Just sharing.

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“Ah Lord God, behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee.”

Jeremiah 32:17

At the very time when the Chaldeans surrounded Jerusalem, and when the sword, famine and pestilence had desolated the land, Jeremiah was commanded by God to purchase a field, and have the deed of transfer legally sealed and witnessed. This was a strange purchase for a rational man to make. Prudence could not justify it, for it was buying with scarcely a probability that the person purchasing could ever enjoy the possession.

But it was enough for Jeremiah that his God had bidden him, for well he knew that God will be justified of all his children. He reasoned thus: “Ah, Lord God! thou canst make this plot of ground of use to me; thou canst rid this land of these oppressors; thou canst make me yet sit under my vine and my fig-tree in the heritage which I have bought; for thou didst make the heavens and the earth, and there is nothing too hard for thee.”

This gave a majesty to the early saints, that they dared to do at God's command things which carnal reason would condemn. Whether it be a Noah who is to build a ship on dry land, an Abraham who is to offer up his only son, or a Moses who is to despise the treasures of Egypt, or a Joshua who is to besiege Jericho seven days, using no weapons but the blasts of rams’ horns, they all act upon God's command, contrary to the dictates of carnal reason; and the Lord gives them a rich reward as the result of their obedient faith.

Would to God we had in the religion of these modern times a more potent infusion of this heroic faith in God. If we would venture more upon the naked promise of God, we should enter a world of wonders to which as yet we are strangers. Let Jeremiah's place of confidence be ours—nothing is too hard for the God that created the heavens and the earth.

 

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What The Bible Teaches About Loving Our Enemies


It’s easy to love those we know, but to even love our enemies? That’s what Jesus’ taught us to do, so here are some of the best Bible verses about loving our enemies.
You Have Heard it Said
In what must have amounted to a stunning teaching to the religious leaders of Jesus’ day, He said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy,’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matt 5:43-44). Did this mean the Jews who were under Roman rule should love their captives? Was what they “have heard” part of the Old Testament Law? What did Jesus mean by saying, “You have heard it said,” and who is it that said this? Was this part of the civil law of ancient Israel? Modern scholarship believes that this saying wasn’t from in the Law but from the Scribes who interpreted the Law. There is no Old Testament Law anywhere that teaches we are to hate our enemies.

God hated the pagan nation’s religions, which often included child sacrifice, but aliens were able to join themselves to Israel, provided they kept the Laws of God, and when Israel came out of their Egyptian bondage, there was a great, mixed multitude, likely containing of Israelites and some Egyptians, perhaps those who had witnessed the mighty miracles of God. There might have even slaves from other nations, but when Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said,” we know hating your enemies was not part of the Law of God. More likely, He was referring to Jewish tradition, or a spurious law that was added by the Scribes in their translation of the Law. Regardless of the original source, it was not taught in the Old Testament, and it was not taught by Jesus Christ. He said to love our enemies, not hate them.

Shattering the Norms
When Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman, He shattered the cultural norms of the day (John 4). He spoke with a woman in public and He spoke with a Samaritan woman which would have been unheard of in Jesus’ day. The Jews despised the Samaritans for various reasons, regarding them as a half-breed and traitors. The Samaritans were the remnants of the Northern Kingdom or ten Tribes of Israel, most of which had been taken away into captivity.

The few that remained intermarried with the pagans, so the Jews would never talk to a Samaritan, especially a woman, and would go out of their way to avoid traveling through Samaria, even if it meant having to travel an additional twenty miles, but Jesus, turning the cultural norms upside down, said “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you” (Luke 6:27-28). The Apostle Paul must have understood this principle taught by Jesus because he instructed the Christians in Rome to never avenge themselves against their persecutors, but, “To the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head” (Rom 12:20).

Good for Bad
Doing good to an enemy is a godly response to hatred. Remember that even “while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom 5:6), “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8). Even more astounding, while we were still yet “enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son” (Rom 5:10a). That is contrary to human nature because “one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die” (Rom 5:7), but to die for one’s enemy, and an ungodly, wicked one at that?! Since God showed that much love toward us, then we ought to do the same for those who don’t know Christ yet.

Paul doesn’t want us to have spiritual amnesia about our own past and get puffed about God saving us but not others. And God also doesn’t want us to judge those outside the church which are not yet saved, so in order to keep our salvation in perspective, he reminds us that “such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor 6:11). We are not better than the lost…just better off.

Responding to Hate
James and John where called the Sons of Thunder, and we can see why when they actually wanted to call down fire down from heaven and have the village which rejected Jesus consumed by fire (Luke 9:54), but Jesus rebuked them for that (Luke 9:56). Had the disciples already forgotten that Jesus said, “whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matt 7:12)? I’m sure they wouldn’t want that for themselves.

Had they not remembered Jesus’ saying, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matt 5:9)? Even in the Old Testament Proverbs they must have been familiar with the proverb that said, “If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you” (Prov 25:21-22). We do not love our enemies in exchange for rewards from God. We are told, “love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil” (Luke 6:35).

Loving God and loving neighbor are the essence of the Law and the Prophets, so when Jesus gave the disciples a new commandment, it also had to do with loving others. Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another” (John 13:34-35). We must love our enemies first, not expecting to be loved in return, because remember, “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

Conclusion
We do not give our enemies what they deserve….we give them what they need, and that is love. To love your enemies is to be more like God Who died for us while still His enemy (Rom 5:10), so take these Bible verses about loving your enemies to heart, and read them over a few times, or at least, mark them in your Bible. And, please share these with someone so they too can see how we are commanded to love our enemies.

 

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He Answers Our Prayers Glorious Blessings Are Ours: God our Creator Hears & Answers Prayer For they will be a people blessed by the LORD, they and their descendants with them. Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear. Isaiah 65:23b,24 NIV __________________ Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:12,13 NIV __________________ They will call on My name, And I will answer them; I will say, "They are My people,' And they will say, "The LORD is my God.' Zechariah 13:9 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.

 

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“The voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day.”

Genesis 3:8

My soul, now that the cool of the day has come, retire awhile and hearken to the voice of thy God. He is always ready to speak with thee when thou art prepared to hear. If there be any slowness to commune it is not on his part, but altogether on thine own, for he stands at the door and knocks, and if his people will but open he rejoices to enter.

But in what state is my heart, which is my Lord's garden? May I venture to hope that it is well trimmed and watered, and is bringing forth fruit fit for him? If not, he will have much to reprove, but still I pray him to come unto me, for nothing can so certainly bring my heart into a right condition as the presence of the Sun of Righteousness, who brings healing in his wings.

Come, therefore, O Lord, my God, my soul invites thee earnestly, and waits for thee eagerly. Come to me, O Jesus, my well-beloved, and plant fresh flowers in my garden, such as I see blooming in such perfection in thy matchless character! Come, O my Father, who art the Husbandman, and deal with me in thy tenderness and prudence! Come, O Holy Spirit, and bedew my whole nature, as the herbs are now moistened with the evening dews. O that God would speak to me.

Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth! O that he would walk with me; I am ready to give up my whole heart and mind to him, and every other thought is hushed. I am only asking what he delights to give. I am sure that he will condescend to have fellowship with me, for he has given me his Holy Spirit to abide with me for ever. Sweet is the cool twilight, when every star seems like the eye of heaven, and the cool wind is as the breath of celestial love. My Father, my elder Brother, my sweet Comforter, speak now in lovingkindness, for thou hast opened mine ear and I am not rebellious.

 

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How We Can Glorify God By Giving HimThanks



God loves it when we give Him thanks, and so here are some of the world’s best Bible verses that can help you to be more thankful to God.

In All Things
The Apostle Paul tells us that we should give thanks to God “in all circumstances,” and not just when we’ve been blessed. He writes, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thess 5:18), but this is nothing new since the psalmist also wrote, “Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever” (Psalm 107:1). Clearly, “Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph 5:20) is the will of God, but it should come naturally because “he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever” (Psalm 136:1). If you can’t give thanks to God for His enduring love, which sealed our redemption for eternity through Jesus Christ, then we have either not been reading the Bible or we’re being presumptuous about God’s good grace. That’s why when we come together to worship God as the Body of Christ, we should “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name” (Psalm 110:4).

A Thanksgiving Offering
Think of giving someone a thank you card for something they’ve done or said. I’m sure they appreciate that, but they don’t do it for the thank you cards, but for the simple pleasure of helping others, but God also wants us to give Him thanks for the untold blessings that have come into our life. Psalm 92:1 says, “It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your name, O Most High. It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night.” Think of a thank you card as a sacrifice in itself. The psalmist wrote, “The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God” (Psalm 50:23). The author of Hebrews tells us, “Through him (Jesus Christ) then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name” (Heb 13:15).

Acknowledging His name is giving glory to His name and ascribing all the glory to God alone (Psalm 115:1). Solomon wrote, “In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” (Prov 3:6). Why? When you acknowledge God, your paths will be a lot straighter, and your thankfulness to Him will be all the greater. Think of giving thanks to God as an offering…which of course it is! And you glorify God by giving Him thanks (Psalm 50:23), so offer Him thanksgiving right now, and give glory to God.

Thankfulness

It’s hard to be anxious about tomorrow when you’re thankful today. You already know that tomorrow’s been taken care of, and all the good things and all the bad things that happen to us, will work out for God’s ultimate purpose for us (Rom 8:28). The ancient Israelites didn’t have to be anxious about the manna in the dessert. It was there every morning but the Sabbath, but there are few indications of Israel’s thankfulness. Since they weren’t thankful, they were never satisfied, and they cried out for more, so God sent them quail, and they gorged themselves until it came out of their nostrils!

Why? They were not thankful for what they already had. Not one of them had ever starved to death or died of thirst or had their clothes wear out, and yet the Scriptures are almost silent on their giving thanks to God. Philippians 4:6 would have been good counsel from the Apostle Paul who wrote, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

Paul was always thankful, even for the hardships, for he bore the marks of Christ, but He could still say, “I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus,” (1 Cor 1:4). It mattered not whether he was in prison or not; he was always thankful; for the church, and above all, to the Lord Jesus Christ, so “in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thess 5:18). Since we know that this is the will of God, why not give Him thanks right now!

Conclusion
The next time you come together for worship, try to “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name” (1 Chron 16:8)! Giving thanks to God is a sacrifice or offering that is pleasing and acceptable to Him, but I believe humility is the breeding ground for thankfulness, as it recognizes the fact that all we have belongs to God, and to Him we owe all thanks, so “whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Col 3:17). And please share these Bible verses about giving thanks with someone you know, and it is my hope that they make it much easier for you to give thanks to God, because “The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me” (Psalm 50:23a).

 

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Ask and receive... And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. If you love me, you will obey what I command. John 14:13-15 NIV __________________ And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:15,16 KJV __________________ And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. 1 John 3:22,23 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.

 

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“Unto thee will I cry, O Lord my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit.”

Psalm 28:1

A cry is the natural expression of sorrow, and a suitable utterance when all other modes of appeal fail us; but the cry must be alone directed to the Lord, for to cry to man is to waste our entreaties upon the air. When we consider the readiness of the Lord to hear, and his ability to aid, we shall see good reason for directing all our appeals at once to the God of our salvation. It will be in vain to call to the rocks in the day of judgment, but our Rock attends to our cries.

“Be not silent to me.” Mere formalists may be content without answers to their prayers, but genuine suppliants cannot; they are not satisfied with the results of prayer itself in calming the mind and subduing the will—they must go further, and obtain actual replies from heaven, or they cannot rest; and those replies they long to receive at once, they dread even a little of God's silence. God's voice is often so terrible that it shakes the wilderness; but his silence is equally full of awe to an eager suppliant.

When God seems to close his ear, we must not therefore close our mouths, but rather cry with more earnestness; for when our note grows shrill with eagerness and grief, he will not long deny us a hearing. What a dreadful case should we be in if the Lord should become for ever silent to our prayers? “Lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit.” Deprived of the God who answers prayer, we should be in a more pitiable plight than the dead in the grave, and should soon sink to the same level as the lost in hell. We must have answers to prayer: ours is an urgent case of dire necessity; surely the Lord will speak peace to our agitated minds, for he never can find it in his heart to permit his own elect to perish.

 

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And Then Some




"Brittnia's here!!" shouted Caleb and Connor in stereo sound as they saw our baby-sitter get out of her car and walk up the sidewalk to our house. Joyful dancing and a good test of our sofa's warranty followed as my two young boys jumped up and down, acting like Christmas morning was here once again. Caleb then ran to the door to let her in, while Connor continued to act as if he had just won a lifetime supply of candy. Kristi and I smiled as we watched the scene unfold before us -- a scene that is repeated no matter how often Brittnia comes to our house. It also made us both realize how incredibly blessed we are to have her in our life.

I first met Brittnia Brandl when she walked into basketball practice during her freshman year of high school, and we got to know her a little better as each month went by. She soon took up permanent residency in our family's heart, and Kristi and I began to pray for Brittnia whenever we thought of her -- which was often. I permanently bonded with her one particular afternoon during her sophomore year. Jamie Rusch, another basketball player at the time and I had gone to visit Brittnia in the hospital to cheer her up after her knee surgery. She was fresh out of the operating room and when we walked into the room, we were rewarded with a big smile, followed by a wave of vomiting. Yes, nothing shows your gratitude like stomach bile! She was very embarrassed but I reassured her that once a person throws up in front of another, they become friends for life!

As our lives became more entwined, I came to realize the quality that made Brittnia so special. Professor Richard Weaver once stated that what often sets a successful person apart from others are three simple words: "and then some." Brittnia figured this out a long time ago. When she was playing basketball for me, she worked hard, had a great attitude, loved and respected her teammates?and then some.

When she helps me videotape weddings for my video production business, she puts in a full day's work?and then some. She shows up earlier than expected, stays later than she needs to, and complains that we pay her too much money. She is the model employee.

However, nothing compares to how she is as a baby-sitter! She is trustworthy, dependable, responsible, goes out of her way to accommodate us?and then some!

The very first time Brittnia baby-sat for us, we knew we had someone special. From the time she walked in the door until the time she left our house, she gave our boys 100% of her time and attention. While some teenagers might be calling their boyfriends, watching TV, or doing their homework while they baby-sit, Brittnia spends her time playing hide-and-go-seek, tag, and reading countless books to my overactive children. She has role-played "The Lion King" so many times that I think she must secretly shudder at the name "Mufasa," as much as the hyenas do in the Disney movie! ("Mufasa! Mufasa! Mufasa!")

Many times as we walk up to our house while Brittnia is baby-sitting, we will pause outside of the window for a minute and watch her as she lovingly plays with, reads to, and cares for our two rambunctious boys. One night, just as we were leaving the house and our children in her capable hands, Caleb jumped on her back for a piggyback ride. Kristi and I went to dinner, then stopped back at the house two hours later for something before we went to a movie. As we walked up to the door, we could see Brittnia walking around the living room with monkey-boy Caleb clinging to her back. I know better than to think that my boy had stayed there for the entire two hours, but I can honestly say that it wouldn't surprise me if it were true.

In all things in her life, Brittnia does what is expected of her?and then some. In the past four years she has earned our respect, our loyalty, and our love. We are extremely proud of our Brittnia for everything she does in her life, but never were we prouder than when we found out that she had committed her life to Christ toward the end of her freshman year. She shared with us that one night she went into her room, cried, and prayed for Jesus to come into her heart. She asked Him to take over her life because she needed help. She took all of the things she was dealing with at the time, and surrendered everything to Jesus. She became a new creation...

This past Sunday, Brittnia was baptized. She stood before family and friends and made a public profession of her faith in Christ. Kristi and I had been looking forward to sharing this important day with her since she first told us when she was getting baptized, a little over two months ago. We could just picture her beaming face as she would stare out over the crowd and make eye contact with those who love her dearly... Caleb, our five-year-old was so excited Sunday morning as we were getting ready to leave our house. "Daddy! We get to go see Brittnia get pushed in the water today, don't we?!" On the ride to Brittnia's church, Kristi and I explained to Caleb all about baptism and what it stands for in a believer's life. All of us were anticipating Brittnia's big day...

I dropped Kristi off at the door and then went to find a parking spot. I had Connor with me and when we walked into the sanctuary, I saw that the baptism had already started. A numbness crept into my heart. One of the few times in our life we thought we were early -- twenty minutes early! I looked at Kristi and begged, "Please tell me that Brittnia hasn't been baptized yet?" She didn't answer right away, and my stomach turned to ice, because I knew from her silence that Brittnia had. It turned out that the baptism had started at 12:00 and not 12:30. Both of us had the time wrong and later when we got home, the invitation mocked us with the correct time. There were fifteen to twenty believers being baptized that afternoon, and I sat there totally numb as the pastor finished up with the last seven or eight people. I wanted to cry. I wanted to ask the pastor if he could do it again. I wanted it all to be some kind of a bad dream that I could wake up from...

We had let our Brittnia down...

We had wanted to make eye contact with her, just before she walked to the baptismal and tell her that we loved her...

We had wanted to silently pray for her young life just as the pastor said, "I baptize you in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit..."

We had wanted our two young sons to see Brittnia as she publicly let everyone know that four years earlier she asked Jesus to forgive her of her sins, come into her life, and had given total control of everything over to God. We had hoped that it might make an impression on them even at their early ages...

We had wanted to watch Brittnia's future husband, Jeff, as he also was baptized, and pray for their young relationship, that it might stay strong...

But it wasn't meant to be...

Jamie Rusch, who was sitting in front of me leaned back and whispered, "If it is any consolation, Brittnia's face got really red just before she was baptized." That made me smile, as everyone who knows Brittnia knows that she blushes easily...

Caleb, who was sitting on my lap, finally realized that it was over and that, as far a he could see, Brittnia hadn't been baptized yet. "Awwwwwwww! Brittnia didn't get dunked!!" he shouted.

We gave Brittnia a hug afterwards, wet hair and all, and she asked us if we got to see it. I had to tell her that we were about four minutes too late, and that we had the time mixed up. She reassured us that it was all right, but I felt my stomach tighten again into the kind of knots only an Eagle Scout could tie.

All day I asked, "Why God? Why did we have to miss this important day in our Brittnia's life?"

Even though we missed that moment, we wanted to share this with you today, on your nineteenth birthday, Brittnia:

Jesus will always be there for you. He never makes promises He can't keep and He is never, ever late in His timing. He will be your Friend when your friends fail you. He will be your Parent when your parents fail you. He will be your Husband when your future husband fails you, and he will fill the void that is in all of our lives like nothing else can...

Brittnia, Jesus will bless your life and provide for all of your needs, both emotionally and physically?and then some. He will comfort you when you are down, make your marriage work when there seems to be no hope, bless you with wonderful children, loving friends and family?and then some.

You could be our baby-sitter for the next twenty years. You could help me with my video business for the next fifty and be the perfect employee. You could have been born fourteen years later and ended up marrying Caleb and been the perfect daughter-in-law... but there is nothing, absolutely nothing, you could ever do that would top giving your life to Jesus as you have done. That makes us the happiest people on the face of the whole earth! No matter what happens the rest of our lives, no matter how close we may get to you, it all pales before the thought that we will get to spend the rest of eternity with our Brittnia.

We love you...and then some!

 

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Eternal Thanksgiving! Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty- four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. Revelation 4:8-10 NIV ______________ We give thee thanks, O LORD God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. Revelation 11:17-18 KJV ______________ And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, "Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen." Revelation 7:11-12 NASB ______________ Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

 

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“But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.”

Luke 24:16

The disciples ought to have known Jesus, they had heard his voice so often, and gazed upon that marred face so frequently, that it is wonderful they did not discover him. Yet is it not so with you also? You have not seen Jesus lately. You have been to his table, and you have not met him there. You are in a dark trouble this evening, and though he plainly says, “It is I, be not afraid,” yet you cannot discern him. Alas! our eyes are holden. We know his voice; we have looked into his face; we have leaned our head upon his bosom, and yet, though Christ is very near us, we are saying “O that I knew where I might find him!”

We should know Jesus, for we have the Scriptures to reflect his image, and yet how possible it is for us to open that precious book and have no glimpse of the Wellbeloved! Dear child of God, are you in that state? Jesus feedeth among the lilies of the word, and you walk among those lilies, and yet you behold him not. He is accustomed to walk through the glades of Scripture, and to commune with his people, as the Father did with Adam in the cool of the day, and yet you are in the garden of Scripture, but cannot see him, though he is always there.

And why do we not see him? It must be ascribed in our case, as in the disciples’, to unbelief. They evidently did not expect to see Jesus, and therefore they did not know him. To a great extent in spiritual things we get what we expect of the Lord. Faith alone can bring us to see Jesus. Make it your prayer, “Lord, open thou mine eyes, that I may see my Saviour present with me.” It is a blessed thing to want to see him; but oh! it is better far to gaze upon him. To those who seek him he is kind; but to those who find him, beyond expression is he dear!

 

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Use Your Sword

Why, oh why, weren’t more people using the Sword more?
That was Lucas’s cry as he surveyed the city of Bondage. As the name implies, all of the inhabitants of Bondage were in serious bondage. They were controlled by computer chips implanted in them before birth. These computer chips affected their vision, their thinking, and their actions.

Sadly, the people did not even realize they were in bondage. The evil dictator of the land filled their minds with lies. They thought they were free—and the more they acted out against the true King of the land, against whom the evil dictator was waging war, the more free they thought themselves to be. Little did they realize that they were just doing the evil dictator’s bidding. The implanted chips kept them from seeing the truth.
Lucas sighed. Such darkness and oppression nearly brought him to tears every time he thought about it. He remembered when he himself had been in bondage. But there was a way out!

You see, the townspeople’s implanted chips were each controlled by a box that they carried around in a backpack. If this box were destroyed, the townspeople could see the truth, at least for a moment. Then they could decide if they’d respond to it. And while the box was made with impenetrable material, the King’s Sword could pierce it.
Lucas felt the Sword at his side. He needed to learn to wield it more. Instead, he’d often fallen into using his own human reasoning to try to persuade people. He’d tried being nice to them…he’d tried yanking their boxes off. He’d tried shouting…and it felt like he’d tried standing on his head to get their attention. But it was the Sword that could help people see. I need to learn to rely on my Sword, he reminded himself as he headed down into the city as the King’s ambassador, pleading with people to leave their bondage behind.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” Romans 1:16 (KJV)
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17 (KJV)

 

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Unity in the Church That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. Ephesians 2:12,13,19,22 KJV __________________ And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree Romans 11:17 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.

 

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“He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.”

Psalm 24:4

Outward practical holiness is a very precious mark of grace. It is to be feared that many professors have perverted the doctrine of justification by faith in such a way as to treat good works with contempt; if so, they will receive everlasting contempt at the last great day. If our hands are not clean, let us wash them in Jesus’ precious blood, and so let us lift up pure hands unto God.

But “clean hands” will not suffice, unless they are connected with “a pure heart.” True religion is heart-work. We may wash the outside of the cup and the platter as long as we please, but if the inward parts be filthy, we are filthy altogether in the sight of God, for our hearts are more truly ourselves than our hands are; the very life of our being lies in the inner nature, and hence the imperative need of purity within. The pure in heart shall see God, all others are but blind bats.

The man who is born for heaven “hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity.” All men have their joys, by which their souls are lifted up; the worldling lifts up his soul in carnal delights, which are mere empty vanities; but the saint loves more substantial things; like Jehoshaphat, he is lifted up in the ways of the Lord. He who is content with husks, will be reckoned with the swine. Does the world satisfy thee? Then thou hast thy reward and portion in this life; make much of it, for thou shalt know no other joy.

“Nor sworn deceitfully.” The saints are men of honour still. The Christian man's word is his only oath; but that is as good as twenty oaths of other men. False speaking will shut any man out of heaven, for a liar shall not enter into God's house, whatever may be his professions or doings. Reader, does the text before us condemn thee, or dost thou hope to ascend into the hill of the Lord?

 

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How Does The Bible Define Love?



The word love is used so loosely these days that it’s lost its true meaning, so what are the best Bible verses that define what love is.

A Verb
Love is not so much a feeling as it is a verb. It’s what you do. Of course, Jesus gave the greatest display of love on the cross that we have ever seen (John 3:16-17), giving His own life as a ransom for the many who would trust in Him (Mark 10:45). It wasn’t that Jesus felt like bearing our sins but His love in going to the cross was not based upon what He felt like. Jesus certainly wasn’t in love with the idea of taking upon Himself the sins of the world and prayed 3 times to have “this cup” removed, but He knew it was the will of the Father. For this reason He was born into the flesh, lived a sinless life, kept the Law to perfection, and gave His life to atone for our sins, so He knew why He came into the world.

He said, “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32) and true to His word, He died for ungodly, wicked sinners who were enemies of God (Rom 5:6-10). Jesus told His disciples, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John15:13). You may not have to lay down your physical life, but we can lay it down for others and for Christ. In our lives we have three great resources; time, talent, and treasure. Laying down one’s life for another, particularly for Christ, means you give of your time, your effort, and your resources. That is love in action. Talk is cheap, but action says a lot louder than words ever can.

God Gave
When a person is brought to repentance and faith in Christ, they have received what they could never have earned (Eph 2:8-9), but notice God doesn’t give us what we deserve (wrath, judgment). He gives us what we need (mercy and grace). The psalmist understood that “He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities” (Psalm 103:10), and we can rejoice in that it was He who first loved us. He made the first move (Eph 2:1-4; 1 John 4:19), and incredibly, God did this while we were still exceedingly sinful (Rom 3:10-12, 23).

Regardless of what we deserved, “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). God gave Jesus…which is why Jesus said that no one took His life from Him. He said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11), and remember, no “one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:7-8). If Christ only died for the righteous, none would be saved because there are none that are righteous before God without Christ. Who gave more than God Himself? That is love. It is selfless giving and without regard or respect to whether someone deserves it or not.\

Walking in Love
Jesus walked with His disciples for about 3 years, and one of the last things He commanded them was to love one another. Why? I believe it was to draw others to Himself. He said, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). The “all people” in this verse includes the lost and the saved; all people! It is by our love for one another that people will know we are Jesus’ disciples, so love is a verb…it’s what you do. And it looks like this: “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Cor 13:7). It believes the best or gives people the benefit of the doubt or doesn’t jump to conclusions, and conclusions that are sometimes the worst.

Love bears with one another’s shortcomings, love hopes in the fact that things will work out for our very best in God’s sovereignty (Rom 8:28), and love allows us to endure the scorn, ridicule, and insults we receive for our faith in Christ. We are told, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you” (Luke 6:27-28). That is a godly love. Giving others what they don’t deserve, just as God has done for us. This means we should be “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Eph 4:32), “And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Eph 5:2).

Conclusion
The Bible shows us what love is, and we need only look to the cross to see that, but there are tangible things that we can see and do which display love. For example, “Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law” (Rom 13:1), so if you want to show the love of God to the world, then “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves” (Phil 2:3), and, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Phil 2:4). I think most of us would die for our family or even a friend. We’ve seen others give their lives for their co-workers in work-place shootings, but to die for an enemy? That’s off the charts for us. That’s love…the love of God.

 

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Christ the Cornerstone Faith In Christ Jesus Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. Isaiah 28:15 KJV __________________ For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame." 1 Peter 2:6 NIV __________________ "I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness." John 12:46 __________________ 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.

 

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“Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.”

Psalm 25:5

When the believer has begun with trembling feet to walk in the way of the Lord, he asks to be still led onward like a little child upheld by its parent's helping hand, and he craves to be further instructed in the alphabet of truth. Experimental teaching is the burden of this prayer. David knew much, but he felt his ignorance, and desired to be still in the Lord's school: four times over in two verses he applies for a scholarship in the college of grace. It were well for many professors if instead of following their own devices, and cutting out new paths of thought for themselves, they would enquire for the good old ways of God's own truth, and beseech the Holy Ghost to give them sanctified understandings and teachable spirits.

“For thou art the God of my salvation.” The Three-One Jehovah is the Author and Perfecter of salvation to his people. Reader, is he the God of your salvation? Do you find in the Father's election, in the Son's atonement, and in the Spirit's quickening, all the grounds of your eternal hopes? If so, you may use this as an argument for obtaining further blessings; if the Lord has ordained to save you, surely he will not refuse to instruct you in his ways. It is a happy thing when we can address the Lord with the confidence which David here manifests, it gives us great power in prayer, and comfort in trial.

“On thee do I wait all the day.” Patience is the fair handmaid and daughter of faith; we cheerfully wait when we are certain that we shall not wait in vain. It is our duty and our privilege to wait upon the Lord in service, in worship, in expectancy, in trust all the days of our life. Our faith will be tried faith, and if it be of the true kind, it will bear continued trial without yielding. We shall not grow weary of waiting upon God if we remember how long and how graciously he once waited for us.

 

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Sleeping Through the Storm




Years ago a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops.

As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals. Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer. "Are you a good farmhand?" the farmer asked him.

"Well, I can sleep when the wind blows," answered the little man.

Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him. The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work.

Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand's sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, "Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!"

The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, "No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows."

Enraged by the old man's response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down. Nothing could blow away. The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, and he returned to bed to also sleep while the wind blew.

Where to take it from here...

When you're prepared, you have nothing to fear. Can you sleep when the wind blows through your life? The hired hand in the story was able to sleep because he had secured the farm against the storm. We secure ourselves against the storms of life by grounding ourselves firmly in the Word of God.

 

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Abide in Love We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised (eternal life). Hebrews 6:11,12 NIV __________________ As many as received Him, to them He gave the power to become the sons of God, even to them who believe on His Name. John 1:12 KJV __________________ Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 1 John 4:15,16 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.

 

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“His heavenly kingdom.”

2 Timothy 4:18

Yonder city of the great King is a place of active service. Ransomed spirits serve him day and night in his temple. They never cease to fulfil the good pleasure of their King. They always “rest,” so far as ease and freedom from care is concerned; and never “rest,” in the sense of indolence or inactivity. Jerusalem the golden is the place of communion with all the people of God. We shall sit with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in eternal fellowship. We shall hold high converse with the noble host of the elect, all reigning with him who by his love and his potent arm has brought them safely home. We shall not sing solos, but in chorus shall we praise our King.

Heaven is a place of victory realized. Whenever, Christian, thou hast achieved a victory over thy lusts — whenever after hard struggling, thou hast laid a temptation dead at thy feet — thou hast in that hour a foretaste of the joy that awaits thee when the Lord shall shortly tread Satan under thy feet, and thou shalt find thyself more than conqueror through him who hath loved thee. Paradise is a place of security. When you enjoy the full assurance of faith, you have the pledge of that glorious security which shall be yours when you are a perfect citizen of the heavenly Jerusalem. O my sweet home, Jerusalem, thou happy harbour of my soul! Thanks, even now, to him whose love hath taught me to long for thee; but louder thanks in eternity, when I shall possess thee.

“My soul has tasted of the grapes,
And now it longs to go
Where my dear Lord his vineyard keeps
And all the clusters grow.
“Upon the true and living vine,
My famish'd soul would feast,
And banquet on the fruit divine,
An everlasting guest.”

 

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Hay, Wood And Stubble



The Bible says that our works may be burned up as hay, wood, and stubble, and only those things done for Christ alone will pass through the fire.

Knowing Christ
When Jesus was speaking to a large crowd, He wanted to make sure that they not only listened to His words, but they did what He said. For example, Jesus warned that “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matt 7:21), because on the day of judgment, “many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness” (Matt 7:22-23). It’s not enough to do works in Jesus’ name; we must do what the will of the Father is, and Jesus revealed what the Father’s will is.

Notice that “many” will profess to know Christ but that same “many” will be turned away? Many…not a few! Why? Because they did not do what Jesus commanded, therefore, they are not really His disciples if they don’t do what He says. Another point is, Jesus says “I never knew you,” so if someone says, “I know God” or “I know Christ,” the bigger question is, “Does He know you!” Satan “knows Christ” but obviously it doesn’t mean he’s saved, so it’s not whether you say that you know Christ, but does Christ know you! That answer determines your final, eternal destination.

Building on the Rock
In the same chapter (Matthew 7), Jesus says, “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matt 7:24). I can hear but if I don’t act on what I hear (from Jesus), then I am building on sand and that’s not going to stand when the storms come. The one who listens to Christ and does what He says can withstand the storms, so when “the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock” (Matt 7:25), however, whoever “hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it” (Matt 7:26-27). If we have another tornado warning and I ignore those words, I put my life in peril, but if I listen to the warning and act on that warning by taking shelter, this shows I am not only hearing their words but obeying them. In this case, listening and doing can save my and my family’s life. It’s not enough to listen…we must follow through on what Jesus teaches because what Christ taught came from the Father, and it is His will that we are to do, not Christ’s alone.

Rewards
We do not do good works just for rewards but rather because we love Jesus, but Jesus often mentioned rewards for those who are His faithful followers and do what He commands. The Apostle Paul wrote that “if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done” (1 Cor 3:12-13), and “If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward” (1 Cor 3:14).

What is this foundation Paul speaks about? It’s the foundation of Christ Who is the solid rock upon which we build, however, if we do these good works to be seen of men and women, we’ve already received our reward, so “If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire” (1 Cor 3:15). That means many will be saved but have no or few rewards when Christ will come to judge the saints. This judgment is not for our sins but for our works done while in the body, and only those works done for Christ will be rewarded by Christ Himself.

Serving in Secret
One man I know puts everything he does on Facebook and then tells every one of his 3,000 plus friends what He did for Jesus. He frequently posts that he helps the poor and witnesses for Christ, however we’re told that “when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matt 6:3-4). Even “when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others.

Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward” (Matt 6:5), so the question is, “Do you want to receive your rewards today in accolades from others” or do you want to keep it quiet and receive your rewards from Christ. Jesus is teaching to “not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matt 6:3-4)? One of these rewards is temporal (from man), but the others (done in secret) are eternal (from God), and we cannot even imagine what those rewards will be. The Apostle Paul said, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Cor 2:9).

Conclusion
If you tell others what you’ve done for Christ, you have your reward, but if you keep your good works between you and the Father, you rewards are yet to come. If you tell everyone, God will forget it, but if you forget it, God will remember it. Only those things done for Christ, and done without blowing a trumpet to draw attention to it, will be rewarded someday…otherwise, you can settle for a few pats on the back.

That’s hay, wood, and stubble. I prefer to have those things which can pass through the fire on judgment day, so I’m keeping my mouth shut for those things done for Christ, since “each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire” (1 Cor 3:13-15). I don’t want to enter the kingdom smelling like I had just come from a fire sale.