I'M HERE TO TELL YOU

TIME AND CHANCE

2021-06-12T12:29:00.001-07:00

I want you to know how you can have “time and chance” happen to you—where you find yourself blessed because you’re at the right place at the right time. Let me show you what the original Hebrew language reveals about how this can be your reality.

The Hebrew word for “time” is the word eth, meaning time or season. The Hebrew words for “chance happen” are pega qarah. Together with eth, they present a picture not of random occurrences, but “right happenings” that are dependent on the Lord’s orchestration.

It’s unfortunate that the word “chance” is used in the English translation. When you read “time and chance happen to them all,” it gives the impression of random happenings, occurrences that happen as if by “luck.”

But if you study the root of the word pega in the Scriptures, you’ll see it is from the word paga, which actually means to make intercession or pray. Let me introduce to you at this point a principle of Bible interpretation called the law of first mention. When you are studying a word, look at the first time it appears in the Bible. There is a lot of spiritual truth and significance in the first occurrence of the word in the Bible.

Applying this principle to the word paga, we see in the Bible that the first time it is used is in Genesis 23:8 (NIV), where it means “intercede.” The same word is also used in Isaiah 53:12 where it says the Lord “made intercession for the transgressors”.

The other Hebrew word, qarah, is often used in other parts of the Bible to explain God-ordained happenings. So “chance happen” should more accurately be translated as “prayed opportunities” or “prayed happenings.”

When you have eth and pega qarah combined here, it speaks of right-time, right-place happenings, or of being at the right place at the right time, doing the right thing as a result of prayer.

What an amazing blessing to possess, which is simply triggered by coming to our loving Father in heaven and expressing our dependence on His protection over us and our families. I want this blessing activated every day, don’t you?

THE END IS NEAR

2021-05-24T12:48:00.009-07:00

This passage in Zechariah 11 is one of the most poignant sections in Scripture. It describes two shepherds - Jesus as the true Shepherd of Israel Who was betrayed for the price of a slave (30 pieces of silver) - and here in this verse, we read about the coming worthless shepherd who abandons the flock of God and justly deserves condemnation.

Israel rejected the good and gracious Shepherd Who was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel at His First Coming. He was despised and rejected by many. He was a Man of deep sorrow Who was acquainted with grief. His name is Jesus, and He came to His own, created world in His Father's name and was not accepted by His own people... and yet there is coming a false and idle shepherd who will come in another name, pretending that he is the Messiah, and he will be accepted - how tragic.

This is a prophecy which was partially fulfilled at Christ's First Coming when the true Shepherd of Israel was rejected and crucified. However, the worthless and idle shepherd who is the subject of this verse, is yet future. He is the one who will be revealed during the fast-approaching, 'Time of Jacob's Trouble' the 70th week of Daniel which is often identified as the great, seven-year Tribulation period.

He will deceive the people of Israel with lies and trickery, for he will abandon them and rob them. He will abuse them and slay them - but his treachery will finally be exposed.

Zechariah gives a description of this worthless shepherd. We read that, "a sword will be on his arm - and on his right eye! Also, his arm will be totally withered." Although it is more than likely that his physical appearance will mirror this description and he will have a wounded right eye and a crippled arm, the Bible often uses the word 'arm' to identify strength - or the lack of strength and Scripture often uses the word 'eye' to designate intelligence - or the lack of it.

In Revelation, we discover the identity of this worthless shepherd in the, yet future, Tribulation period. This shepherd is none other than the Antichrist. How sad that Israel rejected their true Shepherd, but will accept this worthless, counterfeit fellow. However, God is faithful to His people and we read that the strength of this idol shepherd will be terminated. His intellect will be found wanting and he will be destroyed by the glory of Christ's coming. On that day, God will graciously deliver His people, Israel - and will wipe away all tears from their eyes.

We as the Body of Christ, that is the Church, will not be on earth when the Antichrist is revealed. As Paul explains in 2 Thessalonians, the lawless one (the Antichrist) will be revealed after the Restrainer (the Holy Spirit) is taken out of the way. The Holy Spirit is working out His role as Restrainer through the Church, as He resides in us. This role of Holy Spirit as Restrainer, will come to an end at the Rapture of the Church when He is taken out of the way. He will still be working throughout the Tribulation, convicting people of their need of a Savior, but He will not be restraining as before, "For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. Then the lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming."

How wonderful that God has told us the end from the beginning. How wonderful that Israel will be saved at Christ's Second Coming. And how wonderful that the Antichrist will be so easily defeated, by the breath of Jesus' mouth. Let us not fix our eyes on the Antichrist, but on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, our blessed Savior, the true and faithful Shepherd of His sheep.

PAUL PREACHED THE REAL DEAL FROM THE SOURCE

2021-05-21T11:42:00.006-07:00

Paul always kept the believers at Thessalonica in his prayers because he was well-aware of their work of faith, their labor of love, and their patience in hope.

They had formerly been idol worshipers, but had responded to the good news of the gospel of grace and were wonderfully born again into the Body of Christ and the kingdom of God

However, there were those that questioned Paul's legitimacy and falsely accused him of improper behavior and ungodly motives. But godly character is the hallmark of a Christian, and in the second chapter of 1 Thessalonians, Paul outlined his character to defend himself against these accusations. He laid out the manner and means of his ministry and his motivation in sharing the gospel of God, with Jew and Gentile alike - for His apostleship was appointed of God and not of man.

He reminded them how he was the one that brought them the good news of the gospel and of the spiritual fruit that had formed in their lives, due to their salvation. He reminded them of the resistance he received from so many and of the shameful way that he had been treated at Philippi and other cities in the region.

He reminded them how he boldly taught the good news of Jesus Christ, crucified, risen, and ascended into glory... despite the intense hostility his message received and the negativity that he personally received from so many.

He reminded them how he had received the gospel which he preached to them and from Whom he had received the message... for Paul neither received it from man, nor was he taught it, but he received it through a revelation of the glorified Jesus Christ, Himself. Paul's exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit. His message had been given to him by direct revelation from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul had been intercepted on the road to Damascus by the risen, ascended, and glorified Lord Jesus, and he spent time in the desert, being taught by the Spirit of Christ Himself. He was not teaching a false or deceitful message that contained error or impurity, but the truth of the glorious gospel of God - that he had received by direct revelation.

Paul had been entrusted with the gospel message of salvation and was entrusted with many mysteries that had been hidden from ages and generations. But now, as then, there are those that question his word, denounce the legitimacy of Paul's epistles, reject his teachings as an apostle of Christ - and even question his calling.

The enemy's attack on the gospel of God takes many forms and the shocking attacks on the teachings of Paul, then as now, must be resisted and rejected. Paul himself wrote, "our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit; but just as we have been approved by God, to be entrusted with the gospel - and so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God, Who examines our hearts."

WE ARE OVER-COMERS THROUGH CHRIST JESUS

2021-05-20T11:43:00.004-07:00

Bitter suffering and significant poverty had to be endured by the persecuted believers in the church at Smyrna, but unlike His letters to the other six churches in the book of Revelation, Christ gave no rebuke to this little Christian community.

Smyrna means 'myrrh', which refers to the sweet-smelling perfume used to embalm the dead... and like their suffering Savior, these believers in Smyrna were going through some of the worst persecution that any Christian community had faced.

The Lord Jesus knew the deep distress they were facing and the shocking persecution that they were going through, and His letter must have given them much comfort and encouragement - enabling them to hold fast to their faith during this time of extreme oppression.

Christ warned that even more suffering and persecution was ahead. Some would be cast into prison and some would face death... but they were not to be fearful. Rather, they were encouraged to be faithful - even to the point of death - and were reminded that Christ, Who died and was risen, had already secured for them eternal life.

What encouragement to discover that enduring suffering and faithfulness to the point of death, would also secure for them the coveted Crown-of-Life - which the Lord has promised to all that love Him. The wonderful Crown-of-Life is not to be confused with eternal life. Eternal life is a free gift to EVERYONE who believes in Jesus for salvation... and cannot be earned or maintained by good works. However, the Crown-of-Life is an earned reward for special acts of consecrated service and perseverance under trial.

The Lord concluded His letter to the Smyrna Church with the words, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death." Jesus is the One Who has overcome. In John's gospel, He told us, "I have overcome the world." All believers should listen carefully to these words of Christ and take them to heart. We are to take courage and find peace in these words. And truly ALL who are saved by grace through faith, have overcome because of their position in Christ.

In his first epistle, John outlines the qualifications for an over-comer, "he who overcomes the world, is he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God." Indeed, the Bible teaches that ALL who believe on Christ are those that overcome... for Christ's victory over sin and death is our victory over sin and death, too. It is because He lives, that we shall live also. Because Christ died we are forgiven, and because He lives, we too will live... and therefore need not fear the second death.

No-one who believes on Christ will be hurt by the second death, not even one - because the second death is that terrible Lake of Fire into which all the unbelievers, who have not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God, will one day be cast.

All believers are over-comers because of our identification with Christ. All who have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ will certainly receive eternal life. However, like the saints in Smyrna, we are not only saved by grace through faith, but as believers, we are also called to live by grace through faith. We are to walk in spirit and truth and to suffer persecution and even death, for the sake of Christ - and when this is done as outlined in this epistle to the church at Smyrna, it will qualify us for an additional reward - the glorious Crown-of-Life!

May we be those that not only trust in Christ for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting, but continue to trust him throughout our Christian life and love Him with a holy love... prepared and willing to take up our cross and follow Him in spirit and in truth - no matter what difficulties and dangers we may face.

May we be those who are faithful to our calling and heed the words of Jesus, "Be faithful until death, and I will give you the Crown-of-Life.

YOU ARE PERFECT IN GOD'S EYES - LIVE LIKE IT!

2021-05-19T11:53:00.002-07:00

In Luke's gospel, we find the Lord giving a similar message to the Sermon on the Mount, recorded in Matthew. However, He delivers this teaching in the low-lands on the plain. Indeed, in this 'Sermon on the Plateau', Jesus is not only speaking to His disciples, but also to the disinterested multitudes and hypocritical Pharisees that only followed Him for physical healing, self-help, or destructive criticism.

Christ's discourse, is a stern message to anyone who would become His disciple, for everyone who would be Christ's disciple must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow the Lord Jesus. Christ's message was not for false followers or for those that only followed Him for selfish motives. It was not a message for those that were simply bothered by the things of the world. Christ's message was a teaching for those who sincerely desired to know and understand the things of God.

We discover four blessings in this passage which can be received by those who are credited with righteousness. "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for great is your reward in heaven." These four blessings stand in stark contrast with the four bitter woes that are the just desserts of those that refuse to accept Christ's offer of salvation. Though believers may face poverty, hunger, weeping, and rejection, Jesus qualifies this - for the poor in spirit who recognize their need of Christ are blessed and will have a part in His kingdom. Likewise, those that hunger after the Lord, weep for their sin, and suffer for righteousness’ sake, will be blessed.

The four woes that follow are for those that want their best life now... at the expense of their eternal salvation. They may be rich in worldly goods, well-fed, famous, and popular, but if they reject Christ's offer of salvation, by grace through faith in Him... they are men most miserable for they are eternally cursed and excluded from His eternal kingdom. "Woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets."

In the passage under consideration, the Lord explains that true righteousness is revealed by love - the love of Christ in-filling us and then overflowing into the lives of others, whom we may meet. Love your enemies, do good to those that hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you, we are instructed. Do not retaliate but give generously and treat others in the way that you would want to be treated yourself, were the superlative words of our Savior - which are so contrary to the ways of the world.

In this verse, Christ taught, "if anyone hits you on the cheek, offer him the other cheek as well; and if anyone takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him, but give him that as well." Retaliation, vengeance, judgement, condemnation, unkindness, and unforgivness, are too often the way of the world, but Christ taught a totally different set of standards - based on His own godly character.

Though God is a God of justice and must punish all sin, nevertheless He is a God of love and mercy, kindness and compassion, long-suffering and of great goodness, and as His children, we are instructed to display the same godly qualities and merciful attitude that He has shown to each one of us who has been saved by grace through faith in Him.

Let us never forget that mercy leads to mercy and pardon will lead to pardon, while judgement results in judgement and the one that condemns will themselves be condemned - not only in this life but in the one to come.

When Jesus instructed, "whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other cheek also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either," He did not simply say it with His lips... the Lord Jesus lived it throughout His earthly life as an example of how we should live in this crooked and perverse world - for Jesus humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death - even death on a Cross. Let us receive Christ's message with all sincerity and truth, deny self, take up our cross, and follow Him.

IS GOD ASKING YOU FOR HELP?

2021-05-18T09:49:00.001-07:00

Israel had been called and chosen to be a light to the Gentiles and a voice to the wider world. They were to tell the nations about the great salvation of God, which is offered to all who trust His Word and live by faith in Him.

Both at the beginning and the end of their 40-year long trek through the wilderness, Israel promised, "all that the Lord has said we will do," and yet Israel, as a nation, strayed far from the Lord and became a rebellious and apostate people. This required the Lord to send holy men of God to call the nation back to Himself so that they would fulfill their covenanted promise to take the gospel to all nations.

Imagine, therefore, a prophet of Israel refusing to obey the Lord's instructions and trying to escape from the work that God had prepared for him to do! Yet this is the story of Jonah, who attempted to flee his God-appointed commission to be a light to the Gentiles in Nineveh.

In seeking to flee from God and avoid his divine call to tell forth the good news of salvation, Jonah boarded a foreign ship that was bound for Tarshish, and paid money for his passage - in order to escape from the Lord!

How funny and yet how sad that this prophet of God should desire to flee from the presence of the Lord and refused to carry out God's plans and purposes for his life

But when God has a call on a life, He will move heaven and earth to ensure that His purposes are fulfilled. Indeed, He sent a great storm which caused Jonah to be flung into the sea and face inevitable death - BUT we discover, "the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights."

God is sovereign over the winds and the waves. He rules over the fish of sea and has authority over all elements of His created universe. God is also omniscient, knowing the thoughts of our hearts before we put them into practice. God knew all about Jonah's rebellious plans. And God, in His grace, prepared a great fish to swallow up his fleeing prophet so that His plans and purposes would not be thwarted.

Jonah had been selected to carry out God's will... and it was by God's grace that He caused Jonah to be swallowed by a great fish and not digested as he remained for three days and three nights in its belly!! God could have carried out His gracious plans for Nineveh through a more responsive individual... but it was God's grace that permitted the reluctant Jonah to have a second chance to take the good news of salvation to the lost Gentiles in that great city of Nineveh. God, in His grace, gave Jonah a second opportunity to fulfill His plans and purposes in his life.

Some of God's servants are willing people who, like the great queen Esther, understand that they have been placed in a special position for such a time as this. Others, like Jonah, can be resistant to God's claim on their life and be unwilling to listen to His voice, heed His commands, and share the good news of the gospel of grace.

How grateful we should be, when God often uses the circumstances of life to cause us to fulfill His plans and purposes in our lives. How stupid we are when we foolishly kick against the pricks and become reluctant to do God's will. How careful we should be that our reluctance to carry out God's purpose for our lives, does not result in a missed opportunity - and a loss of blessing.

May we have ears that are open to His call and a heart that is ready to carry out His plans and purposes in our lives... for who knows what opportunities God has for each of us... if we are willing to faithfully obey the guiding hand of the Holy Spirit, in our daily lives.

WE ARE A BRAND NEW CREATION IN CHRIST

2021-05-17T11:52:00.000-07:00

Paul often lays the foundation and fundamentals of faith early in his writings. He then identifies anything that has caused his readers to stray from the truth, or has diverted their attention away from Christ. Finally, he explains how these truths should be applied to our individual, everyday lives.

Here, Paul has come to the conclusion that we should, "let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holiday, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days." Having been freed from the restrictions of the Law, through faith in Christ, Paul's earnest desire was to instill in us the higher life that we have in Him. He wanted to get across that we are no longer bound by law, but are under grace - and Paul spent many verses outlining who we are in Christ and the privileges we have in Him.

He rejoiced in our reconciliation with God, through the shed blood of Christ, which was not by works of the law but by faith in Him. He revealed the mystery of Christ... that there is neither Jew nor Gentile but one new man in Him who are members together of the mystic Body of Christ. And He exhorted us to live in Him and not to be sidelined by false teachings, heretical doctrines, or an incorrect interpretation of Scripture.

He refuted Gnosticism, which belies Christ's deity and His equality with the Father. He disavowed legalism, which enslaves believers to religious rules and legalistic regulations, by placing us back under the curse of the Law and enslaving believers to the law of sin and death.

Paul's desire was to get across that we are no longer a member of the first, fallen creation, which was placed under a curse by sin and resulted in death and condemnation. His emphasis was that in Christ, we have been born into a second creation - by grace through faith! We are members of a new creation that is not impeded by food laws, Sabbath day rules, or the keeping of set feasts days. We are to live as Christ lived and to love as Christ loved - for love is the fulfillment of the law

As part of the new creation in Christ, we are no longer slaves of our old sinful nature, nor are we bound by its restrictions. We are part of a new creation in Christ which has been delivered from the curse of the Law. Our old nature has been put in the place of death - freeing us to live through our new, born-again life in Christ.

Under the old creation, we were dead in sin and under the curse of the Law, but as part of the new creation in Christ, we have been freed from its restrictions, rules, regulations, and rituals. And so, Paul explains how this affects our daily living. We are no longer bound by the limitation of the law, and are reminded, "let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holiday, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days."

Christ fulfilled the impossible demands of the Law on our behalf, and God was satisfied. He dismantled the principalities and powers that held humanity captive in its icy grip. God was satisfied with Christ's sacrifice for sin, and because we are in HIM, God is satisfied with us as well! Christ dismantled the principalities and powers that held us captive - and because we are identified with Him by faith, we are also identified with His victory over sin and death. Because we are in Christ, we have been raised up into newness of life in Him, and because we are identified with Christ - we are no longer bound by food laws, religious feasts or keeping the Sabbath.

As guilty members of the old creation we were under God's condemnation, but by faith in Christ's redeeming work, we are part of a new creation, which has been set free from the requirements of the Law and have been declared forgiven saints. There is now no condemnation for those of us who are in Christ Jesus; "let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holiday, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days."

WE HAVE RECEIVED OVER-ABOUNDING MERCY & GRACE

2021-05-14T11:46:00.008-07:00

We are exhorted, as children of God who are born-again in Christ, towards purity of heart, the pursuit of peace, compassion, mercy, and godly living... and yet this epistle is written during a time of severe suffering and increasingly intense Christian persecution.

Peter cautioned the Church that in the midst of this heightened hatred for God and escalating animosity towards those that are His, we are to maintain a clear conscience in thought, word, and deed, and to endure the inevitable suffering, with a dignified, Christ-like courage.

Peter reached back into the book of Psalms to endorse his directive, and to demonstrate that repaying evil with good comes from the very heart of God - for we read that, "The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry."

Jesus instructed us to pray for those that persecute us, while Paul reminds us that when we are cursed - we are to bless those that curse us, and when we are hurt - we are to heal. Compassion towards our aggressors and returning good for evil is not the normal response when one is persecuted for righteousness’ sake, and yet Christ called us to bless those who persecute us and to pray for those that falsely accuse us and say all manner of evil against us.

However, the Lord is not blind to our pain when ungodly men and women say and do all manner of evil against us... for Christ's sake... for, "the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are ever open unto their prayers." Indeed, the verse concludes, "the face of the Lord is against them that do evil," and the Psalmist even adds the somber words, "and He will remove people's recollection of them from the earth."

The Bible makes it very plain that sinners will be punished and wickedness will not go unchallenged - evil is evil and will not be exonerated - and God Himself warned, "vengeance is Mine, and I will repay."

When Peter quoted these words from the Psalmist, however, he excluded that final, somber sentence from his epistle... for today we live in the dispensation of the grace of God, when guilty sinners can be cleansed from all sin - by grace through faith in Christ's redemptive work on Calvary's Cross. But how terrible for those that willingly resist God's entreaty to call on the name of the Lord. How lamentable when men and women refuse to believe and be saved.

We who are born again in this Church age, are to be vehicles of God's grace. We have been entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation, and one Christian characteristic that is pleasing to the Lord, is the one who can demonstrate the long-suffering goodness of God in the midst of the trials and tribulations they face.

But there is coming a day of vengeance, when all evil-doers who have not sought Christ for the forgiveness of sins, through the cleansing power of His blood, will have to stand before the judgement seat of God... to give an account of their wickedness.

May we who have received the over-abounding mercy and grace of God in our lives, demonstrate a Christ-like character in our daily living - through purity of heart, the pursuit of peace, the compassion of Christ, the mercy of God, and a life that is walking in spirit and truth... even during these increasingly difficult days of severe suffering and increasingly intense Christian persecution.

NOT WHAT WE DO, BUT FAITH IN WHAT HE HAS DONE

2021-05-12T12:21:00.001-07:00

Too often when we look at a verse in Scripture, we interpret it from a present-day, human viewpoint, rather than in its biblical context and from God's perspective - and this is one such verse. Many look at this verse and say, "Ah! If I am pure in heart, then I will see God. I want to see God... so I will do this good thing and perform that righteous act, to make sure that I am pure in heart - and then I will see God."

"If my heart is pure, then I will see God," we argue - but we forget that the heart of man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. The truth is that those who see God... have already been given a pure heart, as a free gift of God's grace, by faith. As Church-age believers, we 'see' God because we have been clothed in Christ's righteousness, by faith. At salvation we are given a new, Christ-like nature. We receive a pure heart, which is acceptable to God. We are given a blessed new life-in-Christ in exchange for our filthy, old, sinful, unsaved heart of stone, when we trust Him as the sacrifice for our sin.

The moment that we are saved by grace through faith, we have an assurance that we are part of the group that are blessed by God and will indeed see Him... not because of what we have done to make our hearts pure - but because of what Christ has done for us so that by faith in His sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection, we are given a pure and holy heart - which will see God.

God is Spirit, and He is the immortal, invisible God, but we SEE God in the face of Jesus Christ our Savior - not because of the virtuous things that we have done to purify our heart. We cannot create in ourselves a pure heart in order to receive His blessing. We are given a pure heart because of our faith in what He has done on our account. We will see God... because our sinful heart has been cleansed, by faith, through the shed blood of Christ, for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.

Although this beautiful verse is relevant to us in the Church age - in its biblical context, this teaching was given to Israel. It is a passage that relates to the kingdom of God which Christ came to set up, as promised in Old Testament Scriptures. Jesus was the Word made flesh Who had come to earth. He was being heralded as 'the One sent from God to set up the prophesied Messianic kingdom', and the question in the heart of all Jewish people at that time would be, "do I qualify to enter the kingdom of heaven? Am I righteous enough to be part of God's kingdom?"

The Pharisees taught that strict adherence to the Law was the way to earn salvation and 'see God'... but Christ came to show that it was inner cleanliness that mattered to the Lord and not exterior religiosity. And so Christ's call to God's chosen people, in His Sermon on the Mount, was to repent of their sins - both individually and nationally. They were to turn away from their sinful apostasy and to turn back to the true and living God. They were to believe on God the Father... but also, they were to believe on the One Whom He had sent - the Lord Jesus Christ - for we are saved by grace through faith in HIM and not by works of the law.

This sermon does not outline the way to be saved, but identifies the standard God expects from those that are already in a right relationship with Him. It explains the way those that have been saved by grace through faith should live their lives.

In His sermon, Jesus was teaching the people of Israel about the coming Messianic kingdom. As His covenant people, they believed in God but had wandered far from Him. They were to repent of this apostasy, return to the Lord with purified hearts, and believe on the One Whom the Father had sent... if they wanted to see God and be part of His kingdom. But they rejected their Messiah, and the kingdom had to be postponed for a season.

However, this beautiful beatitude is equally relevant to Church age believers today. Purity of heart, together with meekness of soul and poverty of spirit, is not something that can be attained by self-effort or external, Pharisaical works of the Law. A heart is purified by the inner work of the Holy Spirit in the man or women who is rightly related to God - through faith in Christ. How blessed are we, who are inwardly cleansed of sin by the Spirit of God.. through faith in Christ Jesus, our Lord? Blessed indeed, are the pure in heart, "for they shall see God." Indeed, we have already seen Him - in the face of Jesus Christ.

WE MUST KNOW OUR INABILITY TO OBEY THE LAW

2021-05-11T09:22:00.003-07:00

At the end of their long, 40-year trek in the wilderness, Moses repeated the words of the covenant that God made with Israel, which began, "Hear O Israel, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might." But this appears to be an impossible command for fallen man to attain.

We are born dead in sin and at enmity with God. As members of a fallen race, we have all sinned, and all have fallen far short of the goodness and perfection of God. God alone is perfect... so He alone is able to fulfill the command to love with every fibre of His being - for God alone is love.

It is humanly impossible to love the Lord in the way He commands and to love others with that same godly love. No one can love God every moment of the day and in every circumstance of life. As members of humanity, we are bound by our fallen nature, to fall short of His perfection.

Irrespective of the sin we commit on a daily basis, we break this particular command continuously... for it is not humanly possible to love God with all our heart. Indeed, it is impossible to love as Christ loved us - which was the new commandment He gave to each member of the Christian Church.

Once we understand our inability to obey God's commands and admit our spiritual bankruptcy, we are in a position to admit that we are sinners in need of a Savior. Indeed, this was the original point of God's holy law. It was given as a schoolmaster to teach us about Christ. It was a signpost bring us to the foot of the Cross.

Throughout His earthly life, Jesus was seeking to expose this deadly, sinful flaw in mankind's character. Christ was seeking to show the immensity of our sin against the goodness of God so that He could provide the message of salvation - by grace through faith.

It is by grace through faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, that we.. who are members of His Body, have been cleansed from our sin, made children of God, and clothed in the righteousness of Christ, Himself.

Only the perfect Man - the Lord Christ Jesus, was good enough to pay the enormous price of sin. Only He was capable of loving God with a perfect love. Only in Christ can we be forgiven of sin and only in Christ can we be imputed with His nature and love as He loved us.

Only in the power of Christ can we love the Lord our God with all our heart. Only in Him can we love God with all our soul, and with all our might, and with all our mind, and with all our strength. For it is only as the very love of Christ flows into the heart that has been washed and cleansed by His sacrificial blood, that we can love with a Christ-like love.

It is only as we abide in Him and continue to be filled with His Spirit of love, that the very love of God is poured into our heart from His Father-heart of love. Only as we are filled with His supernatural love from above, are we able to reciprocate that love. Only as we walk in spirit and truth, can we love the Lord our God with all our heart, and mind, and soul, and strength - and thus, become a channel of His love to those that are hurting.

To love the Lord our God with a Christ-like love, is only possible as His love is continuously poured into our heart. The more we imbibe Him, the deeper our love for Him will become. Indeed, as we witness the faithfulness of God in the difficult struggles of life and experience His tender mercies in the painful circumstances through which we must inevitably pass, our love for God can only deepen and strengthen - as we grow in grace and in a knowledge of Him.

May our heart-cry become; 'that I may love the Lord my God, with every fiber of my being, as I die to my own self-interest and live for Him alone'.

WE NEED EARNEST PRAYER AND CHEERFUL PRAISE

2021-05-10T11:27:00.001-07:00

Prayer and praise are two vital elements in the Christian life, and yet they are perhaps the two essential components of a believer's spiritual walk that are most frequently lacking.

Too often, prayer and praise have been infiltrated with new age philosophies, tainted with occultic thinking, or simply infused with a worldly mindset. And yet, godly living through ceaseless prayer and thankful praise, is the Father's will for all His children - for it demonstrates a trust in the Lord which pleases His heart and glorifies His holy name.

There is much need for prayer and intercession in this suffering world, and there is much cause for praise and rejoicing... for God's gracious sufficiency. The psalmist reminds us that men should pray to Him continually and praise him all day long... while Paul calls us to rejoice evermore, pray without ceasing, and in everything to give thanks - for this is God's will for each one of us.

Suffering is the segment of life that should cause us to engage in much prayer and earnest entreaties, while Christ's gracious provision should elicit much rejoicing and cheerfulness of heart. No surprise, therefore, that James asks, "Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray! Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises!"

Throughout the Word of God, we are encouraged to call on the name of the Lord in time of trouble. Indeed, Paul exhorts, "in everything by prayer and supplication, with praise and thanksgiving, make your requests known to Him."

In every circumstance of life it should be a duty and delight to fly to the Lord in prayer - especially in times of trouble, for He is a God Whose ears are open to the cries of His children, and Who is our ever present help in times of need. Indeed, no matter what changing moods and interchanging moments we face in life, we are wise when we lift up cheerful hearts of joyful thanksgiving to the Lord... through continuous prayer and trusting praise.

James, in the closing chapter of his epistle, repeatedly emphasis the need for prayer and the importance of praise. Approaching God's throne of grace, for mercy for help in time of need, should not be a last hope when all else has failed - but should be our first delight and dear desire.

Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His arm is ever-ready to provide the help we need, and His ear is always open to our cry, but He wants us to approach Him through earnest prayer and cheerful praise so that our faith in Him and our trust in His Word may germinate, grow, blossom, and bud - and bring forth much fruit to His praise and glory, as we journey through life to our promised heavenly home.

GOD'S WISDOM IS IN THE WORD & THE WORD IS JESUS

2021-05-05T12:43:00.010-07:00

Both parents and children would do well to review the wise instructions given by one father to his son, in the book of Proverbs. Those who pay attention to his words and apply his directives are wise indeed and will gain a right understanding, a clear direction, and a respect for justice and equity - as they journey along the path of life.

In this verse, we are to make our ear attentive to wisdom and incline our heart to understanding. And throughout the Word of God, we discover that, "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," and that the Lord Jesus Christ Himself is the power of God and the wisdom of God, to all who believe - and we are one with Him.

The first, important step towards acquiring godly wisdom, is to recognize one's lack... and to understand that God is the only one that can supply the knowledge and understanding we need - according to His riches in glory. We live in a world that idolizes self-sufficiency and rejects the eternal truth of the glory of God... and yet we are to find our full sufficiency in Christ - for in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily and we are complete in Him.

God is the source of wisdom and the supply of all our wisdom. He is the fountain of knowledge and we should desire to gain understanding, more than much fine gold. It is through the written Word of God that His wisdom is revealed to those that are His... and it is by submission to the indwelling Holy Spirit that we are guided into all truth.

It is not an academic, head knowledge of God's Word that is important... but a consecrated soul whose heart is fully submitted to Him, and whose life is a living sacrifice unto the Lord. And God gives generously to all who seek Him, in faith, and incline their ear to get understanding.

ARE YOU TOO FAMILIAR WITH THE LORD ALMIGHTY?

2021-05-04T12:00:00.001-07:00

Jesus was a Man that went about doing good, but those who knew Him as a young lad in the little village of Nazareth, were unable to accept Him and His teachings. They rejected the Lord of life Who was the Word made flesh and the Messiah of God.

It is said, 'familiarity breeds contempt', and the people of Nazareth were so biased against Jesus that He could not do many mighty miracles there, because of their unbelief. How true is the saying, "A prophet does not go without being honored, except in His own hometown and among His own family members."

The people of Nazareth had watched the young Jesus at play and probably employed his carpentry skills... to build a yoke of oxen, repair some broken furniture, fashion a wooden bowl, or decorate a special cabinet. No doubt they had seen Him interact with His younger brothers and sisters, and they may have even remembered the uproar when He was discovered to be missing for three days during a visit to the Temple - when He was 12 years old.

There would be those that continued to view Him and His parents with disdain, knowing of the scandal that erupted around His surprise 'virgin' birth... and Mary's hasty 'shot-gun' marriage to Joseph! How little the people understood of God's plans and God's ways.

The majority of them were unable to divorce the negative bias they felt for Jesus from the gracious message of life and truth that He was proclaiming. Their familiarity with the Lord, blocked then from hearing and responding to the gracious words that fell from His lips.

It was during one of His rare visits to Nazareth that Jesus attended the synagogue, one Sabbath day. He began to teach there and, no doubt, He expanded the law and the prophets. Many were astonished at His understanding of the Scriptures and questioned where Jesus had gained such wisdom.

Although they listened to His teaching with their ears, they did not mix it with the hearing of faith. They murmured disparagingly among themselves saying, "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary? And brother of James, Joses, Judas and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?" These shortsighted neighbors of Jesus were unable to shake free from the weighty biases with which they had become entrenched.

Gracious words and impressive deeds could not impact these small-minded neighbors of our Lord. They were so critical of this local lad with the shocking scandal that surrounded His conception and birth and the dis-interesting normality of His simple, family life with his younger siblings, who themselves were disparaging about His claims, that the people of Nazareth dismissed the possibility that this Man in their midst was the eternal Son of the Most High God Who had come to save His people from their sins.

They were so eaten up with their own sense of importance, that they failed to recognize that the One among them was the long-awaited Messiah of Israel. They could not comprehend that Jesus was the eternal Son of the Father - the Word made flesh - the incarnate God.

May we be careful not to allow our own personal biases, nor those of our family, friends, or teachers, to distract us from the saving truth of the incarnate Word of God. May we be prepared to suffer the disdain of others for Christ's sake, Who loved us and gave Himself for us.

OUR HOPE IN THE LORD WILL NEVER BE DISAPPOINTED

2021-05-03T12:36:00.005-07:00

As members of the Body of Christ, we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing. Indeed, a thorough study of New Testament Scripture shows that there are hundreds of verses that remind us of who we are in Christ and what God has done for the born-again believer.

We are set apart unto God and we have become kings and priests. We are called to holiness, and we are accepted in the Beloved. We are not of this world but have become a citizen of heaven - and we are sealed by the Spirit of life, Who has set us free from the law of sin and death.

There is not one, specific passage, which lists all the advantages we have received through salvation, but throughout the New Testament, our privileges and position in Christ sparkle like glistening jewels which have been randomly scattered throughout the Word of truth - for all who will take time to study.

Romans chapter 5 however, is one passage that provides a foundational understanding of who we are in Christ. We have been given peace with God by our Lord Jesus Christ and are no longer estranged from Him through sin... for we have been redeemed with a price... the precious blood of Jesus Christ.

It is through faith in Him we have access to God's amazing grace which enables us to stand fast in this evil day... and causes us to rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Indeed, in Christ we are enabled to approach the throne of grace for mercy to find help in time of need.

In his enthusiasm to share the good news of the gospel of grace, Paul not only reminds us about justification by grace through faith and the hope that we have in Christ, but he adds, "and not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance."

Paul is not saying that the downside of the Christian life is the fact we must go through difficulties and dangers. He is not suggesting that we simply have to grin and bear the trials and tribulations we go through, as best we can. Paul clearly teaches that we should exalt in our tribulations and rejoice in our sufferings.

Rejoicing in suffering may not seem the normal reaction to trials and tribulations. However, Paul insists they should never be a cause for complaint. He is teaching that suffering for the sake of Christ, is a badge of honor for the saint of God.

We are not called to rejoice because we are suffering. We are to rejoice IN our suffering. We are to maintain an attitude of thanksgiving and praise in the midst of our suffering. We are to rejoice in the Lord, no matter what problems we may be called upon to face.

Paul then explains that tribulation brings about perseverance - while perseverance develops a proven character - and godly character brings about hope.

And our hope in the Lord will never, ever be disappointed because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by means of the indwelling Holy Spirit, Who was given to us the moment we trusted Christ for salvation.

Let us take to heart this exhortation to rejoice in our suffering, for as members of the Body of Christ, we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing - not only in this world, but in the ages to come - praise His holy name.

SENDING HIS SON WAS GOD'S PLAN ALL ALONG

2021-04-29T12:08:00.001-07:00

The Lord Jesus told many stories and parables. Some were designed so that those whose hearts were hardened against the Lord and His anointed Christ, would hear with their ears, but be deaf to its real meaning. They would have eyes to see and yet would be blinded to the truth. They would hearken to the story but miss the message... and fail to understand the glorious gospel of the kingdom and the gracious offer of salvation that came from the Lord of glory.

Jesus started to deliver the mysteries of the kingdom in parables - after the Jewish leaders had blasphemed the Holy Spirit by accusing Christ of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub. However, the meaning of some of His earlier parables were crystal clear. This meant that the Scribes and Pharisees understood that Jesus was referencing them in a negative light in His some of His stories - and this parable, of the wealthy landowner and his murdered son, is one such story.

Jesus relates a little tale of a wealthy, but absentee landlord who decides to claim his rightful dues from his tenants. They had been given the responsibility to oversee their lord's estate and to care for his vineyard. After a long absence, he started to send various servants to receive his rightful remuneration. However, one by one, the servants were refused, obstructed, abused, and even murdered.

Finally, as we read in this verse, the owner of the vineyard, "had one more to send... a dearly loved son; whom he sent last of all to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'" But as we continue to read, we discover that he too was despised and rejected, beaten and scourged, treated with contempt, and killed. When the tenants saw the beloved son approaching, they plotted to kill him and steal his inheritance. The message of the parable was very clear. The father and the son of the story representing God the Father and Jesus Christ Whom He has sent, while the tenants certainly symbolized the religious rulers.

There was no question that Christ was referring to His own rejection and crucifixion. Throughout His ministry, Jesus applied various Old Testament Scriptures to Himself, even identifying Himself as, "the Stone which the builders rejected, Who has become the chief Cornerstone." That Stone is a stone of stumbling and a Rock of offence - such that all who believe on Him will not be disappointed.

Scripture dictates that those who fall on this Stone will be broken to pieces (believers, whose independence, self-will, and prideful 'self' is to be broken - because they trust in Him.) However, those upon whom this Stone will fall (unbelievers) will be shattered to pieces and scattered into dust.

Jesus was sent initially and ONLY to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, to fulfill all the Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament. During the first part of His ministry, He ministered specifically to the Jews... in such a way that His mission and Messianic claims were undeniably clear. However, once He had been accused of casting out demons by satanic power, His clear, Messianic proclamations, began to be shrouded in parables - so that those whose hearts were hardened against God and His anointed Christ would hear with their ears, but be deaf to its meaning.

However, this story of the absent landlord and wicked tenants was one of His clear, prophetic utterances which referenced His own death, and exposed the guilty murderers who would plot His eventual crucifixion. We are privileged to have the whole council of God written in the holy Scriptures for our learning... which is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. May we read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest its important truths, so that we do not miss all that the Lord is seeking to teach us.

DO YOU DILIGENTLY SEEK THE LORD DAY AND NIGHT?

2021-04-28T08:29:00.007-07:00

In Revelation we read that, "Jesus is the spirit of prophecy," and here in Isaiah, we discover some amazing prophecies that relate to Christ's triumphant reign in the coming Millennial Kingdom.

On that day, we read that all believing Israel will be saved and in this passage, Isaiah gives an amazing testimony of that still-future time. He describes the worship and witness of a restored and converted Israel, when the earth will be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea.

He details the day when Jesus will reign in righteousness as the supreme King of the whole earth. He speaks of that promised time when peace and prosperity will finally be instituted - and Jesus will rule and reign the nations with a rod of iron.

However, before that beautiful millennial reign of Christ, we know that God must first judge the proud civilizations that have sought to circumnavigate the law of their Creator. And He will bring to naught the arrogant rulers who have rejected the sovereign authority of their God, and His Christ.

There has always been a faithful remnant in Israel, despite the nation's gross apostasy, and this verse rehearses the earnest longing of the faithful few who cry out to the Lord, day and night, for deliverance and justice.

We discover this little flock seeking after the Lord with all their heart and desiring to do His will. "At night, my soul longs for You," are the pleading cries of His faithful servants, "indeed, my spirit within me seeks You diligently."

What an example this little group of down-trodden souls are, to the lukewarm Christian Church of today who, in many respects, have left their first-love for the few passing fancies this fading world has to offer. How few there are today who earnestly long for the Lord throughout the night and spend their days seeking Him persistently and diligently.

The redeemed of Israel in this passage, know that a day of judgement is coming... for the spirit of prophecy has warned for millennia that a day is coming when God will judge the nations in righteousness - it is the time of Jacob's Trouble. Paul tells us that the judge will be the Man, Christ Jesus, Who has received sovereign authority to judge the nations in righteousness.

The time of Jacob's Trouble is when God pours out His wrath on a God-hating, Christ-rejecting, sinful world. The Word of prophecy explains the reason for God's righteous judgement of mankind, 'that the world may KNOW that I am the LORD', "For when the earth experiences Your judgments, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness."

It is not God's will that any should perish, but that all come to faith in Christ. And as ministers of the better covenant, we have been ordained to proclaim the gospel of grace to those that are dead in their sins, Jew and Gentile alike, and are heading for a lost eternity.

May we be part of the present day Christian remnant in the Body of Christ whose souls long for the Lord, day and night. May we be numbered with the few who search the Scriptures diligently and seek Him earnestly - so that like the sons of Issachar, we may understand the times in which we live and know what WE ought to do.

May we not grow weary of well-doing, but tell forth good news of the gospel of grace - that Christ died for our sin, that He was buried, and rose again - so that whosoever believe on HIM would not perish but have everlasting life.

WHO IS OUR LIFE?

2021-04-27T09:58:00.001-07:00

It has often been said that you can make numbers say what you want them to say, in an attempt to prove something that is false. Similarly, this verse which states, "no one who is born of God sins," has often been used to teach 'sinless perfection', when this is clearly not what the whole counsel of God teaches about sin, salvation, and the doctrine of soteriology.

Some incorrectly interpret this verse to say that no one who has been saved, continues to sin... or keeps on and on sinning. But once again, this is misquoting the verse and a misinterpretation of the biblical text as the word 'continue' or 'repeatedly' does not appear in the original. Too often, it is a temptation to read INTO the text what one thinks it says (eisegesis) rather than reading what the text ACTUALLY says, in the light of the entire Scriptures (exegesis).

Some unscrupulous people like to use this verse to bamboozle others and exert a spirit of control over them by saying that in their particular case, they have achieved this elevated condition of sinlessness, while the rest of the Christian riffraff clearly have not attained to this lofty state of purity. But these people are performing eisegesis and misinterpreting the Scripture - for we all know that there are times that everyone sins - and John himself correctly points out that, "if we say that we have no sin we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us!"

The simple, biblical truth is that we were born dead in sin - i.e. we were born with a sin nature, which the Bible calls 'the old man'. However, at rebirth, we received a NEW nature - a second nature - a godly nature - the life and nature of Christ. We were given a new life in Christ, which is a sinless nature.

When we are born into the human race, we have one, single, sinful nature. However, after we are born again we have two natures - the old sinful nature and a new sinless nature. We have a sinless, spiritual side and a sinful, fleshly side. Indeed, from the moment of our salvation, we discover these two inner natures are in constant conflict with each other.

The Bible tells us that, "the spirit lusts against the flesh and the flesh lusts against the spirit." One could say the sinless part of our nature continues to be in opposition to the sinful part of our nature, and vice versa. Paul himself identified this dilemma, when he cried out, "oh wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of sin?" (this old sin nature). He then gives the amazing answer, "I thank God, in Jesus Christ!" Praise God that Jesus is the answer to sin. Because we are born again and part of the Body of Christ, we are identified with Him and covered in His righteousness.

As Christians, we have been promised that the Son of God protects ALL who have been born of God so that the evil one is unable to harm us. When Paul discovered his own inner conflict was the clashing of his two natures in violent conflict with one another, he was able to write, "I have been crucified with Christ, (my old sin nature has been nailed to the Cross, with Christ). It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, (my human body) I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me."

When we discover that it is the new, born-again, sinless nature of Christ, which we received at salvation that cannot sin... and not the old, fallen, sinful nature, which must be kept in the place of death and 'nailed to the Cross', we can understand the beautiful truth that, "no one, who is born of God, sins," and we can further rejoice that, "the Son of God protects us from the evil one who has no power to harm us."

Let us rejoice that because we received the sinless nature of Christ, by grace through faith, we cannot sin! HOWEVER, "if we sin (by allowing the old sinful nature, to climb down from the place of death and reestablish its influence over our lives), then we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and He is the propitiation for our sins." Jesus is the Mediator between man and God - and between God and man.

Let us thank God for His grace towards us, in that we have been given a new, sinless nature so that by the power of the indwelling Spirit, we can carry out the good work that God has prepared for us to do. May we keep our 'old man' in the place of death and may we grow in grace, by allowing our new nature to live godly in Christ Jesus - Who is our life.

PAUL PREACHED THE GOSPEL OF GRACE

2021-04-26T13:29:00.000-07:00

Paul was a chosen apostle of God. However, he was often required to defend His apostolic calling in those early days of the Church, because... in the opinion of many, his credentials did not fit in with their perceived expectations of what an apostle should be. This was especially the case in Galatia where many legalists and Judaisers found it very difficult to accept that a change in God's management had taken place.

Before the Cross, believers lived in the dispensation of the Law. They lived under the Mosaic Law and were required to follow certain God-appointed rules and feast days. Following the Cross, we live in the dispensation of God's grace... and although we have clear criteria on how to live godly lives, we are set free from the bondage of the Law. As Church-age believers we are called to live in spirit and truth - to live by faith and not by sight, as directed by the Word of God and as guided by the indwelling Spirit of God.

An apostle is one that is specifically commissioned, by God, to carry out a definable task... and we discover from Scripture that God's chosen apostles and prophets were the ones He authorized to lay the foundations of the Church in this dispensation of grace - and one important, biblical criteria of apostleship was to have met with the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul was indeed called and chosen to be God's apostle. He met and conversed with the risen, ascended, glorified Christ on the road to Damascus. He could legitimately claim, "God set me apart from my mother's womb and He graciously called me to be an apostle."

Paul could certainly claim, "God was pleased to reveal His Son in me - so that I might preach about Him among the Gentiles," but the gospel he taught did not come through men - nor did he consult with flesh and blood. Indeed, many mysteries were revealed to the fledgling Church through Paul, and much of the inerrant Word of God was penned by this man. Nevertheless, he did not fit in with people's perceived expectations of an apostle, and significant hostility against him came from the Christians at Galatia.

Paul was required, therefore, to give an intense defense of his apostolic ministry. And in his letter to the Galatians, he gave at least six arguments to defend his position. The gospel he taught was not according to men or angels, but by divine revelation from God. He did not receive it from anyone other than Jesus. The gospel Paul taught did not come from a teacher or from the other apostles of Christ, nor did he learn it from a book.

He explained, in his defense, that he had been separated from his mothers womb, by God's grace, for a special work - a specific ministry to the Gentiles. Paul considered himself to be the very least in God's kingdom because he had persecuted Christians... and yet he explains that the Lord chose HIM to reveal His Son in, so that he might preach the glorious gospel of grace among the Gentiles.

Paul understood that we are not saved by the works of the Law, nor are we redeemed by the blood of bulls and goats. We are not saved by adhering to religious regulation, nor by the keeping of sacred feast days. We are saved by God's grace, when we have faith in the work that Christ has done for us on Calvary.

Paul came to understand that walking in spirit and truth is not something that we can do in our own strength - but something that God does within us as we submit to Him. He wrote, "it is not I that lives, but Christ, Who lives in me." However, there were many legalists and Judaisers in Galatia, just as there are many religionists today, who do everything to undermine the truth that we have received through the apostle Paul - which places us back under bondage to the Law.

Although there are many today who continue to discredit Paul's ministry and his apostolic calling, we would do well to pay attention to his teaching, for he opens our understanding to many Church age mysteries - including that as the Church, we are members of Christ's Body and have the permanently indwelling Spirit Who provides us with godly power to guide us in our earthly walk. Paul understood that without the indwelling Christ we can do nothing, but he also wrote these timeless words of truth, "but I can do all things through Christ - Who strengthens me."

THERE'S MORE WISDOM TO BE HAD. GET IT!

2021-04-24T13:34:00.001-07:00

King Solomon was the man to whom is attributed the book of Proverbs, and its contents give an abundance of sound advice on how to live an honorable, productive, and rewarding life.

The first section which covers about nine chapters, starts with a loving lecture of a father to his dearly beloved son. It is the first in a series of proverbs on accumulating wisdom and avoiding folly. It outlines the differences between a wise man and a foo

In the first four verses of this section, the older man describes the way that the young man needs to behave if he is to acquire the knowledge that his father is offering, and live a wholesome and productive life.

The young man is encouraged to accept, store up, and value the words of his father, as he would do silver or gold. He is to incline his ear to the wise words that are being offered for his learning, and he is to apply them to his heart and understanding.

He is to search for wisdom as he would seek for hidden treasure and precious stones... and he is to understand that the fear of the Lord and reverence for the holy name of God... is the beginning of wisdom and the fount of all knowledge.

This same deep and reverential fear of the Lord, is the first step towards wisdom for each one of us as well. And just as this young man is charged to readily receive the word of his earthly father and to treasure his commands in his heart, so we are to receive the Word of truth from our Heavenly Father with all readiness of spirit... and to value His teaching, in the inner reaches of our mind.

We have to take the Word of the Lord to heart and to store up its truth deep within our being - for those of us who joyfully receive His Word of truth, and treasure His commands in our heart, will discover that they become an ornament that graces our head and a protective shield that keeps us from falling into the foolish ways of the world.

May we be those who dig deeply into the treasure houses contained in the pages of Scripture and discover for ourselves the boundless riches of Christ, "in Whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

HE SUFFERED AND DIED IN OUR PLACE

2021-04-23T12:01:00.001-07:00

Jesus suffered and was afflicted for the sake of righteousness, and He warned that in this world we too would suffer tribulation. But He also gave us great comfort and encouragement with the words, "but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world."

Paul was a man who followed in his Masters footsteps. He too experienced much pain and suffering because he was faithful to his calling, sharing the good news of the gospel of God throughout Asia.

He endured hunger and thirst, beatings and imprisonments, stonings and shipwrecks, and encountered various dangers and disappointments from every segment of society, including some from within the Body of Christ. But Paul understood that all who live godly, share the good news of the gospel of Christ, and challenge those that are perverting the truth, will suffer persecution.

On occasions, he feared for his life... and at other times he was concerned for spiritual growth within the Body of Christ for whom he labored so tirelessly. Nevertheless, Paul was quick to recognize the supernatural consolation he received from the great God of all comforts.

Paul acknowledged that the Lord is able and willing to give comfort and encouragement to each of us in all our troubles - so that we are able to give solace and support to those who are in any kind of difficulty - through the comfort that we ourselves have received from above.

Paul recognized the wonderful outflow of consolation and salvation that his brothers and sisters in Christ received because of his own suffering, and wrote, "if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation." Oh! - not salvation to the saving of the soul. Salvation is received by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ's sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection alone. The consolation and 'salvation' in this verse is in connection with the Christian's sanctification process... in which we are given spiritual strength and godly help to press forward to the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Just as the sufferings of Christ brought salvation (justification) and comfort to those who believe - so too the suffering and pain that we endure for the sake of righteousness, will be beneficial for the sanctification and comfort of others in their spiritual growth. It will have a 'knock-on' effect... so that the comfort we receive from the Lord will pour forth godly comfort and encouragement to others - which will have an impact on their Christian growth and spiritual well-being.

No matter what Paul faced in the spreading of the gospel, he was able to be joyful in tribulation and trace a rainbow through his tears. Paul understood that the comfort he shared with others would help to advance their spiritual growth and develop in them, patient endurance and other godly characteristics, to the glory of God.

When we are called upon, by our heavenly Lord, to suffer persecution and pain, may we also, like Paul, have the grace to be joyful in our tribulation and allow the beautiful comfort that we receive from our heavenly Father to freely flow-out to others from us - so that they too may be comforted with the same comfort that we have received - so that they too may be enabled to patiently endure whatever difficulties they may have to go through - as together we journey through life, towards our heavenly destination.

TAKE GOD AT HIS WORD

2021-04-22T12:59:00.000-07:00

Hebrews is written to seasoned believers who should be increasing in faith, growing in grace, and enlarging their knowledge of the truth. Its original target audience were converted Jews who were finding difficulty in shifting from the pre-Cross dispensation of Law to the post-Cross dispensation of the grace of God.

They found it hard to break free from the nation's historic roots in Judaism, which were bound by the old, broken covenant, the sacrifice of animals for the temporary atonement of sin, and continuous condemnation from the Mosaic Law-of-death into the recently birthed freedom of Christianity.

They had to come to terms with the truth that Christ fulfilled the promise of God, given to Abraham, and that due to faith in Christ's death, burial, and Resurrection, they were now ministers of a new and better covenant. They also had to accept that under the New Covenant there was neither Jew nor Gentile - for we are one Body of believers in Christ.

They had to break free of the restrictive rites, rituals, and religiosity that enslaved them under the Law, and they had to embrace the law-of-the-Spirit-of-Life in Christ Jesus. However, this was hard for those early Jewish Christians who wanted to be sure that Jesus - the incarnate Word of God - was the Truth, the whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth.

Hebrews, of course, is also written to every Church-age believer and is as relevant today as it was when it was first written. Indeed, it contains valuable information and important instructions on living the Christian life and growing in spiritual stature, to the glory of God. It is also a book that lays great emphasis on faith... faith in the inerrant Word of God, trust in the truth of His Word, and assurance that the things that God has promised are 'yes' and 'amen' in Christ.

God, in His grace, has given us two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for Him to lie - the promise and the oath.

The Lord promised Abraham that through his Seed, the whole world would be blessed. This promise was fulfilled some 2000 years later, when the promised Seed, the Lord Jesus Christ, was born into the human race to become the sacrifice for sin. He was sent by the Father to be the Jewish Messiah and the Savior of mankind. He was God incarnate - the Word made flesh, as recorded in holy Writ.

The blessed promise of Jesus, our Messiah was written for us in the Word of God - God's unchanging, unbreakable, authoritative, honorable oath to His people. The Bible is God's pledge of assurance that whatever He has spoken through the Scriptures - both Old and New Testaments, is trustworthy and will certainly take place.

Some, sadly, do not believe God's Word. But unbelief in His Word does not nullify the truth and God has graciously used prophecy to authenticate His revealed Word. He also swore by Himself as to the veracity of holy Scripture.

When we make an oath in a court of law, we place our hand on the Bible as a guarantee that all we speak will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. This oath puts an end to all argument because there is nothing greater than the Scriptures, by which we must be judged.

Because God has nothing greater than Himself upon which to swear, He swore by Himself - and God's Word is founded on the unchanging truth of His Name and the veracity of His righteous Nature. God is Holy... and a holy God cannot lie... nor can a God of righteousness contradict His holy Word.

God's Word and the promises it contains are guaranteed to be true, and all who seek to place Church-age believers back under the Law would do well to study the book of Hebrews and take God at His Word - for God has sworn by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for Him to lie. Those that seek to discredit the Scriptures, through a watered-down gospel, for political correctness, to pander the pride of sinful man, or for any other reason - discredit our great Creator and blaspheme His holy name. May we rest upon all His precious promises given to us in the unchanging, authoritative, honorable Word of God.

WHO IS THE ONE THAT OVERCOMES THE WORLD?

2021-04-21T11:11:00.002-07:00

On at least 3 occasions in the gospels, we hear the Lord Jesus giving a warning on the importance of hearing His message, "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." However, in a couple of chapters in Revelation we have this same warning given to the Church, seven times, with additional instruction, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

When God says something we should pay attention, but when He makes it a repetitive command, we should recognize that He has something very important that we should not miss.

Every one of the seven Churches in Revelation were instructed to listen... and pay close attention to ALL that the risen, ascended, glorified Lord Jesus had to say to ALL the Churches. Each Church was given some important information, which is vital to our individual spiritual growth and our collective Christian witness.

The first time this warning was given, in this series of epistles, was to the Church at Ephesus. Despite their commendable works, praise-worthy witness, and patient endurance in times of deep distress, these Ephesian Christians were given a blaring wake-up call and were severely scolded for leaving their first love.

Their first flush of love and deep devotion for their Lord, was quickly dampened by a flurry of frantic service and self-imposed religious tasks. They had to be urged to remember the beauty of the Lord which they had enjoyed in the daybreak of their great salvation.

They were to recognize the height from which they had fallen. They were to repent of their careless attitude towards their Savior - and they were to return to the devoted service that characterized the early days of their new life in Christ... to return to the days of their deep love for their Lord. "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

Some years earlier, Paul had written extensively to this same Church to rejoice in their divine election, their adoption into the family of God, the privileges of the indwelling Holy Spirit, and the spiritual blessings that have been poured out in such abundance on all who have trusted Christ for salvation. Paul even acknowledged their desire to maintain sound doctrine and expose false teachers. How sad that only a short while later, they had to be rebuked about their lack of love and receive this blistering warning from the risen Lord Jesus, Himself.

What a gracious God we serve, that even when we fail in our devoted service or become waylaid by the mounting pressures we inflict on our own Christian service, He is ready and willing to warn us of our failure, to encourage us to listen to God's voice, to instruct us to put our priorities in order, and to command us to return the Lord Jesus to His rightful place in our lives. "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches," is a warning that every Christian should consider on a daily basis.

After the Lord Jesus corrects them, He does not leave them comfortless and goes on to promise, "to the one who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God."

So which of the Ephesian Christians - and which of us will overcome and receive this privilege? What do they, and we, have to do in order to receive this blessing? Well, John, who wrote the book of Revelation, explains who will overcome in 1 John 5:4-5 "For whoever has been born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world? The one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God."

What a great privilege for us to know that the Tree of Life, from which man was barred due to sin, is once again freely accessible to those that have trusted in Christ Jesus for salvation.

What a privileged grace - that even when we fail in our Christian witness, God is faithful and just and gives us ample opportunity to remember that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us, and that it is by His grace we have been saved - through faith. May we quickly recognize any spiritual lack in our own lives and repent - and to return into sweet fellowship with our Father in heaven.

What a privileged certainty - to know that we have been given all we need for life and godliness in Christ and to know that we have a citizenship in heaven, an eternal inheritance that will not fade away, and the right to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God - all because we trusted Christ for salvation.

WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS

2021-04-20T13:36:00.003-07:00

The first part of Paul's ministry was to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ. The second aspect of his calling was to help us understand, "the administration of the mystery." Paul was anointed of God to open up the gospel to the Gentiles... and to explain the mystery of God which had been hidden from past generations, but which had now been revealed to the world through Paul and the other apostles.

Just as Moses was called to be God's administrator to Israel, so Paul was anointed to be God's administrator to the Church. And although Paul was commissioned to preach to Jew and Gentile alike, his specific calling was to be God's apostle to the Gentiles - so that the world may know that Jesus Christ is both God and Savior.

The, "administration of the mystery," which had been kept hidden for ages and generations, had been in the mind of God from eternity past. However, in His wisdom, God chose to keep this information hidden from both men and angels - for had the powers of darkness known the eternal plan of God they would not have crucified the Lord of glory - for Christ's sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection paved the way for the salvation of humanity.

The administration of the mystery has a number of different labels, including, 'the dispensation of the grace of God', 'the Church Age' and 'the Age of Grace'. In Corinthians, it is called 'a dispensation of the gospel', while in Colossians, Paul calls it 'the dispensation which God has given to me'. Here in Ephesians, we see it entitled 'the dispensation of the grace of God' and also 'the dispensation of the fullness of times'.

The word, 'dispensation', simply refers to 'having charge' over something. It is being responsible for, or having oversight, management, or stewardship responsibilities over someone else's money, property, goods, or services. A biblical dispensation is a recognizable economy which is designed to fulfill God's eternal plans and purposes for the world - through a certain group of people - during a particular period of time. It is also an occasion when man's obedience to God is tested in a specific way. Although the way of salvation is always by grace through faith in every dispensation... the way that God works through His servants may differ from one dispensation to another.

As Christians, we are privileged to be part of the outworking of God's eternal plans and purposes in the dispensation of the grace of God... and as believers who are living during the Church dispensation, our daily testing is to live by faith and not by sight.

Adam was tested one way, Noah was tested another way, and Israel were tested in yet a further way - but in every dispensation, men are saved by grace through faith. In every dispensation, man is reckoned to be righteous - by believing the Word of God.

Those of us who are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, live in the dispensation of grace. As believers, we have been made stewards of the administration of the mystery revealed to Paul, in order to forward God's plans and purposes in these days. As members of the Body of Christ, we are ambassadors for God with a citizenship in heaven... and each of us have been allocated different responsibilities during our sojourn on earth.

God, Who created the material universe and made man in his own image and likeness, chose to withhold information about 'the dispensation of the grace of God', until such a time as He deemed it necessary to reveal it to the world, through Paul. What a privilege to be part of the Body of Christ in the dispensation of the grace of God.

As members of the Body of Christ and ministers of the better Covenant which was cut at Calvary, may we be obedient to our calling and live and work to His praise and glory.

GROWING WEARY? HIS STRENGTH IS SUFFICIENT

2021-04-19T11:32:00.004-07:00

In the final few verses of this second letter to the Christians at Thessalonica, Paul gives some wonderful instructions on spiritual growth. He encourages these believers to finish the race that is set before them, to patiently endure the hardships that they may have to face, and not to grow weary of doing the right thing.

Even in Paul's day, there was much confusion and false teaching concerning the prophesied Day-of-the-Lord, the end of the age of grace, and the events during this time period, including when the Lord Jesus returns in the clouds to gather the Body of Christ to Himself in the Rapture, the seven-year period called the Tribulation, and the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus to earth to set up His Millennial Kingdom on earth.

This second Thessalonian letter is written to clarify Paul's earlier teaching about the gathering together of the Church in the Rapture. This event occurs at the end of this dispensation of grace, preceding the Day-of-the-Lord. The Day-of-the-Lord starts with the 7-year Tribulation period, at the end of which Jesus returns to earth in the event called the Second Coming. The Day-of-the-Lord continues with the Millennium, where Jesus rules and reigns for 1000 years and ends when God's sets up a new heaven and a new earth.

After his comforting reassurance that the terrible Day-of-the-Lord, which was spoken about in the prophets of old, would not happen until the Church has been, "gathered together unto Christ," Paul seeks to establish them in an unshakable faith that is anchored in the Word of God. Paul understood that we would all be facing increasingly difficult times as the day for Christ's return draws ever closer.

Paul obviously felt the need to pray for the Body of Christ in a way that reflected Christ's own High Priestly prayer - which the Lord Jesus prayed only hours before His own crucifixion (see John 17). Paul prayed that the Church would continue to faithfully share the good news of the gospel of grace. He prayed that they would have much success in spreading the glorious gospel of God, and he prayed that those who delivered the message of salvation would be kept in the power of the Most High, so that the Word of truth would rapidly spread to the ends of the earth.

Paul also knew how easily discouragement can descend on the saints of God, for the enemy prowls around as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, and so Paul gave one final word of encouragement, "do not grow weary of well doing."

Then, as now, there are many that seek to undermine the spread of the gospel, both within and outside of the Church. Then, as now, it can be tempting to backtrack on our commitment to Christ when we are faced with external animosity and painful inner struggles. Then, as now, we can be enticed into taking the line of least resistance, or back-slide into carnality in our Christian walk.

However, now, as then, we need to take to heart Paul's final words of instruction to the Church at Thessalonica. We are not to be those that pull back when times get tough, and should take to heart Paul's words of encouragement - as we press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus our Lord, knowing that His grace is sufficient.

Let us pay special heed to these final words of encouragement, so that we, "do not grow weary of well doing," in the closing season of the Church dispensation!

THE OTHER BAPTISM - NO WATER

2021-04-15T13:46:00.005-07:00

It is very important to get a biblical understanding of the word 'baptism' as recorded in the Bible. Some baptisms are wet, such as John's 'baptism of repentance'. Other baptisms are dry, such as the baptism of the Spirit when we are placed into Christ's mystic Body by the Holy Spirit, at salvation.

Paul records that, "by one Spirit," (the baptism of the Holy Spirit) "we were all baptized into one Body," (the Body of Christ, which is the Church). Wherever we see the word 'baptism' in the Bible, it simply means to be 'placed into'. Water baptism is a beautiful outward illustration of the supernatural spiritual baptism, (the inward change of heart when a man or woman has trusted in Christ for salvation). The baptism of the Spirit is a single event in the life of a believer which takes place the moment one is born-again and becomes a member of Christ's Body. From that point on, we are exhorted to be filled, day by day, with the Spirit of God.

The moment we are conceived and born into the human race, we are described as being 'in Adam'. As his offspring we are 'identified with Adam'. One could almost say we were 'baptized into Adam' - or 'placed into the family of Adam' at birth. When the children of Israel crossed the Red Sea they were baptized into Moses - they were identified with Moses. Indeed, we read in the Bible, "they were all were baptized into Moses - in the cloud and in the sea." This means that the people of Israel were identified with Moses when they were led by the pillars of cloud by day and also when they crossed the Red Sea on dry ground. Israel received these benefits because they were connected with Moses. They were identified with Moses. They were one with Moses - they were baptized into Moses.

Because we are saved by grace through faith, we are identified with JESUS and so we receive the benefit of identification with Jesus. Having been convicted by the Holy Spirit of sin, righteousness, judgement, and recognizing our need of salvation in Christ, we are placed into His Body. We are positioned in Christ by the Spirit. We are placed in union with Christ by the Spirit - we are baptized, by the Spirit, into the Body of Christ, by faith. The moment that inner, heart-conviction takes place, we are born-again, born from above, born into the family of God, baptized into Christ - and identified with Him and His righteousness.

For some this is accompanied by ecstatic joy, while others feel nothing. However, salvation is not based on feelings but on biblical fact... which teaches that at that point of salvation, the saved sinner is placed into Christ - or baptized into Christ. The moment we are saved, we are baptized into the Body of Christ. This is the point that we are established as a child of God. We are removed from our original position in the first creation, where we are 'in-sin' by being identified with the first Adam - and placed into our new position in the Body of Christ as part of the new creation 'in-Christ'.

In this verse, Paul is describing the process of our justification in the eyes of God. Christ died for our sin, and at the point of our salvation we became identified with Him We became fully identified with Christ - we died in Christ. Although we still live in a body of sin, we are nonetheless identified with Christ's death, burial, and Resurrection, and all that it stands for.

Whether talking about our spiritual baptism into the Body of Christ by faith, or our water baptism as the outward sign of our trust in Christ's finished work as Savior - we can say, with all other members of the Body of Christ, "I have been crucified with Christ and buried with Him in baptism," through faith in God. BUT that is not the end of the story - we are also identified with His Resurrection. We are also raised up with Him, through faith.

The work of the Holy Spirit within the life of a believer has far greater consequences that simply the forgiveness of sin through Christ's sacrificial death. What use would the forgiveness of sin be if there were no physical resurrection unto eternal life! We are not only co-crucified and co-buried with Christ for the forgiveness of sins - but we are ALSO co-resurrected with Christ unto eternal life - through faith in the working of GOD. Because God raised Christ from the dead, we will also be raised from the dead - and it is all because we are identified with Him.

The spiritual nature of our salvation, where we are baptized into the Body of Christ by faith, is outwardly demonstrated when we go to the waters of baptism. Immersion in the water is a picture of our co-burial with Christ while coming up out of the water illustrates our co-resurrection with Him. All is carried out in the power of God, Who enables us to live a new life in Christ - as we die to the old life and live for Christ.