Divine Sugar Sticks for October 2000

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Tuesday, October 31, 2000

Our Lord’s Departing Thoughts!

Luke 24:51, “While He blessed them, He parted from them.”

The last attitude and activity of the risen Lord, of which the disciples were conscious as He left them to ascend to His Father, were these of the up-lifted hands and the uttering of a beatitude. This is a perpetual sign. Thus He remains until He comes again. His hands uplifted and His lips pronouncing the blessedness of His own. Behold those hands! In them are the sacred signs of His love and His all-conquering race.

Listen to His blessing! It is more than the expressions of a desire on His part for the happiness of His own. It is a declaration of His ability to give them the only true happiness. While we see those uplifted hands, there can be no room for doubt or fear when other menacing hands are stretched out to harm us or to vex us. Whether in life or in death, in adversity or prosperity, in sorrow or in joy, we know that by that token we are safe.

While we hear His voice pronouncing the blessing, it matters not what voices slander or curse. We know that our peace and joy are assured.

The clouds will enwrap Him and the bodily sight end. But the soul will know that beyond the clouds and beyond the physical manifestation, He ever lives with hands that argue our safety outstretched and with words that ensure our blessedness upon His lips.

A departing thought and activity of the Lord on behalf of us.

John 1:14, “Full of Grace and Truth”

In that phrase, John recorded the full and final impression made upon him and his fellow disciples by their time of comradeship with Jesus Christ. The result of being with Him. They were written in all probability long years after that time of comradeship, so far as His bodily presence was concerned, was over.

They lived with Him. They traveled with Him. And they listened to His teaching and watched His works. And above all, observed Him in the circumstances of the varied days. When one whole result needed to be written, John, through the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit said, “Full of Grace and Truth!”

The description moreover is given in a yet briefer way by the use one word in the preceding parenthetical statement. “They beheld His glory”  “Full of Grace and Truth.”

In the whole of that statement, the most sublime truth is declared. It was ”the glory as of the Only Begotten of the Father.” Here, then, we find the content of the glory of God. It is the unity of Grace and Truth. Here then we have the exposition of Grace and Truth. It is found in Jesus Christ. The two ideas should hold our minds and direct our lives.

God is Grace and Truth. Not the one without the other. Not the other apart from the one.

In His government there can be no lowering of the simple and severe standard of Truth and there is no departure from the purpose and passion of Grace.

Then when we would know Truth, we must know Jesus Christ.
And when we would apprehend Grace, we must come to Jesus Christ.

”The law came by Moses, but Grace and Truth came by the Lord Jesus Christ.”

John 15:9, “Even as the Father Hath Loved Me, I Also Have Loved You”

This is surely Christ’s superlative word concerning His love for His own. It leaves nothing more to be said. It ends all counseling.

What the love of the Father is for the Son, who can tell? The very suggestion fills the soul with the sense of  profound depths which cannot be fathomed, f heights that cannot be scaled, or breadths which cannot be compassed, and of dimensions beyond our knowledge. And that love of God for the Son is the measure and the nature of the love of the Son for His own.

And how passing wonderful it is, when we remember that, however vast that love of God for His Son may be, that Son is worthy of it, while we are unworthy of love at all. Yet here is the glory of His love. He loves us in spite of our unworthiness, knowing that He is able to make us worthy.

Two thoughts are immediately suggested:

The first, by what He said before, “Therefore doth My Father love Me because I lay down My life that I may take it again.”
And the second, by what He added now, “I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.”

The perfection in us which He sees, and which inspires His love is that of the selflessness which suffers to serve. The law of abiding in love is obedience.

We are accepted in the Beloved, therefore also called “beloved.”

“Two Other,” John 21:2

The suggestiveness of these words is arresting. This was a wonderful occasion on which the Lord was specially manifesting Himself to a group of disciples. Every phase of the doings of that morning is full of light and glory. The risen Redeemer and Ruler was showing men His interest and power in the commonplaces of their lives, and in the greatest responsibilities thereof.

He touched their daily doings with light, and glory, their daily fishing and preparing breakfast. The Lord made their breakfast! He gave them the grandest conception of their fellowship with Him in His work of gathering together in one, the sheep that were scattered abroad.

”I stand at the door and knock. If anyone will open it, I will come in and sup with him.”

Who were the men?  Simon Peter, Thomas, Nathaniel, James, and John – all outstanding figures. But there were “two other” and they are unnamed. Purposely unnamed. They represent the anonymous and hidden multitudes of faithful souls whose names are never published in human documents, and whose deeds are never recorded in human reports. To these He manifested Himself as surely as to the others.

Those “two other” represented the majority of the saints. Let all such remember that of His fullness they all receive.

Manifestations are needed for faithfulness in obscure places of service and they are granted, to all His own He ever comes with unveilings of His Grace and Glory and Truth.

Unknown but known!

Acts 3:7, “Silver and Gold Have I Not, But What I Have, That Give I Thee”

These are not the words of an apology. By comparison with what Peter had to bestow, silver and gold, are the veriest dross. To give gold and silver to a cripple is a good thing, if that is the best you can do for the handicapped. But it only maintains him in his disability. He is still handicapped … with money.

To give him strength to walk is to set him free from the need of alms. This is the difference between Christianity and all merely humanitarian efforts for the relief of the incapable.

They help to make the conditions of continued inability somewhat bearable. But Christianity cancels the inability and so ends the conditions and makes the efforts for relief unnecessary.

Therefore Christianity never has any need to apologize for itself. The service it renders to men individually and socially, is of the highest. It deals not so much with conditions as with causes.

The principle illustrated in this man is of the widest application. Apart from Christ  humanitarian efforts deal with surroundings, but cannot touch the man. Christianity begins with the man and so makes him the instrument for changing his own surroundings.

Humanitarian efforts plant a garden around the man and leave him to spoil the garden. Christianity remakes the man and he makes the garden.

So much for the improvement of environment! It is the man that needs to be improved.

Acts 23:11, “The Night Following, the Lord Stood by Him”

The words “the night following” are very suggestive. Paul had passed through two tremendous days. The bitterness of his foes was such that no limit would be set to what they would do to him if they could. The chief captain was afraid that they might tear him to pieces, and so had rescued him by force and secured him in the castle.

”The night following” – Such days would inevitably be a time of reaction. Bold and courageous and fearless during the day … but the night of loneliness finds the strength spent. And the enemy is never slow to take advantage of that fact. Oh the dreads and the shrinkings and the questionings of the night.

Then we must need help and then it was that the Lord “stood by him.” Through all the stress and strain of those terrible days, he had maintained in speech and demeanor the honor of the Name, and now the One who bore the Name came to him manifestly, definitely, and personally.

Very beautiful were the words that He spoke to His servant. Paul had long before declared his conviction that he must see Rome. And probably the form threatening him that night would be that he never would do so.

Loyalty to the Name will often bring the witnesses into days of strain and so to nights of foreboding. But He always comes, and yet if not manifestly, yet He always stands by.

As Long as We Are Without God, We Are Without Seven Vital Things

1. Without the blood of Christ.
   Which alone can remove the past and release the sinner from the hold of sin, Heb 9:22
   
2. Without Christ.
   Who alone can save, set apart, and satisfy, Eph 2:12
   
3. Without peace.
   Which alone can calm the mind and silence the conscience, Isa 57:21
   
4. Without hope.
   Which alone can clear the vision and make the future bright with coming glory, Eph 2:12
   
5. Without life.
   Which alone can qualify to see and enter the kingdom of God, John 3:3, 5
   
6. Without strength. 
   For the sinner has no ability to rise to the higher things, Rom 5:6
   
7. Without the Spirit.
   For those who are not the Lord’s are summed up in the destitution of their need as “having not the Spirit,” Jude 19.
   

An Interesting Study of the Word ZOA in the Greek

Rom 6:11, “Alive.” The Greek word “ZOA” is a primary verb and means “to live.” An interesting study is suggested by the use of the word as applied to the spiritual life. It is a God-imparted and Christ-secured life. For Christ came by way of the Cross that, “we might live through Him,” 1 John 4:9.

It is a Christ-identified and a Christ-associated life. For He says, “Because I live, ye shall live also,” John 14:19.
”As the living Father hath sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he that eateth Me, even he shall live because of Me,” John 6:57.

It is a self-displacing life and Christ-centered life for all those who know Him cease to, “Live unto themselves but unto Him,” 2 Cor 5:15.

It is a Spirit-inscribed life and a Spirit-indicted life for believers are the epistle of the living God and He inscribes His character on their inner being, 2 Cor 3:3.

It is a Christ-indwelt and a Christ-revealing life for each indwelt believer recognizes what the apostle said, “I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me,” Gal 2:20.

It is a brethren-considerate and a Lord-controlled life, hence brethren “who live unto the Lord,” do not despise or judge each other, Rom 14:7-9.

It is a saint-helping and a missionary loving life for it ever hears the voice of the missionary plea, “Now we live if ye stand fast in the Lord,” 1 Thes 3:8.

And it is a God-controlled and a God-goaled life for being “Alive from the dead.” We recognize we are “alive unto God,” Rom 6:11, 13.

ZOA – alive and living!

Monday, October 30, 2000

John Chapter 21, The Deity of Christ in Contrast With Fallen Humanity

The Self Action of Man and the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ

Self-will is seen when Peter says, “I go a-fishing.”

Self-labor is evident when the disciples toiled all night and caught nothing.

Self-sight is revealed when the disciples “knew not” the Lord on the shore.

Self-resource is manifest when the Lord asked them if they had caught anything and they had to say “no.”

Self-boasting is made known when Christ asked Peter if he loved Him more than “these” for he had boasted, “Though all shall be offended because of Thee, I will never be offended,” Matt 26:33.

Self-sin is hinted at in Christ’s calling Peter by his old name of “Simon” and the reference to him of being “the son of Jonas,” literally, a silly dove.

Self-grief is evident when Peter was “grieved” by the searching and personal questions which Christ put to him.

Self-questioning is asserted when Peter seemed more concerned as to what John should “do” instead of following the Lord.

In contrast to the eight times Christ is called “Lord” in this chapter, which will follow ...

In John Chapter 21 Jesus Christ is Called “Lord,” Deity, Eight Times

The word “Lord” is the Greek word KURIOS, which means Deity. Jesus Christ is the God-man – absolute Deity and true humanity.

John was the first to recognize the Lord on the shore. Hence he said, “It is the Lord.”

Peter reverenced the Lord when he “saw it was the Lord.”

The disciples, “knowing that it was the Lord,” did not need to put the enquiry “Who art Thou?”

Peter responded twice to the Lord when he said, “Yea, Lord,” and further remarked to Him, “Lord, Thou knowest all things.”

Reference is made to the question of John when he asked the Lord at the table, “Lord, who is he that betrayeth Thee?”

And lastly, Peter’s enquiry as to what John was to do is recorded in his, “Lord, and what shall this man do?”

In John Chapter 21 Three Thoughts Are Brought Out in Reference to Christ as the Lord

Ownership:
”Ye serve, as slaves, the Lord,” Col 3:23

Authority:
Hence the Lord’s Supper is to be kept, 1 Cor 11:20

Power:
Therefore, we read “the hand of the Lord” was with the disciples, Acts 11:21

All of these thoughts are brought out in John chapter 21.

Ownership is claimed when Christ speaks of “My sheep.”

Authority is heard in Christ’s commands to “cast,” to “come,” and to “follow.”

His power is evidenced when he caused 153 great fishes to be caught in the net.

How Suggestive Is “I Am” Found in John’s Gospel!

At least 20 times we find “I am” occurring. Sometimes we read “I am He” and the “He” is in italics, and should therefore be omitted. Sometimes the “I am” is coupled with additional words such as, “I am the Way.”

The “I am” takes us back to what the Lord said to Moses: “I am that I am,” Exodus 3:14.

If you study these suggestive “I ams,” you can see how much they suggest and contain.

The unparalled speaker, “I that speak unto thee am,” John 4:26.
The unique Food, “I am the Bread of Life,” John 6:35.
The Heavenly Manna, “I am the Bread from Heaven,” John 6:41.
The Bread of Life, “I am the Bread of Life,” John 6:48.
The Living Bread, “I am the Living Bread,” John 6:51.
The Wonderful Illuminator, “I am the Light of the world,” John 8:12.
The Revealing One, “I am from above,” John 8:23.
And there are about 20 or so more. Just circle them in John.

If we meditate upon the setting of these sentences and see their meaning and think of their application, we will have to say:

Without the Word, there is no speaking.
Without the Bread, there is no feeding.
Without the Light, there is no shining.
Without the Door, there is no keeping.
Without the Life, there is no living.
Without the Way, there is no going.
Without the Truth, there is no knowing.
Without the Vine, there is no growing.
Without the Lord, there is no serving.
With I am eternal glowing.

We Are Taught to Enjoy What we Know About the Word of God!

What do we know about the Word of God???

When thou hast read what Heaven hath writ,
Let thy best practice second it.
Then twice the precept read shall be
First in the book and then in thee.

“Whom shall we teach knowledge? And whom shall be made to understand Doctrine? Them that are weaned from the milk and drawn from the breast.”

”For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, and here a little and there a little,” Isa 28:9-10

Yea, it is a mine of precious jewelry
The Book of God, a well of streams Divine.
But who would wish the riches of that mine
To make his own, his thirst to satisfy.

From that pure well, must ear, eye, soul, apply
On precept, precept scan, and line on line.
Search, ponder, sift, compare, divide, combine
For Truths that oft beneath the surface lie.

Yea, there are things which he who runs may read
Nor few there are, which yield a harder part,
To mark, discern, and know, with cautious heed
Tis God’s command, survey the safety’s chart
Lest arduous things, distorted, death-ward lead,
The mind unlearned and the unstable heart.

The Whole of God’s Being is Represented as Being Alert for Our Blessing

He has a heart to love us.
Psa 33:11, “The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of His heart to all generations.”

He has a hand to help us.
Isa 41:10, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.”

He has an eye to watch us.
2 Chr 16:9, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.”

He has feet to run to us.
Luke 15:20, “And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.”

He has a mouth to speak to us.
Duet 8:3, “And He humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that He might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every Word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.”

He has a face to cheer us.
Psa 42:5, 11, “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.” “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.”

He has a bosom to embrace us.
Isa 40:11, “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.”

He has arms to enclose us.
Deut 33:27, “The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and He shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.”

He has a thought to encourage us.
Psa 40:5, “Many, O LORD my God, are Thy wonderful works which Thou hast done, and Thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto Thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.”

He has a soul to delight.
Isa 42:1, “Behold my Servant, whom I uphold; Mine Elect, in whom My soul delighteth; I have put My Spirit upon Him: He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.”

He has ears to listen to us.
Psa 116:2, “Because He hath inclined His ear unto me, therefore will I call upon Him as long as I live.”

Man Has Been Ccalled “a Praying Animal”

We would rather say that man has the capacity to pray, but in too many instances, he is dumb. It is when the spirit awakens man to his vocation in life, that it is said of him, “Behold, he prayeth,” Acts 9:11.

Happy are we if we “pray without ceasing,” 1 Thes 5:17.

For praying in the open sluice through which the water of life comes and feeds us, and it is the last act in the drama of the life as we say with Stephen, “Lord Jesus receive my spirit,” Acts 7:59.

”Pray” and “prayer” occur about 350 times in the Word of God. There are 12 Hebrew words and seven Greek words. In them we have a wonderful revelation of what true prayer is. And I know you know all these 19 words for prayer.

If we neglect the Grace of prayer, we shall be wanting in the Grace of life.
We cannot fulfill the responsibilities of life if we do not enjoy the privilege of prayer.

The words for prayer have a touch and a tension in their varied meanings, which reveal its many-sidedness and potency.

SHAAL  ANA  CHANAN  ATHAR  PAGA  PALAL  TSELA  SIACH   TEPHILLAH

No, not tongues, but the Hebrew words for prayer.

Solomon in his dedicatory prayer for the temple uses the word “pray” when he pleads that if any of those who got into captivity, shall “bethink” themselves and confess their sins that the Lord shall deal graciously with them, 2 Chr 6:37.

Now, which of the 12 Hebrew words does He use which would be fitting here??

”CHANAN,” which is Grace, and it means to seek the favor of another that they may stoop in kindness and exercise Grace towards the suppliant. This aspect of prayer suggests the applicant looks to the exercise of God’s Grace like the publican when he prayed to the Lord to be “merciful unto me, a sinner.”

It is not the merit of the suppliant which is seen, but the Grace and mercy of the One supplicated. The picture is that of a criminal who is doomed to die for his offence and who appeals for favor from the sovereign of the realm.

There is no merit in our praying, but there is in the One who answers. When we leave ourselves in the Lord’s hands, we find His hand on our souls to our benefit.

Specific words of prayer for specific prayers.

“ATHAR” – this word is rendered “pray” in Elihu’s statement and has wrapped up in it the thought of its meaning not only of entreaty, but also that of a “fragrance” like the aroma of a violet with the plant.

”To entreat” – to make earnest and fervent prayer which ascends like incense before God. Also power and abundance and a sweet odor.

The word is rendered “entreated” four times – Gen 25:21, Ex 8:30, 10:18, Judges 13:8, and sometimes “be entreated.” It is an entreaty of the soul’s expressed need which is always a fragrance to the Lord.

A sweet smelling savour.

12 Different Hebrew Words for Prayer and Six Different Greek Words for Prayer

And We Only Have One in the English Language

When you understand each and every one of those words that are used for prayer, you get a composite picture of the meaning and the motivation of each prayer. We have seen one, CHANAN, which takes in the Grace concept.

Now here is another, TSELA. It only occurs twice and in each case it is rendered “pray.”

Dan 6:10, “He kneeled upon his knees three times a day and prayed.”

”TSELA”" means to bend low in adoring worship. Humility of soul and lowliness of mind are requisites in prayer. The Grace of humiliation is always greeted by the Grace of God.

When we obey the commandments of the Lord to be humble, we command His attention to our uplifting. Those who bend low in true humility, find that the Lord bends low in answering our petitions.

Psa 95:6, “Let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker.”

The other time this word is used for prayer is in the case of Cyrus, when he made a decree of certain supplies which were to be granted to the elders of the Jews that the priests might fulfill their priestly office and also that they might, “pray for the life of the king and his sons,” Ezra 6:10. “TSELA.”

Here is a Great, Greek, Grace Word for Prayer! One of Six …

ENTEUXIS – it only occurs twice, and in each instance is in Paul’s letter to Timothy, and is there it is rendered “intercession” and “prayer,” 1 Tim 2:1, 1 Tim 4:5. In each case, it is used relatively when Timothy is requested ”to make intercession for all men.”

What we eat is to be received with thanksgiving and not to be refused if it is sanctified, set apart, by the Word of God and prayer.

To pray beyond our personal need in holy petition for others is to ally ourselves with Christ, who ever liveth to make intercession for us.

Some prayers are warped by the heat of selfishness and twisted by the limitations of human desire. The loving ministry of a prayer for others is the highest art of service. When we plead the cause of others, we plead our own need, and receive for them what we requested, and find ourselves receiving benefits, too.

Sunday, October 29, 2000

You Have a Choice – Smoking or Non-Smoking

In eternity … ??

Matt 25:41, “Then shall He say unto them on His left hand, depart from Me, ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”

You see, they are on the … left.

If You Don’t Like the Way in Which You Were Born …

Well, be born again!

1 Pet 1:23, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible by the Word of God which liveth and abideth for ever.”

2 Tim 2:4, “No Soldier in Service Entangleth Himself in the Affairs of This Life”

This word of Paul took on new meaning for many during World War II. Today it seems to most that they have never seen it before. But we have seen it and we have given it a certain conventional interpretation. The thinking of the phrase, “the affairs of this life” is very superficial and we think of certain liberties and comforts which a soldier is denied. But you needed the stern and awe-inspiring experiences of warfare to be enabled to appreciate the full content of the phrase. Now we know that nothing is left out.

The soldier in combat breaks with everything except war. They left in millions leaving father and mother and brother and sister, wife and lover. They marched away from promising careers, loved occupations, high ambitions, and the finest things of responsibility. Nothing was permitted to entangle them, to hinder them, or in any way to interfere with the one thing. This new understanding has brought a new revelation of the claim which our Lord’s campaign makes upon us.

He only asks His people to do what the sons of America did ungrudgingly. Does not this consideration bring a sense of shame with it? How often have those, who as the salt of the Earth and the light of the world, “played at war”?

”He teacheth my hands to war and my fingers to fight.”

Titus 2:10, “That They May Adorn the Doctrine of God Our Saviour in all Things”

There are two ideas that flash with surprising brilliance. The first is that the Doctrine of God our Saviour can be adorned. Secondly, those who are spoken of as being able to adorn are slaves

We will understand the first better if we start with the second. The word “servants” here is distinctly the word for slaves. The condition of slaves in Crete where Titus labored, was the worst. Paul had said that the Cretans were liars, beasts, and gluttons. Slavery in such a society must have been a terrible thing. Among these slaves there were some who were saints. These were declared to be able in the very life of slavery, “to adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.”

Paul told them how it would be done, by being under subjection to their masters, by seeking to be well-pleasing, by not gainsaying, by honesty, by faithfulness. In short, by such actions in difficult circumstances, to win from their very masters a recognition of their godliness. Thus, we see that the Doctrine of our God our Saviour may be adorned.

Titus 3:8, “They Which Have Believed God May be Careful to Maintain Good Works”

Literally, “Careful to profess honest occupations.”

This helps us to understand what was in the mind of the apostle. The whole chapter reveals the kind of world in the midst of which these Cretan Christians were living. It was characterized by insubordination to authority, by laziness, by disaffection, and contention, and by every form of evil excess. It included a world of wrangling and disputes over all sorts of things.

In the midst of such conditions, the Christians stood fundamentally as those who believed in God. To believe God is to believe His Word – His revelation of the true order of life.

Those who stood on that belief could testify to the power of it in no other way than that of good works. That is by following a quiet and diligent life of devotion to duty, in callings in which themselves were honest.

There is no more powerful force of rebuking all evil things, whether of conduct or of opinion, than that of the quiet, strong, persistent life of a man or woman who goes on from day to day doing the duties of the day cheerfully and with joy.

”Be careful” – make a study of it and think about it because it is important.

“Forsake Not the Assembling of Yourselves Together”

“Church” is the Greek word “ECCLESIA,” which means an assembly of believers.

Ch _ _ ch:. That is what church looks like today. What is left out?

“u r”

Saturday, October 28, 2000

Greek Preposition “HUPER” in Relation to God the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit as the Gracious Intercessor. This preposition HUPER only occurs in relation to the Spirit with the genitive, and it signifies over and separate from, as though bending over to protect.

Therefore, it is often used to denote Christ’s substitutionary work on our behalf.
Rom 5:8, “Christ for (HUPER) on behalf of us.”

Of the Spirit’s work in us as the Pleader it is said,
Rom 8:26, “The Spirit maketh intercession for (HUPER) on behalf of us.”

The Spirit cannot always utter through human lips the sighing of His requests. But His sighs are interpreted by the other Intercessor at God’s right hand.

On our behalf!

Greek Preposition HUPO in Relation to God the Holy Spirit

The Spirit in His Leading!

This preposition occurs with the genitive as relating to the Spirit and the believer, and it denotes a position under something higher, the place from which anything comes forth, or the agent from under whose hand a thing is accomplished.

Often used in the sense of “by,” hence we read of Paul, Acts 25:14, “Left in bonds by (HUPO) under Felix.”

Five times the preposition HUPO is used in connection with the Holy Spirit and us.

”Led of (HUPO) under the Spirit,” Matt 4:1.

”Revealed by (HUPO) under the Spirit,” Luke 2:26.

”Sent forth by (HUPO) under the Holy Spirit,” Acts 13:4.

”Forbidden by (HUPO) under the Holy Spirit,” Acts 16:6.

”Spake as they were moved by (HUPO) under the Spirit,” 2 Pet 1:21.

Under the Spirit’s wisdom we act. Under His power we are upheld. Under His instructions we go forward.

We are conscious He is under us to carry the responsibility – HUPO.

Underneath are the Everlasting Arms.

Psa 136, “His Mercy Endureth Forever”

There are 26 verses in this Psalm and each verse says the same thing … “His mercy endureth forever.” Mercy is Grace in action.

The opening stanzas refer to the One to whom reference is made throughout by the great names by which He was known.

”JEHOVAH” – the title of Grace, verse 1

”ELOHIM” – the name of might, verse 2

”ADONAI” – the title of sovereignty, verse 3

The fact concerning this Supreme One which called the song, was that of His continued lovingkindness.

The first four groups should be sung as to the introductory words by the four soloists in turn. The second two groups by duet, the first contralto and soprano, the second tenor, and base. And the last two groups by the four voices.

Psa 144:15, “Happy is the People Whose God is the Lord”

This is a song of a king, a ruler, who understands the true secret of “national prosperity” and this is found in the expression in this closing exclamation. In the presence of the stern necessity for war, it is the Lord who:

Verse 1, “Blessed be the Lord, my Rock, who teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight.”

It is He who giveth victory to kings. As the result of victory which comes from Him, kings and people are rescued from evil politicians – men whose mouths speak vanity – and from evil doers – men whose right hand is guided by falsehood.

Such deliverance issues in a prosperity which is graphically and politically described in these closing stanzas. Verily then, “Happy is the people whose God is the Lord.”

Notice what makes the people happy and blessed in a nation.

Prov 7:4, “Say Unto Wisdom Thou Art My Sister and Call Understanding Thy Kinswoman”

Once more as in chapter 5, the subject is that of the folly of the prostitution of the highest function of personality. The method is that of a most graphic description of the ways of the wrong, evil woman and the weakness and stupidity of the one who is enticed and victimized by her. This description is prefaced by words of appeal in which the way of wisdom, which is the way of strength in the presence of such temptation, is revealed.

Wisdom is personified at a woman and she is a woman of strength and of purity. Let wisdom, the Word, take the place of the one the Lord has for you until she is brought to you. Wisdom is feminine in gender here. Let the man who has to meet this kind of temptation make wisdom his sister and understanding his kinswoman, that is his close personal friend. This is the fact that the Lord has someone in mind for you.

It is when the full figure is in full force that its value is discovered. Thousands of men are kept from evil courses by the love and friendship of sisters and women. Examples include sisters or a mother. Recognizing this, the father counsels the son to find strength against the seductions of evil, by cultivating that kind of defensive and defending familiarity with wisdom, which is typified by this love of a sister or a pure woman.

Friday, October 27, 2000

Today is Theodore Roosevelt’s Birthday

But, you won’t find him mentioned by our country. We have holidays for all kinds of people and occasions, but he is the forgotten man of history – a very important forgotten man of history.

”Stout of heart, we see, across the dangers, the grave future that lies beyond and we rejoice as a giant refreshed ‘as a strong man gird for the race’ and we go down into the arena where the nations strive for mastery, and our hearts lifted with the faith that to us and to our children and our children’s children, it shall be given to make the republic the mightiest among the peoples of mankind.”

”Ours is not the creed of the weakling and the coward. Ours is the Gospel of hope and triumphant endeavor.”

”If we fail the cause of free-self government throughout, the world will rock to its foundation.”

”A churchless community, a community where men have abandoned and scoffed at or ignored their religious needs, is a community on the rapid down grade.”

”You are not going to make any new commandments at this stage which will supply the place of the old ones. The truths that were true at the foot of Mt. Sinai are true now.”

Happy Birthday Teddy!

Jesus Christ Has Magnified His Word Above His Name – Psa 138

The importance of the Word of God because it is of Divine source. In the book of Acts, the Word of God is referred to 35 times as …

”The Word of God” – 13 times. Acts 4:31, 6:2, 7, 8:14, 11:1, 12:24, 13:5, 7, 44, 46, etc.

”The Word of the Lord “ – 8 times. Acts 8:25, 11:16, 13:48, etc.

”The Word” – 13 times. Acts 4:4, 6:4, 8:4, 10:36, 44, etc

”Thy Word” – once. Acts 4:29

”Man cannot live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

The Source of the Word is the Lord. He gives you His Word.

The Importance of the Word of God Because of its Dynamics

Notice what the Word says about the Word!

”Have tasted of the good Word of God.”

”The worlds were framed by the Word of God.”

”Who have spoken the Word unto you.”

”Upholdeth all things by the Word of His power.”

”The Words spoken by angels were steadfast.”

”The Word of God is alive and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword.”

Heb 1:3, 2:2, 4:12, 6:5, 11:3, 13:7

There lieth in the dynamics of God’s Word all the latent possibilities of the life of the Almighty.

The Importance of the Word of God Because of its Definite Claim

The book of Thessalonians illustrates the claims of the Word.

”The Word” in its authority, 1 Thess 1:6

”The Word of the Lord” in its message, 1 Thess 1:8, 4:15, 2 Thess 3:1

”The Word of God” in its power, 1 Thess 2:13

The Word claims the faith of our obedience and the loyalty of our love and the desire of our hope.

The Importance of the Word of God Because of its Distinct Prophesy

The Book of Revelation may illustrate what is found in many places.

Christ is the Key – Rev 19:13

To keep it is our responsibility – Rev 1:9, 3:8, 10, 6:9, 20:4

To bear record of it is our privilege – Rev 1:2

The Importance of the Word of God Because of its Distinguishing Message

The many qualifying words of the Word indicate its manifold message.

    It is a Word of life to quicken – Phil 2:16

    A Word of faith to beget faith – Rom 10:8

    A Word of reconciliation to assure – 2 Cor 5:19

    A Word of God to slay – Eph 6:17

    The Word of Christ to indwell – Col 3:16

    The Word of the Lord to reveal – 1 Thes 4:15

    The Word of faithfulness to keep – Titus 1:9

    The Word of righteousness to adjust – Heb 5:13

    The Word of incorruption to endure – 1 Pet 1:23, 25

    The engrafted Word to fructify – James 1:21

The Importance of the Word of God Because it is Devoted to its Promises

The Word, as such, is coupled with what the Spirit calls, ”the Word of all His goodness.”

Solomon confessed “that not one Word” of God’s great promise failed.” 1 Kings 8:56

His promises and the performance of them are continuously referred to.

Psa 105:42; Acts 13:23, 32, 26:6, 7; Rom 4:20; Gal 3:14-29; Heb 6:13-17; 2 Pet 3:4, 9, 13

”All the promises of God are in Him yea and amen to the glory of God.”

Another Interesting Study Might be Worked Out in Connection With the Words “He” or “the Lord” or “Hath Promised”

Exodus 12:15; Deut 12:20, 26:18; Joshua 23:10; 2 Chron 6:15; Rom 1:2 Heb 12:26; James 1:12, 2:5, 1 John 2:25

Which is more personal? “He, the Lord hath promised.”

And that should be enough.

The Importance of the Word of God Because of its Dedicated Influence

When we call to mind what the Lord says, He will do by means of His Word. We can see how beneficent and practical it is in its in-working and out-working. Let us confine our thought to Christ and His teaching of the Word.

    He taught that the Word was a fruit producer – Matt 13:23

    He taught that the Word was a victory gainer – Matt 4:4

    He taught that the Word was a disciple witnesser – John 8:31

    He taught that the Word was a sanctifying obtainer – John 17:17

    He taught that the Word of God was a love prover – John 14:23

    He taught that the Word of God was a heart answerer – John 5:24

    ”The flower fadeth but the Word of God abideth”

God the Holy Spirit Has Many Titles and Many Names

All the titles and names connected with God the Holy Spirit have meaning, definition, and purpose. Especially since He seals us and fills us and controls us, and most of all, is our Teacher. Everything we know about the Lord Jesus Christ from our second birth and on is attributed to Him, because He never speaks of Himself, but only of the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, He is called “the Spirit of Christ.”

1. He is the Spirit of Christ because He rested on Him – Luke 4:18
   
2. He is the Spirit of Christ because He testified of Him – 1 Pet 1:11
   
3. He is the Spirit of Christ as He is given by Him – John 1:33
   
4. He is the Spirit of Christ because He acts for Him – John 14:16
   
5. He is the Spirit of Christ. He will gather us to be with Him – Rom 8:11
   
6. He is the Spirit of Christ because He makes us like Him – 2 Cor 3:18
   
7. He is the Spirit of Christ because He unites us to Him – 1 Cor 12:12-13

Christ said He would send us “another Comforter.” There are two words in the Greek language for the word “another.” One is another of a different kind. The other is of the same kind.

The Holy Spirit is another Comforter, just like the Lord Jesus Christ.

Another Comforter of the Same Kind as Christ

Certainly the Holy Spirit ever did and ever will as “Author of Himself.” 
Christ’s statement is very emphatic. John 3:8, “The Spirit where it pleaseth doth breathe.”

In the chapter which describes the Holy Spirit in His unity and sovereignty as the Administrator in the body of Christ, we read He divides His gifts “to man sovereignly as He will.” But, while there is a diversity of gifts and administration, he is referred to seven times over as “the same Spirit.”

1 Cor 12:4-11, the deliberate will here ascribed to the Holy Spirit implies His personality as the act of giving implies His deity.

    Verse 4 – by the same Spirit
    Verse 5 – by the same Lord
    Verse 6 – by the same God
    Verse 7 – of the Spirit
    Verse 8 – by the Spirit
    Verse 9 – the same Spirit
    Verse 11 – the self same Spirit

Eph 3:16, 17 “That He would grant you according to the riches of His glory to be strengthened with the might by the Spirit in the inner man. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith that ye being rooted and grounded in love.”

The Holy Spirit communicates Christ to us, and in so doing, makes all He did and was not only facts to be believed, but living factors on order to form our life.

We have the Holy Spirit to interpret the story so that Christ is more than the Lord of ancient tale, but the Lord who holds Words with us now.

JEHOVAH — Reminds Us of His Immutability!

Mal 3:6, “I am JEHOVAH.” Then He explains what it means. ”I change not.” Then He gives the application: ”Therefore the sons of Jacob are not consumed.”

Being what He is, He cannot do other than He does.

How often in the Psalms we find the Holy Spirit playing upon the words. ”JEHOVAH is” as coupled with the believer’s faith.

    He is the Rock upon which we rest. “JEHOVAH is my Rock,” Psa 18:2.

    He is the Garrison by which we are preserved. “JEHOVAH is my Keeper,” Psa 121:5.

    He is the Shield behind which we are protected. “JEHOVAH is my Shield,” Psa 28:7.

    He is the Deliverance by which we are saved. “JEHOVAH is my Light and Salvation,” Psa 27:1.

    He is the Shade by which we are refreshed. “JEHOVAH is my Shade,” Psa 121:3.

    He is the Pastor to shepherd. “JEHOVAH is my Shepherd,” Psa 23:1.

Since JEHOVAH is What He is, We May Well Come to the Conclusion of Faith as Expressed in Psalm 37

”Trust in JEHOVAH,” Psa 37:3, for He supplies all needs.

”Delight in JEHOVAH,” Psa 37:4, for He fulfills all desires.

”Commit unto JEHOVAH,” Psa 37:5, for He accomplishes all things.

”Rest in JEHOVAH,” Psa 37:7, for He looks after all His saints.

”Wait upon JEHOVAH,” Psa 37:9, for He bestows all blessings.

”Look to JEHOVAH,” Psa 37:34, for He rewards all waiters.

”Trust in  JEHOVAH,” Psa 37:40, for faith sees all Grace.

One of the 14 Titles for the Lord is JEHOVAH-ELOHEKA!

This name signifies “the Lord, thy God.” It is of frequent occurrence in the book of Deuteronomy and it is found 16 times in chapter 16. It denotes JEHOVAH’S relationship to His people and their responsibility to Him.

There are four definite thoughts – redemption, relationship, responsibility, and reward.

Redemption by the Lord
”I am JEHOVAH thy ELOHIM which brought thee out of the land of Egypt,” Ex 20:2.

Relationship to the Lord
”Lord thy God” – Relationship is secured by redemption. The Son of God was our Ransom that we might become the sons of God by His Grace.

Responsibility to the Lord – Ex 20:3, 7, 10
Privilege beings responsibility. There is no blessing of the Gospel but has an attendant obligation.

Reward by the Lord – Ex 20:12
Obedience always brings blessing, as bringing its own reward.

Thursday, October 26, 2000

When Sarah Laughed in Her Tent!

Sarah was promised by the Lord to have a child in her old age and she laughed at God and His promise. Then she lied about it.
Gen 18:11-12, “Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”

Verse 14, “Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.” Verse 15, “Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.”

Sarah laughed alone in her tent, at the promise of God.
Gen 21:1, “And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken.” Verse 2, “For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.” Verse 3, “And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac,” literally “Laughter.”

First she laughed in her tent. Now she has laughter in her tent – for nine months.

God always has the last laugh.

Psa 38:21-22, O Lord ... O My God ... O Lord”

There are Psalms of confession. Psa 6, 32, 51, 102, 130, 143

I have stressed these words because they reveal the deepest value of this song. It is the cry of a soul in bodily agony and mental anguish, which he recognizes as the result of his own transgression, and therefore does not rebel against.

It is however the cry of such a soul to God. Its movement shows his knowledge of God and how in this dire need he is casting himself upon that God in all the fullness of the knowledge which he possesses.

The first movement speaks of his personal sufferings, both bodily and mental and is addressed to JEHOVAH Lord, verse 1. The second describes the attitude of friends and foes and this is addressed to the sovereign Lord, “ADONAI,” verse 9, God. The last movement is that of prayer for deliverance and it is addressed to both JEHOVAH and ADONAI as God, ELOHIM, verse 15.

In this final appeal, the three Names are found again and here is a wonderful unveiling of the refuge and hope of the confession of a believer’s sin. It may expect help in personal suffering from God for He is JEHOVAH, the one full of Grace. He may expect justice in regard to men for God is the sovereign Lord. He may look for complete deliverance for JEHOVAH the sovereign Lord, is the mighty One.

1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and justice to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

O Lord … O my God ... Lord.

“I Will,” Psa 101:1

This Psalm is attributed to David. It is evidently a song of a ruler, a prince, or a king.

Verses 1-4. The first movement. It reveals the ruler’s decision concerning himself.
Verses 5-8. The second movement. It declares his decisions concerning the administration of his kingdom.

It is a Psalm of volition, of free will, of freedom. That is why I emphasized the first two words. They run through all the stanzas. If you trace them, you will see there is no appeal to others. All the way through the singer is expressing his free will. His decisions prove that he is doing so under the inspiration of true intellectual apprehension, and pure emotional response.

The important thing is that he is responding. This is the matter always of principle importance. The nature of his decisions and the order of them are instructive.

This king is seeking to act in every way in harmony with the character and purpose of the One and only King. The things and persons that are in accordance with the will of God, He will cultivate and preserve. This is the true way of authority.

I will!  I will!   I will!

Psa 113:9, “He Maketh the Barren Woman to Keep House, a Joyful Mother of Children”

This song was sung at the Passover, at Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles. It is impossible for us to read it without remembering that it was the song that Jesus Christ sung with his disciples in the upper room before he passed out into Gethsemane and Calvary. Psa 113 and Psa 114 were sung before the meal. Psa 115 to Psa 118 were sung at the close.

The first song is one in praise of the Lord for His condescending Grace which characterizes Him. It is a daring utterance of a Truth which prose would fear to speak.

The singer says that the seat of God is so high that in order to behold the things in Heaven and on the Earth, he has to humble himself, and then the purpose of that stooping is revealed. It is that he may raise the poor and lift the needy. And the final note is what I have emphasized. In that, God acts so “as to crown womanhood with motherhood.”

When we think of it as the first-born under the shadow of the Cross, we find ourselves in the full glory of that romance. In Him, the God whom dwells in the heights above the Heavens, had stooped through motherhood, He being “God only-born” in order that He might lift the needy.

As He approached the ultimate depth in the stooping. He sang this song, which offers praise to God for this condescending Grace, which through motherhood reached men that they may be reborn and thus raised to sit among the royalties.

Wednesday, October 25, 2000

Ezra 7:6, “A Ready Scribe”

This phrase is descriptive of Ezra, and it is full of interest, as it is connected with the emergence of a new order in the life of the nation. And that namely of the scribes, which continued through four centuries and were found in strength numerically but in degeneracy spiritually in the times of our Lord’s earthly ministry.

It is a good thing to study it as the foundation head. During the time of the monarchy of the united kingdom, a scribe was a royal secretary. During the later period of the disrupted kingdom, the scribe had become men whose business to copy and study the laws of the nation.

With Ezra, a new order began. The scribes now became men whose chief business it was to interpret the law, and to apply it to all the changing conditions of life and the new circumstances constantly arising.

As messengers of the will of God, they took the place of the prophets with this difference. Instead of receiving new revelations, they explained and applied the old. Of this new order, Ezra was at once the founder and type.

The word “ready” does not apply to his pen, but to his mind. He was an expert in exposition and application of the Word of God. The qualifications for such work are very clearly set out in the statement made concerning him in verse 10, “He set his mind to seek ... to do ... and to teach.”

Neh 7:2, “For He Was a Faithful Man and Feared God Above Many”

This is a description of the man whom Nehemiah placed in authority over the city of Jerusalem, after the wall was completed. The whole of the arrangements for the safety of the city, as here recorded, were characterized by statesman-like caution throughout. All around there were enemies and the position of the partially restored city was one of perpetual peril.

Nehemiah was conscious of this and made the most careful provision for the hour of the opening and closing of the city gates, and as to the arrangement for the watchers. No greater mistake can ever be made in connection with work for God in difficult places than that of lack of caution. Carelessness is never the sign of courage. True bravery prepares for the possibility of attack.

His choice of the governor was characteristic and he was chosen for two reasons – his faithfulness to duty and his fear of the Lord. If we speak of these as two, they are yet two sides of one fact. Faithfulness to duty is the outcome of the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord always produces fidelity. There is no sanction sufficiently strong to produce true fidelity other than that of this holy and loving fear.

If a man is unfaithful in his appointed task while yet declaring his loyalty to the Lord, he lies and the Truth is not in him. The secret of the courage that is cautious of the caution that is courageous, is ever of a complete fear of the Lord.

Job 28:3, “God Understandeth”

These are the strong and central words of this wonderful chapter. After his protest of innocence and the passionate need of some solution of his sufferings other than that which his friends had suggested, Job discusses the question of wisdom. He first describes man’s ability to obtain and possess the precious things of Earth. Silver and gold and iron are mined and the description of how men do the work is full of beauty. Having described man’s ability, he asks, “But where shall wisdom be found?” and the answer is in these words, “God understandeth.”

The evidence of the Truth of this is to be found in the impossible things which God does:

Therefore, Job arrives at this conclusion, that for man, “The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom and to depart from evil is understanding.”

This is indeed at once our confidence and our comfort. “God understandeth.” The things that perplex us do not perplex Him. The mysteries by which we are surrounded, are no mystery to Him.

There is more for the Truth than “God understandeth.” He also knows our frame. “He remembereth that we are but dust.”

God Laughs. What Do You Think God Laughs About?

The things that are going on today in the national and international scene!

Psa 2:4, “He that sitteth in the Heaven shall laugh.” This is an arresting statement. Thrice only in the Bible is laughter predicted of God. Here in Psalm 2:4 and in two other Psalms. Psa 37:13, “The Lord shall laugh at him, for He seeth that his day is coming.” Psa 59:8, “But Thou, O Lord, shall laugh. Thou shall have all the heathen in derision.”

In each case it is the laughter of derision, of contempt, and in each case it is the expression of contempt for those who in foolish pride oppose themselves to Him and to the purposes of His love for men.

He laughs at the kings and rulers who oppose themselves to the King He has appointed to bring blessedness to the sons of men. He laughs at the wicked who plotteth against the just. He laughs at blood-thirsty men.

This derisive laughter of God is a comfort of all those who love righteousness. It is the laughter of the might of holiness, righteousness, and justice. It is the laughter of the strength of love.

God does not exult over the sufferings of sinning men. He does not hold in derision all the proud boastings and violence of such as seek to prevent His will for the blessing of humanity through the establishment of righteousness.

There is no note in the music of this song of the coronation of the Son of God more full of comfort than this that tells us the contempt of God for those who covenant together to revolt against His government.

His laughter is reinforced by the speaking of His wrath and the vexing of His displeasures. Yet this Hebrew singer knew the deepest things of his God.

For the last of the song is an appeal to kings and judges to yield themselves to the ordained authority and so to find the blessedness of those who put their trust in the Anointed Son.

Psa 35:3, “Say Unto My Soul, I Am Thy Salvation”

This Psalm in its entirety is an appeal for help in the midst of circumstances of cruel and unjust persecution. The sense of wrong is most keen from beginning to end. Those who are causing his sufferings had not only no cause to do so, but their action was that of base ingratitude. The psalmist’s sense of wrong found expression in the prayer to God to visit the evil doers with summary and complete vengeance.

These particular words, found early in the song, constitute a clear revelation of the state of the mind of the singer. So trying were his circumstances, so poignant the pain, that he was at least in danger of losing his assurance in God. Therefore, the plea that God would give him the inward sense of certainty, “Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.”

It was a request for a renewal of strength of the inner communion with God, which is ever the secret of strength in days of turmoil and of sorrow. How often we are driven to call out to the Lord like this. It is the reasonable cry of faith, and it is safe to say that it is always answered, when the pressure of circumstances is such as to create the sense of weakness to such an extent we feel in danger of collapse.

Then we need some reinforcement within, stronger than the pressure from without and that is ever to be found in communion.

Tuesday, October 24, 2000

Exodus 24:11, “They Beheld God and Did Eat and Drink”

Verses 9-11 give us an account of a most wonderful event in the giving of the law. 74 men were gathered together around the manifested presence of God and in that presence, “they did eat and drink.” No description is given of the form of which the manifestation took.

The declaration that they saw God is interesting. We know that as far as the material sense of sight is concerned, “no man hath seen God at any time.” How then can we explain this statement?

It is important that we should remember that two different Hebrew words are used in this story to describe the experience. The word “saw” in verse 10 is the common word for seeing, but the word for “beheld” in verse 11, is mental perception, or discernment. These men, in an exalted moment of communion, were given a sensible vision of the glory through which they rose to a spiritual vision of God. It was a great experience and the supreme wonder was that in such an hour, “They did eat and drink,” that is, they lived their natural lives in all fullness. Full-time Christian service.

Eating and drinking at the height of a  spiritual experience – Lasagna on the lawn!

There Must First be a Willing Mind!

Ex 25:2, “Of every man whose heart maketh him willing, ye shall take my offering.”

An abiding principle is revealed in these words. It is that the one value to God of gifts presented to Him by His people. Is that of the willingness of the mind which prompts them. All the materials for the building of the tabernacle were to be supplied by the people themselves. That was not because God could not have provided everything in some other way. Paul at Athens said that “God is not served by men’s hands, as if He needeth anything.” Nevertheless, he asks men to provide the necessary materials, but lays down the one condition that their offerings must come out of their willing minds.

When that is so, the simplest gift becomes of real value to Him, for it is the symbol of loyalty and devotion. And this Truth finds a most explicit statement in the New Testament. ”Let each man do according as he has purposed in his mind, not grudgingly nor of necessity, for God loveth a cheerful giver,” 2 Cor 9:7.

What isn’t freely given, isn't worth having.

It is a healthy exercise to test one’s gifts by this standard.

Lev 4:2, “If Anyone Shall Sin Unwittingly”

These words recognize an aspect of sin of which we are in danger of thinking too lightly. Because “God is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity.” This aspect of sin demands cleansing, while willful sin needs forgiveness.

Nothing is more clearly stamped upon these pages of Leviticus than the fact that sin must not be lightly treated. The Lord is the God of holiness and can make no terms with sin. But He is also the God of Grace who provides a perfect redemption for the sinner. In Christ, the promise was fulfilled and need met.

When it comes to known sins, “If we confess our sins (the ones we know to confess), He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins.” ”And to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” – the ones we don’t know.

Known sins confessed and forgiven causes the unknown sins to be cleansed.

2 Kings 4:44, “According to the Word of the Lord”

In this chapter we have four instances in the ministry of Elisha in which we see him carrying on his work among the people.

1. His provision for the need of the widow, whose creditors where threatening her.
2. His kindness to the Shunammite woman who had shown him hospitality.
3. His healing of the pottage at Gilgal.
4. And his feeding of a hundred men with 20 loaves.

The words we have taken are connected with the last of these incidents, and primarily have reference to it alone. But they apply with equal force to all the rest.

The ministry of this man was wholly a ministry of the Word of God. He had no other burden. Everything he did was in obedience to the Word of God and interpretation of it in the life of the nation.

By all this activity, he was demonstrating to those who had the spiritual capacity to apprehend, how good and beneficent were the thoughts and intentions of the Lord concerning His people.

At this time, Elisha was at the head of the prophetic schools, and as he journeyed from place to place, he was known as the messenger of God. His deeds were expositions of his message. His life was that of utmost simplicity. Yet his life was full of dignity.

A ministry according to the Word of God, interpreting the will of God, and illustrating it by deeds of goodness, is independent of all except the simplest ways of life, but it is ever full of sublime influence.

Ex 33:15, “If Thy Presence Go Not With Me, Carry Us Not Up Hence”

These words were the answer of Moses to the promise of the Lord. This is how he claimed the promise. The whole story is full of light. It is the account of a very intimate and wonderful communion between God and His servant.

Ex 33:11, “The Lord spoke unto Moses face-to-face as a man speaketh unto his friend.” And in that holy atmosphere of sacred intimacy, Moses was able to say all that was in his heart. All the sin of the people was on his heart. And about that he talked to God.

Realizing his responsibility as a leader of the people, he first pleaded for a fuller knowledge of the ways of God and of God Himself. To this plea, the gracious promise was returned. “My presence shall go with thee and I will give thee rest.” The very relief that that promise brought to his heart set forth this grand outburst. ”If Thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.”

He knew that no substitute could take place of the presence of God. And he recognized that it would be better for them all to perish in the wilderness than attempt to possess the Promised Land without that presence.

This is a great Truth. The very gifts of God are liable to curse us if we lose fellowship with the Giver. We may make the land of plenty, but the occasion of our poverty if we enter it without the Lord.

“But” – It is Where You Put Your But!

2 Kings 11:1-2, “She arose and destroyed all the seed royal, but …”

The significant word here is the “but.” It marks the futility of evil in the campaign against the plan and purposes of God.

Athaliah was the sister of Ahab and was of his corrupt nature and strong personality. When Jehu slew Ahaziah, she seized the throne, and made it sure by killing, as she thought, all the seed royal. For six years she swayed the scepter of her terrible power over the kingdom of Judah.

”But” – and there is always a “but.”

In the day when she was securing her position by slaying the seed royal, her own daughter, moved either by compassion for the baby Joash or by some higher motive, took the child and hid it and for six years nursed and cared for the young life within the temple precincts.

The evil always breaks down. It is extremely clever and it calculates on all the changes and seems to leave no unguarded place. But with unvarying regularity, it fails somewhere to cover up its tracks, or to ensure its victory.

God finds His forward highway in the compassion of a woman’s heart in some perfectly simple and natural circumstance. And thus the continuity and ultimate realization of His purpose is insured.

Similar in the case of Moses … “But the Lord ...”

Stop Giving! Stop Tithing!

Ex 36:6, “So the people were restrained from bringing.”

This is a wonderful chapter in its revelation of how these people were moved to high and holy things at this time. It is almost impossible to read these particular words without a sense of surprise. So rarely has it happened that it has been necessary in the case of work for the Lord to restrain His people from giving. And yet this is the natural result of those inspirations that are found in a previous verse.

Ex 35:22, “Every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, brought the Lord’s offering.”

When the mind is truly stirred and the Spirit makes willing, giving is robbed of all meanness and it ceases to be calculating. Nothing is too precious to be given and no amount is too great. Everything is poured out in glad and generous abandonment. And when this is so, the work of God never languishes for lack of means. All this is a matter for serious thought in our day.

When was the last time you heard a preacher say, “Stop giving,” “Stop tithing?” Most of the time you hear of a “double dip,” or “If you don’t tithe, God won’t bless you.”

In the work of the Lord, how it is that the hearts of Christians are ever devoid of the stirring which produces such giving? Why is it that there is ever unwillingness to bring our offerings to God? It is not always, because for some cause the vision of the glory of the work is dim? Why has the vision become dim? Can they be found in the Words of Jesus Christ in the parable of the kingdom. “Persecution.” “Tribulation.” “The care of the age.” “The deceitfulness of riches,” Matt 13:21-22.

Most of you remember the Church we had in Houston. It was free and clear and we never took up an offering. It was a monument to the Grace of God.

2 Chr 33:13, “Then Manasseh Knew That the Lord, He Was God”

Then, when?

This is a wonderful chapter giving us the account of two men – Manasseh and Amon, father and son. Both of them followed the way of wickedness. But one under discipline confessed his sin and was forgiven, while the other ”humbled not himself” and was cut off without remedy, like the two thieves on the Cross.

The confession of Manasseh was evidently the chief subject in the mind of the chronicler and that because the action of God afforded an unveiling of the Divine character. This is evident from these particular words.

”Then Manasseh knew that the Lord, He was God.” The “then” refers to the account of the Divine forgiveness and restoration in response to confession. It is a picture full of light and beauty in the midst of prevailing darkness. This of the readiness of the Lord to forgive and pardon.

The sins of Manasseh are faithfully described and revealed in their hideousness, but this is the background flinging up into clearer relief the ready and gracious attitude of the Lord to a confessing soul.

Monday, October 23, 2000

Inspiration!

The book of Jeremiah throws much light on the subject of inspiration. It is a helpful study to take your Bible and beginning with the first verse, to mark all the expressions which assert or imply that God spoke by Jeremiah, such as:
”Thus saith the Lord.” “The Lord said unto me.” “The Word of the Lord came.”

Such expressions occur some times a dozen times in one chapter, and in them Jeremiah unhesitatingly claims inspiration.

”God, who in sundry times and divers manners, spake in time past unto the fathers, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son,” Heb 1:1.

Lamentations!

The Message of 1st and 2nd Corinthians is Christ!

1. Christ crucified, 1 Cor 1:13-24
   
2. Determined to know nothing among them but Christ, 1 Cor 2:2
   
3. Christ the only Foundation, 1 Cor 3:11
   
4. Christ our Passover sacrificed for us, 1 Cor 5:7
   
5. Christ our Smitten Rock, 1 Cor 10:4
   
6. One Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Cor 8:6
   
7. The blood of the New Covenant, 1 Cor 10:16, 1 Cor 11:25
   
8. He died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 1 Cor 15:3
   
9. We preach Christ the Lord, 2 Cor 4:5
   
10. Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus Christ, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested, 2 Cor 6:10-11
    
11. Christ died for all, 2 Cor 5:15
    
12. “He was made sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him,” 2 Cor 5:21

It seems like Paul’s emphasis is Christ.

Jeremiah’s Questions Answered in the New Testament

1. Jer 5:7, “How shall I pardon thee?” Eph 1:7
   
2. Jer 3:19, “How shall I put thee among the children”” John 1:12
   
3. Jer 8:22, “Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there?” Matt 9:12
   
4. Jer 13:23, “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots?” Acts 8:37, 2 Pet 3:14
   
5. Jer 12:5, “How will thou do in the swelling of the Jordan?” 1 Cor 15:55-57
   
6. Jer 13:2, “Where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock?” Col 1:28, Heb  13:17
   

   

Christ in Colossians!

1. Christ is the image of the invisible God, the Son of His love. Col 1:13
   
2. Christ is the Abode of God’s fullness. Col 1:15, 19,  2:3, 9
   
3. Christ is the Sovereign Creator of the universe. Col 1:16-17
   
4. Christ is from all eternity and has all pre-eminence. Col 1:17
   
5. Christ is the Reconciler of the universe through His Cross. Col 1:20-22, 2:14
   
6. He is the Head of all principalities and powers. Col 2:10, 15
   
7. He is the Head of the body, the Church. Col 1:18, 24,  2:19, 3:4
   
8. He is all in all. Col 3:1

The Church’s position is united to Christ and is complete in Him, dead, buried, and risen with Him. Therefore, she is to put off the old and put on the new. Col 1:27, 2:10, 3:1-10

What Timothy Faced We Are Facing Going into the 21st Century

Timothy, young and sensitive, is exhorted to endure hardness and fight the good fight of faith and to be an example to the believers.

1. A pure Gospel – Paul emphasized the need of sound Doctrine. The false teachers of the first century, which Timothy was exhorted to arrest, bear a close resemblance to that of the 21^st century.
   
2. A pure worship – Teaching with regard to prayer, etc.
   
3. A faithful ministry – The supreme duty of the devotion to the Lord’s service with an unqualified promise. 1 Tim 4:16
   
4. The importance and authority of the Scriptures – 1 Tim 6:3, 2 Tim 3:15-17, 2 Tim 4:1-4
   

   

Christ in Timothy!

1. Christ our Saviour – 1 Tim 1:15, 2:3,  4:10
   
2. Christ our Mediator – 1 Tim 2:5
   
3. Christ our Ransom – 1 Tim 3:6
   
4. Christ our Teacher – 1 Tim 6:3
   
5. Christ our King – 1 Tim 6:15
   
6. Christ our Captain – 2 Tim 2:3
   

   

The Epistle of Joy

The Word “joy” or “rejoice” occurs 16 times in the book of Philippians. And throughout it is rejoicing in tribulation.

Thus, Paul had rejoiced in prison at Philippi, when at midnight with bleeding backs, he and Silas sang praises.
Thus, he rejoiced now chained to a roman soldier, for his very bonds furthered the spread of the Gospel.
Thus, he exhorted his beloved Philippian converts to rejoice because they were allowed to suffer for Christ. Phil 1:29

He rejoiced in his converts – his joy and crown. Phil 4:1
In their growth. Phil 1:3-6
Again in their ministering to his needs even in Rome. Phil 4:10-19

Above all, he rejoiced in Christ. Phil 4:4

Ephesians and the Emphasis on Heaven and Heavenly Places!!

1. The heavenly places of blessing – Eph 1:3
   Notice the words “all” and “in Christ, the inheritance of the church,” Eph 1:11. “The Church, the inheritance of Christ.” Eph 1:18
   
2. The heavenly place of power. Eph 1:19-20
   The same power of God which raised Christ from the dead is to work in the believer.
   
3. The heavenly place of rest. Eph 2:6
   In Christ we enter our heavenly Canaan here below.
   
4. The heavenly place of manifestation. Eph 3:10
   The Church is to manifest Christ, His riches, His wisdom, His love, unity, and fullness.
   
5. The heavenly place of victory. Eph 6:12
   The wiles of the devil, Eph 6:11. The enmity of the prince of the power of the air. Eph 2:2, is as we might expect manifested in this epistle and is provided for us in Christian armour.
   

   

The Power of Christ’s Cross!!!

1. The power of Christ’s Cross to deliver from sin – Gal 1:4, 2:21, 3:22
   
2. The power of Christ’s Cross to deliver from the curse of the law – Gal 3:13
   
3. The power of Christ’s Cross from the self-life – Gal 2:20, 5:24
   
4. The power of Christ’s Cross to deliver from the world – Gal 6:14
   
5. The power of Christ’s Cross in the new birth – Gal 4:4-7
   
6. The power of Christ’s Cross in receiving the Spirit – Gal 3:14
   
7. The power of Christ’s Cross in bringing forth the Spirit’s fruit – Gal 5:22-23
   

   

The Fellowship Which is Full of Joy in 1 John Rests on Salvation Through the Atoning Work of the Lord Jesus Christ

1 John 1:7, 9; 2:1, 2, 12; 3:5, 16; 4:9, 10, 14; 5:11-13

It is received by faith – 1 John 3:23, 5:1, 13. And this faith results in:

    the new birth – 1 John 2:29, 3:1, 2, 9, 4:7, 5:1

    forgiveness of sins – 1 John 1:7, 9, 11, 12

    deliverance from the power of sin – 1 John 1:6; 2:1, 6; 3:3, 5, 6, 9; 5:18

    deliverance from the love of the world – 1 John 3:15, 5:4, 5

    victory over the devil – 1 John 2:13, 14, 3:8, 4:4

    keeping His commandments – 1 John 2:3-8, 5:2-3

    love of the brethren – 1 John 2:9-11; 3:10-19, 23; 4:7, 8, 11, 12, 20, 21

    the fullness of the Holy Spirit – 1 John 2:20, 27; 3:24; 4:2, 13; 5:6

    Divine enlightenment and knowledge  by which we may know Truth from error. 1 John 2:20, 21, 27; 4:1-3, 6; 5:20

    answering prayer – 1 John 3:21-22, 5:14-16

The Key Word in the Book of John is “Believe” – PISTEUO

John wrote his Gospel, “In order that men might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing, they might have life through His Name,” John 20:31

But he wrote his epistle, First John, to believers in order that those “who believed in Christ might know they have eternal life,” verses 9-13

Consequently we have the word “believe” running through and characterizing his Gospel. And in 1 John, we have the word “know” – OIDA – running through this epistle

John gives the evidence of his own knowledge that he has heard and seen and handled the word of life, Jesus Christ.

He seeks to bring his hearers into intimate knowledge and “fellowship” with the Father and with the Son, that their joy may be full. 1 John 1:3-4, 7, 2:13-14

Loyalty!

“Is thine heart right? said Jehu to Jehonadab, the son of Rechab.”
”Is thine heart right, as my heart is with thy heart?” Jehonadab answered “It is.” “If it be, give me thine hand. And he gave him his hand and he took him up with him into his chariot.”

Our King sees us toiling along life’s journey and He put to us this question, ”Is thy heart right towards Me?” “Lovest thou Me more than these?” If we can reply “It is.” “Thou knowest Lord that I love thee.” Our King, as it were, stretches out His hand and draws us up and seats us with Himself in heavenly places and makes us ride in the chariot of His power.

”The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole Earth, to show himself strong on the behalf of those whose heart is perfect to toward Him.”

Sunday, October 22, 2000

The Bridegroom and the Bride!

S.O.S. 2:16, “My beloved is mine and I am his.”
Here the chief thought is that of her possession. He is mine for he has given himself for me.
”Husbands love you wife as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for it,” Eph 5:25
Second thought – ”I am his” – for he has given himself for me.

S.O.S 6:3, ”I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.”
Here the thought of his ownership of her holds the chief place.

S.O.S. 6:10, ”I am my beloved’s and his desire is toward me.”
Here his ownership swallows up every other thought.

In these three verses we have the double thought which is given us in the first chapter of the epistle to the Ephesians, Christ the inheritance of the Church.

Verse 11, “In Whom also we have obtained an inheritance.”

Verse 18, “The riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.”

Saturday, October 21, 2000

Eph 5:1, “Be ye therefore followers of God as dear children.”

The word ”followers” is ”imitators” and the word ”dear children” is “beloved.”

1. As members of the family of God, we should bear the family resemblance. Gal 3:26, 1 John 1:1
   
2. Jesus Christ as God is the manifested Person of the Trinity, John 1:18, 6:46, 1 Tim 6:16, 1 John 4:12. Jesus Christ as humanity set the pattern for the filling of the Holy Spirit, in His humanity Jesus Christ was the most perfectly adjusted Person. Luke 2:40, 52.
   
3. Believers are commanded to become imitators of the manifest Person of the Godhead, Jesus Christ. Eph 5:1, Gal 4:19
   
4. The Greek word translated “followers” is actually “imitators.”
   
5. This command can only be executed by the filling of the Holy Spirit. Gal 3:16-17, Phil 1:20-21
   
6. This is compatible with the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the Church Age. John 7:39, 16:14, 1 Cor 6:19-20
   
7. The filling of the Holy Spirit produces the character of Jesus Christ. Gal 5:22-23, 2 Cor 3:3
   
8. This fulfills the command of Eph 5:1 “imitators.”
   

Imputation!

1. Definition: the act of God whereby He credits perfect righteousness to the believer in Christ.
   
2. 2 Cor 3-4. Shows that every believer is a minister, or has the responsibility of witnessing for the Lord Jesus Christ.
   
3. 2 Cor 5:21 – is a summary of salvation. “God the Father made God the Son to be sin on our behalf, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” On the Cross, Jesus Christ died spiritually, for us,  before He died physically.
   
4. In salvation, our sins are blotted out and we have eternal life, and credited to our account is perfect righteousness.

That is what happened to Abraham.
Gen 15:6, “Abraham believed in God and He counted unto Him for righteousness.”

The History of Civilization as Related to the Word of God

1. The Divine interpretation of history is set forth in the Word of God. The Bible gives the mind of Christ in regard to the ups and downs of civilizations.
   
2. According to the Bible, when there is a saturation of the Word of God in any one generation or period of history, there is prosperity and blessing from God.
   Examples:
   The period from 516 B.C. – 420 B.C. 
   The period from 400 B.C. to 323 B.C. 
   Also the time of the great Antonine Caesars  96.A.D. to 180 A.D. 
   Great Britain became great because of her adherence to the Word of God. When the Word of God was forsaken, down went the nation. Likewise, the United States of America.
   
3. History proves that God established four Divine Institutions for both believers and unbelievers for modus operandi in the devil’s world. The Divine Institutions are free will, marriage, family, and the national entity. Found in Genesis chapter 2 to 11.
   
4. God in history operates through different administrations, or dispensations. Eph 3:1-10
   A. Gentiles – Gen 1-11
   B. Jews – Gen 12 to the Gospels
   C. Church – epistles and Acts
   D. Kingdom – Millennium, Rev 20, Isa 65
   
5. History proves we learn nothing from history.
   A. Nations forget their adherence to the Word of God, which is the answer to stability.
   B. Nations forget that a strong military is the answer to stability from animal-like aggression.
   
6. Much history can be gleaned from an intense study of the battles and battle fields of bygone decades and centuries.
   

The Revelation of the Essence of Jesus Christ

1. Sovereignty – Eph 3:11 with John 5:20. The fact that He was revealed shows sovereignty.
   
2. Righteousness – Rom 3:24-25. Declared His righteousness.
   
3. Justice – Luke 23:39-43. The thieves on the Cross. He is just to forgive and just to condemn.
   
4. Love – John 15:13. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
   
5. Eternal life – John 8:58. “Before Abraham was, I am.”
   
6. Omniscience – Matt 26:34. He knew that Peter would deny Him.
   
7. Omnipresence – John 3:13. He was in Heaven and talking to Nicodemus.
   
8. Omnipotence – Matt 8:27. “Even the winds and the sea obeyed Him.”
   
9. Immutability – Heb 13:8. “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
   
10. Veracity – John 14:6. “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one cometh unto the Father but by Me.”
    

Friday, October 20, 2000

Eph 4:17, “This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind.”

1. Thinking as an unbeliever is human viewpoint.
   
2. It starts in the mind. The believer thinks as an unbeliever and the thought pattern of the carnal believer produces the behavior pattern of the unbeliever.
   
3. Christianity emphasizes what is on the inside, what motivates the believer. Prov 23:7
   
4. The walk of the unbeliever is vanity and emptiness of Divine Viewpoint.
   
5. The believer thinks as an unbeliever because he is minus the Word of God.
   

Ignorance of the Word of God

Eph 4:18, “Having the understanding darkened. Being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their mind.”

1. The ignorant believer keeps on being ignorant of the supernatural Christian way of life. Believers do not live the Christian way of life because they are minus the Word of God, which include the promises and the techniques and dispensations.
   
2. The believer receives (passive voice) darkness by catering to human viewpoint.
   
3. Principle: When you do not know the Word of God, you are alienated from God’s life even though you are born again and have eternal life. You fail to live the Christian way of life.
   
4. Believers minus the Word of God operate on tradition, emotions, and rationalism.

”My thoughts are not your thoughts, said the Lord. My thoughts are higher than your thoughts.”

Moral Apathy or Making a Vocation of Lasciviousness – Uncontrolled Lust

 Eph 4:19, “Who being past feeling, have given themselves over unto lasciviousness to work all uncleanness with greediness.”

1. The carnal believer is calloused to the Word of God and betrays himself  to unbridled lust and lasciviousness and dotes on the details of life. Power, prominence. Callousness takes place and then vocation, lasciviousness.
   
2. When the believer is minus the Word of God and looks at life from the human viewpoint. He is in status quo moral apathy. He has no concern for others and an example is not helping our country when it is fighting for its freedom.
   
3. “Past feeling,” verse 19, is an idiom for callousness or insensibility to moral issues. And as a result, they have given themselves over to lasciviousness. Resulting in:
   1. Darkness
   2. Alienation
   3. Callousness

Same pattern as in Rom 1:1-31.

Eph 4:20, 21 – Ignoring Bible Teaching

1. The believer does not learn this negative attitude from our Lord.
   
2. The order of learning the Word of God, hearing, and teaching, verse 21
   
3. Negative volition to the Word of God leads to negative volition to Bible teaching.
   
4. Why, having started with Divine Viewpoint (believer), accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour have you reverted to human viewpoint – the principle of believers  rejecting the Word of God. 1 Cor 2:16
   

Eph 4:22-24 – The Activity of the Old Sin Nature

1.  Negative command, verse 22
   ”That” ... A purpose clause indicating to stop. Stop grieving the Holy Spirit.
   
2. The old sin nature is in a constant state of corruption. And believers can only “put it off” by confession of sin, 1 John 1:9, and the result of the control of God the Holy Spirit. Gal 5:22-23
   
3. You put off the old sin nature as you would put off soiled clothes. The standard or criterion of your ways, are not to be those of the sin nature either in the area of human good or sin.
   

Eph 4:23  – A Positive Command

1. “Be renovated inwardly” – present tense, passive voice, imperative mood.
   ”In the breathing of your mind” – present tense, continually, passive voice is the voice of Grace and you receive the renovation, and the imperative mood is a command or an order  from God.
   
2. This refers to the inhale and exhale of the Word of God according to the principle of growing in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, 2 Pet 3:18.
   
3. Principle: The Christian way of life starts on the inside – “As a man thinketh in his mind so is he.”

”Guard your mind with all diligence for out of it come the issues of life.”

Second Positive Command – Eph 4:24

1. “Put on” – present tense, imperative mood, constantly it is a command. The new man which by the standard of God is created. Aorist tense is in a point of time and it is a particle which means it precedes the main verb. ”In righteousness and true holiness.”
   
2. You, as a believer, are a “new man” – new in position, new creature in Christ. 2 Cor 5:17 and should have a desire to put on the new nature.
   You must be a new creature, born again, before the operation of the new man begins.
   
3. Absolute righteousness and true holiness refers to our position in Christ, separated unto God.
   
4. “Is created” – passive voice, you receive it. The new man receives this quality – righteousness and holiness. And this is created in the believer through growing in Grace, heading toward maturity.

The passive voice is the voice of Grace which means you don’t earn, work, or deserve it. You simply receive it.

Eph 4:25 – By False Doctrine or Lying

1. When the believer has an empty mind, it forms a vacuum and fills up with false Doctrine.
   
2. “Lying” is literally, “the lie,” or falsehood which is a perversion of the Word of God.
   
3. “Putting away” – aorist tense in the point of time. Middle voice is reflexive, and the believer benefits from this action.
   
4. Then by contrast “speak Truth.”
   

Eph 4:27 – Giving Submission to Satan, Giving Him Room

1. In developing growth into maturity, one does not give room to the devil.
   
2. Satan cannot indwell a believer, but he can influence him. Satan indwelt Judas, but he influenced Peter.
   
3. Satan gains room or a place when we go legalistic and religious, operate on human good and being out of fellowship.
   
4. Ignorance of the Word of God makes the believer vulnerable to the devil’s wiles. The believer should understand the Cross and know the difference between eternal security and temporal fellowship. He should know the essence of God and the essence of the old sin nature.
   

The Sins of the Tongue – Eph 4:29

“Every word that is corrupt out of your mouth let it not proceed (flow out), but that which is good to the use of building up that it may give (minister) present Grace to the hearers.”

1. Instead of the sins of the tongue, edify and build up.
   

2. “Good” that is intrinsically good, Divine Good, the Divine Viewpoint of life. We are to pass Grace on to others by the use of the tongue.
   

3. “Corrupt” means bad, rotten.
   

4. Most believers today try to minimize the sins of the tongue and of the mind, and build on sins of an overt nature.

Verse 30 – the ten grievances in Eph 4 can be put into three groups: 1. The sins of the mental attitude. 2. The sins of motivation. 3. And the sins of the behavior pattern.

Verse 31, the result of grieving the Spirit.

Verse 32, the result of the filling of the Spirit.

The worst sins listed in he Bible are mental attitude sins, sins of the tongue, and one overt – murder. The Bible says murder is a sin.

Eph 4:26 – The Incorrect Use of Anger

1. “Be ye angry” – Greek word ORGE present tense is continuous, middle voice which is reflexive, and is to the believers’ benefit. Imperative mood is a command. “And sin not.”
   ORGE is used here as an anger against false Doctrine. Have discernment minus the mental attitude sins. Don’t get out of fellowship when you think of false Doctrine.
   
2. “Wrath” is the Greek word PARAGISMOS. This involves the emotion and it is forbidden. “Sin not” – the believer does not resent the person, only the false Doctrine.
   
3. “Let not” – present, active, imperative. Here we have the active voice instead of the passive because the subject produces the action of the verb.

Make it your business to live each day one day at a time. The principle of verse 26, righteous indignation, can be good, however the improper use of anger is sinful and grieves God the Holy Spirit.

Eph 4:28 – Dishonesty in Business

1. “Stop stealing now.” Paul is saying you are in the process of stealing, so stop it now. Present tense, active voice, imperative mood. Active voice – you do it, present tense – now, imperative mood – a command.
   
2. In place of stealing engage in legitimate business practices. The believer has the right to make a living, to labor and work hard.
   
3. “That he may give” – the believer also has a responsibility to give to others in need.
   
4. The believer in business is in full-time Christian service just as much as any minister or missionary. Dishonesty neutralizes this portion of our Christian duty, therefore, grieves the Holy Spirit.
   

Thursday, October 19, 2000

The Foolishness of God and the Weakness of God!

1 Cor 1:25, “Because the foolishness of God is wiser than man; and the weakness of God is stronger than man.”

1. The foolishness of God. The word is “MOROS,” i.e., human I.Q.
   
   A. Human I.Q. assigns foolishness to God. Rationalism and empiricism always discredit God or the Word of God in one way or another.
   
   B. Thus, human perspicacity can only blaspheme God by assigning to Him words like
   MOROS.
   
   C. God appears foolish to human viewpoint and that is why human I.Q. assigns
   foolishness to God.
   
   D. This is why Paul picks up unbeliever’s words to make a sarcastic comparative, “sanctified sarcasm.”
       1. God and the plan of God are perfect.
       2. Man and his plans are imperfect and sinful.
       3. Man distorts Truth by contending that God is foolish.
       4. Paul reverses the distortion by stating the absolute.
       5. The foolishness which man assigns to God is wiser than the wisdom of man.
       6. Greeks, in their rationalism, regard the Cross as foolishness, but the foolishness of God is wiser than the genius of man.
   

The Weakness of God!

1 Cor 1:25, “And the weakness of God is stronger than man.”

1. The weakness of God. The word is “ASTHENES.”
   A. The Greek ASTHENES means feeble, without energy, power, or human strength.
   B. This is the blasphemous assumption of theological empiricism where Jews want miracles from God and systems of works from man.
   C. God didn’t meet the demands of their seared conscience causing the Jews to assign the characteristic of weakness to God. They assigned to Him weakness from their frame of reference and human I.Q.
   D. They regarded the Cross as a sign of weakness because Jesus Christ didn’t come down.
   E. Such human viewpoint and conclusion of human I.Q. is empiricism.
   F. God’s plan of Grace demands that Jesus Christ stay on the Cross and be judged for the sins of the world. Human viewpoint, empiricism, demanded that He come off the Cross. Therefore, the phrase used by Paul is a common phrase ascribed to the fact that Jesus Christ didn’t obey the Jews.
   

There are Three Heavens!

1. There are three heavens. 2 Cor 12:1-3 – If there is a “third” Heaven, there must be two others, the first and the second.
   
2. First heaven.
   The atmosphere around us – probably up to 90 or 100 miles out. Gravity may be the boundary, often mentioned.
   
3. Second heaven.
   The abode of angels, including the galaxies, the stars, and planets. Billions and billions of light years of space with millions of celestial bodies moving at rapid rates of speed.
   Isa 14:13 and other passages. You come to the conclusion by a close study of the category of stars, or stars refer to angels and the abode of angels.
   
4. The Third Heaven.
   The presence of God, the throne room. Billions and billions of light years away where Jesus Christ is right now. Heb 9:4. It is called the Heaven of heavens.
   Deut 10:14. Angels are also in the Third Heaven. At this time Satan has access into the Third Heaven where God the father abides. Job 1 and 2.
   Satan will not have that access after the middle of the Tribulation. Compare Rev 9:1. “Star” refers to Satan with Rev 12:3-4.
   
5. Satan was the Cherub who guarded the throne and when he fell, he influenced a number of the angels – probably one third. Ezek 28:14
   ”Thou art the anointed” (i.e., Messianic) cherub (angel) (highest rank) “that covereth,” literally that guards, the Holy mountain of God.”
   Rev 12:4 refers to the third part of the stars (angels) of Heaven included with this, the angelic conflict and the five I wills of Satan.
   
6. Now, Satan goes up to the throne room on those occasions when the angels assemble, Rev 21:10, Job 1 and 2, Zech 3. At other times he is in the second heaven or on Earth. He apparently communicates all over, fulfilling his rulership of the Earth.
   

A Glimpse at the Beauty of the Hebrew Language

Using the verb “to kill,” the following Hebrew stems are standard:

1. Qal stem. Active voice, indicative mood, declarative: “kills”
   
2. Niphal stem. Passive voice, declarative: “was killed”
   
3. Hithpael stem. Reflexive, middle, like the Greek, declarative: “suicide.” He killed himself.
   
4. Piel stem. Intensive, active: “he kills violently”
   
5. Pual stem. Intensive, passive: “was killed violently”
   
6. Hiphil stem. Intensive, causative, active: “to cause to kill”
   
7. Hophal stem. Intensive, causative, passive: “caused to be killed”

The believer should be familiar with both the Greek and the Hebrew alphabet and basic grammar because knowing the original languages are the basis for accurate Bible teaching.

Eph 4:17-23 – A Key Verse

“This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;”

1. Verse 17 – as a believer, don’t walk as an unbeliever.
   
2. Verse 18 – A believer can walk in darkness and blindness, just like an unbeliever.
   
3. Verse 19 – Such a walk as a believer causes calluses on the soul.
   
4. Verse 20 – Believers wake up. Don’t act like an unbeliever.
   
5. Verse 22 – Be restored back to fellowship, the first solution is 1 John 1:9.
   
6. Verse 23 – Soul breathing, the second solution.
   
7. Verse 24 – Be edified toward maturity by growth, the third solution.
   

The Sealing Ministry of God the Holy Spirit

The sealing work of the Holy Spirit is the basis of our eternal security. Eph 4:30

Three phases of salvation are given in Eph 1:13

1. You must hear the Word of Truth.
   ”After that, ye have heard the Word of Truth.”
   
2. You must believe.
   ”In Whom also after that he believed.”
   
3. “You were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.”
   

The Sealing Ministry of God the Holy Spirit – Eph 4:30

1. A seal was used on invoices to authenticate them, to establish them as genuine.
   
2. A seal indicates ownership. We are in the plan of God. We belong to the Lord.
   
3. A seal ratifies, approves treaties and documents. The Holy Spirit ratifies the new covenant, i.e., salvation.
   
4. A seal is used to guarantee, preserve, and protect. The Holy Spirit is our guarantee of eternal security.
   

The Holy Spirit and the Doctrine of the Transition

1. Just as the Holy Spirit sustained the ministry of the humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ during His ministry, the Holy Spirit sustains the believers. John 14:12
   
2. Sustaining ministry depends upon the filling of the Holy Spirit. Eph 5:18 with 1 John 1:9
   
3. When the believer is filled with the Spirit, the character of Christ is formed in his life. Gal 4:19
   
4. Therefore, the transitional command:
   ”Put on the Lord Jesus Christ,” i.e., the filling of the Holy Spirit. Rom 13:14 accomplished by 1 John 1:9.
   

Pattern of Friendship!

In Jonathan we have a picture of Christ showing the love and friendship of our Heavenly Father.
”There is a Friend that sticketh closer than a brother.”

Jonathan, the king’s son, was not ashamed to own the shepherd lad as his friend.
”And Jesus Christ is not ashamed to call us His brethren.”

”The soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and he loved him as his own soul.”
”Jesus Christ, having loved His own which were in the world, loved them to the uttermost,” John 13:1

Jonathan made an everlasting covenant with David. 1 Sam 18:3, 20:15-16
”He stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.”
So Christ stripped Himself of His glory and He has covered us with the robe of His righteousness and He has armed us and girded us for the fight.

Jonathan strengthened David’s hands in God 1 Sam 23:16
And the Lord says to us “My strength is made perfect in weakness.”

The picture falls short, as all pictures do, of the glorious reality.

Jonathan at the risk of his own life, 1 Sam 20:33, sought to reconcile his father to David.
Christ laid down His life as “the propitiation for our sins,” 1 John 2:2

He is our Mediator and our Advocate with the Father and has made us sharers of His throne in glory.

The Speech of Ashdod

Nehemiah found that again the Jews had married among the heathen with the result that their children spoke half in the speech of Ashdod and half in the Jew’s language. God has distinctly commanded that Christians shall marry ”only in the Lord” and they shall not be ”unequally yoked together with unbelievers.”

When they disobey God’s distinct commands in this and marry those who are not Christians, it always brings sorrow. How often the argument is used that the Christian husband or wife will be able to win the loved one to the Lord.

But it is not to be expected that God will grant His blessing upon an act of disobedience. And the results that usually follow is that the Christian is drawn. It may be almost imperceptibly to love the things of the world and is found together with the children of such a marriage.

”Speaking half in the speech of Ashdod” and unable to speak as a citizen of Heaven. The Spirit of compromise with the world mars the testimony for Christ of many a house which ought to be a witness for Him.

Ask Solomon ... The children of darkness are wiser than the children of light.

Wednesday, October 18, 2000

There Are Three Categories of Illness!

1. Physiological:
   A physical illness, organic disease
   
   Psychosomatic:
   Mental illness
   
   Demon-induced illness:
   When demons possess unbelievers, they can produce certain kinds of diseases Also, Satan or demons are permitted by God at times to afflict believers’ health from the outside. No believer can be indwelt by a demon.
   

1. Satan was permitted, from the outside, to buffet Paul, with a thorn in the flesh type of disease or pain. 2 Cor 12:7
   
2. Satan was responsible for Job’s illnesses. Job 2:6-8. Permitted by God since Job is a believer.
   
3. Satan uses demons to produce diseases in individuals.
   A. Act 10:38, “And healing all who were oppressed of the devil” – these illnesses had as their source the devil.
   B. Luke 13:16, 10:17. The cause of this woman’s disease is demon possession. The doctors could not heal her because she was bound by Satan. Doctors today are baffled with demon-indwelling illness.
   
   But this is not a passage against doctors.
   There is two ways of getting well according to James 5. Prayer, here, is the spiritual aspect, praying for the individual.
   The anointing of oil is medical help, and this was doctoring in those days. See the parable of the Good Samaritan. Luke 10:30-37 – oil was used medically. Don’t read our modern year 2000 medicine picture into New Testament times. The Bible must be understood in the time in which it was written.
   
   Notice in cases where demon possession causes illness. The casting out of the demon cures the illness.
   
   This is termed “healing” Matt 10:1, Mark 1:32-34, 6:13, Act 8:7, 19:12.
   

When Someone Gets Well in a Miraculous Way, It Can be One of Four Sources

1. God is a Divine healer and the only Divine healer
   A. He heals sovereignly when He does it is on the basis of Grace and Who and What He is.
   B. God does not heal through a spiritual gift of healing. There is no spiritual gift of healing since the Canon of Scripture has been completed.
   C. There is no bona fide faith-healing operation on Earth. All are deceivers and frauds.
   D. When God heals directly He deals without:
       1. Oil.
       2. Handkerchief dipped in the Jordan or from some olive oil from the Holy Land.
       3. Without someone commanding God to heal.
       4. Without sending in your offering.
       5. Without some mumbo jumbo called tongues.
   E. When God heals, He heals on the basis of His character.
       1. People don’t get healing because they are worthy to be healed.
       2. People don’t get healed because they have faith. And the excuse when not healed is that you didn’t have faith or enough     faith.
       3. In every case where God heals, He does not depend on the faithfulness of the individual, the faith of the individual, or the work of the individual. It depends on the sovereignty of God, not human approbation. God does sovereignly at times heal people
       4. There is no healing in the atonement, as taught by some. Isa 53:5 in the Hebrew language, “By His stripes we are drawn together.”

So, the first of four reasons why people have a miraculous healing is that the healing is directly caused by God.

Grace and Gal 5:1-5

1. Warnings against entanglements. Gal 5:1
   
   A. “For freedom Christ has freed us once and for all, keep standing therefore and stop being entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”
   
   B. Christ has set us free to:
       1. Execute the Christian way of life
       2. Freed us from things which slow us down.
   
   C. Trying to keep the Mosaic Law can hinder us from executing the Christian way of life. We are not under the Mosiac law, but under the higher law produced by the filling of the spirit,” Gal 5:22-23
   
   D. We now how the power to honor the Lord Jesus Christ – the purpose for which He has left us here.
   
   E. Believers are to keep standing fast, verse 1b. Believers have everything.

They have a Grace means of growing to maturity.

The Futility of Salvation by Works, Gal 5:2-3

1. “Behold I (Paul) say to you, that if, (third class condition) you are circumcised, Christ is profitless. For I testify to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the entire law.”
   
2. Circumcision was an indication that a person would adhere to the Mosaic Law the rest of his life.
   If a person is going to be saved by a system of works, legalism, Christ is profitless.
   
3. This passage is concerned primarily with the Christian way of life. Works are not to produce spirituality. Works cannot produce salvation.
   Today circumcision is not an  issue in the Gentile world, but today it is “Believe and join a church,” “Believe and be baptized,” “Believe and forsake your sins,”  etc.
   Or, in the Christian way of life, it is “Confess your sins and feel sorry,” “Confess and vow never to do it again,” etc. It can be any work added to salvation or spirituality. A work added is an insult to the Cross of Christ.
   
4. The believer wants to return to the Mosaic Law as a way of life. he must accept the responsibility to do the entire law. Gal 5:3
   
5. Salvation is either”
   A. By man alone, and that is works
   B. By God and man, and that is works
   C. By God alone and that is faith and Grace
   
6. The Galatian believers have been taken in by legalism, and were trying to live under the Mosaic Law as their Christian way of life. Spirituality by works only puts a believer in a straight jacket.
   

Falling From Grace – Gal 5:4

1. “Christ is become, aorist tense, null and void to you, whoever of you are being vindicated by means of the law. You are fallen out of the sphere of Grace.”
   You are not operating on the basis of the Grace principle.
   
2. Salvation is in the sphere of grace. God provides for all our needs. Spirituality is also in the sphere of Grace. “Falling from Grace” refers to not using Grace, not utilizing it.
   For the unbeliever, it would keep him in status quo unbelief, because Grace and faith must be wed to be saved.
   For the believer to not use Grace would be to get out of fellowship.
   
3. Thus, a message like this does not refer to loss of salvation but “Falling from the sphere of Grace,” which means to operate outside the concept of Grace. When in doubt think Grace.
   

Summary of Our New Freedom or Grace – Gal 5:5

1. Our new freedom is not freedom to live it up, but to serve the Lord apart from the bondage of the old sin nature.
   
2. “For we, by means of the Holy Spirit, keep waiting for the hope which is righteousness by faith.”
   
3. “Hope of righteousness” is an appositional genitive, which means it is a hope which is experiential righteousness.
   
4. There is an experiential righteousness in the Christian way of life, produced by the Holy Spirit in believers by faith, and not by the Mosaic Law.

”If righteousness is come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”

Teddy Roosevelt was at one time Assistant Secretary of the Navy. I wonder what he would have thought if he heard the recent statement about the murder of our sailors from the State Department.

He said, “Murder is not debatable.”

Lest we forget …

Salvation and Marriage Come Under Similar Principles

In each we have a bridegroom and a bride.

As believers, we are the bride of Christ and we only become what we are really supposed to be when we are related to Him. We are bought with a price and we are no longer our own. We belong to someone else, and only become what we are supposed to be when we recognize “I am my Beloved’s and my Beloved is mine.”

When we are apart from Him, we are not really what we were designed to be. But are only a shell and not a real person. When we are married to the one the Lord has designed for us, then and then only do we really become what the Lord has for us in marriage. When we are apart, we are no longer what we were meant to be – just merely a shell and not the real person. It’s no good for man to be alone. And he is incomplete without his help-meet.

What is God Like?

1. Sovereign and He makes sovereign decisions.
   
   A. God has absolute authority over the universe and He has the right to do as He pleases. Psa 135:6
   
   B. Long before man became a sinner, God, in His sovereignty, made a decision, Eph 3:11, to treat man in Grace. Eph 2:8-9
   
   C. Even though God knew man would become sinful, God:
       1. Would still treat him in Grace. Rom 5:8
       2. Love the sinner even though he doesn’t deserve it.
       3. Still wanted to have fellowship with him.
       4. But Grace can only express itself in love and eternal life.

Love is the motivator of Grace.

What is God Like? Righteousness

1. A barrier stood in the way, so God’s absolute righteousness could not go through the Grace pipe to man.
   
2. God cannot have fellowship with unregenerate man who is not as good as God is. Rom 3:23
   
3. God’s absolute righteousness cannot have fellowship with man’s relative righteousness. Isa 59:2 Isa 64:6 – “filthy rags.”

What is God Like? Justice

1. God’s justice cannot go through to man because God’s justice demands a penalty for sin. Rom 6:23
   
2. The wages of sin is death, spiritual death, which is no fellowship with God.
   
3. Adam and Eve sinned and died spiritually, Rom 5:12. The human race is born spiritually dead because of imputed sin, therefore, incapable of having fellowship with God unless and until they accept the work of Jesus Christ on the Cross.

”He made Him to sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him,” 2 Cor 5:21

What is God Like? Love

1. Man does not deserve love from God. That is Grace.
   
2. God hates sin but loves the sinner. Rom 5:8
   
3. Man’s sin stood in the way of God’s love flowing through the Grace pipe to man.
   
4. God’s righteousness and justice were not satisfied yet.
   
5. In His love, God sent His Son to the Cross to die for the sins of the whole world. John 3:16, 1 John 2:2. Even for those who denied Him.
   

   

Tuesday, October 17, 2000

Genesis 6:1-2 – in the Antediluvian civilization, before the flood, there was a tremendous concentration of “fallen angels” and Satan made a great attempt to eliminate mankind. Gen 3:15 bothered Satan. One of his attempts to keep Jesus Christ from coming into the human race through a true human mother is recorded in Gen 6:1-6. This is Satan’s motive for the Genesis 6 infiltration into the human race.

Genesis 6:1-6

1. “Men” – homo sapiens
2. “Daughters” – apparently an excess of girls existed.
3. “Sons of God – BENI HA ELOHIM in the Hebrew language refers to “angels,” never to mankind. We find this verified for us in Job 1:6, Job 2:1, Job 387 and they use the same Hebrew word. These are fallen angels.
4. “Fair” – very beautiful
5. “Took” – angelic volition
6. “Wives” – plural. Most had more than one. This was the beginning of Satan’s plan. Marriage in the angelic realm was stopped after this, which was a judgment from God. And now angels are not married, nor given in marriage. Matt 22:30
7. Satan’s master plan to cut off the Cross was to infiltrate the human race with some angelic males finding human females and procreating, thereby developing a race that was not true homo sapiens.
8. Noah’s line remained true humanity, Gen 6:9, and the rest of the race was infiltrated by angels, which resulted in supermen. Hercules, Atlas, Caster, Pollox.
9. God’s reaction to Satan’s plot, Gen 6:3, “My Spirit,” the Holy Spirit. “Shall not always strive,” which is to make the Gospel clear to unbelievers who are spiritually dead. ”Flesh” – as long as man is alive he has a choice. This is the application of verse 3. Today man’s life span is a 120 years at most. Then they heard the Gospel for 120 years. For 120 years, the Holy Spirit was evangelizing through various people, Enoch, Methuseleh, and Noah.
10. The only people who accepted Christ were eight humans who remained true humanity and were in the ark starting a new civilization. Post-Diluvian.

What were the results of this infiltration?

Gen 6:1-6 – The Results of the Angelic Infiltration

Verse 4, “Giants” – NEPHALIM, literally, a fallen, corrupt ones.

”Mighty men” – heroes

”Men of renown” – supermen. This is the hero phase of Greek mythology.

Verse 5, “wickedness of men” – a concentration of wickedness along with the destruction of true humanity.

”His heart” – his mind. The mental attitude sins are the greatest source of wickedness. “As a man thinketh in his mind so is he.”

1. These fallen angels are in prison now. 
   Jude 6, 1 Pet 3:19-22. 2 Pet 2:4-5. 
   The angelic hell is called TARTARUS in the Greek. They are not operative now.
   
2. They continue to be in an angelic prison until the middle of the Tribulation, at which time Satan is cast to the Earth and is denied access to Heaven. And the events of Rev 9:1-11, demons are released from the angelic hell called “the bottomless pit” there.

Verse 8, “Found Grace” – salvation

Verse 9, “Just” – justified

”Perfect in his generation” – true humanity.

”Walked with God” – walking in fellowship with God.

P.S. The human race gets its old sin nature from the man. The super race got its old sin nature from the fallen angels, the fallen angels being male.

No female angels!

The Fullness of God!

Eph 3:19, “And to know the love of God which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with the fullness of God.”

The Greek word for “fullness” is PLEROO, and it means:

1. To fill up a deficiency
2. To fully possess
3. To fully influence
4. To fill up with a certain quality.

The importance of the word PLEROO:

1. This word was used of Jesus Christ as a child functioning under the Word of God, Luke 2:40
2. This word is used of the believer in the Church Age, functioning under the Word of God, Eph 1:23, 3:19, 4:10, Col 1:9
3. This word is used of the believer controlled by the Holy Spirit, Eph 5:18, “filled” with the Spirit.
4. This word is used of a pastor which fulfills the Word of God, Col 1:25
5. This word is used of the fulfillment of the inner happiness in the soul, 1 John 1:4, John 16:24, John 17:13
   

The Believer in Christ is in Full-Time Christian Service – Part One

Example: The Christian in business is regarded as being in full-time Christian service – exposition of 1 Timothy 6.

1. The work-a-day world is divided into two categories: labor and management. Verse 1.
   
2. In business, the chain of command must be recognized. Verses 1-2.
   
3. Hard work, mental and physical, is the oil of success in the business world, Gen 3:19, as well as the phrase, “rather do their service” in verse 2. The word means “slave the harder.”
   
4. The boss is not to exploit his employees. This laborer is worthy of his hire. The employee is to put in a full days work, verse 2.
   
5. The believer is to represent God in his business or where he works, verse 3.
   You represent God in your area of work full time, just as pastors should.
   
6. Dishonesty in business, either mental attitude sins or sins of the tongue or overt sins, destroys your testimony as a believer in business. A believer out of fellowship will eventually be inconsistent in some way. Griping, cheating, not putting more than a full day if necessary, and not following orders to the letter, and knifing behind the back and
   embezzling.

Part two will follow with four more principles for a believer on the job.

Part Two: Full-Time Christian Service Exposition of 1 Tim 6

7. The oil that makes business run as smoothly as possible is godliness accompanied with contentment, verse 6.
    A. Godliness – this gives us stability in business.
        1. This refers to the reflecting glory, 1 Cor 6:20
        2. This refers to Christ’s character being formed within. Gal 4:19
        3. This refers to the filling of the Spirit, Gal 4:22-23

    B. Contentment. The resultant mental attitude of stability of spiritual self-sufficiency. Not restless, but content and satisfied.

8. If a believer in business and employee or employer, has inner spiritual stability as described here, his outward needs are very simple, verses 7-8. It is actually the luxurious of life that cause inflation, and one of the factors in the weakness and instability of
nation.

9. Your mental attitude toward money is an indicator of maturity or immaturity, verses 9-10. Money is only a detail of life and if you have it, you can enjoy it. And if you don’t have it, you still have the Word of God, Phil 4:11

10. You in business in your work-a-day world need a crash program in getting with the Word of God. It is the ultimate answer. Verse 11 ff and this crash program, the daily intake of the Word of God.

P.S. We make money in our country through capitalism, which is bona fide, and we give it away through socialism. Eventually socialism will kill capitalism. Kills the goose that lays the golden egg. Socialism is a killer and not a cure.

“Grow in Grace,” 2 Pet 3:18

“Grow” is the Greek word AUXIANO, which means to grow or increase, the growth of that which lives – naturally or spiritually.

It is said of “giving the increase” in 1 Cor 3:6-7, an operation of God. It is said to grow and become greater of plants and fruit, Matt 6:28. And it is used in the passive voice in our passage.

”Grow”– aorist tense, in a point of time, in any point of time. Imperative mood, which means this is a command. Passive voice, the subject receives the action of the verb.

Not only are we commanded to grow in Grace, but that same growth is given to us and received by us and we don’t work for it. So, when you sit under the teaching of the Word of God, you receive growth. It comes naturally, or I should say supernaturally.

It is imperative that you grow, says the Lord. It is a command, which you receive, like “rejoice.” It is a command, and you receive it also.

What it is that we haven’t received from the Lord??

What Are the Objectives in Receiving Grace Growth??

1. Discernment –.2nd and 3rd John
   
2. To be spiritually self-sustaining – 1st and 2nd Timothy and Titus
   
3. To stop scar tissue forming on the soul – Eph 4:17-20
   
4. To develop the operation of soul breathing – Eph 4:23, Psa 42:1, Psa 119:129-131
   
5. To be properly structured in maturity – Eph 4:12, 16, built up
   A. The Word of God used as a frame of reference
   B. Oriented to the Grace of God
   C. A relaxed mental attitude, no mental attitude sins.
   D. Inner happiness, inner joy produced by the Holy Spirit
   E. Capacity for life and love for family and friends
   F. The mastery over the details of life
   

The Mechanics of Soul Breathing – “My Soul Panteth After Thee, O God”

1. Inhale of the Word of God into your self-consciousness and exhales in awareness of the Lord Jesus Christ.
   
2. Inhale the Word of God into the mentality of your soul and exhales Divine Viewpoint in the thought life.
   
3. Inhale the Word of God into your volition and exhales the will of God.
   
4. Inhale the Word of God into the emotions, exhale an appreciation for the will of God.
   
5. Inhale the Word of God into your conscience exhales Divine norms and standards.
   
6. Inhale the Word of God into the entire soul breathing and the old sin nature does not distort the soul and God is glorified.

Otherwise, the old sin nature distorts the operation of the soul, the real you.

Monday, October 16, 2000

Emotions!

1. Emotion is a response to something in the thought pattern, a result of what you think. “As a man thinketh in his mind so is he.”
   
2. The word “pitiful” means “good emotions.” 1 Pet 3:8
   A. “One mind” – standard of the Word of God
   B. “Compassion” – answer using the Word of God
   C. “Love” – a rapport through the Word of God
   D. “Pitiful” – have good emotions, emotions influenced by the Word of God
   E. “Courteous” – mental attitude Grace
   
3. “Good emotions” means an appreciation of the finer things or enjoyable things of life on the basis of who and what God is – ”Grace.” Phil 4:8-9
   
4. The Word of God is the criterion for emotions. But emotion is not the criterion for the Christian way of life. You are not saved because you feel saved. You are not spiritual because you feel spiritual.
   
5. The norm or standard for the Christian way of life is the Word of God and never how you feel.
   
6. How you feel does not determine whether you are saved or not, or whether you are spiritual or not.
   
7. Your status depends upon what the Bible says. Therefore, good emotions are based on the Word of God flowing from the human spirit to the mind and from the mind to the emotions.
   
8. The emotions of the soul therefore, must be channeled through the Word.
   
9. The human spirit sends the Word of God to our emotions and we have an appreciation of God and are not dominated by our emotions.
   
10. No Word of God to the emotions and we have no appreciation of God. Emotions are then made the criterion and we get into false doctrine, which appeals to the emotions. We find ourselves in emotional revolt.
    
11. When you take this appreciator – emotion – and try to make it a norm or standard for the Christian way of life, you are not only in trouble, but you become a trouble maker. Rom 16:17-18. The word “belly” refers to the emotions.
    
12. Bad emotions are described in 2 Cor 6:11-12 and Rom 16:17-18
    ”O ye Corinthians, our mouths are open unto you our heart is enlarged. You are not straitened (limited) by us, but you are straitened (limited) in your own bowels, (emotional pattern).”
    

Eternity and the Comparison Between Heaven and Hell!

Faith and Romans 12:3, 6

1. Faith is thinking making use of cycling the Word of God and applying the Word of God from your frame of reference. Ephesians chapter three and four and Colossians chapter one.
   
2. The content of what you are thinking is what gives faith validity.
   
3. The Word of God in the human spirit expresses itself through faith.
   
4. A spiritual I.Q., knowledge of the Word of God in the human spirit, is what gives faith expression, power, animation, vigor, and inner beauty.
   
5. There is no limit to the amount of faith you can have. But your faith is no stronger than your doctrinal content.
   
6. Faith merely expresses the Word of God.
   
7. Faith becomes of larger and larger caliber when the Word of God comes through it, expresses itself, and applies itself to the various situations in life.
   
8. Faith appropriates the first point of the Word of God at the point of salvation, but the process is reversed after you are saved. You need the Word of God to give faith power.
   
9. For the believer’s life to be meaningful, he must depend upon:
   A. The intake and inhale of the Word of God.
   B. Exhale of the Word of God to experience.
   
10. When we stagger, we don’t lack faith, but we lack the object of faith, the Word of God to be applied.

Scriptures for the above – Ephesians chapters 3 and 4 and Colossians chapter one.

Response to the Word of God! Positive Volition at the Point of Gospel Hearing!

1 Thess 2:13-16

1. They received the Word as authority, verse 13a

2. They applied the Word, verse 13b. It is the Word that keeps working.

3. They stood up under pressure and persecution, verses 14-16, opposition and suffering.
   A. The Church in Judea had been persecuted by the Jews who wanted to wipe out Christianity — Shades of what is happening today.
   B. These believers had been treated the same.

The reward – 1 Thess 2:17-20

1. Fellowship, verse 17, he wanted to see them again.

2. Hope, verse 19, personal witnessing gives the believer a new realization of his own hope.

3. Joy, verse 19, winning a soul to Jesus Christ gives joy, a reward in time, and also a crown in eternity. “He that winneth souls is wise.”
   

Fishers of Men!

1. Fishermen must have a desire to fish.
   Believers, as a result of being in fellowship and growing in Grace, will be enthusiastic about the lord Jesus Christ and will proclaim the Gospel of Christ.
   Matt 4:19, “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.”
   
2. Fishermen must be equipped to fish.
   You have to know the Word of God and be growing in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
   
3. Fishermen must know where the fish are located.
   We are in the world, but not of the world.
   
4. Fishermen must know how to bait a hook.
   Believers must know methods of personal evangelism.
   
5. Fishermen must keep out of sight or they will frighten the fish.
   The issue must be the Gospel and not our own personality.

Fishermen stay in the boat and don’t get into the water with the fish.

The First’s of the Human Race

1. Gen 2:9, The first test for volition.
   One tree. Negative volition was the only way that man could sin in innocence.
   
2. Gen 2:17. The first warning.
   ”Dying” spiritually, “thou shall surely die” physically, as an end result of spiritual death.
   
3. Gen 3:1-5. The first temptation.
   Satan appealed to their ego and maligns God.
   
4. Gen 3:6. The first sin.
   The sin of negative volition – both were guilty. But there was a difference. Eve was
   deceived, and Adam deliberately sinned. 1 Tim 1:14
   
5. Gen 3:7-8. The first result of the first sin.
   Adam died spiritually, no fellowship with God. Adam acquired an old sin nature, bringing into the realm of existence an old sin nature.
   
6. Gen 3:7. The first act of legalism.
   Man attempting to solve man’s problems by his own works. He sewed fig leaves together. He was frightened because he was separated from God.
   
7. Gen 3:9. The first act of Grace.
   God spoke to them first. He called unto Adam. Adam was the head of the human race. God knew where Adam was. He didn’t need to call – omniscience and omnipresence.
   
8. Gen 3:15. The first declaration of salvation. Jesus Christ is the Seed of the woman.
   
9. Gen 3;21. The first salvation for the human race.
   ”Lord God made coats of skin.” They were spiritually dead – no fellowship with God.
   ”Clothed” – imputation of righteousness to them. Isa 61:10

The issue:
A. Good vs. good – Human good vs. Divine good.
B. Coats of sin vs. fig leaves – Animal sacrifice

How to Destroy Intimacy!

Prov 25:17, “Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbor’s house lest he be weary of thee and so hate thee.”

Destroying intimacy through intrusiveness.

1. Respect the privacy of others.
   
2. Respect the belief of others. You cannot have a woman’s love if you destroy her free will.
   
3. Understand the social capacity of others.
   
4. Since you are a believer, there can be no true friendship without occupation with Christ.
   
5. The capacity to love is a part of a believer’s maturity and it comes from the application of the Word of God from the human spirit. And this capacity to love is rapport and the true basis of friendship.
   
6. There must be a sensitivity to another friend so that you do not overstay your visit, or be a burden or cause misery.
   
7. Orient to your sufferings and do not habitually complain. This is the basic principle of being Grace oriented.
   
8. Avoid those things which cause the other person to be tense, like legalism, mental attitude sins, and sins of the tongue.
   

Flattery!

Prov 28:23, “He that rebuketh a man afterwards shall find more favor than he that flattereth with the tongue.”

1. “Flattereth” is causative and the Hiphil stem in the Hebrew, which means to smooth, to flatter, or to flirt.
   
2. Motivation to flattery – Mental attitude sins plus the desire to have the details of life produces self-induced misery.
   
3. Such motivation is connected with the details of life.
   
4. The person who flatters has no capacity for love, therefore, he must flatter in order to gain approbation.
   
5. Patronizing or flattering stimulates one’s approbation lust.
   
6. Flattery is human viewpoint designed to gain happiness through the details of life and approbation lust.
   
7. The Word of God is permanent, but flattery is temporary.
   
8. The believer who lives on flattery is enslaved by it.
   
9. Believers cannot be sustained or helped by flattery.
   

Operation Footstool – Psa 110:1

The following steps are necessary in dealing with Satan and demons.

1. Virgin birth
2. Cross, death, burial of Christ
3. The resurrection of the humanity of Christ
4. The ascension of Christ
5. Christ seated at the right hand of God the Father
6. The formation of the body of Christ
7. The rapture of the Church
8. The cleansing of the bride, the Church, of human good and preparing to return with Christ
9. The second advent of Christ
10. Satan bound and demons bound.

 “Till I make Thine enemies Thy footstool.”

The Doctrine of the Firstborn!

1. Definition: Primogeniture – the eldest son’s exclusive rights of inheritance.
   
2. The first born principle connotes three things, technically connected with Israel.
   A. Rulership
   B. Priesthood
   C. Double portion
   
3. In connection with Israel:
   There are 12 tribes and Reuben was the first born. But Reuben lost his rights as the first born.
   A. Reuben’s failure – ”Instability in the mental attitude, Gen 49:3-4, which lead to unstable actions. He was also guilty of incest. Gen 35:22-23, “Unstable as water.”
   B. Reuben lost this, 1 Chr 5:1-2:
       1. Rulership to Judah; Note the Davidic covenant – David came from the tribe of Judah. 2 Sam 7:8-16
       2. The priesthood to Levi, Num 18:20-24. Levi was equally guilty with Simeon, Gen 34:25-31, but eventually Levi used the Grace of God and got back into fellowship but Simeon did not. Cursing was turned to blessing.
           a. Cursing: never inherited the land.
           b. Blessing: appointed to the priesthood.
   
   Levi’s confession and restoration is found in Ex 32, Deut 33, Num 8
   
4. The double portion went to Joseph, Gen 49:22-26, and this became the largest tribe, Ephraim, the largest, and Manasseh – Joseph’s sons outnumbered the others.
   

Jesus Christ and “The First Born” Principle Applied!

1. Rulership
   Absolute rule in His humanity, called “First Born,” Luke 2:7, Col 1:15
   He is the Head of the corner. 1 Pet 2:5-7
   A. He is Ruler over the regenerate of Israel in eternity as the Son of David.
   B. He is Head of the Church invisible and universal in Church Age.
   
2. The priesthood. He is the High Priest. Heb 4:14, and believers with Christ are believer priests. 1 Pet 2:5-9
   
3. Double portion.
   A. Son of God
   B. Believers in union with Christ also sons of God.

Saviour, First Advent. Ruler, Second Advent.
a. Spiritual death, Psa 22:1
b. Physical death, Luke 23:36

First, Jesus Christ seated at the right hand. Second, believers in Christ.

“The Fulness of Times”

Gal 4:4, “But when the fulness of times was come, God sent forth His Son made of a woman, made under the law.”

1. The fulness of times.
   A. Maximum amount of illness.
   B. Maximum amount of satanic miracles.
   C. So, Christ’s “credit card,” healing, was effective to the maximum.
   D. All legalistic religions had been tried and found wanting. Judaism was the last to prove itself unable to provide salvation.
   E. Every religious system that had developed since the Cross is merely a repetition of some system that existed before.
   F. Paux Romana – peace for Rome – provided stable conditions for His ministry.
        1. Police protection. Crowds followed Him. There was a minimum amount of killing and harassment.
        2. There was good communication for that day – The Koine Greek language.
   
2. ”God sent forth” – This is an aorist tense, in a point of time God the Father sent God the Son on a mission, salvation.
   
3. “His Son,” adult son, HUIOS – Deity.
   
4. “Made of a woman” – Jesus Christ took on Himself humanity so that we might receive the adoption. Son placing.
   
5. “Made under the law” – Born a Jew under the authority of the Mosaic Law. The humanity of Jesus Christ was subject to the law. Jesus Christ fulfilled the law. Matt 5:17, Rom 10:4

Believers of the Church Age are not subject to the law. The filling of the Holy Spirit fulfills the law. A higher law – the law of spirituality.

Grace Greeting!

“Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

This salutation is found in the following passages:
Gal 1:3, Eph 1:2, Phil 1:2, Col 1:2, 1 Thess 1:2, 2 Thess 1:2, Titus 1:4, Philemon 1:3, 1 Pet 1:2, 2 Pet 1:2, 2 John 1:3

The repetition is to emphasize that Grace is God'’ plan for you, and the principle that Grace always precedes peace. You can’t have peace without first appropriating Grace.

In salvation we have “peace with God” because of the Grace of God. And as Christians on this Earth and in this life, we have “the peace of God” because of the Grace of God.  And it passes all understanding.

”For by Grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is a gift of God, and not of works, lest any man should boast,” Eph 2:8-9

“Grace Unto You”

That is the dative case, the dative of advantage. It is to the advantage of a person to come into contact with the Grace of God.

”And peace” – this is inner stability, which is always a result of Grace.
It comes from the utilization and appropriation of Grace.

”From” – APO – the ultimate source of Grace, and the origin of Grace and peace.

”God our Father” – the first Source, the Author of the Divine plan. God the Father is the Planner.

”And the Lord Jesus Christ” – the second Source. He executed the plan and went to the Cross, which made provision for entrance into the plan of God.

The Holy Spirit is not mentioned in this salutation because while the Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son, the ministry of the Holy Spirit is a “behind the scenes” ministry.

Grace and Salvation is Stated as a Principle

Psa 103:8-12, Rom 3:23-24, Rom 4:4, 5:20, Eph 2:8-9, 2 Cor 8:9, Heb 2:9, Titus 2:11

1. Grace is involved in salvation.
   
2. Grace and the Christian walk are stated as a principle
   A. Grace is involved in prayer. Heb 4:16
   B. Grace is involved in suffering. 2 Cor 12:9-10
   C. Grace releases Divine power. 2 Tim 2:1
   D. Grace forms stability. 1 Pet 5:12
   E. Grace is involved in growth. 2 Pet 3:18

That is why believers who are not Grace oriented never grow up.

Saturday, October 14, 2000

The Doctrine of the Eye!

1. The plan of God was never designed to please the eye.
   John 9:39-41, “And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. And some of the Pharisees which were with Him heard these words, and said unto Him, Are we blind also? Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.”
   2 Cor 5:7, “We walk by faith and not by sight.”
   

2. Satan’s system exploits the eye.
   1 John 2:16, “ For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”
   

3. Perceptive  power can destroy or illuminate.
   Matt 6:22-23, “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!”
   

4. The eye of man apart from regeneration shows man’s fickleness.
   Prov 27:20, “Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.”
   

5. Materialism feeds on the eye.
   Prov 28:22, ““He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him.”
   

6. The eye is the means of promoting jealousy and envy. 
   1 Sam 18:19, “But it came to pass at the time when Merab Saul's daughter should have been given to David, that she was given unto Adriel the Meholathite to wife.”
   

7. Man’s basic nature is to exploit the eye.
   1 Sam 16:7, “But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.”
   

8. Jesus Christ Himself, when He rules the universe, will not do so by means of the eye. 
   Psalm 2:9, “Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.”
   

Enemies! The World, The Flesh, The Devil

1. The world.
   A thought pattern which seeks to build up self and excludes the Lord Jesus Christ.
   Solution: Stop! Renew your mind. Rom 12:1-2, 1 John 2:15-16
   

2. The flesh.
   The old sin nature.
   Solution: Run! 2 Tim 2:22. Stay in fellowship.
   

3. The devil.
   Promotes good in the name of good, not in the name of God
   A. Religion – Legalism
   B. Angelic conflict
   Solution: Resist! James 4:7, 1 Pet 5:7-9

Renew your mind, run the race, resist the devil!

The Faithfulness of God!

1 Thes 5:24, “Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it.”
”Calleth you” refers to the point of time when you accept Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour and appropriate God’s faithfulness.
”Will do it” refers to the future of eternity. God has a future for you.

God expresses Himself in eight different ways to the believer:

1. The faithfulness of God to forgive sins. 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
   ”He is faithful.”
   

2. The faithfulness of God keeping us saved – eternal security. 2 Tim 2:13, “If we believe not yet He abideth faithful. He cannot deny Himself.”
   ”He abideth faithful.”
   

3. The faithfulness of God in stabilizing us. 2 Thes 3:3
   ”But the Lord is faithful, Who shall stablish you and keep you from evil.”
   ”The Lord is faithful.”
   

4. The faithfulness of God to us in times of pressure. 1 Cor 10:13, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
   “God is faithful.”
   

5. The faithfulness of God in keeping His promise to us. Heb 10:23, “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering  for He is faithful that promised.”
   ”He is faithful.”
   

6. The faithfulness of God providing for us under the partnership of Christ. 1 Cor 1:9, “God is faithful, by whom ye were called into the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ, our Lord.”
   ”God is faithful.”
   

7. The faithfulness of God to us in suffering. 1 Pet 4:19, “Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well doing as unto a faithful Creator.”
   ”A faithful Creator.”
   

8. The faithfulness of God in providing for the believer’s eternal future. 1 Thes 5:24, “Faithful is He that calleth you who also will do it.”
   ”Faithful is He.”
   

Eternity and Things Which Make Up Our Hope

The believer’s hope is based on known facts about the future.

1. Absent from the body and face-to-face with the Lord. 2 Cor 5:8, “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”
   

2. No judgment, no condemnation. Rom 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
   

3. The appointment of the second death is cancelled. Heb 9:27-28, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”
   

4. We have a new home, a new dwelling place. John 14:1-3, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”
   

5. We have an eternal inheritance. 1 Pet 1:4-5, “To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
   

6. No more sorrows, no more tears, no more pain, no more death. Rev 21:4, “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”
   

7. We will have a resurrection body with which we will live with Jesus Christ forever. 1 Thes 4:16-18, “For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
   Phil 3:21, “Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself.”
   1 John 3:1-2, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is:
   1 Cor 15:51-57, “Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on  immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
   

8. “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain,” Phil 1:21.
   

God is Light and the Essence of God!

1. Like all colors in light are not manifest at the same time, so all characteristics of God are not manifest at one time.
   
2. Light spectrum.
   A. All light is pure white. God is light.
   B. Light also has all colors. The only time you see colors is when the light strikes something.
   C. When you are wearing red, yellow and blue are absorbed  and red is reflected.
   D. When you are wearing yellow, blue and red are absorbed and yellow is reflected.
   E. When you are wearing blue, red and yellow are absorbed and blue is reflected.
   F. If all light is absorbed, you have black. God is light.

Part two will apply the essence of God as light.

God is Light – Part Two

Characteristics of God are rarely all manifested at one time, just as the various colors of light may not all be manifested at the same time.

    A. Salvation – Sovereignty, love, and eternal life

    B. Propitiation – Sovereignty, righteousness, justice, love, and eternal life.

    C. Judgment, the unbeliever – Sovereignty, righteousness, justice, omniscience, omnipresence, immutability, and veracity.

    D. The faithfulness of God – Love, immutability, and veracity.

    E. Divine decrees – God’s plan – Sovereignty and omniscience.
        All characteristics, but these two specifically.

Justice – The Essence of God Applied

1. Jesus Christ is God.
   
2. He is absolute righteousness and cannot be unrighteous – unfair.
   
3. He is justice and it is impossible for Him to render an incorrect decision, therefore, He is absolute law.
   
4. He is love and His love gives the basis for compassion in the law without violating the law.
   
5. He is omniscient and He knows all the facts always.
   
6. He is omnipresent, therefore, He is a personal Witness in every case.
   
7. He is immutable, so His judgment never varies or changes. They are always compatible with His character.
   

The Essence of God’s Love Applied!

1. God’s love is perfect even as God is perfect  God is love.
   
2. Divine love comes from God and it is based on His essence.
   
3. He is sovereign and He “chose to love the human race.”
   
4. He is absolute righteousness and therefore, His love is perfect.
   
5. He is justice and therefore His love is never unfair.
   
6. He is eternal life and immutability, which means He never changes His love.
   
7. He is omniscience. He loves us even though He knows what “we are thinking.”
   
8. His is omnipresent. He knows what we are doing “and He still loves us.”
   
9. He is omnipotent. He has the ability to make us realize and understand His love.
   
10. He is veracity. He is honest in His love toward us.

There is something unique – “An Honest Lover”

Veracity – God’s Essence

1. Definition:
   God is perfect truthfulness and there never is a time when He is in error.
   
2. God cannot lie.
   Titus 1:2, “Which God that cannot lie.”
   Heb 6:18, “Impossible for God to lie.”
   
3. His veracity, truth, is eternal.
   Psa 117:2, “The Truth of the Lord endureth forever.”
   
4. Veracity in salvation. 
   John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
   
5. We can depend upon His veracity to sustain us.
   Psa 91:4, “His Truth is our Shield and our Buckler.”
   
6. His veracity provides Truth, which is found in the Word.
   ”Thy Word is Truth.”
   

Drunks Found in the Bible!

Drunkenness is not a sickness, it is a sin! 1 Pet 4:3-4, Eph 5:18, Gal 5:21

Case histories:
Noah – Gen 9:21
Nebal – 1 Sam 25:36-37
People of Ephraim – Isa 28:1
Lot – Gen 19:32

Mixed drinks are a sin – Isa 5:11, 22
Priests and prophets drank – Isa 28:7-8
Believers are commanded not to drink – Rom 13:13, 1 Tim 3:3, 8, 1 Cor 5:11, 6:10. 1 Pet 4:3, Eph 5:18

Wine is permitted under circumstances – Prov 31:4-7, 1 Tim 5:23
As medicine taken in small amounts for various disorders of the nervous system  and stomach circulatory system.

Friday, October 13, 2000

Here is a Verse You Have Committed to Memory Years Ago

Jer 39:4, “He went out the way of the Arabah.” After 18 months of siege, the city fell, and the Word of the Lord was verified. The lying of the false prophets was contradicted.

The folly and the futility of the politicians who had counseled resistance was revealed and the wisdom of the way to which Jeremiah had called was demonstrated. It was now too late to take that moderate course of willing submission to the yoke of Babylon because it was the will of God that they should do so.

This the king and the politicians and people urged by the false prophets had refused to do. Now the stroke had fallen and because of their persistent opposition to the Chaldeans, which to them was rebellion against the Lord, there would be no stopping of that stroke.

When in the gates of the city of God, the princes of Babylon were seen sitting. Zedekiah fled. And these words show the direction he took. His desire was for safety in solitude and this last of the line of kings who had rejected the Lord headed for the wilderness. But he never reached the wilderness. He was captured in the plains of Jericho before he crossed the Jordan,

The God who had governed and led His people there, excluded this fugitive from the region.

There is no escape from God possible. We must have to do with Him. And in obedience we find His Grace. In disobedience we can only know His wrath.

Jer 52:7, “Then a Breach was Made in the City”

The real value here at the close of this book is the reiteration of the fact of the historic fulfillment of the Word of the Lord which Jeremiah had so persistently proclaimed in spite of opposition, persecution, and suffering.

At last, in spite of long waiting, in spite of the hopes aroused by the long siege, and once by the temporary relief of the siege by the departure of the Chaldean hosts to engage those of Egypt. ”A breach was made in the city.” That breach in the material structure was made by the material forces of the hosts of Babylon. But no such breach was ever made, except for the spiritual and moral deflection of the people of God.

It was the kings, politicians, false prophets, and the people seduced by them, that made the real breach in the city. They broke down its true fortifications and undermined its real foundations by their infidelities.

It is ever so. No hosts encamped against the people of God can gain any advantage over them so long as they remain loyal in soul and mind and in will to their one king. But when they are disloyal and persist in disloyalty, then no force can save them from the opposing hosts.

Good for us to remember this as believers in our country today as we see great oppositions. Cleave to the Lord.

Lam 5:1, “Remember, O Lord”

The first movement of this song opens describing the suffering people, and the actual desolation in which Jeremiah lived, and the afflictions of all classes of people, and the prevailing abundant grief. His description prepared for, and led up to the prayer.

In that prayer, the eternity of God and the stability of His throne were first confessed. 

Then notice very carefully that following which seems to be a protest against the long forsaking of the people by the Lord. The central concluding petition of the prophet was not that God should turn unto His people But that rather He would turn His people unto Him.

The notes of this final song are full of value for us in days of darkness and discipline in which many souls are living. Like Jeremiah Himself may be involved. It is ever given of them to speak of their sorrows before the Lord. And that in speaking, it may take the form of an appeal to the Lord to remember.

It is not to be supposed that Jeremiah thought the Lord could forget. He remembered his own afflictions and of the people.

In communion with God and in this call to the Lord to remember, He was realizing that communion and finding reinforcement for His own soul in the process of trial.

It is impossible for the Lord to act with us unless and until we have such communion with Him.

Remember Me!

Dan 3:18, “But if Not”

This is a very incomplete quotation, but it introduces us to faith in the finest expression.

Daniel does not appear in this story, but his three comrades with whom he sought fellowship in prayer are here. Here was a test of their loyalty to the God of their fathers and to His Word, which strictly forbade the yielding of worship to any image whatsoever. There was no hesitation on their part. They refused and were brought before the king. We may reach this shortly. To him, in language full of respect for him, but inspired by complete loyalty to God, they declared that there was no need to answer. Their position was known.

They declared later to the proud monarch that God was able to deliver them and affirmed their confidence that He would do so. Now, that was a splendid faith, but it went further as they said, “But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods,
nor worship the golden images which thou hast set up.”

Now that is faith at its highest. Deliverance is to be desired and expected, but it comes not. Still there can be no abandonment of the one true God.

Death as the result of loyalty to Him is preferable to deliverance at the price of denying Him.

”This is the faith that overcometh the world.”

We may find ourselves in this very same position very shortly.

But death is deliverance.

Mental Illness!

Heb 12:3, “Wearied from fainting in your mind”

A prime factor in causing mental illness in the believer is when the believer under discipline fights it, refusing to properly use 1 John 1:9.

The following harbored continually can cause mental illness:

1. Operation guilt complex
2. Harboring bitterness toward any member of the human race. Heb 12:15
3. Hatred toward anybody
4. Jealousy or envy
5. Fear about the present and the future, death, etc.
6. Anxiety and worry about little things
7. Desire in the mind for revenge
8. Judging another believer and running them down to others

”Despise not the chastening of the Lord.”

Results of Divine discipline:

1. Restrainer of sin
2. Teachers a believer lessons which result in growth

”Bears the peaceable fruit of righteousness to them that are exercised thereby.”

God’s Pleasure!

1. God is pleased to save those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Cor 1:21.
   

2. God is pleased to appoint His Son as Saviour and to reconcile the world to Himself. Col 1:19-20.
   

3. God is displeased with the Old Testament offerings because they were not efficacious and could not save. However, the Old Testament saints were benefited from the  beginning because they illustrated the Gospel.

”This is My Son in whom I am well pleased. Hear ye Him.”

Who Cares! Nobody Cares!

1. God the Father cares. John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
   

2. God the Son cares. John 10:11, 15, 17, “I am the Good Shepherd: the Good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep.” “As the Father knoweth Me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down My life for the sheep.” “Therefore doth My Father love Me, because I lay down My life, that I might take it again.”
   

3. God the Holy Spirit cares. John 14:17-18, 26, “Even the Spirit of Truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
   John 16:7-14.
   

4. Unbelievers care. Luke 16:26-31. Even the man in hell had a concern for his unbelieving brothers. “And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.”
   

5. Angels also care. Luke 15:7, 10, “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in Heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.” ” Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”

”Cast all your cares on Him, for He keeps on carrying for you.”

Thursday, October 12, 2000

What is Troubling You?

If this question was answered by any number of people, we would have a list of varied troubles a mile long, from the I.R.S., to gas prices, to drugs, crime, healthcare, the UN, Socialism, Communism, etc. But, they are only superficial. Here is the worst trouble any one could have:

Psa 77:3, “I remembered God and I was troubled.”

What a confession! The thought of God to some of us is very unwelcomed. The thought of God and all the wonderful complex of His mighty attributes that make His Name should be our delight.

The Key to all treasures and the End of all sorrows, and our Light in darkness, and our Life in life, and All in all. He is either that to us, or it is something that we would like to forget.

When you think of God, does it trouble you? If so, you really have trouble. Hello Trouble!

Acts 7:55, “Jesus Standing on the Right Hand of God”

This attitude of the Lord arrests us. The New Testament references to Him as having entered the Heavenlies describe Him as having sat down on the Right Hand of the Majesty on High. Here He is seen by Stephen “standing.”

The two figures of speech remind us of two aspects of His work on behalf of man. When He had made the one offering which provided perfect and plenteous redemption, “He sat down,” everything was finished. This is the attitude that speaks of the completion of His redemptive work.

But, that work is being continued in its administration through all His witnesses who have fellowship with Him in the fullness of the Spirit. They are making up that which is behind His hand in His afflictions. His having completed His work, does not mean that He is in any sense separated from us, or that we endure the Cross in loneliness. He is with us in compassion and in service.

Stephen then having completed the testimony of his life and speech and being about to consummate and crown that witness in agony and death, saw the Lord “standing.” It was to him the assurance of His Lord’s co-operation and fellowship with him.

The result is seen in that Stephen passed as the Lord passed, commending his spirit to the Lord and praying “forgive them for they know not what they do.”

How   How   How   How? Romans 10:14-15

This sequence of inquiries follows a declaration which is a quotation from Joel. Whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Paul here employs this expression in reference to man’s responsibility concerning the salvation provided by the Lord Jesus Christ. That whole responsibility is revealed in the one word “call.” Salvation comes to a man when he calls on the Name of the Lord.

The inquiries reveal the place and nature of the call. The call follows belief. The belief follows hearing. The hearing follows preaching. The preaching follows sending. Thus, the apostle traces its movement back to its origin.

God has a message of salvation.
And this He sends preachers to proclaim.
The preachers proclaim that message.
Men hear the preachers message and believe it, convicted that the message is true.

”Call upon the Lord” is the element of volitional surrender to the message believed.

Everything begins with God, but the final responsibility is with man. The marriage of God’s Grace and man’s faith.

1 Cor 13:8, “Love Never Fails!”

This is not only a glorious declaration, it is one of the most searching for the soul. If this be true, how much that we have thought was love should be called by another name?

Its final proof is in God. Here we are secure. His love never fails. The measure and the strength of it can only be expressed by the mystic word “so” of the declaration that “God so loved the world.” We only begin to appreciate the real significance of that “so” as we complete the statement, ”That He gave His only begotten Son.”

There is the love that never faileth. And in the presence of it, we are sometimes afraid to call anything of ours love at all. There is so much of selfishness lurking in all of us. We do so often love them that love us. And that because they love us.

And Christ says about that love, “What thank have ye?”

But the love which is shed abroad in our hearts by means of the Holy Spirit, which loves in spite of the unworthiness, even in spite of failure, that is the love which inspires and compels service that is sacrificial.

All the attitudes and habits and activities of such love are set forth in this wonderful chapter, and the more we ponder it, we feel how far we have come short, that we are helpless and that we can only love like that as the very love of God Himself shall possess and master us.

We love because He first loved us.

1 Cor 11:28, “Let a Man Prove Himself and so Let Him Eat of the Bread and Drink of the Cup”

These words are blazoned over the portals of every place where the members of the Christian fellowship gather together to observe the holy ordinance of Communion. The supreme thing, the essential thing, is that sacred act of communion, the practice of a communion that is constant. It is an act in which the soul is called upon to exercise the highest function of its ransomed nature, that of worship in its purity, and in which it is strengthened for the exercise by the fullest realization of fellowship with the risen Lord. All that reveals the supreme importance of this injunction. Let a man prove himself.

Before the holy hour of fellowship and of worship, there should be solemn self-examination. So we are to eat the bread and drink the cup as cleansed worshippers, having no more consciousness of sins. It is to our peril that we neglect such preparation. It should not take place in the service, but before it. It is another way of saying, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins; and cleanse us from all unrighteousness,” 1 John 1:9.

The Deliverances of the Lord!

2 Tim 3:11, “Out of Them All the Lord Delivered Me”

The reference of the apostle was to “things which befell him” — “persecutions” he  “endured” — for they were specific references for he named the places, Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and where his experiences then happened in these places.

The story is told in the 13th and 14th chapter of the book of Acts. The men of Antioch cast them out of their borders. From Iconium they fled knowing that there was an intention to stone them. At Lystra Paul was stoned and his enemies dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. Such were the things that befell him. And such were the persecutions he endured.

Now, looking back, Paul referred to them only to place on record his sense of the deliverances of the Lord. And this is always the experience of the servants of the Lord, as they look back over the pathway. They do not forget the disappointment of being cast out. Nor of the bitterness to have to flee. Nor the pain and exhaustion of the stoning. But they are more impressed with the fact of the governance of the Lord and how He has always delivered His own. His ways of deliverance are very varied. Sometimes He saves His servants from stoning by causing their enemies to cast them out. Sometimes He saves them from stoning by making known to them the intentions of their foes, and so enabling them to escape.

Sometimes he does not deliver them from stoning, but delivers them beyond the stoning and sends them on enriched with a new visions, and of a new sense of the sufficiency of His Grace.

Whether in this way or that, He never fails to deliver us.

“DIDASKO”

Eph 4:21, “If so be that ye have been taught by Him as the Truth is in Jesus.”

“Taught” is the Greek word “DIDASKO.” It is an aorist tense – meaning point of times when you sat under the teaching of the Word.
Passive voice – You received the teaching of the Word of God. This is the voice of Grace.
Indicative mood – Is the mood of reality. You were taught the Word of God.

1. A public assembly of a Local Church requires a pastor-teacher and a congregation of believer-priests.
   

2. In compliance with the principle of the privacy of the priesthood, God has ordained the public communication of the Word of God.
   

3. Only in the communication of the Word of God in public assembly does the believer have privacy to learn the Word of God and live his life as unto the Lord.
   

4. One-on-one teaching becomes an intrusion on the privacy of the priesthood. It constitutes bullying, etc.
   

5. Therefore, proper ingredients for the transfer of the Word of God to the human spirit involve the following:
   A. The Canon of Scripture – 2 Tim 3:16
   B. The Local Church  – 1 Thes 1:1
   C. The Pastor-Teacher – Eph 4:11
   D. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit – 1 Cor 6:19
   E. Confession of sin for fellowship – 1 John 1: 9
   F. The breathing apparatus of the soul – Eph  4:23
   G. The mind of the believer – Phil 1:5
   H. The human spirit of the believer – Rom 8:16
   I.  The believer as a believer-priest – 1 Pet 2:5
   

“Deposits”

1. The believer makes a deposit with God at the point of salvation – 2 Tim 1:12
   

2. The Lord makes a deposit with the believer in phase two, the Christian way of life and it is the deposit of the Word and Divine operating assets – 2 Tim 1:14
   

3. The believer as a Christian makes a deposit with the Lord  – Psa 55:22, 1 Pet 5:7
   

4. The believer as a Christian makes a deposit with the unbeliever – the Gospel – Rom 1:14
   

5. The believer as a Christian makes deposits with other believers, which is the communication of the Word of God – 2 Tim 2:2
   

The Teaching of Religion – Not Christianity!

Religion is the devil’s creation, his ace trump. And it is a counterfeit system.

He trains false teachers to advance idolatry.

A. Hab 2:18-19 – Idolatry
B. Matt 7:15 – Self-righteousness
C. Gal 4:17-18,  2 Tim 3:5-7 – Courts believers
D.  2 Cor 10:12 – Appeals to ego
E. 1 Tim 1:7-8 – Legalistic
F.1 John 4:1 – Satan never gives up. He will always have a false system.

“DIABOLOS” – The Devil

1. The devil is smarter than any believer and he is a genius.
   Isa 14:12-17, “How art thou fallen from Heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?”
   Ezek 28:11-19.
   Eph 2:2, “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.”
   John 8:44, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the Truth, because there is no Truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”
   1 John 3:8, “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”
   
2. His name, Lucifer, means a “great shining light,” “son of the morning,” “prince of the power of the air.” 
   Isa 14:12, “How art thou fallen from Heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!”
   
3. The devil is the ruler of this world.
   Luke 4:5, 7,  “And the devil, taking Him up into an high mountain, showed unto Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.” “If Thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be Thine.”
   John 12:31, “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.”
   John 14:30, “Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me.”
   John 16:11, “Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.”
   2 Cor 4:4, “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
   Eph 2:2, “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:”
   
4. The devil’s strategy to the unbeliever is to keep him unsaved. 
   2 Cor 4:3-4, “But if our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
   Luke 8:12, “Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the Word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.”
   2 Thes 2:9-10, “Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the Truth, that they might be saved.”
   The devil’s strategy with regard to the nations: Make them go international and knock out the four Divine Institutions.
   Rev 12:9, “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the Earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”
   Rev 20:3, “And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.”
   Rev 20:8, “And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.”
   

How Satan Attacks and Neutralizes the Body of Christ!

2 Cor 2:1, “But I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness.”

1. He accuses believers.
   Rev 12:9, “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”
   Zech 3:1, “And He showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.”
   

2. But Jesus Christ is the believers’ Advocate, Defense Attorney.
   1 John 2:1, “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.”
   

3. He keeps the believers from the Word of God. 
   1 Tim 4:1, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;”
   Eph 4:17-18, “This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.”
   2 Cor 11:3, “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”
   

4. He frustrates the will of God for the believer.
   A. Operational will – James 4:7, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
   B. Geographical will – 1 Thes 2:18, “Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.”
   C. Mental will
   

5. Encourages believers to worry. 
   1 Pet 5:7-9, “Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”
   

6. He obscures occupation with Christ. 
   1 Kings 19:10, “And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant, thrown down Thine altars, and slain Thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”
   Jer 17:4, “And thou, even thyself, shalt discontinue from thine heritage that I gave thee; and I will cause thee to serve thine enemies in the land which thou knowest not: for ye have kindled a fire in Mine anger, which shall burn for ever.”
   Heb 13:5-6, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my Helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”
   

7. The details of life, which take the place of occupation with Christ.
   

8. He gets believers involved with the social Gospel – improvement deals.
   

9. He instills a fear of death. 
   Heb 2:14-15, “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”
   

Wednesday, October 11, 2000

Luke 17:17, “Where Are the Other Nine?”

A plaintive note in this question from Jesus Christ

On the border between Samaria and Galilee, ten lepers had appeared to Christ for help. He had put their faith to the test as He commanded to go and show themselves to the priests. As they made the venture, they were all healed.

One of them, a Samaritan, turned back and rendered the homage and his thanksgiving to the Lord. Then the question was asked, and it at once proved the value He sets upon the service of thanksgiving. The glad outpouring of a grateful soul was acceptable to Him. He missed that of the nine who had faith and were healed, but forgot to return to Him with expressions of their gratitude.

We wonder whether it is not so that the Lord has been asking this same question very constantly. We are all in danger of failing to give Him the adoration which is ever due Him. We may think that our offerings of praise must be at the best poor and unworthy, but we have no right for any such cause to withhold from Him what He evidently values.

Let us neither be forgetful nor mastered by a modesty that may become pride, but rather let us with the abundance of our utmost love go to Him constantly, telling Him of our joy and gratitude. All such worship is the very incense which gladdens His heart, however amazing the fact may seem to us.

John 1:14, “Full of Grace and Truth”

On that phrase, John recorded the fact and final impression made upon him and his fellow disciples by their time of comradeship with Jesus Christ. They lived with Him and traveled with Him and they listened to His teaching and watched His works and above all observed Him in all the circumstances of the varied days. When the whole result needed to be written,  John did it by saying, ”Full of Grace and Truth.”

Here is the content of “the glory of God.” It is the unity of Grace and Truth. Here, then, we have the exposition of Grace and Truth. It is found in Jesus Christ. These two ideas should hold our minds and direct our lives. God is Grace and Truth. Not the one without the other. And not the other apart from the one.

In His government there can be no lowering of the simple and severe standard of Truth and there is no departure from the purpose and passion of Grace. To know Truth, we must know the Lord Jesus Christ and if we would apprehend Grace, we must come to the Lord Jesus Christ.

John 2:24, “Jesus Did Not Trust Himself Unto Them”

Here the verb “trust” is the same as “believed” in the preceding sentence. “Many believed on His Name.”

Their belief was not full commitment of themselves. It was intellectual conviction produced by the signs that He did. These signs convinced them of His power, and in some sense necessarily of His authority. Seeing this was so, He did not commit Himself to them fully. He could not, and this is a principle of perpetual application.

The law of the relationship between Christ and men is ever that of all for all. Christ is as great a Saviour as we make Him. When our convictions are yielded to and we surrender ourselves completely to them, He is able to give Himself to us in all His fullness. And until that is so, He cannot trust us.

This withholding of Himself is not capricious. John is careful to point out that it was based upon His knowledge of men and not upon suspicion.

How true it is that we often miss the complete joy and strength of our Christianity because by withholding ourselves from Christ, we make it impossible for Him to give Himself to us in all the fullness of His Grace and Truth.

He never casts His pearls before swine!

John 13:1, “Jesus Knowing That His Hour Had Come”

Repeatedly in this Gospel reference is found to “thee hour” of the Lord. Here the phrase finds explanation. His hour, the supreme hour of His mission, was the hour of the Cross. For that He had come into the world. It was the central fact in His mission.

Yet notice here how John refers to it. “It was the hour in which He should depart out of this world unto the Father.” It was the hour of the departure from the world, lonely, dark,  full of unutterable anguish, but it was the hour of His going to the Father.

Beyond the loneliness, there was the restoration of fellowship.
Beyond the darkness, the Eternal Light.
Beyond the anguish, that fullness of joy.

To Him, in contemplation of the hour, there was no misgiving as to the issue. In all the experience of travail He wrought as God with God. And therefore, the triumph was certain. And knowing all this, He loved His own to the uttermost.

That love was the inspiration of His going by the way of the Cross and that going was the full and final expression and activity of that love.

John 14:2, “If it Were not so, I Would Have Told You”

There are some things the Lord would not allow His Own to be in ignorance and what He was saying at that time gives us a perfect illustration. He was going away and they were all filled with sorrow. In order to help them, He told them that in His Father’s house there were many abiding places.

Absence from this world, which is one of the abiding places in the Father’s house, simply means that the Absent One is at home in some other abiding place in the one great house of God.

They were not to think of Him as having ceased to be when they could not see Him. He had only gone to another abiding place to prepare for their coming. And moreover, He would come back to receive them when they should come.

It was this that He said if it were not so, He would have told them. If this was the only place and the only life, He would have told them. 
He has not left us in doubt on any essential matter. That this is so the experience of those who have walked according His teaching proves.

Not only an abiding place, but an abiding Person.

2 Cor 5:8, “Absent from the body, and face-to-face with the Lord.”

Tuesday, October 10, 2000

12 Gates!

In the new Jerusalem, there are to be 12 gates. Rev 21:12. Jerusalem in Nehemiah’s day had 12 gates. In Neh 3 we have 10, one in 8:15,
and one in 12:39.

The number 12 in Scripture stands for God’s justice. God is fair, depicted by the 12 tribes of Israel, the 12 gates, and the principle of 12 jurors.

A significant gate is “the East Gate.” Neh 3:29, “After him repaired also Shemaiah the son of Shechaniah, the keeper of the East Gate.”

The East Gate is the gate of the sun rising to the morning without clouds when He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass and as clear shining after rain, having shown forth as the Bright and Morning Star and as such gathered His redeemed unto Himself in the clouds. He will be manifested to Israel, and the nations that are spared as the all-glorious Son of righteousness with healing in His wings. For that glad morning, weary saints have all along waited, and longed, straining their eyes to catch a first glimpse of the Bright and Morning Star.

Wicked servants have said “My Lord delayeth His coming,” but, 2 Pet 3:9, “He is not slack as some men count slackness, but He is long suffering to usward, not willing that any shall perish.”

And He will enter in through the “East Gate.”

The Secret of Daniel’s Strength!

Dan 1:8, “Daniel purposed in his mind.”

Daniel’s history is very remarkable. He was one of the captive people. And he came to occupy positions of power in three kingdoms – Babylon, Media, and Persia. This was without deflection from unswerving loyalty to the God of his fathers.

In this regard, his very first experience placed him in a grave danger. He was among the number selected for the royal service and brought into a court relationship at the very first. He was to be taught the learning and language of the Chaldeans in order that he might be attached to the person of the king. Here, indeed, was a great peril for the age of youth, so impressionable and likely to be influenced by glitter of material splendor.

But Daniel suffered nothing of the deterioration of character either then or consequently. These words give us the secret of that strength. “Daniel purposed in his mind.” This is a fine phrase revealing a conviction made dynamic by the reinforcement of the will. Having inwardly made his choice, he acted in harmony with it.

”As a man thinketh in his mind, so is he.”
”Guard your mind with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life.”

The Ignorance of a Nation!

Hosea 7:9, “He knoweth it not ... he knoweth it not.”

This chapter contains the prophet’s diagnosis of the disease of the nation. He declared that the desire of God to deal was frustrated by the pollution of the nation and its willful ignorance of God.

In all this description, there are no words more pathetic and tragic than these, twice repeated in this verse. The figure employed is that of a man whose strength is being destroyed by strangers and whose debility is manifesting itself as witnessed by his grey hairs. But he is ignorant of both things. And that said the prophet was the condition of the nation Israel.

Its strength was devoured by its alliances and the signs of decadence were patent to the outside observer but the nation was ignorant of the truth and that made the situation more difficult.

When a nation knows its weakness, it is halfway to recovery. And that is also true of a man. Can any condition be conceived of more tragic than that of this disease and decay of which the sufferer is all unconscious?

Yet how often it has been the condition of nations – our nation.

”He knoweth it not ... He knoweth it not.”

Amos 4:5, “Proclaim Freewill Offerings and Publish Them”

This chapter contains the second message introduced by the words, “Hear this Word.” Its burden was that of the summons of the Lord, found in verse 12. ”Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.” That was not a call to repentance and to such attitudes as would prevent punishment, although many preachers have used this text in that way.

It was a summons to judgment and that as punishment because there had been no change of mind. Everything in the message led up to that summons. The words we have selected occur in a passage vibrant with sarcasm, in which the prophet mocked at the futility of the spiritual observance of the polluted people.

This is the last phrase to which he referred. Freewill offerings were not obligatory. They were spontaneous. They were supposed to result from the devotion of the soul to the Lord. This was their distinctive value.

Here, then, is seen the sting of Amos’ words. These people were making such offerings, but they were publishing them and announcing them and making them known to others. The motive then was not the love of the Lord, but the desire to appear as lovers of the Lord to other men and such a motive vitiates the gift.

Psa 2:12, “Kiss the Son lest He be angry, and ye perish from the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him.”

1. This “kiss” involves recognition of who and what the Lord is – the only Saviour.
   
2. This ”kiss” involves expression of relationship, an expression of a mental attitude believing faith, love, union with Christ.
   
3. This “kiss” involves a reward, eternal life. The “kiss” is non-meritorious, just as the following are non-meritorious.
   A. Drinking. 
   B. Eating. 
   C. And, of course, kissing.
   
4. A kiss:
   A. Expresses desire – positive volition at God consciousness
   B. Expresses surrender – faith at Gospel hearing
   C. Expresses relationship – the many things that you receive at the point of salvation
   D. It always involves two people, therefore, involves a response – a response of God to faith, production.

”Kiss (believe on the Son) lest will He be angry and ye perish from the way (a believer in fellowship) when His wrath is kindled just a little while.”

And when you kiss the Son, you taste the Grace of God and Grace is poured unto His lips.

Prov 24:26, “Every Man Shall Kiss Lips That Give a Right Answer”

1. This is describing a man who wants to kiss a girl — analogy of a believer hungry for the Word of God.
   
2. The girl who responds — analogy of a believer with Doctrine, supplying the Word.
   
3. If the girl is unresponsive, it is a picture of a believer minus the Word of God, supplying human viewpoint. And the result, the man, the believer minus Doctrine but with positive volition, does not want to kiss this person, the believer minus the Word, any more.
   
4. An individual may kiss many girls without getting a great response — this is analogous to people getting great amounts of human viewpoint answers.
   
5. To get a passionate response which stimulates — is analogous to seeking the Truth, finding it, and learning the Word of God. This brings rapport.
   
6. In this analogy, the woman, who returns the kiss, is equivalent to the communication of the Word, and she fulfills the desire and the need, satisfies the thirst for the Word by providing Divine Viewpoint. The man with unfulfilled needs is the one not being satisfied with the Word.

”Kiss the Son lest He be angry.”

Zech 14:9, “And the Lord Shall be King Over All the Earth: in That Day Shall the Lord be One and His Name One”

That is the ultimate victory, the far-off Divine event to which the whole creation moves. And the realization of humanity’s highest experience of life.

That hour will come when the feet of the rejected King shall stand again upon the Mt. of Olives — no longer in the pathway of sorrows — but in recognized and acknowledged authority.

”Feet like unto burnished brass as it had been refined in a fire,” Rev 1:15

The Earth’s center of His reign will be Jerusalem — that Jerusalem so long trodden down of the Gentiles.

But at last, the city of that Great King, not only in its intention of God, but in the experience of history. The people through whom the administration of His will will be effective will be His people, Israel.

At last, cleansed from all sin and uncleanness and able to fulfill their priestly-kingly function in the world. In Christ Jesus we have had every Word of prophecy made more sure, and were there no signs in human affairs which pointed in this direction?

We should still be certain of their fulfillment. As we look on Jerusalem today in conflict, the King Himself will be there and “The Lord shall be King over all the Earth: in that day shall the Lord be One and His Name One.”

Even so come!

Monday, October 9, 2000

Looking at Life From the Divine Viewpoint

Jer 46:15, “Why are thy strong ones swept away? They stood not, because the Lord did drive them.”

The vision of the prophet was that of the victory of the army of Nebuchadnezzar over Pharaoh-Neco at Carchemish. Graphically he told the story of the preparation and advance and rout of the proud hosts of Pharaoh. Contemplating that rout, the prophet uttered this question and answer: Why were the mighty hosts of Pharaoh so overcome? That was the question.

The politicians in Judah had calculated for many years on the strength of Egypt, and believed that it would prove superior to that of Babylon. On the basis of human observation and calculation they were right. Egypt ought to have been victorious by the standards of human preparation and power. Human viewpoint!

But Egypt was delivered. Why? “They stood not because the Lord did drive them.” Divine Viewpoint!

If we are tempted as we sometimes are almost unconsciously to read these records as opinions of men in the twilight and to imagine that they were mistaken, or that the Lord is not acting today. It is well that we think seriously of WWI and WWII where Germany ought to have mastered those opposed to her. But she did not. She was broken and routed.

Why? There is but one answer and it is that of Jeremiah. “They stood not because JEHOVAH did drive them.”

And so as it is and will be, over all the policies of men and the clash of armies, He is reigning and moving forward in righteousness towards the goal of His intended purpose.

Thought for the Day

It is easier for drama today to make us cry.
It is harder for comedy today to make us laugh.
Christ can make us cry and Christ can make us laugh.
Both at the same time. We call this our so great salvation!

How? How? How? How?

Lam 4:5, “How is the gold become dim?”

The prophet had been meditating, considering, and pondering. He was about to give expression to the things which occupied his mind. The first word of the interpretation is one which means that the facts defy expression. ”How” – yet here in a sentence the whole result is gathered up and uttered before the detailed explanation. This one sentence tells the whole story.

”The gold has become dim.”

And those which follow, express the same fact in slightly varying form. ”The more pure gold is changed.” ”The stones of the sanctuary are poured out at the top of every street.” ”The precious stones of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers. The work of the hands of the potter.” That is the appalling spectacle compelling the introductory “how” and inspiring all that follows.

This is a vision of a man who saw the facts in true perspective and proportion. The tragedy of Israel’s breakdown and dissolution was created by the glory of the Divine purpose for that nation among  the nations of men. ”Gold, the most pure gold.” “Fine gold.” These were the words and phrases fittingly expressing the glory of the Divine thought and purpose for that nation among the nations of men.

But the gold had become dim, and the most pure gold was changed. The fine gold had become common earth. This is the deepest note of calamity whenever the people of God break down in loyalty and are broken down in necessary judgment.

The failure to fulfill the appointed function in the Divine economy is a more terrible thing than personal shortcoming and personal suffering.

Ezek 6:9, “I Have Been Broken With Their Whorish Heart”

The King James version says, “I am broken,” but the original says, “I have been broken.” There is no change in the verb and in each case the verb is “passive” and not active. Some commentators have changed this to active, changing it to read “I have broken their whorish heart.” Such changes are always unjustifiable and pernicious.

In this case, to change the verb is to miss one of the supreme notes of this Word of the Lord to His people. In the passive voice, the subject receives the action of the verb. Leaving the verb in its passive form, we have a revelation at once arresting and graphic of the effect of unfaithfulness of His people has upon the Lord.

The strongest figure possible is used to portray the Divine suffering. God is represented as being broken. And the suggestion is daring. But the most daring and superlative of human words are figures of speech which are needed to convey to the human mind the sufferings of the eternal love when those upon whom it is set, turns from Him in lewd or whorish practices.

The amazing truth is most vividly brought out in the prophecy of Hosea. A man who was brought into an understanding of the suffering of God by his own domestic tragedy. Go marry a harlot!

Emphasis on the Mental Attitude

Ezek 12:22, “What is this Proverb?”

This was a question of the Lord and it challenged a popular mental attitude which had expressed itself in a Proverb which ran like this, “The days are prolonged and every vision faileth.”

The mental attitude was that of unbelief of what the prophet had uttered as to the coming of judgment, and of the conviction that visions were vain. That is empty. This is negative volition to the Word of God.

God gave his servant another Proverb to contradict this one. And it ran like this, “The days are at hand and the fulfillment of every vision.” 

They also had another saying which represented another mental attitude and it ran, “The vision He seeth is for many days to come, and He prophesieth of times that are far off,” verse 27. This was the view of those who did believe in prophecy, but comforted themselves by the assurance that there would not be immediate fulfillment.

The mind of man set upon an evil course adopts one of these two expedients to comfort himself. Either he mocks at the prophet’s word, or says that fulfillment is postponed.

”What is this Proverb?” which seem to be warranted by the outlook in existing circumstances are entirely false and pernicious.

”As a man thinketh in his mind so is he.”

Ezek 18:4, ”Behold All Souls Are Mine”

This is a tremendous chapter and is of the utmost value in our modern life. It consists of the prophet’s discussion under Divine command of a false outlook on life, which had found an expression in this Proverb. ”The father hath eaten sours grapes and the children’s teeth are set on edge.”

Its present importance is created by the fact that men are still using this Proverb. And so using it so as to show that they think the proverb is true. As a matter of fact, no saying more false was ever coined. It is based upon a one-sided philosophy of heredity.

Evil, whether as a moral malady or personal suffering, is accounted for by the sins of the father. And the Proverb is at once an attempt to escape from responsibility for sin and a protest against punishment.

The false and pernicious concept is inclusively answered in these words of the prophet which he uttered as the spokeman of God.

”All souls are Mine.” And the rest of the message consists in the illustration and application of this saying. The great Truth revealed is that every individual has a relationship with God available, which is mightier than all facts resulting from physical relationships.

It may be true that in my physical being I have inherited tendencies to some forms of evil from my father, but in the fact of my essential relationship to God, there are forces available to me more and mightier than all those tendencies.

All souls are His, and that means that every soul is made for “first-hand” personal dealing with Him.

Each tub must sit on its own bottom. The soul that sins, it shall die.

God Will Judge the Politicians and Policies of This Country

Ezek 23:4, “And as for their names, Samaria is Oholah, and Jerusalem Oholibah.”

At the beginning of the message, the prophet gave the key to the application. Samaria and Jerusalem were the capitals respectively of the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Israel. These capital cities were the centers of governments, the place of the politician – like Washington D.C. This particular message was not concerned so much with the sins of the people in their evil practices, as with their “national policies.”

The whole history is passed in view. Samaria had sought alliance with Assyria and Egypt; Jerusalem with Assyria, Babylon, and Egypt. These policies had been the direct result of turning away from the Lord, and constituted attempts to secure national safety by intrigues with these nations. The nature of that sin is not set forth is this graphic chapter, but it was a sin of infidelity and of harlotry.

This was so because of the peculiar relation of the Israelitish people to the Lord. They were His creation. He had made them in a peculiar way to be a people for Himself. He had delivered them from bondage and He had given them a place and a power. They needed no defense other than Him. They owed everything to Him. Israel was separated from the nations because of her relationship to God. And for her to follow policies of alliance with these powers was to be guilty of national harlotry.

The application fits us, for we are a “holy nation unto God.”

”Ye adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God?”

The Day of Atonement in Israel is the most sacred day in the year. It is called YOM, which is day, and KIPHOR, which means covering.

On the most sacred day in the year to all Jews, what do we find happening in Jerusalem? Well, what the Lord predicted. “There will be wars and rumors of war till I come.”

… Regardless of the efforts of the United Notions and others.

Saturday, October 7, 2000

The Law of Sequence

Sequence speaks of that which follows as a consequence. “The JEHOVAH Psalm” is a beautiful illustration of this law.

The word “Lord” occurs no less than 13 times in Psalm 27. “Lord” means “the unchanging One, Who will cause things to be.”

This thought of sequence or what follows, is recognizing the Lord as the Faithful One, is seen several times.

1. First we have faith’s avowal, then faith’s blessing. ”The Lord is my light and my salvation.” And the sequence is, “Whom shall I fear?”
2. “The Lord is the strength of my life.” And the sequence is, “Of whom shall I be afraid?”
3. “I may dwell in the house of the Lord.” And the sequence is “In the time of trouble, He shall hide me in His pavilion.”
4. “When my father and my mother forsake me.” The sequence is, “The Lord will take me up.”
5. If the psalmist had not seen “the goodness of the Lord,” he would have “fainted.”
6. But the sequence of seeing that goodness was, he did not faint.
7. To “wait on the Lord” is to find the sequence of “good courage” and to have the soul strengthened.

The Law of Eclipse!

An eclipse is one thing overshadowing another, and blotting it out of the one of vision. The epistle to the Hebrews illustrates the law. The word “better” is one of the key words of the epistle.

1. Christ is better than the angels because of what He is what He has obtained. Heb 1:4, 8.
2. Christ is better than Moses because the Son is higher than the servant. Heb 3:1-6.
3. Christ’s priesthood is better than that of Aaron because it is not passed on to another, but it is concentrated and consolidated in Himself. Heb 5:1-10.
4. Christ brings in a better hope than the law could give. Heb 7:7.
5. And a better covenant. Heb 7:22, 8:6.
6. And better promises and better sacrifices. Heb 8:6, 9:23.
7. And Grace bestows a better substance than can be obtained on Earth. Heb 10:34

And we also find in the Christian regime a better coming and a better resurrection. Heb 11:16, 35, 40.

So, the next time you see an eclipse, well you will be reminded that Jesus Christ eclipses everything.

The Law of Resemblance

The resemblance between Christ and the believers in Christ

He is the Son of God. We are the sons of God.
He is the Living Stone. We are living stones.
He is the Light of the world. We are lights to shine in the world.
He is the Faithful and True Witness. We are witnesses.
He is the Branch. And we are the branches.
He is the Heir of God. And we are joint-heirs.

Christ is Called “The Son of God” and the “Son of Man”

But the word TEKNON, for son, means a descendent. It is not used when he is so-called.

He is not a descendent of God. He is God. He is not a descendent of man, for his humanity was a product of God the Holy Spirit. Luke 1:35.

The word HUIOS used of Christ as the “Son of God” and the “Son of man” denotes adoption, and therefore refers to the place He assumed as the “Son of man” who came to seek and to save lost humanity.

The importance in understanding the words of the Holy Spirit is to have the key to unlock their secrets. By not using the word TEKNON for Christ as a son, we know that He is not descendent from God and He is not descendent from man. He is the God-man.

P.S. There is not letter “H” in the Greek language. What they use is a breathing mark. “ ‘ “

God is Said to Have Specifically Spoken in Christ!

The climax of all revelation is Christ Himself. Heb 1:2, “For God hath in these last days spoken to us by His Son.”

All those who proceeded Him were but foregleams of Christ and all the modes and methods by which God revealed Himself in the past were but shadows of Christ, the Living Substance.

He is said to be ”The Word,” John 1:1-3 – the thought of God is resident in Him. Therefore, to see Him is to see and understand the Father.

The word LOGOS for”word,” makes known the fact that all that He did, and said, is doing, and will do, is the living thought of God in action. How important then to listen to Christ’s Words about His Words.

He says “The Words that I speak unto you are Spirit and Life,” therefore, to feed on them is to find the true bread and drink. John 6:53, 63.

Christ Claimed to be the Mouthpiece of God

There is no doubt about the sense and substance of the following words of our Lord, “He that hath seen Me seeth Him that sent Me.”

”He that rejected Me and receiveth not My Words, hath One that judgeth him.”
”The Word that I have spoken.”
”For I have not spoken of Myself, but the Father that sent Me, a command what I should speak.”
”I know that His commandment is life everlasting.”
”Whatsoever I speak, therefore even as the Father said unto Me, so I speak,” John 12:45-60.

These words about the Word, Christ uttered are prefaced by His claim to be the Light of the world. He came as the Light to illuminate the darkness.

The word “He hath spoken” is claimed to be “The One” through Whom the message of God is expressed.

We therefore cannot reject the Words of Jesus Christ without ignoring the thought of God and excluding the Light. The sun of God’s being shines forth in the rays of His Son.

”This is My Beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased. Hear ye Him!”

God is Said to Speak Through the Medium of Words

A vivacious schoolmistress from Boston, in talking with E.E. Marsh, a Bible teacher, on the ill-fated steamer, the Lusitania, said in referring to the inspiration of the Scriptures, ”I believe God gave the ‘concepts’ to the writers of the Bible and that they clothed the thoughts with their own words.” E.E. Marsh replied, “How am I to know what is the ‘concept’ of your thoughts, if you do not tell me in words.” She said, “You cannot.” Then he asked the question, “Won’t you give God the same privilege? How can I know what is in His mind if He does not express Himself in words?”

Again and again in the Books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and others, we have the explanatory sentence, “For the Lord hath spoken.”

When the prophet Isaiah gave his solemn charge to Judah, he prefaced it by saying, “Hear O heavens and give ear O Earth, for JEHOVAH hath spoken.”

And when he closed his charge with a warning of the consequence if they “refuse and rebel,” he said, “For the mouth of JEHOVAH hath spoken it.”

At the declaration of the uselessness of Moab to pray, the prophet announces, “This is the Word JEHOVAH hath spoken concerning Moab.”

And further says, “But now JEHOVAH hath spoken saying within three years the glory of Moab shall become contemned.”

All because the Lord hath spoken it!

Friday, October 6, 2000

The Law of Repetition! Repetition is Theological Glue

Three times Christ uses the sentence, “cannot be My disciple,” in laying down the conditions of discipleship. Luke 14:26, 27, 33

Three times Christ reminded the Jews of the consequences of unbelief namely, they would “die in their sins.” ”And whither I go, ye cannot come,” John 8:21, 24

And three times Christ asked Peter the question, “Lovest thou Me?” John 21:15-17

The Prophesy of Amos!

Eight times in the prophecy of Amos in connection with eight people, we have the peculiar sentence, “For three transgressions and for four I will not turn away the punishment thereof.” Amos 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 13, 2:1, 4, 6

Then follows a reason why God dealt in punishment with the several parties which are associated with the eight times God uses the word “because.”

Repetition is theological glue.

The Law of Double — Divine Side and Human Side

It is said of the wise woman that all her garments are double, Prov 31:21.

There is always the Divine side and the human side. God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility. John 6:37.

We are justified before God through faith in Christ without any works, Rom 3:28. But we justify our faith before men by our works, James 2:14-26.

Christ said that our union with Him is double and He says, “Ye in Me and I in you,” John 14:20. Our privilege is to be in Him and the secret of our power is He is in us.

The double of acceptance is seen when we recall that believers are “Accepted in the Beloved,” Eph 1:6. And we are acceptable to the Lord when we do those things which are well pleasing to Him, 2 Cor 5:9.

The double of love is brought out in John 3:16 and 1 John 3:16. God provided His love to us by giving His Son. And we prove our love to one another by compassionate help.

We have the double of assurance when we confess our sins for He is faithful and just to forgive them, 1 John 1:9. He is not only “faithful,” but He is also “just,” that is, He is faithful in His love and righteous in His act.

The importance of recognizing the two sides of any given thing is paramount for what  God has joined together, let no man put asunder.

A Full Revelation of Faith is Given in Hebrews Chapter 11

The characteristics of faith are like this:

1. The nature of faith.
   It makes the unseen real.
2. The objective of faith and the basis of faith.
   The Word of God and the God of the Word.
3. The activities of faith in the several persons mentioned and what they did.
4. The excellencies of faith and its rewards.
   For faith honors God to His glory and God honors faith to its benefit and reward.
   

The Law of Full Mention!

The prophecy of Christ’s passionate propitiation as detailed in Isa 53 gives us a wonderful unfolding of the sufferings of our Saviour.

Who can estimate such pregnant and richly laden sentences as:
”A Man of sorrows, acquainted with grief”
”Borne our griefs”
”Carried our sorrows”
”Wounded for our transgressions”
”Bruised for our iniquities”
”With His stripes we are healed”
”Laid on Him the iniquity of us all”
”Cut off out of the land of the living”
”For the transgressions of My people was He stricken”
”It pleased the Lord to bruise Him”
”Put Him to grief”
”Made His soul an offering for sin”
”He shall bear iniquities”
”Poured out His soul unto death”
”Bear the sins of many”

Notice: sins, iniquities, and transgressions. This means literally, to miss the mark, to revolt, and to be perverted.

This law of full mention can be found for the student of the Bible in:
Psa 22 – the sufferings of Christ
John 10 – the Good Shepherd
John 14, 15, 16 – the Person and the work of God the Holy Spirit
2 Cor 7:8-22 – the nature of true confession.

The Bees of Scripture

Seven passages where we find the word “be” occurring illustrates the Law of Command.

”Be holy,” 1 Pet 1:15, of consecration
”Be perfect,” 2 Cor 13:11, of adjustment
”Be strong,” Eph 5:10, of equipment
”Be patient,” James 4:7, of endurance
”Be sober,” 1 Pet 1:13, of conduct
”Be vigilant,” 1 Pet 5:8, of watchfulness
”Be ye separate,” 2 Cor 6:14-17, of holiness

What a beehive and what honey!

The Lord Commands our Obedience That we May Enjoy His Blessings

Precepts are coupled with God’s promises that we may enjoy the latter through our practice.

”If ye love Me, ye will keep My commandments,” John 14:15

Thursday, October 5, 2000

John 14:6, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No One Cometh Unto the Father but by Me.”

What a life this life is!

We cannot measure its infinitude.
We cannot sound its depth.
We cannot reach its height.
We cannot comprehend its far-reachingness.
But we can rejoice in Him.

Who says, “I am the Life” and be “looking for the mercy of our God, unto eternal life.”

Expiation and Expectation!

Of Christ’s atoning death in the past and His outlook in the future. It is declared in Heb 10:12-13, “But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sin for ever, sat down on the right hand of God from henceforth expecting till His enemies be made His footstool.”

”Expiation” means to make reparation for wrong done, or to give satisfaction for an evil committed. What the seraph said to Isaiah, ”Thy sin is purged” might be rendered, “Thy sin is expiated, or atoned for.” Christ’s offering is said to be ”for our sins,” that is HUPER, on behalf of our sins, in answering for them.

The offering of Christ, His perfect life crowned by a willing death in which He fulfilled the destiny of man and bore the punishment of human sin, is that, and by and in, which every human life finds its consummation. There is infinite value in that death because of the value of His infinite worth, for it was in the eternal value of His eternal spirit He offered Himself without spot to God and so brought an eternal benefit to us.

”After He had offered one sacrifice for sins, forever sat down.”

The work of His atoning death being finished, He will never rise up to open the question of atonement for sin again. For His one offering once for all offered is complete and eternal.

Twofold Life!

John 10:10, “I am come that ye might have life.”
Col 3:4, “When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory.”

The positive message of the Gospel is eternal life. And that is beyond the limitations of time. It belongs to the being of God and finds its consummation in the transforming vision of the Son seen as He is. It cannot be separated from Himself.

Therefore, His coming was crowned by His Passover and exaltation, where His life was made available for others through death.

Eternal life is not an endless duration of being in time, but being of time which is not a measure. Life for a finite creature is union with Christ. Eternal life belongs to the being of God.

Christ is the embodiment. Union with God by means of Christ is its meaning and what we shall be when we are like Christ is its consummation.

The Sweep and Substance of His Power is Apprehended as we Ponder the Seven Words in Ephesians

Power  Greatness  Exceeding  Power  Might  Working   Wrought

Power in verse 19 signifies an inherent quality, and the manifestation of power in action.

Greatness is derived from a word which means magnitude and magnificence – the Great God, the Great High Priest, the Great Shepherd.

Exceeding is a compound word, one part meaning that which is over and above, and the other part meaning to throw, to go beyond a given point.

Power the second time it is the manifestation of power as when He showed strength with His arm.

Mighty expresses inherent power and we speak of a statesman as being wise, a soldier being valiant, and a powerful person as being strong.

Working and wrought: These words come from the same source, and they denote right and might with the added thought of efficiency.

The Divine power which raised Christ from the dead is the same power which operates in the believer’s salvation. No other power can meet the case.

Rom 1:16, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation, to everyone who believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

“The Son of Man Came Not to be Ministered Unto, But to Minister, and to give His Life a Ransom for the Many,” Matt 20:28

The climax of His ministry was to give His life. There was no compulsion upon Him. He gave His life. Willingly and lovingly, He deliberately laid down His life. And that vicariously, that is instead of  “the many.”

Thus, did His last act show forth the ministry of all His ministry. That ministry was not a general serving, but refers to the specific act of His death.

He gave Himself as a ransom and this denotes a payment equivalent for a life destroyed, Exodus 21:30, and a propitiation for sin, Job 33:24.

One of the most wonderful promises of Christ is when He promises us “to come forth and serve” those servants whom He finds faithful watching for His return and watching with loins girded and trimmed lamps, Luke 12:35-40

We would be content to kiss His feet in humble submission and adoration. “But that He should come forth and serve us,” and His coming in turn to each, is beyond our conception. When love is appreciated by whole-hearted devotion, it commands the service of special regard.

The two ministries of Christ. Come to save and come to serve.

Ephesians Chapter Two Opens With Significant Words

“And you,” and if the italicized words are left out, “hath He quickened.”

It will give clearness of the thought that as the dead body of Christ was quickened by the powerful act of God, so that that same power is needed to quicken us from the death of sin.

What the Lord has wrought for us is brought out in Ephesians chapter two, if we ponder what we were and what we are.

Dead ........ Quickened
Walking after the world ....... Walking in love
Children of disobedience ........ United to Christ, etc.

Make the many contrasts going from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of the Son of His love.

“For by One Offering He Hath Perfected Forever Them That are Sanctified”

His perfect act brings unto a perfect state. Therefore, there is no need for Christ to rise again from His Father’s throne. For since sin has been remitted on the ground of a perfect sacrifice, there is no more offering for sin, Heb 10:18.

The virtue of Christ’s work remains ever available as long as the need of man exists. That need is eternal and that eternal need is met by the eternal Offerer, who offered a sacrifice eternal in its value. Therefore He could not die again, and will not rise again to repeat His atoning work.

”Forever sat down”
The words refer to an enduring state more than to a past act and Heb 10:18 confirms this.

The Father’s Two Sendings

Without referring to the 43 times in John’s Gospel which speak of Christ being sent by the Father, we recall the two sentences to which Peter refers in his second sermon after Pentecost. ”God sent Him to bless you” and that in a specific way “by turning away everyone of you from his iniquities.”

And thus by means of the One who died and rose again, but of that same One it is also declared, “He shall send Jesus Christ.” Lest there should be any doubt that the sending is in the future, Peter further declares, “Whom the Heavens must receive until the times of restitution,” Acts 3:20-26.

The Father’s first sending of Christ was that by means of Him salvation might be provided for the world, John 3:17

But His second sending is that the covenant with Abraham about the land of Palestine might be fulfilled. And His covenant with David might be completed, and the other things of “the times of restoration” or “restitution,” spoken by the prophets might be consummated.

The Cross and the Throne!

Flowing from Christ’s perfect expiation for sin is an outlook of expectancy of complete triumph over His enemies. ”Henceforth expecting till His enemies be made His footstool.” The word used for ”expecting” is used only of ”one waiting” for another. It is translated ”waited for,” “tarry for,” “look for.”

The impotent folk were ”waiting” for the moving of the water by the angel, John 5:3.

Paul ”waited for” and was content to ”look for” certain brethren, Acts 17:16.

1 Cor 16:11, “Brethren were exhorted to ”tarry one for another” when they remembered the Lord’s death.” 1 Cor 11:33.

Abraham ”looked for” a city whose Builder was God,” Heb 11:10.

The husbandman ”waited for the fruit of his toil,” James 5:7.

God ”waited” in the days of Noah for men to change their minds. 1 Pet 3:20

And Christ is waiting till His enemies shall be subject to Him.

Two Visibilities!

The fact of Christ being seen is one of the essentialities of the Gospel. The testimony of the apostles is beyond doubt or question.

John’s witness is ”We have seen with our eyes,” “We behold His glory,” 1 John 1:1, John 1:14

Simeon exclaimed as he held the infant Christ in his arms, “Mine eyes have seen Thy Salvation,” Luke 2:26, 30

The people “saw the mighty works which He did,” Luke 19:37

And after His resurrection, “He showed Himself alive ... by many infallible proofs being seen of them 40 days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. Those who saw Him saw an actual Person and not an apparition.

The actuality of the Christ of the past is a prophecy of the Christ of the future. “We shall see Him.” “They shall look upon Him whom they have pierced,” Zech 12:10

The Divine declaration is “Every eye shall see Him,” Rev 1:7.

The Divine Power is Demonstrated in Ephesians in Two Ways

First, in the resurrection of Christ from the dead. Second, in the salvation of the believer.

In Christ’s resurrection, Eph 1:18-20, there are three “whats” which are of meaningful importance which the Holy Spirit’s illumination enables us to see.

1. “What” is the hope of His calling.
2. “What” is the riches of the glory of His inheritance.
3. “What” is the greatness of His power.

The hope of His calling is what we will have when the Lord has accomplished all of His purpose.
The riches of His inheritance is what the Lord has in His people.
The greatness of His power is what He demonstrated in Christ’s resurrection on our behalf and what He can do for us and in us.

Wednesday, October 4, 2000

Matt 18:12, “What Think Ye?”

In this question, we have an instance of a method which our Lord often adopted in His teachings, which is arresting, and most suggestive.

It was of appealing to men to test Divine actions by their own. And in doing this, He was assuming man’s capacity for understanding God. His assumption was based on upon His knowledge of human nature. He knew its depravity and once in making use of this very method of appeal, He declared it as He said, “If ye then being evil.”

Nevertheless, He also knew that if men could be brought to true thinking, to reasoning with God, He could understand God. In one sense this was a superlative instance, for here He was interpreting God’s attitude toward the lost and He appealed to that instinct in man, “any man,” as He said, which send Him out to the mountain to seek the one sheep which had gone astray.

We cannot argue the ways of God from the ways of men. But we may be perfectly sure that the ways of God may be illustrated to men by what they will understand of themselves, if they will think simply and truly.

”Guard your mind with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.”
”As a man thinketh in his mind so is he.”
”With the mind man believeth unto salvation.”

Matt 20:22, “Ye Know Not What Ye Ask”

How constantly this is true of praying, even when it is seeking for the highest things. These men, when they preferred this request, were on a higher level of desire than they had ever reached before.

Carefully observe the contrast. He had just been telling them of His coming shame and death and also of His resurrection. And it was then that they asked association with Him in His coming power. It was a request born of faith, and characterized by the noblest
aspirations.

Yet they did not know what they asked. They did not understand the cost. They did not understand the principle of precedence in that kingdom.

So it is often with us. The desires we express are well-born and in so far, they are worthy. But our very limitation makes it impossible for us to know whether they can be granted.

God is always dealing with His own individually. But always also with a view toward their place in a much larger whole of His complete and final purpose. Therefore, one element of prayer cannot be omitted in true prayer and that is submission.

We must believe when we pray, not only that God is generous. To believe that only  will make us doubt it, when He denies. We must also believe in His perfect wisdom and justice. And to do so will enable us to praise Him with equal sincerity whether He gives or refuses to do so.

Matt 24:25, “Behold I Have Told You Beforehand”

In these Words, our Lord reveals to His disciples then and for all time, the real value of these prophetic utterances at the close of His public ministry. He saw the end from the beginning and all the processes leading thereto. He was under no delusion as to the strength of evil forces to be dealt with before the final and perfect establishment of the Day of the Lord.

He declared things beforehand that we might also be free from all such delusion and that through all the periods and processes of catastrophe and deceit, our souls could be kept firm and faithful to Him in the assurance of His knowledge.

The perspective of prediction is at all times perplexing, and it is certainly so in these forebodings of Christ. The general principles and facts are perfectly plain, and concerning them we can make no mistake. Wars, distresses, false prophets, and false Christs are to continue and multiply until the coming of the Son of Man.

If this view of the course of events is not consonant with human ideas of how things ought to happen, it is certainly true to the actual facts of history and experience until now.

We may rest assured that He whose predictions have been verified completely so far, was not mistaken about the consummation. The Son of Man is surely coming  and when He comes, there will be no mistaking the facts.

Let us not be seduced from our loyalty to Him by any false Christ.

The “AND” in its frequent occurrence in Gen 32-31 gives us a series of connective sentences which bind the incident recorded in a simple sequence.

”And he rose up that night”
”And he took his two wives”
”And his two women servants”
”And his eleven sons.”
”And passed over the ford Jabbok”
”And he took them”
”And sent them over the book”
”And sent them over that he had.”
”And Jacob was left alone.”
”And there wrestled a Man with him”
”And when he saw that he prevailed not against Him, He touched the hollow of his thigh.”
”And the hollow of his thigh was out of joint.
”And He said unto him, Let Me go.”
”And he said, I will not let Thee go except Thou bless me.”
”And He said unto him, What is thy name?”
”And he said, Jacob.”
”And He said thy name shall no more be called Jacob.”
”And thou hast prevailed.”
”And Jacob asked Him.”
”And He blessed him there.”
”And Jacob called the place Peniel, for I have seen God face to face.”
”And my life is spared.”
”And as he passed over Peniel, the sun rose upon him.”
”And he halted upon his thigh.”

Take but two sentences in their connection and sequence. “And Jacob was left alone.” “And there wrestled a Man with him.”
What is the thought? Jacob had to be left alone before the Lord could deal with him.

John 15:2, “Every Branch in Me That Beareth Not Fruit He taketh away.”

The expression “taketh away” is from the Greek word AIRO, which means to “take up” or “lift up” and this is the root meaning of the word.

Examples of its being thus translated are found in these passages:
Matt 9:6, “Take up thy bed and go.”
Mark 10:21, “Take up the Cross and follow Me.”
Acts 20:9, “He was taken up dead.”
John 11:41, “Jesus lifted up His eyes.”
John 8:59, “Then took they up stones to cast.”
Rev 10:5, “The angel lifted up his head.”

Now, how beautiful the meaning of our Lord Jesus Christ becomes when once His Words are understood in the light of Scripture.

Institutions That Are Types

1. The Sabbath, that of rest, Gen 2:2, Heb 4:9

2. The Passover, of deliverance, Ex 12:11-28, 1 Cor 5:7

3. The Firstfruits, of resurrection, Lev 23:10, 1 Cor 15:23

4. The Trumpet of Christ’s coming, Lev 23:24, 1 Cor 15:52, 1 Thes 4:16

5. The Pentecost of the Spirit, Lev 23:15-21, Acts 2:1

6. The Tabernacle of the Millennium, Lev 23:33-36, Zech 14:16, Matt 17:4

7. The Jubilee of Israel, Lev 25, Isa 60:1-3, Luke 4:18-19
   

Tuesday, October 3, 2000

How We Can Limit God!

Psa 78:41, “Yea, they turned back and tempted God and limited the Holy One of Israel.”

We limit God in these ways:

The power of free will limiting the omnipotence of God.

Isa 46:4, “I Have Made and I Will Bear”

In this context we have the difference between the gods of Babylon, Bel and Nebo, and the Lord. There is nothing in Biblical literature more powerful than this chapter in its unveiling of the essential differences between false gods and the true God.

With the finest poetic imagery and passion, the prophet pictured the false gods of Babylon and so all false gods as being made by men, carried by the men who made them, to be set in place by these men and unable to move from the place where they are so placed, and incapable of answering those that worshipped them in days of distress.

Over against that the great Truth about the Living God is graphically and beautifully expressed in these words that we have cited. He makes and He carries, “I have made and I will bear.”

An idol is that which a man makes and has to carry. The True God makes the man and carries him.

Isa 51:1, “Hearken Unto Me Ye That Follow After Righteousness, Ye That Seek the Lord”

These words introduce us to what is aptly described as oracles of short impassioned oracles. And they continue to verse 12 of the next chapter. They are full of abounding joy and confidence resulting from the vision of the servant of the Lord in perfect fellowship with the Lord.

First, there are three messages to the remnant of souls, who amid abounding apostasy, are loyal to the Throne and love righteousness. They begin with “Hearken unto Me,” verse 1. “Attend unto Me,” verse 4. “Hearken unto Me,” verse 7. And call such souls to look to the Rock, and attend to the Word, which is salvation, and to know no fear.

Then follow three messages, each beginning ”Awake, awake.” In the first, it is the cry of the nation for Divine intervention and it is answered. “I, even I, am He that comforteth you,” verses 9-16. Then it is the call of the Lord to His people recognizing the sufferings resulting from sin, but promising deliverance, verses 17-23.

Finally, it is the call of the Lord especially answering the call of His people. They had said, “Awake, awake, and put on strength, O Arm of JEHOVAH.” He replied, “Awake,  awake, put on thy strength, O Zion” and again promised redemption, Isa 52:1-7.

Monday, October 2, 2000

Psa 47:7, “God is the King of All the Earth”

This tremendous Truth is the burden of this song. In the previous Psalm, God was seen as a Refuge for His own people, but the Word of God recorded in the 10th verse of Psa 46 is seen as  triumphant and the outlook is wider. The whole Earth is in view. And the song opens with a call to all the nations to recognize God as King. His own people are still in view as those to whom His power is to be demonstrated. But He is seen as reigning over all the nations.

The princes are referred to as the shields of the Earth. And they are declared to belong to God. We are in danger of thinking about God as reigning only in the future. “Thy  kingdom come,” but there is a sense in which God is now reigning and King of all the Earth. He reigns in absolute sovereignty and power. Neither nations nor individuals can escape His sovereignty, or from the compelling pressure of that power.

Notice, “Sing ye praises with understanding.” He establishes His authority upon our understanding. Reigns.

“Precious”

There are three things said to be “precious” in the New Testament. The Greek word for “precious” is TIMÉ, and it means most highly prized, most valuable, and most costly and most honorable.

1. The precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. Exceeding great and precious promises.
3. Like precious faith.

”Without faith it is impossible to please Him” in anything. And we appropriate Christ and His promises by faith.

Love of Right-Man and Right-Woman!

S.O.S 8:4, “I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that you stir not up, nor awaken love, until it please.”

When this great song is carefully set out, it is found to consist in the main of words of the bride and the bridegroom. And there seems to be another voice in it, the voice of wisdom, which utters a warning that is needful, and that is made powerful by the matchless love story.

What is the warning?

That love is so sacred a thing that it must not be trifled with. It is not to be sought. It stirs and awakens of itself. To trifle with the capacity of it is to destroy that very capacity. This is the evil of all philandering.

Only if these words could be sung into the deepest souls of all young men and women. The tragedies of disobedience to the warnings are everywhere.

There is an application in the higher realm with our relationship to the Lord. That is trying to force the love of Christ on others. Our privilege is to introduce our Loved One, and our friends to Christ, but they must fall in love with Him by themselves.

God is Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Omniscient, Immutable, and Eternal

How can weak, frail creatures like us “limit Him?”

Psa 78:41, “Yea, they turned back and tempted God, limited the Holy One of Israel.” The Holy One of Israel is the Lord Jesus Christ.

How can we limit Him? Well, there are several ways and I don’t know if I should say how you can. You may do it, but then again you may be doing it now.

Tune in next time on how we limit the Rock of Ages.

Sunday, October 1, 2000

Psa 25:3, “Yea, None That Wait on Thee Shall be Ashamed.”

This is not a petition as the King James Version renders it, but an affirmation of confidence.

And it is a first in the series running though the song. That is the reason for this emphasis. The whole song is of a soul burdened with a sense of need, and pouring out the tale of the need before the Lord. Its atmosphere, however, is that of complete confidence and of assured faith.

The movement of the Psalm is that of alternation between petitions and expressions of complete certainty about God. Thus, it becomes a pattern for prayer for children of God in all circumstances of need, whether that need is created by the opposition of foes, or by personal wrongdoing. In such cases, the soul may come to God and in His presence speak of the burden which rests upon it. It may do so with every assurance on the basis of the faith, that after all is the deepest thing in its experience.

This exercise of the affirmation of faith is of the greatest value.

Psa 33:4, “For the Word of the Lord is Right and All His Work is Done in Faithfulness”

This Psalm is patently a sequel to the preceding one. It is a response to the call to praise with which that closes. It starts exactly upon the same note, and continues to the end upon the same strain. In these words, the reason for praise is inclusively declared, and everything which follows is its illustration so declared.

His Word is right. And His work is ever in faithfulness. That is it is consonant with His Word.

First this is illustration to His government, verse 5
Then His might and majesty are revealed in creation, verses 6-9
Next His overruling in national affairs, verses 10-11
Then in His special government of His own people, verses 12-22

In all this we find our true secret of confidence and joy.

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