GRACE AND THE TRUTH - DAILY INSPIRATION

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PRECIOUS HERITAGE
by C. R. Stam


The book, We Americans, published by the National Geographic Society in 1976, depicts a family of eight early settlers, four of whom are holding Bibles in their hands. The caption opens with the words: "Book of books, the Bible, was the end and means of the education of early Americans."

This is confirmed by the Encyclopaedia Britannica, which declares that "The New England Primer... for 150 years widely used as a textbook, was largely composed of Scriptural and doctrinal material. Catechisms were taught in the public schools and prayer was offered twice a day" (EB under School and Curriculum in the United States).

This does not mean that all our Revolutionary forefathers were saved, or regenerated by personal faith in Christ, but the evidence is abundant that they were, as a whole, God-fearing men, and this was bound to have a significant effect on their thinking and their conduct. And, indeed, there were among them many born-again believers.

Revolutionary times conjure up in our minds such pictures as Washington praying earnestly at Valley Forge, the members of Congress kneeling together in prayer for divine guidance, and the precepts of Scripture being pressed home again and again by those high in government, while the citizens in general trembled at God's Word.

It goes without saying that our nation plays a strategic role in the affairs of the world. Our influence is great. However, America will not again exert the right kind of influence in the world until the Church of Christ recovers from her spiritual illness and our national leaders and the populace once more become at least God-fearing. The fear of God does not in itself save from sin's penalty, but it is the first step toward salvation. Moreover, God's Word declares:

"By the fear of the Lord men depart from evil" (Prov. 16:6).

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"THE GIFT OF CHRIST"
By Pastor Ivan Burgener


"But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore He saith, 'When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.' (Now He that ascended, what is it but that He also descended first unto the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also That ascended up far above all heavens, that He might fill all things.) And He gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints..." (Eph. 4:7-12).

While this wording might seem strange to the modem reader, the point is simple and must not be missed! The Lord Jesus Christ is the One Who came into this world [the lower parts] in humiliation and was "found in fashion as a man..." He was obedient unto death out of which He was raised, ascended, and seated on high, "far above all principality and power" in order that He might "fill all things."

From that exalted position and place, He received gifts of ministry from God and in turn gave them to "the church which is His body." His "giving" is an expression of His grace with the stated purpose, "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." And all this is to continue until "we all come to the unity of the faith, and the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect [mature] man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ" (Eph. 4:12-13). Unity of the Spirit leads to unity of the Faith.

Rather than spiritual gifts given to individual men, these gifts are stated to be men with spiritual enablement being given to the church, the body of Christ. They must be seen as the means used by the risen Lord to continue to bless and guide this church in His absence. The apostles and prophets were men whose works were inspired and who laid the foundation by writing the scriptures. The works of evangelists and teaching pastors were not inspired but were of a continuing and subsequent nature ministering the scriptures. The latter were to continue until the stated goals are reached, evidently until this church is complete and rapture to heaven!

These apostles were not the twelve, chosen by the Lord on earth, but called from heaven and associated with Paul in His ministry. And while these have disappeared, evangelists, pastors and teachers continue "until we all come to...unto a perfect man, ...the fulness of Christ," the rapture!

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"Be Strong In the Lord"
Part  1 of 6
BY RICHARD JORDAN


   Paul introduces his charge to "put on the whole armour of God" with the exhortation:

   "Finally, my brethren, BE STRONG IN THE LORD, and IN THE POWER OF HIS MIGHT" (Eph. 6:10).

   The warfare we face cannot be waged in anything less than His strength. We certainly need to understand this issue fully.

   In Ephesians we are told in detail what it means to be "in Christ." In fact, Ephesians 1 divides into two sections which answer to the twofold source of strength set forth in Eph. 6:10. "Be strong in the Lord" aptly summarizes the truths set forth in Ephesians 1:3-14, while "the power of His might" looks back in similar fashion to Ephesians 1:15-23.

STRONG IN THE LORD

   "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord." This is a great statement, although often only partially understood. To be "strong in the Lord" does not simply mean to be strong "by His help" .. by the Lord coming along side to aid us. Rather, it is being strong in Him. We have been given a standing in Christ and we are to find our strength in the position and blessing God has given us there. Our strength is in who God has made us in Christ; we are to "stand fast in the Lord."

   "Be strong in the Lord. " God always sees us in the spiritual accomplishments of His Son. This is His view of us. We are standing in the glorious victory won at Calvary and which the finished work of Christ accomplished. Be strong in His work for us. Consider Paul's declaration in Ephesians 1:3,

   "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath BLESSED US WITH ALL SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS in heavenly places IN CHRIST."

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"Be Strong In the Lord"
Part  2 of 6
BY RICHARD JORDAN


   Paul goes on in Ephesians 1 to list a sampling of these spiritual blessings, demonstrating that the answer to all our real needs are found in Christ.

   Chosen: Because of sin, mankind struggles with a devastating sense of alienation. All of us have a basic need to be loved and to be important to someone .. to belong, as it were. Thus it is of great encouragement to learn that God has chosen us for Himself and set His love upon us in a special way:

   "According as HE HATH CHOSEN US IN HIM BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love" (Eph. 1 :4).

   Notice when this choice was made: "before the foundation of the world." II Tim. 1:9,10 puts it this way:

   "[God] 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 began,

"But is now made manifest.. .. "

   Before the foundation of the world the triune Godhead established a purpose ---an "eternal purpose" in Christ Jesus ---to form the Body of Christ. Although this purpose was "kept secret since the world began" (Rom. 16:25), it has now been revealed through the ministry committed to the Apostle Paul (Eph. 3: 1-11). Thus Paul tells how we became a part of God's great plan: "He hath chosen us in Him. "It is because we are in Christ that we are part of this "eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 3:11).

   Eph.1:4 should not be misread. It does not say that we were chosen to be in Christ. Rather, we were "chosen in Him. "It is because we are in Christ that we are a part of the purpose and plan God established before the foundation of the world.

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"Be Strong In the Lord"
Part  3 of 6
BY RICHARD JORDAN



   What this all means to us is set forth in the words, "that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. " This is our new identity in Christ. The next verse goes on to declare what we have been chosen to:

   "Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will" (Eph. 1 :5).

   Adoption is a wonderful thing. God knows everything about us and still He has adopted us -- giving us a place in His family so that we sit at His table as full grown adults. We are somebody -- in Christ! In ourselves we are not much. In Christ we have everything! We are to be strong in our identity in Him. That is where our blessings and privileges are -- that is where our strength is. Worthlessness is no longer an issue -- we are in Christ Jesus.

   Acceptance: Because of sin we all struggle with the trauma of rejection. We feel angry and estranged; we need peace and approval. To this end, Paul proclaims:

   "To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein HE HATH MADE US ACCEPTED IN THE BELOVED" (Eph. 1:6).

   Yes, we deserve to be rejected; no doubt about it. But the Lord Jesus Christ has taken away the barriers. God made Him to be sin for us that we might me made the righteousness of God in Him (II Cor. 5:21). It's wonderful to know that we are "accepted in the Beloved!"

   It is a fact of life that no one -- not our spouse, nor parents, children, friends, nor even fellow believers -- will ever accept us completely and unconditionally. But thanks be to God! He accepts us unconditionally and completely in Christ. We have peace. We do not have to be angry anymore; we do not have to be at war with God, with the world, with our family, with our neighbors, with ourself -- the struggle is over. We are accepted. Where? In Christ. We are to be strong there -- in who God has made us in Him. We can rest confidently in our acceptance in Him.

Redemption: Because of the fall, mankind is enslaved to sin. This is why the struggle for independence is so deeply seated in the human heart. We want to be free because we sense that we are trapped. We feel boxed in, imprisoned, enslaved--we want to be liberated. Hence everyone wants to "come out of the closet" and do their own thing; hang it all out on the line, as it were.

   It is to this need that the Bible speaks when it says, "In whom we have redemption through His blood" (Eph. 1:7). Redemption means liberty -- to be set free.

   Oh, we thought we were free before we trusted Christ; but we weren't. We were the servants of sin and we couldn't help ourselves. John 8:34 records, "Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, WHOSOEVER COMMITTETH SIN IS THE SERVANT OF SIN" (John 8:34).

   Although we thought we had it made, doing what we wanted to do, we were blind to reality. But Christ has paid the ransom and redeemed us, set us free. Now we don't have to live under the bondage of sin, enslaved to it. We don't have to sin anymore! We are free to serve Him by His grace; motivated out of a heart of love and gratitude for Him; not on the basis of a performance system but "according to the riches of His grace."

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"Be Strong In the Lord"
Part   4 of  6
BY RICHARD JORDAN



Forgiveness: Without question we are guilty. Spend time talking with people regarding their soul you will discover that unresolved guilt is one of the greatest heartaches of our time. It hangs like an albatross around the neck of humanity. But there is good news. Where? In Christ!

   "Christ died for our sins," the gospel declares, and thus we have the forgiveness of sins because Jesus Christ has fully paid the sin debt at Calvary. Eph. 1:7 declares,

   "In [Christ] we have ... the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace."

   Forgiveness is not something we might have or that we have on some days and not on others, or when we do certain things and don't do other things. Forgiveness is something "we have" in the present tense. It is something every believer lives in continually; it is a present reality in our lives.

   And how forgiven are we? Col. 2:13 answers

   "And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having FORGIVEN YOU ALL TRESPASSES."

   Total forgiveness is the present reality for every believer -- in Christ. God has no more accusations against us. He has finished dealing with our sin. For us to live under the pangs of guilt for past sins or in fear of future failures is to live in bondage to error. It is to occupy ourselves with the things that God is finished dealing with -- our sins -- and results in our neglecting what God is trying to do with us today -- teach us about Christ living in and through us.

   We have been forgiven. We don't have to be guilty anymore. We don't have to have the hounds of guilt dog our heels day after day. Dear friend, if you are plagued by a sense of guilt, take you stand in Christ-- "Be strong in the Lord."

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"Be Strong In the Lord"
Part  5 of 6
BY RICHARD JORDAN


Instruction: Sin has robbed life of its true meaning and purpose. "Man at his best state is altogether vanity" (Psa. 39:5). Consequently humanity drifts aimlessly from event to event seeking some lasting, permanent meaning.

   "Give me exposure to enough people and things, and I will find a meaning and purpose for my life," man's heart cries. A frantic search for meaning and happiness abounds.

   But for the believer, God has again supplied the answer in Christ. Eph. 1:8,9 is one of those passages we should read thoughtfully:

   "Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
"Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself."

   In the riches of His grace God has furnished us with an understanding of "the mystery of His will." In other words, we are privileged to have an understanding of God's purpose in Christ which He planned before the world began. Such insight allows us to understand our part in what God is doing for Himself through the ages.

   God the Father intends to center everything in the universe in His Son (Eph. 1:10). As members of the Body of Christ we will have an integral part in making this a reality. He wants us to understand that our lives are therefore far from insignificant and meaningless. Even the simplest believer is part of what God is doing -- because we are all in Christ.

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"Be Strong In the Lord"
Part  6 of 6
BY RICHARD JORDAN


Security: Worry, doubts and fear cause our hearts to be filled with turmoil. The insecurities of life haunt us all. Eph. 1:13, 14 informs us:

   "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,
   "WHICH IS THE EARNEST OF OUR INHERITANCE until the redemption of the purchase possession, unto the praise of his glory."

   This sealing with the Holy Spirit provides complete and total security for every believer. We are placed into the spiritually protected environment of the Holy Spirit's presence securely sealing us in Christ and providing the "earnest" of our salvation "until the day of redemption" (Eph. 4:30)--that is, until we receive our glorified bodies at the resurrection (cf. Rom. 8:23,29, Phil. 3:20,21). We are secure because we are in Christ.

CONCLUSION

   When Paul says, "Be strong in the Lord, "he is exhorting us to be strong in who God has made us in Christ. We are to find our strength there. It is because we are in Christ that there is any opportunity and privilege for us to be strong.

   You see, no matter how long we have been saved; no matter how advanced we are in understanding the truths of the Bible -- even the book of Ephesians; no matter how faithfully we have served the Lord -- we still have no strength in ourselves upon which we can rely. We must live in the strength of the Lord. II Tim. 2:1 puts it this way:

   "Thou therefore, my son, BE STRONG IN THE GRACE THAT IS IN CHRIST JESUS."

   It is an understanding of God's grace to us in Christ that builds us up and makes us strong. Paul says,

   "But BY THE GRACE OF GOD I AM WHAT I AM: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: YET NOT I, BUT THE GRACE OF GOD WHICH WAS WITH ME" (I Cor. 15: 10).

   It was the grace of God that was Paul's strength -- and so it is with us. When we are allured or opposed by the world, the flesh and/or the devil, like Paul, let's be strong in the Lord, by faith taking our stand in what Scripture declares to be the present reality of our identity in Christ. This is where our strength lies. May we live commensurate with the way God sees us in Christ. That is why Paul says, "Be strong in the Lord." Be strong in the identity God has given us in Christ Jesus!

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LET'S LEAP INTO THE NEW YEAR 2013 KNOWING THAT

One GOD IS ENOUGH!


Not God and…but GOD!  God is enough. God alone.
If I have all else my heart would desire, and have not Him, I have nothing.
If I have Him and nothing more, I have everything.
My heart must be convinced of this. Only then can I live in peace.

Otherwise, there will always be something else I need urgently, desperately.
And this lack, this urgent need of filling this lack,
will forever drive me to distraction and destroy my rightful peace and rest,
my quietness and confidence in the Lord.

This doesn't mean I don't recognize other things that might be considered needs.
It's only that, while I may see them as good or desirable if within
God's will and purpose for me, I won't see them as ultimate needs,
because God, and God alone, is my only ultimate need.

And what He gives me, in the way and time He gives it, is fine with me.
For He alone is ultimately enough.  Enough for me.

Yes, I have what humans view as responsibilities.
But only those that are God-given are truly mine.
And they are not so much responsibilities as opportunities.
Opportunities to serve and please and give pleasure to the One
who is Himself all I need, and is increasingly, by His grace, all I want.


'The man said when we say, 'I wish you enough,' we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them.'  Then turning toward me, he shared the following as if he were reciting it from memory.

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear..
I  wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting.
I wish you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish  you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.
He then began to cry and walked away.

They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them; but then an entire life to forget them.
Share this with the people you will never forget.

TAKE  TIME TO LIVE.....
To  all my friends and loved ones,

I WISH YOU ENOUGH.

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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,)

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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Is the Bible Truly Trustworthy?
PART 1 OF 5
BY RICHARD JORDAN



In an age of uncertainty few questions are more important than the one suggested by the title above. Can we truly know that the Bible is God's Word-that it is actually the self-revelation of the Creator?

How can we be confident that what we hold in our hands today is a word outside of human thought? Is it possible to know for certain that we can base our lives on this book, because this book is really not a book of men, but a Book of God?

In short: Is there objective evidence that the Bible is of supernatural origin? The answer, frankly, is an emphatic yes! There is clear, specific, demonstrable proof that the Bible is entirely and completely unique. That objective proof is what we term predictive prophecy.

It only takes a moment of investigation to discover that there is no predictive prophecy in the Quran, the Bhagavad-Gita, the Vedas, the Vishnu, the writings of Confucius, etc. The only vessel that contains historically verifiable predictive prophecy is the Book of books, the Word of God-the Holy Bible.

We pause a moment to say to any reader concerned about the reliability and authority of the Bible, please carefully check out what follows. Fact-check every point by any secular authority you choose. Do not take our word for such an important issue. Verify these facts with history---not "Christian" history but history, period. Faith must rest on a solid foundation, one on which you can base your life and eternity.

AN ANCIENT PROPHECY

The Book of Micah was written some 700 years before the birth of Jesus Christ. Micah penned a predictive prophecy about the birthplace of Israel's coming Messiah. It is very specific. There is no doubt concerning what Micah was writing about:

"But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet OUT OF THEE SHALL HE COME FORTH UNTO ME THAT IS TO BE RULER IN ISRAEL; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting" (Mic. 5:2).

Clearly, Bethlehem Ephratah was to be the birthplace of the coming "ruler in Israel." Notice that the description Ephratah is added to specifically identify which Bethlehem was under discussion-there was another in the territory of Zebulun. This Bethlehem is the more insignificant of the two, its only "claim to fame" to that point resting in it being the birthplace of King David. But now its future prospects have changed!

Thus some 700 years before the birth of Jesus Christ, God clearly, unambiguously revealed to the prophet Micah the specific birthplace of Israel's coming Messiah.

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Is the Bible Truly Trustworthy?
PART 2 OF 5
BY RICHARD JORDAN


A CLEAR FULFILLMENT

Matthew 2 records the experience of the Wise Men coming to Jerusalem to worship "Him that is born king of the Jews." King Herod was upset by their inquiry and summoned the Jewish scholars, who knew their Scriptures well, to find out if they could identify the location of Messiah's birth. The record reads thusly:

"Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

    "Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
    "When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
    "And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
    "And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
    "And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel" (Matt. 2:1-5).

It is noteworthy that the immediate response of these Jewish leaders (who were Rabbinical to the core) was that Micah 5:2 clearly predicted the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. One obvious significance of this lies in the fact that long before there was ever a fight over Jesus being their Messiah; before there was any tension between Him and the Jewish leaders; before there was even any hint that that day had arrived, the 700 year old prediction of Micah was laid on the table.

Take note: This is Jewish---not Christian---testimony. Frankly, Jews do not provide evidence of Jesus being-their Messiah on purpose! All the more telling that they did so on the basis of the 700-year old prophesy by Micah.

As an aside, if the reader thinks such a date is simply Christian tradition, consider the following:
According to any secular history source you wish to consult, the Jewish Scriptures had been translated into the Greek language (a translation called the Septuagint) somewhere between 400 and 250 B.C.

If you are so critical that your mind will not allow the assertion from Jewish-Christian history that Micah lived and wrote in 700 B.C. then check secular history in anybody's book in any library anywhere in the world on the dates of the Septuagint. You will discover unanimous secular historical agreement that at a minimum of 250 years before the birth of Jesus Christ, the Hebrew Scriptures predicted the little village where He would be born.

This is unmistakable verification of the Bible being a book of extra ordinary origin, a book with manifestly "other-worldly" qualities. To include such details of history written in advance is a demonstration that the origin of the Bible is from outside our time domain. Its source is outside mere human thought.

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Is the Bible Truly Trustworthy?
PART 3 OF 5
BY RICHARD JORDAN


MAKING THINGS HAPPEN

In this regard, Luke 2 is a most astounding passage on the validity of the Bible.

    "And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
    "(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
    "And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
    "And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
    "To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
    "And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered" (Luke 2:1-6).

Think this through: Mary and Joseph lived in Nazareth. Jesus was conceived there and Mary had become "great with child" there. It was their hometown. But God had other plans for the birthplace of His son.

At just the right moment, the God of history used a pagan emperor to move Mary from her home in Nazareth over a hundred miles south to the little town of Bethlehem. Why? Because 700 years before He had said that His Messiah would be born in Bethlehem!

The question, again, is: What kind of a book are we dealing with? What kind of book can pin point out of a million possibilities, the very place of the Messiah's birth and do so hundreds of years before hand? What kind of a book would stir the God of history to intervene so dramatically to assure the fulfillment of one of its predictions?

This book is clearly not a "normal" book! It is not one of a series of religious books written by men. It is not something that the genius of humanity came up with. The only explanation is that it is the supernatural, inspired, authoritative Word of the God of history. That's not a leap of faith. That is just the fact of the matter.

AN IMPORTANT ANSWER

With the indisputable verification that Micah 5:2 provides for the supernatural nature of the Bible, we should be careful to notice this verse also answers a very important question: Who is Jesus Christ? Is He really God?

After identifying where the coming king was to be born, Micah then identifies him as the One "whose goings forth have been from old, from everlasting." Just as he predicted Messiah's birthplace, Micah proclaims Him to have been pre-existent in both time ("from old') and eternity ("from everlasting').

If one prediction is verifiably true, then it follows the other must be equally true. Jesus Christ did not come into existence at Bethlehem. Rather He is the pre-existent, eternal God, the Creator of all things (John 1:1-3, Eph. 3:9, Col. 1:15-17). He fully took upon Himself our humanity (sin apart), all the while being undiminished deity. This is the claim of Micah's prophecy, backed up by the historically assured veracity of the fulfillment of his predictions.

Here, then, is a Book we can trust. Not because of religious sentiment but because of its verifiable nature. And here, too, is a "smitten One"---"they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek," Micah 5:1 tells us of the coming One---whom we can trust because of the testimony of this Book.

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PAUL'S INVOCATION
By PAUL M. SADLER, Pastor

Scripture Reading: Romans 1:7

It is often our tendency as believers, when we pick up the Blessed Book, to just read the opening words to any given epistle casually. We are in such haste to get into the body of the letter, that we often overlook some of the precious gems that are found in the opening words. While Romans takes us from the "depths of sin" to the "Alps of salvation," the introduction to the writing sets us in the right direction for our ascent.

Paul, in verse 7 turns from a personal greeting to the saints at Rome to a declaration from Almighty God: "Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ." Take careful note, Grace to you and peace, not from Paul, but from God our Father. When God's people, Israel, stoned Stephen, thus resisting the Holy Spirit and rejecting their Messiah, according to prophecy, the Tribulation was to follow. The Tribulation is that period of seven years when God is going to make a declaration of war on the earth. God will speak to them in His anger and vex them in His sore displeasure, because of the world's rejection of the Anointed One (Psalm 2:1-12).

Just as the jaws of justice were about to close, God stopped the prophetic time clock at the stoning of Stephen. Instead of declaring war on the nations of the earth, He instead has turned to the world in grace and peace.

God's declaration of grace and peace is giving individual Gentiles an opportunity to be saved. That's why Paul announces to the world, " ... now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (II Corinthians 6:2). Not tomorrow! Why, tomorrow God may turn back to His declaration of war. Today, won't you believe Christ died and rose again and be saved, while God is still offering grace and peace.

[nChrist]

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DESERTS vs GRACE
by C. R. Stam


It is an interesting fact that in this day of godlessness and lawlessness so much is being said about what we all deserve! Ads in the newspapers and commercials on radio and TV ask:

"Don’t you deserve the very finest automobile?"

"Don’t your children deserve the best?"

"Doesn’t your baby deserve Pampers?"

And even, "Doesn’t your dog deserve Alpo?"

Well, do you really deserve the finest car? Please don’t answer that! Do your children deserve the best -- always? If so you surely have model children -- not at all like their parents! And does your baby deserve Pampers? That’s funny! And does your dog deserve Alpo? That’s ridiculous! Dogs do not "love" or obey you from any moral consideration, nor, for that matter, does your baby, lovable as the darling is. And as to you and your children -- including the baby, the Bible has something to say on this subject.

The Bible says that "by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men for that ALL have sinned [i.e., in Adam]" (Rom. 5:12). You and I were "in Adam" when he sinned. When he sinned, we sinned. Deny this and you might as well agree with the murderer who argued: "My feet and legs didn’t do it; my ears and nose didn’t do it; only my one hand and one or two other parts of my body did it, so the rest should go free."

We believers in Christ should thank God that our blessed Lord took upon Him our just deserts when He died for our sins at Calvary. This is why God’s Word says:

"We declare, I say, at this time, His righteousness for the remission of sins... that [God] might be just, and the Justifier of him that believeth in Jesus.

"Where is boasting then? It is excluded" (Rom. 3:25-27).