GRACE AND THE TRUTH - DAILY INSPIRATION

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THE VIRGIN BIRTH
By J.A. Verleur



"Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel" ([sa. 7:14)

This familiar verse sparkles like a translucent gem in Isaiah's grand prophecy. It was during a time when Israel's history was fraught with crucial dangers, affecting domestic, social and religious life, that Isaiah's promise of the coming Redeemer brought new hope to the faithful few who still were looking for the Messiah. Of course, leading minds of decadent paganism ridiculed and repudiated the virginal birth, impeccable life and substitutionary death of a coming Christ. Since human nature has not changed, we are not surprised to find the forces of religious nihilism attacking the preliminary step of God's redemptive act in time: the virgin birth of the Lord Jesus. These forces. flanked by lax Liberalism have been engaged to DE-Christianize Christianity by placing reason above history, creating a faith without mysteries and peddling these atheistic and agnostic views to the gullible many. Let us briefly examine the Word of God and notice the attention arresting Asterismos (a figure of speech calling particular attention to some point of subject) "Behold." The exact Hebrew text reads: "Behold the virgin is pregnant and is bearing a Son and thou shalt call His name Emmanuel." The translation, however, reads in the future tense. Why the discrepancy? The introductory words, "Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign. Behold ..."  will help to understand the accuracy of the future tense. The prophet foretells future events so realistically because to him they appear as already having taken place or about to be taking place.

Time and place often fade from the mind of the prophet since 4000 years, or 700 years, as in this case, do not constitute a factor with God. However, there are two more factors to be considered. The word Ecce (Behold) connotates futurity (Isa. 3: I; 8:7; 19:I, etc.). Passingly, the prophet could neither have Achaz' son in mind nor his own son since Achaz' son was then already eight years old and Shear-Jashub (see 7:3) was already with his father at the king's court. Consequently they are, by the very fact of birth and age, excluded from this prophecy. In addition, the child's name, Immanuel, occurs for the first time in the Old Testament. No child born of human parents could ever be given this name which means "God with us."

The Virgin

The next step in meeting the points at issue is to establish the meaning of the word "virgin." Here, too, theologians, philologists and exegetes are at loggerheads. The Hebrew text reads "ha almah. " The definite article is used. In Hebrew, or Greek, whenever the definite article is used it specifies and determines the meaning of the word to which it is joined. Therefore, a particular person is meant by ha almah. A look at the concordance reveals that but three times this word is accompanied by the article ha. Altogether the word almah occurs seven times (Gen. 24:43; Ex. 2:8; Ps. 68:25; Provo 30:19; Song 1:3; 6:8; Isa. 7:14), with the article only three times. (1) In Genesis 24:43 the context clearly reveals the meaning of the word almah, or virgin (vs. 16). (2) In Exodus 2:8 the word occurs again. This time it is used of Miriam, Moses' sister. (3) The last occurrence is our text. The Greek equivalent of ha almah is he parthenos, the word used of Mary, the mother of our Lord.

Parthenogenesis

Turn our attention to the miraculous conception; we are admittedly confronted with an impenetrable mystery. But before the scoffers laugh away this profound problem, let them explain the mystery of life: the natural birth. What is life? The latest  dictionary cannot supply the answer to this riddle. There are two sciences. biology and geology, both affirming as one of their most basic generalizations, that life only comes from preexisting life. The science of geology informs us that there was a time when the earth was a molten mass of exceedingly hot gases. No life could possibly have existed thereon. Science affirms also that life has not been found on any other planet. Therefore, life must have been produced by a Living Cause, independent of, and external to, the Universe. Similarly, the science of biology states in the language of Tyndall, "I affirm that no shred of trustworthy experimental testimony exists to prove that life in our day has ever appeared independently of antecedent lite." Reinke, another eminent biologist declares. "Under no circumstance can chemical and mechanical forces produce a living being." All are agreed that life came mysteriously and independently of any natural causes. Hence, since blind chance is ruled out by all reputable scientists, we are confronted once again by the Giver of all life, God. But if we cannot explain this life, why then question the life super induced without the intervention of virile semen? Cannot God, Who wrote all biochemical laws, go above and beyond these in producing life without the male semen? Of course, those who refuse to admit God's omnipotence and man's limitation will not tolerate these truths. They would rather limit God and deify man!

Virgin Birth in the Economy of Nature

But science has demonstrated the fact of virgin birth among certain species of both animal and vegetable kingdom. Mostly these observable facts are noted among creatures of a rudimentary scale of development. Among the Annelids (any of the earthworms, etc.), noted examples are the Sylla Vivipara and Chaetogaster diastrophus. With the Syllu, males are unknown. The second class showed forty-five generations to have occurred parthenogenetically. "A few insects," writes Menge, "give birth to living young, but by far the greater portion develop from unfertilized eggs. It takes place with the bees, when the queen bee lays eggs which become drones." E. Slosson, the late noted chemist, observed the dandelion to produce plant seed without pollenization, i.e., fertilization of the pollen - a kind of vegetable virgin birth. These examples have not been given to adduce proof for the virgin birth of our Lord. Yet it is fair to ask: " If God could have endowed these creatures with the unknown and unbelievable method of propagation, would it have been more difficult for Him to bring about the birth of His only begotten Son in a parthenogenetic manner?" (Vecchierello).

To deny the virgin birth is to deny the virgin life; it sends the Virgin Mary down the centuries as a fallen woman; it makes Christ the illegitimate son of a weak-willed Jew; it denies the Scriptures and in short, is nothing else but arrogant and arrant folderol. Thank God someday the "Seed of the woman" will be acknowledged as the Lord of Life, the One Who came into the world as an infinitesimally small human cell, conceived of the virgin Mary, begotten by the Holy Spirit, crucified under Pontius Pilate, raised again the third day and coming back again to vindicate His righteous claims which, among others, include this wondrous birth.

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The Christmas Story Unplugged
By Pres Gillham

"In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And every-one went to his own town to register.

"So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David. because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child."1

Not far from Bethlehem, bivouacked in the Judean hills with his hoards of demons, Satan contemplated Joseph's journey. In the spiritual battle for the hearts and lives of humankind, this inconsequential couple, pregnant out of wedlock, an embarrassment, were the avenue by which God would initiate His coup de grace of mankind's redemption. While the world took no notice, Satan knew, God knew, the demons and angels knew, and Joseph knew Mary was pregnant with the Messiah. With His birth, it would be Christmas.

God was not perturbed or anxious. His plan was working just as He had conceived it from before He laid the foundations of world. Although not visible to Joseph and Mary, an elite corps of angelic, special agents guarded their every move. The hosts of heaven stood ready to trumpet their praise to God with a celebration second only to that planned for the End of Time. The archangel, Michael, and the armies of heaven stood at "red alert" should God issue them a command. Christmas must not be deterred. Meanwhile, Satan paced, spat, and cursed to himself, brooding, There must be a way.

While Joseph and Mary were in Bethlehem, "the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn."

With the sound of Mary's labor pains, Satan stalked closer, determined to destroy and devour the child, the hope of mankind, the light of the world, the Crown Prince of heaven's kingdom. His was a desperate plan conceived for a desperate moment. In Satan's war of rebellion, this birth was the harbinger of a heavenly weapon unparalleled in the universe and was without equal in all of hell's arsenal. In the intimate quiet of this Middle Eastern stable, in a stall filled with fresh straw, Mary labored while all around her the demons lurked and the devil poised for a fatal blow to her helpless child. Christmas was imminent.

The ranks of angels in heaven's army waited in disciplined anticipation for a command from Michael, whose eyes were fixed on God. Before them was an earthly scene not unlike any other birth. But from a spiritual perspective, a great initiative was about to be launched. Awaiting the birth of Jesus was an anxious man, Joseph, and a great, red dragon-Satan-having seven heads and ten horns and a tail that twitched from side to side doing violence throughout the universe as if to destroy the stars in the sky.2 His rage at this young woman was controlled only by his anticipation of her giving birth to the Son of God, the heir to the throne, a seat he wanted for himself.

1 Reference Luke 2:1-20 (NIV)
2 General reference to Revelation 12: 1-17 (NASB)

With one final push the baby was born and the enormous dragon lurched forward. The heavenly hosts broke into praises to God accompanied by trumpets and cymbals. God nodded. Michael and the armies of heaven leaped at His bidding and there was war in the heavens between Michael and his angels and the dragon and his demons. The tide turned quickly against the serpent of old, the great dragon, the deceiver of the world. It was Christmas morning.

As the world slept placidly Mary cradled her new-born. Joseph methodically tended to his family and freshened the straw in the stable while the cattle chewed their cud. "And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.'

"Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.'''

On this night, the course of history changed. Earth, hell, and heaven would never again be the same. In a placid Judean town, nestled in the hills, in a simple feeding trough for livestock, a helpless boy-child with an olive complexion was wrapped in rags and laid to rest on fresh straw. God had invaded earth, the seat of the dragon's bastion. All around the spiritual world convulsed with the ebb and flow of combat. The great dragon did signs and wonders, children were murdered, and Joseph and Mary eventually fled to Egypt for safety. Michael and the army of heaven carried them as though on eagle's wings. While the hosts of heaven declared the glories of the Lord and his grace, the dragon dragged the very stars from heaven and flung them angrily about.

In Bethlehem, a baby was born. In heaven, a spiritual revolution established an earthly beachhead that would forever change the course of history and reclaim the hearts of mankind. Christmas had come. The angels filled the universe with their songs. God had become a man.

We live in parallel worlds, and as Philip Yancey says, "One world consists of hills and lakes and barns and politicians and shepherds watching their flocks by night. The other consists of angels and sinister forces and somewhere out there places called heaven and hell. One night in the cold, in the dark, among the wrinkled hills of Bethlehem, those two worlds came together at a dramatic point of intersection. But the few eyewitnesses on Christmas night saw none of that. They saw an infant struggling to work never-before-used lungs.

Unflinching in His determination, God continues to execute His plan of reconciliation. It is His all-out,  last ditch effort to once again state in words we can not mistake, in words that echo from the lips of an angelic envoy in the Judean hills, down to the pits of hell, up to the ramparts of heaven, and into the hearts  of every man, woman, boy, and girl:  "I love you. Merry Christmas."

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"THE GLORIOUS SUPREMACY OF GOD"



As we enter into this time of year known as 'the Thanksgiving-season' we do dwell upon the glorious person of our God and Savior. He is indeed , 'God over all, blessed forever' (Romans 9:5). I can do nothing better than to quote for us the entire chapter on this theme from Arthur W. Pink's excellent book, THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD.

'In one of his letters to Erasmus, Luther said, 'Your thoughts of God are too human.' Probably that renowned scholar resented such a rebuke, the more so, since it proceeded from a miner's son: nevertheless, it was thoroughly deserved. We too, though having no standing among the religious leaders of this degenerate age, prefer the same charge against the majority of the preachers of our day, and against those who, instead of searching the Scriptures for themselves, lazily accept the teaching of others. The most dishonoring and degrading conceptions of the rule and reign of the Almighty are now held almost everywhere. To countless thousands, even among those professing to be Christians, the God of the Scriptures is quite unknown.

Of old, God complained to an apostate Israel, 'Thou thoughtest that I was altogether as thyself' (Psa. 50:21). Such must now be his indictment against an apostate Christendom. Men imagine that the Most High is moved by sentiment, rather than actuated by principle. They suppose that His omnipotency is such an idle fiction that Satan is thwarting His designs on every side. They think that if He has formed any plan or purpose at all, then it must be like theirs, constantly subject to change. They openly declare that whatever power He possesses must be restricted, lest He invade the citadel of man's "free will" and reduce him to a "machine." 'They lower the all-efficacious Atonement, which was actually redeemed everyone for whom it was made, to a mere "remedy," which sin-sick souls may use if they feel disposed to; and they enervate the invincible work of the Holy Spirit to an "offer" of the Gospel which sinners may accept or reject as they please.

The "god" of this twentieth century no more resembles the Supreme Sovereign of Holy Writ than does the dim flickering of a candle the glory of the midday sun. The "god' 'who is now talked about in the average pulpit, spoken of in the ordinary Sunday School, mentioned in much of the religious literature of the day, and preached in most of the so called Bible Conferences is the figment of human imagination, an invention of maudlin sentimentality. The heathen outside of the pale of Christendom form "gods" out of wood and stone, while the millions of heathen inside Christendom manufacture a "god" out of their own carnal mind. In reality, they are but atheists, for there is no other possible alternative between an absolutely supreme God, and no God at all. A "god" whose will is resisted, whose purpose is checkmated, possesses no title to Deity, and so far from being a a fit object of worship, merits nought but contempt.

The supremacy of the true and living God might well be argued from the infinite distance which separates the mightiest creatures from the almighty Creator. He is the Potter, they are but the clay in His hands, to be moulded into vessels of honour, or to be dashed into pieces (Psa. 2:9) as He pleases. Were all the denizens of heaven and all the inhabitants of the earth to combine in revolt against Him, it would occasion Him no uneasiness, and would have less effect upon His eternal and unassailable Throne than has the spray of Mediterranean's waves upon the towering rocks of Gibraltar. So puerile and powerless is the creature to affect the Most. High. Scripture itself tells us that when the Gentile heads unite with apostate Israel to defy Jehovah and His Christ,' 'He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh" (Psa. 2:4)

Grace, Peace and Love, Pastor P. Hume

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My Thank You and Blessing for the New Year and a Merry Christmas!!


Dear Saints in Christ,

How fast time does fly, it seems to me like Christmas was just a few days ago, but in reality it was a year ago.  I want to wish each of you my precious friends and e mail members, buddies, and prayer partners a blessed, Merry Christmas.  May you enjoy all the spiritual blessings that you have been given in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).

We have a wonderful glorious position in the Lord Jesus Christ, no matter what the day may bring, we can rest in the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ is in control, and He has a wonderful plan for our life, and He will bring it about (Ephesians 1:5, 9, 11) .  We have such a blessed calling  2 Tim 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called [us] with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world begun. This truth can bring us much joy and security in our Christian walk, knowing that God has done it all and he called us the   Believer before the world began to be His own.

This past year has been most difficult for many of us, however, we can rest in the fact that God has a purpose for all of our situations.  Perhaps we need to be reminded of what the apostle Paul tells us in Romans 8:28-29, that we are being conformed to the image of His Son.

Many prayer's have gone up for each one of  you for your particular request when known, and I do want to thank you so very much for all the prayers that have gone up for me. Just to bring you up-to-date regarding myself, God closed all the doors to Independent or Assisted living places.  And as always He opened a door in providing a wonderful Christian caregiver. The Lord also has given me the privilege to teach my caregiver on a one on one base which was her request, we have been going through the book of Ephesians verse by verse and we have just now reached Chapter 3.  The book of Ephesians is such a rich and glorious book for the body of Christ.  All I can do is just Praise my Lord for his loving kindness, for providing a caregiver for me, and a caregiver for her in learning more about our Lord.

Since I cannot do a lot of things for myself I now have to use point and speak in order to type, and it does not always pick up exactly what I say, I do proof  but if I've missed something try to figure it out. This is my Christmas card to you, and I want to thank each and every one of you personally for being a member of Grace and the Truth, and over 300 of you are also prayer partners and I thank God every day for each member and prayer partner.  We who know the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior are truly blessed since God has chosen us to be His, and has given us His eternal Life.

If for any reason you would like to be removed I do understand as we get very busy in our life, and sometimes it's just an overflow of so many e-mails that we receive, and it becomes somewhat overwhelming, and many of you are working and have families some of you even have two jobs just in order to keep your heads above water. And I certainly understand, being at the young age of 80 and on Social Security and very limited expenses it is still hard to cope.

Once again I want to wish each and every one of you a Blessed New Year, and a very Merry Christmas.

     Romans 5:10 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 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
      Titus 3:7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Count your  blessings, enjoy your free gifts from our Lord.

In His unlimited abounding grace,
Paris

(My Note:  Paris handles the functions of Grace and the Truth Ministries. This has been a labor of love in Christ for many years. I'd like to ask all Christians to keep him in your prayers. Paris has recently asked that links for new and additional subscriptions be removed from postings. Instead, Paris has informed us to distribute the Daily Inspirational ourselves and to each other. Paris has also informed us that the Grace and the Truth Web Site is down. Again, I ask everyone that we keep Paris in our prayers.)

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Saved By His Life
by Anabel Gillham


For if while we were enemies,
we were reconciled to God through
the death of His Son,
much more, having been reconciled,
we shall be saved by His life.
- Romans 5:10

How many sermons did it take? How many years did I refuse to even consider Christianity? Poor Mom and Dad—they tried so hard to put me in places where I'd hear the gospel, everything from private Christian schools, to Vacation Bible School to church camp. Well, I wish they were here to see me now. I finally made that decision and started a new life. Jesus is my Savior and I'm trying to allow Him to be my Lord, but I keep falling flat on my face. What's wrong? I try and try—but I keep falling. You talk about miserable!  Oh, my family doesn't know and I'm keeping up a good front with my accountability buddy. But I'm about ready to throw in the towel. There's got to be more to Christianity than I've tapped into. (Anonymous)

Can you relate? How many of us have said, “There's GOT to be more to the Christian life than I'm experiencing!”  How many people sitting in the pew on Sunday simply made their weekly pilgrimage and will face next week just like they faced last week—in their strength, carrying their burdens, basking in their achievements, minimizing their failures? They're doing it their way. But go on down the pew where others are wrestling with their failures. Anger. Smoldering pain. Depression. The magazine with the centerfold. Selfish. Foul language. And there are times when both groups think about how disappointing they must be to God—how they want to do better and wonder if there isn't more to Christianity than this.

 If you identify, you are a disappointment to God. Not because you picked up the pornographic magazine or did things your way. He is disappointed for you because you haven't gone far enough in your relationship with Him. Yes, He's your Savior and you're trying to let Him be your Lord. But there's another step. You see, you can never walk consistently with Him as your Lord until you take up your cross (and you die on a cross) and allow Christ to be your life! He longs to walk past the magazine rack for you. He wants to face life for you all week long. You can't overcome the gossip and lust—but He can. Jesus Christ is the only one who has ever lived or will ever live the Christian life. We choose—our way or His way!

Let's say that you are a promising tennis player. Your coach is a pro who says you've got the makings of a champ! Now, would you rather have your coach on the sidelines shouting instructions or, if possible, would you have him crawl inside your body where he could make the shots through you while sizing up your opponent's weaknesses? Oh, you'd still be you with your unique talents and gifts, but He would be your source. Hey, you really would be a champ!

This is the gospel that God initiated when we asked Jesus to come into us to save us. “For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”  If we have been saved by Jesus' death, then what is His life saving us from?  From the pressures of life on Earth! Christ living the Christian life through us is just as much a part of the gospel as Christ dying for us.

Don't throw in the towel! You need Christ as life. This is your answer. God has no plan to “help” you meet your circumstances. Jesus living through you is God's provision to meet every circumstance! But if you keep trying to stay in control, you'll keep failing or lack His peace. And it won't change...not until you say:

Jesus, blessed Savior and Lord, I can't make life work and I need You to make it work for me, through me. I need You to be my life, to handle the backhand blows, the smashes, the lobs, the serves, the wins and the losses. Show me how to let You do it all for me—through me, please Lord.

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Grace Walkers New Year's Resolutions
by Steve McVey


I was recently asked about the place for New Year's Resolutions from a grace perspective. The question has caused me to think about how I view both the word and the concept.  For many years I made resolutions at the beginning of each year, which were in essence demands I placed upon myself. All of my resolutions expressed my determination to better myself in various ways during the coming year. I made these resolutions every year, despite the fact that I never could make myself one bit better. Eventually, I would set the resolutions I had so zealously made in January aside and simply stop thinking about them . . . until the next January, when I would make many of the same resolutions again. Since coming to understand the grace walk, I still identify areas of my life in which I want to see the Holy Spirit work during the coming year. Each of my “resolutions” are intended to be an expression of trust in my heavenly Father. The following are some I have identified for the coming year.

I resolve that during 2010, I won't try to change anything about myself. As I become aware of any deficiencies in myself (real or imagined), I will lay them at the feet of my Father and trust Him to do as He will with them. I will submit myself to Him in those areas and do whatever He leads me to do regarding them, but I will not sign myself up for another self-improvement program of my own making.

I resolve that during 2010, I will commit those things that concern me and mine into the hands of my Father. I will not attempt to seize control of my circumstances, but will yield every situation of life to Him and will choose to believe that His sovereignty and love will faithfully dictate the outcome of those situations.

I resolve that during 2010, I will open my heart and mind to experience my Father's love in deeper ways. I will meditate upon His goodness and grace in my life in order to better know the height and depth and breadth of His love for me, knowing that by growing in an understanding of His love for me, I will grow in my love for Him.

I resolve that during 2010, I will trust Christ to express love toward others through me. I will depend on Him to teach me to more effectively show love to those I already value and to love those who have nothing to offer me in return.

I resolve that during 2010, I will be open to God working in me to bring about new ways of seeing things or doing things. I will submit myself to Him to experience growth and correction concerning the plausibility structure within which I now live.

These things I will do, not by self determination, but by His power which works in me mightily through the union I share with Him. (Phil. 2:13)

 Does your heart resonate with these resolutions? I think a resolution is fine if, by that word, we mean that we are resolved by the grace of God to trust Him in various areas of our lives.  May your new year be filled with a growing awareness of who He is in you and who you are in Him.  (Col 1:29  To this end, like an earnest wrestler, I exert all my strength in reliance upon the power of Him who is mightily at work within me. WNT)

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CONTINUE THOU
by C. R. Stam



“Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse…but continue thou” (II Tim. 3:13,14).

These were among the last words of the great Apostle Paul, written in view of his approaching martyrdom, to Timothy, his beloved son in the faith.

Circumstances, outwardly, were anything but encouraging. It seemed that the last days of the dispensation of grace were indeed at hand. The apostle had borne many “persecutions” and “afflictions” and now “suffered trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds”. There were those who, like Jannes and Jambres, had “resisted the truth” (Verse 8 ). “Alexander the coppersmith” had done him “much evil” and had “greatly withstood his words” (4:14,15). “Evil men and seducers” had risen on every hand and were to “wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived” (II Tim.3:13).

There was even defection among his own brethren in the faith, so that now, from his Roman prison, he had to report: “All they which are in Asia have turned away from me…Demas hath forsaken me…only Luke is with me” (II Tim.1:15; 4:10,11).

And what, now, is his parting advice to young Timothy? Does he say: “Perhaps I have been too intense. My methods have made many enemies. I advise you to be more diplomatic and tolerant than I have been”. Hardly, for the records show Paul to have been of all men most tactful and considerate. His sufferings were not the result of a contentious spirit, but of his faithfulness in proclaiming that message which so embarrasses and enrages “our adversary, the devil”, that message which is God’s gracious response to man’s need and His answer to Satan’s slander — “the gospel of the grace of God”.

Thus it is that the Apostle urges Timothy: “Continue thou…be not ashamed…be strong”. He well knew that in this sin-cursed world the only hope for the individual is to be found in God’s offer of salvation through faith in the redemption wrought by Christ at Calvary.

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SALESMEN AND SOLDIERS
by C. R. Stam


It is true indeed that salvation is bestowed by grace and received through faith — entirely apart from works, religious or otherwise. But it is equally true that it costs to embrace the truth and costs even more to stand for it, rather than selling out. This is why Proverbs 23:23 exhorts us to “buy the truth and sell it not”. In this sense we are not to sell the truth. Yet in another sense we are salesmen of the truth, urging men to buy it.

As we do this we find that there are those who would actually seek to hinder men from buying the truth. Yet it is not primarily they who oppose our efforts, but Satan and his hosts.

“FOR WE WRESTLE NOT AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD, BUT AGAINST PRINCIPALITIES, AGAINST POWERS, AGAINST THE RULERS OF THE DARKNESS OF THIS WORLD [age], AGAINST SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS [wicked spirits] IN HIGH PLACES" (Eph.6:12).

This is why God's salesmen must also be "good soldiers of Jesus Christ" (II Tim.2:3). We must make the glorious message known despite the opposition. We must "put on the whole armour of God" and meet our adversaries with "the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God" (Eph.6:11,17). When they would shut our mouths we must pray for ourselves and each other:

“...that utterance may be given unto me, THAT I MAY OPEN MY MOUTH BOLDLY, to make known the mystery of the [Paul's] gospel."
“...THAT THEREIN I MAY SPEAK BOLDLY, AS I OUGHT TO SPEAK” (Eph.6:19,20; Rom.16:25,26).

This, by the grace of God, is our prayer and our resolve.

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"THE CHURCH WHICH IS HIS BODY"



In this day and time, God manifests much grace in His dealings with His creatures. While He saves them upon the same basis as always He has and always will, that. is, upon the basis of the sacrifice and shed blood of our loving Lord on Calvary's cross, yet He makes this salvation available in a much more gracious manner than He did aforetime. Then one had to come under a rigid routine of sacrifice and service to be accepted of God, now we are "accepted in the Beloved," (Eph. 1:6) which means that by His grace through faith salvation is ours, without any conditions. Then, in order to have the continued blessings unto full development in the life He gives, ceremonies and ordinances had to be carefully observed; now, we are "complete in Him," (Col. 2:10) being "His body" (Eph. 5:30)  of which He is the "Head," (Col. 1:18 ) and from Him comes the nourishment needed apart from any and all ritualistic rites, whether public or private. By the grace of God all believers are saved and made new creations in Christ Jesus, and by His grace, as a unit, constitute the "Church, which is His body," sustained by the sustenance which the "Head" supplies and rejoicing in an all-sufficient Saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Before this "dispensation of the grace of God," (Acts 20:24) in which we are now living, believers were promised a hopeful future, and, like-wise, the people of God comprising the "body" have also been promised a hopeful future. However, these promises appertain to different callings and destinies, so that while others have their future hope located on earth or in heaven, we have our hope located far above all heavens (Phil.3:20;Eph. 2:6). That is what the phrase "heavenly places" literally expresses, and we are told that we have been "made alive together with Christ," (Eph. 2:5) and also "raised up together and made sit together in the heavenly places." (Eph. 2:6) Christ has "passed through the heavens" and ascended up "far above all heavens," to that sphere where our hope is located, and where the Church is now "blessed with all spiritual blessings," (Eph 1:3) and where we shall be some day, for God is going to display there "the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus." (Eph. 2:7)

Old Testament writers spoke of the "place above the heavens," also, "the place where thou hast put thy glory," and, so far as Scripture gives us light, it is the most exalted sphere to which God can raise any of His creatures, whom He has redeemed. It would be folly, to say the least, for us to trade any of our peculiar and precious blessings for those of another calling, and entirely outside the will or purpose of God, yet many are unknowingly doing that very thing by attaching teaching to the "body" which really does not belong to it. This is brought to pass by giving the "Church, which is His body" a designation which does not refer to it, and then upon that premise building doctrine that pertains to another calling.

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GOD’S JUST JUDGMENTS
by C. R. Stam



"We are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth..."

The first 15 verses of Romans 2 always make me think of our Lord’s dealings with the rich young ruler of Luke 18:18,19. "Good Master," the ruler had said, "what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"

The Lord answered in effect: "Why do you call Me good? There is none good but God, so if I am good I must be God. But do you want to know what to do to inherit eternal life? Simply obey the Law, the Ten Commandments."

Our Lord, of course, was trying to show the young man that it was impossible to earn salvation by doing good. To keep the Law was impossible for any child of fallen Adam, and breaking the Law could only bring condemnation. Now this absolute justice is the basis for the believer’s confidence in God.

It is wonderful to know that God does not merely pity sinners and smuggle them into heaven if they are sorry. If He did, someone in heaven could point an accusing finger at this writer and say: "What, you here!" Thank God, He has rather taken us before the bar of justice, pronouncing us guilty, but has stepped down, as it were, to pay the penalty for our sins Himself, then justly declaring us righteous! This is why salvation, in Scripture, is based upon Christ’s payment of our just debt. This is why Rom. 3:24 declares that believers are "justified freely, by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."

"That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness, unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom. 5:21).

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ENCOURAGEMENT  FROM THESSALONIANS



As I have been teaching through First Thessalonians, one concept, or thought, has continued to jump out at me. It is the thought of encouragement. It seems as if Paul is constantly encouraging them in one area, or another.

As we look at the historical context, we can see why. As Paul went to Macedonia to answer the Macedonian man's entreaty (Acts 16:9-10), he went from city to city teaching and proclaiming God's Word, the gospel, for the Body of Christ. In Acts 17:1, Paul and his cohorts arrive in Thessalonica. As his custom, Paul started out sharing in the synagogue. Jews, God-fearing Greeks, and some leading women responded to the message. The jealous Jews stirred up a mob to harm Paul and his helpers, or to run them out of town. Paul was then sent away by night.

I wonder about the believing Thessalonians who all remained in the city after Paul left town. If this was the Jews' reaction to Paul and his message, what was their reaction to those who believed and lived that message among them? Was their opposition as strong against their neighbors as it was against Paul? I tend to think it was.

There are a couple of verses that come to mind. The first verse is I Thessalonians I:6, "having received the word in much affliction with the joy of the Holy Spirit." This verse clearly states that those receiving God's message were afflicted. They were not afflicted a little or some, but there was "much affliction" associated with following the risen Christ and his message for the Jew/Gentile church. It was no bed of roses for them to believe and follow Christ Jesus.

The next verse I want to look at is 1 Thess. 2:14, "For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God the ones being in Judea in Christ Jesus, because you suffered the same things by your own fellow countrymen just as they suffered by the Jews." This even more clearly states that the Thessalonian believers were suffering for their faith. They were being persecuted. Paul knows all about this as a former persecutor of the Lord's people himself. He was a Jew persecuting other Jews who believed that Jesus is the Messiah, or Christ.

Finally, in 1 Thess. 5:15, Paul writes, "You see someone does not repay evil in place of, or instead of, evil to anyone." Why would Paul say this unless they were being treated in an evil manner? He does not want the Thessalonian believers to sink to the level of those persecuting them. The natural man will use the same tactics as those who attack him. Even though they are being persecuted, God wants them to "pursue the good" toward believers and non-believers alike.

In light of this persecution and opposition, what do these people need? They, and we, need encouragement. As stated above, I believe this is a constant thread woven throughout this letter. The Greek verb we will be looking at is parakaleo.  This word is translated several ways, which include: to comfort; to encourage; to urge; and to exhort. My preferred translation is "to encourage," as I believe it best fits into all contexts. Paul uses this verb eight times in the book of I Thessalonians: 2:12; 3:2; 3:7; 4:1; 4:10; 4:18; 5:11; 5:14. Paul also uses the noun form of this verb once in 1 Thess. 2:3-4 where he talks about the source of his encouragement.

In 2:12, again, he deals with the motivation for his encouraging them in the Lord. In 3:2, Paul sent Timothy to encourage them on behalf of their faith and not to be troubled by Paul's afflictions. In 3:7, Paul relates how he is encouraged by the Thessalonians through their faith. Here we see that encouragement is reciprocal. Paul needed to be encouraged as well. It is interesting to see what encouraged Paul. It is the faith of other believers.

In 4:1, even though the Thessalonians know how to walk and please God, Paul encourages them to "abound more." In 4:10, even though they are loving one another, Paul encourages them to "abound more." God doesn't want us to rest on our laurels. God wants us to press on and grow in these areas.

In 4:18, Paul writes to encourage the Thessalonians about the dead in Christ and that they won't be left behind at the time of the resurrection. In 5:11, in light of what God has done for us through Christ as stated in the preceding verses, they, and we, need to encourage and build up one another. In 5:14, Paul encourages them to meet the spiritual and physical needs of those in the local assembly. So, here we have Paul encouraging them in a variety of areas. In each instance there is a need and the local believers are instructed to meet those needs.

As we have seen, there are many areas in which to encourage others and be encouraged ourselves. As you may know, we have an extensive camping ministry. What follows is an e-mail we received recently from one of our campers. I was greatly encouraged by it. I trust you will be, too. "My name is D. H. and I've been going to the horsemanship camp for around 6-7 years. I am now able to be a TIM (Teen In Ministry, which is our Counselor In Training program) and I would love to have the application to be one. This camp has helped me through some of the hardest years of my life, and I just wanted to be part of helping the kids and teens who go. It would be lovely to hear from you." This is one of the reasons I work here. Praise God for His work in this child's life!

May God bless you as you live for Him who died for you (2 Cor. 5:15).
By John Walker

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WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?
by Russell S. Miller


Thank you for that "good" question.

God’s plan of salvation today is not difficult to understand. "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). There is no one exempt from sin. We are ALL guilty of breaking the Laws of God. We are sinners by nature and by choice, because we also choose to sin.

"The wages of sin is death..." (Romans 6:23). There is a penalty for sin. You go to work every day and at the end of the week you receive your wages. "The wages of sin is death..."

"...But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23). Eternal life is a gift. You cannot buy it, or earn it, or deserve it. It can only be received as a free gift because Christ paid the penalty of sin with His own blood. The love of God, therefore, has provided a way back to God in the person of Jesus Christ our Lord.

"...CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS...was buried, and rose again the third day..." (I Corinthians 15:3,4).

He died for our sins because there is no other way in which man could be redeemed.

He was buried that our old Adamic nature "might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin" (Romans 6:6).

He arose from the dead to prove that our debt of sin, and its penalty, has been FULLY paid (Romans 4:25).

"Therefore being justified BY FAITH, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1).

Does it get any better than this? Yes, indeed it does, for we read in Ephesians 2:7:

"THAT IN THE AGES TO COME HE MIGHT SHEW THE EXCEEDING RICHES OF HIS GRACE IN HIS KINDNESS TOWARD US THROUGH CHRIST JESUS".

God is very patient, kind, and loving, and longsuffering, but He will not be mocked of men. Consequently there is a "Hell" and "the Lake of Fire" awaiting all who reject this gift of salvation in the person of His Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. This is clearly taught in Revelation 20:11-15.

When the Philippian jailor asked, "What must I do to be saved?", the Apostle Paul answered: "BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, AND THOU SHALT BE SAVED..." (Acts 16:30,31).

This is the one really important issue of life, and there is no time like the present, to make that decision to trust Jesus Christ as your own personal Saviour and Lord.

If you cannot say, "I know I am saved and I'm going to Heaven", then I exhort you to trust Christ as your Saviour, right now, and God will bless you with all the bounty of Heaven, and more.

"BUT GOD COMMENDETH HIS LOVE TOWARD US, IN THAT, WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS, CHRIST DIED FOR US" (Romans 5:8 ).

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THE GIFTS OF THE SOVEREIGN GOD
EPHESIANS 4:5-16
I CORINTHIANS 12:4-11

Undoubtedly you have stopped to ask yourself, 'Why is it that one person is so mechanically inclined and another person --- even in the same family --- isn't? Why can one person be so musical and able to create music while another person can't carry a tune in a bucket? Why are some naturally diligent and prosperous while others are so lazy and couldn't care less about getting ahead in life?' The only answer is that God, the giver of life and being to all men (Acts 17:28 ) has been pleased to thus distribute His talents in the natural realm --- even though sin has ruined and perverted these natural gifts.

Likewise in the realm of those who are saved. All have the same salvation. All are indwelt equally with the same Holy Spirit. All have a new nature. All are loved by the Father. But His gifts have not been bestowed equally. These two passages ought to make this clear. Now, lest someone reasons, 'I don't have any gift from God other than eternal life,' let us note what Ephesians 4:7 states, 'But in accordance with the measure of Christ's gift, His favor has been bestowed upon each of us.' (Williams translation) The grace mentioned in this verse does not refer to saving grace. Nor does it even refer to sanctifying grace. It clearly refers to serving grace! Not all the members of the Body of Christ have the same office or function, but all members of Christ have a function! I do not believe there is such a thing as a true believer who does not have some spiritual gift by which he can serve the Lord!  True, only a few are called to be 'evangelists, and pastor-teachers,' but all have been gifted sufficiently to engage in 'the work of ministering' (Ephesians 4:12, Iit)'

Has God given you a spiritual gift? Yes indeed He has! Do you know what it is? See also Romans 12:1-8 and I Peter 4:7-11 on this theme. True, the sign gifts such as healings, tongues, the working of miracles, and prophesying have passed away (I Corinthians 13:1-13). But other gifts remain, and it is your privilege and responsibility to find out what your gift is. Then ask the Lord for the grace to so use that gift that He might be glorified and believers might be edified and sinners saved.

Grace, Peace and Love, Pastor Hume

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THE  MIGHTY CREATOR!
By P. Hume

Scripture Reading: Gen. 1:1; Rev. 4:11;
Col. 1:16-17

A small girl who lived in a remote section of the country was receiving her first Bible instruction at the hands of her elderly grandmother, and the old lady was reading the child the story of the creation. After the story had been finished, the little girl seemed lost in thought. "Well, dear," said the grandmother, "what do you think of it?" "Oh, I love it. It's so exciting," exclaimed the youngster. "You never know what God is going to do next!"

How thrilling it is to know that the visible and invisible elements of this universe and world of ours is the product of the perfect and only Creator: God the Father in the Person of His Son by the agency of the Holy Spirit! How sodden and sterile is the popular so-called "scientific" hypothesis that this universe and our world is simply the product of evolving matter with energy to motivate it! Nay! It is refreshing to be anchored to the "old landmarks" of the Truth and declare, "Thou art worthy, 0 Lord, to receive glory, and honor, and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created" (Rev. 4:11). View the ·Sovereign Creator:

"The great God was all alone amid the awful silence of His own vast universe. But even at that time, if time it could be called, God was sovereign. He might create or not create according to His own good pleasure. He might create this way or that way; He might create one world or one million worlds, and who was thereto resist His will? He might call into existence a million different creatures and place them on absolute equality, endowing them with the same faculties and placing them in the same environment, or, He might create a million creatures each differing from the others, and possessing nothing in common save their creaturehood, and who was there to challenge His right? If He so pleased, He might call into existence a world so immense that its dimensions were utterly beyond finite computation; and were He so disposed, He might create an organism so small that nothing but the most powerful microscope would reveal its existence to human eyes." (A.W. Pink). Are you part of His new creation?

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THE SECRET OF THE UNIVERSE

Scripture Reading: Psa. 135:6; 147:7-18; Heb. 1:1-3


A friend of the President of a large manufacturing plant was being conducted through the various departments, and he was quite bewildered at the enormity of it all. He inquired, "Where do you get your power to operate all of this equipment?" The President replied, "Follow me, and I will show you." After a short walk, they were both in a smaller building which housed the generators which made the power possible. "Here is the secret of our out-put!" he proudly declared.

What is the secret behind the operations of this vast universe and our little planet Earth? Is it mere "natural laws?" Is it merely matter in motion? Is it solar energy? All of these things may be true, but they are by no means the "power" behind this universe! The Word of Truth has the answer! It is "the Word of His power" (He b. 1:3). What power there is in both the Living and Spoken Word of God. We read: "For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast" (Psa. 33:9)· "That by the Word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water" (2 Peter 3:5).

The invisible atom is held together by a mysterious "force. " We know from Col. 1:17 that this "force" is none other than our Creator, the Lord Jesus Christ: "For by Him all things consist (hold together)." Someday, after the "Day of Jehovah" has run its course, this earth and our stellar heavens will be "dissolved." How? By His release of the atoms which compose all material things. This in turn will create a gigantic dissolution of the present sin-cursed heavens and earth. What a day that will be: (Read 2 Peter 3:10-12 and Revelation 20:11; 21:1).

In the face of the Sovereign God Who is very much in control of this universe, shall we continue to complain about the climate, the weather today, the bugs, and other often-disagreeable things? It's human to do so, but when we remember that God in Christ Jesus is behind the weather, the winds, the climates of the earth, and even the insects which pester us, we then can turn grumbling into glorying in the One who created all things for His own pleasure! Worship ye Him!