Just sharing.

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“The foundation of God standeth sure.”

2 Timothy 2:19

The foundation upon which our faith rests is this, that “God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them.” The great fact on which genuine faith relies is, that “the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us,” and that “Christ also hath suffered for sin, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God”; “Who himself bare our sins in his own body on the tree”; “For the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed.”

In one word, the great pillar of the Christian's hope is substitution. The vicarious sacrifice of Christ for the guilty, Christ being made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him, Christ offering up a true and proper expiatory and substitutionary sacrifice in the room, place, and stead of as many as the Father gave him, who are known to God by name, and are recognized in their own hearts by their trusting in Jesus — this is the cardinal fact of the gospel. If this foundation were removed, what could we do? But it standeth firm as the throne of God. We know it; we rest on it; we rejoice in it; and our delight is to hold it, to meditate upon it, and to proclaim it, while we desire to be actuated and moved by gratitude for it in every part of our life and conversation.

In these days a direct attack is made upon the doctrine of the atonement. Men cannot bear substitution. They gnash their teeth at the thought of the Lamb of God bearing the sin of man. But we, who know by experience the preciousness of this truth, will proclaim it in defiance of them confidently and unceasingly. We will neither dilute it nor change it, nor fritter it away in any shape or fashion. It shall still be Christ, a positive substitute, bearing human guilt and suffering in the stead of men. We cannot, dare not, give it up, for it is our life, and despite every controversy we feel that “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure.”

 

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The Greatest Father In History



God is seeking those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24), but He’s also seeking godly fathers after His own heart.
A Protective Father
Scripture is clear about God and His nature as a protective Father. The Bible says that He is “Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation” (Psalm 68:5). God also knows how to answer our prayers; it can be yes, no, or not now. It might even be, “I’ve got something better for you,” or “No, you’ll hurt yourself. All we need to do is to “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent” (Matt 7:7-10)? Verse ten points out that God will not give us something that will hurt us.

We can ask, seek, and knock, and He still won’t give us a scorpion. A stone and bread may have looked similar in Jesus’ day, so we may not always recognize if something we’re praying for is really good for us. God always knows. Human fathers are protective fathers, but none approach God as a Father, so “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Pet 1:3).

A Forgiving Father
In the Parable of the Prodigal Son, it’s easy to overlook the fact that the father was waiting and watching for his son to return…knowing that in time, he’d come. Jesus says that the prodigal finally “arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him” (Luke 15:10). Rather undignified in the day to have a father running out to meet a returning prodigal. Instead, fathers would be waiting to give the boy a lecture and the dreaded, “I told you so,” but not so with a forgiving father, as God the Father is. The Apostle John writes, “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). It’s not hard to find places in Scripture where it shows “what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him” (1 John 3:1). Earthly fathers are forgiving, but not in the way that God the Father is.

A Blessing Father
God blesses us beyond measure in Jesus Christ, so we must rightly say, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (Eph 1:3). Believers understand that “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:17).

The Apostle Peter writes, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Pet 1:3). If we just look around us, we can see that God as He cares for His creatures. A simple example is to take a “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they” (Matt 6:26)? Of course you are.

A Disciplining Father
Love and discipline go hand in hand. That’s why we’re told to “not despise the LORD’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the LORD reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights” (Prov 3:11-12). Rather than despise God’s discipline, we should recognize that “Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O LORD, and whom you teach out of your law” (Psalm 94:12). The Book of Proverbs is rich in the study of discipline and love, but so is the New Testament. You often see one with the other, like in Hebrews 12:6 which says, “My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline or be weary of his reproof” (Heb 12:6). At times, it might feel like “The Lord has disciplined me severely” (Psalm 118:18a), but in reality we know that “he has not given me over to death” (Psalm 118:18b). The fact is, “the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives” (Prov 3:11).

A Comforting Father
I hope you had a comforting father. If not, we know that God the Father is comforting. He was thinking of us by sending His Son as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45), so God is a comforter. The Bible says that it is “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Cor 1:3-4). God comforts us in our afflictions, but He uses others as a means to do so. He may also use us to comfort others in the same way we received comfort when we needed it. Just as a human “father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him” (Psalm 103:13). We can also take comfort in the fact that “God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess 5:9).

Conclusion
God made mankind radically different from the rest of His creation. The Triune God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth” (Gen 1:26). God’s relationship with mankind is infinitely different than animals. We can know God through Jesus Christ.

The Apostle Paul quotes the Old Testament prophet Hosea (1:10), writing, “And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty” (2 Cor 6:18). Still not sure about what the Father is like? Jesus says “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’” (John 14:9b). When we read about Jesus, we read about the Father. He is a protective Father; a forgiving Father; a blessing Father; a disciplining Father; and a comforting Father…and abundantly, a Father of love (1 John 4:8, 16).

 

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Freedom from sin Walking in the light __________________ Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:7-9 NIV __________________ (Speaking to the woman caught in the act of adultery) And Jesus said, "I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more." Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life." John 8:11,12 NASB __________________ For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth. Ephesians 5:8,9 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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“That those things which cannot be shaken may remain.”

Hebrews 12:27

We have many things in our possession at the present moment which can be shaken, and it ill becomes a Christian man to set much store by them, for there is nothing stable beneath these rolling skies; change is written upon all things. Yet, we have certain “things which cannot be shaken,” and I invite you this evening to think of them, that if the things which can be shaken should all be taken away, you may derive real comfort from the things that cannot be shaken, which will remain.

Whatever your losses have been, or may be, you enjoy present salvation. You are standing at the foot of his cross, trusting alone in the merit of Jesus’ precious blood, and no rise or fall of the markets can interfere with your salvation in him; no breaking of banks, no failures and bankruptcies can touch that. Then you are a child of God this evening. God is your Father. No change of circumstances can ever rob you of that. Although by losses brought to poverty, and stripped bare, you can say, “He is my Father still. In my Father's house are many mansions; therefore will I not be troubled.”

You have another permanent blessing, namely, the love of Jesus Christ. He who is God and Man loves you with all the strength of his affectionate nature — nothing can affect that. The fig tree may not blossom, and the flocks may cease from the field, it matters not to the man who can sing, “My Beloved is mine, and I am his.” Our best portion and richest heritage we cannot lose.

Whatever troubles come, let us play the man; let us show that we are not such little children as to be cast down by what may happen in this poor fleeting state of time. Our country is Immanuel's land, our hope is above the sky, and therefore, calm as the summer's ocean; we will see the wreck of everything earthborn, and yet rejoice in the God of our salvation.

 

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Whatever Happened To Integrity?



What’s happened to the subject of integrity? Isn’t it still important?
Integrity
If we look at the definition of integrity, we can see the importance of such a virtue in society. To have integrity is to be trusted by others. After time, they know from experience that the person can be trusted, based upon their past. Integrity is the practice or habit of being an honest person before others; saying what you mean and meaning what you say; and doing that which was promised but in an honest manner. Having integrity is having a consistent and uncompromising adherence to ethical and moral principles. All of this is based upon honesty and truthfulness, and a person who has integrity is a person that is both honest and truthful in all their dealings with others, no matter how small or large the matter is. Several biblical characters displayed integrity, including Joseph and Daniel, so why is the subject of integrity rarely used these days in Bible studies or in the secular media? Has it now become acceptable since there is widespread corruption? Have we accepted the unacceptable as the norm?

The Dishonest CFO
Several years ago, there was a job opening for a Chief Financial Officer for a very large company. The interview went well, and after having met with the Board of Directors, they were unanimous in their endorsement of the man. He was offered the CFO position and accepted it. Now it was time to celebrate, but instead of having a dinner at a fine restaurant, the CEO thought it would be appropriate if they all ate in the company cafeteria. They let the CFO go first in line, and while they were moving down the buffet line, the CEO, standing next in line, noticed that he slid two 10 cent patties of butter under his napkin.

After lunch, the CEO talked with the board members about it, and they were unanimous again, only this time they agreed that the company should withdraw the offer. For a measly 20 cents worth of butter, a man lost a job paying over a quarter million dollars, however, if this man wasn’t going to be honest with very little, how could he be trusted with a lot more? Maybe the CEO had thought of Jesus’ teaching: “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much” (Luke 16:10). This particular teaching of Jesus fit this scenario perfectly!

The Dishonest Manager
Someone who is faithful is someone who has the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; a moral uprightness, so a lack of faithfulness can get someone fired. That’s what happened in the account where Jesus taught in the Parable of the Dishonest Manager (Luke 16:1-8). The manager dealt shrewdly with others because he knew he’d be out of a job and in need of some friends, so that’s why Jesus’ concluded this lesson by telling his disciples to “make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings” (Luke 16:9). The word used for “wealth” is “mammon,” and doesn’t only refer to money, but to possessions, so Jesus’ council is to use your possessions (money, resources, and time) to share Christ, so that when you enter the kingdom, those “friends” will welcome you. That’s because you’re part of the reason they are there! That’s where the “eternal dwellings” are at…not here below.

Faithful in Little
The job the man had for less than a day, wasn’t even faithful even in the smallest of things. They knew that if he was not going to be honest with such small amounts, there’s no way they could be sure he would be faithful in much more. Jesus’ teaching is perfectly set for this in Luke 16: 10-12, where our Lord says, “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?” Can you blame the CEO for not hiring this man? If we do not have integrity, even in the smallest of things in life, we cannot be trusted in the big things. How can we think God will allow us to have more responsibility in the kingdom, when we’re not being responsible with the little we have today?

As Unto Christ
Jesus not only gave the Great Commission (Matt 28:18-20), but He also showed what it looks like to serve others. In serving others, they are actually serving Christ. Jesus said, “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me” (Matt 25:35-36), but apparently they were not keeping track of their works. They answered Jesus, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you” (Matt 25:37-39).

Jesus answered them with the answer of the ages: “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me” (Matt 25:40). This is why Jesus told them in the beginning, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matt 25:34). Their responsibilities and rewards were relative to what they’d done for Christ while in the body. Do you not eagerly desire to hear Jesus say, “Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities” (Luke 19:17)? If He can trust you with 20 cents, He can surely trust you with more in the kingdom.

Nothings Hidden
If you read Scripture, it becomes apparent that walking in integrity secures your footing. Proverbs 10:9 says, “Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out,” sounding very much like Numbers 32:23 which says that if “you have sinned against the Lord…be sure your sin will find you out” (Num 32:23). God so values integrity that He says, “Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways” (Prov 28:6), and again, “Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool” (Prov 19:1). The sum of all it all is, “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them” (Prov 11:3). Notice that walking in integrity secures the path, but the wicked will be found out…much like the almost-CFO, so “nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light” (Luke 8:17). Maybe not today…but in time, you can be sure.

Conclusion
Walking in integrity today will have its advantages today, but also into eternity, but how you fare on the day of His appearance will largely depend upon how you are living today. The Apostle John writes, “And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming” (1 John 2:28). We can walk in integrity and not be ashamed at His appearing, but rejoice at it…but those who refuse to walk in integrity, know for certain; “nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light” (Luke 8:17), so “be sure your sin will find you out” (Num 32:23b).

 

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Looking Unto Jesus: He's Got You & Me...In His Hand! Looking unto Jesus! Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Titus 2:13 KJV ________________ I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. John 10:28,29 NIV ________________ But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil. 2 Thessalonians 3:3 KJV ________________ But it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has commissioned us. 2 Corinthians 1:21 RSV ________________ You are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:7-9 NASB ________________ We need a Savior because we are sinners, and the wages of sin is death... ________________ God, Whose grace is all sufficient, be glorified! 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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“Waiting for the adoption.”

Romans 8:23

Even in this world saints are God's children, but men cannot discover them to be so, except by certain moral characteristics. The adoption is not manifested, the children are not yet openly declared. Among the Romans a man might adopt a child, and keep it private for a long time: but there was a second adoption in public; when the child was brought before the constituted authorities its former garments were taken off, and the father who took it to be his child gave it raiment suitable to its new condition of life.

“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be.” We are not yet arrayed in the apparel which befits the royal family of heaven; we are wearing in this flesh and blood just what we wore as the sons of Adam; but we know that “when he shall appear” who is the “first-born among many brethren,” we shall be like him, we shall see him as he is. Cannot you imagine that a child taken from the lowest ranks of society, and adopted by a Roman senator, would say to himself, “I long for the day when I shall be publicly adopted. Then I shall leave off these plebeian garments, and be robed as becomes my senatorial rank”? Happy in what he has received, for that very reason he groans to get the fulness of what is promised him.

So it is with us today. We are waiting till we shall put on our proper garments, and shall be manifested as the children of God. We are young nobles, and have not yet worn our coronets. We are young brides, and the marriage day is not yet come, and by the love our Spouse bears us, we are led to long and sigh for the bridal morning. Our very happiness makes us groan after more; our joy, like a swollen spring, longs to well up like an Iceland geyser, leaping to the skies, and it heaves and groans within our spirit for want of space and room by which to manifest itself to men.

 

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An Ode to Fathers: Why You’re Essential by Tyler Jacobson



The American family structure has been changing for decades. While this has brought about a lot of
positive results, it has also led to the blurring of traditional gender roles. With more women getting jobs
outside the home and bringing home bigger paychecks, men have had to adapt and find new fatherhood
roles.
In a society such as ours where it seems that fatherhood and masculinity are under constant attack, it’s
easy for dads to feel that their roles don’t matter. However, God’s original plan for the family hasn’t
changed and as a father, you should take heart.

Whether you’re a single-father, a stay-at-home dad, a step-father, adoptive or the primary family provider,
you matter. You have a God-ordained role in the life of your children and are a vital part of their well-
being.
With all the emphasis placed on motherhood, fathers can sometimes feel like they’re just second adults in
the home. Instead of competing with the mother of your children for their attention, be confident in your
role and be assured that as long as you’re involved in their lives, you are important too.
Here are 5 reasons why fathers are essential:

1. They’re central to their children’s emotional well-being.
Studies have shown that fathers who are involved in their children’s lives have a huge positive impact on
their cognitive and social development. Children who come from families with affectionate and supportive
fathers have higher self-esteem, report higher feelings of satisfaction in life and also have better coping
mechanisms against stress and depression.

Fathers provide security and children often look to them to lay down rules and enforce them. They’re
often disciplinarians in the family and if this is done well, they instill a sense of morality, discipline, and
self-control in their kids.

2. Their roughhousing comes with a ton of benefits.
Mothers primarily focus on their children’s well-being and safety. They encourage their kids to play safe
and rarely push them to take on new risks. The story is different with dads.
Fathers often roughhouse with their kids from a young age. It might look risky, but it does have a range of
benefits including increasing the children’s physical fitness, making them smarter and increasing their
emotional intelligence.

Best of all that horsing around gives children a whole new set of things to figure
out. They have to watch your next moves, read your body language, balance their own responses and
know how to play without hurting anyone. They’re also learning how to take calculated risks- a skill that
will hold them in good stead later in life.

3. Fathers influence their children’s relationships.
A father’s relationship with his children sets the bar for their relationships with others. Sons, for instance,
model themselves after their father’s character. They seek approval from their dads from a young age
and pick up cues on how men are meant to behave. If the father is loving, caring and respectful towards
others, the son is likely to end up much the same. The opposite is, unfortunately, also true though and if
the father is absent, the son will look to other male figures for clues on how to behave.

Daughters, on the other hand, depend on their fathers for emotional support and security. A father-
daughter relationship serves as a basis for how the girl will relate with other men in her life. Whether
consciously or not, daughters will look for men who have the same qualities and characteristics as their
fathers. Those traits are what they’re familiar with so they feel comfortable handling the same in their
relationships. For instance, if the father was loving, gentle and kind, his daughter will gravitate towards
those qualities in men when she starts dating.

4. They play a key role in protecting children from delinquent behavior.
Research has shown a rather surprising link between fathers and delinquent behavior in children. Multiple
studies have shown that paternal involvement is co-related with a lower incidence of teen delinquency
especially when it comes to some of the risk factors teens face such as truancy, smoking, alcohol, and
drug abuse. Furthermore, a father’s involvement in his kids’ lives has twice the influence of a mother
when it comes to reducing teen sex and early sexual activity in teenagers.

The more involved a father is in his teens’ lives, the more protective his influence will be. Since mothers
are almost always with their children their influence tends to wane, especially in the turbulent teen years.
Conversely, dad’s influence packs more punch because it’s unexpected and teens, especially boys, tend
to pay more attention.

Additionally, researchers found that the more attentive a dad is – the more knowledgeable he is about his
children’s activities and friends – the stronger his influence on his kids’ lives.

5. A father’s involvement in his children’s studies leads to better academic performance.
Another surprising discovery is how much your involvement in your child’s studies can boost their
academic performance. When fathers take an active role in their children’s education, those children
perform better in their studies, learn more and have healthy learning patterns. They also tend to have
better verbal and quantitative skills than their counterparts.

There are several ways to be involved in your children’s education- you can read to them from an early
age, take an interest in what they’re studying, help with homework and also keep an eye on their grades.
So the next time you feel redundant at home, remember that you, as a father, bring some unique
contributions to the parenting table and that you have an essential role to play.

 

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God Our Father - Faithful, Merciful and True For the LORD your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your forefathers, which he confirmed to them by oath. Deuteronomy 4:31 NIV ________________ God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Numbers 23:19 KJV ________________ It is a trustworthy statement: For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us; If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself. 2 Timothy 2:11-13 NASB ________________ God, Whose grace is all sufficient, be glorified! 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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“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said ... Be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods.”

Daniel 3:16, 18

The narrative of the manly courage and marvellous deliverance of the three holy children, or rather champions, is well calculated to excite in the minds of believers firmness and steadfastness in upholding the truth in the teeth of tyranny and in the very jaws of death. Let young Christians especially learn from their example, both in matters of faith in religion, and matters of uprightness in business, never to sacrifice their consciences. Lose all rather than lose your integrity, and when all else is gone, still hold fast a clear conscience as the rarest jewel which can adorn the bosom of a mortal.

Be not guided by the will-o’-the-wisp of policy, but by the pole-star of divine authority. Follow the right at all hazards. When you see no present advantage, walk by faith and not by sight. Do God the honour to trust him when it comes to matters of loss for the sake of principle. See whether he will be your debtor! See if he doth not even in this life prove his word that “Godliness, with contentment, is great gain,” and that they who “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, shall have all these things added unto them.” Should it happen that, in the providence of God, you are a loser by conscience, you shall find that if the Lord pays you not back in the silver of earthly prosperity, he will discharge his promise in the gold of spiritual joy.

Remember that a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of that which he possesseth. To wear a guileless spirit, to have a heart void of offence, to have the favour and smile of God, is greater riches than the mines of Ophir could yield, or the traffic of Tyre could win. “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and inward contention therewith.” An ounce of heart's-ease is worth a ton of gold.

 

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God Is…



Some of God’s attributes also say a lot about His character, so here are 5 major attributes that speak volumes about God.
God is Holy
The only attribute of God that is mentioned three times in Scripture is that God is holy. Isaiah the Prophet wrote that he saw seraphim over the Lord’s throne, “Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory” (Isaiah 6:2-3)! God is not just holy, but He is holy, holy, holy to infinity. That is the greatest emphasis you can use in the Hebrew language. Isaiah was undone over this vision of the Holy God he saw, thinking he was a dead man. He wrote, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts” (Isaiah 6:5)!

Even though Isaiah was one of the holiest of men in ancient Israel, he still knew, compared to God, that the best that he could do were just filthy rags to God (Isaiah 64:6), but we are called to be holy. Naturally this doesn’t mean we’ll be sinless and live in perfection. That’s not possible this side of the veil, but the Apostle Peter admonishes us that just “as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, You shall be holy, for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:15-16). Of course, our holiness before God comes only through Christ as it is imputed on our behalf (2 Cor 5:21), and not of ourselves (Eph 2:8-9).

God is Love
People say the love God, and that’s fine, but it must be understood that God made the first move (John 6:44). Scripture teaches that “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19), and not the other way around. It was not we who made the first move, but God who “so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” (1 John 3:16-17). Christ made a way for us over 2,000 years ago, so those who are loved by God also love those who are loved by God, but “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:8).

Micah the Prophet describes the love of God very well, writing, “Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea” (7:18-19). Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13), and Jesus did just that, testifying, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11).

God is Good
When a man came up to Jesus and ask Him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life” (Mark 10:17c), the young man had it all wrong. In the first place, you can’t do anything to save yourself. God is even the One Who grants us the ability to repent (Acts 5:31, 11:18, 16:14; 1 Tim 2:24-26), but we know for certain that our works won’t help us (Eph 2:8-9), but Jesus told the young man something very interesting. He asked him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone” (Mark 10:18). Wait! Isn’t Jesus God? Isn’t Jesus good!? Yes, but the young man apparently didn’t know that he was talking to the Lord because he called Jesus teacher. The point is, God is good…and He alone is always good. He is a “Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. God settles the solitary in a home; he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious dwell in a parched land” (Psalm 68:5-6).

God is Unchangeable
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb 13:8). Aren’t you glad God is not like us and changes His mind about people? What if God withdrew His offer of salvation or changed His mind and decided not to save us because of something we did? Thankfully, God does not change. Malachi the Prophet wrote, “For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed” (Micah 3:6). God never has a bad day and then takes it out on others like we sometimes do. God is the same today and He will be the same forever. The psalmist declares that even His Word is forever, writing, “Forever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens” (Psalm 119:89). His Word is as eternal as He is, since we know that “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever” (Isaiah 40:8)

God is Glorified
If we read enough Scripture, we start to see that God desires to be glorified, and we can glorify Him too in our lives. For example, if we abstain from sexual immorality, we can glorify God in our bodies by remaining faithful (1 Cor 6:18; 1 Thess 4:3). The psalmist wrote, “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness” (Psalm 115:1), so it is to you, “O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all” (1 Chron 19:11). Jesus revealed the glory of God, being God Himself. The Apostle John was an eyewitness of His glory; not only on the Mount of Transfiguration, but seeing in person how “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

Conclusion
God has many attributes. Maybe you can share some with us in the comments section, but these attributes also reflect His character. God is holy; God is love; God is good; God is unchangeable; and God has great glory. God is also a saving God, and He desires that you be saved, and today is the best of days for you to trust in Christ (2 Cor 6:2), because the way life is, tomorrow might not even come.

 

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Walking in the light - counting the cost Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. Matthew 5:11,12 KJV ________________ "Hear me, you who know what is right, you people who have my law in your hearts: Do not fear the reproach of men or be terrified by their insults. For the moth will eat them up like a garment; the worm will devour them like wool. But my righteousness will last forever, my salvation through all generations." Isaiah 51:7,8 NIV ________________ Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light. And your judgment as the noonday. Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. Psalm 37:5-7 NASB ________________ God, Whose grace is all sufficient, be glorified! 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 dove found no rest for the sole of her foot.”

Genesis 8:9

Reader, can you find rest apart from the ark, Christ Jesus? Then be assured that your religion is vain. Are you satisfied with anything short of a conscious knowledge of your union and interest in Christ? Then woe unto you. If you profess to be a Christian, yet find full satisfaction in worldly pleasures and pursuits, your profession is false. If your soul can stretch herself at rest, and find the bed long enough, and the coverlet broad enough to cover her in the chambers of sin, then you are a hypocrite, and far enough from any right thoughts of Christ or perception of his preciousness.

But if, on the other hand, you feel that if you could indulge in sin without punishment, yet it would be a punishment of itself; and that if you could have the whole world, and abide in it for ever, it would be quite enough misery not to be parted from it; for your God — your God — is what your soul craves after; then be of good courage, thou art a child of God. With all thy sins and imperfections, take this to thy comfort: if thy soul has no rest in sin, thou are not as the sinner is! If thou art still crying after and craving after something better, Christ has not forgotten thee, for thou hast not quite forgotten him.

The believer cannot do without his Lord; words are inadequate to express his thoughts of him. We cannot live on the sands of the wilderness, we want the manna which drops from on high; our skin bottles of creature confidence cannot yield us a drop of moisture, but we drink of the rock which follows us, and that rock is Christ. When you feed on him your soul can sing, “He hath satisfied my mouth with good things, so that my youth is renewed like the eagle's,” but if you have him not, your bursting wine vat and well-filled barn can give you no sort of satisfaction: rather lament over them in the words of wisdom, “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity!”

 

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Don’t Minimize Politics. Maximize God.



We can vote politicians in and out of office, but we cannot elect or remove God from the throne. Nor does God fret over opinion polls. The Almighty, the Holy One, is incomparable. No matter what party we align ourselves with on Election Day and beyond, whether the one symbolized by the donkey, the one symbolized by the elephant, or the “elephonkey” in the middle, God sees all of us as grasshoppers, as Isaiah 40 relates. It is important to vote our convictions, believing that our votes do matter, but may we be convinced that no matter what happens, God is still on the throne. That matters all the more.

To whom then will you liken God,
or what likeness compare with him?
An idol? —A workman casts it,
and a goldsmith overlays it with gold,
and casts for it silver chains.
As a gift one chooses mulberry wood
—wood that will not rot—
then seeks out a skilled artisan
to set up an image that will not topple.

Have you not known? Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,
and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;
who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
and spreads them like a tent to live in;
who brings princes to naught,
and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing.

Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,
scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth,
when he blows upon them, and they wither,
and the tempest carries them off like stubble.
To whom then will you compare me,
or who is my equal? says the Holy One.

(Isaiah 40:18-25)

This Scripture reminds us of the need for big picture perspective. As important as our political decisions are, even more important are the allegiances we form in the arena of faith and how our faith bears on every sphere of our lives. When we do not cultivate this big picture perspective as revealed in Isaiah 40, we easily get overwhelmed when things do not turn out the way we had hoped no matter our political convictions. Michael Wear, an Evangelical Christian who served under President Obama during his first term in office, shared back in December 2016 how during the 2016 election season “politics was causing a deep spiritual harm in our country. We’ve allowed politics to take up emotional space in our lives that it’s not meant to take up.”

No matter how things turn out for our candidates of choice, let’s ensure that the results do not crowd out God or take up more emotional space than they ought. Don’t minimize politics, but maximize God. In addition to the Scripture above, James Russell Lowell’s poem “This Present Crisis” may encourage us to expand our spiritual vision and fill the emotional space in our lives more with God rather than undergo a crisis of personal identity and soul. Lowell was an impassioned nineteenth century abolitionist whose poem inspired Martin Luther King, Jr. in the face of grave challenges facing the Civil Rights Movement and global justice:

Truth forever on the scaffold, Wrong forever on the throne,—
Yet that scaffold sways the future, and, behind the dim unknown,
Standeth God within the shadow, keeping watch above his own.

Just when we think everything is lost, just when we think truth and justice will hang in the gallows, know that Jesus who hung on the scaffold sways the future and that God stands above this world, keeping watch. Don’t minimize politics. Maximize God’s kingdom, praying that God’s kingdom come, that God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

 

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Who is Like HIM? Faithful and True! Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it. Listen to Me, you stubborn-minded, Who are far from righteousness. I bring near My righteousness, it is not far off; And My salvation will not delay. Isaiah 46:11b-13a NASB ________________ For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by me and Silas and Timothy, was not "Yes" and "No," but in him it has always been "Yes." For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. 2 Corinthians 1:19-21 NIV ________________ Consider how I love thy precepts: quicken me, O LORD, according to thy lovingkindness. Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever. Psalm 119:159,160 KJV ________________ God, Whose grace is all sufficient, be glorified! 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]

“Having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

2 Peter 1:4

Vanish for ever all thought of indulging the flesh if you would live in the power of your risen Lord. It were ill that a man who is alive in Christ should dwell in the corruption of sin. “Why seek ye the living among the dead?” said the angel to Magdalene. Should the living dwell in the sepulchre? Should divine life be immured in the charnel house of fleshly lust? How can we partake of the cup of the Lord and yet drink the cup of Belial?

Surely, believer, from open lusts and sins you are delivered: have you also escaped from the more secret and delusive lime-twigs of the Satanic fowler? Have you come forth from the lust of pride? Have you escaped from slothfulness? Have you clean escaped from carnal security? Are you seeking day by day to live above worldliness, the pride of life, and the ensnaring vice of avarice? Remember, it is for this that you have been enriched with the treasures of God. If you be indeed the chosen of God, and beloved by him, do not suffer all the lavish treasure of grace to be wasted upon you.

Follow after holiness; it is the Christian's crown and glory. An unholy church! it is useless to the world, and of no esteem among men. It is an abomination, hell's laughter, heaven's abhorrence. The worst evils which have ever come upon the world have been brought upon her by an unholy church. O Christian, the vows of God are upon you. You are God's priest: act as such. You are God's king: reign over your lusts. You are God's chosen: do not associate with Belial. Heaven is your portion: live like a heavenly spirit, so shall you prove that you have true faith in Jesus, for there cannot be faith in the heart unless there be holiness in the life.

“Lord, I desire to live as one
Who bears a blood-bought name,
As one who fears but grieving thee,
And knows no other shame.”

 

[beensetfree]

Soup, Soap And Salvation



Believers can help to make the world a better place, but is that really our main goal? Is a “social gospel” biblical?
Soup
They say that if you help others to help themselves, God is pleased, and I believe He is, but to offer the soup and soap without salvation is to leave off the most important subject; the Bread of Life, Jesus Christ. If we only try to make the world a better place, but fail to share the good news with them, all we’re doing is making it a better world for them to go to hell in. It’s good to provide water wells for those who need water, but without offering the Living Water, it has no value beyond this life. Of course this doesn’t mean we do no works. Jesus Christ calls us to help the hungry, poor, sick, and in those in prison.

Jesus said, “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me” (Matt 25:35-36). What they didn’t realize was what they did for others was actually the same as doing it unto Christ (Matt 25:40), so even though it’s good to help the poor and feed the hungry, unless we speak of the everlasting, sustaining Bread of Life, they will die with a full stomach but still not enter the kingdom.

Soap
The saying, “Cleanliness is next to godliness” is not from the Bible, but of course, there’s nothing wrong with being clean. That’s certainly a good thing. The Old Testament contains several laws that had to do with civil issues like waste disposal, quarantining the sick and contagious, and proper washings, but the Old Testament focus wasn’t on having the perfect society, but their living in obedience to God. God is more concerned with what’s on the inside than the outside. Jesus said that “it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person” (Matt 15:11).

Dietary laws are not what the kingdom is all about, so it’s not what we eat that defiles us, “But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person” (Matt 15:18). James gives a perfect example of what comes out of the mouth, saying that “the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell” (James 3:6). It’s good to be clean, but it’s essential that we are clean inside (2 Cor 5:21). And by the way, what comes out of our mouth reveals what’s in the heart, and God alone knows the heart. He isn’t like us who look at the outside (1 Sam 16:7), but only the “Lord, who know the hearts of all” (Acts 1:24).

Salvation
The first century church took collections for the poor, primarily for the Jerusalem Christians. They had suffered so much by the time the Apostle Peter wrote his second epistle (letter), that many were starving to death, however, never did these collections take precedence over presenting the gospel. The gospel that says Jesus is our one and only hope of being saved (Acts 4:12). The early church focused on telling the lost that “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom 10:9). To confess our sins means we agree with God about our sins. They’re an offense to a holy God, and that offense can only dealt with through a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

To believe means more than just head knowledge…it means you act on that knowledge. I can believe in cars, but if I never drive one, can I say I’ve really believed in them or have trusted in them? What Jesus said the Martha, He says to all: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this” (Matt 11:25-26)? We can help a person receive some of the essential things in life, but if we fail to mention that eternal life is found only in Christ, it is not truly the work of Christ. Tragically, Jesus Christ will say to “many,” not a few, “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness” (Matt 7:23). Those works they did were useless in eternity if they did not mention Christ.

The Social Gospel
In the Book of Jude, why did he say he “was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3)? It was because “certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ” (Jude 1:4). What had happened was the “faith that was once delivered…to the saints” became a different gospel, and in time the some of the churches began to remake themselves into a social organization. Then a “social gospel” emerged.

By doing so, they hoped to attract lots of people with lots of activities, and by doing things for others, they could feel good about themselves. This may explain why some churches tend to shy away from offending people by avoiding subjects such as repentance, sin, hell, confession, and sanctification. They’re good with collecting cloths for the poor, but not so much with sharing Christ. Many churches and many Christians have now replaced the true gospel with a real-good, feel-good, man-centered message…a “me-ology” rather than a theology…and one that focuses on things and not on Christ.

Conclusion
I hope you understand what I am saying. It’s a good thing to help the poor, visit the sick, and those in prison, but if that’s all we offer, then we’ve fallen terribly short of our calling. We are to do good works, but we do them for God’s glory (Eph 2:10), not ours, and we must mention the need for repentance and faith. We are commanded to share Christ as the only hope in this world. Helping others is fine, but it’s only temporary, and it’s not the gospel. Jesus told us what the gospel is, and it’s not a social gospel. He said, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15).

 

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Free At Last! Continued... For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin -- because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Romans 6:6,7 NIV __________________ My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for our's only, but also for the sins of the whole world. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 1 John 2:1-3 KJV __________________ This is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead. Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.'' Acts 10:42,43 NASB __________________ In Christ, we are more than conquerors... Try memorizing Romans 6 - the whole chapter and ask the Lord to help you overcome sin on a daily basis! __________________ 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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“Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.”

1 Corinthians 7:20

Some persons have the foolish notion that the only way in which they can live for God is by becoming ministers, missionaries, or Bible women. Alas! how many would be shut out from any opportunity of magnifying the Most High if this were the case. Beloved, it is not office, it is earnestness; it is not position, it is grace which will enable us to glorify God.

God is most surely glorified in that cobbler's stall, where the godly worker, as he plies the awl, sings of the Saviour's love, aye, glorified far more than in many a prebendal stall where official religiousness performs its scanty duties. The name of Jesus is glorified by the poor unlearned carter as he drives his horse, and blesses his God, or speaks to his fellow labourer by the roadside, as much as by the popular divine who, throughout the country, like Boanerges, is thundering out the gospel. God is glorified by our serving him in our proper vocations.

Take care, dear reader, that you do not forsake the path of duty by leaving your occupation, and take care you do not dishonour your profession while in it. Think little of yourselves, but do not think too little of your callings. Every lawful trade may be sanctified by the gospel to noblest ends. Turn to the Bible, and you will find the most menial forms of labour connected either with most daring deeds of faith, or with persons whose lives have been illustrious for holiness.

Therefore be not discontented with your calling. Whatever God has made your position, or your work, abide in that, unless you are quite sure that he calls you to something else. Let your first care be to glorify God to the utmost of your power where you are. Fill your present sphere to his praise, and if he needs you in another he will show it you. This evening lay aside vexatious ambition, and embrace peaceful content.

 

[beensetfree]

What Love Is Greater?



You’ve probably read or heard about some of the greatest love stories of all time, but this one tops them all!

God Demands
No one can enter heaven on their own merits. To attempt to do so is contrary to the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are not saved by works but by a free gift of grace from God (Eph 2:8-9). Works are worthless as far as earning our salvation. They are dirty rags at best (Isaiah 64:6), and trying to keep the Law as an attempt to save oneself is also in vain since “all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them” (Gal 3:10). Our problem is that God demands perfection for all who enter the kingdom. The Apostle John wrote that “nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Rev 21:27). Even more difficult to take is Jesus saying that “unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 5:20). Sounds humanly impossible, and in fact, it is…so how do we met the requirements of being holy so that we may enter the kingdom?

God Supplies
God demands perfection for those who enter heaven, so how do we become perfect in God’s eyes? We’ve already seen that works can’t help us. Although we do works for Hs glory (Eph 2:10), they are not for our salvation. The Apostle Paul says that you and I “were dead in the trespasses and sins” (Eph 2:1), so God had to bring us to life, spiritually speaking. Paul writes that “God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved” (Eph 2:4-5).

We had about the same chance of resurrecting ourselves to new life in Christ as Lazarus did; none! When we received God’s Spirit, we became “a new creation” in Christ (2 Cor 5:17a). This effectively means, “The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Cor 5:17b). The new creation in Christ is all a work of God, so God supplies what He demands, and we meet those righteous requirements through Christ, because it was for our sake that God “made [Jesus Christ] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor 5:21). Now, God sees us as having the same righteousness as Jesus Christ, therefore, our righteousness does exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees….meaning, we can enter the kingdom!

Dying for Enemies
I cannot remember reading any accounts of people dying for someone who was their mortal enemies. It has only happened once in history that I know of, and it was through Jesus Christ. Someone can die for another, but that still doesn’t reconcile them to God, but the Apostle Paul tells us exactly when Jesus Christ died for us. Even though it was 2,000 years ago, it was “while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom 5:6). We’ve already read that “one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die” (Rom 5:7), but the great difference between human love and the love of God is that “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8).

Now who dies for an enemy? Would you? Would I? Probably not, so God’s grace is so amazing because even “while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life” (Rom 5:10). God, through Jesus Christ, died for us while we were still living an ungodly, wicked life. That made us natural enemies of God, so I ask: What greater love is there than to die for an ungodly, wicked enemy?

Words of Life
When Jesus’ hard sayings caused many of His disciples to leave (John 6:66), Jesus asked His disciples if they’d also leave, but the Apostle Peter said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). Peter recognized Who Jesus was, telling Him, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt 16:16), but to keep Peter humble, and put things into a godly perspective, Jesus reminds him that “flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven” (Matt 16:17b). Peter didn’t figure it out; God called Him as He does others (John 6:44). Jesus said, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life” (John 6:63). What Jesus told Martha, He tells all: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this” (John 11:25-26)? Do you?

Conclusion
If Jesus had not specified Lazarus by name, perhaps all that were in their graves would have been raised. That’s because Jesus, as God, has resurrection power; the power of life. He can bring to life whom He pleases, and He has brought us to life…new life in Christ…quickened by the Spirit, saved by the Son, after being called by the Father. All three Persons of the Trinity work in love and complete harmony in our salvation, so as Paul said, “ I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil 1:6). If you’re not sure, contact me, because today is a good day to be “all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall” (2 Pet 1:10b).