GRACE AND PEACE

By Cornelius R. Stam

For many years this writer, along with the mass of reli-
gious people, supposed that the Bible phrase "grace and
peace be unto you" was simply a beautiful, spiritual sal-
utation. Thank God we have come to learn that it is much
more than a salutation. It is an official proclamation.

Every single one of the epistles signed by St. Paul opens
with the declaration: "Grace be unto you and peace, from
God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ." This was
the theme of the message which he, as a duly appointed
ambassador, had been sent to proclaim.

To appreciate this fully we must remember that God had
declared in prophecy that He would reply to the world’s
rejection of Christ with judgment. Psa. 110:1 pictures the
Father saying to the Son: "Sit Thou at My right hand, until
I make Thine enemies Thy footstool." Psa. 2:5 declares:
"Then shall He speak unto them in His wrath, and vex them
in His sore displeasure."

After the crucifixion and ascension of Christ it seemed
that all was ready for the judgment to fall. As the signs of
Pentecost appeared Peter declared: "This is that which was
spoken by the prophet Joel" (Acts 2:16) and it did indeed
look as if the rejected Lord was about to return to "judge
and make war," as Rev. 19:11 puts it. But now, instead of
judgment and war, St. Paul proclaims grace and peace. Does
this not indicate that in grace God interrupted the prophetic
program to bring in the present dispensation under which
God’s ambassadors proclaim with Paul:

"But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound; that as sin hath reigned... so might grace reign" (Rom. 5:20,21).

Indeed, Paul the former persecutor was himself the living
demonstration of God’s grace to a Christ-rejecting world. In
I Tim. 1:15,16 he declares:

"This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.

"Howbeit, for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on Him to life everlasting."
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The Ministry of Comfort








Scripture Reading:
"Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort."- II Corinthians 1:3

Since the entrance of sin into the world, the way of man has been anything but easy.  Job seemed to have his finger on the pulse of the matter when he wrote, "... man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward."  It is interesting though, that when calamity strikes, men are quick to blame God, or to ask why He allows such occurrences in their lives.  But shall we blame God for what man has brought upon  himself?  God forbid!  Man is a product of his own folly.  "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned" (Rom. 5:12).

Some claim that if they had been back in the garden everything would have been different.  I certainly have no reason to doubt them.  In  all probability, they would have pushed Adam aside to reach the forbidden fruit before he did!  You see, God saw the entire human race in Adam, as only He could do.  So when Adam stretched forth his hand
to partake of the forbidden fruit, each of us were reaching for it as  well -- we are his posterity, thus we share in his guilt.  God could have condemned the whole human race to the Lake of Fire and have been perfectly justified in so doing.  Thankfully, we did not receive what we justly deserved, for "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy" (Psa. 103:.

HOW GOD COMFORTS US

"Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God" (II Cor. 1:4).

Here, of course, the Apostle refers to believers.  Our heavenly Father knows that we are frail creatures of dust, overwhelmed with sorrow, sickness and even death; not to mention the spiritual upheavals that come our way.  Always sympathetic to our plight, He walks with us every step of life's journey comforting us in all our tribulations.  The tribulation cited here by the Apostle Paul is not a reference to the Tribulation Period known as The Time of Jacob's Trouble.  Paul is speaking of the personal tribulations he had encountered due to spiritual conflicts and poor health.  Personal trials come in all forms: criticism, rejection, financial setbacks, sickness, bereavement, etc.

When sorrow overwhelms us like an ocean tide the Lord in His goodness is always present to comfort us in our time of need.  But exactly how does God comfort us in the dispensation of Grace?  We know for instance that the heavens are silent and that neither the Lord nor any of His angelic host visibly appear to minister to the saints today. During the administration of Grace the Lord, first of all, comforts us through His Word.

For example, some years ago death took my great-grandmother.  She always held a very special place in my heart and even to this day I get choked up sometimes when I think of her.  My sense of loss would be difficult to bear except for the consolation I have received from the Word of God.  The Lord has shown me that I need not sorrow as
others who have no hope.  Some day soon the trump will sound and the dead in Christ will be raised.  Then we will be caught up together with all those departed loved ones who were saved, and so shall we ever be with the Lord!  Little wonder Paul says, Wherefore comfort one another with these words."

Another way the Lord comforts us is by bringing someone into our lives at just the right moment to encourage us in those times of despair.  Surely we have a precedent for this in the life of Paul himself.  The intensity of the spiritual warfare at Ephesus and Macedonia had taken its toll on the Apostle, both physically and spiritually.  "Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus" (II Cor. 7:5-7).  The arrival of Titus was a direct result of Divine intervention to not only encourage Paul, but also that he might lend assistance in the work.

Finally, God does not comfort us to make us comfortable, but rather that we might comfort others.  It has been given to us to carry on a
ministry of encouragement to those who are in any trouble.  Think of it, having already been the recipients of God's consolation, He uses us to put our arm around that dear Christian friend who is perhaps facing his first surgery and tell him, "we too had this same surgery a few years ago and the Lord saw us through it."  With hope we can face
any thing.  That's why God has revealed to us the Blessed Hope that one day soon we shall be with Him.  Truly He is the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort.  AMEN!

By Paul M. Sadler
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Eph 3:9  And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

Daily Inspirational

WEB SITE
Grace And The Truth
www.graceandthetruth.com

E-Mail GracentheTruth@aol.com

2 Tim 2:15  Study to show thyself approved unto God, a  workman  that needeth  not  to  be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

It was a joke, about how the anti-Catholics lose an arguement, but the save face, they tell us they can't waste there time on us, and we just don't get what they are a saying.

Your killing me Tibby

ROFLOL

THE END OF THE WORLD

By Cornelius R. Stam

There has been a great deal of discussion lately about
some Hindu astrologers who have predicted that this world
will come to an end this February. The fact is that some
sincere Christians fear that these prophets might be right,
since our Lord did speak several times about the coming
"end of the world."

These Hindu astrologers, however, are wrong. This Feb-
ruary will not see the end of the world, for according to the
Bible the world, or earth, will never come to an end. The
word "world," which our Lord uses in this connection, does
not refer to the earth, or even the people on it. It is the old
Greek word aion, or age. Several ages in God’s program
have already come to an end, and others will, but no matter
what destructive weapons man may devise, the earth will
never be destroyed. In Isaiah 45:18 we read:

"For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens: God Himself that formed the earth and made it; He hath established it; He created it not in vain; He formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord, and there is none else."

But doesn’t Rev. 21:1 predict "a new heaven and a new
earth"? Yes, but the context clearly indicates that this re-
fers to the future renewing of the present heaven and earth,
not the creating of different ones. Verse 5 says: "He that
sat upon the throne: said, Behold I make all things new."
Note: He didn’t say "I make all new things," but "I make all
things new." There is a difference.

We should not be concerned about the end of the world,
but rather about the end of this present age in which we
live under "the dispensation of the grace of God," for God
has never promised how long this will last. Every hour He
delays the return of Christ to recall His ambassadors, is an
hour of wonderful grace, in which men may be saved by
grace, through faith in Christ who died for our sins. This is
why Paul urges us:

"We then, as workers together with [Christ], beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.... Behold, NOW is the accepted time; Behold, NOW is the day of salvation" (II Cor. 6:1,2).
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Two Minutes With The Bible By Pastor Stam

Mailing Address:
Berean Bible Society
N112 W17761 Mequon Road
P.O. Box 756
Germantown, WI 53022

Web Site:
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Gospel Books, Materials, & Free Mailings

Email: berean@execpc.com

THE SAVIOUR SUPPLIES



“But my God shall supply all need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”  (Phil. 4:19)


            There is no doubt that God knows everything.  This is hard for us to understand when we know so little. We think that God must attend to such large matters that pertain to this vast universe that He couldn’t be too concerned with our everyday needs.  The beautiful passage of Scripture in Matthew 6:25-34 shows the Lord’s deep concern and compassion for even the smallest detail of life.  He uses as examples, birds, flowers, and even the grass of the field.  Three times in these ten verses, He said, “be not anxious” and in another He asks the question, “Why are ye anxious?”  Why should we be anxious when He knows our needs?      

    When we see that God can provide our needs without our help, if He desires, it should make us thankful, trustful, and grateful.  Some have shown that the “toil not” and “spin not” of verse 28 could refer to the work of men and women, however, we could see that God can perform in anyone’s life that will trust Him.  Also, it must be seen that He knows our needs before they occur and before we know them!  God not only knows the future of Israel, the future of the nations, the future of the Body of Christ (the Church), the future of the devil, and the future of the heavens and the earth, He also knows the immediate need of every individual!        

   In order to let us know just how much He loves us, God send His only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to this earth to live for us, die for us, and ascend to heaven for us.  It is wonderful to see that He showed Himself in the most common places—a stable, a wedding feast, the marketplace, the home, and in other places that were of common interest to people.  Today, though not here on earth in person, the Lord is with us in our work, our places of business, school, the home, the supermarket, and other places of interest to people.  He is with us in Church and Sunday School, but not there only.      

       Being with us in common places, He ministers to our common needs.  He considers the “outward man” and provides clothing for warmth and protection.  Everything we wear, including man-made materials, came originally from God’s provision in nature.  He knows that the stomach needs food.  Think of the vast amount of foodstuff there is in this earth!  The problem of hungry people is not in God providing, but in man’s distribution and misuse.  Above all, God provides for the “inward man” the spiritual food so necessary.  His wonderful Word is sufficient to provide for everything the believer needs!        

    The Lord Jesus, having been “tempted (tested) in all points like as we are, yet without sin,” can be with us in our common disappointments.  Hebrews 2:18 says,      
      “For in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succour them that are tempted.”      

      The familiar account in John 21 of Peter and the disciples going fishing provides a remarkable example of the Lord’s interest in everyday affairs  Peter said, “I go a fishing.”  The others said,  “We also go with thee.”  The Bible tells us “that night they caught nothing.” What a common occurrence, but what a common disappointment.      

      Was the resurrected Christ interested?  Definitely and positively.  We are told that, “when the morning came, Jesus stood on the shore.”  He was interested and He was there.  He also understood that their common disappointment and satisfied their common need.  When they came to land they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread.  Also, He said, “bring of the fish that ye caught.”  The net was full of 153 great fish and was not broken!      

      In conclusion, one more thing should be considered.  Why does God often provide more than we need?  We probably will never know the full answer here on earth, but some things are evident.  First of all, it is to show His great love for us.  It is an abundant love.  God loves us beyond our utmost comprehension.  That love cannot be measured. Paul prayed in Ephesians 3:17-19 that all saints may be able “to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge.”        

     Second, God wants us to share what we have with others.  Someone has aptly said, “If you want to be good to yourself, try being good to others.”  Not only should we have a good disposition to others, but there should be a good distribution to others.      

      Thirdly, God gives us abundantly to meet the needs of the future.  The parable of the Good Samaritan teaches us that the needs of the fallen man were taken care of for the morrow as well as his immediate need of medical attention.  When Jesus fed the five thousand with the five loaves and two fishes, we are told that “they did eat, and were all filled; and there was taken up of fragments that remained, twelve baskets”  (Luke 9:17).    

        Many today are disappointed when they cannot find salvation, rest, and peace for their troubled souls.  Some try to work for their own redemption, some turn to religion and join churches, some turn to worldly pleasure, drugs, including drinking, and some give up completely in total despair, despondency, and disappointment.        

      Can God meet this need?  Definitely and positively.  That’s precisely why Christ came to earth, died on the cross, and came forth from the grave.  He did all this in order for all humanity to be saved—for you to be saved!  “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.”

by Charles Wages
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Eph 3:9  And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

Daily Inspirational

WEB SITE
Grace And The Truth
www.graceandthetruth.com

E-Mail GracentheTruth@aol.com

2 Tim 2:15  Study to show thyself approved unto God, a  workman  that needeth  not  to  be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

There are about seven principle signs that identify a cult. Now when one hears the word "cult," the first connotation is that of some strange obscure religious group. But for our discussion the word cult is simply a word that describes organized heresy. In other words, any religious group that systematically teaches false doctrine. Knowing some of these signs is key to preventing people from following these cults.

The sign we will focus on here is the teaching of exclusivity. Cults will declare that they are the only way to heaven. Apart from them there is no salvation. They alone are the repositories of truth and all must join them to be saved. Here one might say, "yea, like the Jehovah’s Witnesses or the Mormons." But to infer, let alone say, that Catholicism is in this class, is to be condemned as a hate monger or Catholic basher.

To demonstrate that Roman Catholicism bears the mark of a cult is quite easy indeed. If we were left to our opinions and personal interpretations, it might be difficult, but Rome has supplied a mass (no pun intended) of evidence to use. For example:

1) "WE BELIEVE THE CHURCH IS NECESSARY FOR SALVATION BECAUSE CHRIST, WHO IS THE SOLE MEDIATOR AND EXCLUSIVE WAY OF SALVATION, RENDERS HIMSELF PRESENT FOR US IN HIS BODY WHICH IS THE CHURCH. WE MUST ALWAYS REMEMBER THE UNITY OF THE MYSTICAL BODY, WITHOUT WHICH THERE CAN BE NO SALVATION, IS OPEN TO NO ONE OUTSIDE THE CATHOLIC CHURCH."
Pope Paul VI

2) "THE HOLY UNIVERSAL CHURCH PROCLAIMS THAT GOD CANNOT TRULY BE WORSHIPPED SAVE WITHIN HERSELF, AND ASSERTS THAT ALL THEY WHO ARE WITHOUT HER PALE SHALL NEVER BE SAVED."
Pope Gregory the Great (Now how is that for ecumenism!)

3) "THE CHURCH IS LIKE THE ARK OF NOAH, OUTSIDE OF WHICH NOBODY CAN BE SAVED."
Thomas Aquinas.

4) "THAT THERE IS ONE HOLY CATHOLIC AND APOSTOLIC CHURCH WE ARE COMPELLED TO BELIEVE AND TO HOLD, PROMPTED BY DIVINE FAITH, AND WE DO BELIEVE THIS FIRMLY AND CONFESS IT SIMPLY, OUTSIDE OF WHICH THERE CAN BE NO SALVATION, OR REMISSION OF SINS…."
Pope Boniface VIII

5) "IT IS A SIN TO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS SALVATION OUTSIDE THE CATHOLIC CHURCH."
Pope Pius IX

6) "FOR IT IS THROUGH CHRIST’S CATHOLIC CHURCH ALONE, WHICH IS THE UNIVERSAL HELP TOWARDS SALVATION, THAT THE FULNESS OF THE MEANS OF SALVATION CAN BE OBTAINED."  
Vatican II

Now we have just cited six infallible sources of the Catholic Church to prove without reservations that they believe that they are the only way to heaven. Understand that they are saying that only Roman Catholics have a chance at going to heaven. This is classic cult mentality. The organization becomes the focus and the savior. Allow us to clearly illustrate this fact. In a recent debate with a Jesuit theologian, we were able to ask a very simple yet extremely important question. The question was "what do we have to do to go to heaven?" The answer that followed was very revealing. It clearly proved that Roman Catholicism teaches that every Baptist is going to hell, in addition to every Presbyterian, Methodist, etc. The Jesuit theologian said to go to heaven we must "do" several things. Firstly, believe the entire Bible. (Sounds like a fundamentalist.) Secondly, we must be baptized in water. Thirdly, we must keep the commandments. Fourthly, we must eat His flesh and drink His blood literally (in the sacrament of the mass). He mentioned a couple of others, but these four should suffice.

The Scripture clearly reveals to one and all that salvation comes from believing in the Lord Jesus Christ alone. (Cf. Acts 16:30-31; Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5) The entire book of Galatians was written to demonstrate the futility of believing that the Law justifies or saves anyone. But the "eating" and "drinking" the literal flesh and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ says it all. For according to Roman Catholic theology, this can only be done after a "priest"—and only a priest—says the words of consecration over the bread and wine. Hence, no Catholic Church, no priest. No priest, no Mass or transubstantiation. No transubstantiation, no eating His flesh or drinking His blood. No eating and drinking of Jesus literally, NO SALVATION!

We commend to your reading Hebrews 7, 8, 9 and 10. The mysticism is clearly not biblical and certainly not necessary for anyone to be saved. Their insistence on such heresies places them at the top of the list of religious cults. That statement may seem a bit harsh, but it is nonetheless true. Catholicism does not differ from any of the cults where our first sign is concerned. A closer look at the other signs of a cult further confirm the fact that Catholicism, while large in number, humanitarian in practice, is still unbiblical and perhaps the mother of all "Christian" cults.

What about the false teachings of RCism that is posted on Christian Unite?
RCism is as bad as JW's, Mormonism and Armstrongism.

DITTO

That Precious Deposit

Scripture Reading:
"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us."
-- II Corinthians 4:7

The story is told of how a wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art.  They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael.  They would often sit together and admire the great works of art.  When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war.  He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing
another soldier.  The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.  About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door.  A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands.  He said, "Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier
for whom your son gave his life.  He saved many lives that day, and he  was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly.  He often talked about you, and your love for art."

The young man held out his package.  "I know this isn't very much, I'm not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this."  The father opened the package.  It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man.  He stared in awe at the way the
soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting.  The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears.  He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture.  "Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It's a gift."  The father hung the portrait over his mantle.  Every
time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the great works of art he had collected.

The man died a few months later.  Shortly thereafter, there was to be a great auction of his paintings.  Many influential people gathered,  excited over seeing the great paintings and having the opportunity to purchase one for their collection.  On the platform sat the painting
of the son.  The auctioneer pounded his gavel.  "We will start the bidding with this picture of the son.  Who will bid for this picture?" There was silence.  Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, "We want to see the famous paintings.  Skip this one."  But the auctioneer persisted.  "Will someone bid for this painting?  Who will start the
bidding? $100, $200?"  Another voice shouted angrily.  "We didn't come to see this painting.  We came to see the Van Goghs, the Rembrandts.  Get on with the real bids!"  But still the auctioneer continued.  "The son!  The son!  Who'll take the son?"

Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room.  It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son.  "I'll give $10 for the painting."  Being a poor man, it was all he could afford.  "We have $10, who will bid $20?"  "Give it to him for $10.  Let's see the masters."  The crowd was becoming angry.  They didn't want the picture of the son.  They wanted the more worthy investments for their
collections.  The auctioneer pounded the gavel.  "Going once, going  twice, SOLD for $10!"  A man sitting on the second row shouted, "Now let's get on with the collection."

The auctioneer laid down his gavel.  "I'm sorry, the auction is over."   "What about the paintings?"  "I am sorry.  When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time.  Only the painting of the son would be auctioned.  Whoever bought that
painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings.  The man who took the son gets every thing!"

God gave His Son 2000 years ago to die on a cruel Cross.  Much like the auctioneer, His message today is, "The Son, the Son, who'll take the Son?"  Because, you see, whoever takes the Son inherits everything!

EARTHEN VESSELS

In biblical times earthen vessels were clay pots that had been thoroughly baked in an oven.  They were fraught with imperfections, which meant that no two were exactly alike.  Archeologists have discovered that those who lived during that period secretly buried their treasures in clay pots for safekeeping.  As we shall see, the master illustrator uses this facet of everyday life to illustrate a grand spiritual truth.

Those who have taken the Son are heirs, joint-heirs with Him.  As members of the Body of Christ, we are partakers of His glory, His  power, and His reign.  In short, we are the recipients of the wealth of heaven!  While the believing Gentiles will partake of the blessings of the kingdom, they were never promised to be heirs.  In the kingdom, heirship is a question of nationality.  In the present dispensation of Grace, heirship is based upon relationship.  We are one in Him.  Therefore, we have come into possession of what rightfully belongs to Him, and will share it mutually with Him for eternity (Rom. 8:17 cf. Eph. 3:6).

Today when men want to safeguard their riches they place them in vaults made of steel and concrete.  But God's ways are not man's ways. God has deposited the riches of His grace in earthen vessels.  We need not wait until we arrive in heaven to learn what we presently possess in Christ.  We have this treasure, that is, the gospel of the grace of God in earthen vessels.  Those who have been saved by grace are blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies.  But what we
positionally enjoy in Christ must become a practical reality in the Christian experience if we ever hope to maintain a godly testimony among men.  For example, we are forgiven in Christ, but grace teaches us that we are to forgive others even as Christ has forgiven us.

But why would God place these unspeakable riches in such an unsecure place?  We are unworthy sinners, weak and frail, who have the sentence of death within us.  Perhaps the hymn-writer, Robert Robinson, has expressed it best, "Prone to wander, Lord I feel it,  prone to leave the God I love."  The answer to the question is found in the latter part of our passage.  "That the excellency [exceeding greatness] of the power may be of God, and not of us."  While others usually think more highly of us than they should, essentially it is the power of God working through us that produces results in the
Lord's work.

Many years ago I was invited to minister the gospel at a Bible camp in the Rocky Mountains.  On the last evening, I spoke on "The Danger of Falling Into the Hands of An Angry God."  Earlier that day I hadn't been feeling well, due to altitude sickness.  In addition to being exhausted that night, I was short of breath.  At ten thousand feet it
doesn't take much to get winded.  I now understand why it took Moses so long to return from Mount Sinai with the tablets of stone.  He undoubtedly had to keep stopping on his way down to catch his breath!  As I arose to speak that evening I thought to myself, this is going to be an absolute disaster.  It was, or at least I thought it was, until
I learned two months later that an entire family was saved that night. Brethren, the gospel is the "power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth" (Rom 1:16).
 
By Paul M. Sadler,
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Should this devotional be a blessing to you, maybe you have a friend or family member that would like to start receiving the daily word. You may forward this to them, by copy and paste method,  and they can use the below link to subscribe. We love to meet new people.

Eph 3:9  And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

Daily Inspirational

WEB SITE
Grace And The Truth
www.graceandthetruth.com

E-Mail GracentheTruth@aol.com

2 Tim 2:15  Study to show thyself approved unto God, a  workman  that needeth  not  to  be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

SOBER CHRISTIANS

By Cornelius R. Stam

"Let us, who are of the day, be sober..." (I Thes. 5:.

Many people entertain the erroneous idea that truly spir-
itual Christians must always be solemn and long-faced. In
fact, they suppose that such Scripture passages as the above
teach this.

Nothing could be farther from the truth, for the word
"sober," in our English New Testament does not mean
solemn, but completely under control. This is also true of
the original Greek word from which the English word
"sober" is translated.

Sobriety in Scripture, as in modern English, is the op-
posite of drunkenness. This is brought out in the rest of the
passage cited above. Along with its context, the above ex-
hortation reads as follows:

"For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken be drunken in the night.

"But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for an helmet the hope of salvation.

"For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

"Who died for us that... we should live together with Him" (I Thes.5:7-10).

Thus those who are "of the day," and know Christ as
their Savior, should not "sleep" on the one hand, or "be
drunken" on the other, but should be awake and alert, their
faculties completely under control, so that they might wit-
ness the more effectively to the saving grace of Christ.

If ever there was a time when true Christians should
"watch and be sober," it is now.
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Two Minutes With The Bible By Pastor Stam

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GOD’S ETERNAL PURPOSE





Have you ever considered carefully the opening words of the Bible? "In the beginning God created the heaven and the
earth." Why doesn’t it simply say that God created the universe? Why the heaven and the earth?

As we go on reading we find the answer to this question, for the Bible clearly teaches that God has a twofold purpose; one having to do with the earth and the other with
heaven. The former is the subject of prophecy, while the latter is the subject of "the mystery," or secret, revealed to and through St. Paul. (See Acts 3:21; and cf. Rom. 16:25). The former concerns Israel and the nations, the latter "the Body of Christ," the Church of the heavenly calling.

Some people are surprised to learn that there is not one promise in the whole Old    Testament about going to heaven. There the whole outlook is earthly, with Messiah reigning as King (Jer. 23:5, et al). When our Lord appeared in the flesh the angels proclaimed "peace on earth" (Luke 2:14).
He Himself said that "the meek" should "inherit the earth" (Matt. 5:5). He taught His disciples to pray: "Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven" (Matt. 6:10). Even at Pen-
tecost Peter declared that after "the restitution of all things" God would send Jesus back to earth and the times of refreshing would "come from the presence of the Lord" (Acts 3:19-21).

Not until the raising up of Paul do we learn that now all believers in Christ are "baptized into one body" (1 Cor. 12:13), and Col. 1:5 and many other Pauline passages speak
of "the hope which is laid up for you in heaven." Indeed, before God believers are already given a position "in heavenly places" and are "blessed with all spiritual blessings
in heavenly places in Christ" (Eph. 1:3; 2:4-7).

The prophecies regarding the kingdom, however, will still be fulfilled and Christ will reign on earth and bring the promised "times of refreshing." Thank God, this world will
not forever be a place of war and bloodshed, sickness and death, misery and woe. Indeed, at that time, heaven and earth will be opened to each other, and thus will be fulfilled God’s twofold purpose: "That in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him" (Eph. 1:10).

By C. R. Stam
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Eph 3:9  And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

Daily Inspirational

WEB SITE
Grace And The Truth
www.graceandthetruth.com

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2 Tim 2:15  Study to show thyself approved unto God, a  workman  that needeth  not  to  be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

THE ACCEPTED TIME

By Cornelius R. Stam

The city of Chicago recently witnessed one of the most
daring robberies in its history.

Right in the heart of the Loop, on busy State Street,
while all the stores were open for business, two masked
robbers entered Lebolt’s Jewelry Store. One of them did not
even carry a weapon, but the other had a revolver in each
hand, so while he kept the two customers and eight em-
ployees under control, the other went to the window and
scooped up more than $250,000.00 worth of diamonds and
jewelry. And all this with an audience looking in at the
window. Nobody wanted to get involved.

Roy Lloyd, Lebolt’s "diamond man," said: "It was like a
weird dream. Here I was watching the man shovel dia-
monds into his bag, and at the same time I could see people
out on State Street, watching him do it."

This sort of thing seems almost unbelievable, but ac-
tually it is not, in the light of our times, for this is no iso-
lated incident. Never has morality been at so low an ebb
among nations and individuals -- and never has the crime
rate been so high. This should cause thinking people to
recall what the Bible says about the closing days of the age
of grace in which we live.

II  Tim. 3:1-5: "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

"For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

"Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

"Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

"Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof..."

Doesn’t this sound very much like the times in which we
live? And should it not cause us to consider whether "the
dispensation of the grace of God" might not be drawing to a
close? At this moment God is still sending forth His ambas-
sadors to proclaim salvation by grace, through faith in
Christ who died for our sins, but more than ever we should
heed the exhortation of St. Paul: "Receive not the grace of
God in vain.... Behold, NOW is the accepted time; behold,
NOW is the day of salvation" (II Cor. 6:1,2).
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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OUR ONLY BOAST


"God forbid that I should boast, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ..." (Gal. 6:14).

St. Paul was once a proud Pharisee, smug in his self-righteousness. In Phil. 3:5,6 he lists some of the things in which he took great pride:

"Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless."

But everything was changed since that day when the Lord appeared to him on the road to Damascus. Suddenly he had seen himself a lost, condemned sinner in the sight of a holy God and had tasted the matchless grace that could reach down from heaven and save even him. He knew now that he could not stand before God in himself, or "on his own two feet," as we say. His only safety, before the bar of God, was to take refuge in Christ, as he says in Verse 9:

"And be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. "

Now he knew, as we all should know, that he really had nothing to boast of as far as his own standing before God was concerned. For the rest of his life, however, he did con-
stantly boast of one thing: the cross, where the Christ whom he had so bitterly persecut-ed had died for his sins that he (Paul) might be justified before God. All else of which Paul boasted was embraced in the cross of Christ.
This too, is really the only thing we have to boast of and the most godly saint will enthusiastically join Paul in saying:

"But God forbid that I should boast, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world."

By C. R. Stam
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Should this devotional be a blessing to you, maybe you have a friend or family member that would like to start receiving the daily word. You may forward this to them, by copy and paste method,  and they can use the below link to subscribe. We love to meet new people.

Eph 3:9  And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

Daily Inspirational

WEB SITE
Grace And The Truth
www.graceandthetruth.com

E-Mail GracentheTruth@aol.com

2 Tim 2:15  Study to show thyself approved unto God, a  workman  that needeth  not  to  be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.  

It is said that 86% of Americans believe in God. Therefore I have a very hard time understanding why there is such a mess about having "In God We Trust" on our money and having God in the Pledge of Allegiance Why don't we just tell the 14% to Sit Down and SHUT UP!!!

Yo mama's so fat...

Yo mama's so fat, when she stepped on a scale, it said "To be continued  

From: http://www.ephesians3-9.com/view/?pageID=133525
   
What Happens To Those Who Are LEFT BEHIND? Part 2


But then Left Behind goes into potentially grievous error. As the rest of the passage teaches, those who had heard and understood the Gospel of the grace of God before the Rapture, but rejected it (as Barnes had), would not be merely "left behind" for their unbelief. Rather, God will also send them "strong delusion" so that they will obey Antichrist, which will eliminate any second chance at salvation:

"And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, 'If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name' " (Revelation 14:9-11).

Thus it appears that professing Christians (outwardly religious folks who knowingly rejected the Gospel prior to the Rapture) not only cannot be saved after the Rapture, but will be caused by God to keep believing lies; this will invariably lead them to obey Antichrist and take his unforgivable mark upon themselves. At what point God sends this "strong delusion" the passage does not state. But given that Gospel rejectors will receive it, it is doubtful that Barnes would be the humble, repentant, newly-saved sinner Left Behind makes him out to be.

So to answer our questions:

1) Who does the Bible say will be left behind at the Rapture of the Church?

All the unsaved; i.e., those who never trusted Christ, and so were never members of His Body, the one true Church.

2) Does the Bible give hope of salvation to those left behind at the Rapture?


It would have to depend on what they had heard of Christ. If they'd never heard of Him, then surely God in His grace will see to it that they hear of Him during the Tribulation. If they had understood the Gospel but rejected it, then Paul's answer seems to be a definite "no," especially in light of the delusion sent them by God as judgment for their unbelief.

It should be pointed out, however, that there is an alternative view which bears consideration. Pastor Paul Sadler, president of the Berean Bible Society, has written a book entitled The Triumph of His Grace: Preparing Ourselves for the Rapture. Pastor Sadler observes,

"Some understand from Paul's words in II Thessalonians 2:8-12 that those who reject the grace of God in this dispensation will not be given a second chance in the coming Day of the Lord" (p. 104).

He believes that this view is without merit:

"As we pass from the dispensation of Grace to the dispensation of Divine Government, the change is going to be abrupt. There will not be a transition period at the close of this dispensation as there was at the beginning of it. When the last member is placed into the Body of Christ and the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, the gospel fo the grace of God will be proclaimed no longer. Following our homegoing, God will reinstate the kingdom gospel at the dawn of the tribulation:

'And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come' (Matt. 24:14).

"In this context, then, the truth that men refuse to receive that they might be saved is not the gospel of grace, rather it is the kingdom gospel. It is our firm conviction that those who are left behind after our departure will be given another chance to be saved in the age to come. This is in keeping with the very nature of God who is rich in mercy and '...not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance' (II Peter 3:9). In all probability, the majority of those who fail to receive Christ under grace will continue in unbelief. Nevertheless, the door of salvation will remain open, although it will be much more difficult for a Gentile to be saved since the terms of the kingdom gospel are far more involved" (p. 111-112).

Pastor Sadler is correct that the deciding factor on which of these two views is the correct one depends on the dispensational context of Paul's warning; i.e., to which Gospel message was Paul referring? Was he saying that those who refuse today's Gospel of the grace of God (thus missing the Rapture) will go into the Tribulation unsaved and unsavable? Or was Paul referring to people yet future to us, who during the Tribulation period will refuse the salvation message of that day, the Gospel of the Kingdom, and will be compelled to accept Antichrist?

I still lean toward the more traditional interpretation of this passage, but must agree with a statement made by David Reagan of Lamb and Lion Ministries, in a review of Left Behind:

"This passage [2 Thess. 2] seems to teach that people who have rejected the truth before the Rapture will continue to do so. Because of this passage, I cannot say with absolute confidence that those who have rejected the Gospel before the Rapture will have the possibility of accepting it afterwards. I hope Tim LaHaye is right, but I would not want to give such people any false hope" (The Lamplighter, Jan-Feb 2001).

I, too, sincerely hope Tim LaHaye and Paul Sadler are correct. But like Reagan, I would not want to give false hope to those who today hear and understand the Gospel they read in Left Behind or elsewhere, but put off believing it "until later."

I can remember a time in my pre-Christian life when, in exchange for my grossly sinful lifestyle, I gladly put off even thinking about salvation because I was confident I'd have plenty of chances to take care of it "later."

I can recall thinking thoughts along the lines of, "I know some hard-core Christians...I'll wait to see if this Rapture thing happens; if it does, THEN I'll get right with God! And if it doesn't happen, I'll just keep on keeping on."

To this day I distinctly recall occassions when I was unexpectedly exposed to the Gospel, only to deliberately and immediately force it from my mind.

I don't know about you, fellow Christian, but I can still remember what NOT wanting to hear ANYTHING about Christ felt like! Believe me: I DID think these thoughts, and this was years before Left Behind was written. But by the grace of God I did not die before "later" came!

And that is the reason I believe Tim LaHaye's teachings on this facet of the Rapture are - potentially - eternally tragic. Again, I do hope that those who hear and understand the Gospel of grace, but miss the Rapture due to unbelief, will have a second chance to be saved during the Tribulation. But to imply, as Left Behind does, that unbelievers can bet their eternal destiny on the hope of "salvation later" when it is not 100% clear that Scripture supports it -- and even though they could still miss the Rapture by dying before it comes! -- is not a position in which I would feel comfortable placing myself.

http://www.ephesians3-9.com/view/?pageID=133525

I Loved both parts of What Happens To Those Who Are LEFT BEHIND? GRRRRREAT Teaching, AAAAAAAAAAAMEN