Category: encouragement

I Have Finished the Work! #7

Thursday, March 16, 2023

“I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do” (John 17:4 KJV).

Could we say this at the end of our life, at the conclusion of our ministry?

“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection [mind, focus, regard] on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:1,2). We must have this renewed mind (laid out in the first two chapters), or sin will master us. Remember Paul’s dilemma in Romans chapter 7.

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:1,2).

Ephesians 4:17-24: “This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”

“For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe” (1 Thessalonians 2:13). When we by faith let the Holy Spirit use the Word of God rightly divided to work in us, the very life of Jesus Christ is on display!

I Have Finished the Work! #6

Wednesday, March 15, 2023

“I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do” (John 17:4 KJV).

Could we say this at the end of our life, at the conclusion of our ministry?

Dear friends, in order for today’s Scripture to be true of us, we need only to discover what God is doing today and do that by faith. We will thus do God’s will. (It is not complicated!) Philippians 1:9-11 summarizes the Holy Spirit’s desire for us: “And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ [He produces the fruits!!], unto the glory and praise of God.” We are just walking by faith in our identity in Christ, and He does the work.

Philippians 2:13-16 amplifies: “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.”

In his parting words to the Ephesian church elders, the Apostle Paul spoke: “But none of these things [trials and tribulations] 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 [bear record of, bear witness of] the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24). Paul is no longer here, so we (other members of the Church the Body of Christ) have inherited his grace ministry. Read our “grace commission” outlined in 2 Corinthians 5:14-21. The Holy Spirit worked in and through Paul, and He will work in and through us. We must be willing to learn, believe, and apply sound Bible doctrine….

I Have Finished the Work! #5

Tuesday, March 14, 2023

“I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do” (John 17:4 KJV).

Could we say this at the end of our life, at the conclusion of our ministry?

First and foremost, we must realize a truth commonly overlooked. Not only is it difficult for us to live the Christian life, it is impossible, for only (!) Jesus Christ can live His life. Thankfully, never does God call us to copy the life of Christ. As it was so eloquently stated long ago, “Christ laid down His life for us on Calvary, that He might then give that life to us when we trust Him, that He might ultimately fill us with that very life as we walk by faith in an intelligent understanding of His words to us.” The Bible tells us, “Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He rose again the third day” (1 Corinthians 15:3,4). Here is “the Gospel of the Grace of God” (Acts 20:24), by which we “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” to be “saved” (Acts 16:31).

Dear friend, read Romans chapter 6 in its entirety. What Father God desires of us is that we be rendered dead to sin—and He does that Himself when we believe on Jesus Christ’s death as our death. Now that we have come to faith in Christ as our personal Saviour, He will not only save us from Hell (the penalty of sin), He will deliver us from sinful living (the power of sin). When He died on Calvary, we died with Him. When He was buried, we were buried with Him. When He resurrected, we were resurrected with Him. Sin is not who we are anymore, for, though we were in Adam, we are now in Christ, and therefore have a new identity: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). This new identity will produce fruit to glorify God (righteousness), just as our old identity in Adam bore fruit to exalt self (sin). We are not doing the good works, but rather Jesus Christ is performing them in and through us….

I Have Finished the Work! #4

Monday, March 13, 2023

“I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do” (John 17:4 KJV).

Could we say this at the end of our life, at the conclusion of our ministry?

Doubtless, today’s Scripture summarizes the best human life ever lived: it was the life of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. There was never any sin, and never any chance of sin. What Father God had sent Him to do, He did it without fail and without hesitation (Isaiah 42:1; Matthew 3:17; Matthew 12:18; John 8:29).

Firstly, He faithfully gave His Father’s words to a believing remnant in Israel, manifesting all that the Father is and does (see John 17:6,8,14,26). By the time of today’s Scripture, that work was finished. He had one final task to accomplish. Secondly, on Calvary’s cross, He faithfully gave up His life: “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost” (John 19:30). That too was now completed, and note well Hebrews 10:4-14, recalling this as the fulfillment of Psalm 40:6-8.

Re-read today’s Scripture: “I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.” When this earthly life is over, could we honestly say those words with our Lord? Did we glorify Father God on the Earth? Did we finish His work which He gave us to do? Were we walking by faith in His words to us, the Pauline epistles of Romans through Philemon? Of course, for us, it would not be 100% as it was for Christ. For a great many of us, we could say nothing more than, “I glorified thee on the earth a little here, and a little there, but it was not much.” Maybe it would be 50%, or even as low as 1%! We let religious tradition and philosophy interfere with our spiritual growth, we refused personal Bible study, and we allowed sin to master us.

In order to maximize that percentage, we need to pay attention to certain Scriptures and apply them to life by faith in the heart while we still have time to make things right….

Looking Unto Jesus

Saturday, March 4, 2023

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1,2 KJV).

An artist once drew a night scene in which a man was rowing a boat across a large body of water. The waves were rough and the winds were strong. Storm clouds veiled the moon and all the stars except one. Focused on that solitary point of light, the man paddled on and on. The artist added a caption at the bottom: “If I lose that, I am lost!” Here is an extremely simple application of today’s Scripture.

In Matthew 14:22-27, the Lord Jesus Christ was delayed in meeting His disciples in the ship on the Sea of Galilee. Eventually, they no longer expected Him. When He finally showed up, they supposed He was a spirit or ghost. Keep reading: “[28] And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. [29] And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. [30] But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. [31] And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? [32] And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.”

Peter took his eyes off the Lord, looked at his perilous circumstances, and began to sink! Likewise, in today’s Scripture, the Holy Spirit reminds believing Israel suffering the troubles of Daniel’s 70th Week to keep watching Jesus, not the evil Antichrist or his followers. Saints, we would do well to remember to firmly fix our eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ and not our difficulties (Romans 8:31-39)!

Comatose! #6

Tuesday, February 28, 2023

“Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light” (Ephesians 5:14 KJV).

“Wake up!,” screams the Holy Spirit to today’s comatose professing church!

Moses’ advice to Israel in Deuteronomy 4:5-8 was: “Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for? And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?” Unfortunately, Israel did not obey the Law of Moses, thereby misrepresenting the one true God in front of their Gentile neighbors (who scoffed at “God’s people”—see Romans 2:24, Ezekiel 36:23, and 2 Samuel 12:14).

Likewise, members of the Church the Body of Christ are thus urged to conduct themselves wisely, “that the word of God be not blasphemed” (Titus 2:5). “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame” (1 Corinthians 15:33,34). The Christians at Corinth were spiritually asleep because they were fellowshipping too much with unbelievers, and had been negatively impacted.

Observe Romans 13:11-14: “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering [sexual indulgence, lewdness, vulgarity] and wantonness [loose living, recklessness], not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.”

Comatose! #5

Monday, February 27, 2023

“Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light” (Ephesians 5:14 KJV).

“Wake up!,” screams the Holy Spirit to today’s comatose professing church!

In Matthew 13:25, “the enemy” labored “while men slept.” Verse 39 identifies this “enemy” as “the devil.” The sleeping, of course, is not physical but spiritual. When people are spiritually oblivious, napping in the spiritual realm, they become more susceptible to Satan’s will. A saint not walking in the light of God’s words to him or her will fall into the spiritual trap of functional death, the Christian life not functioning (see today’s Scripture). Also, any lost people refusing to believe God’s words to them—they are content in being lost—they too will be vulnerable to Satanic deception (remaining lost). The context of the verses in Matthew chapter 13 is the Little Flock receiving and believing the Gospel of the Kingdom, God’s work (genuine), and lost Israel refusing and disbelieving the Gospel of the Kingdom, Satan’s work (counterfeit).

Satan’s evil world system is still in force now, misleading lost and saved alike, following the patterns already laid out in Scripture. It had duped the Corinthian saints (spiritual immaturity, heresies and sects, fornication, abusing spiritual gifts, petty lawsuits, mockery of the Lord’s Supper, et cetera), the Galatian saints (legalism, denominationalism, works-religion), the Ephesian saints (various sins and silly deeds delineated in Ephesians 4:17–5:21), and so on. In the verses following today’s Scripture, we read: “[15] See then that ye walk circumspectly [looking around, carefully, alertly], not as fools, but as wise, [16] Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. [17] Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. [18] And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;….”

If there is no renewed mind, thinking like a mature grace saint (Romans 12:1,2), we will be “fools… unwise… [not] understanding what the will of the Lord is.” Since the vast majority of the professing church has never paid much attention to the warnings the Holy Spirit issued 2,000 years ago, there is no filling of the Holy Spirit, and therefore no real spiritual fruit and meaningful Christian influence on the world. Like with Israel of old, a spiritual coma incapacitates….

Comatose! #4

Sunday, February 26, 2023

“Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light” (Ephesians 5:14 KJV).

“Wake up!,” screams the Holy Spirit to today’s comatose professing church!

In today’s Scripture, Paul evidently alluded to Isaiah 60:1, which is sinful, spiritually blind, spiritually-impotent Israel exhorted to pursue holy living because of Messiah’s coming: “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.” You may also see verses 2 and 3 (Millennial Kingdom glory—cf. Matthew 5:14-16). Since Israel’s Messiah (Jesus) is our Head, the Head of the Church which is His Body, should we not likewise walk in God’s light instead of stumbling in Satan’s darkness?

As it was appropriately stated long ago, “We do not become sinless when we become Christians, but, when we become Christians, we should sin less.” Before we can fix a problem, dear friends, we have to identify it. After we discover what is wrong, only then can we proceed to making it right. If we want to improve our lives, we have to admit our shortcomings. Three passages of the Dispensation of Grace that will benefit us in pinpointing and correcting our carnal living, worldliness, and foolish thinking are Romans chapter 12, Ephesians chapter 4, and Colossians chapter 3.

If these three chapters were actually believed in the heart and applied to life on a daily basis, the Church the Body of Christ would have a far greater and more positive impact on the world than it has. We would hear much less about “hypocritical Christians,” “confused Christians,” “discouraged Christians,” “apostate Christians,” and “silly Christians.” There would be fewer dissolved Christian marriages, fewer broken Christian homes, fewer delinquent Christian youth, fewer split Christian churches, fewer secular Christian colleges. More lost people would notice and say, “I may not agree with Christians, but I cannot deny their sensible thoughts and decent lives.” More lost people would respond with, “I want to know more about Christianity and that ‘Jesus’ you serve.” Ultimately, there might just be a few less atheists, agnostics, freethinkers, Muslims, Buddhists, Satanists, and other pagans.

Today’s Christians need to wake up and heed the Lord’s words through the Apostle Paul, rising from their practical death, and enlightened with the brilliance of Christ’s very words….

Fill Up That Which is Behind? #7

Monday, February 13, 2023

“Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church” (Colossians 1:24 KJV).

Did Jesus Christ suffer enough to pay for our sins? Then how can Paul “fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ?”

“When you become a Christian, all your troubles disappear” is a prime example of prosperity theology, false teaching, and Bible ignorance. Satan cannot torture Jesus Christ anymore, and he cannot imprison Paul anymore, but we continue the Lord’s ministry through Paul, and thus we have trials and tribulations. “So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure” (2 Thessalonians 1:4).

As grace believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we (should) think about problems differently than the people of the world do. Today’s Scripture is the Apostle Paul under house-arrest for the Lord’s sake, yet, he writes, “[I] rejoice in my sufferings for you.” As Christ’s spokesman for this the Dispensation of Grace, Paul knew he had been given an opportunity to prove just what God’s grace would be like during the days of hardship. He was not depressed, feeling sorry for himself, or giving up, for he could still hear those Divine words from long ago, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:17,18). “For I reckon [think, judge] that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). Saints, now, in this fallen world, is our chance to show the lost souls around us, just what God’s grace can do in and through us as we rejoice in the midst of trouble. Let us too “fill up that which is behind.” 🙂

A Life That Will Please

Wednesday, January 4, 2023

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20 KJV).

Today’s Scripture tells us who alone can live a life pleasing in God’s sight!

Everyone does “good” deeds. Yet, doing “good” is not necessarily good. For instance, people often do “good” just to receive praise/reward, make up for their wrongs, feel good, et cetera. Furthermore, despite our “good” deeds, we have plenty more bad ones! Pride, lying, evil thoughts, being a false witness, and being contentious are some of the things the LORD hates (Proverbs 6:16-19).

Mankind cannot even keep 10 simple rules from God. However, religion continues to urge us to keep seven sacraments, utter various prayers, give assorted offerings and “tithes,” attend numerous feasts and festivals, and perform sundry other tasks to “hopefully” please God and avoid hellfire. Whether we attempt to keep a church’s laws, our laws, or God’s laws, our flesh is far too weak to ever measure up. Just look at what God’s religion did to Israel—how much worse some man-made religion does to us!

As Saul of Tarsus, the Apostle Paul was a Pharisee, a religious leader of Israel. He was a nitpicker concerning Law-keeping, and yet, after his soul salvation, he admitted that all of his religion was “but dung” compared to Jesus Christ’s righteousness (Philippians 3:3-11). Even for the Christian, to live a perfect life is impossible (read of Paul’s miserable existence in Romans chapter 7). Paul had to forsake his vain religion and learn today’s Scripture: the Christian life is NOT the performance of the Christian, but the Lord Jesus Christ living and working in the Christian, as the Christian walks in an intelligent understanding of God’s Word to him or her!

If we trust a Saviour who will save—the Lord Jesus Christ—and trust a Book that will teach—the King James Bible—we can redeem the year for the great God and our Saviour, “who loved [us], and gave himself for [us]!” 🙂