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A True Catholic
by Pastor Paul M. Sadler


In the Catholic Encyclopedia, the entry for the term “Catholic” begins, “The word Catholic (katholikos from katholou—throughout the whole, i.e., universal) occurs in the Greek classics….”  We agree that the term catholic simply means “universal.”  In the early church, the terminology catholic Church was used by Christians to distinguish the true Church from those who held to the heretical teachings of Gnosticism and pantheism.  The true Church is comprised of all those, regardless of their race, gender, denomination, or other religious affiliation, who place their faith in the finished work of Christ (Eph. 1:12,13), that He died for their sins, was buried, and rose again the third day (I Cor. 15:1-4).  According to the Word of God, the true Church is called the Body of Christ (Eph. 1:22,23; Col. 1:18.).

The Roman Catholic Church, as we know it, technically did not come into existence until 325 A.D., during the reign of Constantine, the ruler of the Roman Empire at the time.  He adopted Christianity as the state religion of the empire and adopted all the trappings that eventually came with it.  While Rome has always touted itself as being the “true Church,” which is universal, the very title, Roman Catholic Church is a contradiction of terms.  Roman is a “specific term,” referring to those who align themselves with her unsound teachings and her pope, while the term catholic means universal.  In reality, it is the Protestants who believe that the Church, the Body of Christ is catholic or universal.  This universal Church would include our Roman Catholic brethren who have placed their faith solely in the finished work of Christ, and not in works or the organized church.

Rome has often pointed out that the beliefs of Protestantism are something relatively new.  It claims they are merely the fruits of the Reformation, which is far from the case.  We certainly agree that the Reformers were used of the Lord to confront the indiscretions and outright errors of the organized church of their day and to encourage believers to return to the Scriptures as their final authority.  The Reformers, to their credit, were simply returning to biblical Christianity.  Essentially, the beliefs of the Reformers were the same as the early Christians during the first three centuries of Christianity.  Some of those teachings include the sole authority of the Scriptures, justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ’s finished work alone, that there is only “one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,” etc.  Most evangelicals today, ourselves included, hold these doctrines to be among the fundamentals of the faith.

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He Shall Pray For Thee
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


Abimelech, king of Gerar, had taken Abraham’s wife as his own, but had done so innocently.

Sarah was a beautiful woman and Abraham, fearful for his life, had said to Abimelech: “She is my sister”. Indeed, Sarah, also fearful, had vouched for Abraham’s lie, telling the king: “He is my brother”.

But to save the failing couple from the consequences of their own cowardice and sin, God had appeared to Abimelech, warning him that if he valued his life he would immediately return Sarah to her husband — “and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live”(Gen. 20:7).

Can this be a correct account of what actually took place? Will God hear the prayers of guilty Abraham for innocent Abimelech? Yes, for Abimelech was a pagan who served other gods, while Abraham, with all his failure and sin, was God’s child.

Abraham’s prayer would, of course, be a confession of his sin and a plea that it might not be laid to the charge of innocent Abimelech, but nevertheless it was Abraham, not Abimelech, who had access to God.

This is an important lesson to learn, for many unsaved people point to the failures of believers and say: “I wouldn’t be guilty of that. If he goes to heaven, I certainly will get there”. Nevertheless, such “good” people are lost, while poor sinners who have trusted Christ for salvation are saved and “made accepted in the Beloved One”(Eph.1:6).

There is only one way to find acceptance with God; this is by faith in His Son. Our Lord said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by Me” (John 14:6), and in John 3:35,36 we read:

    “The Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into His hands. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: He that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.”

    “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).

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The Spirit Of Truth
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


    “Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13).

How blessed to know that the Author of the blessed Book which has changed so many hearts and lives and homes is “the Spirit of truth.”

The Spirit did not, of course, reveal all truth at one time. “The Law was given by Moses;” later the prophesies were penned by men of God as they were “moved by the Holy Spirit” and still later our Lord uttered truth “kept secret since the world began.”

But even our blessed Lord, while on earth, did not lead His followers into all the truth which God would have His people know. “I have yet many things to say unto you,” He said, “but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit, when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth” (John 16: 12,13).

But when the Spirit came at Pentecost, did He immediately lead the disciples into all truth? Not yet. They still proclaimed the prophetic program, the message which our Lord had taught them and committed to them (Luke 24: 45; Acts 1:2,3).

It was not until some time later that the glorified Lord revealed “God’s purpose and grace” to and through the Apostle Paul, and the Spirit in turn caused others to understand it (Gal. 2:2,7,9; Eph. 3:1-5; II Tim. 1:9).

The glorious message revealed to Paul is the capstone of divine revelation, thus he says that it was given to him to “fulfil [complete] the Word of God” (Col. 1:25).

St. Paul wrote more books of the Bible than any other writer and in them we have the fulness of divine truth as God would now have us know and understand it!

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A Faithful Saying (I Tim. 1:15)
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


A faithful saying this,
The heart of heaven’s scheme:
Christ Jesus came into the world
Vile sinners to redeem.

For love of sinful men
He left His throne on high
And stooped to bear th’ accursed cross,
For sinful men to die.

Nor did He only save
From hell and wrath to come,
But raised us from our sinful state
To dwell on high with Him.

How great, how infinite,
The debt of love we owe!
How can we now do less than live
For Him who loved us so?

- C.R.S.

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Important Recall Notice
by Anonymous


The Maker of all human beings is recalling all units manufactured, regardless of make or year, due to the serious defect in the primary and central component of the heart. This is due to a malfunction in the original prototype unit code named Adam and Eve, resulting in the reproduction of the same defect in all subsequent units.

This defect has been technically termed “Subsequential Internal Non- Morality” or more commonly known as SIN, as it is primarily characterized by loss of moral judgment. Some other symptoms are:

    Loss of direction
    Foul vocal emissions
    Amnesia of origin
    Lack of peace and joy
    Selfish or violent behavior
    Depression or confusion in mental component
    Fearful

The manufacturer, who is neither liable or at fault for this defect, is providing factory authorized repair and service FREE of charge to correct the SIN defect. [The number to call in your area is F-A-I-T-H. Simply believe that Christ died for your sins, was buried and rose again, and your unit will be regenerated. No matter how big or small the SIN defect is, Christ will repair and replace it with]:

    Forgiveness
    Love
    Joy
    Peace
    Longsuffering
    Gentleness
    Goodness
    Faith
    Meekness
    Temperance

Please see operating manual HOLY BIBLE for further details on the use of these fixes. [See sections I Cor. 15:1-4; Eph. 1:7; and Gal. 5:16-26].

WARNING: Continuing to operate the human unit without correction voids the manufacturer’s warranty, exposing the owner to dangers and problems too numerous to list and will result in the human unit being permanently impounded. [For free emergency service before it’s too late: call upon the Lord Jesus Christ who loved us and gave Himself a ransom for our sins].

DANGER: The human units not receiving this recall action will have to be scrapped in the furnace.

This action was authorized by the Creator.

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Believers Justified
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


Our Lord’s appearance to Saul of Tarsus (later called Paul) on the road to Damascus, changed the pitiless persecutor in a moment into the docile, yes the devoted follower of the Christ he had so bitterly hated.

This transformation took place not only because he had now seen the risen, ascended Christ; it was caused also by what he had learned from Christ. From heaven the Lord had revealed to Paul the glory of His finished work of redemption and had sent him forth to proclaim “the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24).

This is seen in the closing words of the Apostle’s first recorded sermon, delivered at the synagogue at Antioch in Pisidia. After mentioning the death and resurrection of Christ, the Apostle said:

    “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this Man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins; and by Him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses” (Acts 13:38,39).

Paul never changed this message, but kept emphasizing it wherever he went as well as in his writings. He saw in this truth the answer to man’s condemnation for breaking God’s holy law. Thus he wrote to the Romans:

    “…by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested” (Rom. 3:20,21).

    “[We] declare, I say, at this time, [Christ’s] righteousness; that [God] might be just and the Justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Rom. 3:26).

Mark well: He does not say, “believeth and is baptized.” This was the message committed to the twelve (Mark 16: 16; Acts 2:38.). With the ushering in of the dispensation of grace God was manifested as “the Justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”

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I Wasn't Praying Right
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


We were having supper in a restaurant in Albany, Georgia, and had just given our waitress a gospel tract. This brought about an incident we shall probably never forget. The young lady was married and had one child, though still a teen-ager, but she was a sincere believer and had already learned one lesson which is bound to enrich the life of any Christian.

About ten months previous her little baby, only two months old, had become seriously ill. The little one was taken to the hospital but his condition worsened daily. “I was on my knees so much those days,” said the young mother, “begging the Lord day after day not to take my little child, and I guess I got a little bitter one night when the doctor warned me in a kind way not to expect too much.

“I went home again and began claiming promises from the Lord, when it dawned on me that I hadn’t been praying right. All of a sudden it came to me, and I said: ‘Lord, I’m your child and I know perfectly well that you wouldn’t do anything to harm me, so please help me just to trust you and to understand that whatever you do is for my good.’

“I felt better then,” she said, “and I guess the Lord just wanted me to learn that lesson, because what do you think! The very next morning when I went to the hospital one of the nurses came to me almost dancing. She said: ‘Honey, your baby’s going to live. The crisis is over. You should see how well he’s doing!’ And he was! You should have seen him! And you should see how fine and healthy he is now!

“I’m so thankful. And believe me, I’ve learned that lesson, and won’t go demanding things from the Lord again.”

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Does The Word Of God Contradict Itself?
by Pastor Paul M. Sadler


Satan has sought to undermine the authority of the Word of God since the beginning. He whispered to Eve, “Yea, hath God said,” suggesting God was withholding something from our first parents. But more often than not his attacks are far more subtle. The liberal, for example, would have us believe the Scriptures contradict themselves; therefore they cannot be trusted. This is nothing more than an attempt to cast a shadow of doubt upon the veracity of God’s Word.

Despite the claims of the liberal, God never contradicts Himself. He’s omniscient! He knows the end from the beginning; how could He possibly contradict Himself? When we’re confronted with an alleged contradiction, the problem isn’t with the Word of God; rather, it’s with our understanding of the Scriptures. Most times there is a simple solution to the problem.

The account of Judas’ death is often appealed to as a glaring contradiction:

    “And he [Judas] cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself” (Matt. 27:5).

    “Now this man [Judas] purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out” (Acts 1:18.).

We believe the Acts record is merely an augmentation of Matthew’s account of Judas’ dishonorable end. After Judas hanged himself, either the limb or rope broke, and since the top part of the body is heavier than the lower extremity, he fell headlong to the bottom of the ravine where his body burst open upon striking the jagged rocks.

Another supposed contradiction is found in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians:

    “Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand” (I Cor. 10:8.).

    “And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand” (Num. 25:9).

Once again, Paul’s account of the plague is simply a fuller description of what actually transpired during the wilderness wanderings. The key is found in the apostle’s words, “and fell in one day.” Paul reveals 23,000 died in this judgment on the same day, but according to Numbers, the total number of Israelites that perished, which included the days that followed, was 24,000. The apostle was merely emphasizing the seriousness of committing fornication, by showing how many fell in one day.

While these two purported contradictions are easily resolved, this is not always necessarily the case. In those areas where we are unable to adequately address a discrepancy, we must patiently wait upon the Lord for additional light, which may not be given until eternity.

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Sin Is No Joke
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


The present trend in American moral conduct is downward. Increasing thousands all about us are throwing restraint to the winds “to enjoy the pleasures of sin”.

We struggle with the problem of juvenile delinquency, but tempt the young in a hundred ways to immorality and violence. We are shocked at the deeds of sex-mad criminals who make it unsafe for women to walk the streets at night, but our women continue to pay less and less heed to the principles of modesty and decency that would contribute so greatly to their own safety.

Most of all, we have disregarded the Word of God. No longer does the Bible hold the first place in our homes. It rather lies gathering dust while our moral and spiritual strength is dissipated by pursuing pleasures that fail to bring true happiness or satisfaction. Yes, we have “a form of godliness” but our conduct “denies the power thereof”.

Sin may be “fun” to many. They may joke about drunkenness, indecency and immorality, but God declares that it is no joke to Him. He says: “Fools make a mock at sin”(Prov. 14:9); for, not only does sin in its very nature break down, rather than build up; but, as responsible creatures, sinners will one day have to give an account of their conduct to the God who created them.

To look at the brighter side, we may all rejoice in another indication that sin is no joke to God. St. Paul points it out in I Corinthians 15:3, where he says: “Christ died for our sins”. Christ knew the horrible results of sin and the dreadful penalty which justice must visit upon it. Yes, and He also knew that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23), and in infinite love He left the glories of heaven and stooped to bear the disgrace and penalty for sin Himself! “Christ… hath once suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (I Pet. 3:18.), and those who come to know God through faith in Christ experience peace and joy which this world can never afford.

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The Wonder Cure
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


Most of us remember the drugstore product which swept the country like wildfire years ago and netted one man more than $3,000,000.00 in one year. It was called Hadacol. Whatever was wrong with you, Hadacol could cure it! Radio commercials and newspaper advertisements acclaimed its healing powers. Some small drugstores displayed signs over their doors reading, “MAIN ENTRANCE FOR HADACOL.”

One humorous story was told at that time about a woman who was supposed to have testified over the radio: “Before I began taking Hadacol I couldn’t read nor write; now I’m teaching high school!”

Some people seem to think that Christianity is like Hadacol was supposed to be. In fact, some evangelists give the erroneous impression that if one accepts Christ everything will suddenly go right. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The Christian life is a battle, and we cannot win this battle without much diligent, earnest Bible study and prayer. In fact, it is this battle that makes the Christian life rewarding. Formerly we were “taken captive by [the devil] at his will” (II Tim. 2:26), but now God provides us with complete armor, including “the sword of the Spirit” and “the shield of faith” (Eph. 6:16,17), and says, “Stand fast.” Indeed, James 4:7 says: “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

God has enlisted every true believer in His “armed forces,” as it were, and He encourages us each one to be “a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (II Tim. 2:3). Indeed, He expects this of each corporate assembly of believers as well, for Paul, by divine inspiration, wrote to the Philippian saints:

    “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel” (Phil. 1:27).

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That Precious Deposit
by Pastor Paul M. Sadler


The story is told of how a wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art. When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son. About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands. He said, “Sir, you don’t know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art.”

The young man held out his package. “I know this isn’t very much, I’m not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this.” The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture. “Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It’s a gift.” The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the great works of art he had collected.

The man died a few months later. Shortly thereafter, there was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having the opportunity to purchase one for their collection. On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. “We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?” There was silence. Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, “We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one.” But the auctioneer persisted. “Will someone bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?” Another voice shouted angrily. “We didn’t come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Goghs, the Rembrandts. Get on with the real bids!” But still the auctioneer continued. “The son! The son! Who’ll take the son?”

Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son. “I’ll give $10 for the painting.” Being a poor man, it was all he could afford. “We have $10, who will bid $20?” “Give it to him for $10. Let’s see the masters.” The crowd was becoming angry. They didn’t want the picture of the son. They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections. The auctioneer pounded the gavel. “Going once, going twice, SOLD for $10!” A man sitting on the second row shouted, “Now let’s get on with the collection.”

The auctioneer laid down his gavel. “I’m sorry, the auction is over.” “What about the paintings?” “I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings. The man who took the son gets every thing!”

God gave His Son 2000 years ago to die on a cruel Cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is, “The Son, the Son, who’ll take the Son?” Because, you see, whoever takes the Son inherits everything! 1

EARTHEN VESSELS

    “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us” (II Cor. 4:7).

In biblical times earthen vessels were clay pots that had been thoroughly baked in an oven. They were fraught with imperfections, which meant that no two were exactly alike. Archeologists have discovered that those who lived during that period secretly buried their treasures in clay pots for safekeeping. As we shall see, the master illustrator uses this facet of everyday life to illustrate a grand spiritual truth.

Those who have taken the Son are heirs, joint-heirs with Him. As members of the Body of Christ, we are partakers of His glory, His power, and His reign. In short, we are the recipients of the wealth of heaven! While the believing Gentiles will partake of the blessings of the kingdom, they are not said to be heirs. In the kingdom, heirship is a question of nationality. In the present dispensation of Grace, heirship is based upon relationship. We are one in Him. Therefore, what rightfully belongs to Him, we have come into possession of, and will share it mutually with Him for eternity (Rom. 8:17 cf. Eph. 3:6).

Today when men want to safeguard their riches they place them in vaults made of steel and concrete. But God’s ways are not man’s ways. God has deposited the riches of His grace in earthen vessels. We need not wait until we arrive in heaven to learn what we presently possess in Christ. We have this treasure, that is, the gospel of the grace of God in earthen vessels. Those who have been saved by grace are blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies. But what we positionally enjoy in Christ must become a practical reality in the Christian experience if we ever hope to maintain a godly testimony among men. For example, we are forgiven in Christ, but grace teaches us that we are to forgive others even as Christ has forgiven us.

In the year 1818, Tamatoe, King of Huahine, one of the South Sea Islands, believed the gospel. He discovered a plot among his fellow natives to seize him and other converts and burn them to death. However, he organized a band to attack the plotters and captured them unawares. Having exposed the plot, he forgave them, and set a feast before his would-be captors. This unexpected kindness amazed the savages, who burned their idols and became Christians. 2

But why would God place these unspeakable riches in such an unsecure place? We are unworthy sinners, weak and frail, who have the sentence of death within us. Perhaps the hymn-writer, Robert Robinson, has expressed it best, “Prone to wander, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.” The answer to the question is found in the latter part of our passage. “That the excellency [exceeding greatness] of the power may be of God, and not of us.” While others usually think more highly of us than they should, essentially it is the power of God working through us that produces results in the Lord’s work.

Many years ago I was invited to minister the gospel at a Bible camp in the Rocky Mountains. On the last evening, I spoke on “The Danger of Falling Into the Hands of An Angry God.” Earlier that day I hadn’t been feeling well, due to altitude sickness. In addition to being exhausted that night, I was short of breath. At ten thousand feet it doesn’t take much to get winded. I now understand why it took Moses so long to return from Mount Sinai with the tablets of stone. He undoubtedly had to keep stopping on his way down to catch his breath! As I arose to speak that evening I thought to myself, this is going to be an absolute disaster. It was, or at least I thought it was, until I learned two months later that an entire family was saved that night. Brethren, the gospel is the “power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth” (Rom 1:16).

At the Judgment Seat of Christ no one will be able to boast regarding what he or she has accomplished, for the power is solely of God and not of us. “He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.” In the final analysis, God will receive all the glory and honor and praise and adoration for the great things He has done. We are merely vessels through whom God has poured out the riches of His grace to a lost and dying world.

What is your attitude toward the Mystery? When the final chapter of your life is written and the book is closed, will you be able to say with the Apostle Paul, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith”? May you have no regrets at that day!

Notes:

    Author unknown.
    Paul Lee Tan, Signs of the Times, Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations, Assurance Publishers, Rockville, MD, 1979.

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Are You Ready?
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


I wonder what finally became of Molotov? Most of us know only that he was expelled from the Communist Party and was later recalled to Moscow to answer for what Kruschev, of all people, called “barbarous crimes”! Molotov, “the hammer,” was active in the Communist Revolution since 15 years of age. A close friend of Stalin, he served Soviet Russia variously as Secretary of the Central Committee, Premier of USSR, its Foreign Minister and its Representative to the UN.

But in 1957 Kruschev, jealous of Stalin’s popularity, dismissed Molotov from the Presidium and sent him away as ambassador to ‘Outer Mongolia’. Now disgraced along with his old friend Stalin, this once popular hero of the Soviets was discarded by the system he championed. Pathetic, but he deserved it.

Contrast this with the Apostle Paul. He had been great, prospering in his religion above many of his equals, being “more exceedingly zealous” of the traditions of his fathers (Gal. 1:14). But he gave all this up and counted it loss for “the excellency of the knowledge of Christ.” Serving Christ amid unceasing persecution, he said:

    “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel [good news] of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24).

Yes, and in his last recorded words before Nero beheaded him, Paul said:

    “I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown…” (II Tim. 4:6-8.).

What a triumphant way to go! And you, my friend, can go that way too — if you can say with Paul, “I am ready.”

    “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).

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Are You Listening?
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


The Apostle Paul had much that he yearned to teach the Hebrew believers — wonderful truths that would have thrilled their hearts — but these truths were “hard to be uttered,” or difficult to explain to them, since they were “dull of hearing.” The word “dull” in Heb. 5:11 really means “slothful,” or indifferent (as in Heb. 6:12). They were not merely hard of hearing, as we say, but were too lazy, too indifferent, spiritually, to pay attention. They were not sufficiently interested.

This is always a serious condition in the light of the fact that “God hath spoken,” and that disobedience to His Word will be judged (Heb. 1:1,2; 2:1-3). Yet, alas, this is the condition of the professing Church today. The great majority of religious people are not sufficiently interested in what God has said to engage in diligent, prayerful study and, like those of Paul’s day, still have to be taught “the first principles” of the Bible. They have remained babes, spiritually, unable to digest anything but “milk,” and so remain “unskillful in the Word of righteousness” (Heb. 5:12-14).

What has brought this condition about? Is it because our Bibles are being burned and the Church persecuted for reading it? Is it because God is unwilling to lead us further into His truth? Most assuredly not. It is because so many men of God in high places no longer have the single passion to know God’s Word and to make it known. They could be as greatly used of God in teaching the Scriptures as their predecessors were, but they are “slothful of hearing” and hence can present their hearers with little that is of true value.

This, in turn, is reflected in the religious masses. They “love” their Bibles, but not enough to study them diligently and become workmen whom God can approve. Let us not be numbered among these. Rather, let it be our one great desire to gain a clear understanding of God’s Word, rightly divided — for His sake, for our own sake and for the sake of the needy souls about us.

[nChrist]

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The Resurrection Day
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


In Psalm 2:7 we find the prophetic words: “I will declare the decree: The Lord hath said unto Me, Thou art My Son: THIS DAY have I begotten Thee.”

Should we ask: “What day?” or “When was Christ officially declared to be the Son of God?” We will find the answer in Acts 13:33:

    “God hath fulfilled the same [promises] unto us… in that He hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second Psalm: Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee.”

So it was at Christ’s resurrection that the “decree” was made and He was “declared” to be the Son of God — “begotten” in the larger sense of the word.

This agrees with what we find in the first chapter of Romans, where St. Paul speaks of God’s good news,

    “Concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; and declared to be the Son of God with power… by the resurrection from the dead” (Rom. 1:3,4).

This is a wonderful truth. It was Christ’s resurrection from the dead in power that proved that He was indeed God the Son. And more wonderful still: it was our death He died at Calvary, so that He might impart to us this everlasting resurrection life. In Eph. 2:2,3, we are all declared to have been “the children of disobedience” and therefore “by nature the children of wrath,” but see how this passage continues:

    “But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ (by grace ye are saved), and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:4-6).

Thus, because of Christ’s finished work of salvation, those who place their trust in Him are given His resurrection life and “blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:3). This is their RESURRECTION DAY!

[nChrist]

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A Close Personal Relationship
by Pastor John Fredericksen


Shortly after meeting the woman who became my wife, I knew she was the one for me.  It was hard to explain, but she had captured my heart.  I thought about her as soon as I woke in the morning, continually during the day, and she was one of the last things I thought about before going to sleep.  I consistently pursued a relationship with her allowing all other relationships to become secondary.  I not only confirmed that I loved her, I also expressed to her that she satisfied and completed me like no other woman could.

Many of the same principles that make close human relationships work are the same in our personal relationship with the Lord, after salvation.  Even though the program has changed from the Law of Moses to the principles of grace, walking with the Lord every day is essentially the same now as it was for David.  In Psalm 63, he expresses many of the things that made his daily walk with the Lord such a sweet and joyous experience.

David did not merely have a passive interest in the Lord.  He longed for a vibrant relationship with the God of his salvation.  He told the Lord, “my flesh longeth for Thee [as] in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is” (v. 1).  Since David wrote these words “when he was in the wilderness of Judah”, where water was extremely scarce, his description of being thirsty for the Lord pictured his surroundings.  Just as only water can satisfy the need of one in the desert, David realized that only God could satisfy the thirst of his soul.

These were not mere empty words on the part of David.  He promised the Lord: “early will I seek Thee” (v. 1).  David, like Abraham before him (Gen. 19:27), was in the habit of beginning the early part of his day in communion with the Lord (Psa. 5:3).  Just as two people in love long to see each other, David longed “to see Thy power and Thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary” (63:2).  As David went through the day, he continued to think about the Lord and talk about Him.  He wrote, “…my lips shall praise Thee.  Thus will I bless [or praise aloud] Thee while I live” (vv. 3b-4a).  When a man and woman love each other, they talk to others about the one they love, extoling each other’s virtues.  It was the same with David, who happily expressed the virtues of the Almighty.

David’s walk with the Lord was so fulfilling that he couldn’t help but express it.  He told the Lord, “My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise Thee with joyful lips…in the shadow of Thy wings will I rejoice” (vv. 5,7b).  When two people are in love and maintain a healthy, growing relationship, they too make a conscious decision to be satisfied and joyful in time together.  David experienced an even richer and more complete joy by being in the satisfying presence of his God.

David not only began his day in fellowship with the Lord and spoke of Him throughout the day, he also ended his day with the Lord.  He wrote, “I remember Thee upon my bed, and meditate on Thee in the night watches” (v. 6).  For soldiers and shepherds, the night was divided into three watches: from sunset to 10 p.m., from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., and from 2 a.m. until dawn.  In verse six, David is sharing that, throughout the night, sleep sometimes evaded him because even then he was thinking about the Lord and His greatness.

David also explained: “My soul followeth hard after thee” (v. 8.).  Just as a young man oftentimes pursues hard after a young woman to win her love, David fervently pursued his relationship with the Lord.  Of course, David did not have to win His love.  The Lord already loved David.  Nonetheless, David was not casual or complacent in the way he nurtured his relationship with the Lord.  His walk with the Lord meant too much to him for his efforts to be anything less than diligent and wholehearted.  In principle, we should exert the same kind of effort in our relationship with the Lord as we read that David did.

Are you following hard after the Lord?  We encourage you to pattern your walk with Christ after the example of David’s wholeheartedness.  Make a strong effort to make each day one of fellowship with the Lord from beginning to end.