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Palmoni
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« Reply #75 on: March 11, 2004, 03:19:21 PM »

 Smiley HI A4C. Great stuff i read here! I met Pastor John McKay years ago while i was traveling thru Ohio, meeting several Grace Peacher/Teachers....he is a grand example of a "Grace"ful man. Hospitible & insightful. I very much enjoyed my visit with him Wink! Anything you see in Print by his is indeed a blessing! Grin
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PALMONI [[ If what you believe is not worth dying for, then maybe it's not worth living for. ]]
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« Reply #76 on: March 13, 2004, 03:55:19 PM »

Smiley HI A4C. Great stuff i read here! I met Pastor John McKay years ago while i was traveling thru Ohio, meeting several Grace Peacher/Teachers....he is a grand example of a "Grace"ful man. Hospitible & insightful. I very much enjoyed my visit with him Wink! Anything you see in Print by his is indeed a blessing! Grin

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMEN! Palmoni
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« Reply #77 on: March 13, 2004, 08:38:04 PM »

THE DANGERS OF LEGALISM

EVERY FEW DAYS I receive letters and tracts from men  trying  to persuade  me  that, though we are free in Christ, we are yet under the bondage of the law. Some of these are good men, men who believe and preach the gospel of God’s free grace in Christ. But their error in this point is most serious and grievous.

l. If you seek to be justified by the law, you will surely perish. It is written: ‘By the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight.’

2. If you seek sanctification or seek to be-come more holy by obedience to the law, you will become self-righteous. Self- righteous-ness is neither more nor less than your own righteousness. It is a supposed righteous-ness performed by you. It is that proud foolishness of heart which supposes that you are more holy than others.

3. If you make the law your rule of life, you will lose the joy of serving Christ. The joy of Christian service is the fact that it is free, unconstrained and spontaneous. It is motivated by love. But when you make the law of God a rule of life the motive becomes fear or desire for reward and all joy is destroyed.

4. If you seek assurance by obeying the law, you will become despondent and fearful. The old Puritans, sound as they were in many points, could never gain any comforting assurance and their congregations were never allowed to enjoy any because they sought it on a legal basis. Some were driven to such despondency by legal fear that they had to be locked away in asylums to keep them from committing suicide. The law breeds fear. You cannot obey it. It can never comfort anyone except a proud, self-right-eous man who does not understand it.

5. If you seek acceptance before God in any measure whatsoever upon the basis of the law, you will never be accepted at all. Christ alone is our acceptance before God. He is all our righteousness, all our sanctification, all our holiness, all our redemption and all our peace. To add anything to his finished work is to make his work vain and useless. Christ will be all, or he will be nothing.


—Don Fortner
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Eph 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:

Daily Inspirational

WEB SITE
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www.graceandthetruth.com

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2 Tim 2:15  Study to show thyself approved unto God, a  workman  that needeth  not  to  be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.  



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« Reply #78 on: March 15, 2004, 12:24:58 AM »

BE A BEREAN


Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. (Acts 17:11)

If this is true, then why are there so many churches that do not believe this way? This is the reaction we have heard countless times upon explaining the Grace message to someone. It is unfortunate, but very typical for people to initially reject something they have never heard before..: especially if it conflicts with their tradition! But in Acts 17:11, we find a refreshing contrast to this attitude. In fact in this verse, we find the balanced approach we should all have when we are approached with some new teaching.

First, the noble Bereans listened with open minds: for they received the message with great eagerness (Acts 17:11a). One of the saddest conditions to be in is to reject Bible teaching outright because it sounds new. Of course, the old saying is right, If it is new, it is not true, and if it is true, it is not new. Remember that just because a teaching may sound new does not necessarily mean it is. The apostle Paul’s teaching concerning the Mystery is as old as the first century when it was revealed to him by the glorified Lord of heaven. But even before that it was in the very mind of God (Ephesians 3:9).

Secondly, the Bereans balanced their open-mindedness with a holy skepticism. Luke records, [they] examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true (Acts 17:11b). This is the attitude we too must have, for there are many false doc-trines floating around in our world today. We must search the scriptures, rightly divided (2 Timothy 2:15) so we will not be tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching . . . (Ephesians 4:14).



—taken from Amazing Grace

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Should this devotional be a blessing to you, maybe you have a friend or family member that would like to start receiving the daily word. You may forward this to them, by copy and paste method,  and they can use the below link to subscribe. We love to meet new people.

Eph 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:

Daily Inspirational

WEB SITE
Grace And The Truth
www.graceandthetruth.com

E-Mail GracentheTruth@aol.com

2 Tim 2:15  Study to show thyself approved unto God, a  workman  that needeth  not  to  be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.  

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The Crusader
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« Reply #79 on: March 16, 2004, 04:00:47 AM »

BE A BEREAN


Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. (Acts 17:11)

If this is true, then why are there so many churches that do not believe this way? This is the reaction we have heard countless times upon explaining the Grace message to someone. It is unfortunate, but very typical for people to initially reject something they have never heard before..: especially if it conflicts with their tradition! But in Acts 17:11, we find a refreshing contrast to this attitude. In fact in this verse, we find the balanced approach we should all have when we are approached with some new teaching.

First, the noble Bereans listened with open minds: for they received the message with great eagerness (Acts 17:11a). One of the saddest conditions to be in is to reject Bible teaching outright because it sounds new. Of course, the old saying is right, If it is new, it is not true, and if it is true, it is not new. Remember that just because a teaching may sound new does not necessarily mean it is. The apostle Paul’s teaching concerning the Mystery is as old as the first century when it was revealed to him by the glorified Lord of heaven. But even before that it was in the very mind of God (Ephesians 3:9).

Secondly, the Bereans balanced their open-mindedness with a holy skepticism. Luke records, [they] examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true (Acts 17:11b). This is the attitude we too must have, for there are many false doc-trines floating around in our world today. We must search the scriptures, rightly divided (2 Timothy 2:15) so we will not be tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching . . . (Ephesians 4:14).



—taken from Amazing Grace

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Should this devotional be a blessing to you, maybe you have a friend or family member that would like to start receiving the daily word. You may forward this to them, by copy and paste method,  and they can use the below link to subscribe. We love to meet new people.

Eph 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:

Daily Inspirational

WEB SITE
Grace And The Truth
www.graceandthetruth.com

E-Mail GracentheTruth@aol.com

2 Tim 2:15  Study to show thyself approved unto God, a  workman  that needeth  not  to  be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.  



Amen, BE A BEREAN
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« Reply #80 on: March 17, 2004, 01:43:31 PM »





THE NEW NATURE IN THE BELIEVER


It has been well said that if there is any-thing good in any man it is because it was put there by God. And something good -- a new, sinless nature -- has been imparted by God to every believer.

While there is still within us "that which is begotten of the flesh," there is also "that which is begotten of the Spirit," and just as the one is totally depraved and "cannot
please God," so the other is absolutely per-fect and always pleases Him.

Adam was originally created in the image and likeness of God, but he fell into sin and later"begat a son IN HIS OWN LIKENESS, AFTER HIS IMAGE" (Gen. 5:3). It could not be otherwise. Fallen Adam could gener-ate and beget only fallen, sinful offspring, whom even the Law could not change. But "what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending His own Son IN THE LIKENESS OF SINFUL FLESH, and for sin," accomplished, "that the righteousness of the law might be ful-filled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit" (Rom.8:3,4),

As Adam was made in the likeness of God, but fell, so Christ was made in the likeness of sinful flesh, to redeem us from the fall, that by grace, through the operation of the
Spirit, a new creation might be brought into being, a "new man... renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him" (Col. 3:10) a "new man, which, after God is
created in righteousness and true holiness" (Eph. 4:24).

Referring to this "new man," John says:

"Whosoever is born [begotten] of God doth not commit sin, for his seed remaineth in him: and HE CANNOT SIN, BECAUSE HE IS BORN [BEGOTTEN] OF GOD" (I John 3:9).

"WE KNOW THAT WHOSOEVER IS BORN [BEGOTTEN] OF GOD SINNETH NOT..." (I John 5:18).


by C.R. Stam

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Should this devotional be a blessing to you, maybe you have a friend or family member that would like to start receiving the daily word. You may forward this to them, by copy and paste method,  and they can use the below link to subscribe. We love to meet new people.

Eph 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:

Daily Inspirational

WEB SITE
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www.graceandthetruth.com

E-Mail GracentheTruth@aol.com

2 Tim 2:15  Study to show thyself approved unto God, a  workman  that needeth  not  to  be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.  

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« Reply #81 on: March 17, 2004, 01:47:30 PM »

TRUST THE HOLY SPIRIT TO DO HIS WORK





I WAS DISAPPOINTED recently to be involved in an e-mail forum of Bible students and teachers the goal of which was to discuss God’s Word together and learn from each other.  It wasn’t long before certain content-ious  believers had blown open (once again) the KJV-only debate.

In the heat of the moment, many things were said, accu-sations made, and other believers ridiculed—sad to say it was mostly on the part of those who claimed they were "contending for the faith.". I sat back and watched as one by one many of the older and more experienced breth-ren began to unsubscribe from the forum.

Then one brother from the U.S. sent along this note which I believe shows the real essence of what we are called to do and how we are to speak the truth as be-lievers in the grace of God.

I will quote it in its entirety and urge you, as you read it, to think of any contentious doctrinal question or some petty issue that brings division between believers.

Could we consider this? Would it be a problem with the Holy Spirit? . . . He is the one who is to guide us into all truth, (John 6:13) and He is the one to glorify Christ in us. Is He not the one to unveil to us the deep things of God as well as the things that are freely given to us of God (2 Cor. 2:9-12)? Is it not God the Holy Spirit at work in every believer both to will and to do of His good pleasure, that we may be without blame in the midst of the unbelievers (Phil. 2:13-15)? Is it not the Holy Spirit who convinces the unbeliever and the believer? Is it not our responsibility to put the word out and to live the godly life that others may see Christ in us "the hope of glory" (Col. 1:27)? Then, if all of this is true, and I believe it is, why do we try so hard to make people believe it? Don’t we trust the Holy Spirit who indwells all believers to do His work?

We must allow people to believe what ever they want to believe and if it is truth that we are putting out then let’s put it out there and let God the Holy Spirit to do the con-vincing—how many times do we have to say it? Only once and then let the Holy Spirit do His work.

That doesn't mean that we can’t repeat ourselves. But if we are pressing the issue then we are trying and caus-ing division and contention and God makes it very clear that we, through the mind of Christ, are to do NOTHING through STRIFE or VAINGLORY, but in lowliness of mind (humility) letting each esteem others better than them-selves (Phil. 2:3-5). Which is more important, what you say, (which is important) or the life you live?  Could it be that what we do speaks so loud that they can’t hear what we say?  We can argue it to the point and always win the battle, but never the war.  

I began to realise how I was not only telling people, but also trying (fading glory, 2 Cor. 3:6-11) to do the work of the Holy Spirit and [thus] turning people off to God’s wonderful unadulterated Grace message.

Yes, I still stand for the truth given to us by the apostle Paul, (2 Tim. 2:7), but at the same time I am watching how people are responding to what I am saying. Isn’t it a sight that the Corinthian believers had it all—the gifts—but the one thing they didn't have was UNCONDITIONAL GRACE LOVE. Notice how the gifts in 1 Corinthians are followed by the subject of love (1 Cor. 12:25, "that there should be no schism in the body," to 13:8, "Love that never fails"). And what is really amazing that you have the same thing in Romans, 12:3-8, with love beginning in verse 9.

Beloved, we have been given the most precious truth and it is the only thing out there that can answer all the confusion that is in the world of Christendom today but if it is not DOCTRINE ACCORDING TO GODLINESS, it will never work, because we are only proud, knowing nothing (1 Timothy 6:3-4).





I trust this will speak to your heart as it did to mine, that we will not be proud, trying by our own efforts or words to do the work of convincing and enlightening that only the Holy Spirit can ultimately do.

Author unknown to me
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Should this devotional be a blessing to you, maybe you have a friend or family member that would like to start receiving the daily word. You may forward this to them, by copy and paste method,  and they can use the below link to subscribe. We love to meet new people.

Eph 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:

Daily Inspirational

WEB SITE
Grace And The Truth
www.graceandthetruth.com

E-Mail GracentheTruth@aol.com

2 Tim 2:15  Study to show thyself approved unto God, a  workman  that needeth  not  to  be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.  


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« Reply #82 on: March 18, 2004, 01:26:16 PM »

KNOWING GOD BETTER


I keep asking that ... God ... may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that you may know him better. (Ephesians 1:17)

It is very striking, says commentator Geoffrey B. Wilson, that Paul never congratu-lates his readers for their faith, but always thanks God for it. This is because he real-ized that their conversion was not a result of self-effort but a demonstration of God’s almighty power working in and through them. . . .

Paul says of his prayers for the Ephesians: I keep asking . . . He did not pray for them just once, but kept asking that God would give them the Spirit of wisdom and revelat-ion so they might know him better. Wisdom is the heightening of our faculties so that we might think more clearly and more deeply. But wisdom is not enough—we need reve-lation also. As we wait before God, he gives us insights which are not our own. And for what purpose? That we might know him better!

What greater purpose can we have in life than getting to know God better?

Author unknown to me

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Should this devotional be a blessing to you, maybe you have a friend or family member that would like to start receiving the daily word. You may forward this to them, by copy and paste method,  and they can use the below link to subscribe. We love to meet new people.

Eph 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:

Daily Inspirational

WEB SITE
Grace And The Truth
www.graceandthetruth.com

E-Mail GracentheTruth@aol.com

2 Tim 2:15  Study to show thyself approved unto God, a  workman  that needeth  not  to  be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.  
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« Reply #83 on: March 18, 2004, 01:31:33 PM »

"WHAT’S IN A NAME?"

The Bible has much to say about one particu-lar name--the NAME of our LORD JESUS CHRIST. First, the Apostle John states that man is "condemned already, because he hath not believed in the NAME of the only begot-ten Son of God" (John 3:18).

God pronounced a curse upon the earth on account of man’s sin in the Garden of Eden (Rom.5:12). This is what the Psalmist meant when he said: "For all our days are passed away in Thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told" (Psa.90:9).

In the virgin birth of Christ,  however, the Lord Jesus became the God-man. "And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Him-self, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (Phil.2:Cool.

"Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a NAME which is above every name:
"That at the name of JESUS every knee should bow, of things in Heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; "And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is LORD, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil.2:9-11).

Even Peter’s words in Acts 4:12 are applic-able here, when he challenged national Israel to turn in repentance and true faith in their Messiah, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, and be regenerated:

"Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other Name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:10-12; Matt.19:28).

The Apostle Paul, confirmed this principle, declaring:

"For whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved"  (Rom.10:13).

Paul declares that the only remedy for sin today is the Lord Jesus Christ, and His death on Calvary’s cross:

"For [God] hath made Him to be sin for us, [Christ] who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him" (IICor.5:21).

In writing the Corinthians concerning car-nality, their once lost condition, and the great victories that could be won by simple faith
in the Lord Jesus Christ--cleansing, sanctifi-cation, justification, and salvation--Paul declared:

"And such were some of you; but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified,  but ye are justified in the NAME of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God" (I Cor.6:11).

Paul also says of those who trust Christ as Saviour that they should depart from doing wrong:

"Nevertheless the foundation of God stan-deth sure, having this seal,  The Lord know-eth them that are His. And, let everyone that nameth the Name of Christ depart from iniquity" (IITim.2:19).

But what about you, my dear friend, have you trusted Christ as your  Saviour? Don’t wait until the Judgment Day when it will be too late to call upon the Name of the Lord.

This wonderful Name, this glorious Name, this matchless Name, has changed millions of lives. Christ has changed my life, and Jesus Christ can change yours, too! Will you call upon this precious Name, and ask Him to save you from your sins, and give you a new life? Do it today.

BY RUSSELL S. MILLER
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Should this devotional be a blessing to you, maybe you have a friend or family member that would like to start receiving the daily word. You may forward this to them, by copy and paste method,  and they can use the below link to subscribe. We love to meet new people.

Eph 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:

Daily Inspirational

WEB SITE
Grace And The Truth
www.graceandthetruth.com

E-Mail GracentheTruth@aol.com

2 Tim 2:15  Study to show thyself approved unto God, a  workman  that needeth  not  to  be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.  



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« Reply #84 on: March 19, 2004, 02:32:05 PM »

WHAT SHALL WE SAY THEN?

THE SIXTH CHAPTER of Romans deals with a misunderstanding that true grace" preachers are often called upon to answer. It is a natural misunderstanding-one that is generated by the plain preaching of the gospel of grace. The Apostle Paul was misunderstood on this. As he emphasized the grace of God there were those who said, "Paul is teaching that it doesn’t matter how a Christian lives." Of course, they were wrong. Paul didn’t teach this at all, but at times his message might seem to imply it, and it was necessary for him to deal with this misunderstanding.

The first five chapters of the book of Romans clearly set forth the doctrines of grace. But this presentation of grace is immediately followed by the question with which Chapter 6 opens, "What shall we say then?" That is, in view of the teachings in Chapters 1 through 5 concerning salvation by grace, what was to be said about the Christian life? If salvation is wholly by grace, so that good works have nothing to do with it, doesn’t it follow that a Christian might just as well live in sin? Paul gives his answer to this in Ro-mans 6 and carefully explains that it does matter, it matters very much how Christians live their lives.

At this point, Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones, in his commentary on Romans, has drawn a very important lesson. The lesson is that if we are faithful to emphasize the truths of grace that Paul taught in Romans 1 through 5, then we should expect that we will be misunderstood at times, just as Paul was. We should expect that we will have to give the explanation that Paul gave in Romans 6 because there will always be those who will misunderstand and think we are saying that it doesn’t matter how a Christian lives.

Of course, there are some who have no need to be concerned about this. A man, for example, who denies, directly or indirectly, that we are saved by grace through faith alone would never be misunderstood as Paul was. One who says, "Believing is not enough; you must also live for Christ and obey His will in your life; if you do not have good works in your life as well as faith you are not saved;" obviously such a man would never have to answer the misunderstanding that Paul did. His preaching would cause no one to misunderstand and think it doesn’t matter how a Christian lives. No, it’s the true "grace" preachers who have to deal with this matter. They are the ones who declare that salvation is a free gift. They are the ones who are often misunderstood.

To the faithful reader of the gospel of the grace of God, we say: Have you ever been falsely charged with saying that it doesn’t matter how a Christian lives? Then take heart my friend, for the Apostle Paul was faced with the same thing. We who emphasize salvation as the gift of God’s grace will have to explain ourselves many times just as Paul did in Romans 6. But let us not be intimi-dated by this. Let us be faithful to the mess-age of grace. Let us stand firm against all efforts to modify it. Let us preach the gospel of the grace of God with boldness and plain-ness so that such passages as Romans 6 will be an important and necessary clarification in our ministry as gospel preachers.


Pastor Art  Sims
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Should this devotional be a blessing to you, maybe you have a friend or family member that would like to start receiving the daily word. You may forward this to them, by copy and paste method,  and they can use the below link to subscribe. We love to meet new people.

Eph 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:

Daily Inspirational

WEB SITE
Grace And The Truth
www.graceandthetruth.com

E-Mail GracentheTruth@aol.com

2 Tim 2:15  Study to show thyself approved unto God, a  workman  that needeth  not  to  be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.  


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« Reply #85 on: March 20, 2004, 07:11:53 AM »

The Touch Of God
         Leave the Past Behind
       


      SCRIPTURE READING: Philippians 3:1-14

      "But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before."-- (Philippians 3:13)

      Failures and disappointments. Aches and pains from the past that just won't seem to go away. Most of us know what it's like to suffer from them but too few of us know just what to do about them. So we limp along, hoping somehow they'll magically stop hurt-ing. But it never happens that way. In fact, the passing of time often leaves us in worse condition--not better. Because, instead of putting those painful failures behind us, we often dwell on them until they become more real to us than the promises of God. We focus on them until we become bogged down in depression, frozen in our tracks by the fear that if we go on, we'll only fail again.

      I used to get caught in that trap a lot. Then one day when I was right in the middle of a bout with depression, the Lord spoke up inside me and said: "Your problem is you're forming your thoughts off the past instead of the future. Don't do that! Unbelief looks at the past and says, 'See, it can't be done.' But faith looks at the future and says, 'It can be done, and according to the promises of God, it is done!' Then putting past failures behind it forever, faith steps out and acts like the victory's already been won." If depression has driven you into a spiritual nosedive, break out of it by getting your eyes off the past and onto your future--a future that's been guaranteed by Christ Jesus through the great and precious promises.
      in His Word. Forget about those failures in the past! That's what God has done (Heb. 8:12). And if He doesn't remember them any more, why should you?

      The Bible says God's mercies are new every morning. So if you'll take God at His Word, you can wake up every morning to a brand-new world. You can live life totally unhindered by the past. So, do it! Replace thoughts of yesterday's mistakes with scriptural promises about your future. As you do that, hope will start taking the place of depression. The spiritual aches and pains that crippled you for so long will quickly disappear. Instead of looking behind you and saying, "I can't," look ahead and say, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!" (Weymouth Phil. 4:13 "I have strength for anything through Him, who gives me power".)

Author unknown to me
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« Reply #86 on: March 23, 2004, 03:08:28 PM »

REJECTION OR ACCEPTANCE?


Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth Speaking the Truth in Love


            An advertisement once was seen which announced, “Rejects – One half price.” This was advertising tires, not people; however, it represents a principle of life that is a major cause of fear of rejection.  This fear has a devastating effect on human lives. It can be seen in neglected, rejected babies and children and it can be observed in the elderly.


            The effect of rejection causes people to do things they shouldn’t, such as, turning from friends and parents, committing robbery, murder, and worst of all, rejecting the Lord.


            It is difficult for a person who is obsessed with a fear of being rejected to express their true feelings to other persons or concerning important matters in their life.  For example, it is difficult for them to say “No.”  Contrariwise, as strange as it may seem, it might deter them from saying, “Yes” to the Lord for salvation.  This is tragic in view of our Lord’s wonderful statement, “Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37).  Also Romans 10:13 says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”


            Sometimes, it is hard for a person who feels rejected to accept praise, that is, genuine commen-dation.  They possibly feel so inadequate that they have a hard time believing anyone means it.  Sure-ly, persons should not seek the favor of men, but remember, the Lord taught a parable in which the nobleman said to a faithful servant, “Well done, thou faithful servant . . .” Luke 19:17).  Also, Paul wrote the Philippian believers and stated, “Notwith-standing ye have well done, that ye did communi-cate with my affliction” (Phil. 4:14).

            There is a remedy for this problem caused by the fear of being rejected.  That “cure” is simply its counterpart, acceptance.  First and foremost is to believe the Scripture which says,

            “To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.”  (Eph. 1:6)

 

            This process of God, “wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved,” results in our being made gracious of acceptable.  Seeing this is a stated fact, why worry or fret when maybe some misguided individual rejects or shuns us? After all, God received us when we believed Him through our Lord Jesus Christ!

by Charles W. Wages
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« Reply #87 on: March 25, 2004, 01:29:51 PM »

REJECTION OR ACCEPTANCE?
Part 2

Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth Speaking the Truth in Love

            There is another great truth that tends to dispel any type of fear, that is, God has plans for our lives, right down to the “end.” Jeremiah 29:11 reads,
            “For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

            Knowing and accepting the truth that God thinks of peace for our life is in itself a tremen-dously heartwarming fact. It is good just to know God is thinking about me, but to know that He has planned my life right down to the end, makes me to rejoice, and fears subside.

            In closing, it is assuring to know that we have a place of refuge.  Wonderful truths are found in Psalms 62, especially verses 5 though 8.  Verses 6 and 7 say,

            “He only is my rock and my salvation He is my defense:  I shall not be moved.  In God is my salvation and my glory; the rock of my strength, and my refuge is in God.”

            Dear friend, if you have not as yet received the Lord Jesus as your Saviour, please do so.  Remember the Scripture says, “But as many as received Him to them gave He the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name” (John 1:12).  God will receive you.  He will not turn you away if only you will turn to Him and believe that “Christ died for your sins, according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried and that He rose again the third day, according to the Scriptures”  (1Cor. 15:3-4).

            Dear Believer, trust God and His word as to your eternal position in Christ, “accepted in the Beloved.”  He loves you, desires to use you for His glory, and has already planned for you in the glory.

            “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, Lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy path.” (Prov. 3:5-6)

by Charles W. Wages

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2 Tim 2:15  Study to show thyself approved unto God, a  workman  that needeth  not  to  be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.  

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« Reply #88 on: March 25, 2004, 01:34:09 PM »

TRUTH ON THE SCAFFOLD

"Truth is on the scaffold, and wrong is on the throne."

Though this may be expected in an ungodly world, such a mentality ought not to exist in the Church. Honesty, integrity, and upright-ness should rather be the watchwords among -st the people of God, especially with regards to the evidence in the Word of God.

The evidence of Creation could not be clearer (Gen.1:1; Ex.20:11; Eph.3:9; Heb.1:2), yet some people won’t believe.

The evidence of the Inspiration of the Scrip-tures couldn’t be greater (II Tim.3:16; IIPet. 1:20,21; Heb. 4:12,13), yet some people won’t
believe.





The evidence of the Virgin Birth of Christ couldn’t be stronger (Matt. 1:18; Luke 1:35), yet some people won’t believe.

The evidence of the Pauline Revelation could not be plainer (Rom. 16:25,26; Gal.1:11,12; Eph.3:9), yet some people won’t believe.

The evidence of salvation by grace through faith today couldn’t be more gracious (Rom.
5:8-11; Heb.9:12), yet some people won’t believe, preferring their "good works" to the finished work of Christ.

The evidence of the eternal security of the believer in Christ could not be more obvious (Rom.8:35-39; Heb. 7:25), yet some people won’t  believe.

The evidence of a pre-millennial, pre-tribulat-ional rapture of the Body of Christ could not be more imminent (IThes.4:13-18; 5:9), yet
some people won’t believe.

The reason that many people don’t believe these wonderful truths in God’s Word is because "the god of this world [Satan] hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, LEST THE LIGHT OF THE GLORIOUS GOSPEL OF CHRIST, who is the image of God, SHOULD SHINE UNTO THEM" (IICor.
4:4).

Remember: God holds us accountable to "rightly divide the Word of truth" (IITim. 2:15).

"Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will BRING TO LIGHT THE HIDDEN THINGS OF DARKNESS, and will make MANIFEST THE COUNSELS OF THE HEARTS: and then shall every man have
praise of God" (ICor.4:5).

BY RUSSELL S. MILLER
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Should this devotional be a blessing to you, maybe you have a friend or family member that would like to start receiving the daily word. You may forward this to them, by copy and paste method,  and they can use the below link to subscribe. We love to meet new people.

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

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2 Tim 2:15  Study to show thyself approved unto God, a  workman  that needeth  not  to  be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.  


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« Reply #89 on: March 26, 2004, 05:00:56 PM »

WHAT IS GRACE?


"The father of lies" always hates the truth, but he does not always oppose it by the same methods. If he fails to succeed as a roaring lion he may appear as an angel of light, sug-gesting that surely a God of love will not condemn Christ-rejectors forever. Sinners, he will contend, are not responsible for their sins anyway, for does not Eph. 1:11 teach that "[God] worketh all things after the counsel of His own will"? And thus God Himself is supposed to have conceived the idea of sin as "a gracious means to a glorious end," and to have caused man to fall into sin so that He might finally save him from it!

Why an almighty, all-wise, all-loving God per-mitted sin to enter the universe must, for the time being, remain an impenetrable mystery to us, but one thing is certain: He is not the author of sin, and never accepts the respon-sibility for it -- except that in grace and love He bore its penalty for man.

God calls sinners "children of disobedience" and "children of wrath" (Eph. 2:2,3), explaining in the clearest language that He hates sin and that His anger is kindled against it (Rom. 1:18; Eph. 5:6; John 3:36). But if God meant man to sin and caused him to sin, how was man disobedient and what cause could God have to be angry? Those who would shift the responsibility for sin from themselves to God should remember that He proclaimed His standards of right-eousness in the Law "that every mouth may be stopped and that all the world may be brought in guilty before God" -(Rom. 3:19).

The contention that all will finally be saved may at first sound like wonderful grace, but actually there is not one particle of grace in it, for it is based on the theory that since God got us into sin it is only just that He save us from its penalty. But grace is God’s mercy and kindness to the undeserving. In Eph. 2, after calling sinners "children of disobed-ience" and therefore "children of wrath," the Apostle Paul goes on to say:

"BUT GOD, who is RICH IN MERCY, for His GREAT LOVE wherewith he loved us... hath quickened us... raised us up... and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus; that in the ages to come He might show THE EXCEEDING RICHES OF HIS GRACE IN HIS KINDNESS TOWARD US THROUGH CHRIST JESUS" (Eph. 2:4-7).

By C R. Stam
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Should this devotional be a blessing to you, maybe you have a friend or family member that would like to start receiving the daily word. You may forward this to them, by copy and paste method,  and they can use the below link to subscribe. We love to meet new people.

Eph 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:

Daily Inspirational

WEB SITE
Grace And The Truth
www.graceandthetruth.com

E-Mail GracentheTruth@aol.com

2 Tim 2:15  Study to show thyself approved unto God, a  workman  that needeth  not  to  be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.  




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