GRACE AND THE TRUTH - DAILY INSPIRATION

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THE GRACE OF GOD
Part 2 of 3
By Jack Trumm


In the future God will restore favored nation status to Israel, and establish a new covenant with them. "For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins." (Romans 11:27) "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, because they continued not in my covenant and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people. And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away." (Hebrews 8:8-13)

This future concerning Israel has not yet come, so this leaves a question: What has God done meantime? (between setting them aside and the future covenant He will establish with them?) God has ushered in a new program. This He had in mind from eternity past but kept it secret since the world began until He revealed it through Paul the apostle. What was this program called? It has several titles:

1. It was called the MYSTERY. "Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began" (Romans 16:25)

2. It was called the GOSPEL OF THE UNCIRCUMCISION. "But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter" (Gal. 2:7)

3. It was called the DISPENSATION OF THE GRACE OF GOD. "If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery" (Ephesians 3:2,3)

This is where we are today. So let us ask ourselves: "What is God's message for us today? What was kept secret until Jesus revealed it to Paul (the apostle to the Gentiles)? To answer this completely we would have to say it is that entire body of truth contained in Paul's writings and his messages as recorded by Luke in the Book of Acts. But to put it into a nutshell as they say, Paul called it "Christ and Him crucified" (I Corinthians 2:2) or in words we might use "Jesus Christ and what He accomplished for us in the death of the cross and in His resurrection". Read it for yourself as Paul writes "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures." (I Corinthians 15:1-4) And in another nutshell" summary he writes, "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son. Much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." (Romans 5: 6-10)

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THE GRACE OF GOD
Part 3 of 3
By Jack Trumm


Let us ask ourselves: Where and when did this age and dispensation begin and how does it work? It began with the conversion of Saul (or Paul). Where did this take place? When he was on his way to Damascus. (See Acts 9:1-16) Here was a man that was not seeking the favor (or grace) of God, but rather was out to persecute those who were. But while on his way, our Lord Jesus Christ stopped him, and in unprecedented grace showed him mercy and saved him. This is why to the Ephesians Paul wrote: "For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2: 8-9)

The word grace in verse eight means: DIVINE INFLUENCE UPON THE HEART. This is what God is doing today during this age of grace, seeking us out one by one, seeking to influence our hearts with good news of what He has accomplished in the cross (and if we believe this message) resulting in salvation. "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise " (Ephesians 1:13) This is how God's grace works today.

Now let's ask ourselves: "What does this word grace Not mean in this present age and dispensation?" Paul wrote, "even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work." (Romans 11:5-6) He writes, "Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:9). Again, "Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh NOT, but believeth on him that justified the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. " (Romans 4:4-5) Then to the Galatians, Paul explains even further saying "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified" (Galatians 2:16)

Paul is trying to tell us that if we think we can get to heaven by our own works, or by our own self-righteousness, we will come short of the glory of God. This he explains in Romans Chapter three, "there is none righteous, no, not one" "They have all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not ONE." "For ALL have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:10, 12,23)

Paul, the apostle of the Gentiles, many times reminds us that his writings are the words of Christ Himself. (See I Timothy 6: 2-5, I Corinthians 14:38, II Timothy 3:16) Here in Romans Chapter three, how could he make it clearer that it is not by our righteousness, but by His righteousness, His grace, His work in the cross that we are saved? He says, "Being Justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (verse 24).

I would ask anyone who is reading this article; Who's righteousness are you trusting in? I encourage you to study the scripture to see if what is written here is true and especially Ephesians 2: 8, 9 where Paul proclaims, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. "

This now brings up the last question. Who receives this grace and by what means is it received? God is showing unprecedented grace to everyone today. He makes the same offer to all to be reconciled to Him, showing no difference, with the same result upon believing. "For there is no difference between- Jew and the- Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that  call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:12-13) There will not be one of us that will be able to stand before God and say "I never received God's grace". For He wants" all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." (I Timothy 2: 4) This is why Paul begged his readers "that ye receive not the grace of God in vain" (II Corinthians 6:1), asking them to believe while this favor (or grace) is still being offered.

So in conclusion, accept the grace of God and as a result of it, believe that what Christ has done on the cross of Calvary was for you, and have the assurance of eternal life.

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~PREVIOUSLY PREPARED~
By M. Stanford


"Let the same disposition be in you which was in Christ Jesus." "Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves like-wise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh is at rest from sin" (Phil. 2:5, Wey; I Pet. 4:1m).

Too late! too late! if we seek to deal with sin by reckoning at the moment it becomes an issue. Our stand and attitude from the beginning of each day is to be a settled matter as we rest in our risen Lord Jesus: the death of the Cross separates me from the enslavement of sin and self, and I continually abide in my new life, Christ Jesus. My life is "hid with Christ in God" (Col. 3:3).

"The reckoning believer is to meet every proposal of self-gratification armed with the mind to suffer in the flesh. Sin is the gratification of self, but 'he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from the domination of sin.'

"If you allow yourself to entertain a suggestion of self-gratification --- if you consider it, and give it a place in your mind --- you are defeated. You have laid aside your armor, and will fall an easy prey to the foe. But there will be no response to the suggestion or temptation if you stand armed with the mind to suffer in the flesh. That which is proposed to you is exactly opposite to what you are set for. It is suggested that you should be pleased and gratified in the very thing in which you are fully minded to suffer. You are now in conflict with sin --- not going along with it; you suffer in the flesh, and have ceased from the practice of sin." - C.A.C.

"So that he can no longer spend the rest of his natural life living by [his] human appetites and desires, but [he lives] for what God wills" (1 Pet. 4:2, Amp.).

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BURIED WITH HIM IN BAPTISM
by Russell S. Miller



The Apostle Paul not only preached the death of Christ but he also declared what was accomplished in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This no other writer Old Testament or New, had ever done before!

“Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:3,4).

In Romans 6 Paul teaches us that when we got saved God took us back to Calvary, and made us one with the Lord Jesus Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. Our old Adamic nature, “that old man” that we are all so ashamed of, was crucified with Christ: “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin” (Rom. 6:6). Thus “sin [is] not to reign” in our “mortal body” (6:12). And what’s more, we have also “become dead to the law by the body of Christ” (Rom. 7:4,6).

“Having abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in Himself of twain one new man, so making peace” (Eph. 2:15).

But not only are we made one with Jesus Christ in His death, and set gloriously free, there is another very important reason for Christ’s burial, which again is only revealed in Paul’s epistles.

That Adamic nature has been buried in Joseph’s tomb with Christ. Yes, our sins, and that sin nature, has been put away forever out of God’s sight, and we are free (Lev.16:1-34; Heb.13:10-14)! Just as Jesus Christ was actually buried, so we have been buried with Him. “Therefore,” says the Apostle, “we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4). Yes, this is true, it has really taken place. And because you can’t reform that old sin nature, nor justify it, Paul here declares that the old Adamic sin nature must be buried, and we must reckon it to be so daily:

“Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 6:11).

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Recognizing The Sacred Nature Of Your Profession
by Steve McVey


"I'm thinking of entering professional ministry," a young man said to me. "What do you want to do?" I asked him. ''I'm not sure," he replied, "but I want to do something in ministry full-time. I want God to use my life and don't see much opportunity for that in my work."

I didn't get into a lengthy discussion with him since his remark was casually made in passing. It did remind me again, though, of the deception that so many Christians have fallen for in regard to their work. Like this young man, they think that the routine work on their job isn't that spiritual, compared to those who are pastors, missionaries, etc.

This common viewpoint is a ploy of the enemy to dilute the effect of Christ expressing His life through the lives of believers. The truth is that your profession, no matter what it may be, it is holy. Whether you are a teacher, a doctor, a clerk, a salesman - it makes no difference. Your work is holy because of who you are.

The word holy means "set apart." One of the greatest deceptions that has ever slipped into the minds of Christians is the idea that there is a difference between secular and sacred. Everything is sacred to the believer. The word "sacred" comes from the Latin, sacrum, which denotes something which is uncommon because of its intimate association with the Divine.

Christians are those who have become one with God through Jesus Christ. Everything in our lives is intimately associated with Him through our relationship to Him, thus making it sacred. Because Christ lives through you, all that you do becomes sanctified (made holy) because He is the One doing the work through you. Nothing is secular (common) to you because you are uncommon yourself.

The ground where Moses stood beside the burning bush was holy ground because God was there. The utensils used in the temple were holy because they were set apart to be used in service to Him. Your professional career is the context within which you have been placed to express Christ's life for at least one-third of your time each day. Consequently, your work is a holy endeavor.

The Apostle Paul wrote, "Don't just do what you have to do to get by, but work heartily, as Christ servants doing what God wants you to do" (Ephesians 6:6, The Message). When a pastor preaches or a missionary evangelizes or a seminary professor teaches, each is holy work. However, it is equally as holy when a Christian lawyer tries a case, or a salesman makes a sale or an OTR driver drives his truck. It's all holy because it has been sanctified by the Christ who indwells you.

So, whatever you do, see it as a ministry to your heavenly Father! In The Practice of the Presence of God, the monk, Brother Lawrence wrote: "The time of business does not with me differ from the time of prayer, and in the noise and clatter of my kitchen, while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess God in as great tranquility as if I were upon my knees at the blessed sacrament." Whether it is washing dishes or taking communion, it is all holy to the one whose life is Jesus Christ.

Don't view your work as secular. See it for what it is - a holy expression of Christ's life within you in the marketplace. To understand your responsibilities this way will elevate them to their rightful place as a vehicle through which you may glorify God.

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"IF GOD BE FOR US"


"If God be for us, who can be against us?" asks the Apostle in Romans 8 and the chapter demonstrates how fully the triune God is indeed "for us." In verse 26 we see the Holy Spirit "for us." In verse 31 we find the Father "for us." Then in verse 34 Christ is said to be "for us."

The Godhead is "for us" in our weakness, in our sickness, in our moment of loss and despair. When we doubt, God is still "for us." When we fail, He is "for us." When we fall, God is "for us." There is no time, no place, no condition in which God is not "for us." Such assurance should cause us to take courage and press on with confidence in Him alone!

Strength does not rise out of the inferiority or superiority, the presence or the absence of our adversaries. It is not who is against us but who is "for us" that matters! And how do we know, how can we be assured that God is ever for us? The objective evidence unanswerably demonstrated in human history is given in the inspired words of verse 32:

"He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?"

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INITIAL PREPARATION
By Miles Stanford


"Saul armed David with his armor .... And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not tested them" (I Sam. 17:38, 39).

Years of preparation are worth a moment of truth! Rest assured that once we are developed and trained by the Holy Spirit, the work whereunto He has called us will be ready and waiting (Acts 13:2). "Our Lord must have an instrument which He has formed in the fire and to which He has given peculiar knowledge of Himself."

"The greater the knowledge committed to a servant, the more necessary and important it is that he should be much alone with God about it, in order that he may realize the nature and effect of it on himself before he undertakes to make it known to others.

"It rebukes the haste and readiness with which many now enter the ministry, attempting to impress others with a measure of the truth which they have not proved for themselves. Surely the servant should ever be able to say: 'I believed, and therefore have I spoken' (II Cor. 4:13). It is better to lose time as to work in preparation for service than to lose time in repairing one's mistakes in undertaking a work for which one is not yet qualified."

"A servant's discipline must always be in advance of the service prepared for him. He cannot lead beyond the point to which he himself has been led. But when the depth and reality of the truth has been established in his own soul, he is made the channel of it."

"I have found that many a thing which I had presented in an extreme way because I was sure of it, I put forth in a simpler and a more real way when I had touched it in my own experience."
- J. B. S.

"That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you" (I John 1:3).

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~GOOD HOPE THROUGH GRACE~
JOHN McKAY, Pastor



Scripture Reading: n Thessalonians 2:16

Are you sorry that you came to know the GRACE OF GOD? The word grace usually means unmerited favor or showing kindness. Everybody wants favor and kindness. It carries the idea of producing joy in both the giver and receiver.

Someone may complain that since the grace of God has come to them, they don't have as much fun as they had before they became a Christian. This is of course, extreme foolishness. God does not take away from the Christian any GOOD thing! "God... giveth us richly ALL THINGS to enjoy." If what we were doing before we were saved was sin, then it could not be fun in an absolute sense. Sin might have seemed fun because of a certain pleasure in it, but the consequences bring trouble and grief. Judgment (in one way or another) always follows sin, and God is always the determiner of what sin is.

Instead of complaining that you don't have as much "fun" as you previously had, you should consider that "...your Father...maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." Also we should dwell on what we are and what we will be in the Lord Jesus. Our POSITION IN CHRIST will take away complaints and grumbling to be replaced with joy and singing. After all things considered, we not only have Heaven and glorification coming in the future, but we have forgiveness, justification, fellowship with God, and numberless blessings right now! Although we are not called to fun, there is plenty of fun and true joy just living for the Lord Jesus!! "...our Lord Jesus...hath given us everlasting consolation and GOOD HOPE THROUGH GRACE..." Do you have this favor and kindness?

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TRUE RICHES IN CHRIST
by C. R. Stam

To know God through Christ and His redeeming work is to be rich indeed.

  The Scriptures have much to say about the infinite riches of God. They tell us of "the riches of His glory" (Rom.9:23; Eph. 3:16), "the riches of His wisdom and knowledge" (Rom.11:33), "the riches of His goodness and forbearance and longsuffering" (Rom.2:4) and "the riches of His grace (Eph.1:7; 2:7). God would have us enjoy these riches through faith in Christ, who died for our sins.

   "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich" (II Cor.8:9)."

    We should rejoice continually that God, in addition to being rich in wisdom and knowledge and in glory and power, is also "rich in mercy" (Eph.2:4) and that "the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him, for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Rom.10:12,13).

    To St. Paul, the chief of sinners, saved by grace, God revealed the greatest riches of all. Paul said: "Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints is this grace given, that I should preach among the nations the unsearchable riches of Christ" (Eph.3:8 ). These riches include, among other things, "all the riches of the full assurance of understanding" (Col. 2:2). How wonderful to have an intelligent understanding of God's plan of salvation and of all He has purposed in His heart of love for those who accept the salvation He has provided through His beloved Son!

    True riches are not comprised of material things. The Scripture calls these "uncertain riches" and warns us not to trust in them (ITim.6:17). True riches is "to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge" and so to be "filled with all the fulness of God" (Eph.3:19).

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THE GOSPEL PRODUCES ASSURANCE
by Russell S. Miller


"For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake" (1 Thessalonians 1:5).

 Many people do not have assurance in these days in which we live. They base their salvation upon what some man has said, or upon some church doctrine, rather than God's Word. Even their so-called "good works" cannot please God because they have rejected the Lord Jesus Christ and refused to believe Paul's God-given "gospel" of the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

"In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace" (Ephesians 1:7).

 The Lord has told us that "the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23). If God's "gift" is eternal life, and we are "justified by [Christ's] blood" (Romans 5:9), should we not believe what God has said? He is well able to perform that which He has said He will do.

"BEING CONFIDENT OF THIS VERY THING, THAT HE WHICH HATH BEGUN A GOOD WORK IN YOU WILL PERFORM IT UNTIL THE DAY OF JESUS CHRIST" (Philippians 1:6).

 The "performance", here, also goes beyond our salvation to include our daily walk with Him. It is true that "we are HIS workmanship" (Ephesians 2:10), but it is equally true that we are to "work out our own salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2,12). "Shall we continue in sin [then], that grace may abound?" (Romans 6:1). Paul answers this with an emphatic: "God forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" (Romans 6:2). This lifestyle does not produce assurance; it rather produces guilt as we can readily see from the world about us! It therefore behooves every child of God to "present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, THAT YE MAY PROVE WHAT IS THAT GOOD AND ACCEPTABLE AND PERFECT WILL OF GOD (Romans 12:1,2).

 There is more. To the yielded believer, "God works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). Indeed our wonderful Saviour desires greater things yet --- "That our hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment [full knowledge] of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ" (Colossians 2:2).

 This is the "gospel" that "established" the believers at Thessalonica and also produces assurance in us today. Listen to what the Apostle wrote in his first letter to them:

"For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance...." When we believe Paul's gospel, we have that assurance of being true "followers of the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 1:5,6).

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A Source of True Joy

One of the first results of active participation in the work of the Lord is joy! When the people of Israel accepted David's challenge and gave generously toward the building of the Temple, the very first details the Scripture record are:

"Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy" (I Chron. 29:9).

And observe that the children of Israel rejoiced before they could possibly see any results. Their hearts were filled with rejoicing as soon as they had personally participated in the offering being gathered. It was the same with Philippian believers. It was in giving that they rejoiced, before seeing any of the fruits of their generosity.

This is a wonderful thing to know in "this present evil world," when often we must sow faithfully without reaping the fruit. The joy comes with the giving, with the knowledge that we are "workers together" with Him who gave His all.

Soon enough we shall see that our labors and sacrifices were "not in vain in the Lord. " What a day of rejoicing that will be! What joy to see others there with Christ because He used us to reach them with the wonderful message of His matchless grace! I Thessalonians 2:19,20 are verses we can-and should--take to heart!

"Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account." -- Philippians 4:17

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DARKNESS AND THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
by Russell S. Miller



"For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:4).

People sin under the cover of darkness--"they that be drunken are drunken in the night" (1 Thessalonians 5:7). They suppose darkness hides the things they do. This is why unsaved man prefers evolution to creation. It destroys the thought, so he thinks, of having to "give [an] account of himself to God" (Romans 14:12).

How sad! You cannot hide from God. Because there is coming a day "in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead" (Acts 17:31).

In "that day" these poor souls will only wish they could hide from God, but they will not be able to do so. See Revelation 6:15-17; 20:11-15. These same, now suppose that "that day" is so far away that they need not be concerned. To this the Apostle retorts:

"Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight. But all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do" (Hebrews 4:13).

The difference between the unsaved and those of us who are saved is that we not only have a Saviour, but we also have "a great high priest", who intercedes for us when we fail. The Lord Jesus loves you, my unsaved friend, and wants to be your Saviour, too.

"What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us" (Romans 8:31-34).

"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:14-16).

Don't hide like Adam who sinned, but "seek the Lord, if haply [you] might feel after Him, and find Him, though He be not far from every one of us" (Acts 17:27)

Even in the darkness of this world's sin and wickedness God is there, and He will hear you, and save you, if you will simply ask Him (Romans 10:13).

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The Love of Christ
by Paul M. Sadler, President



Scripture Reading:

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

    The passage before us is a treasure chest of truth. Paul contrasts the spiritual knowledge of the believer ("to know"), with human knowledge ("passeth knowledge"). We are living in a time when a  high premium has been placed on intellectualism. Technology is advancing so rapidly that a product is barely to the marketplace before it is obsolete. Human knowledge has progressed to the point where man has now created small micro chips, the size of a pencil eraser, that can store volumes of information. While man glories in his accomplishments in the area of high tech, God is still the infinite One in knowledge overall. I read recently that if man were to build a computer capable of performing the functions of the human brain (memory, reasoning, thinking, functional control, etc.) it would have to be the size of the Empire State Building. How would you like to carry that around on your shoulders? While human knowledge has benefited us all in areas of medicine, science, and travel, man through human wisdom can never know God nor understand the things of God (I Cor. 1:20,21).

    Those who are saved, however, have at their disposal a spiritual knowledge that far surpasses human knowledge. Having the eyes of our spiritual understanding opened, we are now able to comprehend the Word of God. It is from God's Word that we first learned of the love of Christ. It was Christ's love for us that sent Him to Calvary to die for our sins, to redeem us back to God (Rom. 5:8 ). His love also keeps us secure, for as the Apostle says, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" (Rom. 8:35). The love of Christ constrains us or motivates us to serve Him. We can never repay what he has done for us, but out of gratitude for what He has accomplished for us we should desire to live for Him (II Cor. 5:14,15). With this knowledge of the love of Christ we can enjoy the fullness of God.

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GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY AND OUR SUFFERING
By Paul Hume



Scripture Reading: Job 42:1-10; Psa. 4:1; 2 Cor. 4:16-18

J.N. Darby has rendered Psalm 4:1 in and excellent manner: "When I call, answer me, 0 God of my righteousness: in pressure thou has enlarged me; be gracious unto me and hear my prayer." Did you note those words, "in pressure thou has enlarged me?" Pressure! Who of us enjoys pressure the "pressure" of disappointments? the "pressure" of sorrows? the pressure of a cruel or unkind loved one, relative, friend, or employer? Yes, life is full of such pressures, but the unsaved in  many cases seem to "get by all right." But not you! You're saved, yet you have to "sweat.-it out" sometimes. The words of the Psalmist you say a loud Amen to: "Many are the afflictions of the righteous" (Psa. 34:19).

A lady was visiting beautiful Switzerland one summer. One day she came upon a mountain sheepfold. She stood and watched very interestingly, for there was one poor sheep, lying there moaning and looking very sick. She saw his leg was broken, and full of pity, asked how it had happened. "I broke it myself," said the shepherd sadly. She thought that it must have been an accident, but the shepherd went on to explain, "No, it was done. on purpose; it was the only way. That sheep will follow me, afterwards, when I've nursed it and got it better, and it will always come at my call then. But before it wouldn't; it was always wandering off into dangerous places, and it wouldn't let me take care of it along with the rest, and wouldn't even come when I called. It would have got killed certainly if I hadn't done that."

Why must we sometimes be afflicted? Why must we occasionally have to "walk through the valley of the shadow of death?" So that, like Job, through suffering, we might find our "captivity turned" (that is, our natural selfishness broken), and then experience enlargement. Study those words of Paul to the saints in Corinth (2 Cor. 6:11-13)! In their carnality they were "straitened." Only the crucible of suffering could remedy that narrowness of soul and release the Spirit of Christ within unto the blessing of others.

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OUR ONLY BOAST
by C. R. Stam


“God forbid that I should glory, 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 Philippians 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 constantly boast of one thing: the cross, where the Christ he had so bitterly persecuted 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 GLORY, SAVE IN THE CROSS OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, BY WHOM THE WORLD IS CRUCIFIED UNTO ME, AND I UNTO THE WORLD.”