Brother Love
|
 |
« Reply #105 on: November 10, 2003, 04:30:42 AM » |
|
This truth is driven home in Verses 3 to 5 of the same chapter:
"For what saith the Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
"Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
"But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness" (Rom. 4:3-5).
Amen, some of my favorite verses, good teaching
Brother Love
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
Ambassador4Christ
|
 |
« Reply #106 on: November 10, 2003, 05:28:45 PM » |
|
Nov 10 THE NOBLE BEREANS Many Christian groups and organizations call themselves Bereans, but it is surprising how few people know what a true Berean is. The 17th chapter of Acts relates how Paul called upon his kinsmen at Thessalonica and for three sabbath days "rea- soned with them out of the Scriptures," trying to show them that Jesus was the Christ. Steeped in their own religion, however, the majority were unwilling even to consider the truths Paul proclaimed. In- deed, they resented the fact that some did believe and, in their bigotry, "set all the city on an uproar." Finally Paul’s life was in such peril that the Christians there sent him away by night to Berea, a town about forty miles away. At Berea Paul again sought out his "kinsmen according to the flesh" -- and what a different reception! Here is what the record says: "THESE WERE MORE NOBLE THAN THOSE IN THESSALONICA, IN THAT THEY RECEIVED THE WORD WITH ALL READINESS OF MIND, AND SEARCHED THE SCRIPTURES DAILY, WHETHER THOSE THINGS WERE SO" (Acts 17:11). These people did not immediately close their eyes to fur- ther light. On the contrary, they gave Paul an interested hearing, listening with open minds to what he had to say. But they were not gullible either for, having listened to Paul, they subjected his word to God’s Word, searching the Scriptures daily to see whether those things were so. For this God called them "noble." They were the true spiritual aristocracy of their day. We should all be Bereans, spiritually big enough to listen with open minds to the teachings of men, and then big enough too to subject their teachings to the Word of God, the Bible, to see for ourselves whether these things are so. Our Lord said: "Search the Scriptures... for... they... testify of Me" (John 5:39). As we do this we will find eternal life -- and more -- in Christ. Written by Pastor Stam Subscribe at: http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/twominut.htmlTwo Minutes With The Bible By Pastor Stam Mailing Address: Berean Bible Society N112 W17761 Mequon Road P.O. Box 756 Germantown, WI 53022 Web Site: http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/Gospel Books, Materials, & Free Mailings Email: berean@execpc.comTelephone: 262-255-4750
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
Ambassador4Christ
|
 |
« Reply #107 on: November 11, 2003, 03:45:42 PM » |
|
Nov 11 "A TRUE VETERAN" Before you have placed your trust in Christ as your Lord and Savior, there is nothing whatever you can do to please God or to gain acceptance with Him. John 3:35 declares that "the Father loves the Son" and cares what you think about Him and do with Him. This is why Verse 36 goes on to say: "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on Him." But once you have received Christ as your Savior and Lord there is much you can do to please God. You can wit- ness to His saving grace, you can please Him by living a godly life, you can work for Him, you can sacrifice of your means to further His cause, and yes, you can fight for Him. "Fight for Him" you say? Yes indeed, for this world sys- tem, our Adamic natures and Satan and his hosts, are all antagonistic toward the Christ who died for our sins. Sa- tan’s forces, especially, work behind the scenes to "blind the minds of them that believe not" (II Cor. 4:4). These fallen angels, we read, are "the rulers of the darkness of this world" (iEph. 6:12). This is why God urges His children to be "strong in the Lord," putting on "the whole armor of God," so as to meet and defeat these evil forces (Vers. 10,11). This is why He puts a sword ("the Word of God") into our hands and bids us "stand... stand... stand!" (Vers. 11-14). Ah, but a great veteran, who waged many battles in making Christ known to the lost, gives us an inkling of the thrill that goes with being "a good soldier of Jesus Christ." In his last words, just before his execution, the Apostle Paul declared triumphantly: "I have fought a good fight!" (II Tim. 4:7). It was indeed "a good fight" in which he had been engaged, a fight to bring light and salvation and bless- ing to benighted souls. And the reward: "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown" (Ver.  . Written by Pastor Stam Subscribe at: http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/twominut.htmlTwo Minutes With The Bible By Pastor Stam Mailing Address: Berean Bible Society N112 W17761 Mequon Road P.O. Box 756 Germantown, WI 53022 Web Site: http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/Gospel Books, Materials, & Free Mailings Email: berean@execpc.comTelephone: 262-255-4750
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
Ambassador4Christ
|
 |
« Reply #108 on: November 12, 2003, 01:51:58 PM » |
|
Nov 12 THE BLESSINGS OF CRISIS The Apostle Paul, who had been through one desperate crisis after another, wrote as follows: "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose" (Rom. 8:28). How many people have found life going along smoothly for years when, all of a sudden, they have found themselves in the middle of some serious crisis! Perhaps the sudden death of a loved one changed life completely and presented serious problems wholly unantic- ipated. Perhaps it was the sudden loss of wealth, so that life had to be completely readjusted. There are hundreds of unexpected incidents that can suddenly bring one face to face with stark and stern realities completely unforeseen. For believers in the Lord Jesus Christ such crises can prove great spiritual blessings. They tend to draw us closer to our heavenly Father, to cause us to pray more and to lean harder upon Him. They show us the insecurity of all that is temporal and give us a greater appreciation of our eternal security in Christ. They give deeper meaning to the Scriptures we study and even to the hymns we sing. They sanctify and enrich our fellowships. To those -- and only those -- who truly love God and are "the called according to His purpose," all things do indeed "work together for good" -- caused by God, of course, to "work together for good." This is why God’s Word to the Christian is: "Be careful [care full] for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:6,7). Written by Pastor Stam Subscribe at: http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/twominut.htmlTwo Minutes With The Bible By Pastor Stam Mailing Address: Berean Bible Society N112 W17761 Mequon Road P.O. Box 756 Germantown, WI 53022 Web Site: http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/Gospel Books, Materials, & Free Mailings Email: berean@execpc.comTelephone: 262-255-4750
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
Brother Love
|
 |
« Reply #109 on: November 13, 2003, 04:10:36 AM » |
|
The Apostle Paul, who had been through one desperate crisis after another, wrote as follows: "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose" (Rom. 8:28). Amen THE BLESSINGS OF CRISIS and Amen Brother Love 
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
Ambassador4Christ
|
 |
« Reply #110 on: November 13, 2003, 01:49:13 PM » |
|
Nov 13 HOW THE SPIRIT HELPS "The Spirit... helpeth our infirmities" (Rom. 8.26). A chain is no stronger than its weakest link. If one link in a chain will hold one hundred pounds, another fifty, and another ten, the chain as a whole will hold ten pounds, no more. This is why James 2:10 says: "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." Many people suppose that we will be saved or lost ac- cording to how good or bad we have been. This is not so. It is not a question of how good or bad we have been, but of whether or not we have sinned. A man need commit only one robbery to be a robber, burn only one house to be an arsonist, kill only one human being to be a murderer -- and commit only one sin to be a sinner. This is why the Word of God says that all are sinners. How wonderful to know that in grace "Christ died for our sins" and that by simple faith in Him we may be saved and fully justified before God! (Rom. 5:6,8,10). But born-again Christians find that the above principle is just as true of them as of the unbeliever. None of us is any stronger than his weakest point. Frightening, isn’t it, es- pecially when we consider that Satan constantly attacks us at our weakest point to wreck our testimony if he can. But here is where the believer can rejoice that "the Spirit ..helpeth our infirmities" (Rom. 8:26). He dwells within to help in time of need, so that we need not fail (Rom. 8:11,12). This does not mean, however, that He takes control of us without being called upon, as He did "when the day of Pen- tecost was fully come." Unlike the Pentecostal believers, we live under "the dispensation of the grace of God." What God provides by grace we must appropriate by faith. Thus in any given case we may have victory. Indeed it is concerning the weak brother in Christ that Paul declares by inspira- tion: "God is able to make him stand" (Rom. 14:4). Written by Pastor Stam Subscribe at: http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/twominut.htmlTwo Minutes With The Bible By Pastor Stam Mailing Address: Berean Bible Society N112 W17761 Mequon Road P.O. Box 756 Germantown, WI 53022 Web Site: http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/Gospel Books, Materials, & Free Mailings Email: berean@execpc.comTelephone: 262-255-4750
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
Ambassador4Christ
|
 |
« Reply #111 on: November 14, 2003, 04:23:32 PM » |
|
Nov 14 FACING UP TO FACTS Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, Chapters 1 and 2, present a dark picture of the human race, but acknowledge the facts they record and you have taken the first step to salvation. By nature we shrink from facing up to our sins, but we are better off if we do. If a man has early indications of cancer, and his physi- cian keeps the truth from him, the patient will die of can- cer. A good and wise physician will say: "You have cancer and we should do something about it without delay." Thus God, in His Word, tells us frankly about our sinful condition, but only to save us from it. This is where most philosophies and the Bible clash head on. Most philosophies close their eyes to man’s sinful na- ture. They presume that man is good by nature, when over- whelming evidence bears witness that he is sinful by na- ture. Thus human philosophies offer no salvation from sin and its just penalty. Only "the gospel of the grace of God" does that. The Bible says of the whole human race: "All have sin- ned" (Rom. 3:23), and to each individual: "Thou art inex- cusable" (Rom. 2:1). But the same Bible says: "Christ died for our sins" (I Cor. 15:3), and "We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace" (Eph. 1:7). Trust in Christ for salvation and you will have accepted God’s great message to the world. Then, as you consider that great Book, the Bible, you will say with Fawcett: "It shows to man his wand’ring ways And where his feet have trod; But brings to view the matchless grace Of a forgiving God." Written by Pastor Stam Subscribe at: http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/twominut.htmlTwo Minutes With The Bible By Pastor Stam Mailing Address: Berean Bible Society N112 W17761 Mequon Road P.O. Box 756 Germantown, WI 53022 Web Site: http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/Gospel Books, Materials, & Free Mailings Email: berean@execpc.comTelephone: 262-255-4750
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
Ambassador4Christ
|
 |
« Reply #112 on: November 15, 2003, 07:21:41 AM » |
|
Nov 15 WHAT ABOUT ME? Hebrews 2 states that unbelievers are, "through fear of death... all their lifetime subject to bondage" (Ver. 15). How often they must ask themselves: "What will become of me: finally become of me?" The best they can hope is that God will be merciful to them and accept them at last, but God cannot do this without a just basis, and since unbelievers have rejected His gracious payment for sin, they must re- main under its condemnation. Many hope that physical death will be the end for them, but they fear that the Bible may be true and that death will not be the end. This writer once talked with a profane barber who had boasted that he was his own "God," and would be until they put him "six feet under." To this we replied: "The Bible says that ‘it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this is the judgment.’ You may not believe this, or accept it as the Word of God, but you can’t prove it isn’t so, and I would urge you to look into it carefully, asking God to give you light." Here we ask the reader a very personal question: Are you saved? Have you accepted Christ and His payment for your sins, now standing before God "justified from all things," and "accepted in the Beloved"? If not, we beg you: do not delay. These are serious times and who knows how soon God will take His own away and bring this dispen- sation of grace to a close. Then it will be too late, so we urge you, face up to your sinful condition now, and place your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ who, in infinite love and grace, bore the burden of your guilt and condemnation at Calvary. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved..." (Acts 16:31). Written by Pastor Stam Subscribe at: http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/twominut.htmlTwo Minutes With The Bible By Pastor Stam Mailing Address: Berean Bible Society N112 W17761 Mequon Road P.O. Box 756 Germantown, WI 53022 Web Site: http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/Gospel Books, Materials, & Free Mailings Email: berean@execpc.comTelephone: 262-255-4750
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
Ambassador4Christ
|
 |
« Reply #113 on: November 16, 2003, 09:45:08 AM » |
|
Nov 16 THE VALUE OF BIBLE STUDY "From a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus" (II Tim. 3:15). Timothy was a fortunate young man. His father was not a believer in Christ, but his godly mother made up for this lack as, day after day, from his earliest childhood, she taught him the Word of God. As a result he came to know Christ at an early age and later became St. Paul’s faithful co-worker and close associate in making known the wonder- ful "good news of the grace of God." In his very last letter the great Apostle Paul recalls Timothy’s "unfeigned faith... which dwelt first in thy grand- mother Lois, and thy mother Eunice" (II Tim. 1:5). If only we had more such mothers and grandmothers today, with husbands to help them! If only our American children were not set adrift on a restless sea of human spec- ulation, but were taught the eternal truths of God’s Word, the Bible! We all need to "know the Holy Scriptures," not only be- cause they teach reverence for God and build moral char- acter, but most of all because they "are able to make [us] wise unto salvation through faith... in Christ Jesus." The theme of the Bible, the Old Testament as well as New, is the Lord Jesus Christ, the riches of whose saving grace are unfolded to us in the Epistles of Paul, the chief of sinners saved by grace. It was to Paul that God committed the preaching of the cross of Christ. He it is who tells us about the riches that flow from Calvary. He it is who tells us, by divine inspiration that: "...WE HAVE REDEMPTION THROUGH [CHRIST’S] BLOOD, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS ACCORDING TO THE RICHES OF HIS GRACE" (Eph. 1:7). "THAT IN THE AGES TO COME HE MIGHT SHOW THE EXCEED- ING RICHES OF HIS GRACE IN HIS KINDNESS TOWARD US THROUGH CHRIST JESUS" (Eph. 2:7). Written by Pastor Stam Subscribe at: http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/twominut.htmlTwo Minutes With The Bible By Pastor Stam Mailing Address: Berean Bible Society N112 W17761 Mequon Road P.O. Box 756 Germantown, WI 53022 Web Site: http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/Gospel Books, Materials, & Free Mailings Email: berean@execpc.comTelephone: 262-255-4750
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
Brother Love
|
 |
« Reply #114 on: November 17, 2003, 05:35:08 AM » |
|
Nov 16 THE VALUE OF BIBLE STUDY "From a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus" (II Tim. 3:15). Timothy was a fortunate young man. His father was not a believer in Christ, but his godly mother made up for this lack as, day after day, from his earliest childhood, she taught him the Word of God. As a result he came to know Christ at an early age and later became St. Paul’s faithful co-worker and close associate in making known the wonder- ful "good news of the grace of God." In his very last letter the great Apostle Paul recalls Timothy’s "unfeigned faith... which dwelt first in thy grand- mother Lois, and thy mother Eunice" (II Tim. 1:5). If only we had more such mothers and grandmothers today, with husbands to help them! If only our American children were not set adrift on a restless sea of human spec- ulation, but were taught the eternal truths of God’s Word, the Bible! We all need to "know the Holy Scriptures," not only be- cause they teach reverence for God and build moral char- acter, but most of all because they "are able to make [us] wise unto salvation through faith... in Christ Jesus." The theme of the Bible, the Old Testament as well as New, is the Lord Jesus Christ, the riches of whose saving grace are unfolded to us in the Epistles of Paul, the chief of sinners saved by grace. It was to Paul that God committed the preaching of the cross of Christ. He it is who tells us about the riches that flow from Calvary. He it is who tells us, by divine inspiration that: "...WE HAVE REDEMPTION THROUGH [CHRIST’S] BLOOD, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS ACCORDING TO THE RICHES OF HIS GRACE" (Eph. 1:7). "THAT IN THE AGES TO COME HE MIGHT SHOW THE EXCEED- ING RICHES OF HIS GRACE IN HIS KINDNESS TOWARD US THROUGH CHRIST JESUS" (Eph. 2:7). Written by Pastor Stam Subscribe at: http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/twominut.htmlTwo Minutes With The Bible By Pastor Stam Mailing Address: Berean Bible Society N112 W17761 Mequon Road P.O. Box 756 Germantown, WI 53022 Web Site: http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/Gospel Books, Materials, & Free Mailings Email: berean@execpc.comTelephone: 262-255-4750 Another Favorite Brother Love 
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
Ambassador4Christ
|
 |
« Reply #115 on: November 17, 2003, 05:12:54 PM » |
|
Nov 17 THE CHRISTIAN HOME "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Josh. 24:15). There is no place in all this world so wholesome and re- freshing as a Christian home, a home where Christ is truly loved and honored. This writer was brought up in such a home. There were ten of us: dad, mother and eight children. There was lots going on all the time, but a truly happy home it was, for dad and mother never let us get so busy with temporal things that we brushed eternal values aside. On the basis that "man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God" (Luke 4:4), we read some small por- tion of the Bible before every meal, and had family devotions before retiring at night. Result: all eight children have blessed the dear dad and mother who led them aright, morally and spiritually, and best of all, taught them the importance of trusting in the Savior who died for all our sins. More: five of the children and many of the grandchildren have given themselves for full time Christian service, and have become pastors, col- lege deans, Christian writers and missionaries in various parts of the world. This is not because we are one whit better than others, but because we have experienced the help and grace of God in our lives. And it all began as, one day, a young Amer- ican, like Joshua of old, came to a decision and declared: "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Written by Pastor Stam Subscribe at: http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/twominut.htmlTwo Minutes With The Bible By Pastor Stam Mailing Address: Berean Bible Society N112 W17761 Mequon Road P.O. Box 756 Germantown, WI 53022 Web Site: http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/Gospel Books, Materials, & Free Mailings Email: berean@execpc.comTelephone: 262-255-4750
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
Ambassador4Christ
|
 |
« Reply #116 on: November 18, 2003, 05:30:30 PM » |
|
Nov 18 MELTING HEARTS Melting hearts, in Scripture, are consistently associated with discouragement and fear. Note a few examples: "And he also that is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, shall utterly melt..." (II Sam. 17:10). "Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt"(Isa. 13:7). "The heart melteth and the knees smite together..." (Nah. 2:10). Christians, therefore, should not pray for melted hearts, as so many do. There are too many believers with melting hearts now! Indeed, men of God, down through the ages, have always found it a real task to keep the hearts of Chris- tians from melting. Fear can easily become cowardice and cowardice, like courage, is extremely contagious. For this reason God explicitly instructed the military officers of Israel to announce to their armies: "What man is there that is fearful and faint-hearted? let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren’s heart faint as well as his heart"(Deut. 20:  . If ever God’s people needed confidence and courage it is in the day of crisis -- especially spiritual crisis -- in which we live. Here Paul’s word to the Ephesian believers is appro- priate: "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against [wicked spirits] in high places" (Eph. 6:12). Thank God! While the opposition of our adversary during "this present evil age" calls for special courage and stead- fastness of heart, God has made particular provision for us, for He has given us more light on His Word than was given those of former ages and we can meet the enemy with "the whole armor of God." Moreover we have God’s Word through Paul, that battle-scarred warrior: "God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me, His prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God" (II Tim. 1:7,8). Written by Pastor Stam Subscribe at: http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/twominut.htmlTwo Minutes With The Bible By Pastor Stam Mailing Address: Berean Bible Society N112 W17761 Mequon Road P.O. Box 756 Germantown, WI 53022 Web Site: http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/Gospel Books, Materials, & Free Mailings Email: berean@execpc.comTelephone: 262-255-4750
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
Ambassador4Christ
|
 |
« Reply #117 on: November 19, 2003, 03:20:32 PM » |
|
Nov 19 THE PURPOSE OF PRAYER The question is sometimes asked: If God’s will and pur- pose are unalterable, why pray? The answer is simply: Because the divine purpose, which any answer to prayer must represent, includes the prayer itself. It is enough that He "who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will" (Eph. 1:11) invites and exhorts His people to "come boldly unto the throne of grace" to "let [their] requests be made known unto God" (Heb. 4:16; Phil. 4:6). But prayer is not merely petition, as many suppose. It is one aspect of active communion with God (meditation on the Word being the other) and includes adoration, thanks- giving and confession, as well as supplication. Hyde, in God’s Education of Alan, Pp. 154,155, says: "Prayer is the communion of two wills, in which the finite comes into connection with the Infinite, and, like the trolley, appro- priates its purpose and power." We have an example of this in the record of our Lord’s prayer in the garden, for, while He is not to be classed with finite men, yet He laid aside His glory, became "a servant" (Phil. 2:7) and "learned obedience" (Heb. 5:8; Phil. 2:  . In this place of subjection He made definite and earnest re- quests of His Father, but closed His prayer with the words: "Nevertheless, not My will, but Thine, be done" (Luke 22: 42) with the result that He was "strengthened" for the ordeal He had to face (Ver. 43). Thus prayer is not merely a means of "getting things from God" but a God-appointed means of fellowship with Him, and all acceptable prayer will include the supplication -- as sincerely desired as the rest: "Nevertheless, not My will, but Thine, be done." Written by Pastor Stam Subscribe at: http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/twominut.htmlTwo Minutes With The Bible By Pastor Stam Mailing Address: Berean Bible Society N112 W17761 Mequon Road P.O. Box 756 Germantown, WI 53022 Web Site: http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/Gospel Books, Materials, & Free Mailings Email: berean@execpc.comTelephone: 262-255-4750
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
Brother Love
|
 |
« Reply #118 on: November 21, 2003, 06:24:47 AM » |
|
Nov 20 MISUSE OF PRAYER Many Christian people fail to pray acceptably. They indulge their wills, earnestly praying that God will lead; yet all the while determined that He shall lead according to their desires, even if contrary to His revealed will. Then, when faced with the written Word, they say: "But I have prayed much about it." They even challenge God, like the young woman who justified herself for entering into an unequal marriage vow by saying: "I asked the Lord if this wasn’t His will just to hinder it somehow." Such misuse of prayer is worse than superstition; it is sacrilege, for the young woman should have known -- probably did know -- that the written Word had already condemned what she wanted, prayed about and got. Then too, there is much superstition among God’s people with respect to prayer. How readily some believers "feel led," seek for "inner promptings" or listen for that "still small voice" in answer to their prayers! They say: "The Lord told me" this or that, or "The Spirit whispered to me" or "I could just hear Him saying." When such remarks are made to this writer he usually inquires further into the details and invariably learns that no voice was heard at all, but that the speaker merely took some feeling or impres- sion to be, in some mystic way, a direction from the Lord. God does speak to us through His Word, even when some incident or circumstance emphasizes the truth of His Word, but with the Word complete He no longer speaks to us by visions or even by still small voices, and the instructed believer will be careful not to depend upon "inner prompt- ings," knowing that by nature "the heart is deceitful above all things" (Jer. 17:9). Written by Pastor Stam Subscribe at: http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/twominut.htmlTwo Minutes With The Bible By Pastor Stam Mailing Address: Berean Bible Society N112 W17761 Mequon Road P.O. Box 756 Germantown, WI 53022 Web Site: http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/Gospel Books, Materials, & Free Mailings Email: berean@execpc.comTelephone: 262-255-4750 Posted By Brother Love For Ambassador4Christ
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
Brother Love
|
 |
« Reply #119 on: November 21, 2003, 06:27:12 AM » |
|
Nov 21 REPETITION OF PRAYERS One of the most unscriptural and unspiritual misuses of prayer is the repeating of prayers composed by others. Many members of both Protestant and Catholic churches, indeed, many sincere believers, repeat over and over again prayers that have been prepared for them to recite. Un- doubtedly the greatest number of all make it a practice to repeat the so-called "Lord’s Prayer," taken from the Gospel records. Evidently all these millions of professing Christians have overlooked the fact that it was when the disciples asked our Lord to teach them how to pray (Luke 11:1) that He said: "AFTER THIS MANNER therefore pray ye" (Matt. 6:9). Moreover, He prefaced these words with the specific in- junction: "But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them..." (Matt. 6:7,8). Both Protestants and Catholics make much of repeating the "Lord’s Prayer." They repeat it singly and in unison, in trouble and sorrow, in sickness and death, in storm and drought, in war and disaster, with little or no regard for its contents. Imagine praying, "Give us this day our daily bread" at a funeral service! Imagine praying, "Thy kingdom come" at a sick bed or in a storm at sea! Yet this is solemnly done again and again throughout Christendom. Whole audiences continue to repeat the prayer in unison -- and this in the face of the fact that it was in connection with this very prayer that our Lord pronounced the mere repetition of prayers "vain" and enjoined His disciples not to follow the heathen in this practice. What a difference there is between praying and saying prayers! No truly spiritual believer will do the latter. Written by Pastor Stam Subscribe at: http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/twominut.htmlTwo Minutes With The Bible By Pastor Stam Mailing Address: Berean Bible Society N112 W17761 Mequon Road P.O. Box 756 Germantown, WI 53022 Web Site: http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/Gospel Books, Materials, & Free Mailings Email: berean@execpc.comTelephone: 262-255-4750 Posted By Brother Love For Ambassador4Christ
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|