GRACE AND THE TRUTH - DAILY INSPIRATION

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SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING
by C. R. Stam


Honest, prayerful study of the Word brings us to spiritual maturity and understanding. But does it not require superior intellectual powers to understand these "deep things of God"? No indeed. Superior intellects among unsaved men are unable to appreciate even the "simple" truths of the Word, for "they are spiritually discerned" (I Cor. 2:14). And as to the "mystery" made known to Paul by the glorified Lord, the Apostle declares that it is now "revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit" (Eph. 3:5).

The mystery is not merely something more difficult to grasp intellectually, for the Apostle specifically states that it is "not the wisdom of this world" but "the wisdom of God" (I Cor.  2:6,7), and that only by the Spirit of God can it be understood and appreciated. This explains why many of the humblest believers rejoice in the mystery and understand it so clearly, while so many   great theologians and religious leaders fail to grasp it and keep confusing it with God's prophesied program regarding the kingdom of Christ.

The mystery is not "hard to be understood" because men are slow of mind to understand, but because they are "slow of heart to  believe," because the devil, who "hath blinded the minds of them that believe not" also seeks to keep God's people from seeing and  rejoicing in the truth of the mystery with its riches of grace, its "one body" and its "one baptism." This is why the Apostle    prayed so fervently that the believers to whom he ministered might  be given "spiritual understanding" to take in the glorious message he was commissioned to proclaim (See Eph. 1:16-19; Col. 1:9,10).

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THE PRECIOUS DEPOSIT
By IVAN L. BURGENER


Scripture Reading: II Timothy 1:12-14

"I. .. am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day. Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me ... That good thing which was committed unto the keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us,"

It might not look like it, but "that good thing" Paul wrote about to Timothy was the precious deposit.  This deposit had first been committed to Paul. The sense is somewhat the opposite of what you might think upon reading verse 12. It was not something that Paul had committed to God, but rather what God---the Risen Lord----had from glory committed to Paul. This precious deposit refers to the great truth of the mystery, God's sacred secret which He had kept in silence throughout the ages past. Now, in this due time, God had deposited His secret with Paul. God was the One who would guard it, in the primary sense. It was His. He had kept it for ages. Now He had revealed it to Paul, and God was able to keep or guard it!

Paul had referred to this same precious deposit  in I Timothy 6:20 telling him to  "keep that which is committed to thy trust .. ," Just as these great truths about the mystery, Christ's one Body composed of Himself  as our risen Head  in heaven and ourselves as members, the Rapture of  this Body to glory (1 Tim. 3:16) had been first committed to Paul, they had also been committed to Timothy----thru Paul! Timothy was to keep them or to guard them in the sense of being a trust agent. These truths did not belong to Paul or to Timothy. But both were to act as trustworthy "trust agents" and "make all men see what is the dispensation" of these. What a deposit of precious truth!

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THE INSPIRED WORD OF GOD

Scripture Reading: II Timothy 3: 16·17

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God".... It is so good to have this clear and absolute statement of what every redeemed one knows, namely, that we have all the Scripture, and all of the Scripture is breathed out to us from the creative breath of God. We must never come under the influence of any unbeliever who casts doubt upon the extent, content, or origin of the Holy Scriptures.

True believers do not corrupt the Word of God because they know God has given His Word by inspiration.  This word "inspiration" means that God controlled the human writer of Scripture in such a way that the WORDS were put down exactly as God wanted man to have them. These inspired words are therefore infallible and inerrant, which is another way of saying that they are perfect and have no errors connected with them whatsoever. The Bible may deal with numbers, history, science, chronology, the knowledge of God, or man's salvation; and we should be sure that there is no mistake in the words.

True believers reverence the Word of God for many reasons. (I) "...man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God" (Luke 4:4). (2) The Bible is the RECORD that God gave concerning His Son (I John 5:9-11). (3) God has magnified His Word above all His name (Psalm 138:2).

True believers should be taught that the Word cannot be lost or changed. Listen to the testimony of I Peter 1:25. " ... the Word of the Lord endureth for ever." Is this Word in heaven or some far away place where man cannot get all of the Scripture? No, it is "the Word" which is preached unto you! The inspired Word of God!

By H. Steinbron

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READY TO DEPART
By JON D. BEKEMEYER, Pastor


Reading: II Timothy 4:6-8

The marathon runner has a rigorous life. He must maintain diet, get proper rest, and push his body to the limits of endurance (in spite of pain) as he trains for the race. Then, on the day of the race, he must follow the rules and follow the course. The rules and the course are set up by others.

The Apostle Paul was ever conscious of the fact that he was on a course set up by God Almighty (I Corinthians 9:23,24). He did not choose to be beaten, scoffed at, stoned or thrown in jail; but all these things were a part of his course. It is not that God caused these things to happen---they were caused by wicked men. But  these difficulties were allowed by God and used for His glory.

These circumstances did not deter Paul because his goal was to "apprehend that for which (he was) apprehended of Christ" (Phil. 3:12) . He desired to finish his course with joy (Acts 20:24) Because of all this, at the end of his life, Paul was ready to depart. He had finished the job. He could truthfully write "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith".

As believers, we, like Paul, have a course of service. We must follow the rules as set forth in Paul's epistles. "And if a man strive for the masteries, yet is he not crowned except he strive lawfully" (II Timothy 2:5). Also, we must follow our course. To Archippus it is written, "Take heed to the ministry thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfill it." We would do well to heed the same admonition so that we may finish the course with joy.

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Good News of Great Joy
by Steve McVey

When the angels appeared on the first Christmas, they described Jesus' birth as "good news of great joy!" It's a safe rule of thumb to remember that when angels use words like "good news" and "great joy," whatever they're talking about must be big - really big. After all,they live in heaven so good news by their standards has to be something off-the-charts good. What was it about the coming of Jesus that they knew was so fantastic? It's what they knew would happen when He completed His mission here on earth.

There are many aspects of His coming we could celebrate. As you reflect on the meaning of Christmas, keep these three in mind:

1. Our sins have been taken away. God forgave your sins, but the good news of Christmas is even better than that. The Bible says He took them away so that you are now justified - that is, you're in a position as if you've never sinned one time. Nothing. They're all gone and no trace of sin is left on your now-holy spirit. It is just-if-I (justify) never sinned! You don't have to shirk away from God in embarrassment about anything because God's heart toward you is to do nothing but hug you.

2. God isn't angry with us. Since there are no sins to stand between you and God, there's nothing that would cause Him to be angry with you.You may have grown up thinking that your Father is looking at you with a disapproving look on His face, but it's not true. Your God is smiling with delight as He watches you each day. We may still see our sins, but from the eternal realm God knows "it is finished" and that they've all been totally obliterated. Think outside the box - the time box - and be assured that your Father is happy with you because He has dealt with your sins already.

3. We don't have to try to change ourselves. Religion is man's attempt to make himself become acceptable to God by changing himself. You don't have to do that anymore. You are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus. If you look at yourself through the legalistic lens of performance based acceptance, you'll see flaws and will find yourself experiencing an urge to improve yourself. When you look at yourself through the lens of God's grace, you will know that He adores you at this very moment, just the way you are. He loves you enough that He will assume responsibility for bringing any changes into your life that may be needed.

It's Christmas and your Father has given you a gift in Jesus Christ that surpasses anything you can imagine. He has taken away your sins. He adores you completely. He has let you off the hook so that you don't have to try to improve anything about yourself. Those are just the tip of the iceberg.

Will you embrace the full meaning of Christmas? Jesus didn't die just so you could go to heaven. He came to give you life - His life; an abundant life free from guilt, condemnation, and slavery to both sins and religion. He came to bring a grace revolution to the world and that is exactly what He accomplished. Now, that's a reason to have a Merry Christmas!  And a Blessed NEW YEAR, as you rest in these truths.

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Our Purpose and Mission

The purpose of this ministry "Grace and the Truth" is to be a positive force in winning lost souls to Christ; and to enhance fellowship, to encourage, to strengthen, and to establish Christians who are committed to the truths in the Word of God. It is not the purpose of this ministry to rule over any local church or to establish a denomination, to be sectarian, or to be competitive with any organization. We promote personal Bible study for faith practice, and fellowship. As we go forward with this purpose, We want to encourage you to study the Word, for help in this area subscribe to our in-depth daily devotions.   They are sure to "enhance fellowship," "encourage," "strengthen" and help "establish" us as Christians. We love you and our hope is in Christ. (Col 1:27  ......... which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.)

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ASLEEP IN A STORM
by C. R. Stam


What a disappointing scene! A terrifying storm, souls in danger of death, but Jonah, the man of God, fast asleep.

Sailors are not soon frightened in a storm, but this time the fury of the gale was so great that “the ship was like to be broken” and even the sailors were driven to their knees “and cried every man unto his god” (Jonah 1:4,5).

Can it be that Jonah, the only man aboard who knew the true God, was sleeping? Sleeping while souls were perishing? This was the shameful truth, and not one of us would blame the terrified captain for rudely awakening him and crying: “What meanest thou, O sleeper? Arise, call upon thy God!” (Verse 6).

But let us not be too ready to condemn Jonah, for we may be more guilty than he. Surely the world today is passing through a fearful storm and souls all about us are in peril of their lives. If they do not accept God’s way of salvation; if they do not trust in Christ, they will perish. And what are we doing about it? Are we pleading for them in prayer? Are we doing what we can to reach them for Christ? Or are we fast asleep?

“What meanest thou O sleeper? Arise, call upon thy God!” And when you have cried to God in behalf of your unsaved relatives, friends, and business associates, He will send you to witness to them of Christ and His love. Not until you have talked to God about them will you be ready to talk to them about God.

Politically, morally, spiritually, the night is dark, the storm is raging and souls are perishing, but “God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts” (II Cor.4:6). “…We are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep as do others” (IThess. 5:5,6).

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LAW VS. GRACE - Part 1 of 3
By John Steiner


Romans 4:15, clearly states that "the law worketh wrath." But so many people do not wish to see this. Even some clergymen tell us that God gave the law to help us be good, when God speaking through Paul the apostle says the very opposite: that it was given to show us how bad we are and need a Savior. Could it be that some do not wish to  see themselves as law breakers? Or, as a person who stands guilty and condemned by the law of God?

"The law worketh wrath." You know every criminal knows this, and every sinner should too because the Bible has so much to say on the subject. A criminal understands that breaking the law has a consequence (especially if he's doing jail time for it). And in the Bible, breaking God's law always carried with it a consequence.

After the penalty for our sin was paid by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, He chose to reveal insight to man regarding the purpose and intent of the law. Through Paul, God now shows us what the purpose was and is to bring about "the ministration of condemnation" and "the ministration of death." (II Corinthians 3:7, 9) It was to stop every bragging mouth, and bring us before God as we really are: guilty. "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and ALL THE WORLD MAY BECOME GUILTY BEFORE GOD. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: FOR BY THE LAW IS THE KNOWLEDGE OF SIN." (Romans 3:19-20)

Paul said, "I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, 'Thou shalt not covet .' But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I FOUND TO BE UNTO DEATH." (Romans 7:7-10)

By the way, who would be considered under the law today? Would it not be anyone who seeks to make himself acceptable to God by keeping the law? In Galatians 3:10-14, Paul tells us that these people are under a curse. The law only condemns them. "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone 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."

Here Paul quotes the law and the prophets, but is giving added revelation now with it saying: "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 LA W, being made a curse for us: for it is written, 'Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.' That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith."

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LAW VS. GRACE - Part 2 of 3
By John Steiner


   Those who approach God expecting eternal life in return for good works are offering God THEIR terms which He will never accept. God will not sell justification or righteousness to those ALREADY UNDER CONDEMNATION FOR SIN! But now He does offer sinners complete justification by grace because, again, "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! 'Under the law, God through Moses, commanded:

   "And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he is to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree. His body shall not remain all night upon a tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day, (for he that is hanged is accursed of God) that thy land be not defiled, which the Lord thy God gjveth thee for an inheritance. " (Deut. 21:22-23) Could it be that being hanged pictures being cursed because he is being suspended between the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of earth so-to-speak? And that this depicts being a citizen of neither? And consequently the "cursed man" should be avoided since he is cursed? THANK GOD He sent Jesus Christ to become that curse in our place! Thank God, those who trust this good news are given God's righteousness for it is bestowed upon them as we read in Romans 3:21-22 "But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference." Do believe that? This is difficult for many people to accept, especially the religious, but here it is written in the Word of God, "But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested .. "

   But how shall we interpret the words "But now" in this passage? When was this "Bestowed righteousness" due to trusting in Jesus vicarious death first shown, or revealed? Was it revealed at Calvary? No, nothing is explained of the accomplishment there yet. Was it revealed at the so-called "great commission"? No, not one record of the commission contains one word about justification given through the merits of Christ's death. (Only that remission of sins could be issued to those repentant of the murder of Christ and water baptized demonstrating faith that He is the Son of God.) Was it at Pentecost then? No, not even at Pentecost. There the convicted murderers were still told to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins.

It was not until Paul that this blessed message went forth. It was Paul and no one until Paul who declared "But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested." The reason for this is that up to the point of Paul's conversion, God was still honoring and answering the prayer of our Lord Jesus on the cross. There our Lord prayed, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do," (Luke 23:34) And the Father answered that prayer giving Israel (nationally) the opportunity to demonstrate repentance and faith in Jesus as the Son of God after the coming and testimony of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Remission of sins and the Holy Spirit was given to those who obeyed the Apostles command to be water baptized in Jesus' name. (See Acts 2:36-39, Acts 3:19-20, Acts 5:30-32, and Acts 8:35-38 ) But with the stoning of Stephen, and the great wave of persecution that resulted from it, it was evident that Israel did not wish to be the instrument of blessing to the world for they were sticking with their rejection of Jesus Christ from a national standpoint.

This is the kind of relationship God wants with you! The notion that God recreated you in Christ to get more work out of you is such a low view of our Father. God wants you to adopt Paul's life verse: "that I may know Him [Christ]" (Philippians 3:10). As you pursue that goal, spiritual fruit will begin to drop off of you to the glory of Christ. Men asked Jesus, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" Jesus answered, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent" (John 6:28,29).

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LAW VS. GRACE - Part 3 of 3
By John Steiner


So, no, this righteousness bestowed "upon them that believe" was not possible until it was revealed, and announced. At Calvary our salvation was purchased but not proclaimed that way until through Paul. And who better to be the herald of the grace of Christ than Saul, also called Paul. After all, by the inspiration of God, he called himself  the chief of sinners, and less than the least of all saints, because he persecuted the Jewish church and wasted it. He hadn't repented or shown any signs of faith for he was "yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter" when he was stopped by the Lord in "exceeding abundant" grace and love.

Paul received the message of grace directly from the Lord himself by direct revelation. In a similar way as John the apostle received the Revelation concerning the tribulation period and the Day of our Lord's judgment, Paul by direct revelation received the message which is in affect "now" or during "this present time", or the "Day" of grace and the "Day of salvation".

Paul tells us "But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ." (Galatians 1:11-12) He says "If you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward. How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery (as I wrote afore in few words, whereby, when you read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit." (Ephesians 3:2-5)

So when Paul says "but now ... "rest assured that these are the very words of our Lord Jesus Christ and that he is only speaking in behalf of the Lord in this day of grace. And so as a scripture writer he says, "But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, (this message) we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ,  that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:22-26)

So what about you my dear friend? Do you know what it means to experience bestowed righteousness? Or are you still under the curse of the law, still trying to do the impossible feat of keeping the law perfectly? Jesus Christ was "made a curse for us" by enduring the cross, and bearing our penalty. Put your trust completely in His finished work there in shedding His blood and YOU WILL experience His bestowed righteousness. Take advantage of God's gracious offer while it's still being made. We have no promise of tomorrow, so this may be your last day, hour, or minute for that matter. And besides that, God may decide to move on with his dealings with man, and begin to show His other attributes such as His righteous judgment. For under His righteous judgment, the great tribulation period, His dealings with man will not be so gracious as they are today in the Day of Grace. Under the dispensation to come you will need to endure to the end in order to be saved. But for now, God is offering you the same kind of grace He showed Paul on the road to Damascus. So don't pass it up, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." (Acts 16:31)

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THE CHURCH AND THE TRIBULATION
By Pastor Bob Hanna


A prominently held view among Christian believers states that the church, the Body of Christ, will be included in the tribulation - the time of Jacob's trouble. Our apostle says otherwise. Writing to members of the body, he declares, "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day [the day of the Lord] shall not come except there come a falling away [literally], a departure first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God" (2 Thessalonians 2:3,4.)

Verse seven states, "He who now letteth [hindereth] will let [hinder] until he be taken out of the way." That which hinders is the church, the Body of Christ. The rapture will take us out of the way. "And then shall that Wicked [one] be revealed." This is the great deceiver whose being revealed begins the tribulation period. Hence the rapture precedes the tribulation, which means that the church will not go through the tribulation. Verses nine through twelve graphically describe the activities of the man of sin during the first half of the tribulation. By this time we, members of Christ's body, will be in heaven with our Lord and Savior "Wherefore comfort one another with these words" (I  Thess. 4: 18 ).

Some of those who put the church in the tribulation say that we are present In the first 3.5 years. Others say that we will not be raptured until after the full seven years. Either way, there is no substantiation to be found In Scripture. One verification of the fact of the rapture preceding the tribulation: our apostle nowhere instructs or advises us re how we would cope with the conditions or how to survive accordingly.

Our apostle repeatedly assures us in this regard. "God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him" (Romans 5:8,9). "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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~GUIDING COMFORTER~
By M. Stanford



"If ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under bondage of effort to please God by works of the law" (Gal. 5:18, m.).

The motivating principle of the old life is the law; the motivating principle of the new life is "the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus." The one produces "the works of the flesh"; the other, "the fruit of the Spirit."

"To be guided by the Holy Spirit is to be moved through the most delicate relationships the heart can know. The 'bit and bridle' of the law must give way to the glance of the eye of grace (Ps. 32:8, 9). At this point Satan, appearing as 'an angel of light,' will seek to misdirect the believer's life by making use of a morbid conscience, a mistaken impression as to duty, or a lack of understanding as to the exact teaching of God's Word. However, Satan's leadings are to be detected since they are irksome, painful, and disagreeable. The leading of the Holy Spirit is sweet and satisfying to the heart of the one who is yielded to God. We must remember that the will of God is said to be 'good,' 'acceptable,' and 'perfect' (Rom. 12:2)." - L.S.C.

"The believer has an all-engaging responsibility of continuing in an attitude of reliance ('by means of the Spirit be walking') upon the Holy Spirit. This is the believer's divinely appointed task and place of cooperation in the mighty undertakings of God. Thus, and only thus, can the Holy Spirit possess and vitalize every human faculty, emotion, and choice." - L.S.C.

''If we are living in the Spirit's power, let our conduct also be governed by the Spirit's power" (Gal. 5:25, Wey.).

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SLOW BUT SURE
By Miles Stanford


"Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him,. fret not thyself" (Ps. 37:7).

Our Father moves on the basis of His finished work, therefore hurry is not a factor with Him nor should it be with us. We are to 'walk in the Spirit,' and the blessed Holy Spirit will see to it that we obtain all that our Father has for us, step by step. ''The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and he delighteth in His way" (Ps. 37:23). Don't be discouraged---Enoch walked with God for three hundred years before he was translated!

"We cannot become spiritual all at once; we must be content to begin as babes. Spiritual maturity and strength do not come by effort but by growth; and growth is the result of being nourished by proper food. But if we do not grow by effort it is important to remember that we do not grow without exercise.

"God begins by giving our hearts a sense of the blessedness of the grace in which He has called us, that we may be awakened and enhungered to pursue the knowledge of all this with purpose of heart and prayerful study." - C.A.C.

"Whatever we do accurately must take time and collectedness of mind, and there is no accuracy in all the world like keeping company with God, and yet nothing so free from bondage or tediousness. By going slow with the Lord we accomplish more than by going with a rush, because what we do is done so much better and does not have to be undone. It is done in a better spirit, with deeper motives, and bears fruit far out in the future, when all mushroom performances have been dissipated forever." - G.B.W.

"Delight thyself also in the Lord, and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart" (Ps.37:4).

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~Crossing Over in 2009~
by Steve McVey


"The land into which you are about to cross to possess it, [is] a land of hills and valleys, drinks water from the rain of heaven, [it is] a land for which the LORD your God cares; the eyes of the LORD your God are always on it, from the beginning even to the end of the year." (Deut. 11:11-12)

2009 is new territory for us all. It is a Land of Grace and living in the Land of Grace is never dull. Egypt is a flat land. A person can travel one mile or a hundred and the landscape never changes. Canaan, on the other hand, is a land of diversity. There are mountain peaks and valleys, ups and downs.

That's how life will be in 2009. There will be happy days and hard days, but all the ups and downs of our lives are controlled by our Loving Father because our "steps are established by the Lord." Your Father loves you so much. Take that truth with you each step of the way through 2009. "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, (He says) thoughts of peace, and not evil, plans to give you a future and hope" (Jeremiah 29:11).

The year ahead will be a year of divine supply. In Egypt we had to dig our own irrigation ditches, trying to produce life from the labor and struggles of our own hands. In the Land Of Grace, our Father sends what we need from heaven. Our part is to receive by faith all that He wants to give and wants to do.

2009 is a Land of Grace, and it is our land. It is a land about which "the LORD your God cares." Every square inch and every millisecond of time during the coming year is what He wants to share with you. Let's claim it by faith! Let's march into the new year, free from fear and full of hope. Let us go into it with the deep settled confidence that victory is ours, that there is nothing left to fear and that there is power and glory awaiting us!

May you and your family realize His rich blessings in 2009. Thank you for journeying with us on this grace walk as we continue to share His life and love with the world.

Grace Walk Ministries

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"PREDESTINATION"
Eph. 1:3-5



One of the greatest truths in which Christians should rejoice is that of predestination Paul in writing to the church says "having predestinated us." That Christians are often wary of this subject is saddening. The message given here in Ephesians as related to this subject is most glorious. This is the reason for Paul saying what he does in verses 3 and 5, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. According as He hath chosen us...in love having predestinated us... ."

Here are some items most noteworthy related to predestination:

     One: Predestination here is of a corporate body. It is the Church, the Body of Christ of which the Apostle speaks. It is the "new creation in Christ Jesus," a people whose blessings are heavenly, a people chosen before the foundation of the world. This is in contradistinction to Israel who was chosen 'since the foundation of the world,' the Word of God is always careful to so distinguish Israel and the Church. Hence, the Church is no afterthought of God. It was predestinated. It is because He decreed it so. It is not the first of man's manipulations.

     Two: Predestination is 'after the counsel of His will.' Note verses 5, 9 and 11. He has so willed it and according to verse 8 'He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom.' In other words His counsel was 'in all wisdom.' Who then are we to discredit this action of God?

Three: Predestination is 'to the praise of his glory.'  Verse 12. In other words, if our finite minds cannot grasp the meaning of it all, that does not alter the fact that it is 'to the praise of His glory.' Note carefully verses 6, 12 and 14. Repeatedly God says 'to the praise of His glory.'  If this act of God, independent of man's actions, is to the praise of His glory, I should for this alone be thankful.

     Four: Predestination is founded on love. "In love" of verse 4 should be associated with verse 5 and read: 'In love having predestinated us.' This is an act of God's love. Moses writing to Israel in Deuteronomy 7:7-8 says,  'The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number" than any people, for ye were the fewest of all people: But because the Lord loved you...'  Whatever God has done in predestination it is because of love. In any sphere of life action taken because of and founded upon love is never to be feared.

Personally I rejoice and triumph in the fact that I have been chosen in Him and predestinated. God only knows the reason and it is not for me to question. This is God's business-my business is to enter into and enjoy my inheritance Him.