Category: encouragement

Big Brother Versus Heavenly Father #1

Monday, November 4, 2013

“…for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me” (Hebrews 13:5c,6 KJV).

Big Brother is watching; Heavenly Father is, too!

In this world of increasing technology and communication, there is growing discussion about “government spying” and “government tracking.” Even some Christians fear making online purchases, owning “smart” cell phones, or even maintaining a Facebook account, lest “big brother’s eye” see.

Although prudent, this apprehension can—and often does—lead to extremes. Yea, such a mindset generates all sorts of peculiar behavior. Eventually, we will draw the curtains and huddle in dark corners of our homes, we will hide in underground bunkers, and we will relocate into the wilderness, jumping to safety just before the evil world system grabs us!

When the Christian is browbeaten by and swept into this paranoia (fueled by the “quality” news reports of the mainstream media), he or she is unwittingly playing into Satan’s deception. He or she becomes more focused on Satan’s world system, thereby failing to appreciate the deliverance that God has promised him or her in the Lord Jesus Christ! It seems like some Christians have more interest in their government coming to get them before their God comes to get them. This should not be, dear saints.

Have we forgotten about our security and victory in Jesus Christ that we so often proclaim? We are too busy thinking about this hopeless world to remember our hope in Jesus Christ, too depressed to have the joy of the Holy Ghost, and too disturbed to have the peace of God. Satan could not be happier; the Christian is helping further his policy of evil!

In today’s Scripture, the writer of the book of Hebrews reminds the believing Jews in the (future) seven-year Tribulation period that, although they are living in the worst period of human history, they should not fear the government of man. We would do well if we looked at this doctrine from Israel’s program, and notice the parallels in the program God is operating today….

Strength in Weakness

Saturday, November 2, 2013

“My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9 KJV).

When you realize God’s grace is all that you have, then you realize that God’s grace is all that you need!

Yesterday, I visited Brother “G.” for the first time since his wife of 55 years died Wednesday. He knows that she is present with the Lord, but understandably, he is lost without her. In his own words, “I know the verses, but they seem like ‘just words’ right now.” In his own strength, he cannot make it; but God’s grace is more than enough to get him through it.

Beloved, knowing the verses is easy, but applying them to life is hard. Our old sin nature rejects God’s Word, as the Apostle Paul delineated in Romans 7:22,23: “For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.”

Paul, as a saved individual, took pleasure in God’s Word in his spirit (spiritual body). However, he still lived in a physical body—“the body of sin” (Romans 6:6)—that was genetically related to Adam (the origin of man’s anti-God nature). You are strongly encouraged to read Romans chapter 7 in its entirety, but suffice it to say that Paul labored in vain to live the Christian life in his own strength. Sin would defeat him every time, and he lamented in verse 24: “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”

The solution to this “flesh-walking” is Romans chapter 8: “walking after the Spirit.” We study the Bible rightly divided for ourselves, and no matter what circumstance in life, we, by faith, allow the indwelling Holy Spirit to then work in us using the verses that apply to those specific circumstances. We are weak; Jesus Christ is strong. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13). In Christ, we are equipped to handle every situation, good or bad, and He will live His life in us if we let Him.

At Home, At Last

Friday, November 1, 2013

“…to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8 KJV).

Let us rejoice that a dear saint is now Home, and her faith is now sight!

Brother “G.,” our fellowlabourer in the newspaper ministry, phoned me late Wednesday night to deliver a bittersweet message: his wife of 55 years had just gone to be her Lord Jesus Christ. We both grieve and rejoice with this dear brother, that another saint is at peace in heaven’s glory. Having visited them both almost every week for the past four years, I always heard her talk about her wanting the Lord Jesus to come take us all to heaven soon (little did she know she would see Him before we would).

The death of a loved one is very difficult to bear, but the death of a loved one in Christ is both sad and joyful. We should—and do—mourn their absence, but there is something we should not miss. These brothers and sisters in Christ are still “in Christ.” The only difference is that the Holy Ghost has taken them far away from us so they can be eternally free from sin (and suffering!). They have left their physical bodies of sin, and they are now literally sinless. We cannot fathom the sights they are seeing and the sounds they are hearing! Their physical eyes closed so that their souls’ eyes could see the face of their Saviour Jesus Christ. Their weary, earthly sojourn has concluded, and they are now at peace.

We need not sorrow like the hopeless pagans (1 Thessalonians 4:13). The Apostle Paul reminded the Thessalonians that they would see their martyred Christian brethren again: “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him” (verse 14). At the “rapture,” we living Christians will be “caught up together with them [the deceased Christians] in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (verse 17). What comfort there is in knowing we will see those Christians again.

She is at Home at last!

IN MEMORIAM:
B. G.

NOTE: On his behalf, I ask that you keep Brother “G.,” his family, and his ministry in prayer. Feel free to read our (2008) Bible study “Golden Matrimony,” which I wrote marking their 50th wedding anniversary.

Shallow #8

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

“Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame” (1 Corinthians 15:34 KJV).

If the professing “Church” is to impact our culture as the Lord Jesus Christ intended, then it had better recognize today’s Scripture as applicable to it!

Many professing Christians often criticize lost people for living like lost people. Paradoxically, these very Christians are saved people usually living like lost people. Beloved, when the professing “Church” takes its Christian ambassadorship for granted, and lives like the world, we need not wonder why lost people exclaim, “The Bible is irrelevant, irrational, and outmoded!”

Beloved, if we Christians are not living in accordance with God’s Word, how can we expect lost people to do it? If our attitudes and actions do not reflect God’s grace and values, then how will the lost world ever see their need for Jesus Christ as personal Saviour? They will not! The lost world observes the hypocrisy, shallowness, and silliness of much of Christendom and they want nothing to do with the Lord Jesus Christ!

When Paul wrote today’s Scripture to Christians in the 1st century, he could have just as well been writing to Christians in the 21st century. Like the Corinthians, today’s average Christian is spiritually asleep, living contrary to the identity and life he or she has in Christ (2 Timothy 2:24-26). Why? The typical Christian church is not teaching sound Bible doctrine; rather, it too is totally oblivious to what the Lord Jesus Christ is doing today. Today’s Scripture admonishes, “Awake to righteousness, and sin not!”

After almost 2,000 years, the Body of Christ should have a firm understanding of its mission, doctrine, duty, walk, and destiny. Alas, even today, many Christians still “have not the knowledge of God” (today’s Scripture). The people who should know God’s Word and should let it work in and through them, are just as ignorant of God’s will as the lost world is. What a shame!!

Beloved, may we study and walk by faith in Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon, God’s Word to us, that our understanding of it be not shallow, and that we not reject it as many have done. 🙂

Solved and Sentenced!

Monday, October 21, 2013

“The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3 KJV).

From God’s perspective, there is no “cold” case.

“Cold cases” are decades-old crimes unsolved due to lack of witnesses and/or conclusive evidence. During the last 6,000 years, people have committed, and are still carrying out, very heinous deeds, causing their fellow man unimaginable suffering, and yet they go “unpunished” (for now). Oppressive politicians and ecclesiastical leaders who mercilessly torture, imprison, and execute anyone who opposes their “progress.” The clever “explanations” invented to cover-up the disappearances and deaths, and the downplaying of those crimes, make the bereaved cry out for justice.

Homicide victims unable to testify as to who murdered them, and elaborate schemes of corruption and cover-ups among authorities make justice seemingly impossible. Who will expose them and make things right? So many unanswered questions, doubts that never bring grieving family and friends any peace or sense of fairness. How will those deaths ever be avenged?

Saints, let us thank our God and Father that He sees every crime committed (today’s Scripture) and He is fair in meeting out punishment. As God’s judgment was about to fall on the pagan Neo-Assyrian capital Nineveh, the Prophet Nahum wrote: “The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked” (1:3). Like Nineveh of old, wicked (unbelieving) mankind has an appointment scheduled with the Lord Jesus Christ, and He will not be in a good mood (Revelation 20:11-15)!

God has been so longsuffering (patient) toward unbelieving and rebellious mankind especially these last 2,000 years, the Dispensation of Grace, but His justice will indeed be satisfied eventually (at the cross of Jesus Christ for believers’ sins, or in the everlasting lake of fire for everyone else’s sins). “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord” (Romans 12:19; cf. Deuteronomy 32:35).

Dearly beloved, let us not be troubled regarding the injustices occurring all around the world, for we know that the only Witness whose testimony truly counts, is still a faithful Witness whose testimony will one day be heard and whose justice will one day be executed! 🙂

Saved, If Ye Keep in Memory? #5

Sunday, October 21, 2013

“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:1,2 KJV).

Although a stumbling block to many, today’s Scripture is not difficult to understand when we consider the context….

If we fail to keep foremost in our minds Jesus Christ’s literal, physical, visible resurrection (like the Corinthians in today’s Scripture), then we will not be saved from despair and misery (verses 12,14,17,19). If He did not resurrect, then we have no hope of seeing our deceased Christian loved ones (verse 18). All of our ministry work such as preaching and teaching would be for nothing and our believing would also be pointless (verses 14,17). In short, without the reality of bodily resurrection, our Christian service would be a waste of time!

“If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable” (verse 19). However, by constantly reminding ourselves of the reality of Jesus Christ’s bodily resurrection, we are saved from all that misery listed above. We do not simply have “hope in Christ” now in this present life, but we have “hope in Christ” after death because we will be bodily resurrected just like Jesus Christ was (verses 20-23,35-58). This mentality saves us from the despair that results from denying bodily resurrection.

Verse 58, the concluding verse of the Apostle Paul’s exhaustive resurrection chapter, summarizes: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” Our Christian service—that is, Jesus Christ living His life in and through us—is not in vain, for we will be resurrected bodily to receive a reward, enabling us to function in the heavenly places forever for God’s glory (1 Corinthians 3:9-15; 2 Corinthians 5:9,10; Ephesians 2:6,7; Colossians 3:23-25).

May we always keep Jesus Christ’s bodily resurrection in mind, thereby remembering we too will be resurrected, so our Christian service is not in vain in the Lord! 🙂

A Permanent Government Shutdown

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

“The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever” (Revelation 11:15b KJV).

God has His own government shutdown planned, and we need it more than ever!

The American people are becoming increasingly aware of Satan’s evil world system. Never in our nation’s brief existence has the devil’s policy of evil been more clearly manifested than we are seeing today. Let us not be shocked—ancient Israel went “due south” politically, spiritually, morally, and economically as soon as she also threw away the Holy Scriptures!

How fervent are the cries for political reformation… their tones are becoming more urgent. Rising healthcare costs, increasing poverty, and rising unemployment are just some of the issues that are present in society because God’s Word is absent from society. That will change!

We who have trusted alone in Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection as sufficient payment for our sins (Paul’s Gospel of 1 Corinthians 15:1-4), let us use these days to thank our Heavenly Father that we have been spiritually delivered from such a mess. While we are still here physically, we have God’s peace. Thankfully, we are not here forever.

While we are here, tarrying for the Lord as He tarries for more souls to be saved, let us use this time to the advantage of God’s Word. We should utilize the current events as conversation starters to share the Gospel of the Grace of God with all we meet.

Jesus Christ died on Calvary’s cruel cross so that He could one day shut down this world’s (evil) governments and replace them with His glorious kingdom (Colossians 1:16,20)! “And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one” (Zechariah 14:9; cf. today’s Scripture). Howbeit, in order to allow more people to trust Jesus Christ and avoid His impending wrath, Jesus Christ’s earthly kingdom is delayed, and so Satan’s policy of evil will continue.

As we patiently wait for our Lord’s return to get us, let us continue to tell others that their only hope out of this mess is Jesus Christ, not a political party! 🙂

Of the Light, Not of the Night

Monday, October 14, 2013

“There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: the same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him” (John 3:1,2 KJV).

Why do you suppose Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night?

Today’s Scripture, excerpted from the Bible’s most recognized passage, involves a Pharisee asking Jesus questions to which he should already know the answers. Nicodemus is a religious leader who studied the Old Testament Scriptures, and yet he is totally ignorant of the spiritual rebirth that Israel needs because of her biological link to Adam (the Old Testament prophets discussed this “heart circumcision” in Deuteronomy 10:16, Deuteronomy 30:6, Jeremiah 4:4, Jeremiah 31:33, et cetera).

Space prevents an in-depth discussion of John chapter 3, but here, we want to briefly discuss why Nicodemus has come to Jesus “by night” (today’s Scripture). John 7:50 confirms, “he that came to Jesus by night.” Nicodemus is sneaking about at nighttime, lest his colleagues see him talking with Jesus. He knows that if he is seen in public in broad daylight speaking with Jesus Christ, he will lose his reputation, livelihood, income, everything.

John 12:42,43 are an excellent commentary as to how the Pharisees treated those who confessed Jesus as Messiah: “Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.”

Sadly, like Nicodemus, many church leaders today “creep about in shadows,” too fearful to publicly stand up for God’s truth. They avoid embracing a “King James only” position, lest they be considered “unscholarly.” They withhold the fact that Paul’s epistles are written to and about us, lest they be called “unorthodox.” They dare not speak about the sins of the world, lest they be deemed “unloving.”

Saints, may we boldly stand in God’s grace to us in Jesus Christ, unapologetically preaching Him from God’s Word, the King James Bible, rightly divided! 🙂

A Fruit-Bearing Gospel

Sunday, October 13, 2013

“[The gospel] Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:” (Colossians 1:6 KJV).

As today’s Scripture teaches, God’s Word never returns to Him void.

Verse 23 says the Gospel of God’s Grace had reached the Colossians, as well as the whole then-known world, via Paul’s ministry: “…the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister….” The Gospel “[brought] forth fruit” in that it accomplished God’s intention.

Isaiah 55:10,11 affirms: “For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”

Read 1 Corinthians 3:9: “For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.” God is a farmer, and Christians are His crops. Once Paul and his ministry coworkers had preached the Gospel of the Grace of God, Christ’s finished crosswork as sufficient payment for one’s sins, the Holy Spirit used those words to convict lost souls of their need of that salvation through Jesus Christ. Some, though not all, who heard Paul’s Gospel believed that message and trusted it alone for soul salvation.

“I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:6,7). Like the Corinthians, the Colossians had believed Paul’s Gospel once they heard it (today’s Scripture). They recognized God’s grace “in truth;” they knew what Paul preached was true and they gained an understanding of everything that God could do for them through Jesus Christ’s finished crosswork.

May we, by faith, let the Gospel bear fruit in us.

Consider Your Ways, Saints! #5

Saturday, October 5, 2013

“I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies” (Psalm 119:59 KJV).

Oftentimes, the Christian is apathetic to JEHOVAH’S desire to build a temple… using him….

The Christian—the one who is trusted alone in Jesus Christ’s finished crosswork as sufficient payment for his or her sins—is to allow the life of that Saviour to live in and through him or her. This is only possible if the Christian is primarily focusing on the part of the Bible written to and about us in the Dispensation of the Grace of God (which the Holy Spirit gave to the Apostle Paul; Ephesians 3:2).

Many true believers in Jesus Christ often struggle to do right and yet still fail. They have not learned the most basic principle of the Dispensation of Grace: “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14). Unquestionably, sin will triumph over us every time when we walk in our own strength, relying on our own resources, our own intellect, our own efforts (this is the system of Law, the enemy of God’s grace). Our works and our performance cannot save us from hell, so they certainly cannot save us from misery either!

Romans chapter 12, Ephesians chapter 4, and Colossians chapter 3 are great passages that deal specifically with daily Christian living. We read these verses, and most importantly, believe them, applying them to our lives by faith. God the Holy Spirit will then take those words and work mightily in and through us to accomplish those attitudes and actions, and it will literally be the life of Jesus Christ. It will be the same life that He lived on earth, and it will be the life He still lives today. This is the grace life that God wants for us Christians!

“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world” (Titus 2:11,12).

May we, by faith, submit to the Lord Jesus Christ’s desire to build a temple, a dwellingplace—using us! 🙂