I am the Way, Truth Life

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It's  nice to know that you have nothing to worry about.  Here's a fitting saying:  The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.  

Mathurin,

I have my worries and struggles of daily life, but JESUS is with me every step of the way. Our journey in this life on earth is short, but a Christian's citizenship is in Heaven, not here. Becoming a Christian does not mean that everything will be easy in this life. In fact, it is a struggle. God didn't promise us anything easy here, but God did promise us an eternity with JESUS in Heaven. There won't be any pain or sorrow there.

Mathurin, do you know where you will spend eternity?

Love In Christ,
Tom

Philippians 3:9  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

[nChrist]

Author: Woodrow Kroll
Source: Lessons on Living from Isaiah
Scripture: 1 Peter 2:6 Matthew 21:42 Isaiah 28:16

Building on the Cornerstone

Isaiah 28:16

Therefore thus says the Lord God: "Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; whoever believes will not act hastily."

Building on the Cornerstone

Historically, the cornerstone was the most important part of any building. The total weight of an edifice rested on this particular stone, which, if removed, would collapse the whole structure. The cornerstone was also the key to keeping the walls straight. The builders would take sightings along the edges of this part of the building. If the cornerstone was set properly, the stonemasons could be assured that all the other corners of the building would be at the appropriate angles as well. Thus, the cornerstone became a symbol for that which held life together.

In the days of Isaiah, the leaders of Israel had chosen to rest their security on a different cornerstone. They chose to put their trust in their own political savvy. Through various military alliances, they thought they could hold their nation together. Ultimately, however, this shaky cornerstone failed and Israel was taken captive by the Babylonians.

Yet God declared through Isaiah that He would establish a cornerstone that would never fail—a stone that could be trusted because it had been tried and proven to be precious and sure.

The New Testament writers recognized that this stone was Jesus Christ. The Savior said of Himself, "Did you never read in the Scriptures: 'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone'" (Matt. 21:42). The apostle Peter repeated Isaiah's prophecy and added, "And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame" (1 Pet. 2:6).

When the pressures of life bear down on you, there's only one cornerstone capable of handling the weight. When your need for guidance is urgent, there's only one cornerstone you can trust to keep your life straight. That cornerstone is Jesus. Trust Him with every aspect of your lives, and you will find that He never fails. He's not just a Rock; He's the Cornerstone.

A solid life begins with an immovable cornerstone.

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[nChrist]

Brothers and Sisters,

I don't believe in coincidence. Two of the daily devotions that I love to read and study today dealt with Salvation. I posted them here and pray that God will use them for HIS Glory.
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Two Minutes With The Bible - THE LOGIC OF THE PLAN OF SALVATION


Jun 15

THE LOGIC OF THE PLAN OF SALVATION

By Cornelius R. Stam

In I Cor. 1:22 we are told that "the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom." This is doubtless why God chose Paul, with his profound intellectual background and acumen, to proclaim "Christ crucified," the "wisdom of God" as well as the "power of God" (I Cor. 1:23,24).

Paul was a gifted logician as well as a theologian, and nowhere is this more evident than in his epistle to the Romans, where, by divine inspiration, he presents the logic of God’s plan of salvation. Again and again, throughout the epistle, he uses that word so prominent in mathematics and in logic: "therefore."

"Therefore thou art inexcusable..." (Rom. 2:1). "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight" (3:20).

"But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested.... Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith, without the deeds of the law" (3:21,28).

"Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; by whom also we have access..." (5:1,2). "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus" (8:1).

"Therefore, brethren, we are debtors..." (8:12). "I beseech you therefore... that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service (Rom. 12:1).

It is an inexorable, unchangeable law that sin results in death. But the Lord Jesus Christ, "who did no sin," took our place and "died for our sins." Thus it is also an unchangeable law that "He that hath the Son hath life." "The law of the Spirit" is "life in Christ." The moment one trusts Christ as Savior the Spirit gives him life, the life of Christ, which is everlasting -- indeed, eternal life (Rom. 8:2; I John
5:12).

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[nChrist]

June 15

A Better Sacrifice under Grace

For such a High Priest was fitting for us . . . who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices . . . for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself . . . Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.  (Heb_7:26-27 and Heb_9:12)

Another better aspect of the new covenant of grace is the sacrifice we have in Jesus Christ, our great High Priest. The sacrifices under the old covenant were offered repeatedly, and they involved the blood of animals. In both respects the sacrifice of Jesus is far better.

The priests under the law presented their same sacrifices day after day. These sacrifices could not remove sin. "And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins" (Heb_10:11). These sacrifices provided a temporary covering of sin, anticipating the effective work of the Messiah to come. However, at the same time, in these sacrifices was a constant remembrance of sin and guilt. "In those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year" (Heb_10:3). As the blood was shed, the ultimate consequence of sin (death) was being played out before the people. "And according to the law almost all things are purged with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission" (Heb_9:22). Eventually, Jesus died as the perfect,  "once-for-all" sacrifice. "For such a High Priest was fitting for us . . . who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices . . . for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself." This was a sacrifice that could actually remove sin. "Once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself . . . so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many . . . But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God" (Heb_9:26, Heb_9:28 and Heb_10:12).

The ineffectiveness of the sacrifices under law is that mere animal blood was being shed. "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins" (Heb_10:4). Thus, our High Priest under grace offered His own blood. "Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption." The blood of Christ was uniquely effective. It was the "precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot . . . The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! " (1Pe_1:19 and Joh_1:29).

Dear Lamb of God, what a marvelous sacrifice You gave by grace! One death for all the sins of the world makes eternal redemption available to all who believe. I gratefully rejoice in this wondrous gift!

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Day-By-Day By Grace
Written by Pastor Bob Hoekstra
(Courtesy of Bob Hoekstra and Living in Christ Ministries)
http://www.calvarychapel.com/livinginchrist/

Colossians 1:28  Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

Day-By-Day By Grace is distributed freely and Internationally in the excellent freeware Bible Study package called e-Sword. You can also subscribe to Day-By-Day By Grace at the above link for Living In Christ Ministries.

You can obtain e-Sword at:
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Author: Rick Meyer
(The goal of Rick Meyer is to freely distribute Bibles to every country on earth in their own language, and that goal gets closer by the day. Thanks to countless Christian individuals and organizations with big hearts, many excellent Bible Study tools are also being freely distributed with e-Sword around the world.)

[nChrist]

June 16

Just There

A certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was— Luk_10:33

The Lord Himself as a Good Samaritan

Our Lord, true poet that He was, had a great liking for pictorial teaching, and in all the pictures of His gallery none is more remarkable than this one. The scene, familiar to them ail; the robbery, an occurrence they all dreaded; the ecclesiastics whom they knew so well; the Samaritan, whom they all despised—these made a glowing vivid picture, which nobody but a master could have painted, and nobody but the Master ever did. It is a beautiful etching of benevolence, and as such it is immortal. But men have loved, right down the ages, to find in it something more than that. They have loved to find in this Samaritan a delineation of the Lord Himself, in His infinite compassion for mankind. Many thoughts come leaping to the mind when we set the story in the light of Christ. This Samaritan was long in coming. He had everything the man required (Luk_10:34). But there is another beautiful feature in his pity that is so eminently true of Christ that we do well to dwell on it a little.

As the Samaritan, so the Lord Came Where He Was

Than feature is that the Samaritan came just where the man was—came right up to him, and handled him, where he lay battered on the hedge-bank. When he saw, as he came down the hill, that in the hollow yonder there had been a struggle—when he saw that battered figure by the road, with the robbers probably in concealment, how naturally he might have halted till some Roman convoy had come up; but, says Jesus, he came just where he was. I feel sure our Lord intended that. Christ was unrivalled in suggestive phrase. The Priest saw him; the Levite looked at him; the Samaritan came right up where he was. How perfectly that exquisite touch applies to the Lord, who was the teller of the story, in His infinite compassion for mankind!

It Was He Himself Who Came

Think for a moment of the Incarnation. Tell me, what was the Incarnation? It was the Son of God, seeing the need of man, and coming in infinite mercy where he was. Not speaking as by a trumpet from high heaven; not casting down a scroll out of eternity; not sending Gabriel or any of the angels to proclaim the loving fatherhood of God. No, this is the glory of the Incarnation, that when man was bruised and battered by his sin, Christ, the Son of God, the good Samaritan, came just where he was. He came to the inn, where the travelers were drinking; to the cottage, where the mother prayed; to the village, where the children romped; to the fields, where happy lovers wandered. He came to the marriage feast and to the funeral; to the crowded city and the sea; He came to the agony and to the cross. Show me where folk are lying ill at home, and I can show you Jesus there. Show me where men are tempted of the devil, and I can show you Jesus there. Show me where hearts are crying out in darkness, "My God, why hast thou forsaken me?" and the beautiful and amazing thing is this—that I can show you Jesus there. Where man has suffered, Jesus Christ has suffered. Where man has toiled, Jesus Christ has toiled. Where man has wept, Jesus Christ has wept. Where man has died, Jesus Christ has died. He has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows, and made His grave with the wicked in His death. The good Samaritan has come .just where he was.

Contrasted with John the Baptist

And when we follow the footsteps of the Lord, does not the same thing at once arrest us? Why, that is just what the people marked in Christ, when they contrasted Him with John the Baptist. If you wanted John, you had to search for John. You had to leave the city and go into the wilderness. And there, "far from the haunts of men," was John the Baptist, a solitary figure. But Christ was genial, kindly, and accessible, a lover of the haunts of men, the friend of publicans and sinners. Simon Peter was busy with his nets, and Christ came where he was. Matthew was seated at the receipt of custom, and Christ came to him. The poor demoniac was in the graveyard, there to be exiled till he died, and the glorious thing about our good Samaritan is that He came exactly where he was. Where is that bright girl from Jairus' home? We have been missing her happy smile these days. Where is Lazarus? We used to see him daily. Is he ill? We never see him now. Where are the spirits who were disobedient at the time the ark was a-pre-paring? I know not; I only know of each of them that Christ came where he was. Go to the penitent thief upon the cross, and tell him there is someone who can save him. Only he must come down, and leave the city, and fly to the wilderness and he will find him. There are many who offer paradise on these terms when men are powerless and cannot move a finger; but Christ came where he was. That is exactly what He is doing still. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. No one needs to fly away to find Him. The Word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth. "Just as I am," is a very gracious hymn: but I want someone to write me another hymn: "Just where I am, O Lamb of God, You come."

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By George H. Morrison
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These beautiful messages by George H. Morrison are distributed freely and Internationally in the excellent freeware Bible Study package called e-Sword. These messages are representative of many sweet Christians who want to put excellent Bible Study material in the hands of many, free of charge.

You can obtain e-Sword at:
http://www.e-sword.net/downloads.html
Author: Rick Meyer
(The goal of Rick Meyer is to freely distribute Bibles to every country on earth in their own language, and that goal gets closer by the day. Thanks to countless Christian individuals and organizations with big hearts, many excellent Bible Study tools are also being distributed with e-Sword around the world, free of charge.)

[nChrist]

Lord Jesus, cause me to know in my daily experience the glory and sweetness of Thy name, and then teach me how to use it in my prayer, so that I may be even like Israel, a prince prevailing with God. Thy name is my passport, and secures me access; Thy name is my plea, and secures me answer; Thy name is my honour and secures me glory. Blessed Name, Thou art honey in my mouth, music in my ear, heaven in my heart, and all in all to all my being!   -C. H. Spurgeon

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Lord Jesus, You are all of the good things to come that were foreshadowed in the law. Help me to avoid being caught up in the shadows of the law. May Your Spirit draw me to the unlimited spiritual substance that is found in You alone, Amen.

Bob Hoekstra