Divine Sugar Sticks for August 2000

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Thursday, August 31, 2000

Mutual Keeping. Mutual Security!

The double grip of Grace tells us that love’s fingers are interlaced in the warmth of their embrace for the keeping of the sheep in the place of the Lord’s preservation.

For the Lord assures us we are not only in His hand, but “My Father, who gave them, He is greater than all.”

”And no one is able to pluck them out of My Father’s hand,” John 10:29

Preserved in the hand of power, we are kept safe from sin’s pollution.

Mutual Indwelling!

There is a mystic union between the sons and the “Son” with the “Father.”

Wonderful are the words:
”Ye shall know that I am in the Father” and "Ye in Me” and “I in you.”

And to those who know Him by their obedience, Christ further says,
”If a man love Me, he will know my words” and “My Father will love him.”
”And We will come into him, and make Our abode with him,” John 14:20-23

The  word “abode” is the same as rendered “mansion” in John 14:2

God’s home is in the obedient child and the obedient child is at home in God.

Mutual Bestowment!

“Behold I send the promise of My Father upon you,” Luke 24:49

The purpose of the Father culminated in the passion of the Son. And the passion of the smitten Son brought the power of the Spirit’s Grace, even as the struck rock of Horeb resulted in the gushing water.

Mutual Thought!

“In My Father’s house there are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you,” John 14:2

The place Christ is preparing is in the house of the Father’s many mansions, abodes. The home-coming of the children from the school of Grace of life will find many surprises of the Father’s thinking and planning and the Son’s working.

”You believe in God. Believe also in Me,” John 14:1

Mutual Work!

Christ speaks of “My Father’s business,” Luke 2:49

And the works He did as done “in My Father’s Name,” John 10:25

He says, “My Father worketh hitherto and I work,” John 5:17

The sphere of His service, the authority for His action, the plan which He followed, the business in which He was engaged, and the fellowship of His work were all begun, continued and ended from, in, through, with, and to the Father.

”I do always those things which please Him.”
”This is My Beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased.”
”It is finished.”

“My Father”

The many times that Jesus Christ uses the phrase “My Father,” you will find them in one of two relationships. Either in the fellowship of Their mutual love or in Their mutual service.

Or else They are mutually acting for believers.

Mutual work, Mutual purpose, Mutual keeping, Mutual indwelling, Mutual obedience, Mutual bestowment, Mutual thought.

“The Father”

When Christ uses the expression “the Father,” the exclusiveness of His being is emphasized as

”He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father,” John 14:9

To the sovereignty of His Grace — “No man cometh to Me except the Father draw him,“ John 6:44
To the claim of His Deity — “Worship the Father,” John 4:21
To the revelation of His love — “The Only Begotten of the Father, full of Grace and Truth,” John 1:14
To the holiness of His love — “The Father loveth,” John 3:35
To the power of His Spirit — “Whom the Father will send in My Name,” John 14:26
And to the character of Christ’s service — “The Father which sent Me,” John 12:49, 14:24

The Father as “the Father” is referred to again and again in the Gospel of John. Take one section, namely, John 5:19-21, as illustrating the Father in relation to the exclusiveness of His being as the source of all things.

Verse 19, “The Son can do nothing of Himself but what He seeth the Father do.”
Verse 20, “For the Father loveth the Son and sheweth Him all things.”
Verse 21, “For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them, so the Son quickeneth whom He will.”

The Title “EL-SHADDAI”

 EL-SHADDAI means “the Almighty God.” It occurs eight times in the Old Testament. SHADDAI means “mighty,” and occurs 40 times in the Old Testament. EL occurs 48 times. SHADDAI occurs 31 times in the book of Job.

The Hebrew word SHADDAI comes from the root SHAD, which means a breast. And it is so rendered in

Gen 49:25, “Even by the God of thy fathers who shall help thee, and by the Almighty who shall bless thee with blessings of the deep, that lieth under blessings of the breasts and of the womb.” This is the first time this word occurs.

The world “Almighty” is in the plural. But the title, EL, is in the singular. So, again, we have Trinity in unity. And yet only one Divine Personality.

The Almighty God!

The first time that is used is in Gen 17:1.

Abram had been walking before Sarah for 13 years in scheming to get the promised seed according to her idea, when God comes to His servant, and says, ”I am the Almighty God. Walk before Me and be thou perfect.”

He says in so many ways, I am all-sufficient to perform My promise without your projects.
Impossibilities according to man are possible according to God.

The last time “God Almighty” is mentioned in the Bible is in relation to judgment, when Christ is described as the One ”Who treadeth the winepress of the fierceness of the Almighty God,” Rev 19:15

God is all-bountiful to supply the need of His people. His promise is sure. His Grace is sufficient. His love is satisfying. His Truth is sanctifying. His joy is uplifting. His Word is certain. And He Himself is enough.

But it is equally true He is “all-powerful” to crush the devil, to destroy the Anti-Christ, and to overthrow evil, to stamp down oppression, and to consign the wicked to their own place.

”God Almighty”

Wednesday, August 30, 2000

Thought for the Day!

This is My Beloved Son
in Whom I am well-pleased.
Hear ye Him!

The Father!

The Father’s Unfolding — John 1:1-14

“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. And the Word took on flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory as the Only Begotten of the Father, full of Grace and Truth.”

The Divine Word reveals the loving Father in His Grace and Truth. “The Law came by Moses, but Grace and Truth came by the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Christ is all He was in the living expression of what the Father is.

The Gospel opens with the Son in the Father’s bosom. And before it closes, it reveals a saved sinner in the bosom of the Father.

John 1:18, “No man hath seen God at any time. The Only Begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him.”
John 13:25, “He then lying on Jesus’ breast, saith unto Him, Lord who is it?”

The Father’s House — John 2:16

When the Son comes to the Father’s house, He finds it polluted and possessed by religious sinners.

Cleansing is the first act. For there can be no compact in Grace until the usurper is cast out from his government.

John 2:16, “And said unto them that sold doves, take these things hence make not My Father’s house an house of merchandise.”

Jesus Christ could have had peace in His time when He walked in and saw the money changers by just walking out. But He didn’t. Because peace is not the answer. Righteousness is the answer. Peace must always follow righteousness.

The Father’s Trust — John 3:35

The Beloved Son has given to Him the wealth of the Father’s treasure. Adam was trusted and failed. Christ was trusted and was faithful.

The Gospel reveals Christ as constantly “giving.” Look up His “I gives.” He has so much to give the “sons” because as the Son, He has received all the treasures of the Father.

John 3:35, “The Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into His hand.”

”I give.” Love always gives.

The Father’s Worship — John 4:23

The spirit nature of the Father, God is a Spirit, seeks the spiritual worship of His children.

The locality of place and the hollowness of form are not recognized by Him, while the heart of faith and the reality of love’s gratitude are food and satisfaction to His being.

John 4:23, “But the hour cometh and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.”

John 4:24, “God is a Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth.”

The Father’s Will — John 5:17-42

There breathes through Christ’s references to His Father, working, loving, honouring, committing, sending, witnessing, and fitting, one thought …

Namely … His delight to do all the Father wishes.

He wills and walks in His Father’s will, therefore, the Father is with Him in all His ways.

John 5:19, “Then answered Jesus, and said unto them, Verily, Verily I say unto you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do, for what things soever He doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.”

Tuesday, August 29, 2000

What is the Church?

The ascended Lord is the “Head of the Church,” His body, Eph 1:22, 5:23

Love is the motive and moving power of the Church and the members are to love one another “as Christ loved the Church,” Eph 5:2, 25

Prayer is the life of the Church, the power that brings release even as it did with imprisoned Peter when praying was made “without ceasing of the Church unto God,” Acts 12:5

Worship of the Lord is the privilege of the Church and Christ is ever the “One in the midst of the Church” leading her in praise to God. Heb 2:12

The Church is responsible as well as privileged to “Come together, to remember the Lord’s death,” 1 Cor 11:18-26

”Edification,” or the building of each other up, “is the role of the Church.” Therefore, the keynote of all ministry in the Church. 1 Cor 14:5, 12, 19

Unity of action is the responsibility of the Church. There is to be “No schism in the body,” but each member is to tarry one for the other and hold the Head by recognizing the members in mutual help and assemblage. 1 Cor 11:18-22, Eph 4:16

The Truth of God is in the custody of the Church. Therefore, “The Church is the pillar and ground of the Truth.” 1 Tim 3:15

God Himself is the Center and Circumference of the Church. The Church is called, “The Church of God,” and it is said to be, “in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ,” and it is also “the Church of the Firstborn.” 1 Cor 1:2, 1 Thes 1:1, Heb 12:23

”The glory of God is the end of the Church. It displays His manifold wisdom and is to be His manifested glory,” Eph 3:10, 21, 5:27

The Law of the Spirit!

“The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus makes us free from the law of sin and death,” Rom 8:2

”Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”

A Spirit-filled life is extensive in its meaning. There are several phases and phrases which have to do with the Spirit-filled life.

Thought for Today!

”There is no good thing
That I will withhold from you
If you walk uprightly.”

Signed ...
Your Saviour

“All”

Eph 1:23, “Which is His body, the fulness of Him, that filleth all in all.”

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

Eph 3”20, “Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.”

Eph 4:6, “One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”

You’all!

According to God’s Divine Norm and Standard!

There is a Greek preposition, KATA, in the New Testament which reads “according to” and it means according to God’s Divine norm or standard.

Now, taking this KATA, “according to,” as it applies to the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, we find seven Divine norms or standards.

1. God’s standard of authority.
”According to the Scriptures,” 1 Cor 15:3-4

2. God’s standard of salvation.
”According to God’s mercy,” Titus 3:5

3. God’s standard of blessing.
”According to the riches of God’s Grace,” Eph 1:7

4. God’s standard of power.
”According to God’s power in Christ’s resurrection,” Eph 1:19

5. God’s standard of giving.
”According to the riches of His glory,” Eph 3:16

6. God’s standard of effectiveness.
”According to the effectual working of His power,” Eph 3:20

7. God’s standard of supply.
”According to God’s riches in glory in Christ Jesus,” Phil 4:19

God’s norm and standard

Christ’s Death is the Keystone in Arch of Truth

The Holy Spirit recognizes it when He says, “Christ died according to the Scriptures,” 1 Cor 15:3-4

The jewel of Christ’s atonement lies in the casket of Truth, the following seven facts of history declared in prophetic Scriptures will illustrate.

1. We are told He would die in Psa 22:16. He was “pierced” according to Roman law and not stoned to death according to Jewish law.
2. He was to be betrayed by “a friend,” Psa 41:9, and sold for 30 pieces of silver. Zech 11:12
3. He was by His death to restore that which He took not away. Psa 69:4, “He bore the sin of many,” Isa 53:12 and was “Numbered with the transgressors,” Isa 53:12
4. There was no compulsion in His sacrifice. His readiness is firmly expressed in His ”delight to do Thy will, O God,” Psa 40:8
5. The depth and intensity of His sufferings are heralded forth in the words of soul despair, “My God, My God, Why hast Thou forsaken Me?” Psa 22:1
6. The absolute identity with the sins of His people is tersely put when He speaks of their iniquity as His own. “My sin,” Psa 38:3
7. The Divine Actor behind all is beyond question for it “Pleased JEHOVAH to bruise Him,” Isa 53:10

Now there is a message for a sermon on Sunday!

There are 14 Titles for the Lord!

“They that know Thy Name will put their trust in Thee, for Thou, Lord, has not forsaken them that seek Thee,” Psa 9:10

1. JEHOVAH-HOSEENU — “The Lord our Maker.”
   ”Oh come let us worship and kneel before JEHOVAH our Maker,” Psa 95:6
   
2. JEHOVAH-JIREH – “The Lord will see and provide,” Gen 22:14
   
3. JEHOVAH-ROPHECA — “The Lord that healeth thee,” Exodus 15:26
   
4. JEHOVAH-NISSI — “The Lord our banner,” Exodus 17:15
   
5. JEHOVAH-MEKADDESHCEM — “The Lord that doth sanctify.”
   ”I am the Lord which sanctify you,” Lev 20:8
   
6. JEHOVAH-ELOHEENU — “The Lord our God,” Psa 99:5, 8, 9
   
7. JEHOVAH-ELOHEKA — “The Lord thy God” found frequently in the Book of
   Deuteronomy and 20 times in chapter 16.
   
8. JEHOVAH-ELOHAY — “The Lord my God,” Zech 14:5
   
9. JEHOVAH-SHALOM — “The Lord send peace,” Judges 6:24
   
10. JEHOVAH-TSEBAHOTH — “The Lord of hosts.” TSEBAHOTH is rendered ”armies,” Num 1:3
    ”The Lord of hosts is His Name,” Isa 47:4, 48:2, 51:15, 54:5
    
11. JEHOVAH-ROHI — “The Lord my Shepherd,” Psa 23:1
    
12. JEHOVAH-HELEYON — “The Lord Most High,” Num 24:16, Deut 32:8
    ”Most High God,” Gen 24:18, 19, 20, Psa 78:56
    
13. JEHOVAH-TSIDKEENU — “The Lord our Righteousness,” Jer 23:6, 33:16
    
14. JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH — “The Lord is there,” Ezek 48:35

Prov 30 – “What is His Son’s Name, if you can tell?”

Let’s Take One of the 14 Names of the Lord and See What it Says to Us

JEHOVAH-SHALOM — “The Lord sent peace,” Judges 6:24

We will develop a doctrine for you right in front of your eyes.

The comprehensiveness of the word SHALOM in its use in Isaiah tells us what the Lord is as our peace.

1. He is the Procurer of peace.
   ”The chastisement of our peace was upon Him,” Isa 53:5
   
2. He is the Personification of our peace.
   ”For He is the Prince of peace,” Isa 9:6
   
3. He is the Publisher of our peace.
   Isa 52:7
   
4. He is the Perfection of our peace, for He keeps us in “peace, peace.”
   Those who trust Him, Isa 26:3
   
5. He is the Power of peace.
   “He will ordain peace,” Isa 26:12
   
6. He is the Promise of peace.
   “The work of righteousness shall be peace.” Isa 32:17
   
7. He is the Perpetuator of peace.
   “His covenant of peace shall not be removed” and “of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end,” Isa 9:7, Isa 54:10

You can do that with each one of His 14 titles. Try it you will like it!

Thought for the Day!

“In My Father’s house there are many mansions
I go to prepare a place for you
that where I am, there ye may be also
if it were not so, I would have told you.”

Signed...
God the Son

Monday, August 28, 2000

“I am the Lord” JEHOVAH

This reminds us of the Lord’s immutability.

In Mal 3:6 he says “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.

Often in the Psalms You Find the Holy Spirit Playing Upon the Words

”The Lord, 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 Defense in which we can hide.
”JEHOVAH is my Defense,” Psa 94:22

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

What the Lord is!

The Lord is the Shield behind which we are protected.
”JEHOVAH is my shield,” Psa 28:7

The Lord is our Deliverance by which we are saved.
”JEHOVAH is my light and salvation,” Psa 27:1

The Lord is the Shade by which we are refreshed.
”JEHOVAH is my Shade,” Psa 121:5

The Lord is the Pastor to shepherd.
”JEHOVAH is my Shepherd,” Psa 23:1

Since the Lord is what He is, we may well come to the conclusion of faith as expressed in Psalm 37.
”Trust in JEHOVAH,” verse 3, for He supplies all needs.
”Delight in JEHOVAH,” verse 4, for He fulfils all desires.
”Commit unto JEHOVAH,” verse 5, for He accomplishes all things.
”Rest in JEHOVAH,” verse 7, for He looks after all His saints.
”Wait upon JEHOVAH,” verse 9, for He bestows all blessings.
”Look to JEHOVAH,” verse 34, for He rewards all waiters.
”Trust in JEHOVAH,” verse 40, for faith sees all Grace.

“JEHOVAH is His Name,” Exodus 15:3

“They that know Thy Name will put their trust in Thee for Thou, JEHOVAH, has not forsaken them that seek Thee,” Psa 9:10

The Name of the Lord stands for His nature, His character.
The meaning of JEHOVAH is “The Unchanging One,” namely the One who always was, is, and is to come. Rev 1:4.

The Lord Himself explains it by “I am that I am,” or “I am what I am,” Exodus 3:14

There are 14 titles of JEHOVAH – 14 hyphenated titles.
”They that know Thy Name will put their trust in Thee.”

The Name “Lord,” JEHOVAH, is Used With Special Significance

When coupled with ELOHIM, JEHOVAH refers to His relationship to man as Creator.

”Lord God,” “JEHOVAH ELOHIM,” occurs 19 times in Genesis two and three.
Among those references, you will find the following principles:

The whole story of man’s creation and fall and God’s provision for him in Grace is thus summarized.

“I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand,” John 10:28

What kind of a life is it that the Lord gives us?

1. It is a Christ-identified and a Christ-associated life, for He says,
   ”Because I live, ye shall live also,” John 14:19
   
2. It is a God-derived and Christ-sustained life.
   ”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 6:37
   
3. It is a self-displacing and a Christ-centered life. For all those who know Him cease to,
   ”live unto themselves but unto Him,” 2 Cor 5:15
   
4. It is a Spirit-inscribed and a Spirit-incited life for believers are the epistles of the living God and He inscribes His character on their inner being. 2 Cor 3:3
5. 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
   
6. It is a brethren-considerate and a Lord-controlled life, therefore, believers
   ”Who live unto the Lord do not despise nor judge each other,” Rom 14:7-9
   

Saturday, August 26, 2000

“With What Words”

There are a variety of gracious truths found in the Word of God, such words as: Truth, fellowship, know, born of God, manifest, and the great words are light, love, and life.

Life is the sum of all being.
Light is the sum of all knowledge.
Love is the sum of all moral excellence.

There are seven definite things of the Lord.

1. The Word of God – the basis of all authority, 1 John 2:14, “I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known Him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the Word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.”
2. The love of God – the secret of all godliness, 1 John 2:5, “But whoso keepeth His Word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in Him.” 4:9, “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.” 5:2, “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep His commandments.”
3. The will of God – the bliss of Heaven’s glory, 1 John 2:17, “And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”
4. The children of God – the relationship of all privilege, 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.”
5. The Son of God – the Center of all revelation, 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.” 1 John 4:15, 5:5, 10, 12, 5:13, 20
6. Born of God – the involution of all life, 1 John 3:9, “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.”
7. The Spirit of God – the power of all ability, 1 John 4:2, “Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:”

The soul of those words glows with an intensity of meaning, and is vital with the energy of the Holy Spirit.

”Thy Word is a light unto my path.”

The Unity of the Books of the Bible

The Importance of Individuals and an Individual’s Decisions

In Genesis the men of the flesh such as Ishmael and Esau and their descendents are summarized in 50 verses. While the men of faith and their seed. such as Terah, Issac, and Jacob cover no less than over 40 chapters.

From this we gather that those who are only to play a minor part in the drama of human history, while they are recognized, they and theirs are dismissed with a few statements of fact. While those who are in the covenant of promise are prominent throughout. Some are written in the Book of Life and some are written in the Book of Earth.

Moses Wrote of Me!

Christ endorsed this fact in His well-known words when He said, “Moses wrote of Me,” John 5:46. The Jews, too, recognized that, “God spake unto Moses,” John 9:29, although they repudiated Christ.

When we look back over the books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers, even the most superficial reader must be immediately arrested by the tremendous sentence prefacing nearly every chapter. ”Then the Lord said unto Moses.” And, “The Lord said unto Moses.” Deut 18:17-20

It is only necessary to hold the Bible in your hand and just let page after page flit by and as though by a panoramic effect, these words seem to stand out as the root and essence, the heart and manifestation, the center and the circumference, of the whole Pentateuch as indeed they are. To take only a few references from the book of Exodus, we come across this frequent formula, ”The Lord had spoken.”

When Aaron, as the mouthpiece of the Lord, met the elders of the children of Israel, “He spake of all the words which the Lord had spoken unto Moses,” Ex 4:30

”As the Lord had spoken by Moses,” Ex 9:12, 34, regarding Pharaoh.

”He gave them in commandment all that the Lord had spoken with him,” Ex 34:32. As the lawgiver to Israel, this is declared.

When Christ said “Moses spoke of Me,” I think He wanted us to look it up and mark this specific expression, “The Lord hath spoken.”

The Emphasis on the Source of the Word

The Word is Divine in its source. Take one book, the book of Acts. The Word is referred to 35 times.

13 times as “The Word of God.” 
8 times as “The Word of the Lord.” 
13 times as “The Word.” 
“Thy Word” is referenced once in Acts 4:29.

The psalmist says, “Thou hast magnified Thy Word above all Thy Name,” Psa 138:2. Therefore, we do well to glorify it above everything else.

Matt 4:4. “Man cannot live by bread alone, but by but every Word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

Friday, August 25, 2000

Church and the Word is ECCLESIA

1. The meaning of the word is “that which is called out.”

2. Up until the time of the Lord’s ministry on Earth, the Church was a complete mystery.

3. The Church universal and invisible in the true biblical sense, is made up of both Jew and Gentile who accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour regardless of their badge or affiliation. Gal 3:26-28

4. From the moment of regeneration they cease to be Jew and Gentile and become ECCLESIA. Col 3:11, Gal 3:26-28

5. At the point of salvation the Holy Spirit baptizes all believers into the body of Christ. 1 Cor 12:13

6. In 1 Cor 12:12 the Church is called the body of Christ with many members. Rom 12:4

7. In Col 1:18, Christ is designated as the Head of the body, the Church.

8. The Church is the Lord’s redeemed called from the old creation from in Adam to in Christ. 1 Cor 15:22, 2 Cor 5:17

9. The Church is likened to a growing, but not yet completed structure. Eph 2:21-22, 1 Cor 3:9

10. When the last member is added to this perfect body or structure, the Lord will remove His Church from the Earth. John 14:3, 1 Thes 4:13-18

11. The Lord Himself builds His Church. Matt 16:18, Acts 2:47

12. The Church, when in Heaven, is called “the Bride of Christ.” Rev 19:6-8

Nomenclature (vocabulary)

Position “in Christ,” “Body of Christ,” “Church universal,” “Church invisible,” “Bride of Christ.”

For believers only!

The Things Believers Have in Common and the Things in Which They Differ

1. Areas in common. It is Grace all the way.

All believers are:
    A. All are in union with Christ
    B. All are indwelt by the Lord Jesus Christ
    C. All are indwelt by God the Holy Spirit
    D. All believers are priests
    E. All believers are ambassadors
    F.  All believers are equipped to stay in fellowship
    G. All believers are equipped to take in the Word and breath it out

All believers have:
    A. A human spirit
    B. A mind and factors of the soul
    C. The completed Canon of Scripture
    D. All believers have at least one spiritual gift
    E. All believers have the privilege of prayer and worship

Every believer is:
    A. Commanded to live a supernatural way of life, which requires the filling of the Holy Spirit, which is the basis for production, the continued use of faith in the Word and promises of God and resting in them, and growth to maturity. Eph chapter three and chapter five.
    B. Responsible for representing the Lord Jesus Christ accurately. Acts 1:8

Where believers differ:
    A. The old sin nature. Every  believer has an old sin nature which differs from the next person
in operation of patterns of interest – lust pattern, area of weakness, and area of strength. All of which is unacceptable to God.
    B. Spirituality. The believer is either spiritual or carnal at any given moment, when in fellowship Divine Good is produced.
    C. Growth. Different stages of growth, babe, teenager, adult. 1 John 2:12-14
    D. Physical or personal differences
    E. Spiritual gifts. These determine authority and responsibility in the Church. In human life, authority and responsibility come because of physical birth and ability, etc. In the Christian way of life, all authority and responsibility is based upon spiritual birth and the sovereign bestowment of spiritual gifts by God the Holy Spirit.

The Born Again Jew at the Second Advent Receives Four Unconditional Covenants

Each one of the four unconditional covenants have an “eternal life” clause, which means you have to be saved and have eternal life.

1. The Abrahamic covenant.
   A covenant made between God and Abraham. Gen 12, 13, 15, 17, 22. And a promise of Abraham and his seed forever.
2. The Palestinian covenant. Deut 30:1-8
   This is the promise of the land forever – has eternal life clause.
3. The Davidic covenant. 2 Sam 7:12-16
   A promise of a King forever, David’s greater Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
4. The New covenant. Jer 31:31-34
   A promise of the Word of God no longer on tablets, but on their souls.
   All have eternal life clauses in the promises, which means the Jews have to be born again, and that are they promised unconditionally.

A seed, a soil, a Son, a Scripture.
Abraham will always have a seed. The Jews will get the land. They will have a King. And they will have the Word of God. Forever!

The Lord’s Table – The Communion Service

This is the most solemn of all when it comes to worship. The Lord instituted this Himself and it should be entered into discreetly and honestly before the Lord.

Four principles of communion. 1 Cor 11:20-34

1. Harmony. Verses 20-22
    A. You should come together habitually for Church service. Heb 10:25
    B. A love feast, the Church supper, was eaten before communion. Emphasis was not to be on eating, but on sharing, harmony as the body of Christ.

2. Remembrance of the Lord Jesus Christ. Verses 23-26
    A. Bread. Speaks of the work of Christ. Emphasis on the Person of Christ, the incarnation, His impeccability. 2 Cor 5:21. Also as the Bread of Life. John 6:35
    B. “Which is broken,” which is Jesus Christ dying on the Cross. He was bruised. Isa 53:5. No bones were broken, John 19:33, 36. This fulfilled Scripture. Exodus 12:46, Num 9:12
    C. Eating of the Bread is a picture of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
    D. “Cup” speaks of the work of Christ, emphasis on the shedding of blood.
    E. “The New Testament in My blood” is a new covenant, salvation through the death of Jesus Christ.

3. Restoration to fellowship. Verses 27-32
    A. We as believers in the Church Age have two rituals.
        1. Baptism – only once. Speaks of positional truth.
        2. Communion – many times. Which speaks of fellowship with God in time.
    B. We are not to partake of the communion “unworthily” i.e., while out of fellowship.
    C. Let a man examine himself, himself not others, to see if he is in fellowship, you can’t partake out of fellowship.
        1. No Church board or Church government is to bar a believer from communion. It is a personal and individual matter.
        2. There is no Biblical basis for closed communion.
    D. If you partake of communion while out of fellowship, you are subject to damnation. This is Divine discipline – chastisement for the believer out of fellowship.
    E. Because when believers take communion out of fellowship, many are:
        1. Weak, feeble – loss of energy
        2. Sickly – chronic invalid
        3. And many sleep – Christian death
    F. If we judge ourselves and restore ourselves, we avoid discipline.

4. Fellowship. Verses 33-34
    A. When you come together for the love feast, the Church supper, “tarry” (wait) for all and partake together.
    B. If we are hungry, eat at home so you can wait for one another. Be courteous, and as a result, be in fellowship before you partake of the communion. By means of 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.”

The Indwelling of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit in All Believers!

1. The indwelling is prophesied for the Church Age.
   A. Holy Spirit. John 7:39, John 14:16-17
   B. Jesus Christ. John 14:20
2. This was impossible before Jesus Christ was glorified. John 7:39
3. Distinction must be made between the indwell Holy Spirit and the indwelling of the Lord Jesus Christ.
4. The Lord Jesus Christ indwells the believer. John 14:20, Gal 2:20, 2 Cor 13:5, Col 1:27
5. The Holy Spirit indwells the believer. John 14:16-17, 1 Cor 3:16, 1 Cor 6:19-20, Rom 8:9-10, Gal 3:2, Gal 4:6
6. The Lord Jesus Christ indwells the believer for the purpose of fellowship. Rev 3:20
7. The Holy Spirit indwells the believer to provide the power to execute the Christian way of life and to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. John 16:14, Eph 5:18, Gal 5:22-26
8. The power of the Holy Spirit is turned on through the cleansing provided through the use of 1 John 1:9. The Holy Spirit is God and God cannot control if there is sin in the life.
9. The Holy Spirit is the only One who can glorify the Lord Jesus Christ in the Church Age.
10. Relationship with Jesus Christ means a relationship with God the Holy Spirit.
    

Confidence – 1 John 5:14-21

1. Confidence comes from getting the Word of God into your mind through the filling of the Holy Spirit transferring it to the human spirit by faith, with the result you have a frame of reference and edifying maturity, and this gives stability and confidence.
2. To have confidence, you need to have daily Doctrinal intake and application of the Word of God to your circumstances.
3. Regardless of what happens to this country, to this world, regardless of disaster, catastrophe, which might surround us, God’s plan moves on day by day. You are a believer and you are a part of that plan, therefore you must regard every day with confidence.
4. The secret to your stability under all conditions is your confidence on knowing the Word of God and the reflection of the glory of God. Eph 3:13-21 with Eph 4:21-32
5. Therefore, your life will glorify the Lord. Your stability, your confidence, and inner resources will have an impact.
6. When you know the Word of God so well that you can’t forget it, you are in and have confidence.
7. 1 John 5:14-21 is the chapter for confidence.
   1. Verse 14 – Confidence in knowing the will of God
   2. Verse 15 – Confidence in prayer
   3. Verses 16-17 – Confidence in being alive
   4. Verse 18 – Confidence in function
       A. Spirituality
       B. Eternal security
   5. Verses 19-20 – Confidence in relationship
   6. Verse 21 – Confidence in separation
8. Do not confuse confidence with ego. A person can be dogmatic and confident regarding the Word of God, but this is not ego.
9. Confidence comes from having inner resources, the Word of God in your mind which produces stability in life. “As a man thinketh in his mind, so is he.”

We know therefore we are confident.
”Knowing we are confident.” 

Crowns!

Crowns are indicative of reward for the believer who has logged time in fellowship and operated as unto the Lord.

1. The crown of righteousness
The operation of putting your faith in the promises of God as believers. 2 Tim 4:7-8

2. The crown of joy
Mature believers with inner happiness helping other believers and winning souls. Phil 4:1, 1 Thes 2:19

3. The crown of glory
Glory here refers to reflected glory of Christ shining forth, refers to rewards for pastors with maturity. 1 Pet 5:4

4. The crown of life
For those who endure terrific testing and temptation and they stay occupied with the Lord Jesus Christ, Rev 2:1, James 1:12. Utilization of the faith-patience precept.

5. Crown of thorns
Not referring to rewards for Church Age believers, but speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ bearing the curse of sin. Matt 27:29

6. Incorruptible crown
1 Cor 9:21 refers to the nature of the rewards. They will be spiritual rewards that never fade away or perish like the Roman “garland and leaves.”

7. The many crowns
Rev 19:12, “His eyes were as a flame of fire and on His head were many crowns and He had a Name written, that no man knew but He Himself.”

Dying Grace. We Live by Grace and We Die by Grace

The death of a believer and an outline on dying Grace. Job 5:17-27
God provides Grace for dying just like He did for living. Whether living or dying, it is all the Grace of God.

1. Dying Grace removes the fear of death. Psa 23:4, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.”
2. Dying Grace depends on Who and What the Lord is. Psa 116:15, “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints.”
3. Provision of deliverance in extreme difficulties. Job 6:17-21, “What time they wax warm, they vanish: when it is hot, they are consumed out of their place. The paths of their way are turned aside; they go to nothing, and perish. The troops of Tema looked, the companies of Sheba waited for them. They were confounded because they had hoped; they came thither, and were ashamed. For now ye are nothing; ye see my casting down, and are afraid.”
4. Dying Grace provides inner peace. Job 21b-24
5. Dying Grace gives comfort to those who are left behind. Job 5:25, “Thou shalt know also that thy seed shall be great, and thine offspring as the grass of the earth.”
6. God takes the believer at the right time. Job 5:26-27, “Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season. Lo this, we have searched it, so it is; hear it, and know thou it for thy good.”

The believer after death:

1. No judgment in eternity. 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.”
2. No sin nature in eternity. 1 Cor 3:11-16, “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this Foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”
3. Face-to-face with the Lord in eternity. 2 Cor 5:1-8, “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from Heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now He that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, Who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”
4. All sorrow is removed in eternity. 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.”
5. An inheritance for all believers. 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. Death means a new eternal home. 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.”
7. Death means a fuller realization of eternal life. 2 Cor 4:18, “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

Who is afraid to go home?

Thursday, August 24, 2000

A Word About the Word!

1. A Divine impossibility
”That there should proceed out of the mouth of the Most High evil and good,” Lam 3:38
An holy utterance must ever proceed from Him who is holy.

2.  A Divine statement
”The Word that goeth forth (or proceedeth) out of the mouth of the Lord shall not return unto Him void, but it must accomplish the thing He has determined,” Isa 55:11

3. Christ has endorsed the fact that the Word which proceeds out of the mouth of JEHOVAH must be of benefit to those who receive it, for it is by means of it that man lives to purpose. Matt 4:4, Deut 8:3, Luke 4:4

A Word About the Word!

The Word of God is definite in its claim! The epistles to the Thessalonians illustrate the claims of the Word.

1. “It is the Word” in its authority, 1:6, “And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the Word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit:”

2. “The Word of the Lord” in its message, 1:8, “For from you sounded out the Wword of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.” 4:15, “For this we say unto you by the Word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.” Second 3:1, ”Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the Word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:”

3. “The Word of God” in its power, 2:13, “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the Word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in Truth, the Word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.”

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

A Word About the Word!

The Word is distinct in its prophecy. The Book of Revelation may illustrate what is found in many places.

1. Christ is the key, 19:13, “And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His Name is called The Word of God.”
2. To keep It is our responsibility, 1:9, 3:8, 10, 6:9, 20:4
3. And to bear record of it is our privilege, 1:2, “Who bare record of the Word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.”

Distinguishing Messages in the Word!

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

1. It is a Word of life to quicken, Phil 2:16, “Holding forth the Word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.”

2. It is a Word of faith to beget faith, Rom 10:8, “But what saith it? The Word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;”

3. It is a Word of reconciliation to assure, 2 Cor 5:19, “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the Word of reconciliation.”

4. It is the Word of God to slay, Eph 6:17, “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God:”

5. It is the Word of Christ to indwell, Col 3:16, “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with Grace in your hearts to the Lord.”

6. It is the Word of the Lord to reveal, 1 Thes 4:13, “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.”

7. It is the Word of faithfulness to keep, Titus 1:9, “Holding fast the faithful Word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound Doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.”

8. It is the Word of righteousness to adjust, Heb 5:13, “For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the Word of righteousness: for he is a babe.”

9. It is the Word of incorruption to endure, 1 Pet 1:23, 25, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever ... But the Word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the Word which by the Gospel is preached unto you.”

10. It is the engrafted Word to fructify, James 1:21, “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted Word, which is able to save your souls.”
    

The Word in its Devotion 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 good promise failed,” 1 Kings 8:56

His promises and the performances of them are continually 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, 2 Pet 3:9, 13

What Christ Taught About the Word!

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 inworking and outworking.

Let us confine our thoughts to Christ and His teaching.

1. He taught that the Word was a fruit producer – Matt 13:23, “But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the Word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
2. He taught that the Word was a victory gainer – Matt 4:4, “But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”
3. He taught that the Word was a disciple witnesser – John 8:31, “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him, If ye continue in My Word, then are ye My disciples indeed;”
4. He taught that the Word was a sanctifying obtainer – John 17:17, “Sanctify them through Thy Truth: Thy Word is Truth.”
5. He taught that the Word was a love prover – John 14:23, “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love Me, he will keep My Words: and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with Him.”
6. He taught that the Word was a prayer answerer – John 15:7, “If ye abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”
7. He taught that the Word was a heart assurer – John 5:24, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My Word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”
   

The Doctrines of the Bible Found in the Bible

One of the earliest of the epistles, if not the earliest, is Paul’s letter to the Church at Thessalonica and it is generally agreed that that the epistle was written A.D. 54 to 56.

Doctrines of the Bible

1. Our Gospel came not in Word only – 1:5, “For our Gospel came not unto you in Word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.”
2. We received the Word – 1:6, “And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the Word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit:”
3. The Word of the Lord – 1:8, “For from you sounded out the Word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.”
4. The Gospel of God. The Gospel – 2:2, “But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the Gospel of God with much contention.” 4:8-9, “He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his Holy Spirit. But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.”
5. The Word of God – 2:13, “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the Word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in Truth, the Word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.”
6. The Gospel of Christ – 3:2, “And sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the Gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith:”
7. The Word of the Lord – 4:15, “For this we say unto you by the Word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.”
   

A President’s View of Right-Man/Right-Woman

“'There is need to develop all the virtues that have the state for their sphere of action, but these virtues are as dust in a windy street unless back of them lie the strong and tender virtues of a family life based upon the love of one man for the one woman and on their joyous and fearless acceptance of their common obligations to the children that are theirs.”

–Theodore Roosevelt

Christ’s Present Ministry at the Right Hand of God the Father!

This ministry has to do with believers only. He appears in the presence of God “for us.”

1. As our Representative, He lives for us.
2. As our High Priest, He pleads for us.
3. As our Advocate, He answers for us.
4. As our Succourer, He aids us.
5. As our Keeper, He preserves us.
6. As our Shepherd, He tends us.
7. As our Friend, He cheers us.
8. As our Companion, He has fellowship with us.

We hear Him say as He said of His own long since, “I pray for them.”

Thus His present service is respective to God’s people.

The Day of Salvation is Elective in its Purpose

The Lord is taking out from the world a bride for Himself. In order to accomplish this, those who are saved go forth and proclaim the willingness of the Lord to save to the uttermost.

The bride being blessed by Him receives a seven-fold benediction.

1. They are saved by His Grace.
2. They are secure in His power.
3. They are sealed by His Spirit who selected the bride for Christ.
4. They are supplied at His board.
5. They are sanctified in His fellowship.
6. They are satisfied with His favour.
7. They are sent forth to His service.

Here comes the bride!

A Two-Fold Work of Grace

1. The Grace of God saves us from what we deserve as sinners.

2. The Grace of God also teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly.

One:
Titus 2:11, “For the Grace of God that bringeth salvation has appeared to all men.”

Two:
Titus 2:12, “Teaching us to that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world.”

Grace upon Grace!

There is a Two-Fold Redemption

1. We are redeemed to God by the blood of Christ. Hence, “In Him we have redemption,” Eph 1:7
2. But the outcome of this means we are to be redeemed from all iniquity.

Titus 2:14, “Who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto Himself a peculiar people zealous of good works.”

All believers are redeemed, but not all believers are redeemed when it comes to the Christian way of life; they still walk in darkness.

Meet For and Not Meet!

The Father in His love and Grace has ”made us meet for the inheritance of the saints in light,” Col 1:12

And we are responsible to see that we are vessels “meet” for the Master’s use by being set apart and prepared to every good work, 2 Tim 2:21

You met Him at the Cross. Will you meet him in time?

Two-Fold Acceptance!

God in His Grace has made us “accepted in the Beloved,” Eph 1:6

And because of being accepted, we are to make it our aim and ambition “to be accepted of Him,” that is to be “well pleasing to Him” as Christians, 2 Cor 5:9

All these two-fold Doctrines make a distinction between salvation and the Christian way of life, spirituality.

Two-Fold Life!

Believers in Jesus Christ have eternal life as a gift from God, Rom 6:23
But we are to lay hold on eternal life as an experience, 1 Tim 6:19

Two-Fold Forgiveness

God in His wondrous love graciously forgives us of our sins, Eph 1:7
And that is to be the incentive ”to forgive one another even as He has forgiven us,” Eph 4:32

Again – forgiven is for salvation.
”Forgive one other” is for spirituality, forgiveness applied.

Double “D” – Double Deliverance!

God has delivered us from the power of darkness, Col 1:13, “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son:”
That we should be delivered from this present evil world, Gal 1:4, “Who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:”

These few illustrations will indicate many doubles that are found in connection with the Lord’s blessings.

What God has joined together, we must not put asunder.
It is our privilege to recognize what is ours in Christ.
But, we are equally responsible to allow Christ to live in us that we may fulfill our responsibilities.

Christ in you – the Hope of glory.

Wednesday, August 23, 2000

Another Hebrew Honey!

TEPHILLAH

”TEPHILLAH” we are happy if we have friends who pray for us, but we are happier when we go direct to headquarters for ourselves. We are independent of others when we are dependent upon the Lord.

”TEPHILLAH” means to make supplication. It occurs 76 times and 31 of them are in  the Psalms. The individualism is seen in the fact that the psalmist says again and again:
”Hear my prayer,” Psa 4:1, 39:12, 54:2, 84:8, 102:1, 143:1
”Receive my prayer,” Psa 6:9
”Give ear to my prayer,” Psa 17:1, 55:1, 86:6
”Attend unto my prayer,” Psa 61:1

The individualism is brought out in the individual named in prayer — like David, Moses, Solomon, Daniel, Manasseh, Nehemiah, Mattaniah, Job, Habakkuk.

Another Hebrew Honey!

CHALAH

“‘CHALAH” is rendered “pray” three times and all three are found in Zech 7:2, Zech 8:21, Zech 8:22 and in each instance in the uniform sentence, ”Pray before the Lord.”

If the passages are studied, it will be found that those who prayed, pray, or will pray in a time of stress and pain, and cry out as a woman cried out in travail till her strength is nearly worn out.

The words are rendered “intreat,” Prov 19:6; “besought,” 1 King 13:6; “make prayer,” Dan 9:13; “make supplication,” 1 Sam 13:12; “make suit,” Job 11:19; “travail” Jer 4:31; and “become weak,” Judges 16:7, 17

Prayer and Waiting on the Lord!

Wait at His door with prayer
Wait at His feet with humility
Wait at His table with service
Wait at His window with expectancy

”Waiting on the Lord” means at least three things:

1. Dependence on the Lord.
”On Thee do I wait all the day,” Psa 25:5
To wait on the Lord is to live a life of dependence on God, as the child waits on his father in whom he has confidence and on whom he casts all his care.

2. Humility before the Lord.
The psalmist expresses the thought of humility’s absolute resources in Him when he says
”My soul, wait thou upon God,” Psa 62:5
”A God that worketh for him, that waiteth for him,” Isa 64:4

3. Blessing from the Lord.
Blessing of strength comes to those who wait on the Lord for the Word says, ”But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run, and not be weary and they shall walk and not faint,” Isa 40:31

The meaning of the word “wait” is to bind together by twisting or to collect in one place. The term is rendered “gathered together” in speaking of the waters under Heaven being gathered into one place. Gen 1:9

When our weakness is bound together with the Lord’s strength, His strength is make perfect in our weakness.

An Illustrative Chapter in the Old Testament!

There is one chapter in which a full revelation is given on atonement. We find that the verb “to make atonement” occurs 16 times in Lev 16. Fifteen times KAPHAR is rendered “make an atonement” and once “make reconciliation,” verse 20.

It is an interesting study to see the different places and the things for which atonement was made, for it emphasizes the fact that everything is based on atonement, whether it be the salvation of the sinner or the work and worship of the priest.

There is a corresponding word in the New Testament which is “propitiation.” It is found in Rom 3:25, 1 John 2:2, 1 John 4:10. In these passages, God has set forth Christ to be “a propitiation for our sins,” i.e., satisfaction.

Reconciliation

KATAALLASSO

The first time the Greek word “reconciliation” occurs is in Rom 5:10. ”For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by,” DIA with the genitive means “by means of,” “the death of His Son, much more being reconciled we shall be saved in,” not by, but EN in “His life.”

How do you study? Well, here we have four explicit thoughts:
    1. The person’s reconciled  “enemies.”
    2. The means by which the reconciliation is effected, “by the death of His Son.”
    3. The person to whom the rebels were reconciled “to God.”
    4. The power into which reconciliation brings “saved in His life.”

Now that didn’t hurt did it? Study is not a dirty word.

A Key Verse on Reconciliation

Rom 5:11, “And not only so, but also glorifying in God through our Lord Jesus Christ through Whom we have now received the reconciliation.”

”Atonement” as given in the Authorized Version is wrong. It should be as elsewhere rendered “reconciliation.” One of the blunders of the translators is that where the word should be “reconciliation,” we have given to us “atonement.” And where the word should be “atonement,” as in Heb 2:17, we have “reconciliation.”

The key verse here emphasizes that “reconciliation” is through Christ, which “we have now received.” Mark the word “now” and then “we have.” Because of this, we enjoy the high privilege of “joy in God” or boast in Him and thus cease from self and others and find our home in God Himself.

Reconciliation in 2 Cor 5:18-20

Reconciliation is mentioned five times in these verses.

1. The cause and means of reconciliation.
”God who hath reconciled us unto Himself by Jesus Christ.”

2. Co-workers in the ministry of reconciliation.
”Hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.”

3. Contents of the Gospel of reconciliation.
”To wit that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself.”

4. Committal of the word of reconciliation.
”Hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.”

5. Call to reconciliation.
”We pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.”

I told you it doesn’t hurt to study.

Abba Father

In ELOHIM, we have revealed the glory of God’s power. 
In ADONAI we have the glory of the Lord’s possessions. 
In JEHOVAH we have made known the glory of His Divine Person.
In Father we have brought to us the glory of His loving paternity.

In the first, there is made known the skill and strength of His hands as Creator.
In the second, there is made known the claim and call of His authority as Lord and Master.
In the third, we see the Grace and constancy of His immutable purpose as the Unchanging One.
And in the fourth, we have the hand and heart of our Father’s love and aid.

Eph 1:7, “The Father of glory” is one of the designations of Himself, but the glory of the Father is only known, as we are in intimate fellowship with the Father of glory.

A Divine Outline of our Father!

The Gospel of John is especially the Gospel which reveals our Father. Tracing through John, a definite thought may be emphasized in each chapter where the Father is mentioned.

1. The Father’s unfolding – John 1:1-14
2. The Father’s house – John 2:16
3. The Father’s trust – John 3:35
4. The Father’s worship – John 4:23
5. The Father’s will – John 5:17-42

In addition to the general survey of the of the Fatherhood of God in Christ as revealed by the Holy Spirit, in John we find the Father’s specific act severally mentioned. See if you can see them.

6. The Father’s provision – John 6:27-57
7. The Father’s commission – John 8:16-54
8. The Father’s fellowship – John 10:15-38
9. The Father’s response – John 11:41
10. The Father’s glory – John 12:26-50
11. The Father’s confidence – John 13:1-3
12. The Father’s image – John 14:2-31
13. The Father’s ministry – John 15:1-26
14. The Father’s love – John 16:3-32
15. The Father’s keeping – John 17:1-24
16. The Father’s cup – John 18:11
17. The Father’s presence – John 20:17-21

The Father’s Acts Revealed in John

His definite seeking – 4:23
His earnest working – 5:17
His ardent loving – 5:20, 10:17, 16:27
His powerful raising – 5:21
His specific sending – 5:36, 8:16-18
His Divine sealing – 6:27
His holy giving – 6:32, 37, 10:29, 13:3
His attractive drawing – 6:44
His recognized honouring – 8:54, 12:26
His appreciative knowledge – 10:15
His distinct command – 10:18, 14:31
His consecrating act – 10:36
His unmistakable message – 12:50
His sufficient bestowment – 14:26, 15:26
His fruitful tending – 15:1
His safe keeping – 17:11

I think there is enough there for a couple of Sundays ... Maybe a parfait!

Thought for the Day!

“A just war is in the long run better for a man’s soul than the most prosperous peace.”

–Theodore Roosevelt

An Awesome Thought Not to be Looked at Too Lightly!!!

At Calvary man is seen at his worst! We are told that, “Where sin abounded, Grace did much more abound,” Rom 5:20. This super-abounding of sin and Grace is not a general statement! But it is a specific and formal statement!

”Wicked hands nailed the Christ to the Cross,” Acts 2. It does not say “sinful hands” but “wicked hands,” which means “rebellious hands, defiled hands.” It shows man in the climax and concentration of his guilt.

Man in his tripartite nature of his being is made up of spirit, soul, and body. Man is identified with Christ and Christ is identified with him in that He suffered in spirit, soul, and body.

”His body was pierced for He was wounded for our transgressions,” Isa 53:5. ”His soul was poured out for He is the Good Shepherd who laid down His life,” literally “soul,“ “for His sheep,” John 10:11

He suffered in His spirit for in anticipation of His death, His spirit is said to be troubled on more than one occasion, John 12:27, 13:21, He dismissed His spirit.

The worst of man, wicked hands – and the Best Man.

Tuesday, August 22, 2000

Forgiveness

1. The Gospel is the proclamation of forgiveness. Luke 24:47, “And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His Name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” Acts 13:38, “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this Man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:”

2. God is the Author of forgiveness. Acts 5:31, “Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.” Mark 2:7, “Why doth this Man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?”

3. Man is the receiver of forgiveness. Matt 8:2, “And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.”

4. The blood of Christ is the ground for forgiveness. Col 1:14, “In Whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins:” Eph 1:7, “In Whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His Grace;”

5. Faith in Christ is the instrument to obtain forgiveness. Acts 10:43, “To Him give all the prophets witness, that through His Name whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins.” Acts 26:18, “To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in Me.”

6. The Word of God is the assurance of forgiveness. 1 John 2:12, “I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His Name’s sake.” James 5:15, “And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.” Luke 7:47, “Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.”

7. Liberty is the meaning of forgiveness. Luke 1:77, “To give knowledge of salvation unto His people by the remission of their sins,” Luke 3:3, “And He came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;” Luke 4:18, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor; He hath sent Meto heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.

8. The words rendered “deliverance” and “liberty” in Luke are the same as is rendered “forgiveness” in Eph 1:7, “In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His Grace;”

9. The condition of forgiveness is a forgiving Spirit. Matt 6:12-15, “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Eph 4:32, “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”

”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 Drink Offering – Numbers 28 and Numbers 29

The drink offering consisted of strong wine, Num 28:7. And it is typical of the joy which the death of Christ gives to God, and brings to Christ and the believer. For wine is represented in the Scriptures as the symbol of joy. It is said to cheer the heart of God and man and to make the latter glad. Jud 9:13, Psa 104:15

The Lord and the drink offering

Like all other offerings, this one was presented “unto the Lord.” The expression ”unto the Lord” occurs 18 times in Num 28 and 29 and is frequently used in connection with the drink offering, which is significantly said to be ”poured unto the Lord,” Num 28:7

The purpose Christ had in view in pouring out His soul in death for us was infinitely greater than to save us from hell and bring us to Heaven. It was to bring us to God! The Holy Spirit emphasizes this again and again in the New Testament when He speaks of Christ’s death and sacrifice, believers are said to be:

”Reconciled to God,” Rom 5:10, 2 Cor 5:19
”Alive unto God,” Rom 6:11
”Redeemed to God,” Rev 5:9
”Priests unto God,” Rev 1:6

To know we have been brought to the center of all blessings is to be in touch with all God is, has, done, promises, and will yet do.

Delivered from hell is minor compared to being alive to God.

Sharing the Seven-Fold Joy of Christ!

1. The joy of the anticipation for His delights were with the souls of men in the past eternity.  Prov 8:31, “Rejoicing in the habitable part of his Earth; and My delights were with the sons of men.”

2. The joy of incarnation for the angelic song at His birth was ”Behold I bring you tidings of great joy,” Luke 2:10, “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”

3. The joy of fellowship which Christ had with His Father. Luke 10:21, “In that hour Jesus rejoiced in Spirit, and said, I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, that Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in Thy sight.”

4. The joy of confidence for He could say even in the pains of death ”My heart doth rejoice” for He knew His Father would raise Him up from among the dead. Acts 2:24, 26, 28, “Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that He should be holden of it.” “Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:” “Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; Thou shalt make me full of joy with Thy countenance.”

5. The joy of victory for His Word in John on the isle of Patmos. “I am He that liveth and was dead, and behold I am alive forevermore. Amen. And have the keys of hell and of death.” Rev 1:18

6. The joy of salvation which He proclaimed is the joy of the three persons. Luke 15:6, 9, 24, “And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.” “And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost.” “For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.”
   “Rejoice with me.” “Rejoice with me.” “And they began to be merry.”

7. The joy of satisfaction “For He shall see of the travail of His soul and shall be satisfied,” Isa  53:11, “He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied: by His knowledge shall My Righteous Servant justify many; for He shall bear their iniquities.”

Rejoice, and again I say rejoice.

Thought for the Day!

“It is a good thing for all Americans and it is an especially good thing for all young Americans to remember the men who have given their lives in war and peace to the service of their fellow countrymen and to keep in mind the feats of daring and personal prowess done in time past by some of the many champions of the nation in the various crises of her history.”

–Theodore Roosevelt

The Spirit-Filled Life is Always a Joy

“The Fruit of the Spirit is Joy”

A Spirit-filled life is always a gladdened life, which glows with the Lord’s joy. “Gladness of heart” – the outcome of Pentecost. Acts 2:46, “And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart.”

”Rejoicing they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His Name” is consequent upon a Spirit-indicted testimony. Acts 5:41, “And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His Name.”

”The face of an angel” is the outcome of the Spirit possessing Stephen. Acts 6:15, “And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.”

”He went on his way rejoicing” is the result of the result of the Spirit’s working through Philip to the eunuch. Acts 8:39, “And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.”

Barnabas “was glad” when he saw what God had been doing through others and the secret cause was because he “was full of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 11:24, “For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord.”

The disciples were “filled with joy” because they were filled with the Holy Spirit when persecuted at Antioch. Acts 13:52, “And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Spirit.”

And the consequences of being filled with the Spirit is “speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,” Eph 5:19.

Gal 5:22, “The fruit of the Spirit is joy.”

“Rejoice, and again I say rejoice!”

“It Pleased the Lord to Bruise Him”

We miss much as Christians if we do not see the pleasure as well as the pain which the Godhead has in the mutual sacrifice of the Cross.
”It pleased the Lord to bruise Him.” He knew the necessity of the case, and met the case in all its necessities.
The Hebrew word ”pleased” in Isa 53:10 means, “to be inclined to,” “to bend towards an object with ardent desire and delight.” The word is frequently translated “delight.” Num 14:8. The use of the word as associated with the Father and the Son in relation to atonement will illustrate the joy of fellowship they had in Calvary.

Illustrations of the use of the word:
”Sacrifice and offering Thou didst not desire,” Psa 40:6
”I delight to do Thy will,” Psa 40:8
”It pleased the Lord to bruise Him,” Isa 53:10
”The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hands,” Isa 53:10

Christ delighted to do His Father’s will and the Father delighted in Him as He did it.

The eyes of carnal reason see only a bloody scene of cruel enactment on the Cross. But the eyes of appreciative love behold a consecrated fulfillment of Divine intent.

Practical Application of the Offering

Paul in writing to the Church at Philippi says, ”Yea and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy and rejoice, with you all,” Phil 2:17. At the end of his earthly career he said to Timothy, “For I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand,” 2 Tim 4:6

In the first instance he views the Philippians in their character as consecrated believers, as a holocaust or burnt offering to God. And upon the sacrifice of their devotion he was willing to pour out his own life’s blood as a drink offering, in his endeavor to make known the Gospel which he had preached to them. And he expresses the same thought to Timothy as he looks death in the face from his prison in Rome.

The secret that will make us willing to sacrifice everything and to be sacrificed is the sacrifice of Calvary.

God ever directs our thoughts to the Christ that is His example we may find our inspiration and in His indwelling, we may have the secret force which makes us follow the perfect ideal.

Thought for the Day!

Young McCall of the Livingstone Congo mission, in the midst of his work in Africa, was suddenly struck down and called upon to give up his life. His last words were,

”Lord, I give myself to Thee, body, mind, and soul. I consecrated my whole life and being to Thy services, and now, if it please Thee to take myself, instead of the work which I could do for Thee, what is that to me? Thy will be done.”

Hebrew Honey!

ELOHIM and its relatives, ELOAH, EL, ELAH, EL-SHADDAI.

1. ELOHIM – God in the unity of His Divine personality and power.
2. ELOAH – God in the exclusiveness of His Deity, as the Supreme Object of worship.
3. EL – God in the expressiveness of His character and action.
4. ELAH – Chaldean form of ELOAH.
5. EL-SHADDAI – God in the sufficiency of His Grace and government.

Exodus 6:3, “And I appeared unto Abraham unto Issac, and unto Jacob by the name of, God Almighty, but by My name, JEHOVAH was I not known to them.”

He attaches significance and meaning to the names by which He calls Himself.

The Name of our Lord God should be like a precious jewel in the cabinet of our souls. To be taken out only at great times and with a loving awe.

“In the Beginning God,” ELOHIM, “Created the Heavens and the Earth”

The title ELOHIM occurs in ten ways as descriptive of His power.

1. God created – Gen 1:1, 21, 27. His power to bring into being. The word “created” is BARA, which means to bring into existence without the aid of pre-existing material.
2. God made – Gen 1:7, 16, 25, 31; 2:2, 3. His power to fashion and beautify. The word is ASAH, rendered “made.” It means to fashion out of what already exists.
3. The Spirit of God moved – Gen 1:2. His power to bring into life.
4. God said – Gen 1;3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26, 28, 29. His power to speak and cause to be.
5. God saw – Gen 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31. His power to discern and appreciate.
6. God called – Gen 1:5, 8, 10. His power to describe and name.
7. God divided – Gen 1:4. His power to separate and distinguish.
8. God set – Gen 1:17. His power to place and keep.
9. God ended – Gen 2:2. His power to accomplish and complete.
10. God blessed – Gen 1:28, 2:3. His power to enrich and sanctify.

Ten ELOHIMs in creation and recreation. Omnipotence.

Thought for the Day!

“No abounding of material prosperity shall avail if our spiritual senses atrophy. The foes of our own household will surely prevail against us unless there be in our people an inner life which finds its outer expression in a morality like unto that preached by the seers and prophets of God when the grandeur that was Greece and the glory that was Rome still lay in the future.”

–Theodore Roosevelt

Cheating in Business!

Eph 4:28, “Let him that stole steal no more but rather let him labour working with his hands the thing which is good that he may have to give to him that needeth.”

The phrase “let him that stole” is a present tense, which means it is going on now. It is an active voice and the person uses his own free will to cheat.

1. A believer out of fellowship is operating under mental attitude sins and is a slave to the details of life.

2. A believer out of fellowship operates under materialism lust.

3. In the darkness of his soul he seeks to gain money to gratify his lust pattern.

4. The believer out of fellowship ends up with a seared conscience.

5. The removal of the seared conscience through the intake of the Word of God changes the pattern of dishonestly in business.

6. Since the believer in business is in full-time Christian service, he must conduct that business as unto the Lord.

7. The full-time Christian service demands honesty in business practices, otherwise there is a lost of testimony.

8. When a believer reaches maturity, it stabilizes him in business and reflects the glory of God.
   

The Only Unique Person in the Universe – the Lord Jesus Christ!

The characteristics of Him which separates Him from all the leaders of religion and sects in the world. The following could not be said by another person than the Lord Jesus Christ.

1. The hypostatic union:
   Jesus Christ has two natures – Undiminished Deity and true humanity in one Person forever. Jesus Christ is equal to, and superior to the human race.
2. Impeccability of Christ, Deity.
       A. Not temptable.
       B. Not peccable, not able to sin.
       C. The humanity was not peccable, but temptable.
3. The temptability of Jesus Christ, Matthew 4.
       A. He was minus the old sin nature.
       B. The virgin birth separated Him from the human race.
       C. He had no imputation of Adam’s sin.
       D. Both Adam and Jesus Christ started out the same. And both were tempted under the same concept.
       E. The temptation was bona fide, but did not come from the old sin nature.
       F. He was tempted, but never succumbed. Heb 4:15
       G. Both were tempted by Satan, using all genius and wiles to cause them to act independently of God. Jesus Christ was successful in resisting. But Adam was not. Jesus Christ faced unique temptations. No one in the human race has faced these temptations in the same manner or intensity as He did.

Four reasons why Jesus Christ became true humanity:

1. For our so great salvation. Heb 2:9-12, John 8:58, and Phil chapter 2
2. As our Mediator. 1 Tim 2:5, Job 25:51, 1 John 1:1-5, 1:9-14
3. Our High Priest. Heb 5, 7, 9. The priest must be a man.
4. King of kings. 2 Sam 7:17-19, 1 Chr 21, Matt 27:37. Jesus Christ is the Son of David.

No one fits these qualifications but the Lord Jesus Christ!

Monday, August 21, 2000

Verse for Today!

John 1:18, “No man has seen God at any time. The Only Begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him.”

The Only Begotten Son and the First Begotten Son

The Only Begotten is the One who was given for us, John 3:16 – His Only Begotten.

The First Begotten is the One who is coming again in manifest glory. Hence, when His return is revealed, it is said “When He bringeth His First Begotten into the world.” Heb 1:6

The reason of His return to the inhabited Earth is because the Father brings Him. He is behind Him and with Him and the cause of His return and all He does. Being the First Begotten, He is the guarantee of those who are being glorified with Him.

First Begotten

By the term “First born, begotten from the dead,” we are to understand the grave as His mother, and out of that dark womb He was begotten by the Father as the first immortal man.

The words “immortal” and “immortality” are applied in Scripture only to the body, never to the soul. But by this it is not intended to say that the soul ceases to exist at death. The Son of God has settled that. He says you can kill the body, but you cannot kill the soul.

Scripture teaches that the soul will exist for ever whether saved or lost. Immortality is applied to a body that is incorruptible and deathless. Such a body is a privilege alone of the sons of God.

The Importance of the Doctrine of the Incarnation

As the Son of God and God the Son has been from all eternity the “form” – the visibility of God and by His place and function in the Godhead alone could be.

He only of all the Persons of the Godhead could become incarnate. God manifested in the flesh and therefore, both in fulfillment of His essential relationship to the Godhead and by the terms of the everlasting covenant, He did, indeed, become so, and on the Cross offered His perfect humanity as a sacrifice for sin.

That sacrifice finds its value neither in the extent of time in which it was offered, nor in the degree of suffering of the Offerer, but in the infinite personality of Christ who offered it.

God the Father didn’t take on flesh. God the Holy Spirit didn’t take on flesh. God the Son took on flesh. The only way we know God the Father is through God the Son.

God’s Features!

The whole of God’s being is represented as being alert for our blessing.

1. 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.”

2. 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.”

3. 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.”

4. 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.”

5. A mouth to speak to us – Deut 6:8, “And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.”

6. 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.”

7. 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.”

8. 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.”

9. 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.”

10. A soul to delight in us – 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.”

11. And 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.”
    

The Ear!

“He that planted the ear shall he not hear” Psa 94:9

Everything that God made had a purpose in its creation. And the ear is that organ of the body by means of which we are able to receive a communication from another and through the mind we are able to understand its meaning. Job 12:11

The ear represents the power which knows the condition of another. As the little girl said, “God hears thoughts.” Also, hearing stands for the attention which results in action and when Christ said, “My sheep hear My voice and follow Me.” Prayer is the voice of need which approaches for aid to the One who can give it. Frequently we read of one appealing for help,  who cries, “Give ear to my prayer,” Psa 17:1.

The whole of God’s being is represented as being alert for our blessing. “My ear is not heavy that it cannot hear and My arm is not shortened that it cannot save. But your sins have separated you from your God,” Isa 59:1-3

Throne of Grace

The general thought of prayer is man’s appeal to God for His intervention to aid. It is the most potent ministry that can be exercised. For it brings us to God and binds us to Him. And brings God to us in His power and Grace.

”Come to the throne of Grace boldly.”

Tennyson well expressed it in a well know lines:

”More things are wrought by prayer
Than this world dreams of.
Wherefore let thy voice
Rise like a fountain for me night and day.
For what are men better than sheep or goats
That nourish a blind life within the brain
If, knowing God, they lift not hands to pray
Both for themselves and those who call them friend
For so the whole round world is every way
Bound by gold chains about the feet of God.”

Man – A Praying Animal!

Man has been called a “praying animal.” We would rather say man has the capacity to pray, but when it comes to pray in too many instances man is dumb. It is when the Spirit awakens 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 prayer is the open sluice through which the water of life comes and feeds us and it is the last act in the drama of life as we say with Stephen, “Lord Jesus receive my spirit,” Acts 7:56

”Pray” and “prayer” occur about 350 times in God’s Word. There are 12 Hebrew words and seven Greek words and in them we have a wonderful revelation of what true prayer is.

If we neglect the Grace of prayer, we shall be wanting in the Grace to live. 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.

Thought for the Day!

“The first prerequisite of true leadership is a happy home. The private life is the proving ground for the public life.”

–Theodore Roosevelt

Moral Compass!

“The role of a leader is primarily to serve as a moral compass, pointing others to the true north of justice and righteousness.”

–Theodore Roosevelt

A Hebrew Honey! “SHAAL”

Prayer does not always articulate its request. Sometimes its silent attitude is most expressive as when the psalmist said, “I am prayer,” Psa 109:4. The blind beggar with an open hand is a speaking petition.

The word “pray” in Psa 122:6 is SHAAL and is the simplest form of prayer. It means to ask, to make a request for something. The word is variously given and it generally means to make an inquiry and is so given.

Ask  Ask on  Ask also  Ask Me  and  Ask ye  Enquire   Pray

In Exodus 12:35 the same word is translated “borrow,” but it does not mean to borrow, but to make a request. The children of Israel did not “borrow” from the Egyptians, but they “asked” for what they received.

The Doctrine of “The Red Heifer”

Read Num 19 and Heb 9:13-14

The teaching of the red heifer is the application of the atoning work of Christ to the conscience and to the life, removing contracted defilement from both, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The book where the ordinance of the red heifer occurs, namely the book of Numbers, which is the book of the pilgrim life, is suggestive. While treading the wilderness of life, believers may contact defilement and while we do not need to be “saved from the wrath to come” for that took place when we believed in Christ. But we do need to recognize that the same atoning blood, is needed. For if we need the cleansing blood to keep us while we are walking in the light, how much more we need that atoning blood when we get defiled.

We need the perfect holiness of our Great High Priest to bear the iniquity of our holy things, as well as bear our sins. Ex 28:36-38

They that carry vessels of the Lord must be clean.

Num 19:5, “One shall burn the heifer in his sight, her skin, and her flesh, and her blood with her dung shall he burn.”

There are two words for “burn.” The one meaning to burn as incense and thus to cause to ascend to the Lord as a sweet smelling savour.” This is found in Lev 1:9, 13, 15,  17.

The other word, the one used in relation to the heifer, signifies to consume utterly, of as an act of judgment as in the case of:
”The accursed thing” of Jericho – Joshua 7:15, 25
”The sin offering” – Lev 4:12, 21
And to “burn rubbish” – Neh 4:2

The word that is used here in our text, “burn,” is not that of the sweet smelling savour, but the one that signifies utterly consumed and fitly expresses the fire of Divine judgment.

The two-fold act of slaying and consuming tells of a two-fold suffering on the part of the Holy One of God. There was that not only which He bore at the hand of men, and much else which must have been anguish of His holy and sensitive soul. But there was that judgment of God upon sin, the wrath and the cause due to those in whose stead He suffered.

The red heifer says a lot.

Sunday, August 20, 2000

Verse for Today – Heb 4:12

“The Word of God is alive” – living and eternal.
”And powerful” – able to save, keep, and protect — omnipotence
”Sharper than any two-edged sword” – sharper than the greatest of all military weapons. The Word conquers all — sovereign
“Piercing to the dividing asunder of the soul and the spirit” – the Word of God is the only Book in the world that makes a distinction between the soul and the spirit. Nothing else does —omniscience
”And is a critic of the thoughts and intents of the mind” — the Bible knows what you are thinking and your thought pattern, emphasizing the mental attitude as the most important in Christianity.

”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.”
”With the mind man believeth unto salvation.”

The Bible is the Original Declaration of Independence! 96 A.D.

Not only are the 10 commandments, the Magna Carta of freedom, the first five deal with our relation to God and the second five in our relation to man. But ...

”You shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make you free.”
”Stand fast in the liberty where Christ has set you free.”
”He came and preached liberty to the captives.”
”When Christ shall set you free, you will be free indeed.”
”Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”

Thought for the Day!

In 1917, when American troops were preparing to sail across the seas in order to take to the battlefields of France and Belgium in the first World War, the New York Bible Society asked Theodore Roosevelt to inscribe a message in the pocket New Testament that each of the soldiers would be given.

The great man happily complied. And he began by giving a striking Biblical call for a life of balance, what he called “Micah mandate.”

”He has shown you, O man, what is good and what the Lord requires of you, but to do justice and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” Micah 6:8

”Saying that the whole teaching of the New Testament is actually foreshadowed in Micah’s verse.

”He exhorted the men to lead the world in both word and deed through unimpeachable moral uprightness.”

In his brief message to the soldiers he explained, “Do justice, and therefore fight valiantly against those that stand for the reign of Moloch and Beelzebub on this Earth. Love mercy, treat your enemies well, succor the afflicted, treat every women as if she were your sister, care for the little children, and be tender with the old and helpless. Walk humbly, you will do so if you study the life and teachings of the Saviour, walking in His steps.”

Saturday, August 19, 2000

Verse for Today!

Acts 4:12, “Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other Name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

Greek Grace Gems!

The Law of Emphasis

What does the word “abide” mean?
The command of Christ to abide in Him is fruitful and is one of the things He emphasizes.

First – what does the Greek word MENO (abide) mean?

This word is translated “dwellest,” “tarry,” “endureth,” “remaineth,” “present,” “might stand,” and “continue.”  The word is MENO.

The Geek Word MENO (Abide)

Is mentioned by Christ in John 15 twelve times and it is translated “abide,” “continue,” “remain.”

1. Command to abide “abide in Me,” verse 4. This is a call to obedience and not an option in choice.
2. Christ’s abiding in us depends upon our abiding in Him. “Abide in Me and I in you,” verse 4.
   This order of our obedience secures the omnipotence of His presence.
3. Necessity of abiding. The branch is useless and helpless in itself, Ezek 15:1-6. Its fruitfulness depends upon being united to the Vine, so union and communion with Christ are essential for fruitfulness, verse 4.
4. Result of abiding, verse 5. The “much fruit” of His dying, 12:24, finds its counter part in the “much fruit” of His living in us by our abiding in Him.
5. Consequence of not abiding., verse 6. Want of fruit proves we are professors and not partakers. There may be a fruitless vine, but there cannot be a fruitless Christ for union with Him proves itself by fruit from Him, Hosea 14:8
6. Blessings of abiding, verse 7. As we answer to the Lord in our obedience, He answers to our prayers with His blessing.
7. Sphere of abiding, “Continue ye in My love,” verse 9. As we live in the element of God’s love, we inbreathe His affection to our comfort and we outbreathe it to others’ help.
8. How to abide. “If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love,” verse 10. The royal road of God’s benediction is the loyal road of our faithfulness.
9. Fellowship of abiding, verse 10. Christ does not ask us to do anything He has done to God for us and which He promises to do in us to God’s glory.
10. Joy of abiding, verse 11. The things of the world pass away, but the joy of the Lord continues to stay.
11. Reward of abiding, verse 16. Abiding in the Son, we as abiding sons find the abiding fruit for He not only gives the “fruit of union,” verse 4, and the “more fruit” of discipline, verse 2, and the “much fruit” of His indwelling and abundant life to God’s glory, verses 5, 8, but the fruit that remains, verse 16, which puts us in the place of prevailing prayer.
    

Thought for the Day!

“Weasel words from molly coddles will never do when the day demands prophetic clarity from greyhearts.”

–Theodore Roosevelt

Friday, August 18, 2000

The Blessing of the Offering!

The offering was accepted before the Lord, Lev 1:3, “If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD.”

That it might be accepted for the offerer, Lev 1:4, “And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.”

There is not only the thought of something being accepted for the offerer in the word “accepted,” but there is the thought of delight. The word is rendered ”delighteth” in Isa 42:1 in speaking of Christ in whom God delighteth. (“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.”)

The word is also translated ”pleasure” – The Lord taketh pleasure in His people,” Psa 149:4

Believers in Christ are comely in all comeliness of His perfection, Ez 16:14, “And Thy renown went forth among the heathen for Thy beauty: for it was perfect through My comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord GOD.”

Complete in all the completeness of His completion of His completeness, Col 1:10, “That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;”

Alive to all the livingness of His life, 1 Pet 2:4-5, “To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”

Righteous in all the righteousness of His righteousness, 2 Cor 5:21, “For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.”

Holy in all the sanctity of His holiness, Heb 10:10, 14, “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” “For by one offering He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.”

Rich in all the treasure of His riches, Eph 1:3-7, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, To the praise of the glory of His Grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved. In Whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His Grace;”

Precious in all the preciousness of His preciousness, 1 Pet 2:7, “Unto you therefore which believe He is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the Stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the Head of the corner,”

And accepted in all the worth of His acceptance, Eph 1:6, “To the praise of the glory of His Grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved.”

We are complete in Christ.

Practical Outcome of the Offering

As the offering was a “sweet savour unto the Lord,” that is that which was wellpleasing to Him. So, we find that there are certain things in the New Testament which are said to be acceptable or wellpleasing to Him.

1. A surrendered being to the Lord is wellpleasing or acceptable to Him. Rom 12:1, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

2. Consideration for others in the Lord is wellpleasing to God. Rom 14:18, “For He that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.”

3. To minister to the need of God’s servants is wellpleasing to God. Phil 4:18, “But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God.”

4. To recognize our responsibility in earthly relationships is wellpleasing to the Lord. Col 3:20, “Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.” Titus 2:9, “Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again;”

5. To have faith in God is to be wellpleasing to Him. Heb 11:5-6, “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”

6. To do good to others is to be well-pleasing to God. Heb 13:16, “But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”

7. To suffer wrongfully is to be acceptable to Him. 1 Pet 2:20, “For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.”

We are saved and called to offer up these “spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God,” 1 Pet 2:5, “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”

We are exhorted to “offer service” after this kind, “wellpleasing to God.” Heb 12:28, “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have Grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:”

We should “make it our aim to be wellpleasing to the Lord for we have to stand before His judgment seat.” 2 Cor 5:9, “Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of Him.”

And we may be assured that as we allow the Lord to be “working in us that which is wellpleasing in His sight.” Heb 13:21, “Make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to Whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

We shall be “proving what is wellpleasing unto the Lord.” Eph 5:10, “Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.”

Now you know how to please the Lord.

Meat or Meal Offering!

The meal offering is typical of Christ in the perfection of His humanity, the holiness of His character, and the spotlessness of His beautiful life.

The Lord and the Meal Offering

Eight times in Lev 2 we have the expression “unto the Lord,” verses 1, 2, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16. Once we have the sentence “the salt of the covenant of thy God, verse 13. And twice the words “the offerings of the Lord made by fire,” verses 3, 10

In all Christ was and did, He ever was “unto the Lord.” 

He walked in His Father’s ways, John 16:28, “I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.”

He willed His Father’s will, John 5:30, “I can of Mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and My judgment is just; because I seek not Mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent Me.”

He spoke His Father’s Word, John 14:24, “He that loveth Me not keepeth not My sayings: and the Word which ye hear is not Mine, but the Father’s which sent Me.”

He did His Father’s work, John 17:4, “I have glorified Thee on the earth: I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do.”

He rejoiced in His Father’s love, John 10:17, 15:9, “Therefore doth My Father love Me, because I lay down My life, that I might take it again.” “As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you: continue ye in My love.”

He sought His Father’s aid, John 11:41, “Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up His eyes, and said, Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard Me.”

He aimed at His Father’s glory, John 8:39, “They answered and said unto Him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham.”

If one Son can do it, all sons can do it.

Lev 2:13, “The Salt of the Covenant of Thy God”

This is indicative of God on His part keeping to His covenant promise to Christ. John 17:24, “Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am; that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me: for Thou lovedst Me before the foundation of the world.”

And on Christ’s part, indicative of His faithful service seasoned with the salt of Grace is perfectly fulfilling our obligations to God and tasting death in so doing. Heb 2:9, “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that He by the Grace of God should taste death for every man.”

We are the salt of the earth.

“The Offering Made by Fire”

Lev 2:3, 10, “And the remnant of the meat offering shall be Aaron’s and his sons’: it is a thing most holy of the offerings of the LORD made by fire.” “And that which is left of the meat offering shall be Aaron’s and his sons’: it is a thing most holy of the offerings of the LORD made by fire.”

The “offering made by fire unto the Lord,” in its typical application, for the expression implies to other offerings as well as the meal offering.

Lev 1:9, 17, “But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.” “And he shall cleave it with the wings thereof, but shall not divide it asunder: and the priest shall burn it upon the altar, upon the wood that is upon the fire: it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.”

Lev 3:3, 5, 9, “And he shall offer of the sacrifice of the peace offering an offering made by fire unto the LORD; the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards,” “And Aaron’s sons shall burn it on the altar upon the burnt sacrifice, which is upon the wood that is on the fire: it is an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.” “And he shall offer of the sacrifice of the peace offering an offering made by fire unto the LORD; the fat thereof, and the whole rump, it shall he take off hard by the backbone; and the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards,”

Proclaims Christ’s endurance under the fire of trial, whether it be:

Christ the God-Man!

Nineteen hundred years ago
Upon Judean hills,
A character of wondrous blending
Suddenly appears
The Man of destiny.

Man destined to be
In profile protected
By prophets predicted
In symbol reflected
Longed for, expected.

By all ages desired
By angels admired
Like man He walked
Like God He talked.

His Words were oracles
His acts were miracles
Of God, the best expression
Of man the finest specimen.

Full-orbed humanity
Crowned with Divinity
No taint of iniquity
No trace of infirmity.

”Ecco homo!” “Behold the man”
”Ecco deus!” “Behold thy God”

Thought for the Day!

 “Happy homes are the responsibility of husbands and fathers, but inevitably it is wives and mothers who make it so.”

–Theodore Roosevelt

Christ Put His Stamp of Approval Not Only on People in the Old Testament, But Situations and Things Also

The burning Bush – Exodus 3:2, “And the Angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.”
Mark 12:26-27, “And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the Bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?”

The law of the leper – Lev 14:1-4, “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought unto the priest: And the priest shall go forth out of the camp; and the priest shall look, and, behold, if the plague of leprosy be healed in the leper; Then shall the priest command to take for him that is to be cleansed two birds alive and clean, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop:”
Matt 8:4, “And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, show thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.”

The serpent – Num 21:9, “And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.”
John 3:14-15, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

Thursday, August 17, 2000

Is the Word of God the Word of God???

Jesus Christ put His stamp of approval and vindicated that the Bible is true.

Noah – Luke 17:26-27, “And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.”

Lot – Luke 17:28-30, “Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from Heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.”

Abraham – John 8:58, “Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”

Creation – John 1:1-3, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made.”
Col 1:16-17, “For by Him were all things created, that are in Heaven, and that are in Earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him: And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.”
Psa 33:6, “By the Word of the LORD were the Heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.”

Adam – 1 Cor 15:45, 47, “And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the Last Adam was made a quickening spirit.” “The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from Heaven.”

Adam and Eve – Eph 5:31-32, “For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the Church.”

Isaiah – Rom 9:27, “Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:”

Daniel – Mark 13:14, “But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:”

Solomon – Matt 1:6, “And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;”
Matt 12:42, “The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the Earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a Greater than Solomon is here.”

David – Matt 22:43-45, “He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call Him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit Thou on my right hand, till I make Thine enemies Thy footstool? If David then call Him Lord, how is He his son?”

Eve – Matt 19:4-5, “And He answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that He which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?”

The Burning Bush – Mark 12:26-27, “And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.”

Righteousness!

The word “righteousness” is used in seven different ways in the Book of Romans. While it primarily means to be right, the context suggests the sense in which it is to be understood.

1. Personality – what God is, or His acts consistent with His nature therefore, that which is right. Rom 3:5, Rom 9:25

2. Righteousness of the law – or what God demands from man. Rom 10:5, 9:31

3. Righteousness displayed in the Gospel – that is God’s Grace consistent with His character. Rom 1:17, 3:21-26, 5:17, 21, 8:10

4. The righteousness of God personified in Christ – that is He is all that God wishes and has fulfilled all that He has required. Rom 10:3-4

5. The righteousness of faith – or what God puts to our account, when we believe in Christ, namely, we are made the righteousness of God in Christ. Rom 4:32, 9:30, 10:6, 10

6. The righteousness of the Spirit – or what He produces in the life of the believer. Rom 14:17

7. The righteousness of the believer – or the practical outcome of union with Christ. Rom 6:13, 16, 18, 19, 20

Types of Christ as Far as Offices are Concerned!

Moses the prophet and Christ the Prophet. Deut 18:15, Acts 3:22

Aaron the priest and Christ the Offerer. Ex 28:1, Heb 10:11

David the king and Christ the King. 2 Sam 7, Luke 1:32

Joshua the captain and Christ the Captain. Josh 5:14, Heb 2:10

Abel the shepherd and Christ the Shepherd. Gen 4:2, John 10:1-18

Joseph the saviour and Christ the Saviour. Gen 50:19-20, Heb 7:25

Samson the conqueror and Christ the Conqueror. Judges 16:19, Col 2:14-15

The Law of Recompense!

We should not give to get.
But we get in giving.

This is one of the fundamental facts of faith principles which Christ enunciates. The following Scripture incidents illustrate:

1. Isaac gave the jewels to Rebekah and Rebekah gave herself to Isaac. Gen 24:22, 58

2. Ruth clave to Naomi in her affection, and Naomi clave to Ruth in her service. Ruth 1:18, Ruth 4:16

3. David received the men in the hold when they were in distress. And David was helped by them when he was distressed. 1 Sam 22:2, 1 Chr 11:15-19

4. Abigail ministered to David in his need, and David honoured her in her widowhood. 1 Sam 25:18-27, 39

5. The widow of Zarephath gave out of her penury to Elijah, and Elijah was the means of bringing her the Lord’s plenty. 1 Kings 17:12-16

6. The Shunammite woman entertained Elisha to his comfort, and the prophet obtained a child for her to her consolation. 2 Kings 4:8-17

7. The lad gave five cakes and few fishes to the Lord and was rewarded by seeing 12 baskets full of broken and unhandled pieces after the multitude was fed. John 6:9-13

And the greatest example of all is He who came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and who obtains by His love a willing and loving ministry in return. Matt 20:28, 2 Cor 12:15

Prophecy!

The Cross of Christ is the substantiation of all prophecy, the fulness of all Scripture. Christ Himself reminded the two disciples as He journeyed to Emmaus, His sufferings and His glory are the two river beds in which the streams of Truth flow.

He is the Promised Seed of Eden
The Sheltering Ark of Noah
The Ram offered in the stead of Isaac
The Passover Lamb of Exodus
The Perfect Sacrifice of Leviticus
The Life-Giving Serpent of Numbers
The Accessible Refuge of Deuteronomy
The Gracious Saviour of Joshua
The Mighty Man of valour of Judges
The Kinsman Redeemer of Ruth
The Dependent Conqueror of Samuel
The Glorious King of Kings
The Vigilant Administrator of Chronicles
The Prayerful Builder of Nehemiah
The Wise Leader of Ezra
The Prevailing Intercessor of Esther
The Delivering Daysman of Job
The Patient Sufferer of the Psalms
The Upright Son of Proverbs
The Wise Man of Ecclesiastes
The Attractive Beloved of Song of Solomon
The Beautiful Messenger of Isaiah
The Weeping Prophet of Jeremiah
The Glorious One of Ezekiel
The Cut-Off Prince of Daniel
The Refreshing Dew of Hosea
The Resolute Judge of Joel
The Raiser-Up of Amos
The Satisfying Possession of Obadiah
The Afflicted Substitute of Jonah
The Caster Away of Sins of Micah
The Irresistible Stronghold of Nahum
The Holy Searcher of Habakkuk
The Glad Singer of Zephaniah
The Faithful Blesser of Haggai
The Smitten Shepherd of Zechariah
The Coming Refiner of Malachi

Thought for the Day!

“The things that will destroy America are prosperity-at-any price, peace-at-any- price, safety first instead of duty first, the love of soft living, and the get-rich-quick-theory of life.”

–Theodore Roosevelt

Jesus Christ Hates Religion Because it is the Worst Thing in the World

John 8:44, “Ye are of your father, the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the Truth. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own, for he is a liar and the father of it.”

This was addressed to very religious people who prayed three times a day, and tithed mint and seeds, etc.

Here He is saying that Satan is the father of religion.
Religion is the worst thing in the world. It blinds the mind of people not to see the Gospel which is in the face of Jesus Christ.

The religious people, for envy, cried out “Crucify Him.” He called them snakes and white-washed tombstones with dead men’s bones inside. And hypocrites, hiding behind a mask, stealing widow’s purses.

There will be peace on Earth when religion is removed from this Earth during the Millennium. In the meantime, discern between religion and Christianity.

Religion says work for your salvation. Christianity says that Christ died for you and gives you salvation freely, not of works.

People lump Jews, Catholics, Hindus, and Protestants into one category and they call them all religious. They never make the distinction between them as the Bible says  “Jew and Gentile and the Church of God.”

Jews are religious and Catholics are religious. But Christians are not religious. Christians have a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Christianity is not a religion. It is a relationship. Personal.

The Law of Triplication!

As the Godhead is a Trinity, so there are a great many instances where three things are relatively connected.

For example, the three-fold reference to the Father in John chapter 17.
When Christ speaks to Him as Father, when He addressed His Father on behalf of His people, He says Holy Father. And then He refers to Him as Righteous Father. John 17:1, John 17:11, John 17:25

There is a three-fold evil:
Sin is often coupled with transgression and iniquity but they cannot be substituted one for the other.
Sin is missing the mark of God’s requirement.
Transgression is going beyond the boundary of God’s love.
Iniquity is twisting what is straight and making it crooked.
Psa 32:1 tells you what God does with these.

The three-fold requirement of God’s request. There are three things that He requires from His creature, man.
”What doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with Thy God,” Micah 6:8.

All the blessings of the Gospel are three-fold. 
The three aspects of salvation, eternal life, etc. 
The three appearings of Christ in Heb 9:24-28 cover all the service of Christ for us.

A Full Mention Principle!

A full revelation of the characteristics of faith is found in Hebrews 11, where we are reminded of:

The nature of faith, it makes the unseen real.
The objective of faith.
The basis of faith, the Word of God and the God of the Word.
The activities of faith in the several persons mentioned and what they did.
And the excellencies of faith and its rewards. For faith honours God to His glory and God honours faith to its benefit and reward.

The Doctrine of the Be’s!

1. Be holy – 1 Pet 1:15, a command of consecration.
2. Be perfect – 2 Cor 13:11, a command of adjustment.
3. Be strong – Eph 6:10, a command of equipment.
4. Be patient – James 5:7, a command of endurance.
5. Be sober – 1 Pet 1:13, a command of conduct.
6. Be vigilant – 1 Pet 5:8, a command of watchfulness.
7. Be ye separate – 2 Cor 6:14-17, a command of holiness.

Busy Be’s

Why Commands??

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.

Christ says “If you love Me ye will keep My commandments,” John 14:15. In Phil 4:1-6 eight commandments are to be found.

1. Stand fast – of fidelity
2. Be of the same mind – of sympathy
3. Help – of energy
4. Rejoice – of joyfulness
5. Let your moderation – of testimony
6. Be careful for nothing – of anxiety
7. Every thing by prayer and supplication – of entreaty
8. Thanksgiving – of doxology

Ellipsis!

Ellipsis signifies a breaking off, hence, something wanting.

We are told that “God is able to do exceeding and abundantly above all we ask or think,” Eph 3:20. The word “abundantly” actually means a super-abundance, as when a vessel is filled to overflowing. ”Exceeding” signifies an abundance beyond an abundance, as when a constant supply is poured into a vessel so that the water drenches the carpet as well as the table cloth. ”Above” goes beyond the other two descriptions, so that the water poured into the vessel which drenches the cloth and the carpet flows out of the house and into the street. The word “abundantly “ is rendered “enough and to spare,” Luke 15:17; ”Beyond measure,” Mark 6:51; “Superfluous,” 2 Cor 9:1; and “overmuch,” 2 Cor 2:7.

So that the sentence “exceedingly abundantly above” means that which is beyond measure, which is beyond measure of beyond measure and beyond what is beyond what is beyond measure of a beyond measure.

It is right after the apostle said “exceedingly abundantly above” that we find the ellipsis. He seems to say “He is able to go beyond the measure of all the beyond measures.”

No matter how great the gap and want, the Lord’s answer is unlimited and immeasureable.

Political Thought for the Day!

“The old parties are husks, with no real soul within either, divided on artificial lines, boss ridden and privilege controlled, each a jumble of incongruous elements and neither daring to speak out wisely and fearlessly what should be said on the vital issued of the day.”

–Theodore Roosevelt, “The political battle of 1912”

Wednesday, August 16, 2000

No Gospel in the Gospel of John!

In John we have revealed the Divine Logos, the Word, in John’s unfolding Gospel,
but the word “Gospel” does not appear in the book of John.

But John’s Gospel is full of the Gospel for it reveals to us Christ in its genesis in the bosom of the Father and in its revelation unfolds to a saved sinner in the bosom of the Son.

In the so-called Apostle’s Creed, there is not a word about love.

God is love. not love He was, nor He will be
But He is, and always was, and always will be
Here is fact, pulsating, warm
Trust Him and see.

John tells us of God’s love that in itself is a Gospel.

The Lake of God’s Love is Deeper Than Man’s Sin

The prodigal son had a glimmer of that love when he said, “How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough even to spare?” At least if he did not get the enough, he got was to be found in to spare. What a pour conception he had of the father’s bounty.

When God gives, He does not give us a crust. He gives us the Bread of Life, the Lord Jesus Christ. What wonderful contrasts Christ reveals of the lake of God’s love in the prodigal son.

Have you ever noticed it? Check out the next “Sugar Stick.”

The Contrast Between the Lake of God’s Love and the Prodigal Son

1. The prodigal, in his self-will, demanded ”the portion of goods that falleth” to him.
The Father, in love’s giving, ”divided” unto him ”his living,” literally ”his life.”

2. The prodigal, in his self-action, ”gathered all together.”
The Father, in His love, was waiting on the look-out for the wanderer’s return.

3. The prodigal, in his self-destination, went into the ”far country.”
The Father, in His love’s sight, saw the ungrateful one while he was yet a great way off.

4. The prodigal, in his self-folly, ”spent all” he possessed.
The Father’s love’s desire moved Him to run to welcome the wanderer. ”He ran.” This is the only time we read of God being in a hurry.

5. The prodigal, in his self-destitution, began ”to be in want.”
The Father, in His love’s embrace, fell on his neck and took him to His heart.

6. The prodigal son, in his self-association, ”joined himself to a citizen of that country.”
The Father, in his love’s kiss, lavished upon the swine-feeder the many kisses of His affection. Kissed a pig.

7. The prodigal, in his self-servitude, was sent into the field to feed the swine.
The Father, in His love’s garment, put the best robe on him.

8. The prodigal, in his self-longing, would ”fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat.”
The Father, in love’s bestowment, put a ring on his hand.

9. The prodigal, in his self-collapse, exclaimed ”I perish.”
The Father, His love’s protection, ordered shoes to be placed on his feet.

10. The prodigal, in his self-misery, found no one to help him. For “no man gave unto him.”
The Father, in His love’s provision, killed the fatted calf and feasted him.

11. The prodigal, in his self-condemnation, confessed he was unworthy and was content with the place of a hired servant.
The Father, in His love’s satisfaction, exclaimed, “This is My son.”

12. The prodigal, in his self-confession, confessed ”I have sinned.”
The Father, in His love’s defense against the elder brother’s criticism of his action for the prodigal, answered every charge.

Such love and such action make us sing.

That Thou shouldest be the God Thou art
And love me as Thou dost
In darkness to my intellect
But sunshine to my heart.

The Lake of God’s Love is Higher Than His Throne

“Righteousness and judgment are the habitation of His throne.” Righteousness and judgment are attributes of God.

But, love is not an attribute. It is what God “is” in His essence of His being.

We sing, “Love moved the mighty hand.” No, God is His mighty love, moved. “God is love.”

”In this was manifested the love of God towards us, because He sent His only Begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him.”

”Herein” of in this, “is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be a propitiation,” literally “satisfaction” “for,” literally “concerning our sins,” 1 John 4:9-10

This is how God in His love expressed Himself. But that expression proves what He “is.”

King David and His Love for His Son

David long ago, in his love for his son Absalom, when he knew he was slain exclaimed, ”O my son Absalom , my son, my son, Absalom! Would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!”

God didn’t not die for us. God cannot die. But He who died for us is God. For God in the eternal value of His own Son reveals to us the heart of the One who sits on the throne. Therefore, He must be higher than the throne itself.

God’s love is higher than God’s throne.

The Lake of God’s Love is Broader Than Humanity’s Need

One of the salient things in the life of Christ was He never met a need, but supplied its necessity.

When He saw the hungry multitude, He fed it.
When He came against disease, He banished it.
When He beheld impotence, He energized it.
When He met death, He vivified it.
When He saw a thirsty soul, He satisfied it.
When He beheld the eyes of sorrow dripping with tears, He wiped them away.
And when He was appealed to for mercy and help, He always responded.

His very attitude on the Cross as His form is extended by the transfixing nails, is eloquent with loving appeal. Those extended arms invite all to come to His saving embrace.

How true it is that the Cross reveals man at his worst and God at His best.

”Where sin abounded, Grace did much more abound.”

At the Cross, the mountains of man’s sins rose up to, and against Heaven. But with God, the atonement of Christ covered it. There is no sin but that sacrifice has answered for it.

By His Fruit You Shall Know Him!

“Before a man can discipline other men, he must demonstrate his ability to discipline himself. Before he may be allowed the command of commission, he must evidence command of character.”

”Look then to the works of his hands, hear the words of his mouth. “By his fruit you shall know him.”

–Theodore Roosevelt

Tuesday, August 15, 2000

Verse for the Day!

Joel 2:32, “Whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved.”

The Miracle of Identification!

The doctrine of identification is so very little understood today. Identification is a mighty act on the part of God where He makes Jesus Christ one with the entire race of Adam.

It is more than causing Christ and man to resemble each other. It is more than similarity, it is oneness. It is more than intimacy, it is co-existence. It is more than union, it is unity. It is more than the joining of two together, it is complete amalgamation. It is more than companionship, it is coalescence. It is more than being wrapped together, it is fusion.

By an amazing exhibition of the miraculous power of God, He reached down through the ages of man’s history and brings into perfect and mysterious blending the being of the flawless Son of God and the being of all the sin-darkened seed of Adam.

That is identification.

Rom 6:5, “For if we have been planted in the likeness of His death.” The “if” here means “if and we have.”

The words “planted together” are SUM in the Greek, which means, “with, together,” and PHOTOS, which means “grown together,” which comes from the Greek word PHUSIS, which is used for the word nature or germination.

That is identification.

There is no such thing as Mother Nature. It is God’s creative germination.

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 beheld 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 beheld an actual Person and not an apparition. The actuality of the Christ of the past is a prophesy of the Church of the future.
The exultant note of the blessed hope of Christ’s return is buoyantly expressed in the soul-stirring words, ”We shall see Him.”

Israel is reminded that “They shall look upon Him whom they have pierced.”

Even so come.

Two Ministries of Christ!

“The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give His life a ransom for many,” Matt 20:28

The climax of His ministry was to give His life. Willingly and lovingly and deliberately He 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, Ex 21:26. And a propitiation for sin, Job 33:24.

One of the most wonderful promises of Christ is when He promises to “Come forth and serve” those servants whom He finds faithfully watching for His return and watching with girded loins 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 that His coming in turn to each is beyond our comprehension.

When love is appreciated by whole-hearted devotion, it commands the service of special regard. What an exceptional ministry that will be if our Lord should find us worthy of it. The fact that He says He will do it tells us that He will come to perform it.

He ministered and He will serve.

Two centuries ago a man by the name of M'Cheyne, was early called home. Once said at a communion service, “Oh, when shall those blue heavens be rent, and we be admitted to the marriage supper of the Lamb.

”I long for the day when all the language of Heaven and Earth shall be ‘Come, come, Lord Jesus’.” Such an ardent longing is the outcome of a loving devotion to the Lord. Readiness for Him is the outcome of a full obedience to Him.

Christians don’t talk like that anymore!

The Father’s Two Sendings of Christ!

Without referring to the 43 times in John’s Gospel which speaks of Christ being sent by the Father, we recall the two sendings to which Peter refers to in his second message after Pentecost.

”God sent His Son to bless you” and that is a special way. “By turning away everyone of you from his iniquities.” And this by means of the One who died and rose again.

But of that same One it is also declared, “He shall send Jesus Christ” and lest there be any doubt that the sending is future, Peter further declares in Acts 3:20-26, “Whom the Heavens must receive until the times of restitution.”

The Father’s first sending of Christ was that through, 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.

Israel will get the land all the way over to the Euphrates.

Thought for the Day!

“Morning prayers were with my father. We used to stand at the foot of the stairs and when Father came down called out, “I speak for you and the cubby-hole, too!
”There were three of us young children and we used to sit with Father on the sofa while he conducted morning prayers. The place between Father and the arm of the sofa we called the ‘cubby-hole.’
”The child who got that place we regarded as especially favoured both in comfort and somehow in rank and title.”

–Theodore Roosevelt

A President’s Platform!

When Theodore Roosevelt was questioned often by an inquisitive public, he was quick to state his system of Doctrine was best summarized in the lyrics of his favorite hymn.

How Firm a Foundation!       (We have forgotten the words!)

How firm a foundation ye saints of the Lord
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word
What more can He say than to you He has said
To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

Fear not I am with you, O be not dismayed
For I am your God and will still give you aid
I’ll strengthen you, help you, and cause you to stand
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.

When through the deep waters I call you to go
The rivers of waters shall not overflow
For I will be with you, your troubles to bless
And sanctify to you your deepest distress.

When through fiery trails your pathway shall lie
My Grace all sufficient shall be your supply
The flame shall not harm you, I only design
Your dross to consume and your gold to refine.

E’ven down to old age all My people shall prove
My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love
And when hoary hair shall their temples adorn
Like lambs they shall still in My bosom be born.

The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose
I will not, I will not desert to His foes
That soul, that all hell should endeavour to shake
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.


Believing that all leadership is in the end moral leadership, Roosevelt was convinced that a leader’s faith must be firmly established. Quite obviously his was.

Satisfied!

Are you satisfied? God the Father and God the Son are satisfied. And you can share their satisfaction.

God the Father was satisfied when He sent His Son to go to the Cross to die for the sins of the world.
Matt 17:5, “This is My Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” God the Father is satisfied with Christ dying for our sins. Are not you?

God the Son was satisfied when He died for the sins of the world. Isa 53:11, “He shall see the travail of His soul and be satisfied.”

The Father and the Son are satisfied with our so great salvation. Why not you be satisfied with Them, too, and share Their satisfaction?

”Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.”

Liberty!

“The nameless pioneers and settlers. The obscure mothers and fathers. The quiet craftsmen and tradesmen. It is only among these that the real story of America is told. It is only among them that the brilliance of liberty may be comprehended.”

–Theodore Roosevelt

Monday, August 14, 2000

Verse For Today!

1 Pet 2:24, “Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”

The Law of Completion!

The Law of Completion – Part 2!

8. Edification or building each other up is the rule of the Church, the keynote of all ministry in the Church, edify.
1 Cor 14:5, 12, 19

9. Unity of action is the responsibility of the Church. There is to be no schism in the body, but each member is to tarry one for another and hold the head by recognizing the members in mutual help and assemblage.
1 Cor 11:18-22, Eph 4:16

10. The Truth of God is in the custody of the Church. The Church is the pillar and ground of the Truth. 
1 Tim 3:15

11. God Himself is the Center and the Circumference of the Church. The Church is called ”The Church of God,” and is said to be, “In God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ.” And it is also “The Church of the Firstborn.”
1 Cor 1:2, 2 Thes 1:1, Heb 12:23

12. The glory of God is the end of the Church. And it displays His manifold wisdom and is to be His manifested glory. 
Eph 3:10, 21, 5:27

Now you have 12 points on what a local Church is and should be.

There are Types Found in the Bible in Many Ways

Things

The anointing oil and the Holy Spirit 
Lev 7:35, “This is the portion of the anointing of Aaron, and of the anointing of his sons, out of the offerings of the LORD made by fire, in the day when he presented them to minister unto the LORD in the priest's office;”
1 John 2:27, “But the anointing which ye have received of Him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him.”

The mercy seat and Christ
Ex 25:17-22, “And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof. And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat. And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof. And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be. And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee. And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.”
Rom 3:25, “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;”

Jacob’s ladder and Christ 
Gen 28:12, “And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to Heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.”
John 1:51, “And He saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see Heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.”
 
The laver of brass and God’s Word
Ex 30:18-20, “Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and his foot also of brass, to wash withal: and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein. For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat: When they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire unto the LORD:”
Eph 5:26, “That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word.”

Firstfruits and resurrection
Ex 22:29, “Thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors: the firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto Me.”
1 Cor 15:20, “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the Firstfruits of them that slept.”

Types

Actions

The killing of animals and Christ’s death for sin
Lev 4:15, “And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullock before the LORD: and the bullock shall be killed before the LORD.”
Rev 5:9, “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;”

Living bird and blood of Slain One on it
Lev 14:47, “And he that lieth in the house shall wash his clothes; and he that eateth in the house shall wash his clothes.”
Rom 4:25, “Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.”

Sprinkling of the blood and cleansing
Lev 14:7, “And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose into the open field.”
Heb 9:13, “For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:”

Laying hands on the sacrifice and identification
Lev 16:21, “And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:”
1 Tim 4:14, “Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.”

Banishment of the scapegoat and Christ taking away sins
Lev 16:22, “And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.”
Isa 53:6, 12, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” “Therefore will I divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong; because He hath poured out His soul unto death: and He was numbered with the transgressors; and He bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

Placing blood on the members of body and sanctification
Ex 29:20, “Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of his blood, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.”
1 Cor 6:20, “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

Placing blood on doorposts and faith
Ex 12:7, “And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.”
Heb 11:28, “Through faith he kept the Passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.”

Types

Events

The flood of coming judgment
Matt 24:37-39. “But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”

Creation’s light and Gospel
2 Cor 4:6, “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

The Passover of Christ’s death
1 Cor 5:7, “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:”

The lifted serpent and Christ
Num 21:8, “And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.”
John 3:14, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:”

The manna and the Bread of life
Ex 16:16, “This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents.”
John 6:32, “Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from Heaven; but My Father giveth you the true bread from Heaven.”

The supply of water from the rock and Christ 
Ex 17:6, “Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.”
1 Cor 10:4, “And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.”

The priest and the great day of atonement
Lev 16
Heb 2:17, “Wherefore in all things it behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.”

“All” – You-All

The Law of Comprehension

The little words of the Bible are large in their claim and revelation. The magnificence, munificence and the manifoldness of God’s Grace and love are seen in the use of the word.

”All” in Ephesians 27 verses. That would make for a good Bible study.
Here is one:
”All    all    all   all.” Four “alls” in one verse.

One God and Father of us all.
Who is above all.
And through all
And in you all! Eph 4:6

He is sufficient for all His children under all conditions.

All

1. All spiritual blessings. Eph 1:3. This is the total of His bestowment in Christ.
2. All wisdom. Eph 1:7-8 is revealed in the giving of His love “according to the riches of His Grace.”
3. All things. Eph 1:10. God in the end will gather together in Christ.
4. All things, Eph 1:11, are made subservient to “the counsel of His will.”
5. All the saints, Eph 1:15, 3:8, 18, are in the plan of His love and the purpose of His Grace.
6. All principality and power and might and dominion, Eph 1:21-22, are under Christ for He is “above all” and “all” are under His feet.
7. All in all, Eph 1:23, is the descriptive word which proclaims the compass of His fullness.

There are only 20 more “alls” to go in Ephesians.
And He is in “you all.”

Thought for Today!

“The world is at this moment passing through one of those terrible periods of convulsions when the souls of men and nations are tried by fire.
”Woe to the man or the nation that at such a time stands as once Laodicea stood, as the people of ancient Meroz stood, when they dared not come to the help of the Lord against the mighty.
”In such a crisis, the moral weakling is the enemy of the right, the enemy of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

– Legacy of Theodore Roosevelt

Sunday, August 13, 2000

Good News is Eternal

Bad news is not eternal. You may think so. But there is no bad news in Heaven.

So, each day when you face bad news, that is one less day that you will face it as you draw nearer to the Lord. Because when we are with Him, there is no bad news – only good news. We will be with Him who is the source of any good news.

Rev 21:4, “No more sorrow, no more pain, no more tears, no more death.”

So long bad news! It wasn’t nice knowing you.

Saturday, August 12, 2000

Two-Fold Grace of God in Life

“I am come that ye might have life,” John 10:10
”When Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory,”  Col 3:4

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 even as He is. It cannot be separated from Him.

Therefore His coming was crowned by His Passover and exaltation whereby His life was made available for others through death.
Eternal life is not an endless duration of being in time, but being of which time is not a measure, life for a finite creature is union with God.

Eternal life belongs to the being of God. Christ is its embodiment union with God. By means of Christ is its meaning.

What we shall be when we are like Christ is its consummation.

Two-Fold Grace Manifestation

Christ’s incarnation is variously described:
    In regard to the Father it is a “sending” – a mission.
    In regard to the Son it is a “coming.”
    In regard to the form, it is in “the flesh.”
    In regard to man, it is a “manifestation.”

In John, the first epistle, we find him frequently stating the fact of Christ’s manifestation in the past and the purpose, 1 John 1:2, 1 John 3:5, 8, 1 John 4:9

Reference is also made to His future manifestation when He says, “He shall be manifested,” 1 John 2:28, 1 John 3:2. The manifestation means an unveiling, so that that which was invisible shines forth. He was manifested in the past to take away our sins and to destroy the works of the devil. And He will be manifested in the future to make His own like Himself. The future shining forth will be the compliment of the past. The one would not be perfect without the other.

What Christ Said to Eve!

“I, wrapping round Me your humanity
which, being sustained, shall neither break nor burn
beneath the fire of the Godhead, will tread Earth
and ransom you and its creatures; with My pangs.
I will confront your sins, and since your sins
have sunken to all nature’s heart from yours,
the tears of My clean soul shall follow them
and set a holy passion to work clear
absolute consecration. In My brow
of kingly whiteness shall be crowned anew
your discrowned human nature, look at Me.
As I shall be uplifted on the a Cross
in darkness of eclipse and anguished dread
so shall I lift up in My pierced hands
not unto dark, but light, not unto death
but life, beyond the reach of guilt and grief
the whole creation.”

How prophetic and significant are the words
”In My brow,”
”Shall be crowned anew”
”Your discrowned human nature.”

Oxymoron! The Wrath of the Lamb!

In the book of Revelation our Lord, as the Lamb, is represented as marching on in His victorious way and in His mighty conquest. And that conquest over His enemies is revealed in several particulars.

The love of Calvary must win through all His enemies. For none can stand before the “weapons of His wounds.”

The “Victim” of the Cross is, and will be the “Victor” in all conquests. This is the throbbing thought right through the Book of Revelation. The seemingly “Conquered One” on the tree, is the sweeping “Conqueror” of the future.”

Liberal theology sees Him only as “Sweet Jesus.” The Wrath of the Lamb?

Daily Double!

Every factor of the Gospel is meant to be a factor in us. Everything that happened to Christ as a matter of history is meant to have a correspondent experience in our souls and lives.

”Therefore, Jesus Christ was born for us that He might be born in us.”
Paul said in writing to the believers at Galatia, “My little children of whom I travail in birth until Christ be formed in you,” Gal 4:19. Christ born twice – once in the flesh and once in you.

It is when Christ is within that the Christian life can be lived out for the simple reason He is the life and lives.

The violet has the fragrance because the fragrance is in the violet. They are inseparable. So the Christ, when He is in a believer, His fragrance perfumes the life. Sweet smelling savour.

Another Daily Double!

Two-Fold Acceptance

God in His Grace has made us “acceptable in the Beloved,” Eph 1:6
And because of this, we are to make it our aim and ambition, ”To be accepted of Him,” 2 Cor 5:9, “Well pleasing to Him.”

Another Daily Double!

We are justified before God “without works,” Rom 3:26-28
But we justify our faith by “our works,” James 2:14-26

Work out your own salvation for God has worked it in you.

Another Daily Double!

Those who are born of the Holy Spirit possess the Holy Spirit as the seal of God marking them off as his property, Eph 4:30.
But it is not every believer who is possessed by the Spirit, therefore we have the exhortation, Eph 5:18, “Be filled with the Spirit.”

Another Daily Double!

Christ promises the rest of salvation to those who accept Him. And they have rest of conscience from their sins.

But there is also a deeper rest, the rest of the soul from anxiety as we take the yoke of God’s will upon us and keep in that yoke with our Lord.

Matt 11:29 ... “I will give you rest.” ... “And learn of Me.”

Friday, August 11, 2000

Verse for Today!

Jude 1:3, “Beloved when I give all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation.”

Every believer has the same salvation.
Every believer is an ambassador for Christ, 2 Cor 5:20
Every believer is exhorted to “walk in the Spirit,” Gal 5:16
Every believer is exhorted “to grow in Grace,” 2 Pet 3:18

There is a difference in spiritual gifts given by Grace and a difference of growth at any given period. 1 Cor 12. 
However, no one can dedicate himself to full-time Christian service because he is born-again into it. Example: the Christian in business.

I will follow with 10 principles covering a Christian in business.

The Christian in Business is Regarded as Being in Full-Time Christian Service 

The Exposition of 1 Timothy 6

1. The work-a-day world is divided into two categories: labor and management. 1 Tim 6:1
2. In business, the chain of command must be recognized. 1 Tim 6:1-2
3. Hard work, mentally or physically, is the oil of success in the business world. Gen 3:19, as well as the phrase “Rather do them service” in 1 Tim 6:2. This phrase means slave the harder.
4. The boss is not to exploit his employees. The laborer is worthy of his hire and vice versa. The employee is to put in a full day’s work. 1 Tim 6:2
5. The believer is to represent God in his business or where he works. 1 Tim 6:3. You represent God in your area of work, full-time, just as a pastor or a missionary.
6. Dishonesty in business, either mental attitude sins or sins of the tongue or even 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 of work, not following orders to the letter, knifing behind the back, embezzling, etc.
7. The oil that makes business run as smoothly as possible is Godliness accompanied with contentment. 1 Tim 6:6. Godliness reflects the glory of God. 1 Cor 6:20. Christ’s character being formed within, Gal 4:19, refers to the filling of the Spirit. Gal 5:22-23
   Contentment, which results in mental stability and spiritual self-sufficiency, not restless but content and satisfied.
8. If a believer in business, employer or employees, has inner spiritual stability as described above, his outward needs are very simple. 1 Tim 6:7-8. It is actually the luxuries of life that cause inflation and one of the factors in the weakness and instability of a nation.
9. Your mental attitude toward money is an indication of maturity or lack of it.
   1 Tim 6:9-10. Money is only a detail of life and if you have it, you can enjoy it if you are mature. 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 and it is the ultimate answer. 1 Tim 6:11ff. This crash program involves daily categorical Bible study.

Working hard does not necessarily mean 16 hours a day. Don’t confuse hard work with long hours. There is no contradiction between the need for daily Bible study, 1 Cor 4:16, and the command to work hard, mentally or physically in Gen 3:19

The Double Grace Significance of the Lord’s Supper!

As Christ handed the cup to the disciples at the institution of the Lord’s supper, He said, “This is My blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom,” Matt 26:28-29

The two phrases “This is My blood” and this “fruit of the vine” take us back to the Cross and on to the Kingdom. The first is a metaphor that signifies one thing represented or embodied in another. So, “My blood” stands for His atoning death.

The words “this fruit of the vine” is a description of a thing instead of naming it. So, “the fruit of the vine” and “My blood” stand for the death of Christ and the outcome.

The Lord’s Supper points not only to the past but to a future. It has not only a commemorative but also a prophetic meaning.

So, we have not only to show forth the death of Christ, but also to think of the time when He shall come to celebrate His Holy Supper with His own, new in His kingdom.

Another Double Grace Blessing

Flowing from Christ’s great 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 for ”expecting” is used only of ”one waiting for another.” It is translated ”waited for,” “tarry,” and “look after.”

The impotent folks 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 on 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 the repentance of man. 1 Pet 3:20

And Christ is waiting till His enemies shall be subject to Him.

Thought for the Day!

Good news is eternal! Bad news is only temporal.

There is hardly a day passes when I don’t hear of some tragedy or disaster or sorrow that has happened to someone. And the news thrives on bad news – this plane crash, this automobile accident, this storm, the crime, a child thrown into some trash bin, etc.

My daughter called me and told me how much she and my granddaughter loved me and thanked me for being their father and grandfather. And it made my day and days. And that phone call lasted for days and I probably will never forget it.

It reminded me of good news. And how lasting it is. Good news is eternal. And bad news is only temporal – confined to this world.
”And the angel said unto them fear not for behold I bring you good news of great joy which shall be to all people.” ”For unto you this day is born in the city of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord.”

Good news is eternal ... Bad news is only temporal. And we will leave it some day.

Salvation is eternal and you can’t lose that Good News eternally.

Thursday, August 10, 2000

Verse for the Day!

Phil 3:9, “Being found in Him, not having our own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.” 

Footstool!

1. First we have the triumphal procession in which demons are disarmed by Jesus Christ and publicly displayed, Col 2:15

2. Satan is imprisoned for 1000 years. Rev 20:1

3. The Church Age believers cast demons into prison. Zech 13:2, 1 Cor 15:24, 25, Col 2:15

4. The removal of Satan and all fallen angels plus the rulership of Christ, changes the environment of the Earth.

5. Religion is eradicated. 1 Cor 10:20-21

6. False doctrine is removed. 1 Tim 4:1

7. Spirituality changes to include ecstatics since Christ is personally on Earth. Joel 2:28-29

8. Perfect environment will exist on Earth until Satan is released to foment the Gog revolution. Rev 20:7-10

“Sit on My right hand till I make Thine enemies Thy footstool,”

Inspiration?

Inspiration signifies in-breathing, or the power which gives life to anything. One great thought breathed into man may regenerate him. Elihu declared long ago, ”The Spirit of God hath made me and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life,” Job 33:4

After his body was formed, God breathed into his nostrils the breath of lives, and man became a living soul. Here “lives” is soul and spirit.

For the image of God in man is: The nature of God that is, man, like God, is a spiritual being. The soul or breath unites the spirit and the body.

Angels are spirits, but have no soul or animal life. But man has, and is, a spirit, soul, and body. Therefore, man is a breathing personality as a live human being under present conditions. When he dies, like the son of the widow of Zarephath, there is
1 Kings 17:17, “No breath left in him.”

Things that are dead are again and again described as having ”no breath.”
Psa 104:29, Psa 135:17

Dry Bones!

No finer illustration of the Spirit’s living work can be found than that which we find in Ezekiel 37, where the restoration of Israel’s national and spiritual life is depicted under the metaphor of a valley of dry bones and how they live by his operation.

First God promises in relation to the dry bones:

”I will cause breath to enter into you and ye shall live.”
Then there was a shaking among the dry bones and they are adjusted to each other and covered with sinews and flesh.

”But there was no breath in them.”
Then the prophet was commanded to prophesy to the ”breath” and to say breath and breathe upon these slain that they may live.”

”So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them and they lived,” Ezek 37:4-10
The spiritual restoration of Israel is a type of the Spirit’s quickening of dead sinners. Like Israel, sin has slain us, death has mortified us, and we are dry and helpless.

“Without”

As long as the sinner is without God, he is without at least seven things.

1. Without the blood of Christ
Which alone can remit the past and release the sinner from the hold of sin. Heb 9:22, “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.”

2. Without Christ
Who alone can save, sanctify, and satisfy. Eph 2:12, “That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.”

3. Without peace
Which alone can calm the mind and silence the conscience. Isa 57:21, “There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.”

4. Without hope
Which alone can clear the vision and make the future bright with coming glory. Eph 2:22, “In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”

5. Without life
Which alone can qualify to see and enter the kingdom of God. John 3:3-5, “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto Him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”

6. Without strength
For the sinner has no ability to rise to higher things. Rom 5:6, “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.”

7. Without the Spirit
For those who are not the Lord’s are summed up in their destitution of their need.

”As having not the Spirit,” Jude 1:19, “These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.”

“Alive Unto God”

The Greek word rendered “alive” in Rom 6:11 is ZAO and it 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.

1. It is a God-imparted and a Christ-secured life, for Christ came by way of the Cross that we might
”Live through Him,” 1 John 4:9

2. It is a Christ-identified and a Christ-associated life, for He says,
”Because I live, ye shall live also,” John 14:19

3. It is a God-derived and Christ-sustained life, as Christ declares
”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

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

5. It is a Spirit-inscribed 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

6. 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

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

8. 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

9. And it is a God-controlled life and a God-goaled life, for:
”For being alive from the dead, we recognize that we are alive to God,” Rom 6:11, 13

Wednesday, August 9, 2000

Verse for the Day!

1 Tim 3:16, “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” 

Occupation with Christ! 

Ephesians chapter one

The centralization is in Christ, not in the national blessing of Israel, not in the doom of the world, and not in the many-headed monster of this mystified century development, but “in Christ.”

In the Christ of Deity, verse 2 – Lord
In the Christ of Calvary, verse 7 – blood
In the Christ of Sonship, verse 5 – by Jesus Christ
In the Christ of heavenly places, verse 3
In the Christ of God’s purpose, verse 10
In the Christ of the Holy Spirit, verse 13
In the Christ of the coming glory, verse 14

All blessing is in Him and in no one else beside.

Those Who are Occupied with Christ!

Ephesians chapter one

Those occupied with Christ are called:
    ”Saints” – As to standing, verse 1
    ”Faithful” – As to service, verse 1
    ”Blessed” – As to enrichment, verse 3
    ”Children” – As to relationship, verse 5
    ”Accepted” – As to position, verse 6
    ”Redeemed” – As to liberty, verse 7
    ”Sealed” as to possession, verse 13

The “What’s” of Meaningful Purpose

Ephesians chapter one

The Divine power is demonstrated in two ways. First, the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, and secondly in the salvation of the believer. In Christ’s resurrection there are three “what’s” of meaningful importance which God the Holy Spirit’s illumination enables us to see.

Eph 1:18-20, “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, Which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places,”

”What is the hope of His calling”
”What is the riches of the glory of His inheritance”
”What is the greatness of His power”

”The hope of His calling” is what He will have when the Lord has accomplished all of His purpose.
”What is the riches of His inheritance” is what the Lord has in His people.
”What is 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.

The sweep and substance of that power is apprehended as we ponder over the seven words:
Power  Greatness  Exceeding power  Might  Working  Wrought

What You Were or What You Still Are!

Divine Provision

Ephesians 4:1-16

Grace is the source of the Divine provision. God’s giving is based upon His love to give.

Such expressions illustrate this principle.

”Given Grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ,” verse 7
”He gave gifts unto men,” verse 8
”He gave,” verse 11

Grace is love blessing the undeserving,
Mercy helping the needy,
Power lifting the down trodden,
Fullness filling the empty,
Compassion loving the hopeless,
Beauty clothing the naked,
Help saving the lost,
Strength empowering the weak.
Cleansing purifying the defiled,
Tenderness melting the hardened,
Joy gladdening the miserable.

Grace meets the sin of the sinner and removes it.
Grace answers for the sinner by dying for him.
Grace lives to empower the saint and to live in him.
Grace equips the soldier and conquers through him.
Grace leads the child of God and cheers him.
Grace employs the servant and for service fits him.
Grace undertakes for the believer and supplies all his need.

Saved by Grace!

Eph 4:6, “One God and Father of all Who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”

This verse is the keynote of Grace’s action.
”Father of all” – For all comes from Him.
”Above all” – He is alone in His place of authority.
”Through all” – For He alone is the life of all.
”In all” – For He alone can set us apart and qualify for all things in life and labour.

All, above all, through all, and in you all.  That is the Grace of God.

Christ is the Substance of the Divine Provision

Christ is the effulgence of God’s glory, the express image of His Person, and the Reserver of His fullness, Heb 1:3

God has nothing more to give apart from Him and there is no more when He is given, Rom  8:32

As the diamond flashes forth its excellence in the gold ring of its setting, so in the ring of Scripture, Christ’s glory is revealed. Eph 4:1-16

The personal pronouns, names, and titles enshrine and illustrate:
The Lord, in the strength of His support, verse 1
The One Lord, in the supremacy of His glory, verse 5
The Christ, in the Grace of His bestowment, verse 7
The He Saith, in the authority of His Word, verse 8
The He ascended, of His acceptance, verse 8
The He led, of His splendid triumph, verse 8
The He descended, of His loving abasement, verse 9
That He might fill, of wonderful accomplishment, verse 10
The He gave, of His gracious endowments, verse 11
The Christ, of the oneness of His mystical body, verse12
The Son of God, in the glory of His inspiring knowledge, verse 13
The Christ, in the fullness of His supply, verse 13
The Head, in its compacting and controlling ministry, verse 15

Here Comes the Bride!

1. The body of Christ, the Church, is being prepared on Earth by means of the baptism of the Spirit, in which every believer is entered into union with Christ. 1 Cor 12:12-14, Col 2:10, 12
2. When the body is completed, it is removed from the devil’s world by means of the Rapture of the Church. 1 Cor 15:51-67, 1 Thes 4:13-18
3. After the Rapture, the Church becomes the Bride of Christ. Rev 19:7
4. Once in Heaven, the Bride is prepared for the wedding supper which will occur at the Second Advent of Christ. Rev 19:8-9
   A. The Bride enters into ultimate sanctification by receiving a resurrection body like Christ’s. Phil 3:21, 1 John 3:1-2, 1 Cor 15:51-57
   B. The Bride in receiving a resurrection body like Christ’s no longer possess an old sin nature. Phil 3:21, 1 Thes 5:23
   C. The Bride is cleansed from all human good. 1 Cor 3:12, 15
5. The Bride returns with Christ at the Second Advent. 1 Thes 3:13, Rev 19:11-16

The Bride will wear white, but Christ provides it for you!

Tuesday, August 8, 2000

Verse for Today!

Acts 5:31, “Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.”

The Sixth Requirement of Scripture

Believe the Spirit resides in the Scriptures

The Holy Spirit always rides in the chariot of His Word. Christ said of His Words, in John 6:63, “The Words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and life.”

Christ’s Words are not merely the means of communicating life, but the Holy Spirit is resident in all His Words.

The Word of God is living. Heb 4:12. Therefore, if we would have the life of the Word, we must be in touch with the Word of life.

The Seventh Requirement of Scripture

A wholehearted study and search to know the meaning of the Scriptures

There are three words that have been translated “search” in the New Testament.

The word “search” in John 5:39 and 7:52 means to seek out and it is used of a lion which scours the country and traces the footsteps of a man who had robbed it. It is associated with Him who is the searcher of the hearts and the Spirit who “searcheth the deep things of God.” Rev 2:23, 1 Cor 2:10

The word “search” in Matt 2:8 means to examine in order to verify. It is used of those who “inquire” to find out in Matt 10:11. And also of one who wishes to “ask” about anything that He may know, John 21:12.

The third word is found in Acts 17:11 where there were Bereans who “searched the Scriptures daily” and it means to divide, to make a distinction, to judge, to sift, and which results in a decision.

This word is rendered “examined” in Acts 28:18; “Discerned” in 1 Cor 2:14; “Asking questions” in 1 Cor 10:25; and “Judge” in 1 Cor 4:3.

On the human side, it will therefore be seen that there has to be a careful study, wholehearted diligence and spiritual discernment.

The Eighth Requirement of Scripture

To count upon the Holy Spirit to make true in our experience what is true for us in the Word

A geologist said, “The study of geology has added much to the happiness of my life. It teaches me to appreciate more fully the beauties and marvels of nature. It often restores me, when I am weary and jaded, to bodily health. It  helps me to bear trials which are of a common lot.”

In a deeper and more satisfying sense, the child of God can say, “The reception of the Sacred Word by the Holy Spirit has been the medium of the joy of my life. It has revealed to me the beauty and the satisfying perfection of the Lord. It has ever been the channel of blessing in every condition, and it has ministered comfort and power as
I have received it from Him, who is its Author.”

The Ninth Requirement of Scripture

A consistent practice of what we have been taught and to enjoy what we know.

This must be if we remember:

The Word is the Bestower of life – 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.”

The Word is the Revealer of Christ  – John 5:39, “Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me.”

The Word is the Giver of assurance – 1 John 5:13, “These things have I written unto you that believe on the Name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the Name of the Son of God.”

The Word is the Imparter of joy – Jer 15:16, “Thy Words were found, and I did eat them; and Thy Wword was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by Thy Name, O LORD God of hosts.”

The Word is the Inspirer of prayer – John 15:7, “If ye abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”

The Word is the Sword of victory – Eph 6:17, “And take the Helmet of salvation, and the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God:”

The Word is the Sanctifier of the heart – John 17:17, “Sanctify them through Thy Truth: Thy Word is Truth.”

The Word is the Feeder of the soul – 1 Pet 2:2, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby:”

The Word is the Equipper of the servant – Acts 8:4, “Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the Word.”

The Word is the Plan for guidance – Exodus 40:16, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27,29, 32

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.

Part 1 – If We Followed the Inspired Scriptures

What a different world this would be if we always followed the Inspired Scriptures and the Inspirer of them.

A nation indeed would be truly blessed if it were governed by no other laws than those of this blessed Book. It is so complete a system that nothing can be added to it or taken from it. It contains everything needed to be known or done.

It affords a copy for a king.
A rule for a subject.
It gives instructions and counsel for a senator.
Authority and direction for a magistrate.
It contains a witness.
It requires an impartial verdict of a jury.
It furnishes the judge with his sentence.
It prescribes and limits the sway of  the sovereign.
The rule of the ruler.
The authority of the master.
Commands the subjects to honor and the servants to obey.
It entails honor to the parents and enjoins obedience to the children.
It sets the husband as lord of the household.
The wife as the mistress of the household.
Tells the husband how to rule.
Tells the wife how to manage.
Promises the blessings and protection of the Almighty to all that walk by its rules.
It gives directions for weddings and burials.
It promises food and raiment and limits the use of both.
It points out a Faithful and Eternal Guardian to the departing husband and father.
And tells him with whom to leave his fatherless children.
And in whom his widow is to trust.
And promises a father to the former.
And a husband to the latter.
It teaches a man how to set his house in order.
It appoints a dowry for his wife.
And entails the right of the first born.
And shows how the younger shall be left.
It defends the right of all.
And reveals vengeance to every defaulter, over-reacher, and oppressor.

It is the first Book, the best Book, and the oldest Book in the world.

Part two to follow this is not all that the Scriptures provide. More to come …

Part 2 – If We Followed the Inspired Scriptures

Part Two of what a world this would be if we followed the Scriptures

It contains the choicest matter.
Gives the best instruction.
Affords the greatest pleasure and satisfaction that ever was enjoyed.
It contains the best laws.
And the most profound mysteries that were ever penned.
It brings the best tidings.
Affords the best of comfort to the enquiring and the disconsolate.
It exhibits life and immortality from everlasting.
It shows the way to glory.
It is a brief recital of all that is past.
And a certain prediction of all that is to come.
It settles all matters in debate.
It resolves all doubt.
It eases the mind and the conscience of all their scruples.
It reveals the only living and true God.
And shows the way to Him.
It sets aside all other gods.
And describes the vanity of them.
And all that trust in such.
In short, it is a book of laws – to show right and wrong.
A book of wisdom that condemns all folly.
It makes the foolish wise.
A book of Truth that detects all lies.
And confutes all errors.
A book of life that shows the way from everlasting death.
It is the compendious book in the world.
The most authentic.
And the most entertaining history that was ever published.
It contains the most ancient antiquities.
Strange events, wonderful occurrences.
Heroic deeds, unparalleled wars.
It describes the celestial, terrestrial, and infernal worlds.
The origin of the angelic myriads.
Human tribes and devilish legions.
It will instruct the accomplished mechanic.
And the most profound artist.
It teaches the best rhetorician and exercises every power of the most skilful arithmetician.
Puzzles the wisest antonomist
And exercises the nicest critic.
It corrects the vain philosopher.
And confutes the wise astronomer.
It is a complete code of laws.
A perfect body of Divinity.
And unequalled narrative.
A book of lives,  a book of travels, and a book of voyages.

P.S. I thought I had exhausted all of the Scriptures, resources but there’s more.

Next time, if you are interested and why you should be interested in the Word of God.

Part Three – If We Followed the Inspired Scriptures

 It is the best covenant that ever was agreed upon.
The best deed that was ever sealed.
The best evidence that was ever produced.
The best will that was ever made.
The best testament that was ever signed.
To understand it is to be wise indeed.
To be ignorant of it is to be destitute of wisdom.
It is the king’s best copy.
The magistrate’s best rule.
The housewife’s best guide.
The servant’s best directory.
And the young man’s best companion.
It is the schoolboy’s spelling book.
And the learned man’s masterpiece.
It contains choice grammar for a novice.
And a profound mystery for a sage.
It is the ignorant man’s dictionary.
It affords knowledge of witty inventions for the humorous.
And dark sayings for the grave.
And it is its own interpreter.
It encourages the wise, the warrior, the swift, the overcomer.
Promises an eternal reward to the excellent, the conqueror, the winner, and the prevalent.
And that which  crowns all, is that the author is without partiality and without hypocrisy.

”In whom no variableness neither shadow of turning.”

And people find no enjoyment in the Word of God??

Monday, August 7, 2000

Verse for the Day!

John 6:28, “Then they said unto Him, what shall we do that we might work the works of God?”
John 6:29, “And Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that you believe on Him whom He hath sent.” 

The Second Requirement of the Scriptures

We must have spiritual life in order to have the capacity to understand the Inspired Book.
Illumination within is essential to comprehend the Inspired Book without.

We need eyes to see the sun, to see the sun that shines.

The Scriptures are good for us in sadness, for they are full of encouragement.
The Scriptures are good for us when we are in doubt, for they are full of promise.
The Scriptures are good for us in carelessness, for they are full of warning.
The Scriptures are good for us in contrition, for they are full of mercy.
The Scriptures are good for us in any case, for they are full of the Lord Jesus Christ.

When we know Him in faith, we receive spiritual life, and then we find we need His Word that the life may be nourished.

The Third Requirement of Scripture

A spiritual condition in the saint to understand the Spiritual Book

For the Spiritual Book is for a spiritual people to develop their spiritual life.

Paul had to say to the unspiritual Christians in Corinth that they were carnal and he had to remind them, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath entered into the mind of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him. But God hath revealed them unto us by the Spirit, for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God,” 1 Cor 2:9-10

There is a minute form of life, called a rotifer, which cannot be seen with the naked eye. When a drop of muddy water which is in the world in which it lives, is placed under a microscope and a powerful light is turned upon it, the rotifer is seen to be a perfect form of life, and is so transparent that its heart can be seen beating. As that minute form of life can be seen by means of an illuminated microscope, so as we walk in fellowship with the Lord, He reveals His secrets to us as He did to Moses.

Psa 103:7, “He made known His ways unto Moses, His acts unto the children of Israel.”

They knew Him only by His acts. But Moses knew God’s ways before He acted.

The Fourth Requirement of Scripture

We need to see the Lord Jesus Christ in the Book

1st requirement: The Book must be inspired.
2nd requirement: It demands a spiritual person to understand it.
3rd requirement: The spiritual person must be in a spiritual condition.
4^th: We must see Christ in the Scriptures in order to understand the Book of which Christ speaks.

We read of the disciples more than once that not knowing the Scriptures. They did not understand the Words and acts of Christ. John 2:22, 20:9

After the resurrection He explained to two of the disciples and the 11 that His death and resurrection were both the fulfillment of the Scriptures. Luke 24:27, 45

John, writing of the events associated with the death of Christ again and again said of those events, that they were that the Scripture might be fulfilled.  John 19:24, 28, 30, 36, 37

And Christ’s own testimony was “They are they which testify of Me.”

”Search the Scriptures for in them they speak of Me.”

The Fifth Requirement of the Scriptures

Is to be taught by Him who inspired the Book.

Three essential things are connected with and supplementary one to the other.

Christ explains God.
The Word explains Christ.
And the Holy Spirit explains the Word.

Christ explains God. The Word explains Christ. And God the Holy Spirit explains the Word.

Concerning the Scriptures, Christ, and the prophets we read:

”Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the Grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow,” 1 Pet 1:10, 11

The prophets did not understand until they were taught, and when they were taught, they knew. A personal acquaintance with the Author of the book will give us to understand the contents of it.

To know Him is to find them.

Sunday, August 6, 2000

Verse for the Day!

1 Tim 2:5, “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus.”

Saturday, August 5, 2000

Verse for Today

Rom 6:23, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Jesus = humanity, Christ = Anointed Messiah, Lord = Deity

Trifles!

A critic who said to Michael Angelo that he seemed in his work to be careful about trifles, was answered, “Trifles make perfection, and perfection is no trifle.”

Take two facts about the Lord Jesus Christ:
He is called “the Only Begotten,” John 3:16
He is called “the First Begotten,” Heb 1:6

As the Only Begotten, He was the only One of God who could meet our need, and He stands alone in His Deity and majesty. But, as the First Begotten, He rose from the dead as the One who was of the pledge of all the redeemed who should be raised and glorified.

God made His Son like to all that He might make all sons like to One.

Christ is called the Son of God, but the word for “son” is used in an adoptive sense. He is not a descendent of God, nor of man. He is eternally the Son of God, God the Son, who was sent by the Father. And as the Son of man, His humanity was the product of the Holy Spirit. Luke 1:35

Adam was born without a mother and Christ was begotten without a human father – the God-Man.

“Let Us”

“Let us” is an appeal, an exhortation, to the soul and conscience of the individual to do something that is worthy and of importance which leads to a practical end.

1. Separation.
”Let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light,” Rom 13:12

2. Walk
”Let us walk honestly and put on the Lord Jesus Christ,” Rom 13:14

3. Following
”Let us therefore follow after peace,” Rom 14:19

4. Reaping
”Let us not be weary in well-doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not,” Gal 6:19. We shall reap in kind what we sow.

5. Alertness
”Let us not sleep,” 1 Thes 5:6. To be in a state of spiritual slumber is evidence we are in a wrong condition of soul. And to awake to the Lord’s will.

6. Watchfulness
”Let us watch and be sober,” 1 Thes 5:6. We need to have a watchful eye to see what the enemy is after, a watchful spirit to be ready for our Lord.

7. Sobriety
”Let us who are of the day be sober,” 1 Thes 5:8. Because of what we are, we ought to be different from others.
”Let us”

 The Law of Concentration!

What a difference we find in the thought of man and in the revelation of God – when the nature of God is in question.

With the Greek, God is beauty.
With the Roman, God is force.
With the Jew, God is Jehovah.
With the scientist, God is the first cause.
With the man in the street, God is providence.
With the moralist, God is righteousness.
With the philosopher, God is thought.

But when we turn to the pages of the New Testament, we find in profound and simple language that: ”God is love.”
This love is not an attribute such as righteousness, goodness, and truth, but it is the very nature of God, for it does not say that,
”God was love” or that He “will be love,” but that He is what He ever will be in the eternal present.

In the first epistle of John we have the words “light, love, light.”

Life is the sum of all being.
Love is the sum of all moral excellence.
Light is the sum of all intelligence.

Taught by Christ!

Eph 4:17-31

Key sentence: “Ye have not so learned Christ,” verse 20

Instructed by Christ:
About the life of the walk, verse 17
About the old man of past habit, verse 22
About the new man of holy living, verse 24
About the mastery of the wayward tongue, verse 25
About the obtrusiveness of the devil, verse 27
About the commendableness of honest labor, verse 28
About the helpfulness of helping others, verse 29
About the sensitiveness of the Holy Spirit, verse 30
About the blight and bitterness of unholy temper, verse 31

Illuminated in Christ!

Eph 4:3-20

Key sentence: “Now light in the Lord,” verse 8

Out of the darkness of sin, verses 3-8
Into the relationship of light, verse 8
Swayed by the Spirit of light, verses 9, 18
Acting to the God of light, verse 10
Keeping from what is not light, verses 11-13
Walking as children of the light, verses 11, 15
Worshipping in the light, verses 19, 20

In Union With Christ 

Eph 4:29-33

Key sentence: “Members of His body,” verse 30

This union is:
Loving in its care – “Nourisheth,” verse 29
Attentive in its regard – “Cherisheth,” verse 29
Vital in its action – “Members,” verse 30
Separating in its attraction – verse 31
Mystical in its nature – verse 32

Salvation

Gen 49:16-18

One of the greatest words on the sacred pages is “salvation” from the simple fact that God Himself is its center and circumference.

Any salvation short of God Himself is no salvation at all.

Jacob, in blessing his sons on his death bed, says when he comes to Dan:
”Dan shall judge his people,” as one of the tribes of Israel
”Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path that biteth the horses heel so that his ruler shall fall backward.”

The prophesy of Dan is wrapped up in the meaning of his name. Dan means judgment. He was predicted to be the judge of his people and that he would be treacherous in his dealings. Therefore, he is compared to a serpent and to an adder that bites the heels of the horse and causes the rider to be thrown to his hurt.

Then the patriarch immediately exclaims:
”I have waited for Thy salvation, O Lord,” Gen 49:18

By thy salvation I am saved from judgment and from the evil of the old serpent acting through Dan.

Salvation – there is no word which is so large in its meaning, lofty in its conception, and lasting in its blessing, as the word “salvation.”

The Anti-Christ shall come through the tribe of Dan.

The Requirements of the Scriptures!

There are certain claims the Scriptures make, and requirements for which they call.

The first requirement is the recognition of the Bible being inspired.

The claim of the Book is “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,” 2 Tim 3:16. Scripture means sacred writing. When we claim the Scripture is inspired, we do not mean translations. Translations have made mistakes. We mean the original Scripture was the product of God the Holy Spirit, and not the evolution of man’s thought.

Inspired of God, means “God breathed” or ”God breathing.”

The Scriptures are their own self evidence. When God speaks, His evidence is in the accent of His words. Throwing overboard all theories about inspiration, we must accept the fact of it. And the words are,

1 Cor 2:13, ”Words which the Holy Spirit teacheth.”

There are over a million and a quarter words in the New Testament. There are 17,000 in Matthew. In Matthew 24 there are 830 words in Greek.

No disputed word is so vitally important as to destroy the sense of Scripture. Take all we can away and there still remains the fact it is the only message that meets human need.

The first Scripture requirement is inspiration. And the second will follow next and that is this requirement:
We must have spiritual life to have the capacity to understand the Bible.

Friday, August 4, 2000

Verse for the Day!

because …
he hath not believed.

Pictures of Christ!

Adam, the life-giving Lord – 1 Cor 15:45
Isaac, the offered Son – Gen 22:13, Rom 8:32
Jacob, the working Shepherd – Gen 31:38, John 10:11
Joseph, the rejected Brother – Gen 37:24, Isa 53:3
Melchisedek, the kingly Priest – Gen 14:18, Heb 7:7-10
Jonah, the incarcerated Prophet – Jonah 1:17, Matt 12:40
Eliakim, the mighty Opener – Isa 22:20-22, Rev 3:7

The Law of Initiation Into the Lord’s Secrets

The cause of the believer’s initiation to the Lord’s secrets is because the Lord makes them known by the Holy Spirit in His Word. There are several mysteries made known in the New Testament. The place where they are mentioned determines the application.

1. The mystery of Israel’s blindness is no mystery regarding the blindness of Israel, but its duration is made known in the fact that it is until the fullness of the Gentiles or the number of the Gentiles be gathered in Rom 11:25.

2. The mystery of godliness, is that God was made manifest in the flesh. Therefore, His greatness and His glory, 1 Tim 3:16.

3. The mystery of the Church, it is that the Lord is blessing those who receive Christ and making them one in Christ, whether they are Jew or Gentile, Rom 16:25, Eph 3:3, 4, 9, 5:32, 6:19, Col 1:26-27, 4:3, 1 Tim 3:9. Therefore, it is called a mystery of that which was kept secret since the world began.

4. The mystery of lawlessness is the end of hell’s working in the self-will of man, which will develop the production of the lawless one. 2 Thes 2:7.

5. The mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ is the centralization of everything, whether in Grace or in government, in Christ, and that in Him dwelleth all the fullness  of the Godhead bodily. Eph 1:9, Col 2:2, Rev 10:7.

6. The mystery of the seven stars is that Christ holds all those who are His in places of responsibility in God’s assembly by His almighty power. Rev 1:20.

7. The mystery of Babylon is that behind all the abominable mixture of the world’s religion and its commercial spirit, there is the satanic spirit that governs it. Rev 17:5.

8. The mystery about the glorified saints is that we shall not all sleep, but that we shall all be changed and be made like to our glorified Lord, 1 Cor 15:51.

9. The mystery of the kingdom of heaven, in a general sense, is that behind the body of the outward meaning of revealed Truth, there is a soul of secret explanation. Matt 13:11.

”Behold! I show you a mystery!”

“These Things Saith”

The Lord is always definite in His Truth and teaching. When the Lord speaks it, it is for us to bow and obey. But when He speaks in a special character and in a special way, it is for us to listen attentively and intently.

The illustration is Christ’s message to the seven churches which are found with these specific words “These things saith.”

1. The Holder of the stars
”These things saith He that holdeth the seven stars in His right hand.” Rev 2:1
The stars represent the ministers whom the Lord uses in His ministry to the churches and when they are held by Him and used in His service, He serves and speaks through them.

2. The First and the Last
”These things saith the First and the Last, which was dead and is alive,” Rev 2:8
Between Him who is first in creation and last in consummation, is His death and resurrection. He can be to us the Genesis and Revelation because He died for us and lives for us.

3. The Possessor of the two-edged sword
”These things saith He which hath the sharp two-edged sword,” Rev 2:12.
His Word cuts both ways as His message to the church at Pergamos illustrates. It cuts into the inner life as well as the outward. He lays bare the soul of purpose and discovers where the life is barren and wanting.

4. The Eyes of fire
”These things saith the Son of God who has His eyes like unto a flame of fire,” Rev 2:18. The flame will not burn unless it has fuel on which to feed. But, when there is the combustibility of sin, it will scorch and burn to the hurt of the sinner.

5. The Possessor of the spirit
”These things saith He that hath the seven spirits,” Rev 3:1.
Isa 11:2-3 reveals the Holy Spirit in His seven-fold character. The Lamb and the Spirit are always associated. The Bible begins with a brooding dove and ends with the bleeding Lamb.

6. The Holy One
”These things saith He that is holy,” Rev 3:7.
He is holy and true. Holiness and Truth are not merely attributes with Him. They express what He is in the essence of His being.

7. The Faithful Witness
”These things saith the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God,” Rev 3:14.

The Amen comes first. And the Beginning last. And between the two He is revealed as the Faithful and True Witness.

Does this not reveal to us Christ in His life and in His ministry as the Revealer of God the Father? And as such, He is the Amen, so let it be. And as the beginning, He can make it to be, as He did in the beginning.

Grace In! Grace Out!

We are like computers. It is only what you put in that comes out. We have lungs of the soul for spiritual breathing just as we do for physical breathing.

”As we have received the Lord Jesus Christ, so walk we in Him.”
”We are saved by Grace and we grow in Grace.”
And “Grace teaches us.”

If you have received the Grace of God in salvation, and “have tasted of the Grace of God,” then as a result, you will “speak with gracious words.” “And Grace will be poured from your lips,” and you will be Grace oriented and treat others in Grace.

Grace in = the inhale of Grace
Grace out = the exhale of Grace

Exhale first to God in thanksgiving and then to the godly with comfort.

“The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus Makes us Free From the Law of Sin and Death,” Rom 8:2

We are under a new law of spirituality. The Spirit-filled life is extensive in its meaning. There are several phrases and phases which have to do with a Spirit-filled life.

1. Baptism is the immersing word and denotes the Spirit’s power. Acts 1:5, “For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days hence.”

2. Anointing is the qualifying word and speaks of His consecrating Grace. 2 Cor 1:21, “For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the Grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.”

3. Sealing is the claiming word and avows His proprietary right. Eph 1:13, “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the Word of Truth, the Gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise.”
Eph 4:30, “And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”

4. Endowment is the endowing word and proclaims His empowering ability. Luke 24:49, “And, behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on High.”

5. Earnest is the assuring word, a word and guarantees the coming glory. 2 Cor 5:5, “Now He that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.”

6. Full is the sufficient word, and tells of His satisfying efficiency. Acts 6:5, “And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:”

7. Filled is the overflowing word and represents His constant inflow and overflow in life and service. Acts 2:4, “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

”Filled in the Spirit” not “Filled with the Spirit.” The preposition EN should be translated “in” and not “with.”

The Holy Spirit is in every believer as the spirit of adoption, but not every believer is in the Spirit. It is one thing to posses the Spirit and another thing to be possessed by the Spirit.

The Beauty of Obedience! Obedience is Better Than Sacrifice!

The whole of the Christian life is summed up in the word “obey.” If we read through the book of Deuteronomy, we will see how that the Holy Spirit emphasizes the importance and influence of obedience.

1. Obedience is the proof of repentance.
Deut 4:30, “If thou return unto the Lord and shall be obedient unto His voice.”
The evidence of having returned unto the Lord is response to Him in obedience.

2. Obedience is the procurer of blessing.
Deut 11:27-28, “A blessing if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God.”
We command the Lord’s blessing when we respond to the Lord’s Word.

3. Obedience is the preventer of contamination.
Deut 13:1-5, “Ye shall obey His voice so shalt thou put the evil away.” Obedience is the circle which encloses us and separates us from the evil around.

4. Obedience is the evidence of a relationship.
Deut 27:9-10, “Thou are become the people of the Lord thy God. Thou shalt therefore
obey the voice of the Lord Thy God.” Because the Lord is thy God we are under obligation to do His will.

5. Obedience is the secret of victory.
Deut 30:8-9, “Obey the voice of the Lord thy God, for He is thy life and the length of thy days.” Length of days and loyalty to the Lord are bound together as cause and effect.

Deut 8:3, “And He humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna which thou knowest not, neither did thy fathers know, that He might make thee know that man doth not live by bread alone but by every Word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

The verse that Christ quoted to Satan: Matt 4:4, Luke 4:4

“The Word”

Christ is called “the Word” and that title occurs four times in John 1:1-14. The word is LOGOS, and it signifies the thoughts of God expressed in action. We remember that its significance covers the whole of Christ’s personality – His life, His work, and His message.

Christ as the Word proclaims:
1. The glory of His personality, John 1:14, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the Only Begotten of the Father,) full of Grace and Truth.”

2. The glory of His miracles, John 2:11, “This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth His glory; and His disciples believed on Him.”

3. The glory of His love, 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.”

4. The glory of His life, John 4:14, “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”

5. The glory of His revelation, John 5:39, “Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me.”

6. The glory of His supply, John 6:58, “This is that Bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this Bread shall live for ever.”

7. The glory of His death and resurrection, John 19:30, “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, It is finished: and He bowed His head, and gave up the spirit.”  See also John 20:19-31.

”And we beheld His glory as of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of Grace and Truth.”
”We all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

12 Legions of Angels!

In the midst of our Lord’s hour of betrayal and the agonies of the week of passion, He reminded the impetuous Peter that He had infinite resources of power had He chosen to draw upon them.

”Thinkest thou not that I could pray to My Father and He should presently give Me more than 12 legions of angels,” Matt 26:53

We have but to turn back to 1 Chron 27:1-15 to find a hint of why He referred to the “12 legions,” and we get an illuminative illustration of His meaning. For there we read how David, his kingly type, surrounded himself with 12 legions of servant soldiers, each legion numbering 24,000, all together, therefore, 288,000 or including the 12,000 officers that naturally waited on the chief princes – an immense bodyguard of 300,000.

How beautiful our Lord thus taught His disciple who was eager to draw a sword to smite his foes, that David’s Greater Son had at command resources far greater than Judea’s king and if in one night the Angel of the Lord had smitten to death 185,000 Assyrians, what might not 12 legions have done in that hour of distress. They could depopulate the whole world.

The Law of Variation!

The change from the singular to the plural pronouns in the prophecy of Ezekiel 26 of Tyre is of Divine intent, and is confirmed by the facts of history. The verses 7 to 11 refer to Nebuchadnezzar’s exploits against Tyre. Therefore, we are told ”What he shall do.” But from verses 12-14 we are told ”What they shall accomplish” referring to Alexander and his generals in their subsequent invasion against Tyre.

Another instance is found in what is known as one of the imprecatory Psalms. In Psalm 109 there is a most noticeable change of number and person. Verses 1-5: the plural “they” is prominent. And again after verse 20. But from verses 6-19, the singular ”he” and ”his” and “him” are found 30 times.

Here, again, this divides the Psalm into three parts. If the word ”saying” be understood at the close of verse 5, the whole imprecation that follows down to verse 19 becomes not the psalmist’s prayer for vengeance on his adversaries, but their imprecation of curses upon him, and renders the whole Psalm luminous.

Thursday, August 3, 2000

Verse for Today!

Gal 3:26, “We are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”

The Free Gift of Salvation!

There is no word which is so large in its meaning and lofty in its conception and lasting in its blessing, as this word “salvation.”

1. God in His Grace is its Author. Titus 2:11, “For the Grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.”

2. The Cross is the vicariousness of its atonement in its basis. 1 Pet 1:9-11, “Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the Grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.”

3. Man in his need as a sinner is its object. Acts 13:26, “Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the Word of this salvation sent.”

4. Faith in its reception of Christ is its inception. Rom 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

5. Deliverance is the many-sidedness of its blessing is its meaning, hence the word “salvation” in the Old Testament is translated:
“Help” in 2 Sam 10:11
“Welfare” in Job 30:15
“Health” in Psa 42:11
“Deliverance” in Psa 18:50

6. God’s Word is the witness of its promise in its assurance. 2 Tim 3:15, “And that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

7. Joy is the secret of its gladness, by obedience is its exultation. 1 Sam 2:1, “And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in Thy salvation.”

8. The Spirit is the Grace of His strength in its power. Phil 2:12-13, “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.”

9. Holiness of mind and life in their correspondence to Christ is its fruit. 2 Thes 2:13, “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth:”

10. Christ in the beauty of His character is its embodiment. Luke 19:10, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Isa 12:2, “For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:”

11. Fellowship with the Lord in all the partnership of His love is its privilege. 2 Cor 1:5-7, “For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.”

12. Glory in its likeness to Christ is its consummation. Heb 9:28, “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.”

Our so great salvation.

The Law of a Reliant Faith!

Faith is the Grace that receives from the Lord what He has to offer and rests in the will of His Word. The verb “to believe” denotes the steady resting of the soul upon an object outside of itself. Hence, for one person to rely, to trust, to depend upon another.

Faith depends upon the living Lord. It has no reliance upon itself.

The same word is rendered “believed” in Gen 15:6, “Abraham believed in God and He counted it unto him for righteousness.”

It is rendered “nursed” in Isa 60:4 where it says, “The daughters shall be nursed at thy side,” referring to the eastern custom of the mother carrying her child astride upon the hip and with her arms around the body. 
What better picture could we have of the act and attitude of faith than the child resting on the mother’s lap and being supported by her?

Abram believed the Lord and the Lord undertook all the responsibilities of his salvation and his need.

”Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.”

The Many Facets of the Word “Believed”

The word translated “believed” is brought up in Lam 4:5
It is the word sure in Psa 93:5
It is the word verified in Gen 42:20
It is the word established in 2 Chr 1:9
It is the word faithful in Num 12:7
It is the word stand fast in Psa 89:28
It is the word assurance in Deut 28:66
It is the word steadfast in Psa 78:8
It is the word trust in Job 4:18

Reading these words into the meaning and association of faith we may say of the man of faith:
He is brought up by the Lord’s ministry
He is sure of the Lord’s love
Verified in the Lord’s Truth
Established in the Lord’s Grace
Faithful in the Lord’s service
Stand fast in temptation for the Lord’s glory
Assured by the Lord’s promises
Steadfast in the Lord’s ways, and 
Trusts in the Lord Himself.

Did you know all that when you believed in Christ?

The Differences Between Law and Grace

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

The law showed man that he was a sinner.
Christ came and saved the sinner.

Earrings!

Ishmael and Midian were by the same father, but by different mothers. Abraham was the father of both. But Hagar was the mother Ishmael.

Gen 16:11-12, “And the Angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction. And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.”

And Keturah was the mother of Midian, Gen 25:2, “And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah.”

Undoubtedly they shared the same country and life. The only difference between them was that the Ishmaelites were distinguished by their earrings.

Judges 8;24 “I would declare a request from you that you would give every man the earrings of his prey.”

Because they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.
I have seen a lot of Ishmaelites lately in our country playing baseball!

Two Words: “As” and “So” – The Biblical Law of Correspondence!

1 Cor 15:22, “As in Adam all die; even so in Christ shall He make all alive.”

The “as” and the “so” imply an exact correspondence. For instance:
”As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up.”
“As My Father loveth Me, so have I loved you.”
”As My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you.”

John 3:14, John 25:9, John 20:21

The subject of “As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall He make alive,” 1 Cor 15:22
The subject is the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ in context.

Wednesday, August 2, 2000

Verse for the Day

Rom 10:10, “For with the mind man believeth unto salvation.”

Baptism of Fire!

1. The baptism of fire is the judgment that comes at the Second Advent of Christ. Unbelievers are cast off the earth and believers go into the Millennium.
   
2. The doctrine of the baptism of fire is found in Matt 3:11-12, “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit, and with fire: Whose fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
   Luke 3:16-17, “John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire: Whose fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor, and will gather the wheat into His garner; but the chaff He will burn with fire unquenchable.”
   2 Thes 1:7-9, “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with His mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and  from the glory of His power.”
   
3. Analogy of the baptism of fire.
   A. Matt 24:17-41
       1.      One taken in judgment, the unbeliever
       2.      One left to go into the millennium, the believer.
   
4. Parables of the baptism of fire.
   A. Wheat and tares. Matt 13:24-30, 36-43
       1.      Wheat, the believers go into the millennium.
       2. Tares, unbelievers, are cast off the earth.
   B. Matt 13:47-50
       1.   Good fish, believers
       2. Bad fish, unbelievers
   C. Matt 24:43-51, The good man of the house.
   D. The ten virgins, Matt 25:1-13
       1.  Wise. Believers, Jewish, go into the millennium
       2. Foolish, unbelievers, taken off in judgment.
   E. The sheep and the goats, Matt 25:31-46, Gentiles.
        1.  Sheep, Gentiles who go into the Millennium.
       2. Goats, Gentiles who are taken in judgment.
   F. The talent test, Matt 25:14-30
       1. The five and two talent man, Jewish, that goes into the millennium.
       2. The one talent man, unsaved Jewish, goes into judgment.
   
5. Baptism of fire from the standpoint of the Gentiles. Matt 25:31-36. “Nations” are literally “Gentiles.”
   
6. Baptism from the standpoint of the Jews. The Matthew passages, chapters 24 and 25 mentioned above, plus Ezek 20:32-38

When the Jews are brought back into the land, the unbelieving Jews are judged and cast off the Earth and the born again Jew will go into the millennium.

Sermon on the Mount, Matt 5:1-12

The sermon on the mount was a crash program to teach His disciples the Word of God. The term ”blessed” means double happiness – inner and outer happiness.

1. The beatitude of salvation, verse 3, “Poor in spirit.”
This is a reminder of the Grace in salvation. The “poor in spirit” refers to the spiritual I.Q. that begins at salvation. A true inner happiness begins at the Cross.

2. The beatitude of suffering, verse 4, “They that mourn.”
Inner happiness, as projected from the soul, handles any pressure situation, any suffering situation, in life. This believer carries his happiness inside of him.

3. The beatitude of relaxed power, verse 5, “The meek.”
Verse 5 speaks of Grace orientation. This is a believer who is spiritually poised and is the antithesis to the pride power generated by the energy of the flesh.

4. The beatitude of doctrinal desire, verse 6, “They that hunger and thirst.”
This is the believer daily inhaling and exhaling the Word of God through the faith principle. Righteousness is God’s brand of goodness.

5. The beatitude of operation Grace, verse 7, “The merciful.”
Mercy is Grace in action. Inner happiness is based on thinking Grace at all times. We are saved by Grace and we grow in Grace and we continue to function by Grace.

6. The beatitude of restoration, verse 8, “Pure in heart/mind.”
This is based on 1 John 1:9. There is no inner happiness present when one is out of fellowship. “Shall see God,” refers to occupation with Christ, thinking Divine Viewpoint as a result of being restored back to fellowship.

7. The beatitude of witnessing, verse 9, “Peacemakers.”
This is one who witnesses and shows the way of peace between God and man called the children of God. They are identified with God, because they carry His message.
This is reconciliation of man to God.

8. The beatitude of persecution and pressure, verses 10-12.
Inner happiness is the possession of those who are “Persecuted for righteousness sake.” Verse 10 “And Christ’s sake. Verse 11, “So keep on rejoicing.” Keep staying in fellowship regardless. Verse 12.

God’s plan of Grace is greater than any pressure or persecution in life.

Tuesday, August 1, 2000

Unlimited Atonement!

Atonement means that Jesus Christ died for the sins of the whole human race – unlimited atonement.

1 John 2:2, “And He is the satisfaction for our sins and not for our sins only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”

2. Jesus Christ paid for the sins of all members of the human race, not just for the redeemed, the ones who accept Him. 2 Pet 2:1, ”Even those who deny the Lord that bought them.”

3. He died for all.
1 Tim 2:6, “Who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”
Heb 2:9, “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that He by the Grace of God should taste death for every man.”
Titus 2:11, “For the Grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.”
Ezek 18:4, “Behold, all souls are Mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is Mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.”

4. Application of unlimited atonement to salvation.
    A. Jesus Christ died for all.
    B. Why? Because of Rom 3:23, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
        1. All have sinned. All were spiritually dead.
        2. Imputed sin. All sinned when Adam sinned. “In Adam all die …”
        3. 2 Cor 5:14-15, “If One died for all, then were all dead.”
        4. The volition of man is the issue in salvation. Will man choose for Christ or will man reject Christ?
        5. If man rejects Christ, He stands on His own good works.
        6. The issue at the Great White Throne judgment is human good.
    ”Judged according to their works,” Rev 20:12-15, “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the Book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”
    7. Unlimited atonement in the Old Testament.
    Isa 44:22-23, “I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto Me; for I have redeemed thee. Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel.”

Jacob = unbeliever. Israel = believer.

Four Divine Institutions for Believers and Unbelievers Alike

In order to keep the world from destroying itself

In each of these four Divine Institutions there is authority.
A. Free will.
The authority is in the volition of each individual. Whenever you subject yourself to an institution, you are subject to its authority. But you have the right to move out of that situation. This authority, volition, should give you confidence in your own decisions.  Ex.: Adam and Eve in the garden.

B. Marriage.
The husband is the authority in marriage. He is the head of the house.
Gen 2:21ff

C. Family
The father and the mother, the parents, are the authority. Gen 4-10

D. Nationalism.
Gen 11:1-9, The government has the authority, common law, judge on the bench, and policemen. And laws of limitation for the benefit of others, civil code, driver’s license, etc.

When freewill and the choice of marriage and raising of a family and nationalism are functioning, you have freedom — the freedom to accept Christ or reject Him, the freedom to marry whom the Lord has designed for you, the freedom to raise your children in the nature and admonition of the Lord, and strong nationalism — that's freedom.

The Responsibility of Citizens — Rom 13:1-7

    A. God has designed certain laws for each nation and these laws come out of the Divine Institutions.
        Rom 13:1, “Powers” indicates authority.

    B. God is not the author of confusion. 1 Cor 14:10.
        Rom 13:2, “Let all things be done decently and in order.”

Resistance to authority involves: (Rom 13:2)
    1. Criminal activity, internal, resistance
    2. Subscribing to any form of internationalism which is the enemy of Divine Institution Number Four, Nationalism.
    3. Religion, because religion always sponsors internationalism.
    4. Socialism tends to make everyone equal, contrary to Divine Institution Number One.

Freedom, volition, gives everyone the right to choose a vocation.

    C. Rulers have the right to uphold the laws of the land.
        Rom 13:3, the principle of authority is to reward the good and prosecute the evil – criminal activity or the violation of common law.

    D. For enforcing the laws of the land there are varies degrees of punishment including capital punishment.
        Rom 13:4, “For he beareth not the sword in vain,” which refers to the Roman method of capital punishment, which is beheading. Today it would be the electric chair, the gas chamber, the gallows.

This is God’s method of removing the “mad dogs” of society. Followed by the principle of submission to law.

Responsibility to Submission to the Law, Romans 13:5

1. Wrath – Some are restrained by fear.
2. Some are restrained by their conscience.
   Rom 13:6-7.

For financing the nation:
God has ordained the principle of taxation, with representation. Income tax on the federal level is actually the most unfair and worst tax possible. Sales tax would be biblical.

Since we already have a state income tax, and federal income tax, sales tax on that is too much.

When a national entity violates the Divine Institutions, such as Communism does, the citizens of that country are under obligation to the Word of God and not the slavery laws of that country, which means miraculous deliverance or death.

Balaam the Believer

1. Balaam not only knew the Lord, but confessed the Lord in the presence of Balak and the messengers from Moab.
He also asked the Lord’s will and to some extent followed His will and then went contrary to it. Num 22:8, 13, 18, 19, 38, 23:12

2. Initially Balaam would not leave Pathor without the Lord’s permission. Num 22:20. He had a lust for wealth, but being a believer, he was under restraint.

3. The Lord Jesus Christ meets Balaam and converses with him along the way. Num 22:22. This is not conclusive in itself, but strengthens the argument.

4. The Lord puts words in the mouth of Balaam when he tries to curse Israel – the opposite words. Num 23:5, 12, 16

5. Balaam calls JEHOVAH “his God,” Num 22:18

6. The Holy Spirit came upon Balaam. Num 24:2

7. In 2 Peter 2:15-16, he is called a prophet.

8. In Num 31:8, Balaam dies under the sin unto death.

9. Parallel to Balaam is Simon in the New Testament.

Act 8:13, Simon is a believer.
Acts 8:21, Simon is out of fellowship.

Seven Baptisms. Which One Saves?

“Baptize” means “to identify, to be made one with.” It means something so identified with something else that its nature or character is changed. Or, it represents a real change that has taken place.

1. Real baptisms. Actual identifications.
A. Baptism of Moses. The children of Israel are identified with Moses and the cloud as they pass trough the Red Sea. 1 Cor 10:1-2

B. Baptism of the Cross or the cup. Matt 20:22, 2 Cor 5:23. Jesus Christ drank the cup
filled with our sins, identified with our sin, and bore it on the Cross. He was made sin for us. 1 Pet 2:24, 2 Cor 5:21

C. The baptism of the Holy Spirit. Believers: 1 Cor 12:13. He, at the point of salvation, places us into the body of Christ. We are identified as believers. Acts 1:5, Rom 6:3-4, Gal 3, Col 2:12, Eph 4:5

D. Baptism of fire. Unbelievers are baptized. This is the baptism of judgment at the Second Advent on all unbelievers. Matt 25:31, 33, Matt 3:11,  2 Thes 1:7-9

2. Ritual baptisms, representative identifications. Water is used.
Water is symbolic of something else. But the individual is really identified with the water.

A. Baptism of John. Matt 3:6, 11a. Water is symbolic of the kingdom of God which
John preached. People, when baptized by John, were indicating in effect, “I have previously believed in Jesus Christ as my Saviour. I am now symbolizing that identification with His kingdom by baptism.”

B. The baptism of Jesus Christ – a unique baptism. Water was used. Jesus Christ was not a sinner. Water is symbolic of the Father’s will in the execution of salvation. Matt 3:13-17. We cannot follow the Lord in baptism, as to His purpose in securing our redemption.

C. Baptism of believers. Matt 28:19. Water represents the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Believers are identified with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. It symbolizes retroactive and current positional truth. It is the ritual of the real baptism of the Spirit.
When you go down into the water it means down with human good. When you come out of the water, you are walking in newness of life, up with Divine Good.

None of these baptisms save you. Only faith in Christ saves you.

The Ministry of Balaam – A Gentile Believer

1. Balaam was hindered from cursing the children of God.
2. Balak hired Balaam to curse the Jews.
3. Instead of Balaam being able to curse the Jews, the Holy Spirit would come upon him and he would prophesy the glorious future of Israel.
4. Balak figured he had been cheated.
5. Balaam’s lust for money caused him to find another way to get the Jews into a jam.
6. Balaam advised Balak, king of Moab, to neutralize Israel by getting them out of fellowship by placing beautiful women in the way of their temptation.
7. Then Balaam and Balak parted. Num 24:25. Balaam had earned his fee but not by cursing the Jews.
8. Therefore in Num 25:1 with 31:16, we have the story of how Balaam earned his fee.
9. The doctrine of Balaam gives us the principle of neutralizing believers by getting them out of fellowship, thus separating them from the source of Divine power.
10. The doctrine of Balaam is any system of works whereby believers get out of fellowship and stay out of fellowship.

You remember this story … Sunday School.

A Cup ...

You study the Word of God for years and then suddenly one day something hits you that has been there for years. It is like you know it, but you really have not got a hold of it. And the principle is that whatever Jesus Christ touches, even if it is inanimate, it comes alive and take on meaning and has purpose and definition.

1. Cup. The first use of the word “cup” is found in Matt 26:39 (the Cross).
   
2. The cup contains the sins of the whole world. Jesus Christ was sinless. 2 Cor 5:21, “He made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.”
   
3. The Father poured out those sins on Christ and judged them. Isa 53:4-6.
   
4. Christ drank from that cup. There is the contact. John 18:11. Drinking of the cup is a picture of the judgment of God’s wrath.
   
5. The Father’s wrath, which is righteousness and justice, fell upon the Son when He drank it, when He bore the sins of the whole world.
   
6. God’s wrath is against sin, but the sins have been poured out on Christ. He drank the cup to the bottom, bore the sins of the whole world. Therefore, the Father’s wrath was poured out upon Him.
   
7. Active voice, Jesus Christ Himself deliberately drank from the cup. Here we see the volition of His humanity.
   
8. Passive voice, Jesus Christ received the judgment for our sins.
   
9. Alternative: Either accept Jesus Christ drinking the cup for you on the Cross, or accept the wrath of God on yourself. If you reject the Cross, then the alternative is the wrath of God. Either let Christ drink God’s wrath for you, or you can drink it yourself.
   
10. When He came the first time, He drank the cup. When He comes the second time, unbelievers will drink the cup because they did not accept His drinking of the cup for them.

”As often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, you show the Lord’s death till He come.”

He put His lips to the cup and the cup takes on meaning and purpose and is alive. He can also do that with animate subjects.

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