GRACE AND THE TRUTH - DAILY INSPIRATION

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"WITHOUT FORM AND VOID"
by Russell S. Miller


"I beheld the earth, and lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light" (Jeremiah 4:23).

The reason that "the earth" was "without form, and void" in this passage is not because God had created it that way. Rather the "fury" of His wrath had "come forth like fire" upon Palestine (Jer. 4:1-31). But some supposed the "without form, and void" in Genesis 1:2 is the result of His judgment! But how can this be! Sin had not entered until Adam's fall (Gen. 3:1-24). Satan was still "Lucifer, son of the morning", and had not yet "fallen from heaven" (Isa.14:12-17; Ezek. 28:13-19). Rather we believe that it is exactly as God's Word records creation:

"...AND THE SPIRIT OF GOD MOVED UPON THE FACE OF THE WATERS" (Gen. 1:2).

Thus, "In the beginning", upon the first day, when "God created the heaven and the earth" (Gen. 1:1) "without form, and void" (1:2), it was empty and desolate because He was not finished with His creation. And upon this "ocean" of His creative genius, He but spoke the words and His almighty power brought forth this beautiful earth in six successive days, as recorded in Genesis 1:1-31.

"THUS THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH WERE FINISHED, AND ALL THE HOST OF THEM. And on the Seventh Day God ended His work which He had...created and made" (Gen. 2:1-3).

Genesis One records the day by day account of the creation of heaven and earth. Otherwise "sin" would have "entered" the world before Adam which, of course, is not only unscriptural, but it is not even Pauline (Rom. 5:12).

However, as God commanded Nebuchadnezzar to march against Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, in Jeremiah's day (Jer. 4:6,7), so the Great Commander of all the Hosts of Heaven shall issue a counter declaration of war upon all mankind for its rejection of Christ. Revelation 19:11-16 describes "the King of kings, and Lord of lords" riding upon "a white horse...and in righteousness He doth judge and make war". But for now God has "good news" for you. He loves you with an everlasting love. This is why He sent Christ to die for our sins on Calvary.

The Apostle Paul preached that "the forgiveness of sin" (Eph. 1:7) is based upon the shed blood of our Redeemer, Saviour, Creator, and Friend; the Lord Jesus Christ.

"GOD IS FAITHFUL" and you can trust Him. He wants to save you from your sin. And, my friend, He will save you from "the wrath to come" also, if you will only believe Him (I Thes. 4:13-18.).

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The Hope of Glory
by Pastor C. R. Stam



      We are taught in Romans 5 that the believer in Christ receives justification, peace with God, access to God and the “hope,” or anticipation, of sharing His glory some day. God wants His children to enjoy this coming glory by faith, to live in eager anticipation of it.

How much there is to humiliate us in this life! God created man in His own image and likeness, but man sinned and fell from his exalted position. To Adam God said:

“Cursed is the ground because of thee; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life.”

Since that dreadful day man’s life has been a constant struggle. Everything tends to go wrong rather than right. Each has his share of trouble, sorrow, sickness and then — death, the greatest humiliation of all, when in sickness and pain, or at best in utter weakness, he must give up this life itself.

Sin and the fall! This is what modern science and philosophy fail to face up to. Most popular scientists and philosophers today hold that man has come up from the slime pit and the ape to modern man; that man is improving all the time. But the truth of God’s Word is that man has fallen through sin and is growing worse morally and spiritually until now he can kill more of his fellowmen faster than he ever could before.

But it is this fact, this fact of sin and the fall that God has so graciously provided for. He took all the suffering and shame, paid all the penalty for our sins, and then rose from the dead so that we might rejoice in the hope, the eager anticipation, of glory to come!

As St. Peter puts it in I Pet. 1:3:

“[He] hath begotten us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

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TRUTH WITH CONSEQUENCES
By Jim Roberts
Assistant Pastor of Peace Church Indiahoma, Oklahoma

Jonah is a great example of a man who was caught between his religion and the truth of Gods word. When God told Jonah to preach to the people of Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire, he had to decide whether to follow the call of God or follow the corrupt Jewish culture in which he lived. Jonah must have heard that the King of Assyria was extending his borders toward Israel, and being a prophet, he may have known that the Assyrian Empire would in a couple of hundred years destroy the nation of Israel. In Jonahs eyes and the eyes of his fellow countrymen, preaching to Nineveh could have been seen as an act of treason. Jonah thought he would rather die.

He bought a ticket to board a ship headed for the end of the known world. Along the way, Jonah was thrown overboard and ended up in the belly of a fish. After God miraculously saved Jonah from the belly of the fish, Jonah finally agreed to preach to Nineveh. After the city repented, Jonah went to the east side of the city even though Israel was to the west. Maybe Jonah did not want to go home. What if his fellow citizens heard about his ministry to Nineveh? Maybe he thought he would not be the most popular prophet in Israel.

The first lesson for us is that we must be careful about putting our patriotism above the Word of God. Jonahs fellow countrymen would have considered him a hero if he had been willing to die rather than save Nineveh. But Jonah was willing, after some not-so-gentle persuasion from God, to be a hero for the cause of Christ. Not only did he bring the entire city of Nineveh to its knees before God, but his experience in the belly of the fish became the greatest picture in all of the Bible of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. The Lord Jesus said to the Pharisees of His day:

An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. (Matt. 12:39-41)

The second lesson for us is that we must be careful about valuing our religion above the word of God. The religion of the Old Covenant Jews taught hatred for all Gentiles, but God not only saved the Gentiles of Nineveh from physical destruction, He saved them for all of eternity. Jesus said that those Ninevites will one day rise up in judgment against the Jews who rejected the Lord Jesus, and we can safely conclude that they will rise up in judgment against the Jews of Jonahs day as well. The Jews of Jonahs day and the Jews of Jesus day were victims of their own religion. Their religion made the false assumption that God hated certain people as much as they did. If they had known Gods Word, they would have known about Gods love for the Gentile nations. They would have known that God intended for the nation of Israel to be a testimony to the nations concerning Gods love and grace.

The Jews of Jonahs day were destroyed by the Assyrians, and the Jews of Jesus day were destroyed by the Romans, but there is a greater judgment that is yet to come. It is a judgment which will bring eternal separation from God to those who refuse to believe what God has said in His word. If you do not know the Lord Jesus as your personal Savior, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.

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"GOD HATH MADE"


God is a LIVING, LOVING God, and He is POWERFUL! He has done many wonderful things for us. Let's look at the scriptures and consider what God HATH MADE!

. God Hath Made The World
"He HATH MADE the earth by His power, He hath established the world by His wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by His discretion. When He uttereth His voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and He causeth the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; He maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of this treasures" Jeremiah 10:12,13.

. God Hath Made The Day
"This is the day which the Lord HATH MADE; we will rejoice and be glad in it" Psalm 118:24.

. God Hath Made The Seasons
"Thou has set all the borders of the earth: Thou HAST MADE summer and winter" Psalm 74:17.

. God Hath Made Man
"Know ye that the Lord, He is God; it is He that HATH MADE us, and not we ourselves" Psalm 100:3.

       . God Hath Made Known His Salvation
"The. Lord HATH MADE known His salvation; His righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen" Psalm 98:2.

        . God Hath Made Christ To Be Sin
"For He (God) HATH MADE Him (Christ) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him" II Corinthians 5:21.

       . God Hath Made US Accepted
"To the praise of the glory of His grace wherein He HATH MADE us accepted) in the Beloved (One)" Ephesians 1:6.

       . God Hath Made Us Partakers of the Inheritance
"Giving thanks unto the Father which HATH MADE us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light" Colossians 1:12.

       . God Hath Made Jew and Gentile One
"For He is our peace, who HATH MADE both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us" Ephesians 2:14.

      . God Hath Made Us Free From the LAW
"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ HATH MADE us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage" Galatians 5:1.

      . God Hath Made Us Wise
"Thou, through Thy commandments HAST MADE me wiser than mine enemies; for they are ever with me" Psalm 119:98.

       . God Hath Made Me Free From the Law of Sin and Death
"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus HATH MADE me free from the law of sin and death" Romans 8:2.

       . God Hath Made Us Able Ministers
"Who also HATH MADE us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the Spirit: for the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life" II Corinthians 32:6.

      . God Hath Made Us Joint Heirs With Christ
"And HATH raised us up together and MADE us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" Ephesians 2:6.

From beginning to end, God, the all-powerful One, the faithful One, HATH MADE complete provision for the child of FAITH!

Trust (rely upon, adhere to) the CRUCIFIED CHRIST as your sin-bearer! "Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree. . ." I Peter 1:24. "But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" Romans 5:8. "He was delivered for our offences and raised again on account of our justification" Romans 4:25.

Trust the RESURRECTED CHRIST as your New Life! "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I but Christ liveth in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me" Galatians 2:20.

Trust the GLORIFIED CHRlST to come again and catch us away". . .to meet the LORD in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord" I Thessalonians 4:17.

Sir Robert Anderson

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WHEN CHRIST SHALL APPEAR
By the late Pastor Bob Hanna


Scripture Reading: Titus 2: 13
   "When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory" (Colossians 3:4). When He shall appear to whom? The writer of this statement is the apostle Paul. He addresses the saints who are members of the church--which is the body of Christ. He assures us that "Our conversation [our citizenship] is in heaven; from whence we look for [expect] the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ" (Philippians 3:20). "Looking for [expecting] that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" (Titus 2: 13).

   The apostle is not speaking to the nation of Israel, the people of prophecy and promise. They have been set aside, and in this present dispensation "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28.). In other words, the Jew has no identification per se as a member of the body of Christ Ergo, the appearing which Paul defines is not the returning of the king of Israel.

   Sadly, many saints today are anticipating the wrong appearing. They are missing the joyful expectation of eternity in heaven-which is the portion of the members of Christ's body. "For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first; Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord" (I Thess. 4: 16,17).

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IT'S YOUR ATTITUDE


No, bless your heart, you haven't done anything to hurt my feelings.

      I would appreciate it, though, if you would give me a moment or two of your time. What I have to say is important and, who can tell, it might prove to be a wonderful turning point in your life. I well remember the day when, not only my outlook, but my whole direction in life was completely changed. What an experience! I've never ceased to thank God for it!

     I once thought, as many people do today-perhaps you do-that one must keep the law, the ten commandments, to please God and be sure of heaven. The law, I thought, was God's rule of life, given to help us to be good and gain heaven at last. How wrong I was! In fact God's Word tells us again and again, in the plainest language, that the law was not given to help us to be good, but to show us that we are bad and need a Savior.

     Romans 3:19 says that the law was given "that every mouth may be stopped and that all the world may become guilty before God." Chapter 5, Verse 20, of the same book says that "the law entered that the offense might abound" and Galatians 3:19 says "It was added because of transgressions." This is why we read in Romans 3:20:

"Therefore, by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His [God's] sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin."

      Friend, if you want to be saved from the just penalty of sin, remember this: There is one thing that God, as Judge of all, expects from you. He expects you to stop saying things in your own defense. It is not sin that keeps men out of heaven, it's their attitude. God, in His love, has made full provision for sin. He paid its penalty Himself But He has made no provision for a self-righteous attitude.

     Sometimes, you know, the defendant comes to the place where his attorney says to him: "It will be to your advantage to plead guilty and throw yourself upon the mercy of the court." This is exactly our position. How can we talk about our law-keeping when we are all so guilty of law-breaking? Keep defending yourself and God will never save you, for He will have no boasting in heaven-especially false boasting. But confess your guilt and throw yourself upon the mercy of God and He will graciously forgive and justify you through Christ. This is why St. Paul exclaimed to one of his audiences:

"Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man [Christ] is preached unto you THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS; and by Him all that believe are JUSTIFIED FROM ALL THINGS, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses" (Acts 13:38,39).

     Does this mean that it doesn't matter how we live: that the believer in Christ has a license to sin? By no means! Grace produces better living than the law ever did. In Romans 8:3,4 we read that Christ accomplished "what the law could not do":

"That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."

Similarly, we read in Titus 2:11,12:

"For the grace of God, that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men."Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world."

     Thanks for taking the time to read this. It is my earnest prayer that you will simply, but sincerely, trust Christ as your Savior and accept eternal life as the free gift of God, if you have not already done so.

"For there is no difference...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" (Rom. 10:12,13). "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord"  (Rom. 6:23)

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SERVICE OF SUFFERING
By Miles Stanford


"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Rom. 8:18.).

Physical, mental, and spiritual suffering are all involved to some degree in our matriculation.

"The idea is very common amongst Christians, that it is a great and wonderful thing to be 'mightily used of God.' 'Oh, to be a great evangelist! Oh, to be a great teacher!' That is an entirely false conception. The truth is that those who serve the Lord most truly go through the deepest suffering. You may have a more or less easy time. I do not want to dishearten you by saying it may not always be so, but if you really want to be greatly used of the Lord, remember it may be by a deeper discipline of the Lord." -T. A-S.

"Many have lived under blue skies from birth. To such I have a word. It is this: Fear not; no lover of our Lord will be overlooked. He knows where to find His willing hearts. Just give Him time. He will not refuse to His dearest the joy that is bathed in the dews of Gethsemane." -A.C.

"He shall not cry nor strive, nor let His voice be heard in the street.' There are very few servants of the Lord Jesus who, Samson-like, could kill a lion without letting everybody know of it. They would like a little notice of some kind. But the Lord Jesus made no parade; He would not have His good deeds blazed abroad. His doctrine dropped as the rain from heaven, and His speech as the gentle dew. He charged them that they should tell no man of His service. 'Verily, Thou art a God that hidest Thyself.' May we be willing to be hid, and to have our work known only by its effects, doing it not unto men, but unto our Father in heaven, Who sees in secret and shall reward us openly."---E.W.M.

"Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator" (1 Pet. 4:19).

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Sin's Sour Witness of God's Sweet Grace
By Steve McVey


Imagine God covering you with the palm of His hand. Surrounded by His protective grace, you are safe. Outside the hollow of His hand is a spiritual battle, a frenzy of evil swirling, churning up filth and corruption like an angry tornado in the middle of a landfill --- a violent storm that will not be stilled in the midst of a supply of garbage that will not be exhausted. But you are safe. After all, God covers you. You know what is going on around you in this wicked world, but it hasn't touched you.

Then, suddenly, in a moment for which you were not prepared, it seems that God lifts His hand. It is only for a moment. But in that brief moment, you are caught up in the evil that surrounds you like a child being snatched away by the updraft of a tornado's current. In that moment, you sin. It is a sin for which you will later be ashamed. But, for now, there is no shame. There is only the paradoxical experience of self-centered gratification filled simultaneously with intense pleasure and pallid emptiness.

Then, just as suddenly as the Hand seemed to lift, it covers you again. You come to your senses. You realize what you have done and are truly appalled. "How could I do that?" the recriminating voice of accusation screams within you. Filled with self-loathing and confusion, you begin to wonder if you really know yourself at all.

Satan couldn't lay a finger on Job until God first lifted His protective hand just long enough for him to get at him. Why does God do such a thing? Why will He allow us fail, when we have repeatedly asked Him to "lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil?" Why will He at times say to Satan about us, "What he has is in your power" (Job 1:12)? In other words, why does God allow us to be overtaken by sin at times?

Perhaps one reason why God allows us to make sinful choices is to show us what we would be apart from His enduring grace in our lives. Have you sinned miserably? Are you filled with an awareness of your own failures? Take heart. God is still in control. Don't think you're that much worse off than those you know who haven't made the same kind of foolish choices as yourself.
Squeaky clean elder brothers who have never even read the brochure about the far country, let alone rented a house there, run inherent risks of their own. Don't misunderstand, no one would advocate prodigal choices for a number of reasons. Not the least of which is the fact that it suffocates the very thing it pretends to offer --- life.

On the other hand, there is something to be said about the difference between the way grace is recognized and appreciated by prodigal sons and their pious brothers. Prodigals weep in their father's arms, overwhelmed by a forgiveness and acceptance which is given before even so much as an apology is offered. Their self-righteous brothers, however, are too busy tallying their own score card to even recognize that their brother "who was dead ... has begun to live" (Luke 15:32) .

It is in our moments of desperation and hopelessness caused by sin that we become motivated to look toward our Father. It is at those moments that God likes to show up and show off. Running toward us with outstretched arms and tear stained cheeks, He laughs out loud as He embraces us, still covered with the stench of dried pig manure. He kisses our cheek and cries out in glee with a voice that reverberates throughout the universe, "My child is home! My child is home!"

When a son of God has been in the far country and then comes home to that reception, something in him is forever changed. He can never quite be the same again. An internal adjustment takes place that somehow brings things into focus in a way never known until now. The awe of having been totally accepted, tenderly embraced and then completely restored lays hold on an ex-prodigal's soul with a grip that will forever refuse to be broken.

There is a sense in which your sins are a testament of what you would be without God. It's an ugly sight, so look away from your sins and look to your Heavenly Father. Call upon Him and then trust Him to protect you from sin's pull. Cry out to Him when you feel the updraft of temptation in your life. He is sufficient for every temptation you will ever face.

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EQUIPPING THE SAINTS
by Pastor Robert N. Renberg Jr.

In this day and age of grace, God has given to His Church, the body of Christ, gifted leaders. Their primary aim is to teach sound doctrine and to preach Christ as contained in the Mystery, the revelation given to and through the Apostle Paul.

However, God's purpose for these men, who are referred to as "pastor-teachers" in Ephesians 4:11, is not just for them to be cold, didactic expounders of the Scriptures alone. His purpose is for the pastor-teacher to be equipping the saints for ministry (diakonia). The Word of God is alive and powerful (Heb. 4:12), and, taught correctly, it has the ability to produce in its hearers an echo that reverberates to those around (1 Thess. 1:8.).

For many years, the basic layman had the attitude, Let those who are trained do the work of ministering, and he came to church only on Sunday mornings to get a weekly "fill-up." As we come to God's Word, however, this reasoning does not hold up under the light of the gospel. In writing to the "saints and faithful ones in Christ Jesus" in the Book of Ephesians, the Apostle Paul sets forth the type of men that have been given to the Body as gifts. In Ephesians 4:11, this list of gifted men is given. We want to further develop the thought and intent of the Holy Spirit in verse 12 concerning the "work of ministry."

The goal of the pastor-teacher is to equip the saints for a specific purpose. This purpose is the "work of the ministry" or "work of ministering." It was never our heavenly Father's intent to have only certain ones in the body of Christ do all the work. In fact, we find in First Corinthians 12 that, just as in our physical body, every member has a vital role to play. Much more in the Body of Christ every member is a necessary part to a smooth functioning organism.

On what then is the focus of the pastor-teacher to be centered? Is he to be running all the various departments and all programs of the local assembly, plus do all the visitation, organize all special events, do all the emergency counseling, and all the other administrative functions? When does he make time for his real focus, the study of God's Word, which is a prerequisite for teaching the Scriptures?

The pastor-teacher must be a trainer and example to his people through teaching the Word and personal discipleship. Then as the various ministries are established, leaders are established also. Being confident with this leadership, the pastor can move on to spearhead the other needed ministries, still having time to do those pastoral functions and study God's Word. Therefore, he is still able to bring out the truth of the Scripture in a clear, concise and applicable way so that the Holy Spirit can motivate others to "the work of ministry. "

While it might not be the flashiest and quickest way to motivate the hearers, teaching the literal intended meaning of the New Testament writers in a verse by verse method is by far the best way to produce grounded and foundationed saints. These believers are then motivated by the Holy Spirit, not the flesh, to do the work of ministering.

As a pastor-teacher, I am constantly looking at how I can involve the other members to do these very things, and it has been my privilege to see others picking up in areas that need special attention, but that are often overlooked because they are considered of lesser importance by some. God simply needs saints who are available and willing. Be assured that when you desire to be used, He will give you a "work of ministry" that will bring glory and honor to His name!

"And whatsoever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord you shall receive the reward of the inheritance, for you serve the Lord Christ." (Col. 3:23,24)

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THE PRICE OF UNBELIEF
By the late Pastor Bob Hanna


Scripture Reading: Revelation 20:15

The fundamental principle of the requirement for salvation has always, in every dispensation, been belief in God - on His terms. "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness" (Galatians 3:6). "It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe" (I Corinthians 1:21). "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

But there is a dark side: "He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God" (John 3:18.). "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned" (Mark 16:16). Christ warned of the day that He will return in judgment and vengeance. "HE shall set the sheep [the saved] on His right hand, but the goats [the lost] on the left. Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal" (Matthew 25:33,41,46).

True to His promise, when the Lord returns, "In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ" (II Thessalonians 1:8.). He will seal the doom of the wicked. They will finally appear before the Great White Throne, and be judged and "cast into the lake of fire" (Revelation 20:15).

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KNOW TO GROW
By M. Stanford



"And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent" (John 17:3).

The heartbreaking knowledge of self brings a life-giving compensation, which is knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. The needs generated by the realization of the sin of self produce the necessary motivation and hunger which cause us to focus upon the Lord Jesus and become conformed to His image. "And we all, while with face unveiled we behold in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are ourselves transformed continually into the same likeness" (II Cor. 3:18, Cony.).

"Many a new believer has obtained relief in his conscience from his sins, because of faith in the Blood of Jesus Christ; that is, he does not see further than Romans 3. He has faith in the work of Christ, but has not yet come in faith to Christ. He is like the woman who touched the hem of His garment, assured of His work but not yet acquainted with Himself." - ].B.S.

"It is one thing to believe on the Lord Jesus, to be born again, to be saved. That is a glorious thing as a beginning, but it alone will not take you right through all you have to meet; and if you are really in the Lord's hands He will see to it that by virtue of need you are drawn into knowing more and more of His Son. It is the normal course of a true, Holy Spirit-governed Christian life that, in order to get through, an increase of Christ, a growing discovery of Christ, is necessary." - T.A-S.

"That I may know Him" (Phil. 3:10).

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WITH CHRIST
By  Pastor Paul Hume


There is a well-known Negro spiritual which begins with these words: 'Were you there when they crucified my Lord?' The immediate answer is 'No, I wasn't there.' But after deeper reflection we have to answer differently, 'Yes, I was therein the person of Jesus Christ.'

  'How do you arrive at that?' we inquire. The Word of God-especially in the epistles of Paul-sets forth a marvelous truth. It centers in another 'big-little' word. This word is 'with.'

  When Christ was crucified, we were crucified 'with Him.' When Christ died, we died 'with Him.' When He was buried, we were buried 'with Him.' Then when He arose from among the dead, we were raised 'with Him.' When He ascended and passed through the heavens, we ascended 'with Him.' When He took His seat at the right hand of the Majesty on High, we were seated together 'with Him.' When He appears in His glory, we will also 'appear with Him in glory.' Then the promise is that if we 'endure, we shall also reign with Him' (2 Timothy 2:12).

  Now all of this speaks not so much of our union with Christ as our association with Christ. We were 'with Him' in His death, burial, resurrection and enthronement. We are 'with Him' in His glorified life now. We shall be 'with Him' in the ages to come. This is glorious 'positional truth.' But what about the experiential side of this blessed truth? How does this affect my daily life here on earth?

  It means that by faith, based on the divine facts. I reckon myself to have died with Christ unto sin and 'the elements of the world' (Romans 6: 2-11; Gal.  2:20); to have been buried with Christ in death (Colossians 2: 12); to have been 'quickened together with Christ (Ephesians 2:1,5); to have been 'raised up together' with Christ (Eph. 2:6); to have been 'made to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.' (Ephesians 2:6.) God has already accomplished these feats, and it is up to each one of us to believe what God has spoken and to rest upon them.'

  Then it also means that I presently share in the very life of Christ. We are 'saved by His life' (Romans 5:10). We have been called 'unto the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord' (1 Corinthians 1:9). This involves communing with Him, meditating in His Word of Truth, engaging in praise and prayer and drawing wisdom, grace and strength from Him. It means also not only to suffer for Him, but to 'suffer with Him' (Romans 8:17). Only His grace can enable us to do this, since we naturally are averse to suffering. But what eternal rewards will be ours if we do so!

  Finally, it means to walk with Him 'in newness of life.' 'How can two walk together, except they be agreed?' (Amos 3:3.) As we daily 'trust and obey' we can walk together in every circumstance, and experience what one hymn writer states, 'It is glory just to walk with Him!'

  You are not only 'in Christ' but 'with Christ' today?

[nChrist]

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ME, MYSELF, AND I
By Miles Stanford

"Oh, wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" (Rom. 7:24).

While both are essential, it is far more difficult to get to know the old man than it is to know the Lord Jesus. Many who know something of Him, know little or nothing of themselves.

"There is not a more difficult lesson in the Christian life than to come to a true knowledge of what the flesh is. Its terrible power, its secret and universal rule, and the blinding it exerts in keeping us from the knowledge of what it is, are the cause of all our sin and evil. Hence it comes that so few really believe in their absolute inability to obey God or to believe in His love. And there is nothing that can deliver us from it but that entire willingness to die to the old man, which comes when by faith we understand that we have died in Christ Jesus." ---A.M.

"It seems that God's Spirit has to take every growing believer through a drastic process of self-exposure. That fleshly principle lurking within has to be looked in the face. Its presumptuous claim to be a sufficient source of wisdom and ability has to be exposed in its big lie. Its save-yourself attitude has to be recognized and rejected. And such knowledge can only come through failure, humiliation and despair." ---N.G.

"If you come to feel, through ever-recurring misery and defeat, that unless Another shall lead you into the land of fruitful obedience your whole Christian career will be a spiritual and moral chaos, then perhaps you are ready to venture your all upon your union with the Lord Jesus in His death and resurrection."

"There is no joy like that of realizing our nothingness, while at the same time reposing upon the Father's all-sufficiency."

"I thank God through Jesus Christ, our Lord" (Rom. 7:25).

[nChrist]

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Eternal Life, The Gift of God
By Russell S. Miller



Suppose I knew of a financial benefactor who was giving away one million dollars to every one that personally contacted him. I told my parents about this, and they collected their million; my sisters collected theirs, after I told them of course; and my brothers-in-law all received their generous portions. Of course I told my wife, and every one in her family, about it. All our relatives, friends, and many, many strangers contacted this gracious benefactor as per instructions, and received their million dollars.

But I never told you!

What would you think about my actions in this matter, if I had not told you about this wonderful gift? Would you not have a right to be very angry with me and wonder why you were left out?

Now please do not think that I am angry with any one, for such thinking could not be farther from the truth. No, not at all.

This is an illustration of what God seeks to convey to a lost and dying world. Only it's not a mere million dollars, nor is it billions of dollars that we are discussing here. It is a portrait of the love of Christ:

"But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:8.).

The Lord does not promise earthly wealth, but He has promised "eternal life" to all who will believe on His Son, worth more than all the money in all the world:

"For the wages of sin is death; but THE GIFT OF GOD is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom. 6:23).

Yes, my dear friend, I trust that you also can now see how important, how really important, this gift is that God wants to give you!

The Apostle Peter describes the gift of God as more valuable than the precious metals that men covet after.

"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

"But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot" (I Pet. 1:18,19).

The Bible clearly teaches that we are all "sinners" (Rom. 3:23), lost and dying, and in desperate need of the "Savior" (Titus 1:4). Jesus Christ, of course, is our only Savior. There is no other Savior for mankind. If you miss Him, you will have missed everything! This is why the Apostle Paul declared that salvation can only be obtained by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ:

"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" (Eph. 2:8,9).

"Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in once into the Holy Place, having obtained eternal redemption for us" (Heb. 9:12).

This is also why the Apostle Paul exhorts us to trust Christ as our Savior:

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved..." (Acts 16:31).

[nChrist]

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PERSONAL CHRISTIANITY
By Miles Stanford

"That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection" (Phil. 3:10a).

Fellowship with the written Word is the foundation, and fellowship with the living Word is the superstructure, for spiritual growth.

"While Martha was cumbered about much serving, and her love, most true in its way, went forth in actively providing for the Lord's outward need, Mary, unconsciously perhaps, proved her stronger faith and deeper love by sitting at His feet and drinking in His words. The thought of Martha's heart was, What a feast I must give the Messiah, when I receive Him at my home!

"Mary, on the contrary, felt that the best feast for Him, and for herself, was to receive and treasure up all she could from Him -- to see, and hear, and be with Him. If we are learning thus from the Lord Jesus, we honor and please Him incomparably more than by anything we think to confer upon Him. In the long run, too, it is the listening at His feet which best fits for the most acceptable worship and service." ---J.N.D.

"We should ever remember that Christianity is not a set of opinions, a system of dogmas, or a number of views; it is preeminently a living reality --- a personal, practical, powerful thing, telling itself out in all the scenes and circumstances of daily life, shedding its hallowed influence over the entire character and course, and imparting its heavenly tone to every relationship which one may be called of God to fill.

"In a word, it is that which flows from being associated and occupied with the Lord Jesus. This is Christianity. There may be clear views, correct notions, sound principles, without any fellowship with the Lord Jesus in glory; but an orthodox creed without communion with Him will prove to be a cold and barren thing." ---C.H.M.

"And the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death" (Phil. 3:10b).