BibleImpressions.org

In his 1^st letter to Timothy, Paul, the apostle, says,

“…godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.  And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.  But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.  For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.  Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.  (1 Timothy 6:6-12)

Several verses later he addresses “them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate [or share]; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.” (1 Timothy 6:17-19)

Among other things, the exhortation is for those that are rich, to be rich in good works.

And so getting back to being content, we read these words attributed to King Solomon, perhaps the wisest man to ever live – “Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.  Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.”  (Proverbs 23:4-5)

There’s nothing wrong with money, but, as the scripture says, it is the love of money that can lead to problems and affect our relationship with God.  A person’s wealth should be kept in proper perspective and allowed to be used for God’s purposes and glory.

Furthermore, in Hebrews 13:5, we read, “Let your conversation [or conduct] be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”  (Hebrews 13:5)

In Philippians, Paul says “…I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.  (Philippians 4:11)  Then two verses later he says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  Paul was able to handle any circumstance or situation he found himself in, not because of his own strength, but that of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

And finally, towards the end of the chapter he says, “…my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”  (Philippines 4:19)

We can surely rely on God for all our needs.

We are reminded of the Psalmist who said, “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.”  (Psalm 37:25)

God always provides for his own.

Similarly to 1 Timothy 6:7, Ecclesiastes 5:15 says , “As he came forth of his mother’s womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.”

None of us, when we die, is going to take any of our possessions or wealth with us; it will all be left behind.

Should one want to pursue a lucrative career path, that is perfectly fine, provided there is nothing immoral, illegal or unethical about it, and that it is not in conflict with the Word of God.

There are many wealthy people in the world who “trust in the living God,” as Paul says.  Whether rich or poor, however, as stewards we will all be held accountable for what we do with what God has given us.

There is so much talk out there about building wealth.  Sometimes we wish we had more…    

Nevertheless, regardless of our financial status, might we be content, as Paul states, and “…follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.”

Finally, we notice that “lay hold on eternal life” is mentioned twice in this chapter.

What does that mean?

To lay hold of eternal life is to embrace eternal life and its fullness.  It’s not just about knowing that we are on our way to heaven, but, more than that, it encompasses the expanse of the life we have in Christ.

We conclude with these two passages:

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”  (Matthew 6:19-21)

“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.  Set your affection [or mind] on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.  When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.”  (Colossians 3:1-4)

There are a number of verses that would serve us well to memorize and/or meditate upon – verses that either encourage, exhort and/or comfort.

In no particular order, here are some of them:

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24)

There are times in our life where it seems there is constant struggle and we wonder, “Where is God?”, and, “Why isn’t He answering my prayers?”  Instead, we probably should be asking, “Is there something in my life that is affecting my relationship with God?”  Not always, but perhaps there is sin that is separating us in our walk with the Lord and we are not walking in the Spirit.

These verses in Psalm 139 are ones that we might consider praying often, if not, every day.  Let us allow God to search us to see if there is any “offensive” (NIV translation) or “grievous” (JND translation) “way in us” – that which is contrary to His will for us.  Then, once confessed, He will lead us “in the way everlasting” – the way of “righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.”  (Romans 14:17)

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“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.” (Colossians 3:23-24)

In previous verses in Colossians 3, Paul addressed wives, husbands, children and fathers.  He continues by addressing servants.  May I suggest that we apply this to our employment, which is to say, when we serve our employer, we are serving the Lord.

It certainly puts what we do in a different light and perspective when we are to “do it heartily, as to the Lord,” does it not?   That should motivate us to do our very best because we are doing it unto Him!

In addition, we read, “… whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”  (1 Corinthians 10:31)

We are children of God and servants of our Lord Jesus Christ.  As servants, then, when we do our job heartily, unto the Lord, we glorify God, which ultimately results in the promised blessing of receiving “the reward of the inheritance.”

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 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”  (Galatians 2:20)

“And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” (Galatians 5:24)

“Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.  For he that is dead is freed from sin. 

Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:  Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.  For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.  Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.  Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.”   (Romans 6:6-13)

Much can be said about these and similar verses.  We need to remind ourselves that we have been crucified with Christ; “the old man is dead.”  A dead person should not be responsive to anything.  The flesh with its affections and lusts was crucified.  We no longer serve sin, but are freed from it and have been given the liberty to be servants of righteousness.  The Lord Jesus Christ dwells in us and we live by faith in Him.  It follows then that we should desire to live a life serving and pleasing our Lord.

More verses of “encouragement, exhortation and comfort” to follow…

1If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.  (Colossians 3:1-4)

We are to seek those things that are above.  What are those things?  May I suggest they are things which we cannot see – that which is spiritual.

17For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18While 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.”  (2 Corinthians 4:17-18)

In Paul’s letter to the Romans, he says, 1I 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. 2And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.   (Romans 12:1-2)

We are to surrender to God our bodies as a living sacrifice and undergo a transformation by the renewing of our minds. 

If we are truly a Christian, is not Jesus our Lord?  Have we not surrendered our life to him?

“And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”  (Luke 6:46)

Our life is not our own – we are bought with a price, and we are to glorify God in it. 

19What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.  (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

If we have been “bought” doesn’t that mean someone owns us?  Yes!  We just read that we are to glorify God in our body and in our spirit, which are God’s.

Are we following Christ?  That is what a disciple is – a follower of Christ.

Are we following His steps?  He is our example… the one to follow, to emulate.

21For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:  (1Peter 2:21)

Are we living for others or just ourselves?

Remember in Mark’s Gospel in chapter 10, James and John asked that they may sit with the Lord in glory – one on his right hand and the other on his left.  He replied that “it is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared.”  (verse 40)  He further went on to say “…whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: 44And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. 45For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.  (Mark 10:43-45)

Here are additional verses that speak to who we have become, whom we serve and the life we are to live.

 17Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  (2 Corinthians 5:7)

“… yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.”  (Romans 6:13)

 20I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.  (Galatians 2:20)

24Then said Jesus unto his disciples, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 26For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? 27For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.  (Matthew 16:24-27)

 “… they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.  (2 Corinthians 5:15)

A few verses later it says, “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ…” (2 Corinthians 5:20)

What is an ambassador?  One who represents another country and their policies but lives in a foreign land.  How true is that!  The Christian is in the world, but not of the world – “For our citizenship is in heaven;…” (Philippians 3:20)

How are we doing?  How well are we representing our country, “heaven?”  Is how we speak and act reflective of the Head, our Lord Jesus Christ?

How effective we are as an ambassador is in direct proportion of our surrendering our lives to the Lord, and promoting His interests in this world.  Having “received Christ Jesus the Lord,” (Colossians 2:6), we have surrendered our will and have committed to follow HIS will for our life, “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.”  (Colossians 3:3)

We surrendered to Jesus when we first became saved by embracing Him as our Saviour and Lord.  At that moment, by faith, we became a child of God, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”  (Galatians 3:26)  That is permanent and never can change.  However, we need to continually surrender daily to our Lord Jesus Christ, to follow his steps as his servant and disciple while seeking to be an effective “ambassador” to this world.

May the blessed Spirit of God help us to do so.

I Surrender All

1. All to Jesus I surrender,
   All to Him I freely give;
   I will ever love and trust Him,
   In His presence daily live.
   1. Refrain:
      I surrender all,
      I surrender all;
      All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
      I surrender all.
2. All to Jesus I surrender,
   Humbly at His feet I bow;
   Worldly pleasures all forsaken,
   Take me, Jesus, take me now.
3. All to Jesus I surrender,
   Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
   Let me feel the Holy Spirit,
   Truly know that Thou art mine.
4. All to Jesus I surrender,
   Lord, I give myself to Thee;
   Fill me with Thy love and power,
   Let Thy blessing fall on me.
5. All to Jesus I surrender,
   Now I feel the sacred flame;
   Oh, the joy of full salvation!
   Glory, glory, to His Name!

(Lyrics by Judson W. Van DeVenter)

The Consequences of Sin

Sin has consequences.  They may be short-lived.  For example, if a child is disobedient, the parents may discipline by “grounding” him/her – maybe the child cannot go out with friends for a week, or they cannot use the car for two weeks, and so on.

On the other hand, the consequences of sin may stay with us longer, maybe for life.  As an example, a woman gets pregnant and has a baby out-of-wedlock – that is a consequence for life.  Another example is the person who gets drunk and decides to drive, gets in an accident and kills someone – that sin has consequences for life also.  Those acts cannot be undone and will be with those persons until death.

Perhaps this is meant by what is referred to as a “sin unto death,”  in 1 John 5:16-17 – “If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.  All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.”  

Sadly, praying for a “sin unto death” cannot undo the sin(s) and its consequences.

It is not profitable for any of us to dwell on our past sins.  If we have confessed and repented, then God has forgiven us.  “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  (1 John 1:9)

Recall how David got Bathsheba pregnant and had her husband Uriah killed.  She ultimately bore a son, but he died a short time later “on the seventh day.” (Read 2 Samuel chapters 11 and 12).  David confessed his sin and wrote about God’s grace and mercy and forgiveness in Psalms 32 and 51.  He was remorseful; he repented, prayed and moved on.  This is all we can do.  We wish we could, but we cannot undue “the sin(s).”

Many of us live with painful mistakes and memories of the past.  However, every day is a new day to live for and serve the living and true God.  Realizing that we cannot change the past, we strive to “walk in the Spirit” living our life in accordance with the word of God having a desire to please divine persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

We think of the many documented sins the nation of Israel committed, as well as many of the kings who did not “follow after the Lord” and who suffered the consequences.  The people suffered because of their disobedience.  It has happened to all of us, as well.

Thankfully, in the end, we remain sons and daughters of God, sealed with the Spirit unto the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30).  “…he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: (Philippians 1:6)

Great is thy Faithfulness

1. “Great is thy faithfulness,” O God my Father,

There is no shadow of turning with Thee.

Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not.

As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

Refrain:

            “Great is Thy faithfulness!”

“Great is Thy faithfulness!” 

            Morning by morning new mercies I see.

            All I have needed Thy hand hath provided.–

            “Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me!

2. Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,

Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,

Join with all nature in manifold witness

to Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

3. Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,

Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide,

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow;

Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

(lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm; 1866-1960)

“So Heavenly Minded and No Earthly Good?” (Part 2)

(Any underlining and/or bold print is added for emphasis).

You may have heard, “Some people are so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good.”  This is a quote that has been attributed to Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

But is it true?  Not if a person is truly a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.

In our previous writing, “So Heavenly Minded and No Earthly Good?  (Part 1)” we focused on being “heavenly minded.”  Now, we will develop the thought of being “earthly good.”

Let’s consider some scriptures.

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.  As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”  (Galatians 6:9-10)

“Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;  That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate (share);  Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.”  (1 Timothy 6:17-19)

“Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.”  (Psalm 37:3)

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  Not of works, lest any man should boast.  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”  (Ephesians 2:8-10)

“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven”  (Matthew 5:14-16).  [Notice that there is a correlation between “light” and “good works.”  Light speaks of knowledge of God; the more light we have, the more heavenly minded we are].  

“But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.”  (2 Thessalonians 3:13)

“But to do good and to communicate (i.e., share) forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”  (Hebrews 13:16)

“Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.”  (Psalm 34:14)

“This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.”  (Titus 3:8)

“But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”  (Luke 6:27-28)

“See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people.”  (1 Thessalonians 5:15)

“I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live;”  (Ecclesiastes 3:12 ESV)

“and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.”  (1 John 3:22)

“constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father,”  (1 Thessalonians 1:3)

“Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 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.”  (Hebrews 13:20-21)

“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.  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”  (2 Timothy 3:15-17)

Notice the connection between “the holy scriptures” and “good works.”  The scriptures are what leads us to become heavenly minded, and that is what equips us to do good works.

No Christian should ever be too heavenly minded that they are no earthly good.  This is foreign to scripture.

Being heavenly minded brings pleasure to divine persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Shouldn’t that be what we aspire to – pleasing God?

1 Corinthians 2:16 tells us “we have the mind of Christ.”  However, his mind is made known to us as we read and meditate on the scriptures, allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal it to us.

The Lord Jesus is referred to as he “who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.”  (Titus 2:14)

Our Lord Jesus Christ was God manifest in the flesh.  Has there ever been anyone more “heavenly minded” than him?  Was He “so heavenly minded to be no earthly good?”  Certainly not, when we examine his life.

He spoke what was communicated to him of his father and sought to do the father’s will, as the following verses in John tell us –

“For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.” (John 12:49)

“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.”  (John 5:19)

“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.”  (John 5:30)

“For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.”  (John 6:38)

We read in Acts 10:38, “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.” 

And what about all the good that he did?  “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.”  (John 21:25)

As disciples, the Lord Jesus Christ is our great Example.  He was not “so heavenly minded that He was no earthly good.”  Should we not “follow his steps?”  (1 Peter 2:21)

“So Heavenly Minded and No Earthly Good?

(Any underlining and/or bold print is added for emphasis).

You may have heard of the expression, “Some people are so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good.”  (Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.)

This should not be true of a Christian.

We are to be BOTH “heavenly minded” and to be “earthly good.”

Let’s examine some scriptures, shall we?

First, let us look at the thought of being “heavenly minded.”

We need to remind ourselves that positionally, we are seated in heavenly places in Christ, as we read in Ephesians 2:4-7 – “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:  That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”

We have been given a new nature.  We are a new creation, and are now able to look at life from God’s perspective – “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”  (2 Corinthians 5:17)

We are not to be conformed to this world, but, transformed by the renewing of our mind, as Paul exhorts us – “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.  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”  (Romans 12:1-2)

Remember, we are citizens of heaven – “For our citizenship is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:”  (Philippians 3:20)

Getting to know God is what helps us become heavenly minded and it also helps us to learn what his will for us is.

The Lord Jesus himself tells us that getting to know God is linked with eternal life – “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”  (John 17:3)

Here is another reference to seeking knowledge of our Lord, as we are to “Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”  (2 Peter 3:18)

“Since ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.  Set your affection (i.e., mind) on things above, not on things on the earth.  For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.”  (Colossians 3:1-3)

We are to seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness – “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”  (Matthew 6:33)

The things of God come first over the things of this world.  We do not neglect our responsibilities here on earth, but, we place God above ourselves.  In other words, our purpose in life is to please God and not ourselves.   Our life is not our own anymore; as believers in Christ, we are to live unto Him.

“Being made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.”  (Romans 6:18)

“…being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.”  (Romans 6:22)

And so, being made free from sin and from serving our own pleasures and lusts, we have become servants to God, servants of righteousness.

Getting back to being heavenly minded –

David said, “One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple.”  (Psalm 27:4)  His desire was to know the Lord by dwelling in his presence just as we do today, by reading and studying the Word of God.

We don’t need to go to Bible School or Seminary to know God.  We have the Word of God and the Spirit of God. 

“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.”  (1 John 2:27)

We have received the anointing by the Spirit.  He helps us understand the truth of God’s Word.

In the church, there are preachers and teachers that are gifted.  They help explain truths – some through preaching and Bible study, and some through written ministry – laid out for us in the Bible through the Holy Spirit, who indwells every believer.

Think of Peter and John, who were uneducated and ignorant men – “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.”  (Acts 4:13)   Men marveled at them because it was evident that they had been with Jesus; they had been in his presence.

Martha’s sister Mary also comes to mind – “And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.”   (Luke 10:39)

The Psalmist said, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”  (Psalm 119:11)

The effect of hiding scripture in our heart is so that we would not sin against God; it is a safeguard.

This reminds us of the verse – “The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.”  (Proverbs 18:10)  Here is a scripture reminding us that when we feel like we are going to sin, we run to God, crying out to Him to help us and keep us from sinning.  This is certainly a verse we want to “hide in our heart.”

Remember when our Lord was led by the Spirit into the wilderness and was forty days tempted of the devil.  Each time the Lord answered him, “It is written…”  The Lord Jesus is our great Example to follow, and so it behooves us to know the scriptures which will help us refrain from sinning.

Here is a promise – “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”  (James 4:7)

And so we see how we are to be “heavenly minded.”

In “So Heavenly Minded and No Earthly Good?  (Part 2),” we will look at being “earthly good.”

When Someone You Love Has Died

There have been times when those we love and care about have died.  This has happened a number of times in my life; my mother, father, uncles, aunts, cousins have left this earth.  Most recently, one of my co-workers died.

Death is a horrible thing.  Other than the Lord’s coming while we are alive, there is no escaping it; each of us will die.  The Bible says, “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; …” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2)

And, death does not discriminate.  A preacher once said, “The old must die; the young may die.”

“… it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement:”  (Hebrews 9:27).

Maybe you are not sure your loved one is saved; thankfully, “…the Lord knoweth them that are His.” (2 Timothy 2:19)

Even if they lived to be 120 years old, rest assured, the Spirit of God will not make a mistake in leaving someone behind who would have been saved.  Remember, God is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”  (2 Peter 3:9)

Assuming your loved one is saved, take comfort in knowing, “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.”  (John 3:16)

“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. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 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. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.  Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”  (1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18)

Yes, we grieve and sorrow when someone we love dies, but, not as others who have no hope.  (1 Thessalonians 4:13)

So, it’s not “Goodbye mother” (or father, or sister or brother or dear friend, …), but rather, “So long for now; we will see you on the other side.”

“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.”  (Psalm 116:15)

In the Sweet By and By

1. There’s a land that is fairer than day,
   And by faith we can see it afar;
   For the Father waits over the way
   To prepare us a dwelling place there.
   1. Refrain:
      In the sweet by and by,
      We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
      In the sweet by and by,
      We shall meet on that beautiful shore.
2. We shall sing on that beautiful shore
   The melodious songs of the blessed;
   And our spirits shall sorrow no more,
   Not a sigh for the blessing of rest.
3. To our bountiful Father above,
   We will offer our tribute of praise
   For the glorious gift of His love
   And the blessings that hallow our days. (Sanford F. Bennett; 1868)

Before the Foundation…

(Words in bold and/or underlined are for emphasis)

The phrase, “before the foundation of the world” is mentioned three times in scripture.  It means “from eternity past;” it was before the creation, before human history.

Here are the three occurrences –

“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.”  (John 17:24)

“Who verily was foreordained (chosen) before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.”  (1 Peter 1:20-21)

^“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:”  (Ephesians 1:3-4)

In John 17 – the record of the Lord Jesus praying to the Father – we read that He was loved before the foundation of the world; in 1 Peter 1, he was foreordained (chosen) to be our Redeemer before the foundation of the world. 

Finally, in Ephesians, we read that we were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world.  What a blessed thought that is!   Beloved, we are on our way to be with Christ – where He is – for all eternity!

Paul, the apostle, speaks about the Thessalonian saints, how they “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.”  (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10)

Christ was raised from the dead by God, the Father, as a testimony of his acceptance of the Son’s sacrifice of Himself at Calvary; consequently, He has “delivered us from the wrath to come.”

Blessed be the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!  “…for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;”  (Revelation 5:9)

Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus our Blessed Redeemer!

Praise Him! praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer!   Sing, ye saints! His wonderful love proclaim! Hail Him! hail Him! mightiest angels in glory;   Strength and honor give to His holy name! Like a shepherd, Jesus will feed His people,   In His arms He carries them all day long; O ye saints that live in the light of His presence,   Praise Him! praise Him! ever in joyful song! Praise Him! praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer,   For our sins He suffered and bled and died; He, our Rock, our Hope of eternal salvation,   Hail Him! hail Him! Jesus, the Crucified; Loving Savior, meekly enduring sorrow,   Crowned with thorns that cruelly pierced His brow; Once for us rejected, despised, and forsaken,   Prince of Glory, ever triumphant now. Praise Him! praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer,   Heavenly portals, loud with hosannahs ring! Jesus, Savior, reigneth for ever and ever;   Crown Him! crown Him! Prophet and Priest and King! Death is vanquished! Tell it with joy, ye faithful,   Where is now thy victory, boasting grave? Jesus lives! No longer thy portals are cheerless;   Jesus lives, the mighty and strong to save. (Fanny J. Crosby)

What can we Render…?

If you have embraced Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you have become a child of God – blessed with eternal life and all that comes with it. 

It is human nature to feel the need to do something. But, we know it is all of God; we did nothing to earn it.  It is of grace, not of works.

There is really nothing we can do, but just to accept it from him:

“What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.” (Psalm 116: 12, 13)

We are encouraged to “take,” but also to offer thanksgiving and praise in return.

“I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD.” (Psalm 116:17)

In Psalm 100, it says to “Enter [the Lord’s] gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.  For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.”  (Psalm 100:4-5)

In Hebrews 9, there is mentioned “the sacrifice of himself”; in Hebrews 13, there is “the sacrifice of praise.”

“For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”  (Hebrews 9:26-28)

“By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.”  (Hebrews 13:15)

The Lord Jesus Christ “sacrificed himself” at the cross of Calvary so that we can have eternal life.  We, in return, offer our “sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving” to the One who loved us, and gave Himself for us.

Blessed be God, our God

1 Blessed be God, our God!
Who gave for us His well-beloved Son,
The gift of gifts, all other gifts in one;
Blessed be God, our God!

2 What will He not bestow!
Who freely gave this mighty gift unbought,
Unmerited, unheeded and unsought,
What will He not bestow?

3 He spared not His Son!
‘Tis this that silences each rising fear,
‘Tis this that bids the hard thought disappear;
He spared not His Son!

4 Who shall condemn us now?
Since Christ has died, and risen, and gone above,
For us to plead at the right hand of Love,
Who shall condemn us now?

5 ‘Tis God that justifies!
Who shall recall the pardon or the grace?
Or who the broken chain of guilt replace?
‘Tis God that justifies!

6 The victory is ours!
For us in might came forth the Mighty One;
For us He fought the fight, the triumph won;
The victory is ours!

The Scarlet Robe

[Words in bold and underlined are added for emphasis].

Just prior to the Lord Jesus Christ being crucified, we read these words – “… the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers.  And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.  And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!  And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.  And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.”  (Matthew 27:27-31)

Scarlet is a reference to our sins – “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”  (Isaiah 1:18)

A scarlet robe was placed on the Lord Jesus Christ.  This is a picture of him taking upon himself our sins – “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree,…” (1 Peter 2:24).

He allowed himself to be mocked.  He wore that scarlet robe as our substitute so we could be clothed in the robe of righteousness. – “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorned herself with her jewels.”  (Isaiah 61:10)

We remember the prodigal son when he returned after spending all his inheritance with “riotous living” – “And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.  But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:  And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:  For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.”  (Luke 15:21-24)

So, we thank God for sending His Son to die on the cross for our sins, that we may be redeemed and be given eternal life.  We thank the Lord Himself for his humility – the spitting, the mocking, the buffeting, being struck with the palms of their hands, the scourging … allowing the very people he created to nail him to the cross, to crucify him.  And then, while hanging on that cross, God poured out his wrath against sin during those three dark hours upon His beloved Son.  He did all this, and more, for you and me.

“After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;  And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.

And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,  Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.”  (Revelation 7:9-12)

White speaks of purity.  The Lord Jesus took on that “scarlet robe” so we could wear the “best robe’” a “white robe,” a “robe of righteousness.”

“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.  And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.”  (Revelation 5:12-13)

Bought with a Price

“… the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.”  (Matthew 13:45-46)

The merchant man is a picture of Christ; the pearl portrays the Church.

The Lord Jesus Christ left the glories of heaven to become a man.  He sacrificed all to do it.  He “sold” all that he had to buy the “pearl.”  In the process, He never stopped being who he was (God) because of what he became (man).

In Ephesians 5, we read that Christ loved the assembly and gave himself for it.

He went willingly to the cross of Calvary to die in our place, shedding his own blood to redeem us to God.

“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:”  (1 Peter 1:18-19)

“For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”  (1 Corinthians 6:20)

“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.”  (1 Timothy 3:16)

Bought with a Price

‘Twas the life of Christ, my Lord,
Paid my ransom, set me free;
He redeemed me by his blood
Shed on the cross of Calvary.

Refrain:
Bought with a price, not of silver or gold;
Bought with a price of a value yet untold;
‘Twas the blood of Jesus, shed on Calvary,
Purchased by redemption and set me free.

2. O the cross, uplifted high,
So that all the world might see;
Bears the Lamb of God, to die
There on the cross of Calvary.
[Refrain]

3. Such a ransom ne’er was known,
Such a love, to die for me!
Wondrous love, to leave a throne,
Choosing a cross on Calvary.
[Refrain]

4. Can a sinner know the cost?
Was it worth a love like mine
That a King, to save the lost,
Pays the great price with life divine.
[Refrain]

(C. Austin Miles, Author)

Perhaps the Three Greatest Words …

“I love you” – perhaps three of the greatest words one could ever say to another…

It’s human nature – we all want to love and be loved.  However, we know that “words can be cheap;” we need to demonstrate our love by our actions.

Picture this scene by faith – we see the Lord Jesus Christ nailed to the cross at Calvary, suffering in our place, so we might have eternal life.  I view it as the ultimate expression of Him saying, “I love you.” 

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”  (John 15:13)

“…Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;”  (Ephesians 5:25)

Our Lord was that merchant man spoken of in Matthew 13, “seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.”

Paying the penalty for OUR sins, he submitted himself unto death, even the death of the cross…

Subsequently, “He has taken me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me is love.”  (Song of Songs 2:4)

Instead of “banqueting house,” a better translation would be “house of wine.”

Now we know that wine in Scripture speaks of joy.  Is this not true of us, His bride, the church?  Are we not full of joy is His presence and cognizant of his unfailing and everlasting love?

He will never leave us nor forsake us and who or what shall ever separate us from the love of Christ?   Truly, we are safe and secure forevermore…

May we never forget that image at Calvary of our Lord with outstretched arms, his nail-pierced hands and feet, in essence saying “I love you.”

Would that these few thoughts stir up our hearts with fresh appreciation and affection towards our Lord Jesus Christ – the one who loved us and gave Himself for us!

Behold A Spotless Victim Dies

Behold! A spotless victim dies,
My surety on the tree;
The Lamb of God, the Sacrifice,
He gave Himself for me.

Whatever curse was mine he bore;
The wormwood and the gall,
There, in that lone mysterious hour,
My cup – He drained it all.

Lord Jesus! Thou, and none beside,
Its bitterness could know,
Nor other tell Thy joy’s full tide
That from that cup shall flow.

Thine is the joy, but yet ‘tis mine,
‘Tis ours as one with Thee
My joy flows from that grief of Thine;
Thy death brings life to me!

And while the ages roll along,
This shall my glory be;
And this the new and endless song,
Thy love to us – to me.

(The Believers Hymn Book, Hymn 16)

More on Grace …

We wrote about grace in an earlier writing; it is favor, unmerited, from God.

Our salvation is by grace – “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”  (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Thankfully, “He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.”  (Psalm 103:10).

He is “…the God of all grace, … Who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, …To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”  (1 Peter 5:10-11)

“… the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;  Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;  Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.  (Titus 2:11-14)

In another place, we read these words – “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.  (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10)

Titus tells us that according to God’s mercy we are saved and “…bring justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”  

Here is the passage I’m referring to –

“For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.  But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,  Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;  Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;  That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.  This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.”  (Titus 3:3-8)

What a wonderful position we have been brought into – “made heirs according to the hope of eternal life” – because of God’s marvelous grace!

Grace Greater Than Our Sin

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured,
There where the blood of the Lamb was spilled.

Refrain:
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin!

Sin and despair, like the sea waves cold,
Threaten the soul with infinite loss;
Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold,
Points to the refuge, the mighty cross.

Dark is the stain that we cannot hide;
What can we do to wash it away?
Look! There is flowing a crimson tide,
Brighter than snow you may be today.

Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace,
Freely bestowed on all who believe!
You that are longing to see His face,
Will you this moment His grace receive?

Julia H. Johnston, Author (1911)

The Lord – He is Worthy

The thought of being described as “worthy” is someone deemed as having “worth” or “value.”  Used in a sentence, an example might be, “that person is worthy of consideration for a promotion.”  Another might be, “Because of his reputation, and having published a number of research papers in his field of expertise, what he says is worthy of believing.”

Let us look at the following verses in Hebrews chapter 3 and Revelation chapter 5.  (The word worthy is in bold and underlined for emphasis).

Hebrews 3

Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;  Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.  For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.  For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.  And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;  But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.  (Hebrews 3:1-6)

Revelation 5

And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.  And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?  And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.  And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.

And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.  And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.  And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.  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;  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;  Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.  And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.  And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.  (Revelation 5:1-14)

Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.  (Revelation 4:11)

There is a day coming, “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;  And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”  (Philippians 2:10-11)

Because of who He is and what he has done (and will do), the Lord Jesus Christ is most certainly worthy of our adoration, our love, our praise and our worship!

Lord, Thou Art Worthy

Jesus, our Lord, with what joy we adore Thee,   Chanting our praise to Thyself on the throne! Blest in Thy presence, we worship before Thee,   Own Thou art worthy, and worthy alone. Refrain: Lord, Thou art worthy: Lord, Thou art worthy; Lord, Thou art worthy, and worthy alone! Blest in Thy presence, we worship before Thee, Own Thou art worthy, and worthy alone! Verily God, yet become truly human,    Lower than angels to die in our stead; How has that long promised “Seed of the woman”    Trod on the serpent and bruised his head! [Refrain] How didst Thou humble Thyself to be taken.   Led by Thy creatures and nailed to the cross. Hated of men, and of God too forsaken,   Shunning not darkness, the curse, and the loss. [Refrain] How hast Thou triumphed, and triumphed with glory,   Battled death’s forces, rolled back every wave! Can we refrain then from telling the story?   Lord, Thou art Victor o’er death and the grave. [Refrain]

Longing for Loved Ones to be Saved

Some of us have a spouse, a child, mother, father, sister, brother, aunt, uncle, cousin, close friend, neighbor, co-worker – people we know and love – people who we pray for that they would come to Jesus and accept Him as their Lord and Saviour.

We have spoken to them about the Lord and his saving grace.  But, they have not embraced the Saviour as we have, yet.  That can be discouraging since we sincerely want them to experience the same joy and peace of being forgiven and having eternal life!

Beloved child of God, we need to remember that the Lord “is longsuffering…, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”  (2 Peter 3:9)  Like us, His desire is for them to be saved, also.

John tells us, “… as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”  (John 1:12-13).  It would be great if we could, but, we cannot “will” a person to be saved, as the Bible says here.  Zechariah 4:6 also comes to mind – “…Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.”

We should not stay discouraged, but, instead, pray and believe that they will be saved in due time.  We remind the Lord of His promise – “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”  (Matthew 21:22)

Sometimes it is particularly hard with family and those close to us. Why?  I think it’s because they know us so well.  They are more aware of our shortcomings and imperfections.

Thankfully, our salvation does not depend on what we do, but, rather what the Lord Jesus has done for us at the cross of Calvary in taking our place in dying for our sins to redeem us back to God.

However, we should maintain a consistent testimony before others by living a life of obedience to God.

As we allow the Spirit of God to work in our lives, so we should allow Him to work in theirs in allowing circumstances to draw them to the true God, and our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.

And, we must persevere in prayer.

You may have heard of George Müller.  He was a Christian evangelist and the director of the Ashley Down orphanage in Bristol, England back in the 1800s.  He helped care for over 12,000 orphans during his lifetime.  Mr. Müller was a man of prayer and great faith.

“One day George Müller began praying for five of his friends. After many months, one of them came to the Lord. Ten years later, two others were converted. It took 25 years before the fourth man was saved. [Brother] Müller persevered in prayer until his death for the fifth friend, and throughout those 52 years he never gave up hoping that he would accept Christ! His faith was rewarded, for soon after Müller ‘s funeral the fifth friend was saved.”  This reminds us that the Lord answers prayer according to His timetable, not ours.

Remember the words of our Lord Jesus Christ? – “men ought always to pray, and not to faint…” (Luke 18:1) 

About the importunate woman spoken of in Luke 18, C.H. Spurgeon said, “Here, if we would prevail, we must persist; we must continue incessantly and constantly, and know no pause to our prayer till we win the mercy to the fullest possible extent. “Men ought always to pray.”   Week by week, month by month, year by year; the conversion of that dear child is to be the father’s main plea. The bringing in of that unconverted husband is to lie upon the wife’s heart night and day till she gets it; she is not to take even ten or twenty years of unsuccessful prayer as a reason why she should cease; she is to set God no times nor seasons, but so long as there is life in her and life in the dear object of her solicitude, she is to continue still to plead with the mighty God of Jacob.”

Take comfort in knowing that God will not make a mistake.  At the return of the Lord Jesus Crist for His own, otherwise known as the “rapture,” no one will be left behind that would have been saved, even if they lived for many, many more years.   All that will embrace the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour will do so before his coming again.

May we never stop persisting in prayer for the salvation of those we love.

The Lord Will Answer Prayer

Pray on, pray on, believing one,
God’s promised word is sure,
That they shall overcome by faith
Who to the end endure;
Pray on, pray on, O weary not,
The cross with patience bear,
And though its burden weighs us down,
The Lord will answer prayer.

His eye foresees our greatest good,
While we at best are weak,
And thus in wisdom He withholds
The boon that oft we seek;
And yet His all-sufficient grace
He bids us freely share,
And in a way we little know,
The Lord will answer prayer.

With anxious thoughts for those we love,
How oft our hearts are filled,
But soon the clouds are rolled away,
The troubled ways are stilled;
Then murmur not, but trust in Him
Who knows our every care,
And better far than we can ask,
The Lord will answer prayer.

The Lord Jesus Christ – His Humility and Exaltation

In this writing, let us think on both the humility and subsequent exaltation of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Passages in Matthew 20 and Philippians 2 come to mind-

Matthew 20:20-28, when the mother of James and John came to the Lord Jesus:

Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons [James and John] and knelt down to make a request of Him.

“What do you want?” He inquired.

She answered, “Declare that in Your kingdom one of these two sons of mine may sit at Your right hand, and the other at Your left.”

“You do not know what you are asking,” Jesus replied. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?”g

“We can,” the brothers answered.

“You will indeed drink My cup,”h Jesus said. “But to sit at My right or left is not Mine to grant. These seats belong to those for whom My Father has prepared them.”

“When the ten [other disciples] heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. But Jesus called them aside and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their superiors exercise authority over them.

It shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”   (Matthew 20:20-28, Berean Study Bible; words underlined to give emphasis)

Philippians 2:6-11 (the humiliation and exaltation of Christ; NIV)

Who, being in very nature ^a God,

did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

rather, he made himself nothing

by taking the very nature ^b of a servant,

being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself

by becoming obedient to death—

even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

and gave him the name that is above every name,

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

We see that the Lord Jesus Christ is the greatest example of showing humility and then being exalted by God, the Father.

He took the lowest place; He could go no lower.  The shame, the scourging, the spitting, the humiliation, the suffering and ultimate crucifixion for our sins – all this, and more, that should have been ours, He subjected Himself to.  He bore it all for us, so that we may have eternal life!

Behold! A spotless Victim dies,
My surety on the tree;
The Lamb of God, the Sacrifice,
He gave Himself for me!

Whatever curse was mine, He bore;
The wormwood and the gall,
There, in that lone mysterious hour,
My cup—He drained it all!

(Author Unknown, The Believers Hymn Book, published by Pickering & Inglis Ltd., Basingstoke, England, Hymn 16)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Oh, what a Savior that He died for me!
From condemnation He hath made me free;
“He that believeth on the Son” saith He,
  “Hath everlasting life.”

All my iniquities on Him were laid,
All my indebtedness by Him was paid;
All who believe on Him, the Lord hath said,
  “Hath everlasting life.”

James McGranahan, Author (1840-1907)   (The Believers Hymn Book, published by Pickering & Inglis Ltd., Basingstoke, England, Hymn 209)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

“For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased (humbled); and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”  (Luke 14:11)

The Lord Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of humility; in due time He was exalted to the highest place in heaven because of what He accomplished at Calvary.  Hebrews 7:26 (NIV) says, “For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens (exalted above the heavens).”

What a Savior in ours!

Man of Sorrows,” what a name For the Son of God who came Ruined sinners to reclaim! Hallelujah! what a Savior! Bearing shame and scoffing rude, In my place condemned He stood; Sealed my pardon with His blood; Hallelujah! what a Savior! Guilty, vile, and helpless, we, Spotless Lamb of God was He; Full redemption—can it be? Hallelujah! what a Savior! Lifted up was He to die, “It is finished!” was His cry; Now in heaven exalted high; Hallelujah! what a Savior! When He comes, our glorious King, To His kingdom us to bring, Then anew this song we’ll sing Hallelujah! what a Savior!  Philip Paul Bliss, (1838-1876) (The Believers Hymn Book, published by Pickering & Inglis Ltd., Basingstoke, England, Hymn 147)

Seek …

The word “seek” means to look for, to search for, to pursue, go after.  It occurs 244 times in 233 verses in the King James Version.  Here are some of them –

“Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.”  (1 Chronicles 16:11)

“Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God; arise therefore, and build ye the sanctuary of the LORD God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and the holy vessels of God, into the house that is to be built to the name of the LORD.”  (1 Chronicles 22:19)

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”  (2 Chronicles 7:14)

“One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple.”  (Psalm 27:4)

“Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.”  (Psalm 34:14)

“Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.  Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore.”  (Psalm 105:3-4)

 “I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.”  (Proverbs 8:17)

“Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:”  (Isaiah 55:6)

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”  (Matthew 6:33)

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:  For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”  (Matthew 7:7-8)

“Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.”  (Luke 17:33)

“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”  (Luke 19:10)

“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.”  (John 5:30)

“And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth.”  (John 8:50)

“Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.”  (1 Corinthians 10:24)

“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.   (Colossians 3:1-3)

“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.”  (Hebrews 11:6)

“For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.” (Hebrews 13:14)

Let’s consider several of the above verses.

“One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple.”  (Psalm 27:4)

What a desire of the “one thing” the Psalmist wanted from the Lord!  We can also link this verse to Paul, the apostle.  Recall when he was on the road to Damascus, he asked two questions – “Who art thou, Lord?” and, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?”  (Acts 9:5-6).  Paul’s life was spent getting answers to these questions.  Here, we can liken “beholding the beauty of the Lord” to “Who art Thou?” and “inquiring in his temple” to “What wilt thou have me to do?”

“Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.”  (1 Corinthians 10:24)

“… we are to seek the welfare of [others]. …  [A Christian] should be concerned about his influence and effect on others.” ¹

 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”  (Matthew 6:33)

“[The Lord] says, in effect, If you will put God’s interests first in your life, I will guarantee your future needs.  If you seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, then I will see that you never lack the necessities of life.” ²

Similar to Matthew 6:33, Paul says, “Since ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.”  (Colossians 3:1-3)

“The believer is seen as having died with Christ, having been buried with him, and having risen with him from among the dead.  The spiritual meaning of all this is that we have said goodbye to the former way of life, and have entered upon a completely new type of life, that is, the life of the risen Lord Jesus Christ.  Because we have been raised with Christ, we should seek those things which are above…. [The Christian] is setting his mind (affection) on things above. [He] is living like a citizen of heaven here on earth.” ³

We are a new creation.  Our life is hid with Christ in God.   Our viewpoint towards the world and its value system has changed.  We are “dead” to the “old man” – his ways and beliefs – and alive to the new!

“Let all those that seek thee [God] rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified.”  (Psalm 40:16 and Psalm 70:4)

¹ (J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible, Volume V (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1983), 47.

²  (William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995), 1227.

³  (William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995), 2007.

Keep…

We find the word “keep” in many verses throughout the scriptures.  Here are some in the order they appear –

“Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.”  (Psalm 34:13)

“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”  (Proverbs 4:23)

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”  (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

“But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.”  (Luke 11:28)

“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.”  (John 14:23)

“Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”  (Ephesians 4:3)

“Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure.” (1 Timothy 5:22)

“Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.”  (1 John 5:21)

“Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”  (Jude 21)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Let’s focus a little on several of the above verses.

“Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.”  (Psalm 34:13)

Paul in his letter to the Ephesians says, “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.  (Ephesians 4:31-32)

James in his epistle, has a lot to say about the tongue.. In one verse, he says, “Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.”  (James 3:10)

“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”  (Proverbs 4:23)

The next verse says, “Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.   (Proverbs 4:24)

The heart has been referred to as being symbolic of man’s innermost being.  The Lord Jesus said,  “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: …” (Matthew 15:18-20)

“The issues of life will proceed from the heart, but, it is the mouth and the lips that will do the speaking.  Someone has put it like this: “What is in the well of the heart will come up through the bucket of the mouth.”  How true it is that sooner or later the mouth will reveal what is in our heart.” ¹

“Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.”   (1 John 5:21)

Idols are those things that divert our attention away from God – those things that constantly tug at us to try and draw us away from our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Lord Jesus Christ should have the preeminence in our lives.  Here are a few helpful verses to encourage us to do so:

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…”.  (Matthew 6:33)

Since ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.  For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.  (Colossians 3:1-3)

“…Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.  (Galatians 5:16)

“Keep yourselves in the love of God…”  (Jude 21)     

“Jude is saying, Keep yourselves out there in the sunshine of God’s love.”   Let His love flood your heart and life.” ²

“Keep yourselves in the love of God” means to keep oneself in the consciousness in that fellowship with the Father and with the Son…, that is, enjoying the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” ³

“Here the love of God can be compared to the sunshine.  The sun is always shining.  But when something comes between us and the sun, we are no longer in the sunshine.  That’s the way it is with the love of God.  It is always beaming down upon us.  But if sin comes between us and the Lord, then we are no longer enjoying His love in practice.  We can keep ourselves in His love first of all by lives of holiness and godliness.  And if sin should come between, then we should confess and forsake that sin immediately.  The secret is to let nothing come between us and God.” ⁴

Nothing between my soul and the Savior,

Naught of this world’s delusive dream,

Nothing preventing the least of His favor,

Keep the way clear, let nothing between.

~ Charles A. Tindley

¹ (J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible, Volume III (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1982), 20-21.

² (J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible, Volume V (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1983), 873.

³  (Arno C. Gaebelein, Gaebelein’s Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible (Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers Inc., 1985), 1195.

⁴  (William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995), 2345.

The Bible – the Inspired Word of God

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect (complete), thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”   (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

The word “inspired” in Greek is theopneustos, which means “God-breathed.”  The men who wrote the books that make up the Bible did not write about their own doctrines and opinions, but, as Paul, the apostle wrote, “… holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” (2 Peter 1:21)

The Bible is to be read, meditated on, studied and obeyed.

Read it.

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”  (Psalm 119:105)

 “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: …”  (Jeremiah 15:16)

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”  (Romans 10:17)

“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.  (Psalm 119:11)

Sadly, “less than 20% of churchgoers read the Bible daily.” 

(from christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2012/september/new-research-less-than-20-of-churchgoers-read-bible-daily.html)

May I suggest that you consider a daily reading plan.  There are many available online.  Here is one for your consideration – go to blueletterbible.org/dailyreading/.  You can download one of several plans available. Personally, I prefer the “Old Testament and New Testament Together Plan.”  This way I get to read some of the Old Testament and some of the New Testament most days.  It is available as a 1 year or 2 year plan. Whichever one of the plans you choose, a PDF document is available for each plan to download and print.

We must first read the Bible, before we can

Meditate upon it.

“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”  (Joshua 1:8) 

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.  But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”  (Psalm 1:1-2)

Study it.

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”    (2 Timothy 2:15)

“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”  (Acts 17:11)

Obey it.

“As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:”  (1Peter 1:14)

 “But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.”  (Jeremiah 7:23)

“By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:”  (Romans 1:5)

“Wherefore put aside all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”  (James 1:21)

The Lord Jesus Christ said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”  (John 14:15)

Reading the Bible – Its Effect

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect (complete), thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”   (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”  (Hebrews 4:12)

If the word of God is living, how can we expect to grow in Christ if we do not read it?  How can we become more Christ-like, if we do not learn more of who He is?

These verses are worthy of our consideration to encourage us to read the Bible:

The Lord Jesus said, “… Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”  (Matthew 4:4)

“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.”  (John 6:63)

“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”  (Joshua 1:8)

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”  (Romans 10:17)

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”  (Psalm 119:105)

“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”  (Psalm 119:11)

“As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:”  (1 Peter 2:2)

“For as many things as have been written before have been written for our instruction, that through endurance and through encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.”  (Romans 15:4)

“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.  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”   (Romans 12:1-2)

How are we to “renew our mind” apart from reading the Word of God?  We are told that we have “the mind of Christ.”  (1 Corinthians 2:16).  I would suggest that His mind is contained in the Word of God.  We need to read the Bible to learn more of Him and His thoughts, so our minds may be renewed, and that we may discern what is that good, and acceptable and perfect will of God.

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”  (Colossians 3:16) 

“The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; but the word of our God abideth for ever.”  (Isaiah 40:8)