are closer to our destination but we are
still moving toward the goal and, no doubt,
there are still some of those “harassing
trials” to pass through.
Looking back we can say, in the words of the
gospel song, “I wouldn’t take nothing for my
journey now” Those “unexplained hardships”
are not worthy to be compared with that
which is ahead, (See Romans 8:18)
The glory of our future home
will be well worth any hardship we endured
on the journey. Those who reject Jesus and
His Gospel, will find that any advantage
they thought to have gained or hardship they
thought to have avoided, by that choice, was
not worth the price they will pay.
The possessions in this life that men work
so hard to acquire are all subject to
“change and decay” but it will never happen
to that “perfect inheritance” which is
reserved at our journey’s end.
We just make the journey one
time. It is a one-way trip and when we
arrive we are there to stay.
O Beulah Land, sweet Beulah Land, As on thy
highest mount I stand,
I look away across the sea, Where mansions
are prepared for me,
And view the shining glory shore—My heaven,
my home for evermore!
Rom 10:3-4
3 for they being ignorant of God's
righteousness, and seeking to establish
their own righteousness, have not submitted
to the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is
the end of the law for righteousness to
everyone who believes.
NKJV
The Scripture draws a comparison between
men’s righteousness and God’s righteousness.
There were those who were quite confident
that their righteousness was enough to
prepare them for entry into heaven. The
righteousness of men is commendable but not
always dependable. It’s flawed! The most
righteous among us would have to admit to
times of temptation when they were not
always all that righteous and those times
must be accounted for.
Rom 10:5
For Moses writes about the righteousness
which is of the law, "The man who does those
things shall live by them."
NKJV
James also wrote, James 2:10
“For whoever shall keep the whole law, and
yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of
all.”
With that in view it seems like depending on
our own efforts to get us ready for heaven
is, to quote an old adage, as futile as
“trying to pick your self up by your own
boot straps”.
A promise,
Rom 4:6
6 Even as David also describeth the
blessedness of the man, unto whom God
imputeth righteousness without works,
That’s what we need! A righteousness that
doesn’t depend on our faulty works.
God has provided! Jesus Christ is the only
man who possesses that kind of righteousness
and He has promised to share that
righteousness with us.
Rom 3:21-22
21 But now the righteousness of God apart
from the law is revealed, being witnessed by
the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the
righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus
Christ, to all and on all who believe.
NKJV
That’s our only hope! Accept Jesus Christ as
our Savior and depend on what He has done
rather than on what we think we can do.
We are warned, however, that there is no
excuse for not doing our best and following
as closely as we can.
Gal 5:13
For you, brethren, have been called to
liberty; only do not use liberty as an
opportunity for the flesh, but through love
serve one another.
NKJV
In words of a chorus’ “Christ is the answer”
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of
Christ: for it is the power of God unto
salvation to everyone that believeth; to the
Jew first, and also to the Greek.
For therein is the righteousness of God
revealed from faith to faith: as it is
written,
THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.
Romans 1:16,17
The short phrase, “The just
shall live by faith.” Is familiar to every
Christian who reads the Bible at all.
Paul found it in the records of
Habakkuk (2:4) and the Holy Spirit probably
said, “Paul, what’s good for Habakkuk is
good for you so don’t forget it.” Paul
maintains that what is good for Him is good
for all of us so he repeated it three times
in the New Testament. Romans 1:17, Galatians
3:11 and Hebrews 10:38.
I take that to mean that men and
women of God are men and women of faith, but
just what is involved? When we were young
ministers there were a few people who
advised us that the above Scripture meant
that I was never to have a designated
income.
Well, as things turned out, it
was that way quite often but I believe the
verse can be applied to more areas of life
than the preacher’s income, or lack of it.
Living by faith means that we
have committed to a way of life and there is
no turning back. We believe that the Gospel
of Jesus Christ is the only way to go.
Paul presents the gospel,
without apology, as God’s answer to the
world’s need. It is not Paul’s creation, it
is the provision of Christ and therefore not
open to debate! It is God’s “Faith based
initiative” but does not have to survive a
congressional vote! Nothing can be “added to
or taken away” (Revelation 22:18,19) as it
is complete. It is designed by God and
supported by the “power of God” and
therefore it works.
People of faith have, by faith,
caught a glimpse of the “city whose builder
and maker is God”. (Hebrews 11:10) Our faith
for the journey is not based on what we can
or cannot do but on what Jesus has done for
us.
Jesus said “Follow Me” and
living by faith means that is what we do.
Following Jesus does not necessarily mean
that the travel conditions are always
pleasant but it means that we are traveling
in the right direction.
Those who walk by sight prefer
the downward easy route but people of faith
are mountain climbers.
It is the destination that
matters.
Acts 12:1-4
12 Now about that time Herod the king
stretched out his hand to harass some from
the church. 2 Then he killed James the
brother of John with the sword. 3 And
because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he
proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now
it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread.
4 So when he had arrested him, he put him in
prison, and delivered him to four squads of
soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him
before the people after Passover.
NKJV
Like his neighbor, Governor Pilate, Herod
was a political opportunist. James and
Peter, along with James’ brother John had
been with Jesus on the mountain and heard
the voice of God say “This is my beloved
Son, Hear Him”. (Mark 9:7)
They were three voices that the religious
leaders of that day wished very much to be
silenced so when Herod saw that having James
killed pleased them He saw a chance to
ingratiate himself with them and he had
Peter locked up.
He intended, after the days of unleavened
bread, to bring Peter out before the people,
and evidently, like Pilate before him, ask
the people what they wanted done with him.
Peter was in prison guarded, twenty four
hours a day by four soldiers at a time. He
was chained to two of them while the other
two stood watch.
When the time came, Herod sent to the prison
for Peter and that’s when his plans all went
awry. Peter was not there!
Herod didn’t
want to try explaining his disappearance to
the people so he had the guards executed and
he went to “Caesarea, and stayed there”. (v.19)
That poses the question, “Why are some of
God’s servants taken at an early age and
others remain for many years. I don’t know!
The answer to that question is with God
only. We are told to, “redeem” (make good
use of) the time Eph. 5:16. To “occupy”
until He comes or calls (Luke 19:13)
You don’t how much time you have neither do
I know how much time I have but we both can
make good use of what time we do have and
that is all that God asks of us.
How blessed is the man who has made the Lord
his trust, and has not turned to the proud,
nor to those who lapse into falsehood.
Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which
Thou hast done, And Thy thoughts toward us;
There is none to compare with Thee;
If I would declare and speak of them, They
would be too numerous to count.
Sacrifice and meal offering Thou hast not
desired; My ears Thou hast opened; Burnt
offering and sin offering Thou hast not
required.
Then I said. “Behold, I come; In the scroll
of the book it is written of me; I delight
to do Thy will, O my God; Thy law in within
my heart.”
Psalm 40:4-8
David, the writer of this Psalm, was
mediating on the wonderful works of God and
was filled with amazement. He then moved on
to considering God’s “thoughts toward us”
and was overwhelmed, crying, “There is none
to compare with Thee.”
God’s works toward us are “too numerous to
count” but one is great beyond our
understanding. In verses 6-8 David is
speaking prophetically of the coming of the
Lord Jesus Christ to redeem and restore
fallen mankind. (see Hebrews 10:5-7) We
can’t know how much of the prophecy David
understood but we understand it because we
are looking back at the record of it’s
happening.
If David was overwhelmed by the promise of
what God had determined to do for us, we
should be amazed as we read the record of
what He did.
Who can imagine the love of the great
Creator God who came to die, and such a
horrible death, to redeem His errant,
created creatures.
There is a line in a song that reads, “When
He was on the cross, I was on His mind.”
Very true, but we were on His mind a long
time before that. Before there was time, as
we know it, farther back than our minds can
reach, when God spoke the word that created
the world, we were on His mind. (Ephesians
1:4)
Before He created the world the cross was
on His mind. (see Revelation 13:8) The cross
would be necessary to redeem those men
creatures that had not yet been created. Why
create them in the first place?
Doesn’t that stagger your mind just a
little? No man would have asked for that
kind of trouble but God said, “...so are my
ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts
than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9)
God loves us with an “everlasting love”
(Jeremiah 31:3) we are here and we can agree
with David, “How blessed is the man (or
woman) who has made the Lord their trust...”
So shall my word be that goeth forth out of
my mouth: it shall not return unto me void,
but it shall accomplish that which I please,
and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I
sent it.
Isaiah 55:11
There is an evil influence in
the world called Satan and the Devil who is
dedicated to frustrating God’s plan and
destroying God’s people. In an encounter in
the wilderness, (Matthew 4) Jesus thwarted
the Devil’s plans by simply quoting God’s
word, “It is written...”
We can still oppose the Devil
and hinder his plans by believing and
quoting God’s word. Not all men seem to know
that but the Devil knows it very well. He
manages to manipulate men and women of the
world to do his bidding but he can’t
influence men and women of the word, which,
I believe, accounts for the present attacks
on God’s word in our country.
The one restraining influence
against the devil’s ambitions is the
Christian who believes and stands firm on
God’s word.
The epidemic of anti-Bible
rulings by leftwing judges outrage us but
God has not lost control. Removing the Bible
from public view is an affront to God but it
could be a means of getting the Bible opened
by more people.
Americans are an independent minded people
and when a judge rules it unconstitutional
to display a Bible in public it may be the
very thing needed to cause some to purchase
a Bible and others to dust off the one they
already own.
God has a way of using the enemy’s devises
to suit His own purpose. When men attack the
Bible they are not attacking an ordinary
book. It is God’s Book and by His power it
will “accomplish” and it will “prosper.”
Other books and papers can
inform or misinform as the case may be but
the Bible will transform. ...” Hebrews 4:12
tells us it is living, “For the word of God
is living and active and sharper than any
two-edged sword...” Judges may have it
removed from public buildings but they can’t
consign it to the “dead letter office” or
from the hearts of believers.
Be indignant at the publishing
of books like “The Da Vinci Code” but don’t
be unduly alarmed. The Author of the Bible
is not intimidated by the critics of His
Bible.
“The grass withers, the flower
fades, but the word of our God stands
forever” while the critic’s writings run
their short course and fade into oblivion.
For the word of the cross is to those who
are perishing, foolishness, but to us who
are being saved it is the power of God. For
it is written,
“I will destroy the wisdom of
the wise,
And the cleverness of the clever
I will set aside.”
For since in the wisdom of God the world
through its wisdom did not come to know God,
God was well-pleased through the foolishness
of the message preached to save those who
believed.
For indeed Jews ask for signs, and Greeks
search for wisdom; but we preach Christ
crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to
Gentiles foolishness
Read 1st Corinthians 1:18-25
NASB
There is a wisdom from below that is earthly
and temporary and there is a wisdom from
above that is heavenly and permanent. True
wisdom is from above and leads to God;
wisdom (so-called) that leads away from God
is false and dangerous.
Many of those who are wise in earthly
wisdom have difficulty in recognizing the
heavenly wisdom.
The preaching of the cross is a
stumbling block to the self-righteous man
because it didn’t credit him enough with for
all of his good deeds. “..I thank Thee I’m
not like other people..” (Luke 18:10)
Being thankful was right but his
reason for thankfulness, his own
self-righteous deeds, was what got him in
trouble. It is written that, as for as
salvation is concerned, “All our righteous
deeds are like a filthy garment:” (Isaiah
64:6) A proud, self-righteous attitude
spoils any good thing that we do.
It was Spurgeon who said, “I
thought that a certain man was just about
perfect, until he said so.”
If it is directed toward heaven, campaign
rhetoric will rise no higher than our head.
The preaching of the cross is,
to the intellectual, foolishness, because it
didn’t credit him enough for his superior
learning and understanding. A, “see which I
myself have built...by the might of my power
and for the glory of my majesty.” (Dan.
4:30) attitude is a dangerous position to
take.
The advanced abilities of
mankind have succeeded in developing a
civilization that is the most violent since
the flood, (Genesis 6:11) and now has the
potential to self-destruct.
It is only by the power of the
cross that men can build a stabile life in
the world and be guaranteed a permanent life
in the world to come.
The wisdom of God provided a
solution which all of the ingenuity and
imagination of the wisest cannot duplicate.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and
that not of yourselves: it is the gift of
God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Ephesians 2:8,9
Salvation is God’s greatest gift
to mankind! It is also mankind’s greatest
need and it cannot be built, bought, earned
or learned.
God does not owe us salvation
for some good thing we have done. Actually,
we are incapable of doing anything good
enough or being anything good enough to earn
or merit salvation.
The above Scripture tells that
salvation is “the gift of God”. If salvation
could be earned it would lose it’s ‘gift’
status and become a debt but God is in debt
to no man. So our only hope is in the
goodness and grace of God
It is about what Jesus did at
the cross. The above Scripture also tells
that “ye are saved through faith.” But if
Jesus had not gone to the cross for us,
faith or no faith, salvation would never
come to us.
The effectiveness of faith is
determined by the object of our faith and
faith in anything or anyone except Jesus
Christ will bring you no closer to God.
No man deserves salvation, but
the undeserving are invited to place their
trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior and
receive the gift of salvation.
It is a matter of choice and the
urgency of making that choice, now, is
pressed upon us. “...behold, now is the
accepted time; behold now is the day of
salvation.” (2nd.Corinthians 6:2)
Faith in Jesus as Savior is the
only way. Nothing else will work! As Jesus
explained to Nicodemus (John 3) it is called
being ‘born again. Nicodemus protested that
a man cannot be born again physically. That
is true, of course, and if he could be born
again physically, fifty times over, he would
still be no closer to God.
Jesus explained that it is not a
physical change, that will come later, (1st.Corinthians
15:53) This mortal body will be left behind
anyway, it is the soul that will move on and
must be prepared if it will exist in the
heavenly home with God.
It is a spiritual change and
spiritual things are as unseen as the wind
(v.8) but the effects will be become
apparent as life moves on. We will have
confidence toward God, that even Nicodemus,
good man that he was, could not acquire by
his works.
Accepting Jesus is the most important ‘work’
of our life.
I charge to keep, I have
A God to glorify.
A never dying soul to save,
And fit it for the sky.
But the path of the just is as the shining
light, that shinneth more and more unto the
perfect day.
The way of the wicked is as darkness: they
know not at what they stumble.
Proverbs 4:18,19
Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is
the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth
to destruction, and many there be which go
in thereat:
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is
the way, which leadeth unto life, and few
there be that find it.
Matthew 7:13,14
The Bible offers us a choice of
two directions of travel through this life.
One way is an upward, shining path that
leads to the perfect day. The other is a
dark path, which leads to a situation, which
is as imperfect as things can ever get.
The lighted path leads to life and the dark
path leads to destruction
Man was not created a nocturnal
creature. We are meant to live in the light
down here and live eternally in that city
where there “is no night.” (Rev. 22:5)
On one occasion, during W.W.II,
I found myself, with two companions, on an
island in the So. Pacific, at night. It was
as dark as night can get and we lost all
sense of direction. We found some shelter
and waited for the sunrise and, believe me,
the sun never looked better or was more
welcome.
Those who choose to
walk in the broad path of darkness in this
life are headed for a place where the sun
will never rise. (Jude 13)
There is a physical darkness and a spiritual
darkness. Physical darkness is a part of
life here but spiritual darkness need never
be.
Men have developed artificial
light that can dispel the physical darkness
but there is no man made light that can
dispel the spiritual darkness. (although
there are those who make that claim)
Jesus is “the true light” (John
1:9) and in Him there is no darkness. (John
8:12)
When the “prince of darkness” intruded into
the world a spiritual darkness settled upon
mankind that not only interrupted lives but
destroyed souls.
No one can fail to recognize nor
will they deny the fact of physical darkness
but spiritual darkness is not so easily
recognized and men don’t like to admit to
its existence.
We
hear much about the “right of choice” now
but that doesn’t mean that every choice is
right. We are given a choice but warned that
the wrong choice carries a very heavy
penalty. |
|
|
As
they were going along the road, someone said to Him, “I
will follow You wherever You go.”
And
Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes, and the birds
of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no where
to lay His head.”
Luke
9:57,58
Jesus had no permanent home in the world and
neither do those who follow Him. No one has a permanent
home in the world, of course, but those who follow Jesus
are headed in the right direction when they leave.
We must keep in mind that we live in this
world as pilgrims not residents. Life in the world
seems, to our limited vision, unfair. Some of God’s
children, live in abundance and some under meager
circumstances. Some of us enjoy freedom of worship and
some risk their lives daily for the Name of Jesus.
We don’t know why the disparity of
circumstances but God leads and we are to follow. He is
the Master; we are the servants. Our assignment is a
matter of priority. God’s priority!
Some
are assigned to difficult places down here. but I assure
you there will be no slums, poverty areas or
sub-standard housing in that Eternal City.
Following Jesus sometimes requires our
leaving all and moving and sometimes it means staying
put. In the case of the Demonic of Gadara (Mark 5:1-20)
following Jesus, after his deliverance from the demons,
meant going home and telling all of his friends, “what
great things the Lord had done for him.” (v.19)
We can tell the world of what God has done
for us but very few of the things that we did without
His help are worth bragging about
Peter and Andrew “...left their nets and
followed Him.” (Matthew 4:18-20)
Never
forget that God calling us into His service is a great
honor. He could make it without us. Paul admonishes us,
“...not to think more highly of ourselves than we aught
to think.” (Romans 12:3)
The attitude of the Pharisee of Luke
18:9-14) “Lord, You really got a bargain when you got
me.” didn’t gain him much favor with God.
God didn’t reach up to call us down, He
reached down to raise us up. In the words of the song,
“I was lost and undone, without God or His Son, When He
reached down His hand for me.”
A good attitude is well described in the
pledge of the marriage ceremony that I used so many
times, Lord I’ll serve You, “for richer, for poorer, in
sickness and in health, till death do we part.” Only in
this case there is no parting at death.
Our commitment, wherever it may lead us in
this life, is forever and forever.
|
For the kingdom of heaven is as a man
traveling into a far country, who called his
own servants, and delivered unto them his
goods.
And unto one he gave five talents, to
another two, and to another one;
After a long time the lord of those servants
cometh and reckoneth with them.
Then he which had the one talent came and
said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art a hard
man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and
gathering where thou hast not strawed:
And I was afraid and went and hid thy talent
in the earth: lo, there thou hast what is
thine.
Read the Parable of the Talents Matthew
25:14-30
God didn’t set a quota for
accomplishments, but when we reach the end
of our journey He does expect us to have
something to show for the trip.
The man above, like most of us,
was a one talented man, but his sin was that
he didn’t try. He was given a talent and he
knew what he was supposed to do with it.
The idea is; We are to sow that
He might reap an increase. We are to invest
the talent that it might show a profit. The
servant sows, the master reaps and the
servant is rewarded for his faithfulness.
No excuse is acceptable! (See
Luke 14:18) Some excuses seem to be of a
little higher quality than others and this
man’s excuse didn’t rate very high.
He said to his master “you reap
where you haven’t sown” (v.24) He was
standing there with the unused talent in his
hand. It was not a good time to talk about
sowing or not sowing.
It isn’t about the amount of
harvest it is about a harvest. Buried
talents and hidden lights will never earn a
“Well Done” for us. It is a “used talent”
and a “light on a hill” that pleases God.
The master took from him his
unused talent and gave to another who would
use it. It is a case of “use it or lose
it.” There is no talent that can be
developed by burying it in the ground or
hiding it under a bushel. (Matthew 5:15)
Even if we are a one talent
person, we can use that talent and we can
“brighten the corner where we are” and make
our part of the world a little more
God-conscious by our being there.
The results are in God’s hands, it is the
effort that we are responsible for.
God, who at sundry times and in divers
manners spake in time past unto the fathers
by the prophets, hath in these last days
spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath
appointed heir of all things, by whom also
he made the worlds. Who being the brightness
of his glory, and the express image of his
person, and upholding all things by the word
of his power, when he had by himself purged
our sins, sat down at the right hand of the
majesty on high.
Hebrews 1:1-3
There are many changes in
today’s world that are unsettling and cause
concern for God’s people. We must remember
that nothing catches God by surprise. He
knows everything that happens before it
happens and has made preparation for all
eventualities.
The preparations began with
Jesus’ decision to be the “Lamb slain from
the foundation of the world.” (Revelation
13:8) He knew what would happen in the world
that He would create, He went to the cross
to redeem it and is here to uphold it. As
far as the men that he created are
concerned, if the cross and Jesus’ death on
it had not been conceived, mankind would not
have survived beyond the fall. And if Jesus
were not here to “uphold all things” mankind
would not survive now.
The world in general opposes Jesus
Christ and all reference to Him more than
any individual who lives or who ever lived
and yet the existence of everything depends
on Him
The Amplified N.T. translates a
part of v.2 as follows, :He created the
worlds and the reaches of space and the ages
of time (that is) He made, produced, built,
operated and arranged them in order.” In
Colossians 1:17 we read “And He Himself
existed before all things and in Him all
things consist –cohere, are held together.”
Since it is necessary for Jesus
to hold everything together, then it follows
that if He is not in control, everything
will fly apart but He isn’t going to let
that happen! Men can reject the influence
and control of Jesus from their own lives if
they choose but God has invested much in
this world and His plans are not going to be
thwarted by any man or group of men. The
future may look a little discouraging but
God’s plan for the world and those who
choose to love and serve Him will be
realized.
The Apostle described things as
they are going to be in Revelation 21,22 and
it is going to happen.
Thank
God, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, that in His great mercy we have been
born again into a life full of hope, through
Christ’s rising again from the dead!
You can now hope for a perfect inheritance
beyond the reach of change and decay,
reserved in Heaven for you.
And in the meantime you are guarded by the
power of God operating through your faith,
till you enter fully into the salvation
which is all ready to be revealed at the
last.
This means tremendous joy to you, even
though at present you may be temporarily
harassed by all kinds of trials.
1st.Peter 1:3-6 J. B. Phillips N.
T.
A considerable part of the Book
of 1st. Peter, is devoted to the
suffering in the world and the Christian’s
attitude toward it. Well, suffering is a
part of life in this fallen world. Some are
devoted to relieving suffering and others
dedicated to causing suffering.
So! What are we to expect? Our
journey will be “eventful” but God is
standing by to help. Through it all, we “are
guarded by the power of God...till we enter
fully into the salvation which is all
ready...”
Carol and I started on our
journey over sixty years ago now and we have
no regrets. The journey has provided some
rough spots but God has always been there
with His great helping hand.
As to our earthly journey, we
have more behind us than we have ahead. We
are closer to our destination but we are
still moving toward the goal and, no doubt,
there are still some of those “harassing
trials” to pass through.
Looking back we can say, in the words of the
gospel song, “I wouldn’t take nothing for my
journey now” Those “unexplained hardships”
are not worthy to be compared with that
which is ahead, (See Romans 8:18)
The glory of our future home
will be well worth any hardship we endured
on the journey. Those who reject Jesus and
His Gospel, will find that any advantage
they thought to have gained or hardship they
thought to have avoided, by that choice, was
not worth the price they will pay.
The possessions in this life that men work
so hard to acquire are all subject to
“change and decay” but it will never happen
to that “perfect inheritance” which is
reserved at our journey’s end.
We just make the journey one
time. It is a one-way trip and when we
arrive we are there to stay.
O Beulah Land, sweet Beulah Land, As on thy
highest mount I stand,
I look away across the sea, Where mansions
are prepared for me,
And view the shining glory shore—My heaven,
my home for evermore!
Rom 10:3-4
3 for they being ignorant of God's
righteousness, and seeking to establish
their own righteousness, have not submitted
to the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is
the end of the law for righteousness to
everyone who believes.
NKJV
The Scripture draws a comparison between
men’s righteousness and God’s righteousness.
There were those who were quite confident
that their righteousness was enough to
prepare them for entry into heaven. The
righteousness of men is commendable but not
always dependable. It’s flawed! The most
righteous among us would have to admit to
times of temptation when they were not
always all that righteous and those times
must be accounted for.
Rom 10:5
For Moses writes about the righteousness
which is of the law, "The man who does those
things shall live by them."
NKJV
James also wrote, James 2:10
“For whoever shall keep the whole law, and
yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of
all.”
With that in view it seems like depending on
our own efforts to get us ready for heaven
is, to quote an old adage, as futile as
“trying to pick your self up by your own
boot straps”.
A promise,
Rom 4:6
6 Even as David also describeth the
blessedness of the man, unto whom God
imputeth righteousness without works,
That’s what we need! A righteousness that
doesn’t depend on our faulty works.
God has provided! Jesus Christ is the only
man who possesses that kind of righteousness
and He has promised to share that
righteousness with us.
Rom 3:21-22
21 But now the righteousness of God apart
from the law is revealed, being witnessed by
the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the
righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus
Christ, to all and on all who believe.
NKJV
That’s our only hope! Accept Jesus Christ as
our Savior and depend on what He has done
rather than on what we think we can do.
We are warned, however, that there is no
excuse for not doing our best and following
as closely as we can.
Gal 5:13
For you, brethren, have been called to
liberty; only do not use liberty as an
opportunity for the flesh, but through love
serve one another.
NKJV
In words of a chorus’ “Christ is the answer”
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of
Christ: for it is the power of God unto
salvation to everyone that believeth; to the
Jew first, and also to the Greek.
For therein is the righteousness of God
revealed from faith to faith: as it is
written,
THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.
Romans 1:16,17
The short phrase, “The just
shall live by faith.” Is familiar to every
Christian who reads the Bible at all.
Paul found it in the records of
Habakkuk (2:4) and the Holy Spirit probably
said, “Paul, what’s good for Habakkuk is
good for you so don’t forget it.” Paul
maintains that what is good for Him is good
for all of us so he repeated it three times
in the New Testament. Romans 1:17, Galatians
3:11 and Hebrews 10:38.
I take that to mean that men and
women of God are men and women of faith, but
just what is involved? When we were young
ministers there were a few people who
advised us that the above Scripture meant
that I was never to have a designated
income.
Well, as things turned out, it
was that way quite often but I believe the
verse can be applied to more areas of life
than the preacher’s income, or lack of it.
Living by faith means that we
have committed to a way of life and there is
no turning back. We believe that the Gospel
of Jesus Christ is the only way to go.
Paul presents the gospel,
without apology, as God’s answer to the
world’s need. It is not Paul’s creation, it
is the provision of Christ and therefore not
open to debate! It is God’s “Faith based
initiative” but does not have to survive a
congressional vote! Nothing can be “added to
or taken away” (Revelation 22:18,19) as it
is complete. It is designed by God and
supported by the “power of God” and
therefore it works.
People of faith have, by faith,
caught a glimpse of the “city whose builder
and maker is God”. (Hebrews 11:10) Our faith
for the journey is not based on what we can
or cannot do but on what Jesus has done for
us.
Jesus said “Follow Me” and
living by faith means that is what we do.
Following Jesus does not necessarily mean
that the travel conditions are always
pleasant but it means that we are traveling
in the right direction.
Those who walk by sight prefer
the downward easy route but people of faith
are mountain climbers.
It is the destination that
matters.
Acts 12:1-4
12 Now about that time Herod the king
stretched out his hand to harass some from
the church. 2 Then he killed James the
brother of John with the sword. 3 And
because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he
proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now
it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread.
4 So when he had arrested him, he put him in
prison, and delivered him to four squads of
soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him
before the people after Passover.
NKJV
Like his neighbor, Governor Pilate, Herod
was a political opportunist. James and
Peter, along with James’ brother John had
been with Jesus on the mountain and heard
the voice of God say “This is my beloved
Son, Hear Him”. (Mark 9:7)
They were three voices that the religious
leaders of that day wished very much to be
silenced so when Herod saw that having James
killed pleased them He saw a chance to
ingratiate himself with them and he had
Peter locked up.
He intended, after the days of unleavened
bread, to bring Peter out before the people,
and evidently, like Pilate before him, ask
the people what they wanted done with him.
Peter was in prison guarded, twenty four
hours a day by four soldiers at a time. He
was chained to two of them while the other
two stood watch.
When the time came, Herod sent to the prison
for Peter and that’s when his plans all went
awry. Peter was not there!
Herod didn’t
want to try explaining his disappearance to
the people so he had the guards executed and
he went to “Caesarea, and stayed there”. (v.19)
That poses the question, “Why are some of
God’s servants taken at an early age and
others remain for many years. I don’t know!
The answer to that question is with God
only. We are told to, “redeem” (make good
use of) the time Eph. 5:16. To “occupy”
until He comes or calls (Luke 19:13)
You don’t how much time you have neither do
I know how much time I have but we both can
make good use of what time we do have and
that is all that God asks of us.
How blessed is the man who has made the Lord
his trust, and has not turned to the proud,
nor to those who lapse into falsehood.
Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which
Thou hast done, And Thy thoughts toward us;
There is none to compare with Thee;
If I would declare and speak of them, They
would be too numerous to count.
Sacrifice and meal offering Thou hast not
desired; My ears Thou hast opened; Burnt
offering and sin offering Thou hast not
required.
Then I said. “Behold, I come; In the scroll
of the book it is written of me; I delight
to do Thy will, O my God; Thy law in within
my heart.”
Psalm 40:4-8
David, the writer of this Psalm, was
mediating on the wonderful works of God and
was filled with amazement. He then moved on
to considering God’s “thoughts toward us”
and was overwhelmed, crying, “There is none
to compare with Thee.”
God’s works toward us are “too numerous to
count” but one is great beyond our
understanding. In verses 6-8 David is
speaking prophetically of the coming of the
Lord Jesus Christ to redeem and restore
fallen mankind. (see Hebrews 10:5-7) We
can’t know how much of the prophecy David
understood but we understand it because we
are looking back at the record of it’s
happening.
If David was overwhelmed by the promise of
what God had determined to do for us, we
should be amazed as we read the record of
what He did.
Who can imagine the love of the great
Creator God who came to die, and such a
horrible death, to redeem His errant,
created creatures.
There is a line in a song that reads, “When
He was on the cross, I was on His mind.”
Very true, but we were on His mind a long
time before that. Before there was time, as
we know it, farther back than our minds can
reach, when God spoke the word that created
the world, we were on His mind. (Ephesians
1:4)
Before He created the world the cross was
on His mind. (see Revelation 13:8) The cross
would be necessary to redeem those men
creatures that had not yet been created. Why
create them in the first place?
Doesn’t that stagger your mind just a
little? No man would have asked for that
kind of trouble but God said, “...so are my
ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts
than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9)
God loves us with an “everlasting love”
(Jeremiah 31:3) we are here and we can agree
with David, “How blessed is the man (or
woman) who has made the Lord their trust...”
So shall my word be that goeth forth out of
my mouth: it shall not return unto me void,
but it shall accomplish that which I please,
and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I
sent it.
Isaiah 55:11
There is an evil influence in
the world called Satan and the Devil who is
dedicated to frustrating God’s plan and
destroying God’s people. In an encounter in
the wilderness, (Matthew 4) Jesus thwarted
the Devil’s plans by simply quoting God’s
word, “It is written...”
We can still oppose the Devil
and hinder his plans by believing and
quoting God’s word. Not all men seem to know
that but the Devil knows it very well. He
manages to manipulate men and women of the
world to do his bidding but he can’t
influence men and women of the word, which,
I believe, accounts for the present attacks
on God’s word in our country.
The one restraining influence
against the devil’s ambitions is the
Christian who believes and stands firm on
God’s word.
The epidemic of anti-Bible
rulings by leftwing judges outrage us but
God has not lost control. Removing the Bible
from public view is an affront to God but it
could be a means of getting the Bible opened
by more people.
Americans are an independent minded people
and when a judge rules it unconstitutional
to display a Bible in public it may be the
very thing needed to cause some to purchase
a Bible and others to dust off the one they
already own.
God has a way of using the enemy’s devises
to suit His own purpose. When men attack the
Bible they are not attacking an ordinary
book. It is God’s Book and by His power it
will “accomplish” and it will “prosper.”
Other books and papers can
inform or misinform as the case may be but
the Bible will transform. ...” Hebrews 4:12
tells us it is living, “For the word of God
is living and active and sharper than any
two-edged sword...” Judges may have it
removed from public buildings but they can’t
consign it to the “dead letter office” or
from the hearts of believers.
Be indignant at the publishing
of books like “The Da Vinci Code” but don’t
be unduly alarmed. The Author of the Bible
is not intimidated by the critics of His
Bible.
“The grass withers, the flower
fades, but the word of our God stands
forever” while the critic’s writings run
their short course and fade into oblivion.
For the word of the cross is to those who
are perishing, foolishness, but to us who
are being saved it is the power of God. For
it is written,
“I will destroy the wisdom of
the wise,
And the cleverness of the clever
I will set aside.”
For since in the wisdom of God the world
through its wisdom did not come to know God,
God was well-pleased through the foolishness
of the message preached to save those who
believed.
For indeed Jews ask for signs, and Greeks
search for wisdom; but we preach Christ
crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to
Gentiles foolishness
Read 1st Corinthians 1:18-25
NASB
There is a wisdom from below that is earthly
and temporary and there is a wisdom from
above that is heavenly and permanent. True
wisdom is from above and leads to God;
wisdom (so-called) that leads away from God
is false and dangerous.
Many of those who are wise in earthly
wisdom have difficulty in recognizing the
heavenly wisdom.
The preaching of the cross is a
stumbling block to the self-righteous man
because it didn’t credit him enough with for
all of his good deeds. “..I thank Thee I’m
not like other people..” (Luke 18:10)
Being thankful was right but his
reason for thankfulness, his own
self-righteous deeds, was what got him in
trouble. It is written that, as for as
salvation is concerned, “All our righteous
deeds are like a filthy garment:” (Isaiah
64:6) A proud, self-righteous attitude
spoils any good thing that we do.
It was Spurgeon who said, “I
thought that a certain man was just about
perfect, until he said so.”
If it is directed toward heaven, campaign
rhetoric will rise no higher than our head.
The preaching of the cross is,
to the intellectual, foolishness, because it
didn’t credit him enough for his superior
learning and understanding. A, “see which I
myself have built...by the might of my power
and for the glory of my majesty.” (Dan.
4:30) attitude is a dangerous position to
take.
The advanced abilities of
mankind have succeeded in developing a
civilization that is the most violent since
the flood, (Genesis 6:11) and now has the
potential to self-destruct.
It is only by the power of the
cross that men can build a stabile life in
the world and be guaranteed a permanent life
in the world to come.
The wisdom of God provided a
solution which all of the ingenuity and
imagination of the wisest cannot duplicate.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and
that not of yourselves: it is the gift of
God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Ephesians 2:8,9
Salvation is God’s greatest gift
to mankind! It is also mankind’s greatest
need and it cannot be built, bought, earned
or learned.
God does not owe us salvation
for some good thing we have done. Actually,
we are incapable of doing anything good
enough or being anything good enough to earn
or merit salvation.
The above Scripture tells that
salvation is “the gift of God”. If salvation
could be earned it would lose it’s ‘gift’
status and become a debt but God is in debt
to no man. So our only hope is in the
goodness and grace of God
It is about what Jesus did at
the cross. The above Scripture also tells
that “ye are saved through faith.” But if
Jesus had not gone to the cross for us,
faith or no faith, salvation would never
come to us.
The effectiveness of faith is
determined by the object of our faith and
faith in anything or anyone except Jesus
Christ will bring you no closer to God.
No man deserves salvation, but
the undeserving are invited to place their
trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior and
receive the gift of salvation.
It is a matter of choice and the
urgency of making that choice, now, is
pressed upon us. “...behold, now is the
accepted time; behold now is the day of
salvation.” (2nd.Corinthians 6:2)
Faith in Jesus as Savior is the
only way. Nothing else will work! As Jesus
explained to Nicodemus (John 3) it is called
being ‘born again. Nicodemus protested that
a man cannot be born again physically. That
is true, of course, and if he could be born
again physically, fifty times over, he would
still be no closer to God.
Jesus explained that it is not a
physical change, that will come later, (1st.Corinthians
15:53) This mortal body will be left behind
anyway, it is the soul that will move on and
must be prepared if it will exist in the
heavenly home with God.
It is a spiritual change and
spiritual things are as unseen as the wind
(v.8) but the effects will be become
apparent as life moves on. We will have
confidence toward God, that even Nicodemus,
good man that he was, could not acquire by
his works.
Accepting Jesus is the most important ‘work’
of our life.
I charge to keep, I have
A God to glorify.
A never dying soul to save,
And fit it for the sky.
But the path of the just is as the shining
light, that shinneth more and more unto the
perfect day.
The way of the wicked is as darkness: they
know not at what they stumble.
Proverbs 4:18,19
Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is
the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth
to destruction, and many there be which go
in thereat:
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is
the way, which leadeth unto life, and few
there be that find it.
Matthew 7:13,14
The Bible offers us a choice of
two directions of travel through this life.
One way is an upward, shining path that
leads to the perfect day. The other is a
dark path, which leads to a situation, which
is as imperfect as things can ever get.
The lighted path leads to life and the dark
path leads to destruction
Man was not created a nocturnal
creature. We are meant to live in the light
down here and live eternally in that city
where there “is no night.” (Rev. 22:5)
On one occasion, during W.W.II,
I found myself, with two companions, on an
island in the So. Pacific, at night. It was
as dark as night can get and we lost all
sense of direction. We found some shelter
and waited for the sunrise and, believe me,
the sun never looked better or was more
welcome.
Those who choose to
walk in the broad path of darkness in this
life are headed for a place where the sun
will never rise. (Jude 13)
There is a physical darkness and a spiritual
darkness. Physical darkness is a part of
life here but spiritual darkness need never
be.
Men have developed artificial
light that can dispel the physical darkness
but there is no man made light that can
dispel the spiritual darkness. (although
there are those who make that claim)
Jesus is “the true light” (John
1:9) and in Him there is no darkness. (John
8:12)
When the “prince of darkness” intruded into
the world a spiritual darkness settled upon
mankind that not only interrupted lives but
destroyed souls.
No one can fail to recognize nor
will they deny the fact of physical darkness
but spiritual darkness is not so easily
recognized and men don’t like to admit to
its existence.
We
hear much about the “right of choice” now
but that doesn’t mean that every choice is
right. We are given a choice but warned that
the wrong choice carries a very heavy
penalty.
As they were going along the road, someone
said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You
go.”
And Jesus said to him, “The foxes have
holes, and the birds of the air have nests,
but the Son of Man has no where to lay His
head.”
Luke 9:57,58
Jesus had no permanent home in
the world and neither do those who follow
Him. No one has a permanent home in the
world, of course, but those who follow Jesus
are headed in the right direction when they
leave.
We must keep in mind that we
live in this world as pilgrims not
residents. Life in the world seems, to our
limited vision, unfair. Some of God’s
children, live in abundance and some under
meager circumstances. Some of us enjoy
freedom of worship and some risk their lives
daily for the Name of Jesus.
We don’t know why the disparity
of circumstances but God leads and we are to
follow. He is the Master; we are the
servants. Our assignment is a matter of
priority. God’s priority!
Some are assigned to difficult places down
here. but I assure you there will be no
slums, poverty areas or sub-standard housing
in that Eternal City.
Following Jesus sometimes
requires our leaving all and moving and
sometimes it means staying put. In the case
of the Demonic of Gadara (Mark 5:1-20)
following Jesus, after his deliverance from
the demons, meant going home and telling all
of his friends, “what great things the Lord
had done for him.” (v.19)
We can tell the world of what
God has done for us but very few of the
things that we did without His help are
worth bragging about
Peter and Andrew “...left their
nets and followed Him.” (Matthew 4:18-20)
Never forget that God calling us into His
service is a great honor. He could make it
without us. Paul admonishes us, “...not to
think more highly of ourselves than we aught
to think.” (Romans 12:3)
The attitude of the Pharisee of
Luke 18:9-14) “Lord, You really got a
bargain when you got me.” didn’t gain him
much favor with God.
God didn’t reach up to call us
down, He reached down to raise us up. In the
words of the song, “I was lost and undone,
without God or His Son, When He reached down
His hand for me.”
A good attitude is well
described in the pledge of the marriage
ceremony that I used so many times, Lord
I’ll serve You, “for richer, for poorer, in
sickness and in health, till death do we
part.” Only in this case there is no parting
at death.
Our commitment, wherever it may
lead us in this life, is forever and
forever.
For the kingdom of heaven is as a man
traveling into a far country, who called his
own servants, and delivered unto them his
goods.
And unto one he gave five talents, to
another two, and to another one;
After a long time the lord of those servants
cometh and reckoneth with them.
Then he which had the one talent came and
said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art a hard
man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and
gathering where thou hast not strawed:
And I was afraid and went and hid thy talent
in the earth: lo, there thou hast what is
thine.
Read the Parable of the Talents Matthew
25:14-30
God didn’t set a quota for
accomplishments, but when we reach the end
of our journey He does expect us to have
something to show for the trip.
The man above, like most of us,
was a one talented man, but his sin was that
he didn’t try. He was given a talent and he
knew what he was supposed to do with it.
The idea is; We are to sow that
He might reap an increase. We are to invest
the talent that it might show a profit. The
servant sows, the master reaps and the
servant is rewarded for his faithfulness.
No excuse is acceptable! (See
Luke 14:18) Some excuses seem to be of a
little higher quality than others and this
man’s excuse didn’t rate very high.
He said to his master “you reap
where you haven’t sown” (v.24) He was
standing there with the unused talent in his
hand. It was not a good time to talk about
sowing or not sowing.
It isn’t about the amount of
harvest it is about a harvest. Buried
talents and hidden lights will never earn a
“Well Done” for us. It is a “used talent”
and a “light on a hill” that pleases God.
The master took from him his
unused talent and gave to another who would
use it. It is a case of “use it or lose
it.” There is no talent that can be
developed by burying it in the ground or
hiding it under a bushel. (Matthew 5:15)
Even if we are a one talent
person, we can use that talent and we can
“brighten the corner where we are” and make
our part of the world a little more
God-conscious by our being there.
The results are in God’s hands, it is the
effort that we are responsible for.
|
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But
this shall be the covenant that I will make with the
house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I
will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in
their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be
my people.
And
they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and
every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they
shall all know me, from the least of them unto the
greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive
their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
Jeremiah 31:33,34
I
believe that I am on safe ground here in drawing a
comparison between life under the Law and life by the
Gospel. Hebrews chapter 8 will back me up on that.
. In the old days under the Law there was some
direct communication between God and a select few, who
then shared what they had heard with the great multitude
who did not have direct access to God.
That situation was changed when the Gospel
era came to pass. God gave us pastors and teachers to
help and encourage us along the way and in more recent
times, the printed page.
The promise above is a little different,
however, it reads, “...they all shall know me...”. It is
the difference between “hearsay” and “know so”. The
Gospel provides that any man, woman or child that
accepts Jesus Christ is on speaking terms with the
Almighty and has direct communication with Him.
We no longer have to depend on someone else
to deliver our message and return with our answer.
Considering the number of Believers in today’s world and
if the Old Testament ratio of messengers to people was
the same, we would learn something about a waiting list.
They have developed computers now that can
make millions of calculations in one second but God has
been doing that all along.
Millions of people may be praying at the
very same time but God does not miss a single sincere,
heartfelt prayer and you never get placed on “hold” nor
does He close the circuit at quitting time.
Actually, the tragedy is that most people
don’t take advantage of this wonderful provision of
direct communication often enough.
In the beginning God came down to walk in the
Garden and talk with Adam and Eve. (Genesis 3:8,9). He
will still talk with His people if we will call upon His
name and give Him our undivided attention.
Page
196 from my book God’s Word for the Daily Walk
Jesus
answered... “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day:
and he saw it and was glad.” Then said the Jews unto
Him, “Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou
seen Abraham?” Jesus saith unto them, “Verily, verily I
say unto you, Before Abraham was, I Am.”
Read
John 8:54-59
During the time of Jesus’ ministry on earth,
He made some startling claims and statements. He claimed
that He lived long before He was born in Bethlehem. He
said that he came down from heaven to visit the earth.
(John 3:13) I heard a minister say, “When Jesus was
born, He was already older than His mother and the same
age as His Father”. John 1:1-3 tells us that Jesus, the
Son was always there with God the Father.
These statements brought joy to the hearts
of some discerning souls who were looking for the
Messiah, the claims were brushed aside by the
unbelievers and the disinterested and they infuriated
the Jewish leaders who wanted to maintain the “Status
Quo” (John 11:48)
People were, and are, divided in their
opinion of Jesus but it is that very division that
determines people’s destiny. Jesus is the “Rock in a
weary land” of (Isaiah 32:2) Jesus is the Rock in the
wilderness of (1st.Corinthians 10:4) Some stumble on the
Rock (1st.Peter 2:6-8) and others live in the protection
of it’s shade and drink of it’s living water.
Jesus is the “secret place of the Most High”
of (Psalm 91:1) where believing souls can dwell in
safety and be no longer afraid of “the terror by night”
‘the dangers that we cannot see’ neither be afraid of
the “arrow that flieth by day” ‘dangers that we do see.”
(v.5)
There is no cause for alarm when we are
livng in “the shadow of the “great rock” which neither
“slumbers nor sleeps” (Psalm 121:3,4)
Jesus is the only secure refuge but some
choose to trust in that which is not secure.
(Deuteronomy 32:31”For their rock is not as our Rock...”
There is a difference! There is a solid foundation and
there is an unstable foundation. (Matthew 7:24-27) Time
and trial will reveal which one is the Rock.
We are building for eternity and it is only
sensible that we should put our trust in the “Eternal
One”
Do not
err, my beloved brethren.
Every
good and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh
down from the Father of lights, with whom is no
variableness, neither shadow of turning.
James
1:16,17
In the beginning God created the earth but
it wasn’t a proper home for the humans that He would
create until He said, “Let there be light:” (Genesis
1:3)
God did not intend for men to live in
perpetual darkness but He did arrange for periods of
darkness that men might rest from their labor. However,
a new day always dawned.
When that creature called Satan and the
Devil intruded into man’s life on earth he caused a
spiritual darkness to settle over the world. This
spiritual darkness gave man no rest and it destroyed his
soul.
God
saw the need and once again He said let there be
(spiritual) light. Jesus, the “bright and morning star”
(Revelation 22:16) and the “Light of the world” (John
8:12) came and a new day dawned. He was and is, God’s
answer to the spiritual darkness of the world.
There are those in our society that object
and express outrage that we maintain that Jesus Christ
is the answer to the spiritual needs of the world but
let us consider some facts.
It is true that Christianity has been
misrepresented by some people at some times but in any
country where Jesus Christ is preached in truth, all the
people are better off.
Other religions of the world favor a select
few and oppress the rest. Where the Gospel is preached
men live in spiritual darkness by choice. Where the
Gospel is not allowed men live in spiritual darkness
without choice.
God is the Father of lights and Jesus the
Son is the “Perfect Gift” come down from above. Not to a
select few but to the whole world of darkness. “For God
so loved the world that he gave His Son...”(John 3:16)
Jesus is the only true light of the world.
The Devil knows this and works hard to keep the world in
darkness.
Many in the world don’t know this and are
content to live in darkness.
Our
greatest purpose for being here is to let our “light
shine before men”. (Matthew 5:16)
Notwithstanding political correctness, if
someone is lost and stumbling about in the darkness, it
is not the time to worry about offending a neighbor by
turning on the light.
Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial
which is to try you, as thought some strange thing
happened to you:
1st.
Peter 4:12
There
hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to
man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be
tempted above that ye are able: but will with the
temptation also make a way of escape, that ye may be
able to bear it.
1st.Corinthians
10:13
We have an enemy, called the
“tempter” (1st. Thess. 3:5) who does not want
us to “keep the faith and finish our course” (2nd.Tim.
4:7) He will attempt to induce, beguile, attract and
persuade but the choice is ours to make. He is the
tempter, not a dictator. God is standing by! He will not
leave us without help.
Sometimes we face a “fiery trial” but God
has a fire escape provided. We can’t escape all trials
(John 16:33) but we can escape the tempter’s purpose for
the trial.
Once
we have accepted the Lord Jesus as Savior some of the
destructive practices and vices of the world have no
influence on us but some trials “such as is common to
man” will confront us all the way to the journey’s end.
Every child of God, without exception, has trials. Some
more than others it seems, but none are unbearable.
In the days of the Apostles, stonings,
burnings, beheadings, killings by wild animals and all
forms of torture were the common trials of the
Christians but they “kept the faith.”
Today, in America our common trials are more
in the line of health problems, financial problems,
family problems and business problems but the tempter’s
purpose remains the same. He does not want us to “finish
the course and keep the faith”.
God has promised “...help in time of
trouble.” (Psalm 46:1) but often there is the time of
“bearing it” which is the greatest test to our faith but
also the greatest testimony to others.
If the people of Hebrews chapter 11 had a
“good report” (v.39) then any excuse that we may have
for not having a “good report” won’t wear very well.
The same power that saw them through their
“fiery trial” will see us through ours. (Hebrews
11:40) reads, “God having provided some better thing for
us, that they without us should not be made perfect.”
No one can explain all trials but our
standing firm during our trials somehow adds to the
perfecting of the promise to which their good report has
taken them.
God wants His house
full. (Luke 14:23) They are already there, our place is
reserved and they are waiting.
Acts
24:24-25
And
after certain days, when Felix came with his wife
Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and
heard him concerning the faith in Christ.
25 And
as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and
judgment to come Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy
way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I
will call for thee.
KJV
Let’s
go back to the above incident in the life and ministry
of Paul again.
Paul
had been in the court of Governor Felix to answer
charges brought against him by certain Jewish leaders.
He had answered the charges easily enough and now Felix
has called him back to hear him concerning his faith in
Christ.
Pau
begin to speak of righteousness, temperance and judgment
to come, but Felix, being a typical ruler of those times
was not well acquainted with righteousness or temperance
and he didn’t want to talk about judgment to come so he
dismissed Paul with a promise to hear him again at a
‘convenient season’.
It’s
that convenient season that will do you in! It seems
that when it comes to talking about faith in Christ
that, for many, a convenient season is hard to come by.
We have all heard the stock reply, “Perhaps another
time!”
It’s a
matter of priority! Decide what is most important, then
make a convenient time and attend to it.
I have
often wondered in Felix ever found his convenient season
to attend to the matter of faith in Christ But there is
nothing in the record that indicates that he did.
It is
distressing to think of anyone eternally separated from
God and all that is good because they never found time
to prepare otherwise.
The
Scripture speaks of a great book called the “Book of
Life.” Rev 20:12
“…the
books were opened. And another book was opened, which is
the Book of Life.”
Just
suppose that in that day you stood before God and
God
looked into His Book and said:
“Your
name I cannot find,
I once
was going to write it down,
But
never found the time.”
If
your name is not found in the Book it won’t be because
God didn’t find time to place it there it will be
because you never found a ‘convenient season’ to make
the arrangements.
Isa
32:1-2
Behold,
a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall
rule in justice.
2 And a
man shall be as a hiding-place from the wind, and a
covert from the tempest, as streams of water in a dry
place, as the shade of a great rock in a weary land.
ASV
There
are two kinds of storm that we can think of here, storms
in the physical world in which we need a hiding place
and storms in our lives in which we also need a place
where we can hide and be refreshed and strengthened.
A
tornado cloud passed over Sheridan a few night ago. The
funnel had dropped down but it didn’t touch down until
it was farther north.
I
have seen some tornados and the results of them in my
home state of Kansas. When Carol and I were just newly
married we journeyed back to Kansas to visit my family.
While traveling through Western Kansas we saw a funnel
cloud that had touched down and was traveling right
behind us. I believe that such a storm travels about
twenty five miles an hour but our 1938
Plymouth could go faster than
that so we left it behind.
After
our visit and we were returning back the Calif. we drove
that same route and we saw, what had been nice farm
buildings that were then just a pile of wreckage.
We
experience the other kind of storms also from we need a
shelter. The above Scripture refers us to such a
shelter, “And a man shall be as a hiding-place from the
wind, and a covert from the tempest,”
It is
not just any man that can qualify to be a “hiding place”
but the Man Christ Jesus can. Only Jesus can speak with
authority to the troubled waters or the troubled soul
and say “Peace, be still.”
Faith in
God will determine if we shall go through or down when
the storm hits.
Paul was
a man who stood firm in his faith in God! He once stood
on the deck of a ship that was breaking up in the storm
and cried, Acts 27:23-24
“For
there stood by me this night an angel of the God whose I
am, whom also I serve, saying; Fear not, Paul”
ASV
Jonah
also stood on the deck of a ship in a terrible storm but
he had no encouraging word for he was a man running from
God.
There is
a song by Mosie Lister, “Hide me Lord til’ the storm
passes by.”
The
above scripture promises to do just that!
And
Pilate wrote an inscription also, and put it on the
cross. And it was written “JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING
OF THE JEWS.”
Therefore this inscription many of the Jews read, for
the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city;
and it was written in Hebrew, Latin and in Greek.
And so
the chief priests of the Jews were saying to Pilate. “Do
not write, The King of the Jews; but that He said, ‘I am
the King of the Jews,’”
Pilate
answered, “What I have written I have written,”
John
19:19-22 NASB
Pilate wrote, “ Jesus the Nazarene, the King
of the Jews” and had it posted in three languages. He
was right about that! Jesus Christ is King in any
language and not of the Jews only.
When Pilate said, “What I have written I
have written” he was referring to the words on the cross
and he stood by his decision. Pilate wrote some other
things into the record that day, however, that is not
such good reading.
There are two statements in the record that
condemn Pilate. “I find no guilt in Him.” (John 18:38)
and then it is recorded “So he then delivered Him to
them to be crucified”. (19:16)
Those records are not on tapes that can be
erased, on paper that can be shredded or on a hard drive
that could ‘accidentally’ crash. There was only one way
for Pilate to have the incriminating records removed and
as far as we know, he was not inclined to take that
course.
The Scripture reads, “for all have sinned
and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) which
means that we all have, or had, a few things on the
record that needed to be removed if we would have
confidence toward God.
The plan is for us to repent, receive Jesus
Christ as Savior and God’s promise is to remove the
evidence, “As far as the east is from the west,..”
(Psalm 103:12)
I can’t give the exact mileage but we can
take that to mean that, for the repentant soul, God
wipes the record clean and removes the evidence so far
away that it can never return.
Another Scripture reads, “Therefore, to one
who knows the right thing to do, and does not do it, to
him it is sin.” (James 4:17) If there is a classic
example of a man being guilty of the above verse, it is
Pilate.
Pilate knew what was right and he was in a
position to do what was right. He didn’t do it and the
record stands according to his own words, “What I have
written, I have written.”
For
this is contained in Scripture:
“Behold I lay in Zion and choice stone,
A
precious corner stone,
And he
who believes in Him shall not be disappointed.”
This
precious value then, is for you who believe.
But
for those who disbelieve,
“The
stone which the builders rejected,
This
became the very corner stone,”
And
“A
stone of stumbling and a rock of offence”;
for
they stumble because they are disobedient to the word...
1st.Peter
2:6-8
“What
then is this that is written, ‘The stone which the
builders rejected, this became the chief corner stone.
Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to
pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him
like dust.”
Luke
20:18
Scripture from NASB
Jesus
Christ is, to we who believe, “A precious corner stone.”
To those who disbelieve He is “A stone of stumbling and
a rock of offence.” To those endeavoring to build a
‘godless’ society, He is, “the rejected stone.” But to
God He is the “choice stone” upon which “God’s Plan For
The Ages” rests.
In the above Scripture in Luke, Jesus had
just spoken the parable of the vine growers, (vvs.9-16)
an obvious reference to the nation of Israel. The people
were appalled at His words so He explained how it would
happen.(vvs. 17,18)
A crucified Messiah became a stumbling stone
to Israel. They fell on the stone, were broken in many
pieces and scattered over the world. They were not
without hope, however, for Isaiah had written, He “will
gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of
the earth.” Isaiah 11:12) Back in their land, they will,
in God’s time recognize the crucified One as, in
reality, their long awaited Messiah. “And I will pour
out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of
Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and supplication, so they
will look on Me whom they have pierced...”(Zechariah
12:10)
To the godless nations to whom he is a
“rejected” stone He will become the stone that falls on
them and “scatters them like dust” and “grinds them to a
powder” (KJ)
Daniel
saw it happen, “Inasmuch as you saw a stone cut out of
the mountain without hands and that it crushes the iron,
bronze etc...” (the godless nations) (See Daniel
3:44,45)
Israel will finally recognize Him and accept
Him as the Corner Stone. A ‘great multitude’ down
through the years have already accepted Him as the
Corner Stone. The unbelieving world will finally
recognize Him as the Corner Stone but will not accept
Him as such. (See Revelation 19:19)
Jesus
answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you,
unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of
God.”
Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is
old? Hr cannot enter a second time into his mother’s
womb and be born, can he?”
Jesus
answered, “Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born
of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the
kingdom of God...”
John
3:3-5 NASB
Jesus’ words to Nicodemus do not reflect, so
much a refusal on God’s part but an inability on man’s
part. We are born with a nature that is suitable for
life on earth but we will need a new nature to enable us
to live in heaven. Jesus said the transformation is
called being “born again” and it is accomplished by
accepting Him as Lord and Savior. “He who believes in
the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the
Son shall not see life.” (v.36)
It is impossible for anyone who does not
believe in Jesus Christ and has refused to be
transformed by accepting Him as Savior, to live in
heaven.
Charles Spurgeon once said, “It is as
impossible for an unbelieving person to live in heaven
as it is for a fish to live in a tree.”
I think I can carry the thought a little
farther and say that, “A person who rejects Jesus
Christ, despises the cross and refuses the authority of
God word, would not be happy in heaven if they could go
there.”
Those who are saying that the
name of Jesus “offends” them here would not be happy in
heaven because they would be hearing a lot about Him up
there.
All are going to leave here and besides
Jesus’ heaven there is only one other place to go.
Judging from the Bible description of that place, I’m
quite sure that they won’t be happy there.
So!
They do have a problem.
I have the solution for them! Admit that,
with your attitude, you’re not fit for heaven anyway,
repent and accept Jesus as your Savior. Once the
transformation takes place, your attitude problem will
be corrected, your spiritual eyes opened and you will no
longer be offended by the name of Jesus. On the
contrary, you will delight in His name and you will
look forward to living forever in that country where His
“name is above every name”. Philippians 2:9)
Ps
24:1-2
The
earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world,
and they that dwell therein.
2 For
he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it
upon the floods.
KJV
It has
been an exceptionally beautiful spring here in Wyoming
with an abundance of rain. The foothills and the meadows
are all a beautiful green and the trees are in full
foliage.
Spring
is my favorite time of the year! Spring speaks of new
life and new life speaks of God.
All
life comes from God and is maintained by God.
Col
1:15-16
Christ
is the visible image of the invisible God.
He
existed before anything was created and is supreme over
all creation,
16 for
through him God created everything
in the
heavenly realms and on earth.
He
made the things we can see
and
the things we can't see—
Col
1:17
He
existed before anything else,
and he
holds all creation together.
New
Living Translation
I
share a verse of poetry by Helen Steiner Rice
“The
earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.”
It
speaks of His greatness and sings of His love.
Through all of creation with symphonic splendor
God
speaks with a voice that is gentle and tender.
And
the birds in the trees in the trees and the flowers of
spring
All
join in proclaiming this Heavenly King.
I
agree with the author! When I see the beauty of a spring
day it speaks to me of God who designed and made it. I
cannot believe any of the evolutionary theories that are
offered.
I use
my computer every day and it does some marvelous things
which I can’t explain but I prefer to believe that there
was some intelligent design in the making of it.
If a
huge explosion in space formed the earth then another
huge explosion could blow us all away and that doesn’t
sound like a promising future.
The
above Scripture Col, 1:17 assures us, however, that the
God who made things will maintain them. “ …and he holds
all creation together.”
For
our light affliction , which is but for a moment,
worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight
of glory;
While
we look not at the things which are seen, but at the
things which are not seen: for the things which are seen
are temporal; but the things which are not seen are
eternal.
2nd,Corinthians
4:17,18
Life in this world comes with problems but
Paul assures us that the problems of life on earth serve
a purpose. We are here for short time but we, as
Christians, are destined for a permanent existence in a
problem-free place prepared by God.
We live in a visible world and the world to
come is not yet seen, only promised. If everything in
this visible world were completely trouble-free it would
dim our vision and dampen our enthusiasm for the
unseen, permanent world ahead.
Trouble will adjust our vision.
Israel’s journey out of Egypt to their promised land is
an example. Life was not easy in Egypt for the
Israelites. The work was hard and the taskmasters were
cruel and demanding (Exodus 5) but the “afflictions”
were an incentive to the Israelites to move on toward
the better land.
We are pilgrims here but will be permanent
residents over there. We don’t have permanent title to
anything in this world. The treasures of this world (and
the afflictions) will all be left behind.
Paul said that the afflictions of life
“worketh for us” not against us. Some of God’s children
have more severe trials and afflictions than others and
I don’t have an explanation for that but I point you to
a most precious promise that appears in the last chapter
of the Book. “He that overcometh shall inherit all
things; and I will be his God and he shall be my son.’
(Revelation 21:7)
We are now in the world of afflictions but
the unseen world is just ahead. The “overcoming” part is
our lot at this time; the inheritance will be ours
later.
Jesus said, “...In the world ye shall have
tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the
world.” (John 16:33)
Jesus did a lot of overcoming for your sake
and mine. Every child of God has their overcoming to do
in this life but we can do it. God promised! “...but
God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted
above that ye are able...” (see 1st.Corinthians
10:13)
“For
we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with
the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points
tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15)
The enemy that we face in life is already
defeated. There is not a single trial or temptation that
you and I may face that Jesus hasn’t already faced and
He won the battle every time.
Afflictions come but we’re not going down
we’re going up!
“…for I have learned to be content, whatever the
circulstances may be. I know how
to live when things are
difficult and I know how to live when things are
prosperous.
In
general and in particular I have learned the secret of
eating well or going hungry—of facing either plenty or
poverty.
I am
ready for anything through the strength of the One who
lives within me.
Philippians 4:12,13
J. B.
Phillips
Paul maintained that he knew how to “eat
well” and how to “go hungry” and still retain his God
given contentment.
Most Christians in America are better
acquainted with the “eat well” times than they are with
the “going hungry” experiences. The latest stats on
obesity in America will prove that point.
Most Christians in America favor the “eat
well” teaching as the popularity of the “How To Use Your
Faith To Prosper” books compared to the absence of any
“How To Glorify God When Going Hungry” books show.
We eat every day and I’m not complaining but
I want to make a point. I’m convinced that God takes no
delight in seeing his children hungry but if it happens,
while we are still in this rebellious world, I’m equally
convinced that God is interested in our reaction.
Life in America is not typical of life in
every country of the world. In some places, when a
person says that they are hungry it means that they have
not eaten in a couple days. When an American say’s that
he is hungry, usually, it means that he was late for the
coffee break.
Some time back I read a report by a certain
mission organization concerning some Christians in a
“Third World” country. They all ate one meal of rice
daily. There was a shortage of rice at that time and the
adults are one meal a day five days each week so that
the children could eat one meal a day seven days a week.
When the missions director asked what he
could do to help. They replied, “We have a shortage of
Bibles. Please send us as many as you can.”
Jesus demonstrated as recorded in John
ch.4. He sat by a well in Samaria sharing the water of
Life with a woman at the well while His disciples were
gone to buy bread.
Hid disciples returned and called, “Jesus!
Come and eat!” Jesus replied, “I have already eaten.”
It is a matter of priority. The spiritual
comes first. God knows and we know that our physical
body needs food to maintain life. God also knows and if
we don’t know we had better learn quickly, that
spiritual needs take precedence.
And I
saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven
and the first earth passed away, and there was no longer
any sea.
And I
saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of
heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her
husband.
And I
heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold the
tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among
them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself
shall be among them.
And he
shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there
shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be
any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have
passed away.”
And He
who sits on the throne said, “Behold I am making all
things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are
faithful and true.”
Revelation 21:1-5 NASB
The first book of the Bible tells us how God
made the world, pronounced it good and ordered Adam to
“cultivate and keep it.”(Genesis 2:15) Things soon got
out of hand and as more and more people were born into
the world the situation became increasingly worse.
The last book in the Bible tells us that God
is going to give us another chance and this time we’ll
get it right. He is going to make, a new heavens, a new
earth and populate those places with “new creatures” (2nd.Corinthians
5:17)
Jesus will be there to oversee all
operations and nothing will get out of hand. There will
be no mourning or crying there because there will be
nothing happen there to mourn about. No violent people
will be there and even the earth will be gentle. There
will be no Tsunami there to wreck havoc, for the
redemption of all things has occurred and even the
creation has been “set free from it’s slavery”.(Romans
8:21)
It
will be what God intended it to be in the first place, a
“people friendly” world and it will last forever. I
won’t try to draw a distinction between a “new heaven”,
a” new earth” and a “new Jerusalem”. They are all part
of the incredibly wonderful place that God has prepared
for the eternal existence of those who will love and
serve Him on this present earth.
Now is the time to make your reservation and
have your flight scheduled. Flight no. 666 is going the
wrong way so avoid that. Accepting Jesus as your Savior
guarantees you a ticket to the place described above and
nothing less will be accepted.
But
perhaps someone will ask, How is the resurrection
achieved? With what sort of body do the dead arrive?
It is
written, moreover, that: The first man Adam became a
living soul.
So the
last Adam is a life-giving Spirit. But we should notice
that the “spiritual” does not come first: the order is
“natural” first and then “spiritual”.
The
first man came out of the earth, a material creature;
the second man came from heaven.
For
the life of this world men are made like the material
man; but for the life that is to come they are made like
the one from heaven.
So
that just as we have been made like the material
pattern, so we shall be made like the heavenly pattern.
1st.Corinthians
15:35,45-49
J. B.
Phillips N. T.
We are born into the world with a body that
is suitable for living in the world but at a time,
designated by God, we shall receive another body
suitable for living in the world to come.
Our present body is patterned after Adam,
who died, but our promised new body will be patterned
after Christ, who can never die.
When we accept the Lord Jesus Christ as
Savior and Lord the arrangements are all made. The
transition time will come! (1st.Thessalonians
4:13-18) When the time arrives whether we have already
discarded this temporary body or whether we are still
living in it, we shall “...in a moment, in the twinkling
of an eye...” (1st.Corinthians 15:51) receive
our promised new body “...fashioned like unto His
glorious body...” (Philippians 3:21). We shall then, in
our new body that can never die go to live in that new
life that will never end.
When we accept the Lord Jesus Christ we
become “a new creature” (2nd.Corinthinas
5:17) meaning that we are changed on the inside and our
desires, ambitions, attitudes, hopes etc. are all
changed. But, we must continue living in the old body
until moving day.
Our eyes have not seen these promises and
our minds cannot comprehend them (1st.Corinthians
2:9) but it will all come to pass.
It doesn’t happen to you automatically,
however. It all depends upon one great decision,
absolutely essential to every person made in the
likeness of the first Adam. We must accept Jesus Christ
as our Lord and Savior! All provisions are made but
Jesus is our only way of assurance that we shall be
there.
There is another place for those who despise
and reject the Lord Jesus and His offer of salvation but
no one in their right mind would want to move to that
location.
Now is the time to make your decision! Delay
is dangerous! (2nd.Corinthians 6:2)
At the
beginning God expressed Himself. That personal
expression, that Word, was with God and was God, and he
existed with God from the beginning.
All
creation took place through Him, and none took place
without Him. In Him appeared life and this life was the
light of mankind.
The
light still shines in the darkness and the darkness has
never put it out.
John
1:1-5
J. B.
Phillips
Jesus is the “Light of the world” (John
8:12) and where He is not acknowledged, the world is in
darkness. Ephesians 6:12 informs us that there are
certain influences who are called the “rulers of the
world’s darkness” who hate the light.
They never cease trying to extinguish the
light but it can’t be done.
While
Jesus was hanging on the cross as the “despised and
rejected sacrificial lamb” (Isaiah 53) there was, for
three hours, a great darkness over the land. (Luke
23:44)) Had Jesus never risen from the grave there would
have been a great spiritual darkness over all the land
from which the land would never have recovered.
The third day dawned; Jesus came forth! All
of the combined powers of darkness could not prevent it.
He became a Light in the world that the darkness does
not “comprehend” (KJ) but cannot “overpower” (alternate
rendering)
The powers of darkness, aided by their human
counterparts, try. They legislate, regulate, expostulate
and intimidate but the light still shines.
There are hundreds of religions in the
present world but they only add to the darkness. Only
the Lord Jesus Christ has the power to dispel darkness
and bring light and hope to an, otherwise darkened
world.
There is a story that when author Robert
Louis Stevenson was a little boy, his mother found him,
one evening, standing at the window watching the
lamplighter light the street lamps. He said, “Look
mother! That man is punching holes in the darkness!”
If you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as
your Savior and are dedicated to His service, your very
presence, everywhere you go, is punching holes in the
darkness.
Jesus also said, to you and I, “You are the
light of the world.” (Matthew 5:14) The song, sung by
Debbie Boone, has it right, saying, “You light up my
life.” God’s Holy Spirit in the lives of God’s people
manifests a light that the powers of darkness hate and
fear but can’t put out.
Jesus said, “Let your light shine before
men..” (Matthew 5:16) It is the only antidote to the
darkness.
|
1 Peter
4:12-13
12 Beloved, do not think it
strange concerning the fiery
trial which is to try you, as
though some strange thing
happened to you;
NKJV
There hath no temptation taken
you but such as is common to
man: but God is faithful, who
will not suffer you to be
tempted above that ye are able:
but will with the temptation
also make a way of escape, that
ye may be able to bear it.
1st.Corinthians 10:13
We have
an enemy, called the “tempter”
(1st. Thess. 3:5) who
does not want us to “keep the
faith and finish our course” (2nd.Tim.
4:7) He will attempt to induce,
beguile, attract and persuade
but the choice is ours to make.
He is the tempter, not a
dictator. God is standing by! He
will not leave us without help.
Sometimes we face a
“fiery trial” but God has a fire
escape provided. We can’t escape
all trials (John 16:33) but we
can escape the tempter’s purpose
for the trial.
Once we have accepted the Lord
Jesus as Savior some of the
destructive practices and vices
of the world have no influence
on us but some trials “such as
is common to man” will confront
us all the way to the journey’s
end. Every child of God, without
exception, has trials. Some more
than others it seems, but none
are unbearable.
In the days of the
Apostles, stonings, burnings,
beheadings, killings by wild
animals and all forms of torture
were the common trials of the
Christians but they “kept the
faith.”
Today, in America
our common trials are more in
the line of health problems,
financial problems, family
problems and business problems
but the tempter’s purpose
remains the same. He does not
want us to “finish the course
and keep the faith”.
God has promised
“...help in time of trouble.”
(Psalm 46:1) but often there is
the time of “bearing it” which
is the greatest test to our
faith but also the greatest
testimony to others.
If the people of
Hebrews chapter 11 had a “good
report” (v.39) then any excuse
that we may have for not having
a “good report” won’t wear very
well.
The same power that
saw them through their “fiery
trial” will see us through
ours. (Hebrews 11:40) reads,
“God having provided some better
thing for us, that they without
us should not be made perfect.”
No one can explain
all trials but our standing firm
during our trials somehow adds
to the perfecting of the promise
to which their good report has
taken them.
God wants His house full. (Luke
14:23) They are already there,
our place is reserved and they
are waiting.
Acts 24:24-25
And after certain days, when
Felix came with his wife
Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he
sent for Paul, and heard him
concerning the faith in Christ.
25 And as he reasoned of
righteousness, temperance, and
judgment to come Felix trembled,
and answered, Go thy way for
this time; when I have a
convenient season, I will call
for thee.
KJV
Let’s go back to the above
incident in the life and
ministry of Paul again.
Paul had been in the court of
Governor Felix to answer charges
brought against him by certain
Jewish leaders. He had answered
the charges easily enough and
now Felix has called him back to
hear him concerning his faith in
Christ.
Pau begin to speak of
righteousness, temperance and
judgment to come, but Felix,
being a typical ruler of those
times was not well acquainted
with righteousness or temperance
and he didn’t want to talk about
judgment to come so he dismissed
Paul with a promise to hear him
again at a ‘convenient season’.
It’s that convenient season that
will do you in! It seems that
when it comes to talking about
faith in Christ that, for many,
a convenient season is hard to
come by. We have all heard the
stock reply, “Perhaps another
time!”
It’s a matter of priority!
Decide what is most important,
then make a convenient time and
attend to it.
I
have often wondered in Felix
ever found his convenient season
to attend to the matter of faith
in Christ But there is nothing
in the record that indicates
that he did.
It is distressing to think of
anyone eternally separated from
God and all that is good because
they never found time to prepare
otherwise.
The Scripture speaks of a great
book called the “Book of Life.”
Rev 20:12
“…the books were opened. And
another book was opened, which
is the Book of Life.”
Just suppose that in that day
you stood before God and
God looked into His Book and
said:
“Your name I cannot find,
I
once was going to write it down,
But never found the time.”
If your name is not found in the
Book it won’t be because God
didn’t find time to place it
there it will be because you
never found a ‘convenient
season’ to make the
arrangements.
Isa 32:1-2
Behold, a king shall reign in
righteousness, and princes shall
rule in justice.
2
And a man shall be as a
hiding-place from the wind, and
a covert from the tempest, as
streams of water in a dry place,
as the shade of a great rock in
a weary land.
ASV
There are two kinds of storm
that we can think of here,
storms in the physical world in
which we need a hiding place
and storms in our lives in which
we also need a place where we
can hide and be refreshed and
strengthened.
A
tornado cloud passed over
Sheridan a few night ago. The
funnel had dropped down but it
didn’t touch down until it was
farther north.
I
have seen some tornados and the
results of them in my home state
of Kansas. When Carol and I were
just newly married we journeyed
back to Kansas to visit my
family. While traveling through
Western Kansas we saw a funnel
cloud that had touched down and
was traveling right behind us. I
believe that such a storm
travels about twenty five miles
an hour but our 1938
Plymouth could go faster than
that so we left it behind.
After our visit and we were
returning back the Calif. we
drove that same route and we
saw, what had been nice farm
buildings that were then just a
pile of wreckage.
We experience the other kind of
storms also from we need a
shelter. The above Scripture
refers us to such a shelter,
“And a man shall be as a hiding-place from the wind, and a covert from
the tempest,”
It is not just any man that can
qualify to be a
“hiding place” but the Man
Christ Jesus can. Only Jesus can
speak with authority to the
troubled waters or the troubled
soul and say “Peace, be still.”
Faith in God will determine if
we shall go through or down when
the storm hits.
Paul was a man who stood firm in
his faith in God! He once stood
on the deck of a ship that was
breaking up in the storm and
cried, Acts 27:23-24
“For there stood by me this
night an angel of the God whose
I am, whom also I serve, saying;
Fear not, Paul”
ASV
Jonah also stood on the deck of
a ship in a terrible storm but
he had no encouraging word for
he was a man running from God.
There is a song by Mosie Lister,
“Hide me Lord til’ the storm
passes by.”
The above scripture promises to
do just that!
And Pilate wrote an inscription
also, and put it on the cross.
And it was written “JESUS THE
NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
Therefore this inscription many
of the Jews read, for the place
where Jesus was crucified was
near the city; and it was
written in Hebrew, Latin and in
Greek.
And so the chief priests of the
Jews were saying to Pilate. “Do
not write, The King of the Jews;
but that He said, ‘I am the King
of the Jews,’”
Pilate answered, “What I have
written I have written,”
John 19:19-22 NASB
Pilate wrote, “
Jesus the Nazarene, the King of
the Jews” and had it posted in
three languages. He was right
about that! Jesus Christ is King
in any language and not of the
Jews only.
When Pilate said,
“What I have written I have
written” he was referring to the
words on the cross and he stood
by his decision. Pilate wrote
some other things into the
record that day, however, that
is not such good reading.
There are two
statements in the record that
condemn Pilate. “I find no guilt
in Him.” (John 18:38) and then
it is recorded “So he then
delivered Him to them to be
crucified”. (19:16)
Those records are
not on tapes that can be erased,
on paper that can be shredded or
on a hard drive that could
‘accidentally’ crash. There was
only one way for Pilate to have
the incriminating records
removed and as far as we know,
he was not inclined to take that
course.
The Scripture reads,
“for all have sinned and fall
short of the glory of God.”
(Romans 3:23) which means that
we all have, or had, a few
things on the record that needed
to be removed if we would have
confidence toward God.
The plan is for us
to repent, receive Jesus Christ
as Savior and God’s promise is
to remove the evidence, “As far
as the east is from the west,..”
(Psalm 103:12)
I can’t give the
exact mileage but we can take
that to mean that, for the
repentant soul, God wipes the
record clean and removes the
evidence so far away that it can
never return.
Another Scripture
reads, “Therefore, to one who
knows the right thing to do, and
does not do it, to him it is
sin.” (James 4:17) If there is a
classic example of a man being
guilty of the above verse, it is
Pilate.
Pilate knew what was
right and he was in a position
to do what was right. He didn’t
do it and the record stands
according to his own words,
“What I have written, I have
written.”
For this is contained in
Scripture:
“Behold I lay in Zion and choice
stone,
A precious corner stone,
And he who believes in Him shall
not be disappointed.”
This precious value then, is for
you who believe.
But for those who disbelieve,
“The stone which the builders
rejected,
This became the very corner
stone,”
And
“A stone of stumbling and a rock
of offence”;
for they stumble because they
are disobedient to the word...
1st.Peter 2:6-8
“What then is this that is
written, ‘The stone which the
builders rejected, this became
the chief corner stone.
Everyone who falls on that stone
will be broken to pieces; but on
whomever it falls, it will
scatter him like dust.”
Luke 20:18
Scripture from NASB
Jesus Christ is, to we who
believe, “A precious corner
stone.” To those who disbelieve
He is “A stone of stumbling and
a rock of offence.” To those
endeavoring to build a ‘godless’
society, He is, “the rejected
stone.” But to God He is the
“choice stone” upon which “God’s
Plan For The Ages” rests.
In the above
Scripture in Luke, Jesus had
just spoken the parable of the
vine growers, (vvs.9-16) an
obvious reference to the nation
of Israel. The people were
appalled at His words so He
explained how it would
happen.(vvs. 17,18)
A crucified Messiah
became a stumbling stone to
Israel. They fell on the stone,
were broken in many pieces and
scattered over the world. They
were not without hope, however,
for Isaiah had written, He “will
gather the dispersed of Judah
from the four corners of the
earth.” Isaiah 11:12) Back in
their land, they will, in God’s
time recognize the crucified One
as, in reality, their long
awaited Messiah. “And I will
pour out on the house of David
and on the inhabitants of
Jerusalem, the spirit of grace
and supplication, so they will
look on Me whom they have
pierced...”(Zechariah 12:10)
To the godless
nations to whom he is a
“rejected” stone He will become
the stone that falls on them and
“scatters them like dust” and
“grinds them to a powder”
(KJ)
Daniel saw it happen, “Inasmuch
as you saw a stone cut out of
the mountain without hands and
that it crushes the iron, bronze
etc...” (the godless nations)
(See Daniel 3:44,45)
Israel will finally
recognize Him and accept Him as
the Corner Stone. A ‘great
multitude’ down through the
years have already accepted Him
as the Corner Stone. The
unbelieving world will finally
recognize Him as the Corner
Stone but will not accept Him as
such. (See Revelation 19:19)
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Truly, truly, I say to you,
unless one is born again, he
cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Nicodemus said to Him, “How can
a man be born when he is old? Hr
cannot enter a second time into
his mother’s womb and be born,
can he?”
Jesus answered, “Truly, truly I
say to you, unless one is born
of water and the Spirit, he
cannot enter into the kingdom of
God...”
John 3:3-5 NASB
Jesus’ words to
Nicodemus do not reflect, so
much a refusal on God’s part but
an inability on man’s part. We
are born with a nature that is
suitable for life on earth but
we will need a new nature to
enable us to live in heaven.
Jesus said the transformation is
called being “born again” and it
is accomplished by accepting Him
as Lord and Savior. “He who
believes in the Son has eternal
life; but he who does not obey
the Son shall not see life.”
(v.36)
It is impossible for
anyone who does not believe in
Jesus Christ and has refused to
be transformed by accepting Him
as Savior, to live in heaven.
Charles Spurgeon
once said, “It is as impossible
for an unbelieving person to
live in heaven as it is for a
fish to live in a tree.”
I think I can carry
the thought a little farther and
say that, “A person who rejects
Jesus Christ, despises the cross
and refuses the authority of God
word, would not be happy in
heaven if they could go there.”
Those
who are saying that the name of
Jesus “offends” them here would
not be happy in heaven because
they would be hearing a lot
about Him up there.
All are going to
leave here and besides Jesus’
heaven there is only one other
place to go. Judging from the
Bible description of that place,
I’m quite sure that they won’t
be happy there.
So! They do have a problem.
I have the solution
for them! Admit that, with your
attitude, you’re not fit for
heaven anyway, repent and
accept Jesus as your Savior.
Once the transformation takes
place, your attitude problem
will be corrected, your
spiritual eyes opened and you
will no longer be offended by
the name of Jesus. On the
contrary, you will delight in
His name and you will look
forward to living forever in
that country where His “name is
above every name”. Philippians
2:9)
Ps 24:1-2
The earth is the Lord's, and the
fulness thereof; the world, and
they that dwell therein.
2 For he hath founded it upon
the seas, and established it
upon the floods.
KJV
It has been an exceptionally
beautiful spring here in Wyoming
with an abundance of rain. The
foothills and the meadows are
all a beautiful green and the
trees are in full foliage.
Spring is my favorite time of
the year! Spring speaks of new
life and new life speaks of God.
All life comes from God and is
maintained by God.
Col 1:15-16
Christ is the visible image of
the invisible God.
He existed before anything was
created and is supreme over all
creation,
16 for through him God created
everything
in the heavenly realms and on
earth.
He made the things we can see
and the things we can't see—
Col 1:17
He existed before anything else,
and he holds all creation
together.
New Living Translation
I share a verse of poetry by
Helen Steiner Rice
“The earth is the Lord’s and the
fullness thereof.”
It speaks of His greatness and
sings of His love.
Through all of creation with
symphonic splendor
God speaks with a voice that is
gentle and tender.
And the birds in the trees in
the trees and the flowers of
spring
All join in proclaiming this
Heavenly King.
I agree with the author! When I
see the beauty of a spring day
it speaks to me of God who
designed and made it. I cannot
believe any of the evolutionary
theories that are offered.
I use my computer every day and
it does some marvelous things
which I can’t explain but I
prefer to believe that there was
some intelligent design in the
making of it.
If a huge explosion in space
formed the earth then another
huge explosion could blow us all
away and that doesn’t sound like
a promising future.
The above Scripture Col, 1:17
assures us, however, that the
God who made things will
maintain them. “ …and he holds
all creation together.”
For our light affliction , which
is but for a moment, worketh for
us a far more exceeding and
eternal weight of glory;
While we look not at the things
which are seen, but at the
things which are not seen: for
the things which are seen are
temporal; but the things which
are not seen are eternal.
2nd,Corinthians
4:17,18
Life in this world
comes with problems but Paul
assures us that the problems of
life on earth serve a purpose.
We are here for short time but
we, as Christians, are destined
for a permanent existence in a
problem-free place prepared by
God.
We live in a visible
world and the world to come is
not yet seen, only promised. If
everything in this visible world
were completely trouble-free it
would dim our vision and dampen
our enthusiasm for the unseen,
permanent world ahead.
Trouble will adjust
our vision.
Israel’s journey out of Egypt to
their promised land is an
example. Life was not easy in
Egypt for the Israelites. The
work was hard and the
taskmasters were cruel and
demanding (Exodus 5) but the
“afflictions” were an incentive
to the Israelites to move on
toward the better land.
We are pilgrims here
but will be permanent residents
over there. We don’t have
permanent title to anything in
this world. The treasures of
this world (and the afflictions)
will all be left behind.
Paul said that the
afflictions of life “worketh
for us” not against us. Some of
God’s children have more severe
trials and afflictions than
others and I don’t have an
explanation for that but I point
you to a most precious promise
that appears in the last chapter
of the Book. “He that
overcometh shall inherit all
things; and I will be his God
and he shall be my son.’
(Revelation 21:7)
We are now in the
world of afflictions but the
unseen world is just ahead. The
“overcoming” part is our lot at
this time; the inheritance will
be ours later.
Jesus said, “...In
the world ye shall have
tribulation: but be of good
cheer; I have overcome the
world.” (John 16:33)
Jesus did a lot of
overcoming for your sake and
mine. Every child of God has
their overcoming to do in this
life but we can do it. God
promised! “...but God is
faithful, who will not suffer
you to be tempted above that ye
are able...” (see 1st.Corinthians
10:13)
“For we have not an high priest
which cannot be touched with the
feeling of our infirmities; but
was in all points tempted like
as we are, yet without sin.”
(Hebrews 4:15)
The enemy that we
face in life is already
defeated. There is not a single
trial or temptation that you and
I may face that Jesus hasn’t
already faced and He won the
battle every time.
Afflictions come but
we’re not going down we’re going
up!
“…for I have learned to be
content, whatever the
circulstances may be. I know how
to live when things are
difficult and I know how to live
when things are prosperous.
In general and in particular I
have learned the secret of
eating well or going hungry—of
facing either plenty or poverty.
I am ready for anything through
the strength of the One who
lives within me.
Philippians 4:12,13
J. B. Phillips
Paul maintained that
he knew how to “eat well” and
how to “go hungry” and still
retain his God given
contentment.
Most Christians in
America are better acquainted
with the “eat well” times than
they are with the “going hungry”
experiences. The latest stats on
obesity in America will prove
that point.
Most Christians in
America favor the “eat well”
teaching as the popularity of
the “How To Use Your Faith To
Prosper” books compared to the
absence of any “How To Glorify
God When Going Hungry” books
show.
We eat every day and
I’m not complaining but I want
to make a point. I’m convinced
that God takes no delight in
seeing his children hungry but
if it happens, while we are
still in this rebellious world,
I’m equally convinced that God
is interested in our reaction.
Life in America is
not typical of life in every
country of the world. In some
places, when a person says that
they are hungry it means that
they have not eaten in a couple
days. When an American say’s
that he is hungry, usually, it
means that he was late for the
coffee break.
Some time back I
read a report by a certain
mission organization concerning
some Christians in a “Third
World” country. They all ate one
meal of rice daily. There was a
shortage of rice at that time
and the adults are one meal a
day five days each week so that
the children could eat one meal
a day seven days a week.
When the missions
director asked what he could do
to help. They replied, “We have
a shortage of Bibles. Please
send us as many as you can.”
Jesus demonstrated
as recorded in John ch.4. He
sat by a well in Samaria sharing
the water of Life with a woman
at the well while His disciples
were gone to buy bread.
Hid disciples
returned and called, “Jesus!
Come and eat!” Jesus replied, “I
have already eaten.”
It is a matter of
priority. The spiritual comes
first. God knows and we know
that our physical body needs
food to maintain life. God also
knows and if we don’t know we
had better learn quickly, that
spiritual needs take precedence.
And I saw a new heaven and a new
earth; for the first heaven and
the first earth passed away, and
there was no longer any sea.
And I saw the holy city, new
Jerusalem, coming down out of
heaven from God, made ready as a
bride adorned for her husband.
And I heard a loud voice from
the throne, saying, “Behold the
tabernacle of God is among men,
and He shall dwell among them,
and they shall be His people,
and God Himself shall be among
them.
And he shall wipe away every
tear from their eyes; and there
shall no longer be any death;
there shall no longer be any
mourning, or crying, or pain;
the first things have passed
away.”
And He who sits on the throne
said, “Behold I am making all
things new.” And He said,
“Write, for these words are
faithful and true.”
Revelation 21:1-5 NASB
The first book of
the Bible tells us how God made
the world, pronounced it good
and ordered Adam to “cultivate
and keep it.”(Genesis 2:15)
Things soon got out of hand and
as more and more people were
born into the world the
situation became increasingly
worse.
The last book in the
Bible tells us that God is going
to give us another chance and
this time we’ll get it right.
He is going to make, a new
heavens, a new earth and
populate those places with “new
creatures” (2nd.Corinthians
5:17)
Jesus will be there
to oversee all operations and
nothing will get out of hand.
There will be no mourning or
crying there because there will
be nothing happen there to mourn
about. No violent people will be
there and even the earth will be
gentle. There will be no Tsunami
there to wreck havoc, for the
redemption of all things has
occurred and even the creation
has been “set free from it’s
slavery”.(Romans 8:21)
It will be what God intended it
to be in the first place, a
“people friendly” world and it
will last forever. I won’t try
to draw a distinction between a
“new heaven”, a” new earth” and
a “new Jerusalem”. They are all
part of the incredibly wonderful
place that God has prepared for
the eternal existence of those
who will love and serve Him on
this present earth.
Now is the time to
make your reservation and have
your flight scheduled. Flight
no. 666 is going the wrong way
so avoid that. Accepting Jesus
as your Savior guarantees you a
ticket to the place described
above and nothing less will be
accepted.
But perhaps someone will ask,
How is the resurrection
achieved? With what sort of body
do the dead arrive?
It is written, moreover, that:
The first man Adam became a
living soul.
So the last Adam is a
life-giving Spirit. But we
should notice that the
“spiritual” does not come first:
the order is “natural” first and
then “spiritual”.
The first man came out of the
earth, a material creature; the
second man came from heaven.
For the life of this world men
are made like the material man;
but for the life that is to come
they are made like the one from
heaven.
So that just as we have been
made like the material pattern,
so we shall be made like the
heavenly pattern.
1st.Corinthians
15:35,45-49
J. B. Phillips N. T.
We are born into the
world with a body that is
suitable for living in the world
but at a time, designated by
God, we shall receive another
body suitable for living in the
world to come.
Our present body is
patterned after Adam, who died,
but our promised new body will
be patterned after Christ, who
can never die.
When we accept the
Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and
Lord the arrangements are all
made. The transition time will
come! (1st.Thessalonians
4:13-18) When the time arrives
whether we have already
discarded this temporary body or
whether we are still living in
it, we shall “...in a moment, in
the twinkling of an eye...” (1st.Corinthians
15:51) receive our promised new
body “...fashioned like unto His
glorious body...” (Philippians
3:21). We shall then, in our new
body that can never die go to
live in that new life that will
never end.
When we accept the
Lord Jesus Christ we become “a
new creature” (2nd.Corinthinas
5:17) meaning that we are
changed on the inside and our
desires, ambitions, attitudes,
hopes etc. are all changed. But,
we must continue living in the
old body until moving day.
Our eyes have not
seen these promises and our
minds cannot comprehend them (1st.Corinthians
2:9) but it will all come to
pass.
It doesn’t happen to
you automatically, however. It
all depends upon one great
decision, absolutely essential
to every person made in the
likeness of the first Adam. We
must accept Jesus Christ as our
Lord and Savior! All provisions
are made but Jesus is our only
way of assurance that we shall
be there.
There is another
place for those who despise and
reject the Lord Jesus and His
offer of salvation but no one in
their right mind would want to
move to that location.
Now is the time to
make your decision! Delay is
dangerous! (2nd.Corinthians
6:2)
At the beginning God expressed
Himself. That personal
expression, that Word, was with
God and was God, and he existed
with God from the beginning.
All creation took place through
Him, and none took place without
Him. In Him appeared life and
this life was the light of
mankind.
The light still shines in the
darkness and the darkness has
never put it out.
John 1:1-5
J. B. Phillips
Jesus is the “Light
of the world” (John 8:12) and
where He is not acknowledged,
the world is in darkness.
Ephesians 6:12 informs us that
there are certain influences who
are called the “rulers of the
world’s darkness” who hate the
light.
They never cease
trying to extinguish the light
but it can’t be done.
While Jesus was hanging on the
cross as the “despised and
rejected sacrificial lamb”
(Isaiah 53) there was, for three
hours, a great darkness over the
land. (Luke 23:44)) Had Jesus
never risen from the grave there
would have been a great
spiritual darkness over all the
land from which the land would
never have recovered.
The third day
dawned; Jesus came forth! All of
the combined powers of darkness
could not prevent it. He became
a Light in the world that the
darkness does not “comprehend”
(KJ) but cannot “overpower”
(alternate rendering)
The powers of
darkness, aided by their human
counterparts, try. They
legislate, regulate, expostulate
and intimidate but the light
still shines.
There are hundreds
of religions in the present
world but they only add to the
darkness. Only the Lord Jesus
Christ has the power to dispel
darkness and bring light and
hope to an, otherwise darkened
world.
There is a story
that when author Robert Louis
Stevenson was a little boy, his
mother found him, one evening,
standing at the window watching
the lamplighter light the street
lamps. He said, “Look mother!
That man is punching holes in
the darkness!”
If you believe in
the Lord Jesus Christ as your
Savior and are dedicated to His
service, your very presence,
everywhere you go, is punching
holes in the darkness.
Jesus also said, to
you and I, “You are the light of
the world.” (Matthew 5:14) The
song, sung by Debbie Boone, has
it right, saying, “You light up
my life.” God’s Holy Spirit in
the lives of God’s people
manifests a light that the
powers of darkness hate and fear
but can’t put out.
Jesus said, “Let
your light shine before men..”
(Matthew 5:16) It is the only
antidote to the darkness.
|
Isa 32:1-2
Behold, a
king shall reign in righteousness, and
princes shall rule in justice.
2 And a man
shall be as a hiding-place from the wind,
and a covert from the tempest, as streams of
water in a dry place, as the shade of a
great rock in a weary land.
ASV
There are two
kinds of storm that we can think of here,
storms in the physical world in which we
need a hiding place and storms in our lives
in which we also need a place where we can
hide and be refreshed and strengthened.
A tornado
cloud passed over Sheridan a few night ago.
The funnel had dropped down but it didn’t
touch down until it was farther north.
I have seen
some tornados and the results of them in my
home state of Kansas. When Carol and I were
just newly married we journeyed back to
Kansas to visit my family. While traveling
through Western Kansas we saw a funnel cloud
that had touched down and was traveling
right behind us. I believe that such a storm
travels about twenty five miles an hour but
our 1938
Plymouth could go faster than
that so we left it behind.
After our
visit and we were returning back the Calif.
we drove that same route and we saw, what
had been nice farm buildings that were then
just a pile of wreckage.
We experience
the other kind of storms also from we need a
shelter. The above Scripture refers us to
such a shelter,
“And a man shall be as a hiding-place from the wind, and a covert from
the tempest,”
It is not
just any man that can qualify to be a
“hiding place” but the Man
Christ Jesus can. Only Jesus can speak with
authority to the troubled waters or the
troubled soul and say “Peace, be still.”
Faith in God
will determine if we shall go through or
down when the storm hits.
Paul was a
man who stood firm in his faith in God! He
once stood on the deck of a ship that was
breaking up in the storm and cried, Acts
27:23-24
“For there
stood by me this night an angel of the God
whose I am, whom also I serve, saying; Fear
not, Paul”
ASV
Jonah also
stood on the deck of a ship in a terrible
storm but he had no encouraging word for he
was a man running from God.
There is a
song by Mosie Lister, “Hide me Lord til’ the
storm passes by.”
The above
scripture promises to do just that!
And Pilate
wrote an inscription also, and put it on the
cross. And it was written “JESUS THE
NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
Therefore
this inscription many of the Jews read, for
the place where Jesus was crucified was near
the city; and it was written in Hebrew,
Latin and in Greek.
And so the
chief priests of the Jews were saying to
Pilate. “Do not write, The King of the Jews;
but that He said, ‘I am the King of the
Jews,’”
Pilate
answered, “What I have written I have
written,”
John
19:19-22 NASB
Pilate wrote, “ Jesus the Nazarene, the King
of the Jews” and had it posted in three
languages. He was right about that! Jesus
Christ is King in any language and not of
the Jews only.
When Pilate said, “What I have written I
have written” he was referring to the words
on the cross and he stood by his decision.
Pilate wrote some other things into the
record that day, however, that is not such
good reading.
There are two statements in the record that
condemn Pilate. “I find no guilt in Him.”
(John 18:38) and then it is recorded “So he
then delivered Him to them to be crucified”.
(19:16)
Those records are not on tapes that can be
erased, on paper that can be shredded or on
a hard drive that could ‘accidentally’
crash. There was only one way for Pilate to
have the incriminating records removed and
as far as we know, he was not inclined to
take that course.
The Scripture reads, “for all have sinned
and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans
3:23) which means that we all have, or had,
a few things on the record that needed to be
removed if we would have confidence toward
God.
The plan is for us to repent, receive Jesus
Christ as Savior and God’s promise is to
remove the evidence, “As far as the east is
from the west,..” (Psalm 103:12)
I can’t give the exact mileage but we can
take that to mean that, for the repentant
soul, God wipes the record clean and removes
the evidence so far away that it can never
return.
Another Scripture reads, “Therefore, to one
who knows the right thing to do, and does
not do it, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17)
If there is a classic example of a man being
guilty of the above verse, it is Pilate.
Pilate knew what was right and he was in a
position to do what was right. He didn’t do
it and the record stands according to his
own words, “What I have written, I have
written.”
For this is
contained in Scripture:
“Behold I
lay in Zion and choice stone,
A precious
corner stone,
And he who
believes in Him shall not be disappointed.”
This
precious value then, is for you who believe.
But for
those who disbelieve,
“The stone
which the builders rejected,
This became
the very corner stone,”
And
“A stone of
stumbling and a rock of offence”;
for they
stumble because they are disobedient to the
word...
1st.Peter
2:6-8
“What then
is this that is written, ‘The stone which
the builders rejected, this became the chief
corner stone.
Everyone
who falls on that stone will be broken to
pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will
scatter him like dust.”
Luke 20:18
Scripture
from NASB
Jesus Christ
is, to we who believe, “A precious corner
stone.” To those who disbelieve He is “A
stone of stumbling and a rock of offence.”
To those endeavoring to build a ‘godless’
society, He is, “the rejected stone.” But to
God He is the “choice stone” upon which
“God’s Plan For The Ages” rests.
In the above Scripture in Luke, Jesus had
just spoken the parable of the vine growers,
(vvs.9-16) an obvious reference to the
nation of Israel. The people were appalled
at His words so He explained how it would
happen.(vvs. 17,18)
A crucified Messiah became a stumbling stone
to Israel. They fell on the stone, were
broken in many pieces and scattered over the
world. They were not without hope, however,
for Isaiah had written, He “will gather the
dispersed of Judah from the four corners of
the earth.” Isaiah 11:12) Back in their
land, they will, in God’s time recognize the
crucified One as, in reality, their long
awaited Messiah. “And I will pour out on the
house of David and on the inhabitants of
Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and
supplication, so they will look on Me whom
they have pierced...”(Zechariah 12:10)
To the godless nations to whom he is a
“rejected” stone He will become the stone
that falls on them and “scatters them like
dust” and “grinds them to a powder” (KJ)
Daniel saw
it happen, “Inasmuch as you saw a stone cut
out of the mountain without hands and that
it crushes the iron, bronze etc...” (the
godless nations) (See Daniel 3:44,45)
Israel will finally recognize Him and accept
Him as the Corner Stone. A ‘great multitude’
down through the years have already accepted
Him as the Corner Stone. The unbelieving
world will finally recognize Him as the
Corner Stone but will not accept Him as
such. (See Revelation 19:19)
Jesus
answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I
say to you, unless one is born again, he
cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Nicodemus
said to Him, “How can a man be born when he
is old? Hr cannot enter a second time into
his mother’s womb and be born, can he?”
Jesus
answered, “Truly, truly I say to you, unless
one is born of water and the Spirit, he
cannot enter into the kingdom of God...”
John 3:3-5
NASB
Jesus’ words to Nicodemus do not reflect, so
much a refusal on God’s part but an
inability on man’s part. We are born with a
nature that is suitable for life on earth
but we will need a new nature to enable us
to live in heaven. Jesus said the
transformation is called being “born again”
and it is accomplished by accepting Him as
Lord and Savior. “He who believes in the
Son has eternal life; but he who does not
obey the Son shall not see life.” (v.36)
It is impossible for anyone who does not
believe in Jesus Christ and has refused to
be transformed by accepting Him as Savior,
to live in heaven.
Charles Spurgeon once said, “It is as
impossible for an unbelieving person to live
in heaven as it is for a fish to live in a
tree.”
I think I can carry the thought a little
farther and say that, “A person who rejects
Jesus Christ, despises the cross and refuses
the authority of God word, would not be
happy in heaven if they could go there.”
Those who are saying
that the name of Jesus “offends” them here
would not be happy in heaven because they
would be hearing a lot about Him up there.
All are going to leave here and besides
Jesus’ heaven there is only one other place
to go. Judging from the Bible description of
that place, I’m quite sure that they won’t
be happy there.
So! They do
have a problem.
I have the solution for them! Admit that,
with your attitude, you’re not fit for
heaven anyway, repent and accept Jesus as
your Savior. Once the transformation takes
place, your attitude problem will be
corrected, your spiritual eyes opened and
you will no longer be offended by the name
of Jesus. On the contrary, you will delight
in His name and you will look forward to
living forever in that country where His
“name is above every name”. Philippians 2:9)
Ps 24:1-2
The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness
thereof; the world, and they that dwell
therein.
2 For he hath founded it upon the seas, and
established it upon the floods.
KJV
It has been an exceptionally beautiful
spring here in Wyoming with an abundance of
rain. The foothills and the meadows are all
a beautiful green and the trees are in full
foliage.
Spring is my favorite time of the year!
Spring speaks of new life and new life
speaks of God.
All life comes from God and is maintained by
God.
Col 1:15-16
Christ is the visible image of the invisible
God.
He existed before anything was created and
is supreme over all creation,
16 for through him God created everything
in the heavenly realms and on earth.
He made the things we can see
and the things we can't see—
Col 1:17
He existed before anything else,
and he holds all creation together.
New Living Translation
I share a verse of poetry by Helen Steiner
Rice
“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness
thereof.”
It speaks of His greatness and sings of His
love.
Through all of creation with symphonic
splendor
God speaks with a voice that is gentle and
tender.
And the birds in the trees in the trees and
the flowers of spring
All join in proclaiming this Heavenly King.
I agree with the author! When I see the
beauty of a spring day it speaks to me of
God who designed and made it. I cannot
believe any of the evolutionary theories
that are offered.
I use my computer every day and it does some
marvelous things which I can’t explain but I
prefer to believe that there was some
intelligent design in the making of it.
If a huge explosion in space formed the
earth then another huge explosion could blow
us all away and that doesn’t sound like a
promising future.
The above Scripture Col, 1:17 assures us,
however, that the God who made things will
maintain them. “ …and he holds all creation
together.”
For our light affliction , which is but for
a moment, worketh for us a far more
exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
While we look not at the things which are
seen, but at the things which are not seen:
for the things which are seen are temporal;
but the things which are not seen are
eternal.
2nd,Corinthians 4:17,18
Life in this world comes with
problems but Paul assures us that the
problems of life on earth serve a purpose.
We are here for short time but we, as
Christians, are destined for a permanent
existence in a problem-free place prepared
by God.
We live in a visible world and
the world to come is not yet seen, only
promised. If everything in this visible
world were completely trouble-free it would
dim our vision and dampen our enthusiasm
for the unseen, permanent world ahead.
Trouble will adjust our vision.
Israel’s journey out of Egypt to their
promised land is an example. Life was not
easy in Egypt for the Israelites. The work
was hard and the taskmasters were cruel and
demanding (Exodus 5) but the “afflictions”
were an incentive to the Israelites to move
on toward the better land.
We are pilgrims here but will be
permanent residents over there. We don’t
have permanent title to anything in this
world. The treasures of this world (and the
afflictions) will all be left behind.
Paul said that the afflictions
of life “worketh for us” not against us.
Some of God’s children have more severe
trials and afflictions than others and I
don’t have an explanation for that but I
point you to a most precious promise that
appears in the last chapter of the Book.
“He that overcometh shall inherit all
things; and I will be his God and he shall
be my son.’ (Revelation 21:7)
We are now in the world of
afflictions but the unseen world is just
ahead. The “overcoming” part is our lot at
this time; the inheritance will be ours
later.
Jesus said, “...In the world ye
shall have tribulation: but be of good
cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John
16:33)
Jesus did a lot of overcoming
for your sake and mine. Every child of God
has their overcoming to do in this life but
we can do it. God promised! “...but God is
faithful, who will not suffer you to be
tempted above that ye are able...” (see 1st.Corinthians
10:13)
“For we have not an high priest which cannot
be touched with the feeling of our
infirmities; but was in all points tempted
like as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews
4:15)
The enemy that we face in life
is already defeated. There is not a single
trial or temptation that you and I may face
that Jesus hasn’t already faced and He won
the battle every time.
Afflictions come but we’re not
going down we’re going up!
“…for I have
learned to be content, whatever the
circulstances may be. I know how
to live when
things are difficult and I know how to live
when things are prosperous.
In general and in particular I have learned
the secret of eating well or going hungry—of
facing either plenty or poverty.
I am ready for anything through the strength
of the One who lives within me.
Philippians 4:12,13
J. B. Phillips
Paul maintained that he knew how
to “eat well” and how to “go hungry” and
still retain his God given contentment.
Most Christians in America are
better acquainted with the “eat well” times
than they are with the “going hungry”
experiences. The latest stats on obesity in
America will prove that point.
Most Christians in America favor
the “eat well” teaching as the popularity of
the “How To Use Your Faith To Prosper” books
compared to the absence of any “How To
Glorify God When Going Hungry” books show.
We eat every day and I’m not
complaining but I want to make a point. I’m
convinced that God takes no delight in
seeing his children hungry but if it
happens, while we are still in this
rebellious world, I’m equally convinced that
God is interested in our reaction.
Life in America is not typical
of life in every country of the world. In
some places, when a person says that they
are hungry it means that they have not eaten
in a couple days. When an American say’s
that he is hungry, usually, it means that he
was late for the coffee break.
Some time back I read a report
by a certain mission organization concerning
some Christians in a “Third World” country.
They all ate one meal of rice daily. There
was a shortage of rice at that time and the
adults are one meal a day five days each
week so that the children could eat one meal
a day seven days a week.
When the missions director asked
what he could do to help. They replied, “We
have a shortage of Bibles. Please send us as
many as you can.”
Jesus demonstrated as recorded
in John ch.4. He sat by a well in Samaria
sharing the water of Life with a woman at
the well while His disciples were gone to
buy bread.
Hid disciples returned and
called, “Jesus! Come and eat!” Jesus
replied, “I have already eaten.”
It is a matter of priority. The
spiritual comes first. God knows and we know
that our physical body needs food to
maintain life. God also knows and if we
don’t know we had better learn quickly, that
spiritual needs take precedence.
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for
the first heaven and the first earth passed
away, and there was no longer any sea.
And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem,
coming down out of heaven from God, made
ready as a bride adorned for her husband.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne,
saying, “Behold the tabernacle of God is
among men, and He shall dwell among them,
and they shall be His people, and God
Himself shall be among them.
And he shall wipe away every tear from their
eyes; and there shall no longer be any
death; there shall no longer be any
mourning, or crying, or pain; the first
things have passed away.”
And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold
I am making all things new.” And He said,
“Write, for these words are faithful and
true.”
Revelation 21:1-5 NASB
The first book of the Bible
tells us how God made the world, pronounced
it good and ordered Adam to “cultivate and
keep it.”(Genesis 2:15) Things soon got out
of hand and as more and more people were
born into the world the situation became
increasingly worse.
The last book in the Bible tells
us that God is going to give us another
chance and this time we’ll get it right. He
is going to make, a new heavens, a new earth
and populate those places with “new
creatures” (2nd.Corinthians 5:17)
Jesus will be there to oversee
all operations and nothing will get out of
hand. There will be no mourning or crying
there because there will be nothing happen
there to mourn about. No violent people will
be there and even the earth will be gentle.
There will be no Tsunami there to wreck
havoc, for the redemption of all things has
occurred and even the creation has been “set
free from it’s slavery”.(Romans 8:21)
It will be what God intended it to be in
the first place, a “people friendly” world
and it will last forever. I won’t try to
draw a distinction between a “new heaven”,
a” new earth” and a “new Jerusalem”. They
are all part of the incredibly wonderful
place that God has prepared for the eternal
existence of those who will love and serve
Him on this present earth.
Now is the time to make your
reservation and have your flight scheduled.
Flight no. 666 is going the wrong way so
avoid that. Accepting Jesus as your Savior
guarantees you a ticket to the place
described above and nothing less will be
accepted.
But perhaps someone will ask, How is the
resurrection achieved? With what sort of
body do the dead arrive?
It is written, moreover, that: The first man
Adam became a living soul.
So the last Adam is a life-giving Spirit.
But we should notice that the “spiritual”
does not come first: the order is “natural”
first and then “spiritual”.
The first man came out of the earth, a
material creature; the second man came from
heaven.
For the life of this world men are made like
the material man; but for the life that is
to come they are made like the one from
heaven.
So that just as we have been made like the
material pattern, so we shall be made like
the heavenly pattern.
1st.Corinthians 15:35,45-49
J. B. Phillips N. T.
We are born into the world with
a body that is suitable for living in the
world but at a time, designated by God, we
shall receive another body suitable for
living in the world to come.
Our present body is patterned
after Adam, who died, but our promised new
body will be patterned after Christ, who can
never die.
When we accept the Lord Jesus
Christ as Savior and Lord the arrangements
are all made. The transition time will come!
(1st.Thessalonians 4:13-18) When
the time arrives whether we have already
discarded this temporary body or whether we
are still living in it, we shall “...in a
moment, in the twinkling of an eye...” (1st.Corinthians
15:51) receive our promised new body
“...fashioned like unto His glorious
body...” (Philippians 3:21). We shall then,
in our new body that can never die go to
live in that new life that will never end.
When we accept the Lord Jesus
Christ we become “a new creature” (2nd.Corinthinas
5:17) meaning that we are changed on the
inside and our desires, ambitions,
attitudes, hopes etc. are all changed. But,
we must continue living in the old body
until moving day.
Our eyes have not seen these
promises and our minds cannot comprehend
them (1st.Corinthians 2:9) but it
will all come to pass.
It doesn’t happen to you
automatically, however. It all depends upon
one great decision, absolutely essential to
every person made in the likeness of the
first Adam. We must accept Jesus Christ as
our Lord and Savior! All provisions are made
but Jesus is our only way of assurance that
we shall be there.
There is another place for those
who despise and reject the Lord Jesus and
His offer of salvation but no one in their
right mind would want to move to that
location.
Now is the time to make your
decision! Delay is dangerous! (2nd.Corinthians
6:2)
At the beginning God expressed Himself. That
personal expression, that Word, was with God
and was God, and he existed with God from
the beginning.
All creation took place through Him, and
none took place without Him. In Him appeared
life and this life was the light of mankind.
The light still shines in the darkness and
the darkness has never put it out.
John 1:1-5
J. B. Phillips
Jesus is the “Light of the
world” (John 8:12) and where He is not
acknowledged, the world is in darkness.
Ephesians 6:12 informs us that there are
certain influences who are called the
“rulers of the world’s darkness” who hate
the light.
They never cease trying to
extinguish the light but it can’t be done.
While Jesus was hanging on the cross as the
“despised and rejected sacrificial lamb”
(Isaiah 53) there was, for three hours, a
great darkness over the land. (Luke 23:44))
Had Jesus never risen from the grave there
would have been a great spiritual darkness
over all the land from which the land would
never have recovered.
The third day dawned; Jesus came
forth! All of the combined powers of
darkness could not prevent it. He became a
Light in the world that the darkness does
not “comprehend” (KJ) but cannot “overpower”
(alternate rendering)
The powers of darkness, aided by
their human counterparts, try. They
legislate, regulate, expostulate and
intimidate but the light still shines.
There are hundreds of religions
in the present world but they only add to
the darkness. Only the Lord Jesus Christ has
the power to dispel darkness and bring light
and hope to an, otherwise darkened world.
There is a story that when
author Robert Louis Stevenson was a little
boy, his mother found him, one evening,
standing at the window watching the
lamplighter light the street lamps. He said,
“Look mother! That man is punching holes in
the darkness!”
If you believe in the Lord Jesus
Christ as your Savior and are dedicated to
His service, your very presence, everywhere
you go, is punching holes in the darkness.
Jesus also said, to you and I,
“You are the light of the world.” (Matthew
5:14) The song, sung by Debbie Boone, has it
right, saying, “You light up my life.”
God’s Holy Spirit in the lives of God’s
people manifests a light that the powers of
darkness hate and fear but can’t put out.
Jesus said, “Let your light
shine before men..” (Matthew 5:16) It is the
only antidote to the darkness.
|
Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial
which is to try you, as thought some strange thing
happened to you:
1st.
Peter 4:12
There
hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to
man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be
tempted above that ye are able: but will with the
temptation also make a way of escape, that ye may be
able to bear it.
1st.Corinthians
10:13
We have an enemy, called the
“tempter” (1st. Thess. 3:5) who does not want
us to “keep the faith and finish our course” (2nd.Tim.
4:7) He will attempt to induce, beguile, attract and
persuade but the choice is ours to make. He is the
tempter, not a dictator. God is standing by! He will not
leave us without help.
Sometimes we face a “fiery trial” but God
has a fire escape provided. We can’t escape all trials
(John 16:33) but we can escape the tempter’s purpose for
the trial.
Once
we have accepted the Lord Jesus as Savior some of the
destructive practices and vices of the world have no
influence on us but some trials “such as is common to
man” will confront us all the way to the journey’s end.
Every child of God, without exception, has trials. Some
more than others it seems, but none are unbearable.
In the days of the Apostles, stonings,
burnings, beheadings, killings by wild animals and all
forms of torture were the common trials of the
Christians but they “kept the faith.”
Today, in America our common trials are more
in the line of health problems, financial problems,
family problems and business problems but the tempter’s
purpose remains the same. He does not want us to “finish
the course and keep the faith”.
God has promised “...help in time of
trouble.” (Psalm 46:1) but often there is the time of
“bearing it” which is the greatest test to our faith but
also the greatest testimony to others.
If the people of Hebrews chapter 11 had a
“good report” (v.39) then any excuse that we may have
for not having a “good report” won’t wear very well.
The same power that saw them through their
“fiery trial” will see us through ours. (Hebrews
11:40) reads, “God having provided some better thing for
us, that they without us should not be made perfect.”
No one can explain all trials but our
standing firm during our trials somehow adds to the
perfecting of the promise to which their good report has
taken them.
God wants His house
full. (Luke 14:23) They are already there, our place is
reserved and they are waiting.
For we
brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can
carry nothing out.” 1st. Timothy 6:7
Paul
is saying that there are no baggage checks into the next
world. We carry nothing with us when we leave! The
things of this world that many work so hard to acquire
will all be left behind. The only treasure that we will
have on the other side is that which we have sent ahead.
Jesus said, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures on
earth….But lay up for yourselves treasures in
heaven...” Matthew 6:19, 20
Our treasures here will all pass away but
our treasure over there will last forever.
There
is a commercial that appears on our television advising
us to convert cash into gold and lay up the gold in a
safe place. I suppose that is true enough advice for
this life but no one will take their gold with them when
they leave. Doesn’t matter! There’s plenty of gold there
anyway for God will pave the streets with gold in the
New Jerusalem. Rev 21:21 “And the street of the city was
pure gold…”
In the
above Scripture Paul was referring to material things
when he wrote that we can take nothing with us when we
leave. Is there anything that we can take with us? Some!
Our love for God down here will go right along with us
and be greatly multiplied when we get over there. Our
joy in the Lord that we have here will be fully realized
over there. What about envy, strife, selfish ambitions
and the like that plague our lives here? Nope! They will
be left behind never to appear over there.
When I
was young a popular Western song was Home on the Range.
I
tells of a place where;
Where the Deer and the Antelope play;
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word,
And the sky is not cloudy all day.”
I live in the west and the deer and antelope still play
on the range here but I suspect that a few discouraging
words can be heard from time to time and we do have
cloudy skies.
It can be applied to that place to which we are going
however, No discouraging words or cloudy skies there.
The important thing is be sure that you have made your
reservation to go there.
“You
are the earth’s salt. But if the salt should become
tasteless, what can make it salt again? It is completely
useless and can only be thrown out of doors and stamped
under foot.
“You
are the world’s light—it is impossible to hide a town
built on the top of a hill. Men do not light a lamp and
out it under a bucket. They put it on a lamp-stand and
it gives light for everybody in the house.
Matthew 5:13-16
J.B.Phillips
Jesus spoke the above words and He made
reference to two useless commodities. “tasteless salt”
and “hidden light”, both which will be discarded.
As Christians, we are the “earths salt” and
the “worlds light”. As the earths salt, we are to make
life on the earth more palatable. As the worlds light
we are to show to the world a better, brighter way.
A Christian that does neither is useless!
Someone said that if there were only one person on the
earth, Jesus would have died for him or her. I believe
that! For, in God’s sight, (Matthew 16:26) one soul is
of priceless value.
If we should influence only one person for
God in our lifetime, we have not lived in vain. If we
influence one person to turn to Jesus as their Savior,
we have performed a priceless service.
We can hide our light and allow our
saltiness to dissipate but we cannot deny the fact that
we are here and we do influence. “For none of us liveth
to himself, and no man dieth to himself.” (Romans 14:7)
Jesus said, “Go ye into all the world and
preach the gospel...”(Mark 16:15) Some carry the light
to the “regions beyond” and others are to “brighten the
corner where they are” but we are all to be revealed
lights and salt that has retained its saltiness.
The world resents our influence and would
like to extinguish our light. The world, at least
certain elements in the world, are saying, “We will
tolerate your light is you keep it under a bucket but we
don’t want to see it on a hill.”
We are here on a mission for Him and until
the day when our work will be done and God will remove
the light (1st.Thessalonians 4:13-18) we are
to let it shine.
The
world will finally be rid of the troublesome light but
the world won’t enjoy the darkness that will
result.
And as
He was getting into the boat the man who had been demon
possessed was entreating Him that he might accompany
Him. And He did not let him, but He said to him, Go home
to your people and report to them what great things the
Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you.”
And he
went away and he began to proclaim in Decapolis what
great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone
marveled.
Mark
5:18-20
And He
said unto them, “Go into all the world and preach the
gospel to all creation.”
Mark
16:15
NAS
If you watch the newscasts, at least, part
of the time, it is quite evident that ‘bad news’ is the
order of the day while good news, generally, is ignored
or even suppressed.
The news from Iraq is an example. Our
service people return and invariably have the same
report. The news people report everything bad but ignore
all of the good.
The gospel of Jesus Christ is ‘good news’
and is to be reported! The angel set the precedent,
announcing, “I bring you ‘good news’ of a great joy
which shall be for ‘all the people’. (Luke 2:10)
“All the people” have a right to know! The
writer of the old American Folk Song had it right.
Go,
tell it on the mountains, Over the hills and
everywhere;
Go,
tell it on the mountains That Jesus Christ is born!
Our liberty to share the good news of the
Gospel of Jesus Christ and the great things that He has
done is not a matter of constitutional right or wrong.
It is a mandate from God! We have our orders from higher
up!
Why is there so much opposition to the
publishing of the ‘good news’ of the gospel? We have an
enemy called the devil who is responsible for the
opposition because the gospel is the one great hindrance
to his plans for the world. He is not particularly
concerned about world religion in general. He designed
most of them, but he hates the gospel.
A
common complaint is that the gospel “offends me”. They
are not offended by the gospel, they are afraid of the
gospel. The gospel condemns that which men approve so
they don’t want to be reminded.
The gospel is ‘bad news’ for the enemy but
it is ‘good news’ for all people who will hear, believe
and accept. Our charge is to, “go and tell what great
things the Lord has done for us.”
|
For my people have committed two evils;
they have forsaken me the fountain of living
waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken
cisterns, that can hold no water.”
Jeremiah 2:13
We have here a comparison
between a well and a cistern! Between a
spring and a reservoir. I was raised on a
farm and we had both. The most important
difference is that God placed the fountains
of water there but men build a cistern.
We bathed and washed clothes in
cistern water but we drank from the well.
The cistern water could clean the outside
but only the well water could satisfy the
inner thirst. Cistern water, after a period
of time, become stagnant but well water from
the underground fountains that God placed
there, was always fresh.
The fountains of water represent
God’s revealed plan of salvation by faith in
the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.
All of men’s contrived plans for improving
themselves until they qualify for heaven is
represented by a cistern, and a broken
cistern at that.
The water from a cistern is not
satisfying at best but cisterns, especially
broken cisterns, run dry. If you are
depending on one of the many broken cisterns
that are presented as “a way” you will find
yourself, spiritually, “in a dry and thirsty
land, where no water is;” (Psalm 63:1)
Jesus is the only source of soul
satisfying, living water and He said, “If
any man thirst, let him some unto Me and
drink.” (John 7:37) Only that “living
water” can quench the thirst of the soul!
I have been in a lot of places
and I have known what it is to be really
thirsty and at that time no man-made
beverage will satisfy. Only water, as the
song made popular by the Sons of the
Pioneers, proclaims, “Cool, clear water” can
satisfy.
This is no compromise in fountains and
cisterns. One satisfies; the other
disappoints. One is permanent; the other
temporary. One lasts; the other will pass
away. One is created by God; the other is
manufactured by man. The decision should not
be difficult.
Don’t make the mistake that the
Israelites made and trust the broken
cisterns of the world. Put your faith in
the well that will never run dry!
“Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He
shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”
“Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in
Him; and He shall bring it to pass.”
Psalm 37:4,5
Everyone wants to be successful,
make the right choices that lead to
“fulfillment” and be prosperous. Our
generation is well supplied with “How To”
books and “Self Help” seminars guaranteed to
enable you to realize all of your greatest
desires.
Those things may be helpful but
to find true happiness there is nothing that
can compare with the injunctions of the two
verses of Scripture above.
Someone said that the greatest
hindrances to finding true and lasting
happiness are three; (1) People regard self
too highly; (2) People regard sin too
lightly; (3) People regard God not at all;
That is a recipe for failure and disaster
not success and happiness.
According to the Scripture
above, the first step to true happiness is
the “commitment part.” Without the
commitment we are not even in the program.
Once we are completely committed
then our desires and delights are
synchronized with God’s plan and provisions
and we are content.
Paul maintains that full
commitment is entirely reasonable. “I appeal
to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you
in view of (all) the mercies of God, to make
a decisive dedication of your
bodies—presenting all your members and
faculties—as a living sacrifice, holy
(devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to
God, which is your reasonable (rational,
intelligent) service and spiritual worship.”
(Romans 12:1 Amp. N. T.)
It is a choice between the
temporary and the permanent. Those who take
delight in what God disapproves will find
their pleasures short-lived.
Moses understood this and made
the good choice for it is written that “By
faith Moses.. Choosing to suffer affliction
with the people of God rather than enjoy the
pleasures of sin for a season;” (Hebrews
11:25)
The Psalmist wrote, “Thou wilt
show me the path of life: in thy presence is
fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are
pleasures for evermore.” (Psalm 16:11)
It is a choice of “for a season” or “for
evermore”.
The afflictions for the cause of Christ are
temporary and the pleasures are eternal. The
devil’s promised pleasures are very
temporary and the resulting misery is
permanent.
The world advertises its
pleasures but don’t believe everything you
hear and read. The bill will arrive later.
Someone once said, “The morning after takes
the joy out of the night before.”
A commitment to God will result
in true pleasure in this life, even with the
afflictions, and there will be no regrets.
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the
counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the
way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of
the scornful.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord;
and in his law doth he meditate day and
night.
“And he shall be like a tree planted by the
rivers of water, that bringeth forth his
fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not
wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall
prosper.”
Psalm 1:1-3
“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings
of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him
unto a wise man, which built his house upon
a rock.”
Matthew 7:24
We have here two of the “like
untos” that Jesus used so often to draw us a
picture. The Psalmists’ “tree by the river
of water” and Jesus’ “house on a rock” both
describe a man (or a woman) who has the
connections to see them through life’s
trials and glorify God in the process.
They are people who, in the
words of the old song about the three Hebrew
children of Daniel 3 “won’t bend, won’t bow
, and won’t burn”
They are an aggravation to the
devil. a puzzle to the world and a pleasing
aroma to God.
A tree that won’t wither away
and a house that won’t blow away!
The Psalmist’s tree is a most extraordinary
tree! It only grows by “rivers of water.” It
is a fruit bearing evergreen that does not
wither in dry seasons. It has a connection
to an unseen water supply that will not run
dry.
Like Jesus’ “house on a rock”
the storms blow but the tree stands. “Many
are the afflictions of the righteous but the
Lord delivereth him out of them all.” (Psalm
34:19)
All of the current “signs of the
times” (Matthew 16:3) indicate trouble ahead
for the world and increasing opposition for
Christians. What will we do?
We won’t “bend, bow or burn” and
we will stand. If we are built on the rock
that can’t be moved and connected to the
river that can’t run dry then we can’t be
stopped.
I believe that Jesus could come
at any time but things could, and probably
will, get worse before the trumpet sounds.
(1st.Thessalonians 4:16) We in
America have not yet faced the persecution
that our brothers and sisters in other
countries face, but if it comes, and it well
may, the Rock that is supporting them, will
support us. The river that strengthens them
will not fail us.
For our light affliction , which is but for
a moment, worketh for us a far more
exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
While we look not at the things which are
seen, but at the things which are not seen:
for the things which are seen are temporal;
but the things which are not seen are
eternal.
2nd,Corinthians 4:17,18
Life in this world comes with
problems but Paul assures us that the
problems of life on earth serve a purpose.
We are here for short time but we, as
Christians, are destined for a permanent
existence in a problem-free place prepared
by God.
We live in a visible world and
the world to come is not yet seen, only
promised. If everything in this visible
world were completely trouble-free it would
dim our vision and dampen our enthusiasm
for the unseen, permanent world ahead.
Trouble will adjust our vision.
Israel’s journey out of Egypt to their
promised land is an example. Life was not
easy in Egypt for the Israelites. The work
was hard and the taskmasters were cruel and
demanding (Exodus 5) but the “afflictions”
were an incentive to the Israelites to move
on toward the better land.
We are pilgrims here but will be
permanent residents over there. We don’t
have permanent title to anything in this
world. The treasures of this world (and the
afflictions) will all be left behind.
Paul said that the afflictions
of life “worketh for us” not against us.
Some of God’s children have more severe
trials and afflictions than others and I
don’t have an explanation for that but I
point you to a most precious promise that
appears in the last chapter of the Book.
“He that overcometh shall inherit all
things; and I will be his God and he shall
be my son.’ (Revelation 21:7)
We are now in the world of
afflictions but the unseen world is just
ahead. The “overcoming” part is our lot at
this time; the inheritance will be ours
later.
Jesus said, “...In the world ye
shall have tribulation: but be of good
cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John
16:33)
Jesus did a lot of overcoming
for your sake and mine. Every child of God
has their overcoming to do in this life but
we can do it. God promised! “...but God is
faithful, who will not suffer you to be
tempted above that ye are able...” (see 1st.Corinthians
10:13)
“For we have not an high priest which cannot
be touched with the feeling of our
infirmities; but was in all points tempted
like as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews
4:15)
The enemy that we face in life
is already defeated. There is not a single
trial or temptation that you and I may face
that Jesus hasn’t already faced and He won
the battle every time.
Afflictions come but we’re not
going down we’re going up!
“…for I have
learned to be content, whatever the
circulstances may be. I know how
to live when
things are difficult and I know how to live
when things are prosperous.
In general and in particular I have learned
the secret of eating well or going hungry—of
facing either plenty or poverty.
I am ready for anything through the strength
of the One who lives within me.
Philippians 4:12,13
J. B. Phillips
Paul maintained that he knew how
to “eat well” and how to “go hungry” and
still retain his God given contentment.
Most Christians in America are
better acquainted with the “eat well” times
than they are with the “going hungry”
experiences. The latest stats on obesity in
America will prove that point.
Most Christians in America favor
the “eat well” teaching as the popularity of
the “How To Use Your Faith To Prosper” books
compared to the absence of any “How To
Glorify God When Going Hungry” books show.
We eat every day and I’m not
complaining but I want to make a point. I’m
convinced that God takes no delight in
seeing his children hungry but if it
happens, while we are still in this
rebellious world, I’m equally convinced that
God is interested in our reaction.
Life in America is not typical
of life in every country of the world. In
some places, when a person says that they
are hungry it means that they have not eaten
in a couple days. When an American say’s
that he is hungry, usually, it means that he
was late for the coffee break.
Some time back I read a report
by a certain mission organization concerning
some Christians in a “Third World” country.
They all ate one meal of rice daily. There
was a shortage of rice at that time and the
adults are one meal a day five days each
week so that the children could eat one meal
a day seven days a week.
When the missions director asked
what he could do to help. They replied, “We
have a shortage of Bibles. Please send us as
many as you can.”
Jesus demonstrated as recorded
in John ch.4. He sat by a well in Samaria
sharing the water of Life with a woman at
the well while His disciples were gone to
buy bread.
Hid disciples returned and
called, “Jesus! Come and eat!” Jesus
replied, “I have already eaten.”
It is a matter of priority. The
spiritual comes first. God knows and we know
that our physical body needs food to
maintain life. God also knows and if we
don’t know we had better learn quickly, that
spiritual needs take precedence.
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for
the first heaven and the first earth passed
away, and there was no longer any sea.
And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem,
coming down out of heaven from God, made
ready as a bride adorned for her husband.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne,
saying, “Behold the tabernacle of God is
among men, and He shall dwell among them,
and they shall be His people, and God
Himself shall be among them.
And he shall wipe away every tear from their
eyes; and there shall no longer be any
death; there shall no longer be any
mourning, or crying, or pain; the first
things have passed away.”
And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold
I am making all things new.” And He said,
“Write, for these words are faithful and
true.”
Revelation 21:1-5 NASB
The first book of the Bible
tells us how God made the world, pronounced
it good and ordered Adam to “cultivate and
keep it.”(Genesis 2:15) Things soon got out
of hand and as more and more people were
born into the world the situation became
increasingly worse.
The last book in the Bible tells
us that God is going to give us another
chance and this time we’ll get it right. He
is going to make, a new heavens, a new earth
and populate those places with “new
creatures” (2nd.Corinthians 5:17)
Jesus will be there to oversee
all operations and nothing will get out of
hand. There will be no mourning or crying
there because there will be nothing happen
there to mourn about. No violent people will
be there and even the earth will be gentle.
There will be no Tsunami there to wreck
havoc, for the redemption of all things has
occurred and even the creation has been “set
free from it’s slavery”.(Romans 8:21)
It will be what God intended it to be in
the first place, a “people friendly” world
and it will last forever. I won’t try to
draw a distinction between a “new heaven”,
a” new earth” and a “new Jerusalem”. They
are all part of the incredibly wonderful
place that God has prepared for the eternal
existence of those who will love and serve
Him on this present earth.
Now is the time to make your
reservation and have your flight scheduled.
Flight no. 666 is going the wrong way so
avoid that. Accepting Jesus as your Savior
guarantees you a ticket to the place
described above and nothing less will be
accepted.
But perhaps someone will ask, How is the
resurrection achieved? With what sort of
body do the dead arrive?
It is written, moreover, that: The first man
Adam became a living soul.
So the last Adam is a life-giving Spirit.
But we should notice that the “spiritual”
does not come first: the order is “natural”
first and then “spiritual”.
The first man came out of the earth, a
material creature; the second man came from
heaven.
For the life of this world men are made like
the material man; but for the life that is
to come they are made like the one from
heaven.
So that just as we have been made like the
material pattern, so we shall be made like
the heavenly pattern.
1st.Corinthians 15:35,45-49
J. B. Phillips N. T.
We are born into the world with
a body that is suitable for living in the
world but at a time, designated by God, we
shall receive another body suitable for
living in the world to come.
Our present body is patterned
after Adam, who died, but our promised new
body will be patterned after Christ, who can
never die.
When we accept the Lord Jesus
Christ as Savior and Lord the arrangements
are all made. The transition time will come!
(1st.Thessalonians 4:13-18) When
the time arrives whether we have already
discarded this temporary body or whether we
are still living in it, we shall “...in a
moment, in the twinkling of an eye...” (1st.Corinthians
15:51) receive our promised new body
“...fashioned like unto His glorious
body...” (Philippians 3:21). We shall then,
in our new body that can never die go to
live in that new life that will never end.
When we accept the Lord Jesus
Christ we become “a new creature” (2nd.Corinthinas
5:17) meaning that we are changed on the
inside and our desires, ambitions,
attitudes, hopes etc. are all changed. But,
we must continue living in the old body
until moving day.
Our eyes have not seen these
promises and our minds cannot comprehend
them (1st.Corinthians 2:9) but it
will all come to pass.
It doesn’t happen to you
automatically, however. It all depends upon
one great decision, absolutely essential to
every person made in the likeness of the
first Adam. We must accept Jesus Christ as
our Lord and Savior! All provisions are made
but Jesus is our only way of assurance that
we shall be there.
There is another place for those
who despise and reject the Lord Jesus and
His offer of salvation but no one in their
right mind would want to move to that
location.
Now is the time to make your
decision! Delay is dangerous! (2nd.Corinthians
6:2)
At the beginning God expressed Himself. That
personal expression, that Word, was with God
and was God, and he existed with God from
the beginning.
All creation took place through Him, and
none took place without Him. In Him appeared
life and this life was the light of mankind.
The light still shines in the darkness and
the darkness has never put it out.
John 1:1-5
J. B. Phillips
Jesus is the “Light of the
world” (John 8:12) and where He is not
acknowledged, the world is in darkness.
Ephesians 6:12 informs us that there are
certain influences who are called the
“rulers of the world’s darkness” who hate
the light.
They never cease trying to
extinguish the light but it can’t be done.
While Jesus was hanging on the cross as the
“despised and rejected sacrificial lamb”
(Isaiah 53) there was, for three hours, a
great darkness over the land. (Luke 23:44))
Had Jesus never risen from the grave there
would have been a great spiritual darkness
over all the land from which the land would
never have recovered.
The third day dawned; Jesus came
forth! All of the combined powers of
darkness could not prevent it. He became a
Light in the world that the darkness does
not “comprehend” (KJ) but cannot “overpower”
(alternate rendering)
The powers of darkness, aided by
their human counterparts, try. They
legislate, regulate, expostulate and
intimidate but the light still shines.
There are hundreds of religions
in the present world but they only add to
the darkness. Only the Lord Jesus Christ has
the power to dispel darkness and bring light
and hope to an, otherwise darkened world.
There is a story that when
author Robert Louis Stevenson was a little
boy, his mother found him, one evening,
standing at the window watching the
lamplighter light the street lamps. He said,
“Look mother! That man is punching holes in
the darkness!”
If you believe in the Lord Jesus
Christ as your Savior and are dedicated to
His service, your very presence, everywhere
you go, is punching holes in the darkness.
Jesus also said, to you and I,
“You are the light of the world.” (Matthew
5:14) The song, sung by Debbie Boone, has it
right, saying, “You light up my life.”
God’s Holy Spirit in the lives of God’s
people manifests a light that the powers of
darkness hate and fear but can’t put out.
Jesus said, “Let your light
shine before men..” (Matthew 5:16) It is the
only antidote to the darkness.
“For we brought nothing into this world and
it is certain we can carry nothing out.” 1st.
Timothy 6:7
Paul is saying that there are no baggage
checks into the next world. We carry nothing
with us when we leave! The things of this
world that many work so hard to acquire will
all be left behind. The only treasure that
we will have on the other side is that which
we have sent ahead. Jesus said, “Lay not up
for yourselves treasures on earth….But lay
up for yourselves treasures in heaven...”
Matthew 6:19, 20
Our treasures here will all pass
away but our treasure over there will last
forever.
There is a commercial that appears on our
television advising us to convert cash into
gold and lay up the gold in a safe place. I
suppose that is true enough advice for this
life but no one will take their gold with
them when they leave. Doesn’t matter!
There’s plenty of gold there anyway for God
will pave the streets with gold in the New
Jerusalem. Rev 21:21 “And the street of the
city was pure gold…”
In the above Scripture Paul was referring to
material things when he wrote that we can
take nothing with us when we leave. Is there
anything that we can take with us? Some! Our
love for God down here will go right along
with us and be greatly multiplied when we
get over there. Our joy in the Lord that we
have here will be fully realized over there.
What about envy, strife, selfish ambitions
and the like that plague our lives here?
Nope! They will be left behind never to
appear over there.
When I was young a popular Western song was
Home on the Range.
I tells of a place where;
Where the Deer and the Antelope play;
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word,
And the sky is not cloudy all day.”
I live in the west and the deer and antelope
still play on the range here but I suspect
that a few discouraging words can be heard
from time to time and we do have cloudy
skies.
It can be applied to that place to which we
are going however, No discouraging words or
cloudy skies there.
The important thing is be sure that you have
made your reservation to go there.
“You are the earth’s salt. But if the salt
should become tasteless, what can make it
salt again? It is completely useless and can
only be thrown out of doors and stamped
under foot.
“You are the world’s light—it is impossible
to hide a town built on the top of a hill.
Men do not light a lamp and out it under a
bucket. They put it on a lamp-stand and it
gives light for everybody in the house.
Matthew 5:13-16
J.B.Phillips
Jesus spoke the above words and
He made reference to two useless
commodities. “tasteless salt” and “hidden
light”, both which will be discarded.
As Christians, we are the
“earths salt” and the “worlds light”. As the
earths salt, we are to make life on the
earth more palatable. As the worlds light
we are to show to the world a better,
brighter way.
A Christian that does neither is
useless!
Someone said that if there were only one
person on the earth, Jesus would have died
for him or her. I believe that! For, in
God’s sight, (Matthew 16:26) one soul is of
priceless value.
If we should influence only one
person for God in our lifetime, we have not
lived in vain. If we influence one person to
turn to Jesus as their Savior, we have
performed a priceless service.
We can hide our light and allow
our saltiness to dissipate but we cannot
deny the fact that we are here and we do
influence. “For none of us liveth to
himself, and no man dieth to himself.”
(Romans 14:7)
Jesus said, “Go ye into all the
world and preach the gospel...”(Mark 16:15)
Some carry the light to the “regions beyond”
and others are to “brighten the corner where
they are” but we are all to be revealed
lights and salt that has retained its
saltiness.
The world resents our influence
and would like to extinguish our light. The
world, at least certain elements in the
world, are saying, “We will tolerate your
light is you keep it under a bucket but we
don’t want to see it on a hill.”
We are here on a mission for
Him and until the day when our work will be
done and God will remove the light (1st.Thessalonians
4:13-18) we are to let it shine.
The world will finally be rid of the
troublesome light but the world won’t enjoy
the darkness that will result.
And as He was getting into the boat the man
who had been demon possessed was entreating
Him that he might accompany Him. And He did
not let him, but He said to him, Go home to
your people and report to them what great
things the Lord has done for you, and how He
had mercy on you.”
And he went away and he began to proclaim in
Decapolis what great things Jesus had done
for him; and everyone marveled.
Mark 5:18-20
And He said unto them, “Go into all the
world and preach the gospel to all
creation.”
Mark 16:15
NAS
If you watch the newscasts, at
least, part of the time, it is quite evident
that ‘bad news’ is the order of the day
while good news, generally, is ignored or
even suppressed.
The news from Iraq is an
example. Our service people return and
invariably have the same report. The news
people report everything bad but ignore all
of the good.
The gospel of Jesus Christ is
‘good news’ and is to be reported! The angel
set the precedent, announcing, “I bring you
‘good news’ of a great joy which shall be
for ‘all the people’. (Luke 2:10)
“All the people” have a right to
know! The writer of the old American Folk
Song had it right.
Go, tell it on the mountains, Over the
hills and everywhere;
Go, tell it on the mountains That Jesus
Christ is born!
Our liberty to share the good
news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the
great things that He has done is not a
matter of constitutional right or wrong. It
is a mandate from God! We have our orders
from higher up!
Why is there so much opposition
to the publishing of the ‘good news’ of the
gospel? We have an enemy called the devil
who is responsible for the opposition
because the gospel is the one great
hindrance to his plans for the world. He is
not particularly concerned about world
religion in general. He designed most of
them, but he hates the gospel.
A common complaint is that the gospel
“offends me”. They are not offended by the
gospel, they are afraid of the gospel. The
gospel condemns that which men approve so
they don’t want to be reminded.
The gospel is ‘bad news’ for the
enemy but it is ‘good news’ for all people
who will hear, believe and accept. Our
charge is to, “go and tell what great things
the Lord has done for us.”
“For my people have committed two evils;
they have forsaken me the fountain of living
waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken
cisterns, that can hold no water.”
Jeremiah 2:13
We have here a comparison
between a well and a cistern! Between a
spring and a reservoir. I was raised on a
farm and we had both. The most important
difference is that God placed the fountains
of water there but men build a cistern.
We bathed and washed clothes in
cistern water but we drank from the well.
The cistern water could clean the outside
but only the well water could satisfy the
inner thirst. Cistern water, after a period
of time, become stagnant but well water from
the underground fountains that God placed
there, was always fresh.
The fountains of water represent
God’s revealed plan of salvation by faith in
the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.
All of men’s contrived plans for improving
themselves until they qualify for heaven is
represented by a cistern, and a broken
cistern at that.
The water from a cistern is not
satisfying at best but cisterns, especially
broken cisterns, run dry. If you are
depending on one of the many broken cisterns
that are presented as “a way” you will find
yourself, spiritually, “in a dry and thirsty
land, where no water is;” (Psalm 63:1)
Jesus is the only source of soul
satisfying, living water and He said, “If
any man thirst, let him some unto Me and
drink.” (John 7:37) Only that “living
water” can quench the thirst of the soul!
I have been in a lot of places
and I have known what it is to be really
thirsty and at that time no man-made
beverage will satisfy. Only water, as the
song made popular by the Sons of the
Pioneers, proclaims, “Cool, clear water” can
satisfy.
This is no compromise in fountains and
cisterns. One satisfies; the other
disappoints. One is permanent; the other
temporary. One lasts; the other will pass
away. One is created by God; the other is
manufactured by man. The decision should not
be difficult.
Don’t make the mistake that the
Israelites made and trust the broken
cisterns of the world. Put your faith in
the well that will never run dry!
“Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He
shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”
“Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in
Him; and He shall bring it to pass.”
Psalm 37:4,5
Everyone wants to be successful,
make the right choices that lead to
“fulfillment” and be prosperous. Our
generation is well supplied with “How To”
books and “Self Help” seminars guaranteed to
enable you to realize all of your greatest
desires.
Those things may be helpful but
to find true happiness there is nothing that
can compare with the injunctions of the two
verses of Scripture above.
Someone said that the greatest
hindrances to finding true and lasting
happiness are three; (1) People regard self
too highly; (2) People regard sin too
lightly; (3) People regard God not at all;
That is a recipe for failure and disaster
not success and happiness.
According to the Scripture
above, the first step to true happiness is
the “commitment part.” Without the
commitment we are not even in the program.
Once we are completely committed
then our desires and delights are
synchronized with God’s plan and provisions
and we are content.
Paul maintains that full
commitment is entirely reasonable. “I appeal
to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you
in view of (all) the mercies of God, to make
a decisive dedication of your
bodies—presenting all your members and
faculties—as a living sacrifice, holy
(devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to
God, which is your reasonable (rational,
intelligent) service and spiritual worship.”
(Romans 12:1 Amp. N. T.)
It is a choice between the
temporary and the permanent. Those who take
delight in what God disapproves will find
their pleasures short-lived.
Moses understood this and made
the good choice for it is written that “By
faith Moses.. Choosing to suffer affliction
with the people of God rather than enjoy the
pleasures of sin for a season;” (Hebrews
11:25)
The Psalmist wrote, “Thou wilt
show me the path of life: in thy presence is
fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are
pleasures for evermore.” (Psalm 16:11)
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