GRACE AND THE TRUTH - DAILY INSPIRATION

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THE APOSTASY 
PART 2 OF 3
by Dr. Harry Bultema (1884 - 1952)



What is this Apostasy?

I first want to state clearly what it is not. It is not the individual falling away of a believer or of many believers. Our life is hid with Christ in God, and from that treasure spot Satan and all hell can never dig it out. We read in fact that Christ Himself is our life (Col. 3:3-4), hence if our life were to be lost, our Christ would have to be forever lost, and this is utterly unthinkable.

Second, this apostasy does not mean that the Church will fall in ruins. Many speak of the Church this way but this is unscriptural pessimism for the Church cannot be ruined, since it is the habitation of God in the Spirit.
 
Third, this apostasy does not lie in the past as e.g. in the persecution under the Caesars, or in the Constantinian lapse into proud ecclesiasticism, or into Popedom, or into the Mohammedan swerving from the truth, because Paul clearly has his eagle's eye on the future things of the end time.
 
Finally this apostasy must not be sought in the mighty bulwarks of heathendom or Buddhism, Brahmanism, or Shintoism, because the apostle is clearly thinking of the sphere of Christendom. This word has been so little understood because Evolutionism with its gospel of advancement and progress and Postmillennialism with its unscriptural optimism have done their share to close the eyes for this unpalatable truth of Scripture. Most Christians, if thinking of the future at all, think of it as a climax, a rising line to be culminated in a happy man made world. Have we not fought two world wars to make a bright and joyous and a warless world full of freedom and plenty? All this makes it hard even for the Bible believer to fully grasp the apostasy of which the apostle is here thinking.
 
The definite article shows that he is thinking of a definite and clearly revealed apostasy. The Scriptural idea is that before the Lord reveals Himself to Israel and the world, there will be an open rebellion against His truth. Ere the nations will fight Him in Armageddon, they will generally fight His truth on earth, and it is this general decline from and antipathy to His truth that is called The Apostasy. It is a hostile standing away from the truth by those who had it in the Bible, now translated in a thousand tongues. This Apostasy will be a "not obeying the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ," by Jew and Gentile, a not receiving of the love for the truth. It is a most remarkable fact that in the last half century we see a parallel movement in Judaism and Christendom. The Jews have in the majority broken with Moses and the Prophets, and those who bear the name of Christ have completely swerved away from the truth of the Gospel, and both Jews and Gentiles now try to find each other in a bloodless humanitarian gospel of brotherhood!
 

“Faith is unutterable trust in God, trust which never dreams that He will not stand by us.”
 
— Oswald Chambers

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From Grace And The Truth Ministries

If this devotion has been a blessing to you, please share it with others. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.

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

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THE APOSTASY
PART 3 OF 3
by Dr. Harry Bultema (1884 - 1952)


 
In my own mind, I am fully convinced that this is part of the predicted Apostasy, which shall sweep everything before it, except those who are rooted and grounded in Christ. The apostle thought of this when he warned in Ephesians 6:13 to take on the panoply of God, that the saints may be able to "withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand." So strong will be the pressure from hell that even with the all-armor of God the believer can only withstand and stand in that evil day of apostasy. Certainly this age has always been evil, but that is not the question; at the end of this age there will be special evils, so we have been clearly taught.
 
The same apostasy is in view in I Timothy 4:1; "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron. " He has the same thing in mind in 6:20,21, where we read: "0 Timothy keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: which some professing have erred concerning the faith" - "This know also that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof; from such turn away" (2 Tim. 3:1-5). As Jannes and Jambres of old withstood Moses, so do these apostates withstand the truth. They are corrupt and reprobate concerning the faith. These apostates wax worse and worse. They will not endure sound doctrine. They turn their ears away from the truth and turn unto fables of Higher Criticism and Evolutionism, and all sorts of old wives fables. Thus, this apostasy has been clearly delineated in its rise, character, and result. As to its rise, it will be a movement away from the historic faith in the last days of this age, which synchronize with the last days of the Times of the Gentiles. As to its character, it will be antichristian; against the truth and against the ancient standards of morality, just as we see it in our day. The very foundations of our so called Christian society and civilization are shaking and subsiding. Many leaders have forsaken the Word, and as Jeremiah said of old, what wisdom is there left? As to its result, this apostasy will bring forth the Antichrist, and this dark some personality demands our attention next, and we shall see that the devil himself is the source, substance, sum and summation of it all. The Apostasy and the Antichrist shall come to their frightful climax.

My dear friend, if I would ask you where you expect to spend your winter or summer vacation you would give me a candid reply, but if I ask you, in the name of the crucified, coming Christ, where you will spend your eternity, what will then your answer be? You are offered at this very moment the gift of salvation in Christ; will you receive it? If you refuse this gift you cannot escape the damnation of hell (Matthew 23:33). The door of God's grace and glory is wide open with an invitation to enter in. Oh, do not refuse the Savior, but receive Him now as the gift of God's love and then you shall rejoice, even when soon this world will be wrapped in the flames of judgment. Come as you are and come just now!

God is the great reality. His resources are available and endless.
His promises are real and glorious, beyond our wildest dreams.
J. B. Phillips

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From Grace And The Truth Ministries

If this devotion has been a blessing to you, please share it with others. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.

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

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NO WORD, NO TRUTH
By M. Stanford


"Without faith it is impossible to please Him" (Heb. 11 :6).


Rationalism defies God; Ritualism degrades God.

"With Rationalism's intellectual audacity on the one hand, which dares to speak against the Word of God; and on the other hand, the outward piety of Ritualism - ---there is really the same root of infidelity at bottom. There is the supplanting of the plain truth of the inspired Word. Both get rid of it, depriving the soul of that which is the only means of a living link between God and man.

"It does not matter what the means or forms may be, whether the negative process of Rationalism, or the more positive claim of Ritualism: if man comes in -- whether it be his rites or his reasonings -- so as to exclude God's Word, or step between its authority and the soul of man, it becomes pretty much the same result in the end.

"Rationalism is the deification of human powers, in which man presumes by his own mind to judge the Word of God, and is therefore the infidelity of the intellect when either carried out to its results or judged in its principle.

"On the other hand Ritualism is the infidelity of the imagination, very often with piety underneath it, with a love for the Saviour that may preserve from the full consequences of the system, but in itself always savoring of and tending to idolatry.

"We cannot know the value of Christ the Truth unless we have the Spirit of Truth. Nevertheless, the test of having the Spirit of Truth, and of not being a prey to fanaticism, is that the soul is attracted and subject to the Lord Jesus Christ --- and this cannot be without faith produced and nourished by the Word of Truth." -W.K.

"Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Rom. 10: 1 7).

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From Grace And The Truth Ministries

If this devotion has been a blessing to you, please share it with others. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.

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

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"KNOWING GOD'S WILL"
By late Pastor Lloyd Peterson


We need to understand how to apply grace to the decision-making process of our lives. When grace rules a person's life his perspective changes on everything. He begins to understand that every detail of life flows from his relationship with God. Grace means that God does it all. We simply receive from Him, cooperating with the Holy Spirit by trusting Him moment by moment. To walk in grace doesn't mean that we are passive In matters of daily living. To the contrary, it means that we act in confidence, resting In the fact that it is God who will initiate, perpetuate, and consummate His plan for our lives.

Many believers fall short of the joy God intends for them because they fall to understand how His grace acts on our behalf to being to pass the wonderful plan He has for us. God has an awesome plan for your life. It isn't a cookie-cutter plan, either. He designed a special agenda that was uniquely created just for you. Before you were ever born, He saw you and customized His plan for your lifetime. (Ps.139:16) One of the greatest joys in life is knowing that you are experiencing the very purpose for which you were created. Fulfilling the will of God Is not some elusive goal that can never be reached. It Is possible for Christians to enjoy the experience of knowing that we are in the very center of God's purpose.

The starting point for understanding the will of God must be grace. The legalist asks, "What is the will of God for me?" The will of God is not primarily a plan, but instead is a Person. Jesus Christ is the will of God. When one rightly relates to Him, doing the will of God becomes the natural result of our union with Him.

Many Christians act like a deist* when it comes to God's will. They look for God to show them his will so that they can then go out and do it.

So under grace, it isn't the Christian's duty to find God's will, but rather God will reveal His will to the one who rests in Him.  A person ruled by law will pursue God's will with sincerity and yet never be confident that he has discovered it. One who enjoys intimacy with Jesus will know it without struggling to find it.

* A Deist, basically recognizes very little personal interaction between God and has empowered the car (earth) to run, and now it is up to many where he drives it and how he runs it.

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From Grace And The Truth Ministries

If this devotion has been a blessing to you, please share it with others. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.

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

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" SONSHIP "
By M. Stanford

 
"You really need some one to teach you over again the very rudiments of the truths of God.......Such persons are mere babes" (Heb.5:12,13, Wey.).

When it comes to spiritual growth, sooner or later the thought arises, "Surely the work of the Cross produced more than this!" It surely did! Now you are on the march for the Father's very best as it is in Christ Jesus.

"Sonship represents growth unto fullness and maturity. It is quite a good thing to be a babe while babyhood lasts, but it is a very bad thing to be a babe when that period is past. This is the condition of many Christians. While sonship is inherent in birth, in the New Testament sense sonship is growth to maturity. With this growth comes the greater fullness of the Lord Jesus and the abundant spiritual wealth unto which we were saved. It is a matter not so much of that from which we were saved, as of that unto which we were saved. The grand climax of the new creation is 'the revealing of the sons of God (Rom. 8:19)."-T.A-S.

"It is one thing to drop off or renounce certain things, and quite another to be engrossed with the right thing. Monks renounce much, but they are not occupied with the glorified Lord Jesus Christ. It must be not only 'forgetting those things which are behind,' but also reaching out unto the things that are before. It is that which you give yourself to, not what you have abandoned, that colors you and which imparts character to you." --J.B.S.

"Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Cor. 5:17).

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From Grace And The Truth Ministries

If this devotion has been a blessing to you, please share it with others. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.

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

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PEACE AND REST
By Miles Stanford
 

"The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me" (Ps. 138:8 ).

After the believer enters into life by faith, he wonders why it was so difficult for him to see that it was all of grace - the humble reception of a finished work. And yet he goes through the faithless struggle once again before he sees that his daily Christian life is also a finished work-complete in Christ.

"God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord" (I Cor. 1:9). What believers need is the simple faith that the establishing in Christ, day by day, is God's work - a work that He delights to do, in spite of all our weakness and unfaithfulness, if we will but trust Him for it. To the blessedness of such faith, and the experience it brings, many can testify. What peace and rest, to know that there is a Husbandman who cares for the branch, to see that it grows stronger; who watches over every hindrance and danger, who supplies every needed aid!

"What peace and rest, fully and finally to give up our abiding into the care of the Father, and never have a wish or thought, never to offer a prayer or engage in an exercise connected with it, without first having the glad remembrance that what we do is only the manifestation of what Our Father is doing in us! The establishing in Christ is His work: He accomplishes it by stirring us to watch, and wait, and work." - A.M.

"Now He which stablisheth us with you in Christ, ... is God" (II Cor. 1:21).

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From Grace And The Truth Ministries

If this devotion has been a blessing to you, please share it with others. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.

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

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PROFIT
By Miles Stanford

"Heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ-sharing His inheritance with Him; only we must share His suffering if we are to share His glory" (Rom. 8:17, Amp.).

The term "profit and loss" is reversed in the Christian life to "loss and profit." The principle never varies: our losses are all in the realm of the old, never the new. Every loss in the life of self brings greater gain and profit in the new --- our life in Christ. And, conversely, every gain for the self-life is loss for our growth and His glory. "But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ" (Phi1.3:7).

"It is not the design of God to deprive His children of happiness, but only to pour the cup of bitterness into that happiness which the believer has in anything outside of Christ." - F.F.

"Everything that tries us, that is a check upon us, that causes exercise of heart, and makes us sensible of weakness in ourselves, is of the nature of chastisement (child-training). It may come in the way of difficulties in the path of faith; or in the shape of such trials and sorrow as are common to all men---loss of property, loss of health, or bereavement; or it may be as the governmental consequences of sin; but in one way or other all have it. It is 'for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness' (Heb. 12:10). That is, it serves to break down that which is not of God in us, that the life of the Lord Jesus might be made manifest." - C.A.C.

"When He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold" (Job 23:10).

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From Grace And The Truth Ministries

If this devotion has been a blessing to you, please share it with others. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.

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

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"NOT ASHAMED"
By Pastor L. Peterson, now
home with our Lord


There have been times in our Christian experience when we have been ashamed to make our true identity known. This could be the result of our conduct at the time or because of the presence of unbelievers. Perhaps like Peter in his experience we were completely outnumbered and would have been put on the spot had we made known our identity. Really, like it or not, for the moment it amounts to having been ashamed of our Saviour. This is an awful thing, and as a result we like Peter after such denial. weep and seek the Master's forgiveness.

How often the Saviour has had occasion to be ashamed of us. But never so. The writer of Hebrews states, 'He is not ashamed to call us brethren.' I How is this possible and why is it so? One reason is found in 'this verse: 'He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one.'

The Scriptures teach us that there is a mystical union (wrought by the Holy Spirit) between Christ and the believer. 'For we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones.' I Eph. 5:30. The Saviour loves His body. Ephesians again testifies that He 'nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church.' Eph. 5:29. It is because of this union 'He is not ashamed to call them brethren.'  Think of it, dear Christian, the creator and sustainer of the universe loves us so much that He is never ashamed of us. This includes all of us. Paul wrote to the Corinthian church and said that even the members of the body that seem to be more feeble are necessary. See. I Cor. 12:22. This is no encouragement to give way to careless living. This is, a motivating force for a closer walk with the Lord.

Another reason also for his not being ashamed to call us brethren is that 'He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust.'  Psalm 103:14. I shall never cease to thank God for this wonderful portion of His Word. May I tell you why? In my day I've seen a lot of dust around the country. I have yet to, find any that has had much of value as far as any intrinsic force is concerned. Verse 14 of this same chapter in Hebrews says, 'Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same.'  Again in verse 17, 'Wherefore , in all things it behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren.'  Therefore, it is written again, 'We have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities.' Heb. 4:15. This is the reason for His not being ashamed 'to call us brethren.'  Oh, how the Lord loves us. We should never lose sight of this fact. It is so easy to become discouraged these days and particularly, so if we give an honest appraisal of ourselves. Yet the Lord does not want us to be like that. We should look at ourselves as in union with Him.

Do you have troubles and are you often disappointed with yourself? Keep before you, dear child of God, that your Lord and Master does not sit in judgment to punish you. He rather is seated at the right hand of God the Father and is in sympathy with you.

As I bring this little message to a close I call to your attention two words in Hebrews. One is in chapter 4, verse 15 (previously quoted in this message). It is the word 'touched.' It really is 'sympathy.' Again in verse 2 of chapter 5 we have the English word 'compassion.' This too, is the word 'sympathy' in the Greek. The message is simple: He can and does have sympathy for us, and, 'like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For He knoweth our frame, He remembereth that we are dust.' Don't expect too much of yourself, dear friend, and you won't be disappointed so much. In fact, don't expect anything of yourself, for in your flesh (dust) 'dwelleth no good thing. '

You may expect something from the Lord, however, as He works in and through you 'for it is God who worketh in you both to will and to do.'

Thank you, dear Lord, for never being ashamed of us to call us brethren; help us never to be ashamed of you and to make our identity known.

Amen and love,

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From Grace And The Truth Ministries

If this devotion has been a blessing to you, please share it with others. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.

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

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JOHN 1:5
by Pastor Jim Krieg

As a person endeavors to teach God's Word to a Sunday school class or some other large group, he may run into the difficulty of different translations. To remedy this I would never recommend that we all hold to only one translation as sacred. There is no perfect translation. I also would not suggest comparing many translations and pronouncing the majority opinion as correct. Each of us as believers needs to increase our own scholarship and discernment of the Scriptures.
 
I was recently reminded of some difference in the translations in John 1:5 and decided to take a closer look at the word translated by some as comprehend and by others as overcome.
 
John is speaking of the Word being God and life and light. In verse 5 he says, "And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not  katalambano it." What is the darkness not able to do to the light? Let us take a concordance and look at the other places this word is used in the New Testament.

First of all we see that it is a compound Greek word from the preposition "kata"  meaning down, and the verb  "lambano" meaning to take or receive. Notice that in this word the verb and the preposition compliment each other, thereby intensifying the meaning of "lambano" alone. Thus, the basic meaning would be to really take. Now let us observe the word used throughout the New Testament and see how the basic meaning is shaded by different contexts.
 
In Acts 4:13 the Jewish council took down in a mental sense, and hence, understood, or or had comprehension that Peter and John were scholastically untrained men. As Peter again stood before the Jewish council having witnessed the events at Cornelius' house, he said, "I truly understand that God is not a respecter of persons" (Acts 10:34). In Ephesians 3:18, Paul prays that they might be able to comprehend, or understand the breadth, length, height, and depth of God's Word (cf. also Acts 25:25).
 
So we see that comprehend is a bona fide translation of this word when used in a mental sense. But Paul uses "katalambano " in a different sense also. In First Corinthians 9:24, Paul says that a person runs in order that he might take down in a positive, physical sense, and hence obtain the prize. Although the basic meaning of take down is still the same, a translation of comprehend would not make sense in this context as also Philippians 3:12, 13, and Romans 9:30, where obtain is the preferred translation.
 
But again we see this word being used in a negative, physical context in Mark 9:18. A father brings his son to the disciples saying he was held by a dumb spirit, and when that spirit would take him down  i.e., in a negative sense, the boy would smash to the ground, foaming and gnashing his teeth. We see here that the spirit took hold of and overpowered him.
 
Paul uses this word in a similar vein in First Thessalonians 5:4, where he speaks of believers not being overcome by the day of the Lord as a thief overcomes his victims.
 
Actually we see John using our word in John 12:35 again in respect to darkness (skotia) as in John 1:5. He quotes Jesus as exhorting His followers to "Walk as you have the light lest the darkness might overcome [katalambano] you."

In light of these observations, especially as used in similar contexts, we can concur that the idea being brought out in John 1:5 is that the darkness is not able to overcome, overpower, or overtake the light which is Christ.

We see John teaching a great principle of grace along with Paul that believers who are rescued out of the darkness of sin and placed in the light of Christ, can live without the dread of being overpowered by the powers of darkness. (John 8:12; 9:5; 12:46; Rom. 13:12; Eph. 5:8-9; Col. 1:12; 1 Thess. 5:5)

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From Grace And The Truth Ministries

If this devotion has been a blessing to you, please share it with others. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.

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

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THE RAPTURE & THE REVELATION
By Pastor Joel Finck

Scripture Reading: Matthew 25:31;
I Thessalonians 4:16, 17

As we "rightly divide the word of truth" (II Timothy 2:15), one of the key distinctions that emerges is the difference between the rapture and the second coming of Christ. Bible teachers have long mixed the two and have lead their hearers into needless confusion.
 
The second coming of Christ (also known as the "revelation" of Jesus Christ) was prophesied throughout the Old Testament, and it involves the return of Jesus Christ to the earth to set up His throne in Jerusalem. Zechariah writes, "And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives which is before Jerusalem on the east" (Zechariah 14:4a). This, of course, is the same location from which He left the earth two thousand years ago (Acts 1:10-12). "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory" (Matthew 25:31). This will signal the beginning of Christ's earthly kingdom. All of this takes place "immediately after the tribulation" (Matthew 24:29a).

The rapture was a secret, not revealed in Old Testament times. Paul includes it as part of the great mystery revealed to him (see I Corinthians 15:51). The rapture, or catching away of the Body of Christ, involves Christ's coming in the air (I Thessalonians 4:17), not to the earth as the second coming. The rapture will occur before the tribulation period when God's wrath is poured out upon the earth, "For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ" (I Thessalonians 5:9).

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From Grace And The Truth Ministries

If this devotion has been a blessing to you, please share it with others. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.

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

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CONTROLLED BY TRADITIONS INSTEAD OF THE BIBLE
PART 1 of 2
By E. R. Campbell

As we approach this subject we need to define the manner in which we are using the words traditions and Bible. Traditions are the religious teachings, doctrines, practices, and customs handed down by various religious groups, particularly, by denominations within the sphere of Christianity. We are using the term Bible with reference to its Truth for the Body of Christ, the Church, God's program for this present age of Grace.
 
Even though the minds of the faculty members at Canyonview Bible Seminary may have in the past, to a greater or lesser degree, been colored and controlled by various affiliations, this is not true in the Canyonview classroom. We are all unanimously agreed that the Bible, the Truth given to the Church must control our thinking and teaching. The final court of appeal is the Greek text, its literal-intended-meaning, and regardless of position or age, we adhere to what the Greek grammar says. What all men may say is evaluated in the light of the Word for the Church, and accepted or rejected on the basis of this test. Who the person is, his academic standing, his degrees, position, popularity, etc., do not insure Biblical accuracy. Canyonview teachers are selected on the basis of their ability to exegete the truth from the Greek text, on the basis of their desire to be controlled by the Holy Spirit.
 
Now and then we have students come to Canyonview Bible Seminary who think they know it all. They are those who have consciously or unconsciously put themselves in little traditional - sectarian boxes, and in this limited space, they think that they have arrived. As they peer out of' the tiny peek holes in their traditional boxes, instead of relishing in the vast panoramic view of the Word of God for the Body, "the deep things of God" (1 Cor. 2:10), all they see is their humanly conceived, legalistic doctrines and practices which give them a sense of psychological security. If friends try to expand their little boxes, or suggest that they need to enlarge their peek holes so as to more clearly see the Word of God, some will brace themselves against any change lest they loose their sense of traditionally handed-down security. I am baffled why any little box person comes to Canyonview Bible Seminary unless he wants to escape into the freedom of the marvelous Grace of God!

Granted, the above picture of the traditional box people is pessimistic, but in real life it is true. The vast majority will never leave the security they find in their traditional doctrines, customs, and religious practices. They will never personally examine the Bible to see whether their traditional teachings align with the Gospel revealed unto the Apostle Paul (Gal. 1:12; Eph. 3:2-9). They will blindly adhere to their religious traditions instead of the literal-intended-meaning of the Word for the Church.
 
On the other hand, there is a minority who become dissatisfied with the dregs of religious traditions. They want more than a Bible, the meaning of which is controlled by traditional precepts, they want an untrammeled Bible free to communicate God's Word to them. Many of us can remember the days when our thinking was hemmed in by sectarian traditions, a time when new truth was dawning upon our minds, but we did not dare share it with our associates lest we incur their wrath. Several of you may still find yourself in this position, new glimpses of truth flash across your mind, but instantaneously you recognize that they are inconsistent with the traditional position of the group with which you are affiliated and you squelch them. To allow our traditional views to hamper obedience to the Word of God is comparable to making it null and void (Matt. 15:6).
 
Now let us look at some examples in the New Testament of how individuals were controlled by their traditions rather than the message of God. On his first missionary journey, at Antioch of Pisidia, Paul proclaimed God's Word to those assembled in the synagogue (Acts 13:16-41). After this first message many responded positively, they wanted to hear more (Acts 13:42-43). On the following Sabbath almost all the city came together to hear Paul speak the Word of the Lord. This massive crowd that came to hear Paul was too much for the Jewish leaders. A chord of jealousy was struck in their hearts and they spoke against and blasphemed the Word of the Lord via Paul (Acts 13:45-46). These Jews recognized that God's message of Grace was a threat to their smug, traditionally bound synagogue, and jealous for their traditional method of operation, they rejected the truth for the Church, the Body of Christ.

May we be found faithful in prayer, faithful in reading the Bible, and
faithful in sharing  the faith with others.

___________________________________
From Grace And The Truth Ministries

If this devotion has been a blessing to you, please share it with others. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.

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

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[nChrist]

CONTROLLED BY TRADITIONS INSTEAD OF THE BIBLE
PART 2 of 2
By E. R. Campbell

Next, let us join Paul and his party at Thessalonica. For three Sabbaths he reasoned with them in the synagogue, placing before them the fact that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ predicted in the Old Testament (Acts 17:2-3). Again we observe, the tradition-bound Jewish leaders jealously protected their handed-down religious teachings and customs, hire rabble-rousers to stir up a tumult, and forced Paul to leave the city (Acts 17:5-9). In both Antioch and Thessalonica, jealousy played an important role in keeping the religious leaders under the control of their traditions, and also motivated them to keep others under the same control, by blaspheming the Gospel and preventing others from hearing it.
 
On the other hand, the Lord does have a minority who are interested in His Word of Grace for today, This was true at Antioch, for Luke says, "and as many believed as had been ordained unto eternal life" (Acts 13:48 ). AI Philippi, as Paul spoke to a few women by a river, Luke says, "And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God, she listened, whose heart the Lord opened to give heed to the things spoken by Paul" (Acts 16:14). Likewise, after Paul had spoken at Thessalonica, Luke says, "And certain ones out of them were persuaded and they were joined to Paul and Silas, of the devout Greeks a considerable multitude and of the chief women not a few" (Acts 17:4). In each of these instances it appears that God was sovereignly working behind the scene, causing those chosen in Christ (Eph. 1:4) to respond to His Word - to believe.
 
Now we come to the big issue - what is involved in switching from being controlled by traditions to being controlled by the Bible? First, granting that many under religious, traditional control do not even know the Lord, such as in liberal, humanistic, and sacramental churches, two things are necessary: (1) we must teach them the Gospel of the Grace of God (Acts 20:24); and (2) God must sovereignly give them faith to believe the Gospel (Rom. 10:17). Apart from the prevenient Grace of God producing moral suasion in them, they will never forsake their false traditional security and switch to the freedom of the Gospel of Grace (Gal. 5:1).
 
Second, granting that many are in groups, the traditions of which control their approach to the Bible, determine what it teaches, and super-impose human concepts on it (Gal. 1:8-9), how can they be helped to come to a place of being controlled by only the Bible? We recognize that those in this category cover a wide gamut - those who have minimum traditions which allow them to be primarily controlled by the Truth given to the Church (Phil. 4:8 ); as well as those who are engulfed in traditions, which in actual practice are a more important than the Word of God. In this situation, where we have group traditions controlling what is emphasized in the Bible, we basically have a problem of lack of knowledge and ignorance of the Bible's message for the Church today. This problem is not going to be cured by attacking the various traditions, but by graciously teaching the literal-intended-meaning of Truth written to the New Testament churches, verse-by-verse and epistle-by-epistle.


 We at Canyonview Bible Seminary have one supreme purpose to train men and women to teach the literal-intended-meaning of the Word of God in an expositional verse-by-verse manner. All graduates who go forth from CBS are able to competently teach directly from the Greek New Testament. Furthermore, they are qualified to teach New Testament Greek to others, that they in turn may accurately teach the Truth for the Church to their generation. Again, let me emphasize, we advocate verse-by-verse expositional teaching of the Books of the Bible because this approach keeps the teacher under the control of the Word better than any other method (1 Tim. 4:6,11, 13; 2 Tim. 2:2).
 
It is our desire that all men, regardless of their affiliations, may increasingly gravitate toward one focal point to be controlled by the Word of God given to the Church over which Jesus Christ is the Head (Col. 1:25-28 ) 

___________________________________
From Grace And The Truth Ministries

If this devotion has been a blessing to you, please share it with others. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.

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

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[nChrist]

THE BOOK OF LIFE
BY PASTOR RICHARD A. MAZEK,

Scripture Reading: Psalm 68:28

This is a subject upon which there has indeed been much discussion, disagreement, and traditional ignorance. Many zealously sing, "There's a new name written down in Glory, and it's mine." They truly believe that their names were written in the Lord's Book of Life the moment they trusted Christ as their Saviour. Yet does this old tradition really stand up to the test of Scripture? The pastors here at the Berean Church do not believe so. The Apostle Paul only uses this term once in his Epistles (Phil. 4:3), and even then it is not in reference to initial salvation. Whose names then are written in the Book of Life, and when are they recorded therein?
 
Psalm 68:27,28 sets forth the prayer of David concerning his enemies and is also a prophetic reference to the prayer of the believing remnant of Israel in the Great Tribulation. Here we find the statement that both the just and the unjust are recorded in the Book of the Living (Life). For how could they be blotted out if they were not already written therein?
 
The second half of our question now needs to be posed.
When are these names written in God's Book of Life?
 
We believe that Psalm 139:15,16 clearly gives us the answer. "Psa 139:15  My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, [and] curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Psa 139:16  Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all [my members] were written, [which] in continuance were fashioned, when [as yet there was] none of them."  Verse 16 re-affirms Psalm 68 by telling us that, "in thy Book all men (proper rendering) were written." Yes, but when does this take place? The context clearly points to the conception and pre-natal state of all men. Our conclusion then is that all men are written in the "Book of Life" the moment they are physically conceived.

Scripture Reading: Revelation 20: 11-15

The Scriptures also clearly state that men are blotted or taken out of the Book of Life. Paul and Moses both prayed that their names be blotted out of this great book (Ex. 32:32; Rom. 9: 1-3) for the sake of Israel. Although we know the Lord could not grant these requests, the fact still remains that names are, and will be, blotted out of God's Book.
 
When, then is a man's name blotted out of the Book of Life? Let us answer this question by first of all citing a Scripture reference that reveals to us how a man may remain in the Book of Life (Rev. 3:5). Of course this portion is here referring to the Dispensation of Judgment, and the overcomers here recorded, will be the elect, the Tribulation Saints (1 John 2:13,14: 5:4, 5). Yet the principle cited here is trans-dispensational. Any saved person from any dispensation will and does remain in the Lamb's Book of Life.
 
Now, upon this premise, let us answer our question. All men have a chance to be saved up until the moment they die, but after death (physical) there is no second chance (Heb. 9:27). Thus, their names must then be blotted out of the Book of Life for Rev. 20: 11-15 clearly shows that all who have died in their sins are not found in this eternal book. Consequently, if a man dies in his sins (in any dispensation), he is then blotted out of God's Book of Life.
 
There is however, one exception to this rule, and it is found in Rev. 13:8, and 17:8 (read proper rendering of this verse). Here we find the followers of the Anti-Christ as being blotted out of the Book of Life before their physical death. Why? The Lord, under the regulations of this dispensation (Tribulation), hears Israel's prayer (Ps. 68:27, 28 ) and answers it (I John 3:22) by blotting out these names before their decease. May the Lord help us to better comprehend these precious truths!

___________________________________
From Grace And The Truth Ministries

If this devotion has been a blessing to you, please share it with others. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.

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

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[nChrist]

DEATH-THE LAST ENEMY
By Pastor Paul Sadler

Scripture Reading: I Corinthians 15:26
 
There are many who have the misconception that death means annihilation or cessation of existence. The Spirit of God defines the word as "separation." If we examine physical death we learn that at the moment of death the soul and spirit separates from the body (II Cor. 5:8 ). Medical science has told us for years that death takes place when the heart stops. Recently, however, they claim that death takes place when the brain impulses discontinue. They have finally caught up to what the Bible has taught for centuries, "the body without the spirit is dead" (James 2:26).
 
The believer has many enemies, the world, the flesh and the devil, also the enemy of death which will overcome these mortal bodies because of sin. But we are not as others who have no hope, but understand from God's Word that the Lord Jesus Christ overcame the power of death. It could not hold Him, He arose victoriously over it. This is why Paul was able to write to Timothy, "our Saviour Jesus Christ, Who hath abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel," It is good news to the believer that Christ has conquered death for us. Death has no claims on us for we shall be raised from the dead and have life and immortality.
 
Christ has abolished death and God has rendered it a defeated foe. Practically speaking, death still remains and will remain until the end. God at the White Throne Judgment will cast Death and Hades into the Lake of Fire (Rev. 20:14). Death and Hades here are personified (Rev. 6:8 ). The death angel here being representative of the circumstance of death and the angel hades being representative of the place of torment. After the last enemy is put away, God will sum up all things in Christ and the New Heaven & New Earth will remain forever without the enemy of death.

May we be found faithful in prayer, faithful in reading the Bible, and
faithful in sharing  the faith with others.

___________________________________
From Grace And The Truth Ministries

If this devotion has been a blessing to you, please share it with others. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.

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

Click Below For FREE Email Subscription:
mailto:GRACENTHETRUTH@COX.NET
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[nChrist]

RIGHTEOUSNESS WITHOUT THE LAW

Four hundred and thirty years before God called Moses to the Mount to give him the commandments and ordinances He entered into a covenant of grace with Abram. Galatians 3:17. Genesis 15:13. When God told Abram what He would perform, Abram believed God, and it was counted to Abram for righteousness. Genesis 15:6. What a glorious gospel! What precious good news! Because a sinner believes in the ability and faithfulness of God, he is reckoned righteous in the sight of that God. If a man should keep the whole law and not offend in one point he would be righteous or right. Jesus Christ did this, therefore He is called "Jesus Christ the Righteous." Abram was not Abram the Righteous because he kept the whole law, but he was righteous because he accepted by faith the promise of a coming Redeemer, a promise made by God four hundred and thirty years before the law was given. So far as his standing before God was concerned, Abram was just as righteous as if he had kept God's righteous law. The righteousness of God was imputed to him because he believed the gospel, which was before the law. Galatians 3:8. That same righteousness of God, which is perfect, flawless, unimpeachable, is imputed to every sinner who by faith receives Jesus Christ Who was delivered for our offenses and raised again for our justification. Romans 4:22 to 25. Christ on the cross was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. II Corinthians 5:21.
*****
God's gift is eternal and that gift is free; Because Christ the Lord of glory died on Calvary's tree.

___________________________________
From Grace And The Truth Ministries

If this devotion has been a blessing to you, please share it with others. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.

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

Click Below For FREE Email Subscription:
mailto:GRACENTHETRUTH@COX.NET
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