GRACE AND THE TRUTH - DAILY INSPIRATION

[nChrist]

~Daily Inspirational~ WHAT IS A CHURCH? MAY 7, 2006


~WHAT IS A CHURCH?~

Scripture Reading: Acts 20:28

Do you know that most people, even the great majority of religious people, do not even know what a church is? Ask the average man on the street what a church is and he'll probably reply: "A church? Well, anybody knows that! A church is a
building where people go to worship!" But this is not correct.

The word translated "church" in our Bibles, simply means assembly, so a church is not a building, but the assembly of people who meet in the building. And a church is not necessarily a gathering of worshipers. The riotous mob that had gathered at Ephesus in Paul's day is called a "church" (Gr. ekklesia) in Acts 19:32, and this passage states that this assembly, or church, was "confused, and most of them did not know wherefore they were come together." So a church is simply an assembly, not a building.

The church of which the Bible has most to say is "the Church of God, which He hath purchased with His own blood" (Acts 20:28 ). St. Paul calls this church, again and again, "the Body of Christ," or "the Church which is His Body."

We do not join this Church by water baptism or any other religious rite; we join it by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Referring to believers in Christ, Paul declares: "By one Spirit are we all baptized into one Body" (l Cor. 12:13), and in Rom. 12:5 he says "Ye being many are one Body in Christ."

Many sincere people have had their names on the rolls of religious organizations for years before learning this great truth, that the true church, the Church of God, the Body of Christ, is not a building, but the company of those who have come to trust in Christ as their Savior.

We sincerely hope the reader belongs to this one true Bible Church - and also attends a local church, an assembly of believers in Christ who love and study the Word of God, so as to "grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (II Pet. 3:18 ).

From Amazing Grace Publishers

___________________________________
From Grace And The Truth Ministries
http://www.graceandthetruth.com/

Should this Inspirational be a blessing and encouragement to you, why not send to a friend, coworker or, to your loved one who maybe defending the USA. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.  It is our heart at GRACE AND THE TRUTH and mission to reach as many people as we possibly can TO SHARE with them the Word of God and all that the Lord Jesus Christ has done for members of the body of Christ.

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:
http://www.graceandthetruth.com/pop_up.htm
___________________________________

[nChrist]

~Daily Inspirational~ JEW AND GENTILE ON SAME LEVEL MAY 11, 2006


JEW AND GENTILE ON SAME LEVEL

Scripture: Romans 10:12; 11:32;
Ephesians 2:16,17

Jew and Gentile on "the same level" is something unique to this program of Grace and to the writings of the Apostle Paul. This is not true of God's prophetic program. Nor, will you find Jew and Gentile on the same level from Genesis 12 (with the calling apart of Abraham) all the way through the book of Acts. Once you start in the book of Hebrews all the way through the book of Revelation, you will not find the Jew and the Gentile on "the same level." It's only in the thirteen books that begin with the first word "Paul" that you find this is the case.

Before we look at the later chapters in the book of Romans, let's look at the earlier ones. First God establishes the fact that the Jew and Gentile are on "the same level" as to both being lost (3:9). "For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God" (Rom. 3:22b, 23). In Romans 5, God's justification is for "the ungodly," "the sinner," and even "the enemy of God" (5:6, 8,10). In this "program of Grace" committed to the Apostle Paul, there is no difference between who is lost, and between who can be saved (Rom. 10:12; 11:32)!

As we come to Ephesians chapter 2, we are dealing with two different Divine programs, two different groups of people, and with God's New Creation, The Body of Christ. First, there is the TIME PAST (God's past program) in which the Gentiles were separate from God's chosen people, the nation of Israel (vrs. 11, 12). As Israel rejected 'The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Acts 3:13), the Gentiles stood: alienated from Israel's blessings, covenants, and promises. We were said to be without HOPE and without GOD in the world! "BUT NOW - both Jew and Gentile are "ONE NEW MAN" in "ONE BODY" (Eph. 2:13-17)! Today, Jew and Gentile are on "THE SAME LEVEL" when it comes to: who is lost; who can be saved; and who are the members of the Body of Christ!

DICK WARE, Pastor
Grace Bible Church, Wisconsin

___________________________________
From Grace And The Truth Ministries
http://www.graceandthetruth.com/

Should this Inspirational be a blessing and encouragement to you, why not send to a friend, coworker or, to your loved one who maybe defending the USA. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.  It is our heart at GRACE AND THE TRUTH and mission to reach as many people as we possibly can TO SHARE with them the Word of God and all that the Lord Jesus Christ has done for members of the body of Christ.

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:
http://www.graceandthetruth.com/pop_up.htm
___________________________________

[nChrist]

~Daily Inspirational~ What the Resurrection of Christ Mean to us~ Part One 5/12


~What the Resurrection of Christ Means to Us~ - Part One
by Pastor R. Jordan

"Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel." - II Tim. 2:8

When the Apostle of the Gentiles declared that Jesus Christ was "raised from the dead according to my gospel" he made it imperative that we understand just what this tremendous event means to us.

Because of limited space, we offer the following brief (and admittedly incomplete) outline, and trust our readers will use it as a springboard to look further into this important truth. The resurrection of Jesus Christ.

REPRESENTS A FACT TO BE BELIEVED

"For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; "And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures" (I Cor. 15:3,4).

The resurrection of Christ is not fiction - His body was not stolen by His followers, nor did He somehow revive from a death-like coma and walk away by Himself. Further, the resurrection of Christ is not a fable - the modernist claim that He "lives on" in the "continuation of the spiritual principles He taught" is the real "religion myth"!

No, the resurrection of Christ is a fact of history to be accepted and believed. The "many infallible proofs" (Acts 1:3) of His resurrection make it an event as thoroughly and historically validated as any in past history.

Our faith does not rest on a coffin lid! The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a fact to be believed. It also

PRESENTS A FAITH TO BE EMBRACED

"...if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved" (Rom. 10:9).

Our faith is to rest in the fact of the resurrection of Christ - not simply in the historic reality but also in the divinely revealed meaning of this event:

"[Christ] was delivered for our offences, and was RAISED AGAIN FOR OUR JUSTIFICATION" (Rom. 4:25).

The reality of Christ's resurrection declares the finality of the work of Calvary. When "Christ died for our sins, "He thoroughly put away sin, paying its penalty in full. Thus, the debt of sin having been paid, death could not hold Him. His resurrection is, as it were, the receipt that declares: "Paid in full!"

It is because the shed blood of Christ fully and completely paid for sin that Jesus Christ could be raised from the dead - and thus, with a perfect redemption accomplished and attested to, we can be declared righteous in Him.

___________________________________
From Grace And The Truth Ministries
http://www.graceandthetruth.com/

Should this Inspirational be a blessing and encouragement to you, why not send to a friend, coworker or, to your loved one who maybe defending the USA. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.  It is our heart at GRACE AND THE TRUTH and mission to reach as many people as we possibly can TO SHARE with them the Word of God and all that the Lord Jesus Christ has done for members of the body of Christ.

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:
http://www.graceandthetruth.com/pop_up.htm
___________________________________

[nChrist]

~Daily Inspirational~ What the Resurrection of Christ Mean to us~ Part Two 5/13


~What the Resurrection of Christ Means to Us~ - Part Two
by Pastor R. Jordan

The import of the resurrection does not end with our justification, however, for it also

OFFERS A FORCE TO BE EXPERIENCED

".. .like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, EVEN SO WE ALSO SHOULD WALK IN NEWNESS OF LIFE" (Rom. 6:4).

This is the practical impact in the believer's life of the reality of Christ's resurrection. Rom. 8:10,11 declare:

"And if CHRIST BE IN YOU, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

"But IF THE SPIRIT OF HIM THAT RAISED UP JESUS FROM THE DEAD DWELL IN YOU, HE THAT RAISED UP CHRIST FROM THE DEAD SHALL ALSO QUICKEN YOUR MORTAL BODIES BY HIS SPIRIT THAT DWELLETH IN YOU."

The resurrection life of Christ is a power, a force, to be experienced by every believer. The "newness of life" received from Christ means that He lives His life in us.

Christianity is not a religion - it is a life. It is Christ in us living His life through us. This is the essence of Christianity.

Have you ever found the Christian life difficult to live? If not, you will!  In fact, it is not only difficult, it is impossible. Only Jesus Christ can live His life - and He does just that as we simply walk by faith in His marvelous grace to us.

Experiencing this glorious freedom and power is the goal Paul set before himself and us:

"That I may know Him, and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death:

"If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead" (Phil 3:10,11).

There is something else, too, which Christ's resurrection does for us. It

ASSURES A FUTURE THAT IS GLORIOUS

"For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him" (I Thess. 4:14).

The future of many things may be very uncertain, but for the believer it is only glorious. No matter how difficult things may be for us now, one day it will only be ''glory for me!"

One day soon our ever-living Savior will return for us and in that day He "shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself" (Phil. 3:21).

May God help us to rejoice in the reality of the resurrection of Christ and all God has made it mean to us.

___________________________________
From Grace And The Truth Ministries
http://www.graceandthetruth.com/

Should this Inspirational be a blessing and encouragement to you, why not send to a friend, coworker or, to your loved one who maybe defending the USA. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.  It is our heart at GRACE AND THE TRUTH and mission to reach as many people as we possibly can TO SHARE with them the Word of God and all that the Lord Jesus Christ has done for members of the body of Christ.

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:
http://www.graceandthetruth.com/pop_up.htm
___________________________________

[nChrist]

~Daily Inspirational~ "And So Shall We Ever Be With The Lord" Part One MAY 14



"And So Shall We Ever Be With The Lord" - Part One
By Keith Blades


In I Thessalonians 4:13-18 God has the apostle Paul set before us some final details and pieces of information for our edification regarding the nature of the event that will conclude this present dispensation of His grace - the rapture of the church.

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.  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.  Wherefore comfort one another with these words. (I Thessalonians 4:13-18 )

When we understand and appreciate what Paul sets forth here, these final details provide for us to have the full measure of comprehension that God wants us to have for our "blessed hope." These final pieces of information primarily pertain to the further knowledge that we need to have about the mechanics of the rapture, as well as what we need to understand about the effects of its all-inclusive nature as it encompasses both those who have already died and so "sleep in Jesus," and those "which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord."

Now when we consider the complete doctrine of our "blessed hope," it is easy to understand why it is called our "blessed hope." For every detail is "blessed" indeed. Whether we are considering the simple fact of it, or the issue of our confident hope of it, or what it delivers us from, or the redemption of our body in connection with it, or the glory of the coming of the Lord, or of our being caught up to meet Him in the air, or whatever detail it might be, each is a thrill for us to consider and a joy to know.

Moreover the very nature of the doctrine itself, along with how it works within us, is also "blessed." For not only is each and every detail "blessed" to think about, but each one also purposefully makes a particular kind of thrilling impact upon us. In other words, each one is designed by God to effectually work within us in a particular way.

For instance, some details of the doctrine of the rapture are designed to fill us with the thrill of anticipation for it, while others are designed to produce comfort and consolation. Some specifically work to generate patience within us, while others are designed to help shape our godly perspective. Some of them even stretch the limits of our understanding, giving us further insight into our heavenly vocation in God's plan and purpose, while others specifically work together with this further insight and thereby help keep our hearts and minds focused upon what really matters in this present life.

Collectively, therefore, all of the information that is contained in the doctrine of the rapture is "blessed" for what it does, as it ranges far and wide throughout the scope of our godly edifying. In fact the complete doctrine of the rapture has some of the most far-reaching and multi-faceted capabilities of any of the forms of doctrine in the curriculum for our godly edification in this present dispensation. Its overall effectual working within us is designed by God to be very extensive, spanning as it does the entirety of our godly edification from beginning to end. As such 'roots' are located in "the gospel of Christ" itself, and then all of the various 'fruits' of its progressive effectual working within us are designed to benefit us at every stage, and every step of the way, in the progress of our edification. Even benefiting us right up to and including the time of our death, (if we die before God ends this dispensation), as well as at the very rapture itself.

Wherefore the complete doctrine of our "blessed hope" is  "blessed" indeed, both in its details and in the way in which each one of them is designed to effectually work within us.

Continued 5/15

___________________________________
From Grace And The Truth Ministries
http://www.graceandthetruth.com/

Should this Inspirational be a blessing and encouragement to you, why not send to a friend, coworker or, to your loved one who maybe defending the USA. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.  It is our heart at GRACE AND THE TRUTH and mission to reach as many people as we possibly can TO SHARE with them the Word of God and all that the Lord Jesus Christ has done for members of the body of Christ.

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:
http://www.graceandthetruth.com/pop_up.htm
___________________________________

[nChrist]

Daily Inspirational "And So Shall We Ever Be With The Lord" Part Three MAY 16



"And So Shall We Ever Be With The Lord" - Part Three
By Keith Blades

This seeming incongruity is also something that is often latched on to by ones who either do not 'rightly divide the word of truth,' or who deny that we have a heavenly vocation. They use it to say that we cannot have a heavenly vocation, (or at least not a permanent one), and that therefore we will not be residing in, or occupying, the heavenly places. For as they say, 'Since Paul says that we will "ever be with the Lord"; and since the Lord will be coming back to establish His kingdom and to reside on the earth, just as the prophets teach; then obviously we will not be staying in the heavenly places. Rather we will have to come back with the Lord to the earth and we will be with Him on the earth in His kingdom. For this is the only way that we can "ever be with the Lord. "

Thus it is that this particular "blessed" truth - "and so shall we ever be with the Lord" - seems to pose a problem.

Not Really Puzzling At All

However what appears at first to be puzzling or incongruous, is really not so at all. It only seems so. In other words it only seems that our heavenly residence and vocation would be an impediment to, or would be inconsistent with, the issue of us 'ever being with the Lord.' But in truth this is not the case at all. For in view of who we are as God's "new creature," God has actually made it so that we can "ever be with the Lord" even though the Lord will be residing on the earth and we will be residing in the heavenly places.

In fact this amazing and remarkable capacity is actually part of the astounding glory that belongs to us as God's "new creature" and as the members of "the church, body of Christ" that we are.

Now doctrinally speaking, as we progress through the curriculum for our sonship edification, the knowledge of this remarkable capacity is something that we are given to understand and appreciate long before we ever come to the final details about the rapture that are set forth to us in I Thessalonians. Hence we are expected to have learned about this remarkable capacity, and to be familiar with it, beforehand.

Wherefore in order to 'solve this puzzle' we at least need to have a basic appreciation for this remarkable capacity. And for this we must make sure that we understand some of the fundamental things that God teaches us about who we are in His plan and purpose as His "new creature."

Continued May 17

___________________________________
From Grace And The Truth Ministries
http://www.graceandthetruth.com/

Should this Inspirational be a blessing and encouragement to you, why not send to a friend, coworker or, to your loved one who maybe defending the USA. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.  It is our heart at GRACE AND THE TRUTH and mission to reach as many people as we possibly can TO SHARE with them the Word of God and all that the Lord Jesus Christ has done for members of the body of Christ.

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:
http://www.graceandthetruth.com/pop_up.htm
___________________________________

[nChrist]

Daily Inspirational "And So Shall We Ever Be With The Lord" Part Four MAY 17



"And So Shall We Ever Be With The Lord" - Part Four
By Keith Blades


The Remarkable Creation of The "New Creature"

In Romans 8, (and as part of our sonship establishment), God teaches us to understand and appreciate the basics regarding our heavenly vocation in His plan and purpose. He teaches us that in accordance with His now revealed plan for also delivering "the creature" from the bondage of corruption and not just the earth, He has purposed that we are to be His "new creature," and that thereby we will be the means by which "the creature" will get delivered and its realm will become reconciled unto God.

Then after having established us as His "sons," (and as we begin going through the curriculum for our sonship edification and for our vocational training), God also begins to teach us about something else that is directly connected to our capacity to function as His "new creature." Something that specifically provides for us to fulfill this unique vocation.

Beginning in Romans chapter 12 God begins to teach us about the new and different and special kind of living-union relationship that we in this present dispensation have both with the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and also with each other, whereby He has made us fit to be able to actually function as His "new creature." As such, this new and different living-union relationship has been specifically designed by God to perfectly suit the particular vocation that He has for us in His plan and purpose. It, therefore, has been tailor-made by God for us in this present dispensation, and also it has been tailor-made for our heavenly vocation. Hence it truly does provide us with the mechanical means and capacity to fulfill our heavenly vocation.

Now this new and different and special living-union relationship that we have with the Lord Jesus Christ, and with one another, is the issue of us being "one body in Christ" and also being "members one of another." It is the result of God Himself legally identifying us with, and associating us with, the Lord Jesus Christ, who in connection with His now revealed inheritance as God the Father's "firstborn" has both received dominion over "the creature" and is the legal heir of its realm.

What's more, having legally identified us with Christ as such, God has also legally joined us to Christ as the 'head of the creature' that He now is. Whereby He has made it so that we can legally be incorporated into "the creature," with both the right to occupy its realm and to assume its function.

Now our legal identification with Christ, and our legal joining to Christ, have been accomplished by the Holy Ghost Himself. Who when He baptized us "into Christ" not only made us 'dead to sin and alive unto God,' but He also created the vitally necessary and living bond of genuine union between us and the Lord, as well as between each of us collectively, which enables us to mechanically function as "the new creature." Hence by the Holy Spirit God has organically joined us to the Lord Jesus Christ as the 'head of the creature' that He now is, and He has also organically joined us one to another.

Wherefore in this present dispensation of His grace God has indeed created, (and He has put us into), a new and different and special living-union relationship with His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. For the sake of being able to make it so that we can function as His "new creature" God has both created this new living-union relationship, and by it He has made it so that we are "one body in Christ," and we are also "members one of another."

Continued on 5/18/06

___________________________________
From Grace And The Truth Ministries
http://www.graceandthetruth.com/

Should this Inspirational be a blessing and encouragement to you, why not send to a friend, coworker or, to your loved one who maybe defending the USA. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.  It is our heart at GRACE AND THE TRUTH and mission to reach as many people as we possibly can TO SHARE with them the Word of God and all that the Lord Jesus Christ has done for members of the body of Christ.

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:
http://www.graceandthetruth.com/pop_up.htm
___________________________________

[nChrist]

Daily Inspirational "And So Shall We Ever Be With The Lord" Part Five MAY 18


"And So Shall We Ever Be With The Lord" - Part Five
By Keith Blades


Now this is not just some theological concept. Nor is it some abstract, ethereal type relationship that only exists as virtual reality, or as imagery, but without real substance. Instead it is a genuine, real, living relationship, and an organic union, just as we are taught in Romans 12, and just as Paul describes to the Corinthian saints when he says...

12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. (I Corinthians 12:12-13)

So it is then that in creating "the body of Christ" - i.e. this new and different living-union relationship - God has created a new living entity, or a new life form, so to speak. One that possesses all of the essential attributes and functions of the original "creature," with the result that it can be His "new creature."

Wherefore being God's "new creature" we indeed have both a heavenly residence and a heavenly vocation in God's plan and purpose. Hence when God concludes this present dispensation of His grace He not only will 'rapture' us "to meet the Lord in air" in accordance with His promise to deliver us from the wrath to come, but He will also 'rapture' us in accordance with providing for us to assume our heavenly vocation as His "new creature."

Moreover in full accordance with the issue of our inheritance, and with His own future plans, God has designed for us to stay in the heavenly places; to reside there. Even when He Himself and the Lord Jesus Christ are residing on the earth in fulfillment of His purpose for the earth, and in fulfillment of His program with Israel.

Now even though this will be so, once again it will not be any impediment whatsoever to us 'ever being with the Lord.' For since we have this new and special living-union relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, and with one another; (that is, because we are the members of "the body of Christ" and "members one of another"); we will be able to both occupy the heavenly places and "ever be with the Lord" at the exact same time. For this very capacity is one of the remarkable features of a body.

The Remarkable Features of A Body

There are many unique features, characteristics, abilities, capacities, and the like, belonging to a body. And especially is this so regarding the individual members that make up a body. As the composite organism that it is, a body is an intricate union of a variety of different members with their different features and abilities, which being governed by a head mutually function for the good of the whole body, and for the purpose of accomplishing the desires of the head. A body, therefore, is a corporate entity and it functions as such.

For this reason when we are taught to understand and appreciate the workings of our special living-union relationship with Christ and with one another in "the body of Christ," they are taught to us on the basis of the natural parallel that exists with our own physical bodies. For the individual members of our own bodies, being the collective members of a body that they are, possess the same type of living-union relationship one with another as we have with the Lord Jesus Christ and each other. In accordance with this, we are naturally first of all taught to understand and appreciate such remarkable things as the ingenious and mutually profitable interactions that the individual members of a body are designed to have one with another, and how that the members are designed to function for the benefit of the whole body. Wherefore in Romans and I Corinthians we are taught such things as...

4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. (Romans 12:4-5)
14 For the body is not one member, but many.
15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?'
17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
18 But now hath God set the members everyone of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?
20 But now are they many members, yet but one body. (I Corinthians 12:14-20)

___________________________________
From Grace And The Truth Ministries
http://www.graceandthetruth.com/

Should this Inspirational be a blessing and encouragement to you, why not send to a friend, coworker or, to your loved one who maybe defending the USA. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.  It is our heart at GRACE AND THE TRUTH and mission to reach as many people as we possibly can TO SHARE with them the Word of God and all that the Lord Jesus Christ has done for members of the body of Christ.

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:
http://www.graceandthetruth.com/pop_up.htm
___________________________________

[nChrist]

Daily Inspirational "And So Shall We Ever Be With The Lord" Part Six MAY 19


"And So Shall We Ever Be With The Lord" - Part Six
By Keith Blades

Now these basic, yet remarkable things that pertain to the issue of us being "members one of another," (along with others like them), are what we are taught to understand and appreciate first and foremost about "the body of Christ." And naturally so. For they are fundamental and integral to our proper functioning as the members of "the body of Christ" right now, and also they are integral to our vocational training for what is yet to come.Besides this they are also the easiest and most obvious of the body's features and capacities for us to understand, appreciate, and put into operation. Hence they come first.

However as remarkable as these elementary 'member-to-member' features and capacities are, they certainly are not the only remarkable capacities of a body. There are others, especially those we are taught about later on in our edification that pertain to the head of the body. And of those that pertain to the head, the ones that involve the head's unique relationship to, and interaction with, each member of the body are especially significant and fascinating.

One such capacity is how it is that each of the members of a body are equally 'in touch,' so to speak, with its head, and are also equally sensing the head's presence, regardless of where it is located in the body.

In fact this is one of the most remarkable capacities belonging to the head. And it is experienced and enjoyed by each one of the members of a body, and also by the head itself. What's more, it is a capacity that also exists with us in "the body of Christ." As such it has a direct bearing upon our ability to "ever be with the Lord" from the time of the rapture on, even though we will be residing in the heavenly places in accordance with our heavenly vocation.

A Head's Pervading Presence In A Body

Because of what the head of a body is, it possesses a capacity that is uniquely commensurate with its name and its position. Being the head, the force of its presence exists throughout the whole body, touching as it does every member, and also being sensed by every member. Wherefore a head pervades the entire body with its being. There is no member that does not know that it is there, and there is no member that does not know that it is the head.

Moreover each and every member of a body is equally 'in touch' with its head For the head recognizes and knows the role and value of each member of its body, and it purposefully maintains direct, constant, and fully sensed contact with each and every member. As such each and every member of a body fully 'feels the presence,' so to speak, of its head, and it thereby knows that it is in constant, personal contact with the head.

Furthermore this is true in spite of where each member of a body is located in the body. As far as a head's pervading presence is concerned, the proximity of a member to the head is not an advantage, nor is its distance from the head a disadvantage. A head's pervading presence within its body transcends any physical factor. There are no barriers to its pervasive and permeating presence, nor any limitations on it.

Wherefore in essence a head's presence within its body is omnipresent, with each and every member equally aware of its presence, as well as being appreciative of it and responsive to it.

Continued May 20

___________________________________
From Grace And The Truth Ministries
http://www.graceandthetruth.com/

Should this Inspirational be a blessing and encouragement to you, why not send to a friend, coworker or, to your loved one who maybe defending the USA. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.  It is our heart at GRACE AND THE TRUTH and mission to reach as many people as we possibly can TO SHARE with them the Word of God and all that the Lord Jesus Christ has done for members of the body of Christ.

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:
http://www.graceandthetruth.com/pop_up.htm
___________________________________

[nChrist]

Daily Inspirational "And So Shall We Ever Be With The Lord" Part Seven MAY 20


"And So Shall We Ever Be With The Lord" - Part Seven
By Keith Blades

Now this is the way it is with our own body. Disregarding the issue of any corruptive effects from "the bondage of corruption," our own head has this pervading and permeating presence throughout our body. And each and every member of our body 'feels its presence' equally, and knows that it is 'in the head's presence.'

Mechanically speaking the pervading and permeating presence of our head throughout our body is a function of our inner self; that is, of our spirit/soul complex; the immaterial part of our being; our inner man. In being what it is, our inner man possesses the God-designed capacity to be in real, functional, and equal contact with each and every member of our body. Our inner man is functionally and equally joined to each and every member of our body, and thereby is able to functionally and equally live in, (and express itself in and through), each and every member.

Simply put, therefore, our spirit/soul within us provides for the pervasive and permeating presence of our head throughout our entire body. This in turn makes it so that each and every member of our body is not only in the immediate presence of its head, regardless of where it is located in the body, but each and every member also senses that it is in the head's presence.

The Parallel

This remarkable capacity for the head to pervade the body with its presence also exists in "the body of Christ." And as the spirit of a man provides the mechanical means for the head's presence to pervade and permeate throughout a person's body, so also does the Spirit of God provide for this to be so in "the church, the body of Christ."

Wherefore as "the head of the body, the church" that He is, the Lord Jesus Christ's presence pervades His body, and it is brought to bear upon each and every member of the body through the function and ministry of the Holy Spirit. For having been "baptized into one body" by the Spirit, the Holy Spirit is not only the former of "the body of Christ," but He is also its 'adjoining spirit.' He is responsible for uniting each and every member to the head, and each and every member to each other, as well as being responsible for producing the effects of our living-union relationship, both during this present dispensation and in the future.

Continued May 21

___________________________________
From Grace And The Truth Ministries
http://www.graceandthetruth.com/

Should this Inspirational be a blessing and encouragement to you, why not send to a friend, coworker or, to your loved one who maybe defending the USA. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.  It is our heart at GRACE AND THE TRUTH and mission to reach as many people as we possibly can TO SHARE with them the Word of God and all that the Lord Jesus Christ has done for members of the body of Christ.

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:
http://www.graceandthetruth.com/pop_up.htm
___________________________________

[nChrist]

Daily Inspirational "And So Shall We Ever Be With The Lord" Part Eight 5/21


"And So Shall We Ever Be With The Lord" - Part Eight
By Keith Blades

The Perfection and Fullness of Christ's Pervading Presence

At this present time we possess only a measure of the fulness of Christ's pervading presence as the head of His body. Wherefore we can only experience, respond to, and appreciate the measure that we presently have. And the fact that we presently possess only a measure of this fulness is only natural. For this is perfectly in accord not only with the conditions that are presently imposed upon our sonship status, edification, and life; but it is also perfectly in accord with the fact that we do not yet have 'the redemption of our bodies. '

Now it will not be until our bodies are redeemed, and we are manifested as God's "sons," that we will actually possess the fulness of Christ's pervading presence as the head of His body, and will be in the position to experience it and appreciate it. This, therefore, means that it will not be until God concludes this present dispensation of His grace with the rapture of the church that we will possess the fulness of Christ's pervading presence, and will begin to experience the effects of its fulness.

However when our bodies are re deemed and we do possess the fulness of Christ's pervading presence as the head of His body, this is what will provide for us to "ever be with the Lord" even though we will be in the heavenly places.

The Redemption of Our Bodies

There are numerous changes that will take place when our bodies are redeemed. In fact as Paul deals with the issue of the resurrection of the dead in I Corinthians 15, he sets forth 5 general categories of changes that will occur, with a number of changes belonging to each category. Hence he says...

42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in in-corruption: 43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. 46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. 47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. (I Corinthians 15:42-49)

Each of these categories of change is glorious to consider. Yet the one that is most germane to our subject is the fifth one - i.e. the change in our bodies that will have us 'bearing the image of the heavenly,' and that thereby will make us physically fit to both reside in, and function in, the heavenly places.

Within this final category of change, the particular change that we need to take note of is the one that provides for us to possess and enjoy the fulness of Christ's pervading presence as the head of His body. And Paul has reason to cite this particular change later on in II Corinthians 5. He cites it as part of his description of how the doctrine of the redemption of our body effectually works within us to enable 'the eyes of our understanding' to 'look at the things which are not seen,' and thereby enable us to confidently face and endure the threat of death in a godly manner. Wherefore Paul says..

1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: 3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. 4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. 5 Now he that hath wrought us for this selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. 6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. (II Corinthians 5:1-8 )

As Paul says, our present bodies are "our earthly house of this tabernacle. "Yet when they are redeemed we will have "a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." Then our bodies will be fit to reside "in the heavens" in accordance with our vocation in the heavenly places as God's "new creature."

However since our present bodies are "our earthly house of this tabernacle," this not only means that right now they are unfit to exist "in the heavens," but it also means that they are not capable of fully possessing, sensing, or responding to the issue of the Lord's pervading presence as the head of His body. And this is one of the reasons why Paul says that "whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord. "

Conclusion May 22

___________________________________
From Grace And The Truth Ministries
http://www.graceandthetruth.com/

Should this Inspirational be a blessing and encouragement to you, why not send to a friend, coworker or, to your loved one who maybe defending the USA. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.  It is our heart at GRACE AND THE TRUTH and mission to reach as many people as we possibly can TO SHARE with them the Word of God and all that the Lord Jesus Christ has done for members of the body of Christ.

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:
http://www.graceandthetruth.com/pop_up.htm
___________________________________

[nChrist]

Daily Inspirational "And So Shall We Ever Be With The Lord" CONCLUSION 5/22


"And So Shall We Ever Be With The Lord" - CONCLUSION
By Keith Blades

We are not only "absent from the Lord" location-wise, but we also sense this issue of being "absent from" Him in our present relationship with Him. Even though by the Holy Spirit we are "one body in Christ" and we have been placed into living-union relationship with Him as the head of His body, we do not fully sense this right now. For our present "earthly house of this tabernacle" does not allow for us to sense the Lord's full pervading presence as the head of His body. It does not have that capacity. Hence we do not sense that we are 'with the Lord' in our present bodies. Rather our sensed situation, and our real situation, is that "whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord."

But neither our sensed nor our real situation will be that of being "absent from the Lord" when our bodies are redeemed and we are clothed with our "building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." In that day our redeemed bodies will provide for the Lord's full pervading presence as the head of His body to be fully sensed and enjoyed by us. No more, and never more, will we think of ourselves as being "absent from the Lord." Instead we will fully and constantly know that we are "with the Lord" regardless of location.

The Ingenuity of The Body of Christ

So then it is the combination of our new and special living-union relationship with the Lord as the head of His body, together with our redeemed/changed bodies, that will provide us with the capacity to "ever be with the Lord" from the time of the rapture on, even though we will be residing "in the heavens." From the rapture on the perfection and fulness of Christ's pervading presence will be fully known by us, fully sensed by us, fully experienced by us, and fully enjoyed by us in our glorified bodies. With the result that our location in the heavenly places will not be an obstacle or an hindrance whatsoever to the reality of us "ever being with the Lord." In fact we will be "with the Lord" to the exact same degree, and with the exact same sensing of His presence, as if we were residing on the earth with Him

Wherefore God's genius in designing and creating "the body of Christ" is indeed marvelous, to say the least. For it not only provides for Him to have a "new creature" for the reconciliation of the heavenly places, but it also provides for Him to have it so that the members of His "new creature" possess a living-union relationship with Him that is equivalent to the very nature of the relationship that exists between the members of the Godhead themselves A relationship in which the physical location of the members relative to one another, or their distance one from another at any time, makes no difference whatsoever. Instead by nature they are always 'with one another. '

Therefore with us possessing this same nature of relationship with the Lord in "the body of Christ," and with us possessing its perfection and fulness at the time of the rapture, Paul logically concludes our edification on the details of the rapture by saying, "and so shall we ever be with the Lord." For indeed this will be true of us, even though we will be residing in the heavenly places. - K.R. Blades

___________________________________
From Grace And The Truth Ministries
http://www.graceandthetruth.com/

Should this Inspirational be a blessing and encouragement to you, why not send to a friend, coworker or, to your loved one who maybe defending the USA. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.  It is our heart at GRACE AND THE TRUTH and mission to reach as many people as we possibly can TO SHARE with them the Word of God and all that the Lord Jesus Christ has done for members of the body of Christ.

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:
http://www.graceandthetruth.com/pop_up.htm
___________________________________

[nChrist]

Daily Inspirational ~FREEDOM FROM WORRY AND ANXIETY~ MAY 23, 2006


~FREEDOM FROM WORRY AND ANXIETY~

The world seems to be going crazy. Gasoline prices are higher than we have ever seen in our lifetime. Nuclear capability is being grasped by volatile leaders like North Korea's Kim Jong II and Venezuela's Hugo Chavez. Outlandish remarks about wiping Israel off the face of the earth have been made by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran. A war continues in Iraq. Experts tell us that a real estate bubble is about to pop. Economists are nervous. There's no doubt about it, if we judge by the things we can see, the world has become a scary place.

How are Christians to navigate through these trying times? While the answer doesn't always seem easy, it is simple. We trust our Father. The answer may seem trite, but it is true. We trust. That's it. What else can we do?

Our Father is the great I Am. Do we really need more than that? The One who loves you spoke all things into existence and it is by Him that all things consist. That's enough to give us peace.

The Sovereign LORD is your Father. The One who neither slumbers, nor sleeps. The One who has the very hairs of your head numbered. The One who rules the smallest details of the universe. The great I Am is the One who cares for you.

Worry is what happens when we imagine a future without God. It is the ugly stepchild of faithlessness. It is the dull, nagging sense that God will abandon us in our time of need.

I think of the God of my own journey. He has never done anything but assure me of His love and good intentions. I have never known Him to be anything other than loving and gracious and compassionate and faithful. Any doubts I ever have don't come to me because of His track record, because His record is perfect.

There have been times when I haven't understood Him. I still don't. Life hasn't been a Disney World at every moment. But I've learned that I can trust Him, even when He makes no sense to me.

In the shaky world of today, let us choose to trust Him. To rest in Him and to yield everything to Him. The road we travel may seem bumpy at times, but He will see to it that we arrive safely home.

Don't become distracted by the scenery along the way in your journey. Trust Him. Look to Him and He will give you miraculous peace so that you can enjoy the journey. What He has said, He will do. It is already established in heaven. So, relax.

Worry and anxiety are exercises in futility. I Am is our Abba. Is there anything more we need to know?

by Steve McVey

___________________________________
From Grace And The Truth Ministries
http://www.graceandthetruth.com/

Should this Inspirational be a blessing and encouragement to you, why not send to a friend, coworker or, to your loved one who maybe defending the USA. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.  It is our heart at GRACE AND THE TRUTH and mission to reach as many people as we possibly can TO SHARE with them the Word of God and all that the Lord Jesus Christ has done for members of the body of Christ.

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:
http://www.graceandthetruth.com/pop_up.htm
___________________________________

[nChrist]

Daily Inspirational GRACE AND THE BELIEVER MAY 24, 2006


GRACE AND THE BELIEVER

PHILIPPIANS 1:29
'For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake'

As we consider our position and standing in Christ (as members of the Church which is His Body), we cannot but rejoice and be thankful. But we must not become smug and self-righteous in the knowledge of our eternal security. Along with the free gift of our redemption by His shed blood, for which no price is exacted of us, we have received a holy charge of responsibility: "If (since) ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. SET YOUR AFFECTION ON THINGS ABOVE NOT ON THINGS ON THE EARTH" (Colossians 3:1,2).

" ...Walk worthy of the vocation [calling] wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Ephesians 4:1-3.) "Walk in wisdom toward them that are without [non-believers], redeeming the time. LET YOUR SPEECH BE ALWAYS WITH GRACE..." (Colossians 4:5,6.)

Not all will be sugar and spice! "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12). "For unto you it is give in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also TO SUFFER FOR HIS SAKE..Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus SHALL SUFFER PERSECUTION" (Philippians 1:29) (2 Timothy 3:12).

Thus the apostle's admonition of total commitment: "WHATSOEVER YE DO in word or deed, DO ALL IN THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS, giving thanks.." (Col.3:17.)

From Amazing Grace Publishers

___________________________________
From Grace And The Truth Ministries
http://www.graceandthetruth.com/

Should this Inspirational be a blessing and encouragement to you, why not send to a friend, coworker or, to your loved one who maybe defending the USA. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.  It is our heart at GRACE AND THE TRUTH and mission to reach as many people as we possibly can TO SHARE with them the Word of God and all that the Lord Jesus Christ has done for members of the body of Christ.

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:
http://www.graceandthetruth.com/pop_up.htm
___________________________________

[nChrist]

Daily Inspirational GRACE AND THE BELIEVER MAY 27, 2006


GRACE AND LAW-WORKS

Read: Gal. 3:10-13

As pertaining to salvation the distinction between (Mosaic) law and grace cannot be overemphasized. "For as by one man's (Adam's) disobedience many were made sinners (of a sinful nature), so by the obedience of one (Jesus Christ) shall many be, made righteous. Moreover the law entered, that the offense (the state of sin) might abound. But where sin abounded grace did much more abound. That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 5:19-21 ).

The law had served its purpose, which Paul explains: "Before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterward be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith has come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster" (Galatians 3:23-25). "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. BUT THAT NO MAN IS JUSTIFIED BY THE LAW IN THE SIGHT OF GOD, IT IS EVIDENT: for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, the man that doeth them shall live in them.

"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree" (Galatians 3:10-13) "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).

Pastor Robert Hanna

___________________________________
From Grace And The Truth Ministries
http://www.graceandthetruth.com/

Should this Inspirational be a blessing and encouragement to you, why not send to a friend, coworker or, to your loved one who maybe defending the USA. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.  It is our heart at GRACE AND THE TRUTH and mission to reach as many people as we possibly can TO SHARE with them the Word of God and all that the Lord Jesus Christ has done for members of the body of Christ.

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:
http://www.graceandthetruth.com/pop_up.htm
___________________________________