Christ at Creation
“When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep.†(Proverbs 8:27-28)
This chapter contains a beautiful description of some of God’s works during the creation week when God, in Christ, was creating and making all things. Christ Himself, personified as the divine wisdom, the word of God, is speaking.
Verse 27 speaks of His pre-existence before the creation of the space/time universe itself. At first the “earth†matter was “without form,†with only a great “deep†of water. Then God “set a compass†on the face of the deep, activating the gravitational forces that brought it into spherical form. The Hebrew word for “compass†means “sphere,†the same word used in Isaiah 40:22, where it is said God “sitteth upon the circle [i.e., ‘sphere’] of the earth.â€
Then God “established the clouds above.†The word for “clouds†means “thin mists,†undoubtedly referring to the great water canopy “above the firmament†(Genesis 1:7). Finally, He strengthened the fountains of the deep, locking them under the “foundations of the earth†(Proverbs 8:29). The same strong fountains of the deep would later be broken up at the time of the great Flood. When the earth was finished, He “rejoiced in the habitable part of his earth†(i.e., Proverbs 8:31).
In all these and the other mighty works of creating and making all things, the Lord Jesus Christ assures us “I was there!†That further assures us, of course, that through all the ages to come, He will be there.
This remarkable eighth chapter of Proverbs concludes with the following exhortation, more relevant today than ever: “For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favor of the Lord. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all that hate me love death†(Proverbs 8:35-36). HMM
“When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep.†(Proverbs 8:27-28)
This chapter contains a beautiful description of some of God’s works during the creation week when God, in Christ, was creating and making all things. Christ Himself, personified as the divine wisdom, the word of God, is speaking.
Verse 27 speaks of His pre-existence before the creation of the space/time universe itself. At first the “earth†matter was “without form,†with only a great “deep†of water. Then God “set a compass†on the face of the deep, activating the gravitational forces that brought it into spherical form. The Hebrew word for “compass†means “sphere,†the same word used in Isaiah 40:22, where it is said God “sitteth upon the circle [i.e., ‘sphere’] of the earth.â€
Then God “established the clouds above.†The word for “clouds†means “thin mists,†undoubtedly referring to the great water canopy “above the firmament†(Genesis 1:7). Finally, He strengthened the fountains of the deep, locking them under the “foundations of the earth†(Proverbs 8:29). The same strong fountains of the deep would later be broken up at the time of the great Flood. When the earth was finished, He “rejoiced in the habitable part of his earth†(i.e., Proverbs 8:31).
In all these and the other mighty works of creating and making all things, the Lord Jesus Christ assures us “I was there!†That further assures us, of course, that through all the ages to come, He will be there.
This remarkable eighth chapter of Proverbs concludes with the following exhortation, more relevant today than ever: “For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favor of the Lord. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all that hate me love death†(Proverbs 8:35-36). HMM
Every believer faces temptation. Take a moment to recall a particularly enticing situation involving something that would displease God. Did you realize you were involved in a satanic battle? The Devil is real. Scripture reveals that he leads an army of fallen angels and is prideful enough to think he can gain victory over God. By definition, a satanic attack is a deliberate assault upon an individual, which is designed to cause spiritual, physical, material, or emotional harm. Satan desires to thwart the Lord's purpose in believers' lives, to rob them of joy and peace, and ultimately to deny God the worship He receives through yielded followers.
As in any war, knowing the enemy's plan helps us prepare for the attack. First, be aware that the battlefield takes place in our minds. To walk in a godly manner with Christ, we must first be sure that our thoughts are in submission to His Spirit. This takes daily surrender and time in God's Word. Second, Satan tempts us during vulnerable moments. Be cautious when you are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired (This is often known as the H.A.L.T. warning). Third, he is deceptive; we won't recognize the trap as an evil scheme. Instead, it will seem good, and we'll likely wrestle with some sort of doubt.
As Christians, we should walk closely with Jesus. Satan desires to lure us into destructive actions that rob us of God's plan for a good, full life. Stay connected to the Savior: read the Word, pray, and fellowship with other believers. These are weapons we use against the Devil in spiritual war.
God Doesn't Need Our Plan B - By Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org
God's Ordered Authority
As in any war, knowing the enemy's plan helps us prepare for the attack. First, be aware that the battlefield takes place in our minds. To walk in a godly manner with Christ, we must first be sure that our thoughts are in submission to His Spirit. This takes daily surrender and time in God's Word. Second, Satan tempts us during vulnerable moments. Be cautious when you are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired (This is often known as the H.A.L.T. warning). Third, he is deceptive; we won't recognize the trap as an evil scheme. Instead, it will seem good, and we'll likely wrestle with some sort of doubt.
As Christians, we should walk closely with Jesus. Satan desires to lure us into destructive actions that rob us of God's plan for a good, full life. Stay connected to the Savior: read the Word, pray, and fellowship with other believers. These are weapons we use against the Devil in spiritual war.
God Doesn't Need Our Plan B - By Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org
It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed that God would keep his promise. -Hebrews 11:11
To be honest, I find it amazing that Sarah made the Heroes' Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11. When I think of women who deserve to be there, I think of Mary, who carried the Lord in her womb, or Ruth or Esther or Deborah, the great warrior judge.
But Sarah was one of the women who's listed there, even though she didn't seem to have a lot of faith. When God came to Sarah and her husband Abraham and told them they were going to have a child, they balked at it. She was, after all, 65 years old and Abraham was 75.
Sarah didn't know whether she would be able to conceive a child and thought maybe God needed a little help. She suggested that Abraham marry her maid Hagar and have a child with her. The next thing you know, Hagar has conceived and a boy named Ishmael has been born. Immediately Sarah became jealous. She was angry at Hagar, and she was angry at her husband.
When unbelief tries to solve a problem, it creates a bigger problem. God wants to do His will in His way in His timing. God doesn't want us to do His will in our way. God doesn't need our manipulation. God doesn't need us to bring His will about. He will do it in His way and in His time.
Sarah's plan B had backfired horribly, yet as I look at Hebrews 11, what amazes me is that not one of her lapses is mentioned. That is because Hebrews 11 is a record of faith, not unbelief. It lists the victories, not the defeats. In the same way, when you become a Christian, you are a new person in Christ. Old things have passed away. Everything becomes fresh and new.
God's Ordered Authority
God's plan for each one of us has our best interest in mind. His way leads to fullness of life. Yet He did not create us to be robots that blindly and lifelessly live their godly life. No, the Lord grants us the choice of whether or not to obey Him. Our human nature tends to choose a self-centered path that turns away from God's authority. But in doing so, we miss His best for us.
Consider the life of King Saul. God chose this man to be king and provided guidelines for him to follow. Though Saul knew the Lord's instructions, he chose to do things his own way. At times his sin was unquestionably deliberate, such as his attempt to kill David out of jealousy. At other times, however, his rebellion seemed less clear-cut. For example, despite God's order to "utterly destroy" the Amalekites and their animals, Saul spared the best of the herd, with the justification that they were "to sacrifice to the Lord" (1 Sam. 15:3, 21).
His disobedient choices cost him the throne and eventually led to his destruction. This man chose the road that satisfied his immediate fleshly desires, but as we know from history, the end result was hardly fulfilling. We can learn from Saul's mistakes. Partial obedience is actually disobedience. And any disobedience falls in the category of rebellion, which is sin.
Each day, we face the same types of choices. Though the details are different, both large and small temptations lure us. We can live according to Christ's will, following His lead and listening for His voice. Or we can refuse. Choose today to live God's way--which leads to fullness of life.
He Shall Speak Peace
“And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.†(Zechariah 9:10)
This wonderful prophecy follows immediately after the verse predicting the coming of the Messiah into Jerusalem riding upon a lowly donkey’s colt (v. 9). That prediction was fulfilled by Jesus as He came into Jerusalem on that last Sunday before His death and resurrection (Matthew 21:4-5), but the prophecy in our text was certainly not fulfilled at that time. There have been wars somewhere in the world practically every year since Jesus came. Nevertheless, the day will come when He shall indeed speak peace to all the nations.
Early in the last century the nations had fought a great war that was supposed to end all wars. They celebrated the armistice that ended that war on November 11, 1918, and established an annual holiday called Armistice Day. But many other wars followed that war, so the name was changed to honor the veterans who had fought in any of those later wars as well. However, there is still no real peace in the world.
The fact is that there can be no lasting peace between men and other men until there is peace between men and God. Only the Lord Jesus Christ can make such a peace, for He alone is the “Prince of Peace†(Isaiah 9:6). Indeed, He has already paid the price to make such true and eternal peace, for He “made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself†(Colossians 1:20).
In that great coming day when He returns to Earth to establish His kingdom, “he maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth†(Psalm 46:9), “and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day†(Isaiah 2:17). HMM
“And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.†(Zechariah 9:10)
This wonderful prophecy follows immediately after the verse predicting the coming of the Messiah into Jerusalem riding upon a lowly donkey’s colt (v. 9). That prediction was fulfilled by Jesus as He came into Jerusalem on that last Sunday before His death and resurrection (Matthew 21:4-5), but the prophecy in our text was certainly not fulfilled at that time. There have been wars somewhere in the world practically every year since Jesus came. Nevertheless, the day will come when He shall indeed speak peace to all the nations.
Early in the last century the nations had fought a great war that was supposed to end all wars. They celebrated the armistice that ended that war on November 11, 1918, and established an annual holiday called Armistice Day. But many other wars followed that war, so the name was changed to honor the veterans who had fought in any of those later wars as well. However, there is still no real peace in the world.
The fact is that there can be no lasting peace between men and other men until there is peace between men and God. Only the Lord Jesus Christ can make such a peace, for He alone is the “Prince of Peace†(Isaiah 9:6). Indeed, He has already paid the price to make such true and eternal peace, for He “made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself†(Colossians 1:20).
In that great coming day when He returns to Earth to establish His kingdom, “he maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth†(Psalm 46:9), “and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day†(Isaiah 2:17). HMM
Mortified
“For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.†(Romans 8:13)
To mortify something means to put it to death. Paul taught in our text and in other passages that the “deeds of the body,†or its fleshly actions and appetites, all that pertains “to the old man,†should be mortified, or put to death.
This mortification is first of all judicial—Christ having been put to death in our stead. “Our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin†(Romans 6:6).
But the mortification must not stop there, with only a positional death. It must also be an actual mortification in practice, for “they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit†(Galatians 5:24-25). “For as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness†(Romans 6:19).
Elsewhere, Paul identifies specific deeds and attitudes that must be mortified. “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence [or evil desires], and covetousness†(Colossians 3:5). The first four listed will be recognized as various forms of sensual sins, indicating how detrimental this category of sin is to spiritual life. The fifth is covetousness, or inordinate love of money and material things. These five comprise deadly sins to men and women of any historical age—particularly our own. If they are not put to death, they bring death, “for which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh†(v. 6).
The choice is clear! It will be either death to the flesh, or death to the spirit. JDM
“For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.†(Romans 8:13)
To mortify something means to put it to death. Paul taught in our text and in other passages that the “deeds of the body,†or its fleshly actions and appetites, all that pertains “to the old man,†should be mortified, or put to death.
This mortification is first of all judicial—Christ having been put to death in our stead. “Our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin†(Romans 6:6).
But the mortification must not stop there, with only a positional death. It must also be an actual mortification in practice, for “they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit†(Galatians 5:24-25). “For as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness†(Romans 6:19).
Elsewhere, Paul identifies specific deeds and attitudes that must be mortified. “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence [or evil desires], and covetousness†(Colossians 3:5). The first four listed will be recognized as various forms of sensual sins, indicating how detrimental this category of sin is to spiritual life. The fifth is covetousness, or inordinate love of money and material things. These five comprise deadly sins to men and women of any historical age—particularly our own. If they are not put to death, they bring death, “for which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh†(v. 6).
The choice is clear! It will be either death to the flesh, or death to the spirit. JDM
Total Abstinence
“Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.†(1 Peter 2:11)
The command to abstain occurs only a few times in the New Testament, but there are three occurrences that are especially relevant for Christians today. One of these is 1 Thessalonians 4:3: “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication.†The Greek word here actually applies to any type of sexual relationship outside of marriage, and the command is not merely for temperance or for “love†in one’s non-marital sexual relationships, but for total abstinence. This exhortation is perhaps needed more today than at any time since the days of pagan Rome, even for Christians and, unfortunately, Christian leaders. But that is not all. In the words of our text, we are also urgently exhorted to “abstain from fleshly lusts†since these carnal desires are in mortal combat with our very souls. One must avoid situations that might initiate or encourage fornication or its kindred activities.
But even that is not sufficient for the serious Christian man or woman. “Now we exhort you, brethren, . . . Abstain from all appearance of evil†(1 Thessalonians 5:14, 22). The word here means anything that in outward form might appear to be evil, regardless of whether it is really wrong in itself or not. The Lord desires that we “adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things†(Titus 2:10) and that we “give none offense†(1 Corinthians 10:32).
A believer cannot afford to be careless in this warfare against his soul. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour†(1 Peter 5:8). “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God†(1 Corinthians 10:31). HMM
“Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.†(1 Peter 2:11)
The command to abstain occurs only a few times in the New Testament, but there are three occurrences that are especially relevant for Christians today. One of these is 1 Thessalonians 4:3: “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication.†The Greek word here actually applies to any type of sexual relationship outside of marriage, and the command is not merely for temperance or for “love†in one’s non-marital sexual relationships, but for total abstinence. This exhortation is perhaps needed more today than at any time since the days of pagan Rome, even for Christians and, unfortunately, Christian leaders. But that is not all. In the words of our text, we are also urgently exhorted to “abstain from fleshly lusts†since these carnal desires are in mortal combat with our very souls. One must avoid situations that might initiate or encourage fornication or its kindred activities.
But even that is not sufficient for the serious Christian man or woman. “Now we exhort you, brethren, . . . Abstain from all appearance of evil†(1 Thessalonians 5:14, 22). The word here means anything that in outward form might appear to be evil, regardless of whether it is really wrong in itself or not. The Lord desires that we “adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things†(Titus 2:10) and that we “give none offense†(1 Corinthians 10:32).
A believer cannot afford to be careless in this warfare against his soul. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour†(1 Peter 5:8). “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God†(1 Corinthians 10:31). HMM
The Remarkable Psalms
“And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.†(Acts 13:32-33)
Here is a clear instance in which the gospel (“glad tidingsâ€) was preached in the Old Testament. The Holy Spirit, through the psalmist David, promised that one day the Son of God would rise from the dead—the “first born from the dead†(Colossians 1:18). The Lord Jesus actually used certain psalms to prove His own deity, quoting Psalm 110:1 (Matthew 22:43- 45) and Psalm 82:6 (John 10:34-36) in support of His claims.
This unique passage in the book of Acts offers another fascinating item of information that is often overlooked. By identifying the second psalm as such, the writer (guided by the Spirit) tells us in effect that the chapter divisions of the book of Psalms were there by divine ordination right from the first. Furthermore, since each of the psalms is a poem, with clear-cut verse divisions, this longest book in the Word of God was evidently subdivided into chapters and verses by divine inspiration. Similar divisions were later added to the other books by biblical scholars in the Middle Ages, but they were in the psalms from the beginning. It is not surprising, then, that we can find many remarkable examples of design in the very structure of the book of Psalms (e.g., the 22 stanzas of eight verses each in Psalm 119).
This second psalm is the first of the so-called Messianic psalms, but actually, the Lord Jesus Christ and His glorious gospel of salvation are clearly present in every one of the 150 psalms. “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him†(Psalm 2:12). HMM
“And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.†(Acts 13:32-33)
Here is a clear instance in which the gospel (“glad tidingsâ€) was preached in the Old Testament. The Holy Spirit, through the psalmist David, promised that one day the Son of God would rise from the dead—the “first born from the dead†(Colossians 1:18). The Lord Jesus actually used certain psalms to prove His own deity, quoting Psalm 110:1 (Matthew 22:43- 45) and Psalm 82:6 (John 10:34-36) in support of His claims.
This unique passage in the book of Acts offers another fascinating item of information that is often overlooked. By identifying the second psalm as such, the writer (guided by the Spirit) tells us in effect that the chapter divisions of the book of Psalms were there by divine ordination right from the first. Furthermore, since each of the psalms is a poem, with clear-cut verse divisions, this longest book in the Word of God was evidently subdivided into chapters and verses by divine inspiration. Similar divisions were later added to the other books by biblical scholars in the Middle Ages, but they were in the psalms from the beginning. It is not surprising, then, that we can find many remarkable examples of design in the very structure of the book of Psalms (e.g., the 22 stanzas of eight verses each in Psalm 119).
This second psalm is the first of the so-called Messianic psalms, but actually, the Lord Jesus Christ and His glorious gospel of salvation are clearly present in every one of the 150 psalms. “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him†(Psalm 2:12). HMM
Victory Over Guilt John 3:16-17
At times, people are bound by guilt long after the feeling should have been resolved. Some rightly live with it because they refuse to give up the sin that brought it on. Meanwhile, others suffer the weight of false guilt because they harbor shame that doesn't belong to them. Whatever the root cause of your condemnation, the battle plan remains the same.
Victory over guilt begins with understanding that Jesus took our shame to the cross and paid our penalty. There is no way that we can pay for our own sin. But we do need to honestly identify the source of our guilt and confess before God. That means we agree with His perspective on what we've done. In other words, we admit when we're wrong. Repentance goes a step further: we turn away from the wrong and choose to do right.
Confronting guilt in this way replaces the weight of shame in our heart with peace and joy, which are far lighter and more freeing. And an amazing side effect is that we have wisdom to share. Openness about our past mistakes, resulting consequences, guilt burdens, and forgiveness can reveal the Lord to those in our sphere of influence. Through our witness, God may reach others who need their guilt chains broken.
The battle to overcome guilt is one that should not be delayed. The feeling won't just go away. Whether your condemnation is true or false, it needs to be dealt with quickly. Stop running, and face the source of your guilt. It's time to end your captivity and start walking in the joy of God's blessing.
At times, people are bound by guilt long after the feeling should have been resolved. Some rightly live with it because they refuse to give up the sin that brought it on. Meanwhile, others suffer the weight of false guilt because they harbor shame that doesn't belong to them. Whatever the root cause of your condemnation, the battle plan remains the same.
Victory over guilt begins with understanding that Jesus took our shame to the cross and paid our penalty. There is no way that we can pay for our own sin. But we do need to honestly identify the source of our guilt and confess before God. That means we agree with His perspective on what we've done. In other words, we admit when we're wrong. Repentance goes a step further: we turn away from the wrong and choose to do right.
The battle to overcome guilt is one that should not be delayed. The feeling won't just go away. Whether your condemnation is true or false, it needs to be dealt with quickly. Stop running, and face the source of your guilt. It's time to end your captivity and start walking in the joy of God's blessing.
Earnestly Contend
�It was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.� (Jude 1:3)
After Jude had responded to the Holy Spirit�s prompting to direct his thoughts away from writing a gospel account, the intensity of the growing battle for �the faith� came into focus. Perhaps Jude was aware of Paul�s observation that we do not �wrestle� against ordinary forces, but our battle deals with the �spiritual wickedness in high places� (Ephesians 6:12).
The special word chosen by the Holy Spirit to speak to this struggle in Jude�s letter was epagonizomai. The core word (agonizomai) is used in the famous passage �I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith� (2 Timothy 4:7). Paul also notes what �great conflict� he felt for the church at Colosse (Colossians 2:1) and that Epaphras was �always labouring fervently� for them in his prayers (Colossians 4:12).
The object of this spiritual struggle was �the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.� Two matters are of importance in that little phrase. First, �the faith� is a specific designation used in the New Testament to incorporate the basic doctrines of the New Covenant. It does include, but does not limit itself to, the belief that results in salvation. The early churches were �established in the faith� (Acts 16:5). We are to �stand fast in the faith� (1 Corinthians 16:13) and to come to a �unity of the faith� (Ephesians 4:13).
Second, that body of doctrine was �once delivered to the saints.� Implicit in that comment is the responsibility of the Holy Spirit to �guide [the apostles] into all truth� (John 16:13). Both Old and New Testaments insist that we are not to add or subtract from the words of God�s Word. Jude�s epistle emphasizes the awful judgment that comes upon those who would distort or disdain what is �the faith.� HMM III
�It was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.� (Jude 1:3)
After Jude had responded to the Holy Spirit�s prompting to direct his thoughts away from writing a gospel account, the intensity of the growing battle for �the faith� came into focus. Perhaps Jude was aware of Paul�s observation that we do not �wrestle� against ordinary forces, but our battle deals with the �spiritual wickedness in high places� (Ephesians 6:12).
The special word chosen by the Holy Spirit to speak to this struggle in Jude�s letter was epagonizomai. The core word (agonizomai) is used in the famous passage �I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith� (2 Timothy 4:7). Paul also notes what �great conflict� he felt for the church at Colosse (Colossians 2:1) and that Epaphras was �always labouring fervently� for them in his prayers (Colossians 4:12).
The object of this spiritual struggle was �the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.� Two matters are of importance in that little phrase. First, �the faith� is a specific designation used in the New Testament to incorporate the basic doctrines of the New Covenant. It does include, but does not limit itself to, the belief that results in salvation. The early churches were �established in the faith� (Acts 16:5). We are to �stand fast in the faith� (1 Corinthians 16:13) and to come to a �unity of the faith� (Ephesians 4:13).
Second, that body of doctrine was �once delivered to the saints.� Implicit in that comment is the responsibility of the Holy Spirit to �guide [the apostles] into all truth� (John 16:13). Both Old and New Testaments insist that we are not to add or subtract from the words of God�s Word. Jude�s epistle emphasizes the awful judgment that comes upon those who would distort or disdain what is �the faith.� HMM III
Dead Works
�Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and a faith toward God.� (Hebrews 6:1)
The phrase �dead works� can be found only twice in the New Testament. In the first (our text), it refers to the deeds of the unsaved sinner from which he must turn away in salvation, while in the second, later in the same epistle, it refers to unprofitable deeds accomplished by the believer, from which we must also turn away (Hebrews 9:14).
Dead works are certainly not good works, but neither are they necessarily evil works. Rather, they are ineffective, useless acts that count for nothing. They are as different from evil or good works as wild fruit is from good fruit or bad fruit. In this analogy, while bad fruit looks unappealing and would never pass for food, wild fruit may have the appearance of good fruit but lacks flavor and nutritional value and would provide no useful function even if it were eaten. In just the same way, dead works, which may be of some humanitarian value, lack life�not stemming from proper motives and not being propelled by love (1 Corinthians 13:1-3) and thus accomplish nothing of lasting value.
The non-Christian can pridefully indulge in such works, but this must be repented of at the point of salvation. Likewise, the Christian must replace his useless dead works with good works through the power of the Spirit of the living God. �How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?� (Hebrews 9:14).
May we continually submit all our efforts to Him, recognizing that service to the living God does not entail our dead works. JDM
�Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and a faith toward God.� (Hebrews 6:1)
The phrase �dead works� can be found only twice in the New Testament. In the first (our text), it refers to the deeds of the unsaved sinner from which he must turn away in salvation, while in the second, later in the same epistle, it refers to unprofitable deeds accomplished by the believer, from which we must also turn away (Hebrews 9:14).
Dead works are certainly not good works, but neither are they necessarily evil works. Rather, they are ineffective, useless acts that count for nothing. They are as different from evil or good works as wild fruit is from good fruit or bad fruit. In this analogy, while bad fruit looks unappealing and would never pass for food, wild fruit may have the appearance of good fruit but lacks flavor and nutritional value and would provide no useful function even if it were eaten. In just the same way, dead works, which may be of some humanitarian value, lack life�not stemming from proper motives and not being propelled by love (1 Corinthians 13:1-3) and thus accomplish nothing of lasting value.
The non-Christian can pridefully indulge in such works, but this must be repented of at the point of salvation. Likewise, the Christian must replace his useless dead works with good works through the power of the Spirit of the living God. �How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?� (Hebrews 9:14).
May we continually submit all our efforts to Him, recognizing that service to the living God does not entail our dead works. JDM
A Compelling Reason for Rigorous Training of the MindJohn Piper I was reading and meditating on the book of Hebrews recently, when it hit me forcefully that a basic and compelling reason for education � the rigorous training of the mind � is so that a person can read the Bible with understanding.
This sounds too obvious to be useful or compelling. But that's just because we take the preciousness of reading so for granted; or, even more, because we appreciate so little the kind of thinking that a complex Bible passage requires of us.
The book of Hebrews, for example, is an intellectually challenging argument from Old Testament texts. The points that the author makes hang on biblical observations that come only from rigorous reading, not light skimming. And the understanding of these Old Testament interpretations in the text of Hebrews requires rigorous thought and mental effort. The same could be said for the extended argumentation of Romans and Galatians and the other books of the Bible.
This is an overwhelming argument for giving our children a disciplined and rigorous training in how to think an author's thoughts after him from a text � especially a biblical text. An alphabet must be learned, as well as vocabulary, grammar, syntax, the rudiments of logic, and the way meaning is imparted through sustained connections of sentences and paragraphs.
The reason Christians have always planted schools where they have planted churches is because we are a people of THE BOOK. It is true that THE BOOK will never have its proper effect without prayer and the Holy Spirit. It is not a textbook to be debated; it is a fountain for spiritual thirst, and food for the soul, and a revelation of God, and a living power, and a two-edged sword. But none of this changes the fact: apart from the discipline of reading, the Bible is as powerless as paper. Someone might have to read it for you; but without reading, the meaning and the power of it are locked up.
Is it not remarkable how often Jesus settled great issues with a reference to reading? For example, in the issue of the Sabbath he said, "Have you not read what David did?" (Matthew 12:3). In the issue of divorce and remarriage he said, "Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female?" (Matthew 19:4). In the issue of true worship and praise he said, "Have you never read, �Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babes you have prepared praise for yourself'?" (Matthew 21:16). In the issue of the resurrection he said, "Did you never read in the Scriptures, �The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone'?" (Matthew 21:42). And to the lawyer who queried him about eternal life he said, "What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?" (Luke 10:26).
The apostle Paul also gave reading a great place in the life of the church. For example, he said to the Corinthians, "We write nothing else to you than what you read and understand, and I hope you will understand until the end" (1 Corinthians 1:13). To the Ephesians he said, "When you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ" (Ephesians 3:3). To the Colossians he said, "When this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part read my letter that is coming from Laodicea" (Colossians 4:16). Reading the letters of Paul was so important that he commands it with an oath: "I adjure you by the Lord to have this letter read to all the brethren" (1 Thessalonians 5:27).
The ability to read does not come intuitively. It must be taught. And learning to read with understanding is a life-long labor. The implications for Christians are immense. Education of the mind in the rigorous discipline of thoughtful reading is a primary goal of school. The church of Jesus is debilitated when his people are lulled into thinking that it is humble or democratic or relevant to give a merely practical education that does not involve the rigorous training of the mind to think hard and to construe meaning from difficult texts.
The issue of earning a living is not nearly so important as whether the next generation has direct access to the meaning of the Word of God. We need an education that puts the highest premium under God on knowing the meaning of God's Book, and growing in the abilities that will unlock its riches for a lifetime. It would be better to starve for lack of food than to fail to grasp the meaning of the book of Romans. Lord, let us not fail the next generation!
Church goers winking at corruption - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com
The Greatest Step of Obedience - By Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org
This sounds too obvious to be useful or compelling. But that's just because we take the preciousness of reading so for granted; or, even more, because we appreciate so little the kind of thinking that a complex Bible passage requires of us.
The book of Hebrews, for example, is an intellectually challenging argument from Old Testament texts. The points that the author makes hang on biblical observations that come only from rigorous reading, not light skimming. And the understanding of these Old Testament interpretations in the text of Hebrews requires rigorous thought and mental effort. The same could be said for the extended argumentation of Romans and Galatians and the other books of the Bible.
This is an overwhelming argument for giving our children a disciplined and rigorous training in how to think an author's thoughts after him from a text � especially a biblical text. An alphabet must be learned, as well as vocabulary, grammar, syntax, the rudiments of logic, and the way meaning is imparted through sustained connections of sentences and paragraphs.
The reason Christians have always planted schools where they have planted churches is because we are a people of THE BOOK. It is true that THE BOOK will never have its proper effect without prayer and the Holy Spirit. It is not a textbook to be debated; it is a fountain for spiritual thirst, and food for the soul, and a revelation of God, and a living power, and a two-edged sword. But none of this changes the fact: apart from the discipline of reading, the Bible is as powerless as paper. Someone might have to read it for you; but without reading, the meaning and the power of it are locked up.
Is it not remarkable how often Jesus settled great issues with a reference to reading? For example, in the issue of the Sabbath he said, "Have you not read what David did?" (Matthew 12:3). In the issue of divorce and remarriage he said, "Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female?" (Matthew 19:4). In the issue of true worship and praise he said, "Have you never read, �Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babes you have prepared praise for yourself'?" (Matthew 21:16). In the issue of the resurrection he said, "Did you never read in the Scriptures, �The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone'?" (Matthew 21:42). And to the lawyer who queried him about eternal life he said, "What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?" (Luke 10:26).
The apostle Paul also gave reading a great place in the life of the church. For example, he said to the Corinthians, "We write nothing else to you than what you read and understand, and I hope you will understand until the end" (1 Corinthians 1:13). To the Ephesians he said, "When you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ" (Ephesians 3:3). To the Colossians he said, "When this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part read my letter that is coming from Laodicea" (Colossians 4:16). Reading the letters of Paul was so important that he commands it with an oath: "I adjure you by the Lord to have this letter read to all the brethren" (1 Thessalonians 5:27).
The issue of earning a living is not nearly so important as whether the next generation has direct access to the meaning of the Word of God. We need an education that puts the highest premium under God on knowing the meaning of God's Book, and growing in the abilities that will unlock its riches for a lifetime. It would be better to starve for lack of food than to fail to grasp the meaning of the book of Romans. Lord, let us not fail the next generation!
Church goers winking at corruption - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com
The Florida election system obviously is broken. Checks and balances are failed, exposing an entire organized and taxpayer-funded cabal of election manipulation and fraud. Sadly, the Florida system has a high probability as being the model for many other states because a powerful political party is behind it-the Democratic Party. A well-organized system of voter registration, post-election ballot submission, corrupt local and federal judges, and the will to cheat and to accuse others of voter repression all add up to a banana-republic style of election fraud. Part of the problem here is that there are church-goers who could put an end to this corruption by taking a stand against these unethical practices.
As reported by USA Today Network and the Naples Daily News, the layers of corruption in Florida are astonishing. Florida Democratic officials altered election forms with voters to "fix signature problems" on absentee ballots after the state's legal deadline. Then after the election when the initial results were known, the Democratic Party officials encouraged people to send those ballots in to be counted. When caught with the scheme, they went to a Democratic Party appointed Federal Judge, and he ruled to allow the ballots to be counted in the official vote counts. Then, to seal the corruption, Democratic Party leaders accused Republicans of voter suppression and racism because they do not want all votes to be counted.
Every time there is an effort to purge the voter rolls of the deceased the Democratic Party leadership screams voter suppression and accuses Republicans of trying to reinstate Jim Crow Laws. Let's remember that Jim Crow laws were written, enacted, practiced and enforced by southern white Democrats during the 19thand 20thcenturies. They were a series of laws targeting black people on the basis of "separate but equal." These laws prevented blacks from eating at white-owned restaurants, drinking from the same water fountains as whites, going to the same schools as whites, and severely discouraged political participation and voting by blacks. Segregated schools were ruled unconstitutional in 1954. The laws were mostly reversed with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which only passed by Republican support.
Democratic Party leadership, since before the Civil War and continuing today, finds ways to manipulate votes- having others to vote on behalf of the dead, suppressing the black vote, encouraging illegals to vote, doctoring absentee ballots, and the list goes on. When Republicans protest, the Democratic Party leadership accuses Republicans of racism and voter suppression. This is the system and to the extent judges are in on it, the scheme is funded by all of us. Anyone with any sense of morality should be ashamed of the Democratic Party's shenanigans. Recent surveys show that some 68% of those voting Democrat never attend church. Ephesians 5:11 says to, "have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather expose them." Woe to those 32% who do go to church and turn their heads the other way.
Daily Devotion: The Ultimate Sacrifice - By Greg Laurie -
And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. -Genesis 22:10
There was Isaac, lying on the altar. Abraham raised up the knife, prepared to sacrifice his son, when suddenly "the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, 'Abraham, Abraham! . . . Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me'" (Genesis 22:11-12 NKJV).
Notice the Bible doesn't say it was an angel of the Lord. It says it was the Angel of the Lord. Who commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son? God did. Yet this Angel said, "You have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me" (emphasis added).
I don't think this was an angel; I think this was Jesus stepping in and telling Abraham to stop. This is called a Christophany, which is an appearance of Jesus in the Old Testament. We know that Christ preexisted before Bethlehem, because He is part of the Godhead. He has always been, just like the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Periodically He appeared in the Old Testament, and I think this is one of those appearances when He stepped in and told Abraham not to sacrifice his son Isaac. Yet when Jesus went to the cross, there was no last reprieve. He took the knife-the wrath of God. There was no stopping the full impact of God's wrath, which came in full force upon Jesus Christ, who died on the cross in our place. This is because God loves us. God was effectively saying, "I love you so much that I'm willing to sacrifice My own Son on the cross so you can enter into a relationship with Me."
Do you have this relationship with God right now?
|
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. -John 3:16
In the story of Abraham and Isaac we have a beautiful picture of what happened at the cross of Calvary. Here we see a father who was willing to take the greatest step of obedience to God. We also see what happened when Jesus died on the cross for us. The father was willing to sacrifice his son, and the son was willing to be sacrificed.
Most Bible commentators believe that at this particular time, Isaac was about 18 to 20 years old. Some think he may have been around age 33. The Jewish historian Josephus thought he was 25. Whatever age Isaac was, one thing is clear: he didn't have to do this if he didn't want to, but he willingly went. Is that not a perfect picture of what happened at the cross? The Father who loved His Son so much offered Him up. And His Son, knowing what was about to happen, willingly went.
Our children are a gift to us from God. We don't own them. They belong to Him. Our objective is to lead them to the Lord. In the same way, everything that we have acquired in life-every possession, every skill, every ability, every talent-has been given to us by God. I think it's always a good thing to present these things back to God and say, "Lord, You gave these to me, and I give them back to You." Are you willing to do that? Abraham was.
We all have our Isaacs in life, so to speak, something or someone that we love so dearly. These are good to present to the Lord, because there is no safer place for them to be than in the hands of God. World changers give everything back to God because everything is from God.
THIS IS NOT SPAM...CHECK OUT MY BUSINESS.... THIS IS AMAZING!!!
I RELAX EVERY NIGHT WITH ESSENTIAL OILS. GO TO WWW.YOUNGLIVING.COM. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, CONTACT ME VIA THIS EMAIL, AND I WILL GIVE MORE DETAILS. I PROMISE YOU THAT YOU WILL ENJOY THIS AS MUCH AS I DO. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED.... CONTACT INFO:
TERRY SEEMAN - DISTRIBUTOR # 16084320
TERRY SEEMAN - DISTRIBUTOR # 16084320
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.