Two Minutes With The Bible II

[nChrist]

Subject: Two Minutes With The Bible - Sep 28

IS WATER BAPTISM A TESTIMONY?

Let us suppose that you have been saved, but live a care-
less life and bear a poor testimony before the world. Would
water baptism change this? What would it be worth?

But suppose you have been saved and live a godly, con-
sistent life before the world. Is a water-confession neces-
sary? How much is it worth? Don’t be afraid to answer this
question honestly. How many "baptized converts" there are
who cannot even give a word of testimony for their Lord
among the lost!

In a sense, however, the baptism of believers by water in
this age is a testimony -- a bad testimony. When the Gala-
tian believers submitted to circumcision it was a bad testi-
mony (Gal. 5:2,3). Circumcision, while a part of Peter’s
"gospel of the circumcision" had no place in "the gospel of
the uncircumcision" committed to Paul (Gal. 2:7). And just
as circumcision was connected with "the gospel of the cir-
cumcision" so water baptism was connected with "the gos-
pel of the kingdom" (See Matt. 3:2,6; Matt. 10:5-7; cf. John
1:31; Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:16; Luke 24:47; Acts 2:36-38;
Acts 3:19-21).

We solemnly declare that the present day practice of
water baptism is a reflection on the grace of God and a con-
fession of a lack of appreciation of the finished work of
Christ, and the believer’s completeness in Him (See Eph.
1:6; Col. 2:10). Furthermore, it betrays a poor understand-
ing of the heavenly character and position of the Church of
this age (See Eph. 2:6; Eph. 1:3; Col. 3:1-3).

Be a Berean. Search the Scriptures and see whether
these things are so.

Written by Pastor Stam

Subscribe at:
http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/twominut.html
Two Minutes With The Bible By Pastor Stam

Mailing Address:
Berean Bible Society
N112 W17761 Mequon Road
P.O. Box 756
Germantown, WI 53022

Web Site:
http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/
Gospel Books, Materials, & Free Mailings

Email:
berean@execpc.com

Telephone:   262-255-4750

[nChrist]

Subject: Two Minutes With The Bible - Sep 29

THE SUPREME IMPORTANCE OF GOD’S WORD TO THE BELIEVER

The Bible will always have first place in the life of the
spiritual Christian.

It is of utmost importance that we understand this, for
some who feel themselves quite spiritual give much time to
prayer, but little, if any, to the study of the Word. Such
have actually fallen for the subtle trick of the adversary to
play upon their natural human pride and cause them to
exalt self and push God into the background.

In saying this we do not for one moment minimize the
importance of prayer; we only stress the supreme impor-
tance of the holy Word of God. In this we are surely Scrip-
tural, for David says, by inspiration:

"For Thou hast magnified Thy Word above all Thy name" (Psa.
138:2).

Of those who would still object and place first emphasis
upon prayer rather than upon the Word, we would ask one
simple question: Which is the more important, what we
have to say to God or what He has to say to us? There can
be but one answer to this question, for obviously what God
has to say to us is infinitely more important than anything
we might have to say to Him. Our prayers are as fraught
with failure as we are, but the Word of God is infallible,
immutable and eternal.

Yet some, having fallen for one of Satan’s "devices" and
feeling quite spiritual about it, are like the talkative person
to whom one listens and listens, occasionally nodding his
head, but receiving little or no opportunity to "get a word in
edgewise." They do all the talking, but give little time
listening to what God has to say to them.

Written by Pastor Stam

Subscribe at:
http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/twominut.html
Two Minutes With The Bible By Pastor Stam

Mailing Address:
Berean Bible Society
N112 W17761 Mequon Road
P.O. Box 756
Germantown, WI 53022

Web Site:
http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/
Gospel Books, Materials, & Free Mailings

Email:
berean@execpc.com

Telephone:   262-255-4750

[nChrist]

Subject: Two Minutes With The Bible - Sep 30

THE ONE ESSENTIAL THING

The place of the Word in the life of the believer is settled
once and for all in the inspired record of one of our Lord’s
visits to the home of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42).
Commentaries on this passage generally point out that both
Mary and Martha had their good points! This, of course, is
true, but if we limit ourselves to this observation we rob
the account of its intended lesson, for our Lord did not com-
mend both sisters for their "good points." He reproved
Martha and commended and defended Mary with regard to
one particular matter.

What, exactly, was Mary commended for? How often she
has been portrayed as an example to us to spend more time
with the Lord in prayer! But this is missing the point of
the passage. Mary was not praying; she "sat at Jesus’ feet,
and HEARD HIS WORD." She just sat there, drinking in
all He had to say. This was "the one essential thing" which
Mary had "chosen" and which our Lord said was not to be
"taken away from her." Thus, while prayer and testimony
and good works all have their importance in the life of the
believer, hearing God’s Word is "the one essential thing"
above all others. Indeed, let this "one thing" be given its
rightful place and all the rest will follow naturally.

It is granted, of course, that we must study the Word
prayerfully and with open heart, or it will have disastrous,
rather than beneficial results, but this only goes to place
still further emphasis upon the supreme importance of the
Word of God, which we seek, by sincere and prayerful
study, to understand and obey.

Written by Pastor Stam

Subscribe at:
http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/twominut.html
Two Minutes With The Bible By Pastor Stam

Mailing Address:
Berean Bible Society
N112 W17761 Mequon Road
P.O. Box 756
Germantown, WI 53022

Web Site:
http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/
Gospel Books, Materials, & Free Mailings

Email:
berean@execpc.com

Telephone:   262-255-4750

[nChrist]

Subject: Two Minutes With The Bible - Oct 1

FAITH IN THE RIGHT PERSON

Abraham’s faith in God was strong. When God called him
to forsake his family, friends and country, he obeyed and
"went forth, not knowing whither he went." When God
promised to multiply his seed as the stars of heaven, he
believed it, though childless. When, in his old age, God
promised that he would still have a son by ninety-year-old
Sarah, he believed it even though he had waited so long,
seemingly in vain. When God promised to give his seed the
land in which he had sojourned, he believed it, though all
reason argued against it. When God asked him to offer in
sacrifice the son born so late in life, the son upon whom all
the promises depended, he obeyed, concluding that it must
be God’s plan to raise him from the dead!

Such was Abraham’s faith in God! Three times this is
emphasized in Romans 4 alone: He was "not weak in faith"
(Ver. 19); he "staggered not at the promise of God through
unbelief," but was "strong in faith" (Ver. 20).

But it was not the strength of Abraham’s faith that saved
him; it was the fact that the object of his faith was God (See
again Gen. 15:6). He had placed his faith in the right Per-
son. His faith became "strong" only because he had heard
and believed God in the first place.

"For what saith the Scripture? Abraham believed God,
and it was counted unto him for righteousness," and thus
"to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justi-
fieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness"
(Rom. 4:3,5).

The simplest, humblest believer, who ever so feebly com-
mits himself to God and His Word, is "justified freely by His
grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Rom.
3:24).

Written by Pastor Stam

Subscribe at:
http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/twominut.html
Two Minutes With The Bible By Pastor Stam

Mailing Address:
Berean Bible Society
N112 W17761 Mequon Road
P.O. Box 756
Germantown, WI 53022

Web Site:
http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/
Gospel Books, Materials, & Free Mailings

Email:
berean@execpc.com

Telephone:   262-255-4750

[nChrist]

Subject: Two Minutes With The Bible - Oct 2

THE HIGHEST EXPRESSION OF FAITH

In Rom. 8:26 we read what our hearts must often confess
to be true:

"...We know not what we should pray for as we ought..."

But the Apostle hastens to explain that the Spirit makes
intercession for us according to the will of God, adding:

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that
love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose" (Rom.
8:28).

Believers may not receive whatever they ask for in the
darkness of this age, but

"God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always
having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work"
(II Cor. 9:.

We may not receive whatever we ask for, but by His
grace we may have so much more than this, that the Apos-
tle, in contemplating it, breaks forth in a doxology:

"Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all
that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

"Unto Him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all
ages, world without end. Amen" (Eph. 3:20,21).

In the light of all this the highest expression of faith
today is found in the words of Paul in Phil. 4:6,7:

"Be careful [anxious] for nothing -- but in everything -- by prayer and
supplication -- with thanksgiving -- let your requests be made known unto
God -- and..."

"And" what?

"And whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye
shall receive"?

NO!!

"...and the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall
keep [garrison] your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

Written by Pastor Stam

Subscribe at:
http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/twominut.html
Two Minutes With The Bible By Pastor Stam

Mailing Address:
Berean Bible Society
N112 W17761 Mequon Road
P.O. Box 756
Germantown, WI 53022

Web Site:
http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/
Gospel Books, Materials, & Free Mailings

Email:
berean@execpc.com

Telephone:   262-255-4750

[nChrist]

Subject: Two Minutes With The Bible - Oct 3

FAILING CHRISTIAN LEADERS

Have you been disappointed in your pastor or the officers
of your church or perhaps in Christian leaders in general?
Have you placed great faith in some spiritual leader only to
be disillusioned and to find out that your faith has been
misplaced? Have you observed the growing popularity of
some evangelist or Bible teacher whom you "know" to be
insincere, while noting that another, whose fidelity and
sincerity are beyond question, seems to get nowhere?

How it helps, in such situations, to be able to "rightly
divide the Word of truth," and to enjoy "the full assurance
of understanding" that comes with "the full knowledge
[Gr., epignosis] of the mystery"! (Col. 2:2).

In "this present evil age" we are living under "the dispen-
sation of the grace of God."

God is not saving good people today, nor even people who
will repent and "do works meet for repentance." Rather, He
is saving poor sinners who will come to Him with all their
sin. This is God’s gracious response to man’s rejection of the
King and the kingdom as offered at Pentecost.

Look at the way believers lived together in love and har-
mony during the Pentecostal era and you are apt to ex-
claim: "Why can’t we live that way today? Let’s get back to
Pentecost." But look at the way believers lived together
after the raising up of Paul, even among his beloved Philip-
pians, and you will say: "It is no different today." This is
because the believers at Pentecost were all filled with the
Spirit in fulfillment of a prophetic promise, while today He
has in grace committed His message to failing men and
women, who indeed possess the Spirit, but often grieve
Him.

Written by Pastor Stam

Subscribe at:
http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/twominut.html
Two Minutes With The Bible By Pastor Stam

Mailing Address:
Berean Bible Society
N112 W17761 Mequon Road
P.O. Box 756
Germantown, WI 53022

Web Site:
http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/
Gospel Books, Materials, & Free Mailings

Email:
berean@execpc.com

Telephone:   262-255-4750

[nChrist]

Subject: Two Minutes With The Bible - Oct 4

THE DAY OF ITCHING EARS

For the professing Church the day of theological con-
troversy has passed. Ecumenism is now the word on every
tongue. Church leaders appear to have become convinced
that the stifling confusion in the Church can be overcome
only by all of us getting together, minimizing our differ-
ences and emphasizing those doctrines on which we all
agree. As a result some of the most important doctrines of
Scripture are neither denied nor affirmed; they are ignored.
But little matter, for the objective now is not to be true to
the written Word of God, but to see to it that the Church is
"strong" and commands the world’s respect.

Ecumenism, sad to say, has made significant inroads
among evangelical believers too. All too seldom do men of
God stand up to defend by the Scriptures the truths they
believe and proclaim. Theological debate has given place to
the dialogue, in which two individuals or groups sit down
together to discuss their differences and see if there is not
some basis for agreement. This appears generous and objec-
tive but too often convictions are compromised and the
truth watered down by such undertakings, with the result
that the Spirit’s power is sacrificed for numerical strength.
No man of God can speak in the power of the Spirit when
he places anything before the Word and Will of God. Nor
can the Church ever be truly united and strong unless she
puts God’s Word and Will first and takes her place in the
world as Christ’s embassy on alien territory (See II Cor.
5:20).

Written by Pastor Stam

Subscribe at:
http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/twominut.html
Two Minutes With The Bible By Pastor Stam

Mailing Address:
Berean Bible Society
N112 W17761 Mequon Road
P.O. Box 756
Germantown, WI 53022

Web Site:
http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/
Gospel Books, Materials, & Free Mailings

Email:
berean@execpc.com

Telephone:   262-255-4750