Just sharing.

[beensetfree]

“He appeared first to Mary Magdalene.”

Mark 16:9

Jesus “appeared first to Mary Magdalene,” probably not only on account of her great love and persevering seeking, but because, as the context intimates,she had been a special trophy of Christ's delivering power. Learn from this, that the greatness of our sin before conversion should not make us imagine that we may not be specially favoured with the very highest grade of fellowship. She was one who had left all to become a constant attendant on the Saviour. He was her first, her chief object.

Many who were on Christ's side did not take up Christ's cross; she did. She spent her substance in relieving his wants. If we would see much of Christ, let us serve him. Tell me who they are that sit oftenest under the banner of his love, and drink deepest draughts from the cup of communion, and I am sure they will be those who give most, who serve best, and who abide closest to the bleeding heart of their dear Lord. But notice how Christ revealed himself to this sorrowing one—by a word, “Mary.” It needed but one word in his voice, and at once she knew him, and her heart owned allegiance by another word, her heart was too full to say more. That one word would naturally be the most fitting for the occasion.

It implies obedience. She said, “Master.” There is no state of mind in which this confession of allegiance will be too cold. No, when your spirit glows most with the heavenly fire, then you will say, “I am thy servant, thou hast loosed my bonds.” If you can say, “Master,” if you feel that his will is your will, then you stand in a happy, holy place. He must have said, “Mary,” or else you could not have said, “Rabboni.” See, then, from all this, how Christ honours those who honour him, how love draws our Beloved, how it needs but one word of his to turn our weeping to rejoicing, how his presence makes the heart's sunshine.

 

[beensetfree]

A friend of mine named Paul received an automobile from his brother as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office, a street urchin was walking around the shiny new car, admiring it. “Is this your car, Mister?” he asked.
Paul nodded. “My brother gave it to me for Christmas.” The boy was astounded. “You mean your brother gave it to you and it didn’t cost you nothing? Boy, I wish…” He hesitated.

Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for. He was going to wish he had a brother like that. But what the lad said jarred Paul all the way down to his heels.
“I wish,” the boy went on, “that I could be a brother like that.”
Paul looked at the boy in astonishment, then impulsively he added, “Would you like to take a ride in my automobile?”

“Oh yes, I’d love that.”
After a short ride, the boy turned and with his eyes aglow, said, “Mister, would you mind driving in front on my house?”
Paul smiled a little. He thought he knew what the lad wanted. He wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride home in a big automobile. But Paul was wrong again. “Will you stop where those two steps are?” the boy asked.
He ran up the steps. Then in a little while Paul heard him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled brother. He sat him down on the bottom step, then sort of squeezed up against him and pointed to the car.

“There she is, Buddy, just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn’t cost him a cent. And some day I’m gonna give you one just like it… then you can see for yourself all the pretty things in the Christmas windows that I’ve been trying to tell you about.”
Paul got out and lifted the lad to the front seat of his car. The shingled-eyed older brother climbed in beside him and the three of them began a memorable holiday ride.
That Christmas Eve, Paul learned what Jesus meant when he had said, “It’s more blessed to give….”

 

[beensetfree]

Whatever Happened To The Gospel Of Repentance And Faith?

What’s changed in the proclamation of the gospel in the last hundred years or so? It’s the presentation of the gospel that’s changed.

Come into my Heart

What’s happened to the presentation of the gospel? Where have repentance and faith gone? What about Jesus’ saying, “whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matt 16:25). Jesus did not come to give you or me a more fulfilling life; He demands our life! If we live for ourselves, we’re dead to Christ, but if we’re dead to self, then we’re alive to Christ. Jesus said, “Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life” (John 12:25).

I’ve heard the phrase, “Let Jesus come into your heart” a few times, but exactly what does that mean? I’m not sure Jesus would like my heart since Jeremiah wrote, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it” (Jer 17:9)? Besides, Jesus doesn’t only want our hearts…He demands our life and that we seek Him and His righteousness above all things (Matt 6:33). We must die to ourselves before we can live for Christ, so a plea to sinner to “Let Jesus come into your heart” is neither biblical nor effective

Jesus Loves You
Yes, Jesus loves you, but He is also asking you to repent and believe (Mark 1:14-15). The saying “the universal fatherhood of God and the universal brotherhood of man” is not found in the Bible. Whoever is not of Christ is not a child of the Father. You are either for Him or against Him (Matt 12:30). There is no neutrality with Jesus, so to simply walk up to people and proclaim, “Jesus loves you” or “God loves you” is never going to bring about the knowledge that they are sinners and they need the Savior.

Yes, God is love, but He is also holy, and dwelling on only one attribute can be to the others. You cannot separate one attribute from another. The only attribute of God that’s mentioned three times is that He is “Holy, Holy, Holy.” That is the greatest emphasis possible in Jewish literature. One man walked around the park with a sign that said, “Jesus loves you.” Well, that’s nice, but a lot of people would answer, “Well, my wife loves me too and so do my children and my mom.” Can you imagine Jesus or Paul going up to the Pharisees, Scribes or lawyers and say, “I love you?”

Accept Jesus
Many years ago when I was saved, maybe I said, “I have accepted Jesus,” but a few years later I thought, “Does Jesus really need my acceptance?” I would be more concerned about Jesus accepting me! It sounds a bit condescending to Christ to say, “I have decided to accept You, Jesus,” almost as if He needed our acceptance before we could be saved; almost as if we’re saying, “He needs me to accept Him in order more for me to saved, so I guess I’ll just have to accept Him.” If we had to “accept” anything, it was the fact that we sinner in the hands of an angry God, and that our sins had separated us from Him, so we must put our trust in Christ, not accept Him. Actually, He is the One Who grants repentance (2 Tim 2:25) and draws us to Christ (John6:44), and we only love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).

Give Your Heart to Jesus
There is the phrase, “I have given my heart to Jesus,” and I’m not sure where it came from, but it somewhat recent. I know people are saved by donating organs, but what does it mean to say, “Give your heart to Jesus.” Once more, Jesus doesn’t want one part alone…He wants all of us. I realize this is a common expression, but God is the one Who quickens the dead, not the dead quickening themselves (Eph 2:1-4), so we cannot give anything to God, particularly our heart, until God quickens us to eternal life by His Spirit. It’s not about giving our heart; it’s about what God gave (John 3:16)


Don’t Lose Heart. You’re Awesome
Don’t Lose Heart. You’re Awesome. This was on a church sign and it just struck me as wrong. Only God is awesome. In fact, the word awesome should only be reserved for God Himself. No, I am not awesome. I would only say that I am awful…a wretch and not deserving to be saved. The truth is, there is not one that is righteous, and not even the one who thinks he’s the exception (Rom 3:10). There are none that do good (Rom 3:12). I’m awesome? Really!? It’s a nice pithy statement, but I’d like to see the chapter and verse for that one.

The Sinner’s Prayer
God alone saves, so salvation does not come by repeating a sinner’s prayer. Jesus Christ is the only way to be saved (Acts 4:12), and God is the one Who draws people to Christ (John 6:44), and even though He may use this prayer as a means to save someone, it’s not the prayer itself that saves anyone. It takes the Word of God with the Spirit of God to create the children of God. If you are repeating a sinners prayer or even filling out a decision card (not biblical either), you may be giving someone false assurance or creating a pseudo conversion. Even walking the isle doesn’t save you. Again, God alone saves (Acts 16:30-31). When someone asks what they must do to be saved, we don’t say, “Here, fill out this decision card, walk the isle or repeat this sinners prayer.” Jesus says we must repent and believe the gospel (Mark 1:14-15).

Conclusion
In the last century or so, the church has become more seeker sensitive, but until we tell people the bad news about sin, judgment, and God’s wrath upon the unrepentant, they’ll never see the importance of God’s mercy. His mercy is only relevant until His wrath is revealed. That makes Christ’s atonement all the more precious. It is only through Christ that we can be seen as having His righteousness (2 Cor 5:21).

Until a person sees that they’ve got the death penalty hanging over their head, they will never seek the Advocate (1 John 2:1). You cannot preach the gospel without preaching about repentance, just as John the Baptist said, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt 3:2). The Holy Spirit convicted the consciences of those who were witnesses of and responsible for Jesus’ being crucified.

The Apostle Peter said, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 2:38). When Jesus Christ began His earthly ministry, He said, “The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:14-15). You cannot leave out repentance and faith when presenting Christ. In fact, conversion cannot occur apart from the Holy Spirit and the presence of both faith and repentance. That He is “mighty to save” (Zeph 3:17), is mighty good news.

 

[beensetfree]

Feed My Sheep


Over the weekend, most of the leaves on the tree outside my office window disappeared from the limbs. A couple of weeks ago they were vibrant and green. Last week they were gold and red. Then, while I wasn’t looking, they dried up and withered away to crumble into dust and return to the soil. According to God’s plan, they will a soul that does not wither.

When a leaf disintegrates, it is gone. The human soul does not disintegrate—only the husk within which it lives while it performs the duties assigned to it by God. Nevertheless, if you do your duties well, you will nurture the spirits of the souls that follow you through a lifetime on this earth as surely as the dust of fallen leaves nourishes the leaves of the coming year. The question for you as your autumn approaches is whether or not you are nourishing the sprits of others. Jesus said to Peter, “Feed my sheep.” This is our duty as well.

 

[beensetfree]

Our God Reigns!
Christ is Coming Again!
To establish His eternal kingdom...

On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine-- the best of meats and the finest of wines. On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations

Isaiah 25:6,7 NIV

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And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.

Malachi 3:3,4 KJV

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How lovely on the mountains
Are the feet of him who brings good news,
Who announces peace
And brings good news of happiness,
Who announces salvation,
And says to Zion,
Your God reigns!

Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices,
They shout joyfully together;
For they will see with their own eyes
When the LORD restores Zion.

Isaiah 52:7,8 NASB

__________________

Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.

 

[beensetfree]

He will rule in glory!
He will rule from sea to sea and
from the River to the ends of the earth.
All kings will bow down to him
and all nations will serve him.

May his name endure forever;
may it continue as long as the sun.
All nations will be blessed through him,
and they will call him blessed.

Praise be to his glorious name forever;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
Amen and Amen.

Psalm 72:8,11,17,19 NIV

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It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, and many peoples shall come, and say:

"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths."

For out of Zion shall go forth the law,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
and shall decide for many peoples;
and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more.

Isaiah 2:2-4 RSV

__________________

Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.

 

[beensetfree]

“A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench.”

Matthew 12:20

What is weaker than the bruised reed or the smoking flax? A reed that groweth in the fen or marsh, let but the wild duck light upon it, and it snaps; let but the foot of man brush against it, and it is bruised and broken; every wind that flits across the river moves it to and fro. You can conceive of nothing more frail or brittle, or whose existence is more in jeopardy, than a bruised reed. Then look at the smoking flax — what is it? It has a spark within it, it is true, but it is almost smothered; an infant's breath might blow it out; nothing has a more precarious existence than its flame.

Weak things are here described, yet Jesus says of them, “The smoking flax I will not quench; the bruised reed I will not break.” Some of God's children are made strong to do mighty works for him; God has his Samsons here and there who can pull up Gaza's gates, and carry them to the top of the hill; he has a few mighties who are lion-like men, but the majority of his people are a timid, trembling race. They are like starlings, frightened at every passer by; a little fearful flock. If temptation comes, they are taken like birds in a snare; if trial threatens, they are ready to faint; their frail skiff is tossed up and down by every wave, they are drifted along like a sea bird on the crest of the billows — weak things, without strength, without wisdom, without foresight.

Yet, weak as they are, and because they are so weak, they have this promise made specially to them. Herein is grace and graciousness! Herein is love and lovingkindness! How it opens to us the compassion of Jesus—so gentle, tender, considerate! We need never shrink back from his touch. We need never fear a harsh word from him; though he might well chide us for our weakness, he rebuketh not. Bruised reeds shall have no blows from him, and the smoking flax no damping frowns.

 

[beensetfree]

Deep in the peace of my Lord Jesus Christ,
At rest from all pain and care;
Lost in a prayerful vacation
From sorrows I have to bear—

There I am rested and given
Restoration of mind and will,
Knowing that though I have problems
My dear Lord is with me still;

And when I arise from my knees I know
Though walking through evil’s cruel flame
My comfort will come in an instant
If only I call on His name;

And girded with His protection
And given his shield to bear
I can face whatever befalls me
In the cloak of His Love I now wear.

 

[beensetfree]

I’m Saved, So Why Do I Still Keep Sinning?


Why do some believer’s struggle with overcoming sin more than others? Why do we keep sinning after salvation?

Our Nature
It is human nature for us to sin. If you took a fish out of the water, they’d be out of their environment because they’re not capable of surviving without being submerged in water. That’s the way fish were created, so it’s their nature, but it’s also our nature to sin, even when we know what it’s wrong. After a person is brought to repentance (2 Tim 2:25-26) and faith in Christ, they still have part of their old nature still living in them, as I do, but Christians are not alone.

Some of the greatest figures in the Bible struggled with obedience, even after they knew God, so it’s a struggle that’s common to all of us, and not just believers. For many, that’s somehow comforting. The Bible tells us the truth about human nature and shows us the heroes of the faith, warts and all. The Bible doesn’t hide the fact that some of the greatest biblical figures we know have committed some of the worst sins there are.

King David is a great example, but God granted forgiveness as we see in what may be the greatest prayer of repentance in the Bible (Psalm 51). His guilt was“ever before him,” so he couldn’t help but cry out to God for His forgiveness, and God was merciful. Just as Jesus said, “he who is forgiven little, loves little” (Luke 7:47), so those who are forgiven much are loved much. Even after David committed adultery with his wife and conspired to have Uriah murdered, David was later called a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22)

The Struggle

I believe if someone is concerned that they’re still sinning, at least they care enough about to be concerned. That’s a good thing. For one, it’s an honest assessment of us all (Rom 3:23, 1 John 1:8, 10). We all sin, even after conversion, but if there’s a struggle to live an obedient life, at least the Holy Spirit is working in that person’s life. I would be more concerned if they were still sinning and not giving it a second thought.

When someone is concerned that they are still sinning after being saved, it’s comforting to me, in a strange sort of way, because at least I know I’m not alone in this struggle. The Bible is full of people who struggled with sin. The Apostle Paul said, “I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out” (Rom 7:18), and who among us doesn’t wrestle with this? Paul desired to do the right thing but didn’t always do it. Welcome to the club.

For the body of Christ, which still has sinners and yet saints, that’s the paradox of it. It’s called sanctification…or growing in holiness. We are still very capable of sinning, but at least we strive to avoid it. We are saved from sin but still fall into sin. The difference might be we don’t dive in and swim around in it like we did before conversion. We fall and get back up, but God expects us to fall. He knows our nature as only our Creator would. Solomon acknowledged that “the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity” (Prov 24:16), so even “though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand” (Psalm 37:24).

We will never be sinless this side of the veil, but we should be sinning less…over time, and it should be noticeable to others and ourselves after a set amount of time, however each of us grow in holiness at different rates. I’m not sure why, but some struggle more than others, but there’s strength in the struggle. At least you’re in the fight and resisting the Devil, otherwise you couldn’t care less about sin, and that’s not the heart of a believer (1 John 3).

Expect It
The Apostle Paul preaching in Athens. Raphael, 1515
If you are expecting to be sinless after salvation, you need to read the Bible. Sorry if that seems blunt, but we had one man come to our church and say he was bothered by people praying for forgiveness. He said, “I’m no longer a sinner.” I asked, “Do you still sin?” He said, “Yes, but I am not called a sinner anymore.” I said, “Yes, we’re now called saints, but we still sin…all of us” (1 Kings 8:46; 1 John 1:8, 10).

He finally told our elder that he was leaving because he didn’t like asking for forgiveness all the time. I wonder how that works at home with his wife. By the same reasoning he’s using, I supposed he doesn’t need forgiveness anymore in his marriage…or among his friends…or anywhere since he doesn’t sin anymore. I can tell you from experience, that’s not going to turn out well in a marriage or in a relationship. Even the spiritual giant, the Apostle Paul, declared himself to be the foremost of sinners (1 Tim 1:15), writing, “For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God” (1 Cor 15:9), but hey, we’re all unworthy. Paul knew that. It is only because of Christ that we can be declared righteousness in God’s sight (2 Cor 5:21), but everyone will still sin, even after conversion. If they say they don’t sin anymore (like one man told me), I ask, “Why you aren’t in heaven then?”

Conclusion

The Apostle John wrote, “Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister” (1 John 3:10b), and “Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him” (1 John 3:15). He adds that, “No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him” (1 John 3:6), because “Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning” (1 John 3:8a).

Notice he said, they “practice…sinning,” meaning it’s a regular custom or routine for them. He’s not referring to believers because John knows they (and I) will still sin (1 John 1:8, 10), but they don’t make a practice of it. If you play sports, you practice sport, and that means you intentionally practice over periods of time, practicing again and again, but Christians are not to sin intentionally, and even though they (and I) do, they repent of that and confess it to God and try to resist the same temptation next time. That’s not the case with the lost. We all fall short, and not one of us are good in and of ourselves (Rom 3:10-12), but the good news is, we are saved by a very good God.

 

[beensetfree]

Consciousness of God
Is only known by man;
But go ahead, use logic;
Rebuff Him if you can;

But when argument is over,
You will see what must be true—
Were there not a God,
There would also not be you.

 

[beensetfree]

A Glorious Kingdom
Christ is Coming Again!
A Glorious Kingdom without End...

And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall its sovereignty be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand for ever.

Daniel 2:44 RSV

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"In that day I will restore David's fallen tent. I will repair its broken places, restore its ruins, and build it as it used to be, so that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations that bear my name," declares the LORD, who will do these things.

Amos 9:11,12 NIV

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For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.

Malachi 1:11 KJV

__________________

Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.

 

[beensetfree]

''Behold the man!”

John 19:5

If there be one place where our Lord Jesus most fully becomes the joy and comfort of his people, it is where he plunged deepest into the depths of woe. Come hither, gracious souls, and behold the man in the garden of Gethsemane; behold his heart so brimming with love that he cannot hold it in — so full of sorrow that it must find a vent. Behold the bloody sweat as it distils from every pore of his body, and falls upon the ground. Behold the man as they drive the nails into his hands and feet.

Look up, repenting sinners, and see the sorrowful image of your suffering Lord. Mark him, as the ruby drops stand on the thorn-crown, and adorn with priceless gems the diadem of the King of Misery. Behold the man when all his bones are out of joint, and he is poured out like water and brought into the dust of death; God hath forsaken him, and hell compasseth him about. Behold and see, was there ever sorrow like unto his sorrow that is done unto him? All ye that pass by draw near and look upon this spectacle of grief, unique, unparalleled, a wonder to men and angels, a prodigy unmatched.

Behold the Emperor of Woe who had no equal or rival in his agonies! Gaze upon him, ye mourners, for if there be not consolation in a crucified Christ there is no joy in earth or heaven. If in the ransom price of his blood there be not hope, ye harps of heaven, there is no joy in you, and the right hand of God shall know no pleasures for evermore. We have only to sit more continually at the cross foot to be less troubled with our doubts and woes. We have but to see his sorrows, and our sorrows we shall be ashamed to mention. We have but to gaze into his wounds and heal our own. If we would live aright it must be by the contemplation of his death; if we would rise to dignity, it must be by considering his humiliation and his sorrow.

 

[beensetfree]

How Faithful is the Lord

I don’t understand the Lord—
No person really can.
The nature of his being
Is beyond the scope of man.

He came from a void of nothing
To create all space and time;
He made the skies and heaven
And he made the sun to shine;.

And he made a puny race
To live on this good earth
And enjoy all that he made
And praise his Mighty Worth.

Yet our Lord is ever merciful
And faithful to all men
Even though we turn from Him
And too often fall to sin.

For when He provides a sunset
And we don’t praise his name,
The next day the sun again will rise
And set again the same.

 

[beensetfree]

“Why go I mourning?”

Psalm 42:9

Canst thou answer this, believer? Canst thou find any reason why thou art so often mourning instead of rejoicing? Why yield to gloomy anticipations? Who told thee that the night would never end in day? Who told thee that the sea of circumstances would ebb out till there should be nothing left but long leagues of the m&d of horrible poverty? Who told thee that the winter of thy discontent would proceed from frost to frost, from snow, and ice, and hail, to deeper snow, and yet more heavy tempest of despair?

Knowest thou not that day follows night, that flood comes after ebb, that spring and summer succeed winter? Hope thou then! Hope thou ever! For God fails thee not. Dost thou not know that thy God loves thee in the midst of all this? Mountains, when in darkness hidden, are as real as in day, and God's love is as true to thee now as it was in thy brightest moments. No father chastens always: thy Lord hates the rod as much as thou dost; he only cares to use it for that reason which should make thee willing to receive it, namely, that it works thy lasting good.

Thou shalt yet climb Jacob's ladder with the angels, and behold him who sits at the top of it—thy covenant God. Thou shalt yet, amidst the splendours of eternity, forget the trials of time, or only remember them to bless the God who led thee through them, and wrought thy lasting good by them. Come, sing in the midst of tribulation. Rejoice even while passing through the furnace. Make the wilderness to blossom like the rose! Cause the desert to ring with thine exulting joys, for these light afflictions will soon be over, and then “for ever with the Lord,” thy bliss shall never wane.

“Faint not nor fear, his arms are near,
He changeth not, and thou art dear;
Only believe and thou shalt see,
That Christ is all in all to thee.”

 

[beensetfree]

Seek First the Kingdom
The Kingdom of God:
Increasing Light and Knowledge and Grace

All your sons will be taught by the LORD,
and great will be your children's peace.

Isaiah 54:13 NIV

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Many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall be increased.

Daniel 12:4 KJV

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They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.

Isaiah 11:9 RSV

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But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness,
and all these things will be added to you.

So do not worry about tomorrow;
for tomorrow will care for itself.
Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:33,34 NASB

__________________

Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.

 

[beensetfree]

“The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

1 John 1:7

“Cleanseth,” says the text — not “shall cleanse.” There are multitudes who think that as a dying hope they may look forward to pardon. Oh! how infinitely better to have cleansing now than to depend on the bare possibility of forgiveness when I come to die. Some imagine that a sense of pardon is an attainment only obtainable after many years of Christian experience. But forgiveness of sin is a present thing — a privilege for this day, a joy for this very hour. The moment a sinner trusts Jesus he is fully forgiven.

The text, being written in the present tense, also indicates continuance; it was “cleanseth” yesterday, it is “cleanseth” to-day, it will be “cleanseth” tomorrow: it will be always so with you, Christian, until you cross the river; every hour you may come to this fountain, for it cleanseth still. Notice, likewise, the completeness of the cleansing, “The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” — not only from sin, but “from all sin.” Reader, I cannot tell you the exceeding sweetness of this word, but I pray God the Holy Ghost to give you a taste of it. Manifold are our sins against God.

Whether the bill be little or great, the same receipt can discharge one as the other. The blood of Jesus Christ is as blessed and divine a payment for the transgressions of blaspheming Peter as for the shortcomings of loving John; our iniquity is gone, all gone at once, and all gone for ever. Blessed completeness! What a sweet theme to dwell upon as one gives himself to sleep.

“Sins against a holy God;
Sins against his righteous laws;
Sins against his love, his blood;
Sins against his name and cause;
Sins immense as is the sea-
From them all he cleanseth me.”

 

[beensetfree]

How To Grow Closer To God By Reading The Bible

How can reading the Word of God draw you closer to God?

Reading the Bible
Reading the Bible seemed like a simple task at first, but I soon realized that I needed some help in explaining certain passages. Some verses seemed so daunting. There are so many verses to write on our hearts and truths to be revealed that it’s hard to know where to begin, but the Bible is unlike any other book. It’s a book that can be read over and over again, and each time, new understanding comes, and the former passages that were difficult eventually became easier to understand, although many will always remain difficult. I don’t normally read a book twice, but the Bible is not just a book. It is the very breath of God, so here are some ways you can draw closer to God by reading the Word of God and other applications.

Meditating on the Word
Our church elder said that meditating on the Word of God is a lost art, and he’s absolutely right. Its one thing to read the Word of God, but it’s an altogether different thing to sit and contemplate what we read. I would rather read only a few lines of Scripture and mediate on these than read a whole chapter and then not remember most of it. When we take time to reflect, ponder, and mediate on His Word, the Word penetrates deep into our mind and this allows us to internalize it and memorize it. We lose out on so much when we simply read the Bible but don’t slow down to meditate on it.

The Psalmist says we are to hide or memorize God’s Word in order that we might not sin (Psalm 119:11), and you can’t do that by skimming over chapters. There is such power in His Word (Isaiah 55:11; Rom 1:16; 1 Cor 1:18) but we often don’t tap that power when we read right past it. The Scriptures tell us to meditate on His Word, both day and night, but you can never meditate on the Word of God if you’re not reading the Word of God. The Lord told Joshua, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” (Joshua 1:8). The psalmist wrote, “Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day” (Psalm 119:97), and that’s because His commandments make us wiser and give us more understanding (Psalm 119:98-100).

Context is King
Tapping into the power of Scripture takes practice and patience, but daily reading of the Word also helps us not take texts out of context, and this helps us avoid pretexts, so how do we avoid taking texts out of context? It’s so easy to rip one verse out of context and create a pretext, but often it’s a false one, and of course, we don’t want that. That’s how cults are formed. We need to read the verse within the whole context of the chapter, and even within the context of the book. Taking texts out of context are how heated arguments begin, but this is typically pride-induced. Someone takes one text to prove that they’re right and the other person’s wrong, but what happens is Christians wield the Word of God like a sword and use it against other in a way it was never intended.

Personalize the Bible
How can you personalize the Bible? You can do this by putting “you” or your name in a certain verse. Of course, it doesn’t work with every verse, but when the Lord s addressing believers, it works very well. Here’s an example: John 3:16 can read, “For God so loved the (Sarah/Gary/you) that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life,” or Colossians 1:21-22 works well by adding personal names: “And you Sarah/Donnie, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him.” Even on its own, the Word of God is quite personalized as we read in Colossians 2:6-7 where the Apostle Paul writes, “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”

Prescriptive vs Descriptive
All Scripture is written for believers but not all Scripture is written to believers as far as application is concerned. One obvious example is the animal sacrifices. To try and apply these to believers today would be ridiculous. These verses were written to Israel and are prescriptive to Israel, or written specifically to them and for them to act on (application). You must read Scripture as prescriptive, descriptive, or both, because some Scriptures are to be applied to whomever they were written too (prescriptive). Circumcision was not commanded of Gentiles.

Those verses were prescribed only to Israel and those who joined with them, but they are also descriptive of God’s unique covenant with the descendants of Israel (Gen 17). The Mosaic Laws are prescriptive, or prescribed for Israel, however, these laws are also descriptive because they describe how God sees sin and that sin requires a blood sacrifice. Paul wrote that he was crucified with Christ, but that is more descriptive than prescriptive because we no longer live in the flesh since we have Christ living in us (Gal 2:20). Cleary, Paul is not prescribing that we literally crucify ourselves; it is more of a descriptive verse showing that we must die to ourselves and live for Christ (Rom 6:8). We can’t read this and really believe that Paul was crucified with Christ on Calvary can we?

The Helper
One crucial part of reading the Bible is allowing the Spirit to guide us. There are many times when I have felt like I just read a verse for the very first time. It’s not that I hadn’t read it before, but there was suddenly a new revelation of the meaning behind the verse. This happens when we pray for the Spirit’s guidance? The Holy Spirit can help us make more sense of the Scriptures if we pray for His help in understanding what God’s Word is saying to us. Ask the Spirit to help bring you understanding, but within the proper context. Ask the Spirit, “Where is this applicable in my life?” Jesus said that “the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26), so “when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me” (John 15:26).

Have a Plan
I love the advice of many Bible teachers and scholars who advise us to have a daily reading plan so that we can gain wisdom from the Scriptures. Personally, I read some out of the Old Testament and then some from the New Testament every morning. No Bible, no breakfast, so as hard as it is a times, I know I need it, and the times when I don’t feel like reading the Bible are the very times I need it most! We don’t eat one meal on Sunday expecting it’ll last us all week, so we must have a daily intake of our Daily Bread, the Word of God, to sustain us through the difficult trials, temptations, and tests that may come in the day. Have a plan and try to stick to it.
Take Notes
I love to mark my Bible. The paper is not holy….God’s Word is. I highlight certain passages that are very important to me. When I see certain verses, I write them out or highlight them so that I can memorize them. Second Corinthians 5:21 and 1 John 1:9 are very important to me because these are essential to every believer. When we read something, then highlight it, and then write it out, we give our mind three ways in which the Word can sink down deep into our minds, and then we can recall them when we need them during the day.

Conclusion
As for me, I like to start in the Old Testament and go from Genesis to Malachi and also from the Gospel of Matthew to Revelation, so I read it chronologically. Reading both Testaments gives me a good look at God’s plan and His will for my life. That keeps Scriptures in context (avoiding pretexts), enabling me to know whether it’s descriptive (the parting of the Red sea) or prescriptive (repent and believe). In this way, I can have God’s Word hidden in my heart, and it might even keep me from sinning (Psalm 199:11).

 

[beensetfree]

“Search the Scriptures.”

John 5:39

The Greek word here rendered search signifies a strict, close, diligent, curious search, such as men make when they are seeking gold, or hunters when they are in earnest after game. We must not rest content with having given a superficial reading to a chapter or two, but with the candle of the Spirit we must deliberately seek out the hidden meaning of the word. Holy Scripture requires searching—much of it can only be learned by careful study.

There is milk for babes, but also meat for strong men. The rabbis wisely say that a mountain of matter hangs upon every word, yea, upon every title of Scripture. Tertullian exclaims, “I adore the fulness of the Scriptures.” No man who merely skims the book of God can profit thereby; we must dig and mine until we obtain the hid treasure. The door of the word only opens to the key of diligence.

The Scriptures claim searching. They are the writings of God, bearing the divine stamp and imprimatur — who shall dare to treat them with levity? He who despises them despises the God who wrote them. God forbid that any of us should leave our Bibles to become swift witnesses against us in the great day of account. The word of God will repay searching. God does not bid us sift a mountain of chaff with here and there a grain of wheat in it, but the Bible is winnowed corn — we have but to open the granary door and find it.

Scripture grows upon the student. It is full of surprises. Under the teaching of the Holy Spirit, to the searching eye it glows with splendour of revelation, like a vast temple paved with wrought gold, and roofed with rubies, emeralds, and all manner of gems. No merchandise like the merchandise of Scripture truth. Lastly, the Scriptures reveal Jesus: “They are they which testify of me.” No more powerful motive can be urged upon Bible readers than this: he who finds Jesus finds life, heaven, all things. Happy he who, searching his Bible, discovers his Saviour.

 

[beensetfree]

IF GOD SHOULD GO ON STRIKE

How is it that God above
Has never gone on strike
Because he was not treated fair
In things He didn't like.

If only once He'd given up,
And said, 'That's it, I'm through!
I've had enough of those on earth,
So this is what I'll do;

I'll give my orders to the sun -
'Cut off the heat supply!'
And to the moon - 'Give no more
Light, and run the ocean dry.'

Then just to make things really tough
And put the pressures on,
'Turn off the vital oxygen
Till every breath is gone!'

You know, He would be justified
If fairness was the game.
For no one has been abused
Or met with more disdain

Than God, any yet He carries on
Supplying you and me
With all the favors of His grace
And everything for free.

Men say they want a better deal
And so on strike they go.
But what a deal we've given
To God to whom all things we owe.

We don't care whom we hurt
To gain the things we like.
But what a mess we'd all be in
If God should go on strike!!

 

[beensetfree]

“His camp is very great.”

Joel 2:11

Consider, my soul, the mightiness of the Lord who is thy glory and defense. He is a man of war, Jehovah is his name. All the forces of heaven are at his beck, legions wait at his door, cherubim and seraphim;, watchers and holy ones, principalities and powers, are all attentive to his will. If our eyes were not blinded by the ophthalmia of the flesh, we should see horses of fire and chariots of fire round about the Lord's beloved.

The powers of nature are all subject to the absolute control of the Creator: stormy wind and tempest, lightning and rain, and snow, and hail, and the soft dews and cheering sunshine, come and go at his decree. The bands of Orion he looses, and binds the sweet influences of the Pleiades. Earth, sea, and air, and the places under the earth, are the barracks for Jehovah's great armies; space is his camping ground, light is his banner, and flame is his sword.

When he goes forth to war, famine ravages the land, pestilence smites the nations, hurricane sweeps the sea, tornado shakes the mountains, and earthquake makes the solid world to tremble. As for animate creatures, they all own his dominion, and from the great fish which swallowed the prophet, down to “all manner of flies,” which plagued the field of Zoan, all are his servants, and like the palmer-worm, the caterpillar, and the cankerworm, are squadrons of his great army, for his camp is very great.

My soul, see to it that thou be at peace with this mighty King, yea, more, be sure to enlist under his banner, for to war against him is madness, and to serve him is glory. Jesus, Immanuel, God with us, is ready to receive recruits for the army of the Lord: if I am not already enlisted let me go to him ere I sleep, and beg to be accepted through his merits; and if I be already, as I hope I am, a soldier of the cross, let me be of good courage; for the enemy is powerless compared with my Lord, whose camp is very great.