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Did the Lord Declare All Foods Clean in Mark 7:19?
by Pastor Ricky Kurth


    "Did the Lord declare all foods to be clean in Mark 7:19, as it says in the NIV? I thought He came to obey and fulfill the Law, not change or negate it?"

    "…whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him; Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats" (Mark 7:18,19).

At the end of Verse 19, the NIV adds in parenthesis, "(In saying this, Jesus declared all foods 'clean.')" These words, which in NIV format appear to be part of the Bible text and not an editorial note, are not in any Greek text. The Lord was not setting aside the Law; He was speaking of the body's natural ability to purge food of impurities.

As we compare Scripture with Scripture, we know that if the Lord had spoken these added words, then Peter would not have spoken these words years later:

    "I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean" (Acts 10:14).

If the Lord had pronounced unclean foods clean in Mark 7, Peter would have started eating them at that time, but his words here clearly indicate that such was not the case. The dietary laws of Leviticus 11 were not set aside until the ministry of the Apostle Paul (Rom. 6:14; I Tim. 4:4,5). God used Peter's sheet vision to introduce this change, and teach Peter and his fellow Hebrews that Gentiles were no longer to be considered unclean (Acts 10:28) by teaching them that unclean foods were no longer unclean.

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Which Works to Walk In
by Pastor Ricky Kurth


Every true believer knows we are saved by grace through faith, apart from good works (Rom. 4:5; Titus 3:5). This does not mean, however, that good works have no place in the dispensation of grace, for right after affirming that we are saved without works (Eph. 2:8,9), Paul quickly asserts that, as new creatures in Christ (II Cor. 5:17), we are created to walk in the good works He has ordained for us (Eph. 2:10). If you have ever wondered what kind of works God expects us to "maintain" (Titus 3:8,14) in our Christian walk, we hope the following brief study of the phrase "good work(s)" in Scripture will help.

For the Ladies

To begin with, in Acts 9 we meet Dorcas, a woman "full of good works" (9:36). She was evidently quite the seamstress, for her good works are later defined by a reference to "the coats and garments which Dorcas made" (v. 39). In those days, it could be said of many a virtuous woman that "she seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands" (Prov. 31:13 cf. vv. 22,24). Thus we know that when a Christian woman performs the many duties of a wife and mother, she is walking in the good works in which she was created to walk.

To this must be added the testimony of the Apostle Paul, who speaks of widows who were "well reported of for good works" (I Tim. 5:10). He then goes on to describe things like bringing up children, hospitality, and caring for the sick as good works with which godly women can adorn themselves (I Tim. 2:9,10).

For the Men

In the natural accompaniment to these instructions to godly women, Paul instructs the man of God to "labour, working with his hands the thing which is good" (Eph. 4:28). Well, if Christian men are told to work the thing which is good, wouldn't going to work be a good work? You would think so, especially since God plans to reward men for "whatsoever good thing any man doeth" on the job (Eph. 6:8).

We doubt that most Christians consider these everyday responsibilities as good works, but God says they are. And if being good husbands and fathers and wives and mothers be viewed as good works, it is not a stretch to suggest that being a good citizen would also be found in that category, especially since we are told "to obey magistrates" and, in so doing, "be ready to every good work" (Titus 3:1).

For the Rich

Next, Paul told Timothy to "charge them that are rich…that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate" (I Tim. 6:17,18). Obviously the financial support of the Lord's work and less fortunate brethren also constitute good works in God's eyes (cf. II Cor. 9:6-8). While few of us are rich, all of us can participate in good works of this sort in some measure.

This then opens up a wide field in the category of good works, for we can give our time, our talent, and our efforts to the Lord's work as well as our finances, and there are innumerable ways we can "do good unto all men, especially...the household of faith" (Gal. 6:10).

For Us All

In time past, rebuilding the temple was a "good work" (Neh. 2:18). Today God's temple is found in the physical bodies of individual believers (I Cor. 6:19,20), and in the Body of Christ (3:16,17), and so you would think that building up believers and local churches would be good works today. If ministering to the physical body of the Lord was considered a "good work" (Matt. 26:6-10), surely ministering to the Body of Christ would be as well. If the Lord defined "good works" as feeding the multitudes, opening the eyes of the blind, and helping the lame to walk (John 10:32), then surely "to feed the church of God" (Acts 20:28) by opening the eyes of their understanding (Eph. 1:18) so they can "walk worthy" of their vocation (Eph. 4:1) would be good works as well.

Since "all Scripture" is given that we might be "throughly furnished unto all good works" (II Tim. 3:16,17), then the reproof, correction and instruction of the saints mentioned here must also be considered "good works." Of course, it goes without saying that "if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work" (I Tim. 3:1). In this passage, Paul is talking about the qualifications of a spiritual leader. Thus if a man is interested in doing good works, we believe the pastoral ministry tops the list of good works in which he can engage for the Lord.

So how about it, Christian friend? Are you walking in the good works you were created to walk in? It is your only hope of a happy, fulfilling Christian life. No creature of God is happy unless he is doing what he was created to do. Birds were created to fly, horses were created to run, and neither are happy when kept from doing what they were created to do. Your only hope for a truly satisfying Christian life is to be "fruitful in every good work" (Col. 1:10)! What's more, it is the only way to please the One "who gave Himself for us, that He might…purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works" (Titus 2:14).

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What's the Difference?
by Pastor Ricky Kurth


What's the difference between a piano and a fish? You can tune a piano, but you can't tuna fish!

While you may have never wondered about the difference between a piano and a fish, you may have wondered about the difference in the various types of prayer that Paul mentions in I Timothy 2:1:

    "I exhort therefore, that, first of all supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men."

The word "supplication" means to ask someone for something (I Kings 8:52; Esther 4:8). Some grace believers are uncomfortable asking God for things, but it is our own apostle Paul who encourages us to "let your requests be made known unto God" (Phil. 4:6). Just try not to be as selfish as unbelievers are when they pray. I once saw a comic strip that featured God sitting at a computer and saying to an angel, "I need to set up a spam filter to block requests to win the lottery!" While Paul says to let your requests be made known unto God "in every thing," the more you mature in Christ, the less selfish your requests will be.

If you're wondering what the difference is between "supplications" and "prayers," don't tell anyone! You see, if you are wondering that, it means you think the word "prayer" means to ask God for things! But there are lots of other things you can say to God in prayer. You can praise Him for His goodness and His grace, or just talk to Him about whatever is on your heart. If you have children who only call when they need something, you know how God feels if all you ever do is ask Him for things.

You can also make "intercessions" to God in prayer. Intercessions are selfless prayers prayed to God solely on behalf of others, the kind of prayer the Lord prays for us (Rom. 8:34).

The final type of prayer Paul mentions is the "giving of thanks." This kind of prayer needs no explanation, but it can usually use some exhortation!

Now that we've defined these prayers, I'd like to submit for your consideration that Paul mentioned them in a specific sequence that reflects the order of spiritual maturity. When you were first saved, your prayers mostly consisted of asking God for things. But as you matured in the Lord, you began to "pray" more, praising God and talking to Him about whatever was on your heart. Then, more and more, the focus of your prayers moved away from yourself to others, and you began interceding for them more than for yourself. Perhaps you've already arrived at the point where you mostly just thank God when you bow before the throne of His grace.

If not, if you've never spent an entire season of prayer just thanking God, I can't recommend it enough. Since Paul mentions it last in this list of prayers that reflects the order of spiritual maturity, I believe it to be the highest form of prayer that you can pray to God.

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Which Gospel?
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


A friend asks: “Have you heard the good news?” and you reply: “What good news?” Naturally! All good news is not the same. Yet few people follow this procedure when they read in the Bible the phrase “the gospel” — which simply means “the good news.” They have been taught that “the gospel is the gospel” and “there is only one gospel,” but this is simply not so in the light of the Bible itself.

God has not proclaimed only one gospel, one item of good news, down through the ages, but many. He has qualified the word “gospel” by distinctive titles, just as a woman labels her preserves to distinguish the different goodies she has put up for the winter.

The “gospel of the kingdom” and the “gospel of the grace of God” are not the same, and certainly the “gospel of the circumcision” and the “gospel of the uncircumcision” are not the same.

When we come upon the phrase “the gospel” without any qualifying title, we should immediately ask: “Which gospel?” and invariably the context will provide the answer. Luke 9:6, for example, simply states that the twelve disciples went about “preaching the gospel,” but Verse 2 of the same chapter explains how the Lord had sent them “to preach the kingdom of God” — not the cross, but the kingdom, since He, the King, was in their midst. These disciples could not have engaged in “the preaching of the cross,” as Paul later did, for it was not until at least two years later that the Lord “began” to tell them how He must suffer and die (Matt. 16:21) and Peter “began to rebuke Him” (Ver. 22) and none of the twelve even understood what He was talking about (Luke 18:34).

But whereas “the gospel of the kingdom” had been committed to the twelve while Christ was on earth, “the preaching of the cross” (as good news) and “the gospel of the grace of God” was later committed to the Apostle Paul and to us (1 Cor. 1:18; Acts 20:24).

Today we do not proclaim the kingdom rights of Christ. Rather we proclaim “redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:7).

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Joyful Thank Offerings
by Pastor Ricky Kurth


These days it seems most Christians aren't satisfied with "just" being saved. Many also covet the health and wealth promised to Israel if they were good. But grace believers who have carefully studied all that we have in Christ never cease "giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light" (Col. 1:12). This is because, as Pastor Stam has well said in his comments on Romans 8:32, salvation is "the gift that includes all others."

Under the Law, a man could simply say he was thankful, but if he was really thankful, he also brought a costly thank offering (Lev. 7:11-15). Today, while God is no longer interested in animal sacrifices, a truly thankful believer will present his body to God as a living sacrifice. This kind of sacrifice costs us our time, our labor and our money, but it is only "reasonable" that we afford Him this service (Rom. 12:1) in light of all that He has done for us in Christ.

Psalm 69:30's reference to thanksgiving is especially significant since this is a psalm about Calvary (v. 21 cf. John 19:29,30). Because of this, we believe Verse 30 is a prediction of the thanksgiving the Lord gave in the very shadow of the Cross (Luke 22:19). We conclude from this that the Lord was actually thankful for the opportunity to serve His Father by giving His life a sacrifice for our sins. How thankful was He? Psalm 69:30 predicted He would be thankful "with a song," something confirmed by Mark 14:26. This suggests we should similarly present our bodies as living sacrifices to God with joy and singing, and not with grumbling and complaining!

Thanksgiving is a great way to edify other believers, but only if they can understand it (I Cor. 14:16,17). While God once gave the gift of tongues to help with this, that gift has been withdrawn. But thankfully, like the universal languages of math and music, every believer can understand and be edified when they see us walking a walk that is "worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing" in grateful appreciation for all He has done for us (Col. 1:10).

In closing, it should be pointed out that the thank offering was a "free will" offering (Lev. 22:29). Even under the Law, God did not require His people to be thankful. He has always rather longed that thank offerings would be the spontaneous response of our hearts to His goodness.

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Kingdom Rewards in Heaven or on Earth?
by Pastor Ricky Kurth


    "How can Matthew 5:12 talk about rewards in heaven for kingdom saints if their future will be here on earth?"

This verse is not alone in promising heavenly rewards to kingdom saints (Matt. 6:20; 19:21; Heb. 10:34). But Peter wrote to them about "an inheritance... reserved in heaven for you" (1 Pet. 1:4). Jews would understand from this that he wasn't saying they would go to heaven to receive their inheritance. They would have known he meant that their inheritance would come to them on earth in the kingdom. The Lord told a parable in which...

    "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for Himself a kingdom, and to return...And...when He was returned, having received the kingdom..." (Luke 19:12,15).

The nobleman represents the Lord (cf. Mark 13:34). The "far country" to which He traveled after His resurrection was Heaven. When He returns for Israel, He will return "having received the kingdom" that He will establish on earth for them. But in the meantime, all of the "treasures" of the Jewish kingdom saints are "reserved" there in Heaven with Him.

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Why the Concern?
by Pastor Ricky Kurth


    "Wherefore, when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone.

    "And sent Timotheus...to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith.

    "...when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain" (1 Thes. 3:1,2,5).

According to the Acts record, the Apostle Paul had only recently spent three weeks in Thessalonica, establishing the church there. Why then was he so eager to check back with them? Twice we read that he "could no longer forbear," and so sent Timothy to encourage and establish them, and to let him know how they were doing. Yet, as far as the record is concerned, no messenger had come to him with alarming news about the Thessalonian church. What had happened to make him so concerned about the state of their faith?

The answer is found in Acts 17:5-10. Paul had just been run out of town--their town! And he was concerned lest this humiliating treatment at the hands of the Thessalonian Jews might have shaken their faith. It is, after all, no small thing when your spiritual leader is thrown out of town!

Not that this had bothered Paul personally. He was accustomed to such violence and was not disturbed by it, as evidenced by the fact that he immediately focused his total attention on the ministry of the gospel at Berea (v. 10-12). Indeed, we have his own testimony in 1 Thessalonians 2:2 about the similar event which had brought him to Thessalonica:

    "...even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention."

Yes, Paul fully realized "how great things he must suffer" for the Savior he represented (Acts 9:16),but his beloved Thessalonians could not fully realize this. His ignominious expulsion from their city had doubtless left them shaken, especially with "all the city on an uproar," and the house of Jason assaulted merely on suspicion of harboring the fugitive apostle and his companions (Acts 17:5-9).

But there was yet another reason for his concern. These same Jews of Thessalonica, when they knew that "the Word of God was preached of Paul at Berea...came thither also, and stirred up the people" (v. 13). Paul was now safely out of their reach in Athens, but he knew they had returned to their own city, and would now doubtless redouble their persecution of the young Thessalonian church.

Little wonder the apostle lost no time in dispatching Timothy, his trusted co-worker, to their side, to assure them that

    "...no man should be moved by these afflictions; for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto.

    "For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know" (1 Thes. 3:3,4).

How well, indeed, they had come to know this! And how they must have welcomed Timothy to their assembly, and rejoiced over the subsequent epistle from their father in the faith, who evidently cared for them so much!

Finally, Paul wanted them to understand that their afflictions came as a result of living in the dispensation of grace, and not as a result of persecution in the Tribulation, which some were affirming. It is true, says the apostle, that we are appointed to afflictions, but

    "...God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ" (5:9).

It is evident from the context that the "wrath" they were not appointed to is the wrath of the Tribulation. Consider: God has not appointed us to wrath, but God has appointed us to "obtain salvation" by our Lord Jesus Christ. Since the Thessalonians were already saved, this can only refer to the completion, the fulfillment of their salvation, i.e., at the rapture of the church. Paul confirms this view by a similar statement in Romans 13:11:

    "...for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed."

Furthermore, verse 8 of 1 Thessalonians 5 describes the finishing touch to our armour as "the hope of salvation." What else could this phrase refer to but "that blessed hope" (Titus 2:13), the completion of our salvation? When we trusted Christ, we were immediately saved from the penalty of sin, and we are today being saved from the power of sin. But some day, at the rapture, we shall be saved from the very presence of sin--and it may be soon!

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Growing Old Gracefully
by Pastor Paul M. Sadler


Scripture Reference:

    “Rebuke not an elder, but entreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren; the elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity.”
    — I Timothy 5:1,2

The Apostle Paul deals with many different types of relationships in his epistles, but perhaps the most delicate relationship is with those who are older in years. Like the seasons of the year, each of us gradually grow older until we find ourselves in the winter of our lives. The first 70 years are normally filled with vim and vigor as we fulfill the desires of our heart. But if by reason of strength we survive beyond this point the Scriptures indicate that the days ahead are going to be filled with labor and sorrow. Labor, in the sense that even the mundane things of life, such as rising from a chair, becomes burdensome.

To complicate matters further, sorrow surrounds us like a tattered garment as death robs us of those we love. Little wonder that Paul admonishes us to esteem the senior members of the Body of Christ as fathers and mothers. Their plight deserves our sensitivity and their years of experience our respect. Furthermore, it will serve us well to remember that someday soon we will be the patriarch or matriarch.

In Ecclesiastes wise old Solomon, stricken in years himself, describes the aging process that creeps up on us like the leopard that stalks its prey.

    “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them” (Eccl. 12:1).

Someday the grim reaper will stand at the foot of our deathbed and the “mourners [will] go about the streets” whispering: Has he passed on? Beloved, there are thousands of ways to leave this earthly tabernacle, but perhaps the most common today is when the “pitcher is broken at the fountain.” In short, a fatal heart attack.

    “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it” (vs. 7).

The sting of death is sin, but thanks be unto God that Christ died for our sins thereby removing its sting. Thus, according to Paul’s epistles death is merely a passage way into eternal life for all those who believe (I Cor. 15:55-57; Heb. 2:14,15). No one looks forward to growing old, but hopefully we will do so gracefully and with dignity. As they say: “There is nothing to fear, but fear itself.” The blood of Christ is our eternal life insurance policy which has a rider guaranteeing our future resurrection!

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Mumbling and Grumbling
by Pastor Paul M. Sadler


    "Do all things without murmurings [grumbling] and disputings [arguing]: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation [generation]" (Phil. 2:14,15).

Whenever there is something that is disrupting the harmony of the local assembly, each member of that Body needs to examine himself, and ask, "Lord is it I? Am I the one who has caused this problem?" The flesh can justify anything, even grumbling to others how they would have handled things differently. This only serves to cause discord among the brethren. These types of things are normally said in the shadows of the assembly hall where the battle lines are drawn for a major confrontation. When you're not on the frontlines fighting the good fight of the faith, it's easy to stand in the shadows and criticize others who are defending the faith. Criticism is not one of the gifts of the Spirit, but a manifestation of the flesh!

Paul wanted those at Philippi who were living in carnality to turn from it so they could be used in a greater way by the Lord. They were to be blameless, harmless, and without rebuke, so that there would be little question who they were in the eyes of the world. You see, believers have something the world is searching for: peace, purpose and hope! Therefore, it was important that these children of God maintain a consistent testimony for Christ before a crooked and perverse generation. Essentially, the apostle is challenging the Philippians to live a godly life so as not to disgrace the name of Christ before the world.

The unsaved of our day, for example, revel in pointing out: "Oh, you mean that church where they fight like cats and dogs and had to call the police to settle a dispute. Why it's no different over there than the corner tavern I frequent." Once a local assembly has this type of reputation, it is highly unlikely they will have much of an outreach to the community for Christ. As it has been said, "When a non-believer sees a professing Christian who is argumentative, hard to get along with, and worldly in his ambitions, conversation, and behavior, the unbeliever soon forms a poor opinion of Christianity."

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Bethlehem's Babe Exalted
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


The Bible accounts of the birth of Christ are touching indeed. The angelic announcements, the virgin with child, deeply embarrassed, yet highly honored; the holy Babe in a stable because there was no room in the inn, wrapped in swaddling bands and laid in a manger; the night suddenly turned to day, the multitude of the heavenly host praising God!

Surely it is fitting that we remember all this and celebrate it, especially since our Lord thus humbled Himself that He might die for our sins. Yet here we must be careful not to be led astray, lest we know Him only as a sweet babe in a manger rather than as the mighty Savior that He is. As Americans we celebrate the birthdays of great men, but we do not emphasize their babyhood! We rather honor them for what they have accomplished, rejoicing that such men were born into the world.

Our Lord is no longer a babe and He does not wish to be thought of as a babe, but rather as the One who, having died for our sins at Calvary, now lives to dispense to a world of lost sinners the riches of His grace.

It was from His glory in heaven that He revealed Himself to St. Paul and instructed him to write: “Henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we Him [so] no more” (II Cor. 5:16).

And again in Hebrews 2:8,9, the Apostle declares: “Now we see not yet all things put under him, but we see Jesus…. crowned with glory and honor” as the One who “tasted death for every man.”

It is wonderful to remember our Lord as the Babe born at Bethlehem, but still more wonderful to know Him now as the One who is “able to save unto the uttermost all them that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make inter- cession for them” (Heb. 7:25).

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Godliness In An Ungodly Day
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


It is an interesting fact that the words “godly” and “godliness” are not found in Paul’s writings until we come to the Pastoral Epistles, the very epistles that have so much to say about evil days and evil surroundings.

In the epistles to Timothy we read about the “perilous times” with which this present dispensation of grace will be brought to a close, while in the letter to Titus we read of “unruly and vain talkers and deceivers,” of “liars… evil beasts… lazy gluttons,” whom Satan would use to neutralize the work and witness of God’s servants.

To Timothy and Titus, these young men of God, the Apostle had much to say about godliness, and we must not forget that Paul’s words to them are also God’s Word to us, believers in Christ, who indeed appear to be living in the closing days of the dispensation of grace, surrounded by a steadily-rising tide of evil and an ever-growing number of wicked, godless men.

We do not mean to imply that the Apostle does not deal with the various phases of the Christian life in his other epistles, but rather that here in the Pastoral Epistles he wages a sort of campaign for individual godly living in the midst of increasing apostasy and godlessness.

May God help us, in our character and conduct, to exhibit “the power of godliness,” the spiritual power that comes from putting Christ first in all things.

[nChrist]

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Christ's garden!

(Charles Spurgeon)

"I have come into My garden--My sister, My bride!" Song of Solomon 5:1

The heart of the believer is Christ's garden. He bought it with His precious blood, and He enters it and claims it as His own.

A garden implies separation. It is not the open common, nor is it a wilderness. A garden is walled around, or hedged in. Would that we could see the wall of separation between the Christian and the world made broader and stronger. It makes one sad to hear Christians saying, "Well, there is no harm in this; there is no harm in that," thus getting as near to the world as possible. Grace is at a low ebb in that soul, which can even raise the question of how far it may go in worldly conformity!

A garden is a place of beauty, it far surpasses the wild uncultivated fields. The genuine Christian must seek to be more excellent in his life than the best moralist, because Christ's garden ought to produce the best flowers in all the world. Even the best is poor--compared with Christ's deservings. Let us not put Him off with withered and dwarf plants. The rarest, richest, choicest lilies and roses--ought to bloom in Christ's own garden!

The garden is a place of growth. The saints are not to remain undeveloped, always mere buds and blossoms. We should grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Growth should be rapid where Jesus is the Gardener, and the Holy Spirit is the dew from above.

A garden is a place of retirement. So the Lord Jesus Christ would have us reserve our hearts as a place in which He can manifest Himself, as He does not unto the world. O that Christians were more retired, that they kept their hearts more closely shut up for Christ! We often worry and trouble ourselves, like Martha, with much serving--so that we have not the room for Christ that Mary had, and do not sit at His feet as we should.

Lord grant the sweet showers of Your grace to water Your garden this day!

[nChrist]

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What We Believe
by Pastor Paul M. Sadler


Scripture Reading:

    “Who also hath made us able ministers of the New Testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.”
    — II Corinthians 3:6

We have been hearing from a good number of our readers who are confused, perplexed and even concerned over the doctrine of the New Covenant. Apparently there are a number of strange teachings floating around the Grace Movement on this subject, which has given rise for alarm among some of the brethren.

It is our firm conviction that the Body of Christ falls under the umbrella of the New Covenant. Paul clearly teaches in Romans that we are partakers of Israel’s spiritual blessings (Rom. 15:27 cf. Eph. 1:3-14). There is absolutely no possibility that this could refer to anything other than the New Covenant. One thing that should never be overlooked, however, is the fact that Israel received it by promise whereas we are the glad recipients of it by grace (Jer. 31:31 cf. Titus 2:11).

As we know, one of the principal blessings of the New Covenant is the blood of Christ. This particular element can never be divorced from the covenant nor should it be. We have often said that if the Body of Christ has no connection to this covenant whatsoever, then our Savior must return a second time to die for the Gentiles. To us this is unthinkable. Christ died “once for all” (Heb. 10:9-12). Furthermore, the New Covenant shows that there is a connection between the two programs of God which highlights His eternal purpose. Surely, He is Lord of all.

Who could fail to see that Paul charges us to remember the blood of this covenant until the Lord comes: “This cup is the New Testament [Covenant] in my blood: this do ye… in remembrance of me. For as often as ye [Members of His Body] eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death till He come” (I Cor. 11:23-26).

[nChrist]

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Resurrection Power
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


How comes this flower to bloom so fair,
With loveliest fragrance to fill the air?
A short time ago the seed lay dead,
The cold, wintry ground its desolate bed.

But now, behold, from the dampened earth,
Without a sound to betray its birth,
This thing of beauty has blossomed and grown
To possess a loveliness all its own.

And as we view it, standing there
With a majesty quite beyond compare,
A mighty conviction grips the heart:
This beautiful flow’r has a counterpart.

Our Savior once suffered and died for sin.
Though no one so righteous as He had been.
It seemed that the devil had sealed His doom
As they buried His body in Joseph’s tomb.

But what is this wonder that greets our eyes
As the rays of the third morning’s sun arise?
Behold, He is risen! The grave could not hold
The Author of Life; the Anointed of God!

And now the dead who have trusted in His name,
Though sleeping in Jesus, will rise again
With bodies more glorious than this flower
–Sown in weakness, but raised in power!

C.R.S.

[nChrist]

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Things New and Old
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


When our Lord had finished His familiar discourse on “the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven,” He said:

    “THEREFORE, EVERY SCRIBE WHICH IS INSTRUCTED UNTO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE A MAN THAT IS AN HOUSEHOLDER, WHO BRINGS FORTH OUT OF HIS TREASURE THINGS NEW AND OLD” (Matt. 13:52).

A new era had just dawned in the world’s history. A new message was being proclaimed. John the Baptist had begun to cry: “Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” and the Lord Jesus and the twelve had taken up the same message.

Some listened eagerly, others turned away — among them many of the scribes, the Bible teachers of the day. They did not welcome any new teaching. Yet Christ’s message of the kingdom in no way conflicted with the Old Testament Scriptures. Indeed, it was based on the Old Testament and confirmed by it. This is why our Lord reminded His hearers that the right kind of scribe would bring forth out of the treasure-house of Scripture, things both new and old.

How this lesson is needed today! Some cast away precious treasures out of the Bible, contending that they are old and out of date. Others, while clinging tenaciously to old truths, reject new light. While mere professors of religion too often cast aside old truths with the complaint that they are outworn, true possessors often reject new light simply because it is new. They vie with each other to be orthodox instead of vying to find more light from the unfathomable Word of
God.

Is it possible that we have drained the Well of Scripture dry? Are there no more precious stones in that exhaustless Mine? Have any of us received all the light that shines from the Holy Bible?

Then, cost what it may, let us keep digging into the Scriptures, that as we minister to others we may bring forth out of the divine Treasure-house things both new and old.