"The Heavenly Father Hand"

       "I press on, that i may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus

        Has also,aid hold of me."                            Philippians 3:12

        When we cross a busy street with small children in tow, we put out hand and say, "hold on tight." and our little ones grasp our hand as tightly as they can. But we would never depend on their grasp. It is our grip on their hand that holds then and keeps then secure. So Paul insist. "Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me" (Phil.3:12). Or more exactly, "Christ has a grip on me!"

        One thing is certain it is not our grip on God that keeps us safe, but the power of Jesus' grasp. No one can take us out of his grasp not the devil not even ourselves. Once we're in his hands. He will not let go. 

        We have this assurance: "i give the  eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given then to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand" (John 10:28-29).

        Doubly safe: our Father on one side and our Lord and savior on the other clasping us in a viselike grip. These are the hands that shaped the mountains and oceans and flung the star into space. Nothing in this life or the enemy shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Roman 8:39 ). No one this 2016 Happy New to All

"He will reign for ever and ever."

        "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our

         Lord and of His Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever."

                                       Revelation 11 : 15

IN WESTMINSTER ABBY lies the sarcophagus of a German musician to whom every music lover is indebted, especially in the Christmas season. His name? George Frideric Handel, one of the most talented yet maligned musician ever to pen a note on paper. Why was he maligned? Most probably because Handel was a foreigner living in England who spoke English poorly and blended it with italian, German and french, he was also overweight and wore an oversized wig.

        Yet this man gave us Messiah, one of the most inspiring, touching renditions of what Christmas is about that the world has ever known. In 1741, shortly before he wrote the famous oratorio, Handel considered giving up and returning to Germany. He was nearly broke, but instead of giving up, he turned to God and began writing, using themes and verse that were dear to his heart.

         This magnificent work was completed in 24 days as Handel wrote almost nonstop, never going out of his house, often leaving the food he was served untouched, papers strewn all over his study. While he was writing the " Hallelujah chorus," his servant discovered him in tears. Handel exclaimed, "i did think I did see all Heaven before me, and the great God Himself."

         When the Messiah was performed for the first time in St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin in 1742, the king caught a glimpse of what Handel saw as well, rising to his feet and remaining standing for the duration of magnificent "Hallelujah Chorus"

         Listen to the message: "And he shall reign forever and ever, and of His kingdom there shall be no end," and realize that the angels who proclaimed the announcement of Jesus' birth in the shepherds' field will forever echo that message

"Emanuel God is with us"

"You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus."            Luke 1: 31(KNV) 

If you ask the man on the street at the what he think of the babe of christmas, you'll be surprised at the answers. Just look at the folks who were there when it happened. The innkeeper was downright indifferent a census had come to town, and he was busy ringing up the cash register. Then there was Herod he tried to destroy everything connected with the Christmas celebration. Consider the shephered in the field only after the angels bent over backward to explain the celestial fireworks were their fears finally put to rest.

The wise men were curious, poking here and there with questions until they found answer that satisfied. Still others, like Simon in the temple, waited. Other people hoped, like Anna the prophetess. Then there were these who, like Mary and Joseph, worshiped the newborn king.

People haven't changed much since Bible times, and the man on the street respond in much the same way. Are you, like the innkeeper, indifferent? Too busy? Are you still searching, looking for answer? Or maybe you're frightened because the baby in the manger asks too much of you. Stop thinking how you would have responded had you been the man on the streets of Bethlehem that night.

There are a thousand different ways to respond to the news 

         that a Savior has been born to deliver man from his sins. But 

         the fact remains that until a child was born, this world was 

         cloaked in utter darkness, abandoned, hopeless, and lost. 

         But for unto, a child is born a son is given! There is only one

         Response: "Come" and worship Him with our joyous praise!. His name is Emanuel God is with us! 

"HE Is Able"

       Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be 

        shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably

        with reverence and awe.                            Hebrew 12 : 28

There are very few things in the world that can be described as unshakable or unmovable. Today we can dynamite or blast almost anything into oblivion. So when something is describe as unshakable or unmovable, we pay attention.

         The writer of Hebrews said, "therefore, since we receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe" (Hebrew 12:28). What he is talking about is the kingdom of God, the territory in the heart of every one of God's children. The "we" means everyone who has embraced Jesus as Lord. Jesus was of the royal linage of David, and He fulfilled the prophecy that one of David's decendants would rule and reign forever.

          Can Christian also be described as unmovable and unshakable? In the first century. Nero demanded to be worshiped as a god. Subject of the Roman Empire were require to go to a pagan temple and offer incense, saying, "Cesar is Lord." Instead  these stubborn follower of Jesus refused, proclaiming. "Christ is Lord." Their chief weapon was love; they prayed for their enemies, fed the hungry, clothed the naked, and ministered to the sick. No wonder the Toman detested them, crying, "away with them! Burn them at the stake." 

         Nations and kingdom will rise and fall but the one whose builder and maker is God will never be shaken. Remember, there is an unshakable kingdom in a shaky, uncertain world because He is able God.

How to Start a Business with No Money

"A RENEWED MIND"

Therefore gird up the lions of your mind, be sober, and rest your
hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you At the
revelation of Jesus.
1 PETER 1 : 13

Your mind is a wonderful thing! You can memorize life changing passages of the scripture that can undergird you in your daily life; you can mediate upon God's Word, discovering His magnificent truths; you can discern between truth and falsehood; you can recall God's past blessing.

         Some of God's most effective servants were those who disciplined their minds for His service. Moses, educated in the best school of Egypt, assembled the Books of the Law for the israelites. Isaiah used his scholarly mind to write an exalted prophetic book in Scripture. Paul learned under Gamaliel, the outstanding teacher of his day, and it was through Paul that God presented much of the theology found in the New Testament.

         Sadly, many Christian today di not exercise their mind to be of service to God. They allow others to do their spiritual thinking for them. If they can find their theology from a book, they will not bother to study God's Word themselves. If a speaker makes ab authoritative statement, they reafily accepr it without verifying whether it is biblical.

         Paul urged Christian to strive for maturity in their thinking (1 Cor. 14:20). He said there was a time when his spiritual thinking was immature, but he had his mind to know and understand the great truths of God (1 Cor.13:11). He had not allowed others to do his thinking for him. When you become a christian, God renewed your mind (Roman 12:2). Be certain to use your mind in a way that bring glory to God.

         

                                            

"Entrusted to the Word"

           "So now, brethen, I commend you to God and to the word

               of His grace, which is able to build yoh up and give you

                    an inheritance among all those who are sanctified"

                                               ACTS 20 : 32

The Antioch church commended Paul to "the grace of God" when he set out on his first missionary journey (Acts 14:26). Later, Psul and Barnabas commended the new believer in Asia Minor "to the Lord" (Acts 14:23). As Paul concludes his charge to the Ephesian elders. He leaves the. With a benediction that is similar but fuller. He commends the. To "'God and to the word of His grace."' He is entrusting them both to God and to the message of salvation, the Gospel, as contained in the scriptures, bith Old Testament and New. If they will be, like Apollos, "mighty in the Scripture" (Acts18:24), Paul assures them that they will be build up, strenghtened in their walk with Christ. The Eord of God will make them the mighty watchmen of the flock they are called to be. Andlike all who live by the Scriptures and so grow in holiness. They will receive an eternal inheritance.

           Interestingly, Paul's final admonition to the elders concerns financial matters. He first asserts that he was covetous during his ministry among them, and he reminds them that he worked very hard to support himsekf and his helpers so that his motives in preaching the Gospel could not be questioned. In short. He had not exploited anyone, for his was a ministry of giving. In this, too, the ekders should consider him an example for their own conduct. His activities should instruct them to care for the weak, poor, destitute, and sick, who are often cast aside in the world of this time. A d they should see how his conduct fits with a proverb Paul attributes to Jesus, though it is recorded nowhere in the gospels: "'It is more blessed to give than to receive."' God gave His Son and gives "'life, breath, and all thing"' (Acts17:25), and He will bless His people as they give of the selves 

          His speech finished, Oaul kneels and prays with the elders. The moment of their parting is at hand, and it is grievious to all of them. "'The constanf love Paulhad given the Ephesians duringhis ministry was fully reciprocated by the elders, who, overcome by their emotions, begin to weep loudly," Dr. Kistemaker writes "'The intensity of their weeping demonstrates their affection for Paul." Most saddening to themis Oaul's own assertion that they will not be reunited in this life. Delaying the separation, they accompan him to the ship, where he parts from them and continues his journeytoward Jerusalem.

         God uses His Word to keep His people close to  himself Because, as Paul makes clear in today's passage, the study of Scripture is so vital for the Christian life. Mediate His Word and ask the Lord to give you a love for His Word and a heart to understand.

FOREVER FRIENDS

 "From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for then and the exact places where they should live."

ACTS 17 : 26

Did you Catch that? It's no mistake that you ars living in this century, this decade, and this very year. It's no accident that you are residing in your town, living on the street you live, and with the neighbors you see everyday. And id your circle of friends just coincidence? No way. God has determined it.

       Just think. You could have easily been born in another time, another place. Or you could have been raised on the otherside of the country think how different your life would be griwing up with a whole new set of childhood friends and neighbors.

       Of all the billions of possibility, of all millions of people with whom you could have been best friends, God determined the exact time and place where you should live. When you consider this amazing fact, your friendships take on a new and profound significance. God has a  special reason, a unique design in each friendship. He chose to surround your life with these certain and treasured dear ones for reasons.

      As Christians, these are the people with whom you will live for eternity, enjoying an even greater dimension of friendship. Because God has placed you together on earth at this time and in this placs, you and your friends have a chance to get a head start on God's eternal plan

     Father, I stand i. Awe at Your wisdom and ways. Could have placed me anywhere on this earth, but You determined that I should live here and now. Teach me wgat this means. Show me Your soecial design for my friends and family. And thank You that each person You put in my life is precious in Your eyes.

"How Much Will It Cost?"

        "And anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not 

          Worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever

          Loses his life for my sake will find it."         Matthew. 10:38-39

Jesus, with eyes full of love and compassion, extends His hand and offers us life abundantly and joyful, here and for eternity. "But how much will it cost?" You ask. The answer is short, simple, and painful. "It will cost you everything," the Lord replies.

         Ouch, that's what the rich young ruler must have said when he asked Jesus how he could have eternal life. The Lord commended the young man to sell everythings he had gives the money to the poor, and follow Him as His Lord . The  man couldn't bear the cost, and he walked away the loser.

         Is it worth taking up your cross, losing your life, and following the Lord? Jesus wraps His loving arms around us, reminding us, "Everyone who has left houses or bothers or sisters or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life" (Matthew19:29).

         What was true for the rich young ruler, is true for us. God

         Seems to always be pointing to one more area of our life that

         Needs to come under His domain. "Ouch," we reply, Lord,

         Haven't you asked enough of me?" You can be sure that at

         Whatever point you resist, God will persevere.

          Lord, what area of my life still needs to come under Your rule?

          Please show it to me, and then help me to place it under Your

          domain. May I look to the apostle Paul who counted everything

          a loss in order to know Jesus. Please help me to understand

          that I have everything to gain when I lose my life for Your sake.

"LEAD US NOT INTO FRUSTRATION"

                 " For God is not the author of confusion, but 

                     of peace as in all churches of the saints."

                                    1 Corinthians 14 :33

 

Question: How did Paul bring the Gospel to Europe? Answer: in response to the Macedonian call. That is good, true, and biblical answer. But it is also a bit too neat. It omits something of considerable importance. God led Paul and his band of missionaries to evangelize Europe by the pathway of frustration.

        They were visiting churches with the directives of the Jerusalem council. They decided to preach in the province of Asia but the Holy Spirit prevented them from Doing so. They then tried to enter Bithynia, but again the Spirit would not allow them. So they moved on to Troas, and there Paul had his vision Of the Macedonian man begging him to come (Acts 16:6-10).

         Luke tells us that the apostolic band then got ready to leave, "concluding" that this was the Lord's guidance. The verb he uses (sumbibazo) is an interesting one: its root meaning conveys the idea of laxing things down beside each other, putting things together. It was not so much the strange dream on its own, but the dream set in the context of their recent ecxperiences, that convinced them that Macedonia was the way ahead.

        But even to say this misses an important strand in Luke's narrative. This may even be masked for us by the two-fold reference to the Holy Spirit. God is, after all, not the author of confusion. But His ordering of things can sometimes be exceedingly confusing to us. It is certainly at times deeply frustrating. If one door closes, another will open, we say to ourselves. But sometimes the other door closes as well. It was by this very process that brought Paul to Europe. The frustrations were necessary elements in the Lord's guidance, essential aspect of His providence.

       In an evangelical world that places tidiness and life-management high on the list of marks of grace, we must remember that the Lord sometimes (often?) leads His people into and by means of frustration. Things do not work out as we plan; we find ourselves in a service wilderness and we cannot understand the ways of God. We recall the words of the preacher. "Consider what God has done: who can straighten what He has made crooked? (Eccl.7:13, NIV).

       Here is Joseph speaking to his brothers: "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done" (Gen. 50:20a, NIV).

       Here is Paul, struck in prison, writing to the philippians: "I want you to know, brethen, that the things which happened to me have actuall turned out for the furtherance of the gospel" (1:12). He was teaching them the lesson that had brought him to them in the first place (Acts 16:10-12).

       If God is indeed sovereign, should we not learn to take that quite literally and apply the principle in detail to the frustrations of life? How do we do this? Here are sons guideline:

       1. Make sure you have Romans 8:28 etched into your mind and soul. It does not promise a tidy life, but a God -directed one. The only way to be comfortable with God is to share the purpose He has in view, which is ultimately, to glorify Christ by conforming you to His image (Roman.8:29).

      2. Hold your own plans in the open palm of one hand. The Preacher guides us wisely here once more: " Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind" (Eccl. 4:6, NIV). How often we think we fully understand God's purpose when we take the first steps forward into some new stage in life. We assume that if God is leading us to do X then He means to accomplish Y. We cannot second-guess the Lord; sometimes obedience leads us into difficulties and trials. We need to hold our own plans and expectations for the future with a light touch. Otherwise we will see frustrations as curses rather than bridges into the next stage of His guidance.

      3. Learn "the cul-de-sac principle." Suppose you are en route to visit friends and have made good time. Thinking you know the road, you turn left and drive two hundred yards to a dead end. Frustration! But when you eventually get back on the highway, you pass an accident that took place just a few minutes before in which you would have been involved. You breath a sign of reliief and, yes you thank the Lord for sending some frustration into your life. You got back into the traffic at a safe time. That pattern is evident in scripture (and is repeated in the experiences of countless Christians). Think of  the cul-de-sac Joseph found himself in the pit, Potipar's house, prison- each was an essential part of the Lord's strategy to bring him to the right place at the right time.

      4. Remember that, often unlike ourselves, the Lord is more concerned with what we are becoming than with what we are becoming than with what we are accomplishing. There is no other way to develop patience, for example, than through frustration. There is no other way  to develop the ability to wait for the Lord than having to wait for Him! The bottom line is this: what we become is pernament; much of what we accomplish is temporary. All of God's guidance has in view the pernament.

        Thrice bless is he to whomIs given

         The instinct that can tell

        That God is on the field

         When He is most invicible.

A WORTHY MODEL

"You know...I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed

  it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house."       
  ACTS 20 : 18b-20

Paul's route along the coast of Asia Minor takes him past the harbor of Ephesus. He decides against stopping there, for he wants to be in Jerusalem by the Day of Pentecost, and he knows a visit to his beloved brethen i Ephesus is likely to last some time. But when the ship anchors south of Ephesus in Miletus for a few days, Paul seizes the opportunity to send message to Ephesus summoning the elders to him. His purpose is to give these men a charge, to pass on to them the full oversight of the congregation i. Ephesus. Because the Lord is leading him elsewhere, they will have to bear the full burdens of leadership now. Luke give us an eyewitness account of Paul's words.

       The apostle begin by reminding the elder of his conduct among them during the entire duration of his ministry in Ephesus. His time there, he says, was spent "'serving the Lord with all humility.'" In the greek, Paul literally is calling himself a slave of Christ. "He had learned to live in all humility as a servant of the Lord (see Phil.4:12)." Dr. Simon Kistemarker notes in zhis commentary on Acts. As such, he worked singlemindedly at the task he had been given, willingly accepting whatever difficulties came his way. And there were indeed many "'tears and truaks,'" thanks to the constant opposition of the Jews. Yes, the great, indomitable Paul had exoerienced times of fear and frustation that literally drove him to tears.

       Nevertheless, he continues, he never altered his message. '"I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house.'" Paul's love for the Ephesian believer drove him to preach and teach the things needed for their spiritual development even when the message wasn't popular. Moreover, the opposition did not drive him underground. "His preaching was never done in secret," Kistemaker writes. "He publicly preached the Word in the city of Ephesus.... He also went from house to house to instruct the people."

      The Jews' opposition did not stop him fro. Preaching to them, as well as to Gentiles. He was all things to all men, so as to win some. Fearly tirelt. Faithfully, he preached the message that all men everywhere are commanded to repent of their sins and turns to Jesus Christ in faith.  

      

      Paul here holds himself up as an example for the Ephesian elders. Elsewhere, he tells the Corithians, "Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ" (1 Cor.11:1). He is inviting their emulationto the extent that he emulates Jesus. Who are your models? And who are you a model for? In all things, seek to emulates Christ and those who follow Him.                    

"WHO SAYS WHAT IS RIGHT OR WRONG?"

       "You shall not covet your neighor's house. You shall not cover

         Your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his

            ox or donkey, or anything that belong to your neighbor.

                                       EXODUS 20 : 17

WHO IS TO SAY that sleeping with your neigbor's wife is moral or immoral? Who is to say that buying answer to the final exam from a student who swiped a copy of last year's final is not OK?

       For centuries patterns of human behavior have been clearly categorized. The earliest recorded writings go back to the city-states in the Tigris-Euphrates River Valley, with laws that determined commerce, relationships, and boundaries providing property rights for individual and city-states or nations. Even four centuries before Moses went up Mt. Sanai to meet God, Hamurabbi's law code spelled out in great detail issues of right and wrong.

      Yet there was a period in ancient Israel when laws were set aside and everyone did that which was right in his own eyes. Back then, it was unsafe for a woman to be alone and a child could become the victim of someone's lust. They were living the reality that if God does not exist, everything is permissible.

       So does God exist? If He does,then humankind becomes accountable, and it is upon the knowledge of right and wrong that you have that you will be judged. The scales of justice show that all have fallen short of God's expectations. As Paul put it in Romans 3:23. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." This explains why Jesus---who came from heaven, lived among us for 33 years, died at the hands of Roman soldiers, and left the tomb three days later-- had to pay the price of human failure. Because we're wrong. He died to make us right.

" WHAT DRIVES YOUR LIFE"

         "For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to 

         do the will of Him who sent me."                       JOHN 6 : 38

         "MY FOOD,' said Jesus, is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work'" ( John4:34). Simply put, He had two clearly defined objectives:

          1. Do the will of His Father, and 

          2. Finish the work.

Do you know what God's purpose for your life is? If yes, how are you going to finish the Job? David once prayed, "show me, O Lord, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life" (Psalm 39:4).

          The question you need to answer is not how much time you still have, but what you are doing with the time you now have. And here's the challenging caveat: you don't know when your time's up. Life can be cut short at any age.

          While you may not have thought about this, you can't really know the will of God until you know Him. Knowing God's will begins with a relationship with Him where you claim Him as your Father, confess your need of forgiveness, and allow Him to adopt you as His Child. That is the most positive, energizing decision you can ever make.

         Then make your second goal a simple one: finish whatever wirk God has for you. Identify your gifts and calling, and then learn to prioritize so you have time and energy to accomplish what God put you on earth to do. You may leave u done the things that don't really count, that take your time and energy and keave you too tired count, that take your time t bring  blesdings to others.

         "My food." Jesus said, "is to do the will of Him who sent me." He thrived on it. You will as well.

"His Grace Bring us Good Things"

 "Grace and peace to you from our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."

  1 Corinthians 1:3

     Each star in the night sky has a wonderful secret. What we see as only a twinkle of light is actually the blaze of a brilliant, distant sun. Consider what that tiny sparkle really is, and you will appreciate a star's true majesty and power.

      Our Bible verse is just a brief thought. But it's like a star. Although this verse is small, it has a wonderful message. Consider what these words are saying, and you will appreciate the true majesty and power of our Savior's love for us.

     The Gentiles once greeted one resemble "grace." The Jews said and still say, "Shalom," meaning "Peace." The Holy Spirit guided Paul to join these two thoughts as a special greeting in his New Testament letters. For Christians of all time, these words are like a diamond ring on a bride's finger. They remind us of love and faithfulness, the Father's love-in-action for us in Christ.

      Grace points to the way God feels about us and treats us. Grace is kindness, generosity and love shown even to those who do not deserve them. Because we are all sinners, we deserved punishment. But God gives us love. We often forget to thank him. We often live as though he isn't  even there and as though he will never return. But the Lord cares for us. He has forgiven our sins through Jesus. He watches over us and blesses us. God shows us grace 

      Grace brings us peace with God. This peace does not come from us. It isn't just how we feel or something we must make for God. Jesus created this peace for us. He did this by keeping his Father's law perfectly for us and by suffering on the cross the punishment for our sins. The Holy Spirit reminds us of what Jesus has done. Through God's Word, the peace we have moves us to trust the Lord more and more. It moves us to live thankful lives in harmony with God's Word.

     Trouble, worry and our own sinful weakness often bring a shadow over this peace. But they can never overcome it. How can we be sure? God our Father and his Son our Lord have created grace and peace for us. The cross guarantees this gift forever. We are thus ready and waiting for Christ's return.

     What a wonderful message is in this one verse! Whenever you hear these words, remember God's great gift of love to you! Here is a beautiful song,

                  Grace,Mercy, and Peace

              His Grace bring us good things

              Everyday in Our lives

              And His grace bring us peace

              In troublesome, sometimes

              With His love opens heaven

              Love and truth is pouring out

              With grace, mercy and peace

              Glory to God in His amazing love

              I will rejoice in the Lord (2x)

              With grace, mercy and peace

             In Him we are redeem

             Through His blood and

             Unfailing love, in whom,

             Having believe we are sealed

              With promises

              It shall be established

              With grace, mercy and peace

"Whatever we asked"

"You do not have, because you do not ask" James 4:2(KJV) 

DOES GOD EVER GIVE YOU what you have asked for when it is less than His best for you? Psalm106 a passage that reviews the 40 years God's people walked in the desert, contains sobering reference to this, it says, "So he (God) gave them what they asked for, but sent a wasting disease upon them" (Psalm106:15).

  When you pray, there are three questions that need to ask yourself.

  First, ask, "Is what I'm asking God to do consistent with what God has revealed in His word?" This is important because God cannot contradict Himself.

  For the second question, ask, "Am I praying for God's will in this whole matter?" We are to ask in faith, believing that God will honor His Word, yet the highest form of faith is praying as Jesus did, "Not my will but yours be done." When you pray for God's.will and what you are praying for appears to be consistent with what God tells you in His Word, you can pray with greater confidence.

  Then you should ask, "will God glorified in what I'm asking Him to do? Praying that you win your game means someone else loses. Praying that your golf game be better than your opponent's is suspect, and asking God to let you catch the biggest fish falls outside the lines of respectable requests.

  Take heart in what John wrote, " this is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His Will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us whatever we ask-- we ask-- we know that we have what we asked of him" (1John 5:14--15).

"SPENT TIME READING THE WORD"

         "Search from the book of the Lord, and read: not one of these

               Shall fail; not one shall lack her mate. For My mouth has 

                    Commanded it, and His Spirit has gathered them"

                                              ISAIAH 34 : 16

  

          To counter the unbelief of those Jews who could not accept terrible pronouncement of judgments on the nations, the Lord directed them to go to the book of the Lord, Some explain this as meaning the prophecy Isaiah had formerly against the nations, and others say it is the eternal decree of God, His purpose and plans. But John Calvin maintains that it is the Law itself, which is often called the "book of the Lord," for from the Law, as from its source, the prophets drew their doctrine.

          Isaiah brought the people back to the Law, in which God frequently declared that He would take care of His people and that He would punish the wicked. Since Moses spoke in this manner long ago, Isaiah said there was no reason it should be difficult to believe what he now proclaimed. He was saying nothing new, only confirming what Moses had previously declared and testified. God had promised that He would deliver His people and bring into His everlasting kingdom, and that His enemies would be judged. It was then, and it is true now.

         One would think that the Jews would have known the Law so well that they would not need reminding, but such is the rebellion of men's hearts that they di not believe though God has forewarned them of His intentions. And even the event has taken place, men forget that God had foretold of it happening and they dismiss it as quirk of chance. Isaiah anticipated this and called them to turn once again to the words of Moses, whose authority they revered, and to remember that God is the avenger of His people and the judge of all nations.

         It is a wonder that the Jews could so easily forget, for they kept the passover as a remembrance of God's mercy on Hid people and His vengeance on His enemies. It was a physical  symbol always before their eyes of what God had done for His people, and they still forgot. They still refused to believe the Lord

         We need to be reminded of God's warning and promises as much as they did. Somehow, even as we celebrated the Lord's supper we forgot that Christ has forgiven us of our sins that He has died in our place and  removed all condemnation from us. And though we celebrate the sacrament of baptism, we fail to believe the promises of God concerning our salvation, that He will deliver us and bring us to glory.

         Do you struggle with unbelief? If so , the only remedy is to turn to God's Word. Though you still might struggle even after reading God's promises, you certainly cannot bolster your faith without knowing what God has said about your future and future of the reprobate. Spend regular time in the Scriptures si that your faith will grow.

      

        

"NOT CHAIN"

       "Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David,

        Was raised from the dead according to my gospel."

                                   2 Timothy 2 : 8

        Watchman  Nee was arrested for his faith in Christ in 1952, and he spent the rest of his life in prison. He died in his jail cell on May 30, 1972. When his niece came to collect his few possessions, she was given a scrap of paper that a guard had found by his bed. On it was written his life's testimony:

        Christ is the Son of God who died for the redemption of sinners and was resurrected after three days. This is the greatest truth in the universe. I die because of my belief in Christ--- Watchman Nee."

        Tradition says that the apostle Paul also was martyred for his faith in Christ. In a letter written shortly before his death. Paul exhorted his readers: "Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel. For which I suffer trouble. . . . but the word of God is not chained" (2 Tim.2:8-9).

        We may not be called upon to be martyred as witnessess to the reality of Christ--as millions of His followers through the centuries have been-- but we are all called to be a living testament of Jesus' work on our behalf. No matter the outcome, from aheart of gratitude for God's gracious gift we can tell others what Jesus has done for us.

YET REMAIN THE SAME

  "Gray hair is a crown of splendor, it is attained
   by a righteous life."

                                              PROVERB 16 : 31

At AGE 20 you worry about what others think of
you. At age 40 you really don't care what others
think about you, and at age 60 you discover that
they weren't actually thinking about you in the
first place! Some call it maturity; others call it
wisdom. But reality is accepting life it is, not as
you would like it to be what you think others
think it should be.

    There comes with age a perspective that you
cannot have any other way. But it is possible for
you to change yet still remain the same? A starting
 point is when you recognize that you don't really
know as much as you think you know. It is
accepting tha fact that others who view differently
may actually be right.

    You change but remain the same when you
become less judgmental of those who disgrace
with you. You change and remain the same when
you learn that you can't micromanage everyone
else, that everyone's problem is not necessarily
yours, and that you can't change everything in the
world. So you find out what it is that you are
supposed to do with your life and focus on that.

    You change and remain the same when you have
knowing knowledge  that the family of God may
actually be larger than you thought, that God may
indeed see fit to take some home to heaven whose
theology isn't completely an overlay of yours but
who are equally committed to the redemptive work
of Jesus Christ and the authority of the Bible.

    Changing yet remaining the same is the ongoing
 work of grace in our lives, me also,  as God
 polishes our rough spots and prepares us for
eternal life. Yes, change, yet remain the same.

YET REMAIN THE SAME

  "Gray hair is a crown of splendor, it is attained
   by a righteous life."

                                              PROVERB 16 : 31

At AGE 20 you worry about what others think of
you. At age 40 you really don't care what others
think about you, and at age 60 you discover that
they weren't actually thinking about you in the
first place! Some call it maturity; others call it
wisdom. But reality is accepting life it is, not as
you would like it to be what you think others
think it should be.

    There comes with age a perspective that you
cannot have any other way. But it is possible for
you to change yet still remain the same? A starting
 point is when you recognize that you don't really
know as much as you think you know. It is
accepting tha fact that others who view differently
may actually be right.

    You change but remain the same when you
become less judgmental of those who disgrace
with you. You change and remain the same when
you learn that you can't micromanage everyone
else, that everyone's problem is not necessarily
yours, and that you can't change everything in the
world. So you find out what it is that you are
supposed to do with your life and focus on that.

    You change and remain the same when you have
knowing knowledge  that the family of God may
actually be larger than you thought, that God may
indeed see fit to take some home to heaven whose
theology isn't completely an overlay of yours but
who are equally committed to the redemptive work
of Jesus Christ and the authority of the Bible.

    Changing yet remaining the same is the ongoing
 work of grace in our lives, me also,  as God
 polishes our rough spots and prepares us for
eternal life. Yes, change, yet remain the same.

"Belove get Real"

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest." 

MATTHEW 11: 28(KJV) 

  Some people will do everything they can to complicate the life of faith. They'll try to strangle you with rules and trip you up with regulations. And they'll appoint themselves as watch dogs of your fath if you let them. 

   Steer clear of those people! If you don't, they'll strip the beauty and freedom out of your heart as quickly as i pour it in. The best way to learn to travel the faith journey is to walk with me. There is a freedom that you'll learn to put on every day a freedom tailor-made for you. There's a dance of grace so joyful it makes you feel you're flying. Watch and follow Me. If you find that Christianity exhaust you, draining you of your energy, then you are practicing religion rather than enjoying a relationship. Jesus said that a relationship with Him would bring rest to your soul. Your walk with the Lord will not make you weary; it will invigorate you, restore your strength, and energize your life. Hard work or lack of sleep can make you tired. This fatigue can usally be remedied by goot rest. But there is a deeper fatigue that goes beyond physical tiredness. There is an emotional exhaustion that comes from experiencing heavy burdens and draining crises. There is a tiredness deep within your soul that comes from carrying the weight of the needs of others. You can go on a vacation, but your soul will not be restored. This condition can only be rectified by finding rest in Chtist. Some zealous Christian want to do all they can to serve Christ, and they exhsust themselves in the process. It was to these that Jesus extended His invitation to go to Him and learn from Him. Jesus spent most of His earthly ministry sorrounded by needy multitudes. He faced relentless opposition. He often prayed throughtout the night, and He rarely had any privacy; yet He always received the rest and strength that came from His father. It was not that Jesus  did not work hard but that He knew the path to spiritual resf. Are you weary? Go to Jesus and let Him give you His rest. His rest will restore your soul as nothing else can. Beloved get Real!

"NO ESCAPE"

        "Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?

         If I go up to the heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, 

         you are there."                                                             --Psalm 139:7-8      

         There's hardly a soul who hasn't wrestled with the overwhelming urge to flee when faced with suffering. Whether it be frombad heaith, bad finances, or bad relationships, people even Christians search for an escape into daydreams. Escape into sleep. Escape into television. And a few even escape into suicide. Sometimes the strongest most stalwart of saints are the most likely candidates.

         Even a powerful prophet such as Elijah trued to escape his suffering. When the wicked Queen Jezebel heard through the grapevine that Elijah had destroyed hundred of her prophrts, she went after his neck. Elijah got weak-kneed and ran for his life. "I have had enough, Lord " he said. "Take my life.. Read  it for yourself in 1 Kings 19:1-9

         Circumstance may vary from person to person, but we can draw comfort from the fact that all of us are as vulnerable as Elijah. And if you look closer at how this mighty prophet surfaced out of his despair, you'll see that God Himsrkf took Elijah in His arns and wiped away his tears.

         The lesson of Elijah is for you.and for me also. Just as the ange, of

          The Lord personally gave the prophet a sip of cool water and laid 

          Him down to rest, the ylord touches our life through the people and

          Grt back on the track, thanks to God. And you can. too.

          Lord, if I go up to the heavens, yyou are there. If I rise on the wings

          Of the dawn and settle on the far side of the sea. Even there Your

          Right hand will hold me fast. There's no way I can escape Your love

          . . . I praise You!     

          

          

No Sea"

       "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven 

         and the first earth passed away, and there was no  longer any 

         sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out

         Of heaven from God, preoared as a bride beautifully dressed 

         for her husband."                                        Revelation 21: 1-2

        The first time I read these verse, I whined, "oh no you mean in the new heaven and new earth there won't be any sea? Heaven's centerpiece will be a city? I've always preferred country landscape, not cities. It doesn't sound very appealing!"

          C.S. Lewis long ago addressed my fears when he wrotes:

          our notion of heaven involves perpetual negations: no food, no

           Drink, no sex, no time. . . Against all these, to be sure, we set

           One positive: the vision and enjoyment of God. . .The negatives 

           have an unfair advantage. We feel that the vision of God will 

           come not to fulfill but to destroy our nsture. We must not allow 

           this to happen. We must believe that every negation will be only 

           the reverse side of agulfilling."

           

            I agree with Lewis. My desire for the new earth to include oceans and country landscape is so limited by my human perceptions. Heaven Won't be less than my natural experience here on earth, it will be more. And it will be far better!

           How? Lewis sheds more light on this. "Our natural experience are like pencilled lines on flat paper. If our natural experiences vanish in the risen life, they will vanish only as pencil lines vanish from the real landscape; not as a candle flame that is put out but as a candle flame which becomes invisible because someone has pulled up the blind, thrown open the shutters, and let in the blaze of the risen sun."

"Adultery is Seem"

      "Be diligently to come to me quickly; for Demas has forsaken me, 

       having loved this present world, and has departed for thessalonica

        Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me.....at

        My first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it 

       not be charged against them".                            2 Timothy 4:9-16

        Who was this Demas who forsook Paul? He was a co- worker who labored alongside the apostle and was with Paul during his first Roman imprisonment. Paul sent greeting from Demas to the Colossians (Col.4:14) and to Philemon (Philem.24).

         I wonder how many Christian In the early church longed to be next to Paul in his ministry, to be invited into the privileged inner circle of his close friends. Demas had that privilege. Obviously, he was not merely an acquaintance of Paul, someone the apostle knew from a distance. Rather, he was a close and trusted friend. Therefore, his betrayal recapitulated the treachery inflicted on Chrisf himself by the betrayal of Judas Iscariot and the denial peter.

       Judas and Peter, however, were not the only ones who ran for cover during Jesus' darkest hour. In the Garden of Gethemane, Jesus declared to His inner circle of friends, Peter, James and John, that He was deeply distressed and that His soul was exceedingly  sorrowful even unto death. He implored His friends to stay with Him and watch (Mark 14:32-34). At this moment, no soldiers were present; nobe of the enemies of Jesus were there. The disciple were alone with Christ. He didn't ask them to fight; he asked them to watch while He prayed. Three times Jesus came to them. Three times Be found them sleeping. They were not able to watch with Bim for a single hour. Jesus warned them, saying "watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak'" (Mark 14:38). It is one thing to be attacked or insulted by one's enemies; it is quite another to be betrayed by a close friend or family member. To be beyrayed by someone we love and is one of the most painful experiences a human being can endure. At this very moment, in all probability, a person's name is in your thoughts and an image of a face has just flashed throught your mind. I say this with some confidence, as I have never met a oerson who has not experience betrayal at the hands of someone close. This is the pain that makes us guard our hearts against trusting too many people or inviting people into close relationships.

      It it is true that we all have been burned by betrayal, is it because there are a few noxious souls out there who go around breaking as many hearts as they can? No. If there are many who have been betrayed, it is because there are many who betray. Not only have we all been abandoned by someone about whom we cared, we probably have played the role of tge abandoner and the betrayer.

      Mark tells what happened after Jesus warned His disciples and after the soldiers arrived to arrest Him: "Then they all forsook Him and fled" ( Mark 14:50). Paul, at least was not totally abandoned. After he told Timothy of being abandoned by Demas and others, he mentionrd two who stayed with him, two remained faithful. First Paul said, "only Luke is with me" (2Tim.4:11). Then he added: "but the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of lion" (4:17). Here we see the supreme difference between the Lord and His people. All of His disciple deserted Him in His hour of need. Yet he never deserts any of His people in their hours of need.

       The reason we betray others and the Lord Himself is that '"the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.'" The contrast here is not between the soul abd the body. It is between our fallen, sinful natures (the flesh) and the inner man that  has been renewed by God. Even as redeemed and regenerate people, we still face battle Paul described in terms of warfare between the flesh and the spirif. The Lord, however, does not have such an inner conflict. His love and commitment to His people is pure.

       For God to love us at all surely is an act mercy. But the love He gives to us is described in both the Old Testament and the New as analogous to the love that is consummated in the sacred institution of marriage. In the Old Testament, Israel is the bride of yahweh. In the New Testament, the church is the bride of Christ. When Israel went into idolatry, it was decribed by the prophets as an act of spiritual adultery.

       Adultery on the physical level and in terms of human relationship is rooted in our propensity toward spiritual adultery. When we are unfaithful to each other, we also ars being unfaithful to God and revealing our deep depravity. 

        One of the most important Hebrew words found frequently in the Old Testament is hesed. This word is tranlated in different ways in the Englis text of the Bible. Sometimes it is tranlated as "mercy. More often it is translated as " steadfast love." I also have seen it translated as "loyal love."

       The mercy of hesed to a love that defined as steadfast." Steadfast love is never fickle. Neither is it driven bypolitical opportunism. It doesnt

'T use or exploit people. It is not whimical or capricious. Rather it is firmly fixed in place and not subject to change. It is steady. Nost important, hesed is a love that is loyal. It is a love that is semper fidelis." It isa love that is constant. It does not betray or abandon.

      Hesed is the live of God that we are called to mirror and reflect in our marriages, families, and friendships. Without it, the flesh will triumph over the spirit, and treachery will vanquish loyalty.

"Defense and Testimony"

       "They ought to have been here before you to object if they had anything

             against me. Or else let those who are here themselves say if they 

                found any wrongdoing in me while i stand before the council'

                                                ACTS 24: 19-20 

        Paul has answered two of the Jews accusations. He now turns to the third: "He even tried to profane the temple"' (ACTS 24:6a). Paulbegins by telling Felix that he was away from Judea for many years, indeed, except for his brief visit at the conclusion of his second missionary journey (18:22), he was absent from the province for nearly a decade. But wgen he did return from his journexs in Gentile lands, it was not to dtir dissention or internally profNe the temple. Rsther, he came beRing gifts to the Jewish bekievers from thdif Gentile brother. Ironically, it was Jews from thise Gentile lands i. Asia who fpund him in the temple, but he was "'neither with a mobnor with tumult,'" and he was ubergoing and nearl completed the rituals of purification (21:27). In short. Paul. Asserts that he has done nothing that warrant a trial before the Jews, much less the Roman governor.

        Paul brings out the fact that his case started with an accusation by the Jews, not the Jews of Jerusalem. That being the case,the asians should be present before Felix to make their charges. On the other hand, those who are present-- the high priest and the eldersdid not witnessthe scene in the temple. They are qualified to testify only concerning those things Paul said in his appearance before the Sanhedrin, and the only possible statement with which they can take issue had to do with his hopeof resurrection of the dead. "Paul states that wgen he was before the Sanhedrin he uttered only one critical sentence, and it pertained mot to the political concernof the Romans but to the theological concern of Jews and Christians," Dr. Simon Kistemaker writes, "'this means the point of conflict between Ananias and  Paul is a theological issue that ought to be discussed in a Jewish ecclesiaical court." With just a few words, Paul has skillfully undermined the creditbility of his accusers and showm that his case does not concern the Roaman Empire.

        It is worth noting that even as Psul defends himself he functions as a witness for Christ by mentioning the resurrection of the dead. Yhe hope of eternal life that is precious to all believers. He speaks of it before the Sanhedrin (23:6) and Governor Felix (25:15,21). " this doctrine is fundamental to the Christian faith and fearlessly (Paul) proclaim it everywhere, " Kistemaker writes.

        You may never testify about your faith in a court of law. You may not have Paul's oratorical skills. No matter. You must live and soeak of your God day by day. Never hesitate to bring up spiritual things. You will face ridicule and anger. But your testimony may be used in ways you cannot image. Simply speak and trust zgod for the results.

"Great is He in you "rejoice" in the Lord

"In this you greatly rejoice now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 

1 peter 1:6,7

 Not long ago an American rock and roll star died. One of his fans said that she no longer had any reason to live. Idolater lose everything when their idols perish. But it is not so with believers in Christ. We have become heirs of eternal life. In every trouble our faith "shines through the gloom and points us to the skies."

   This portrait of peter takes us far from the sea of Galilee. He is a prisoner for the zlord in Rome not long before his execution under Nero. It is Peter's final exam in the school of faith. His faith in Jesus enables peter to face death. The memory of Jesus revelation at the sea of Galilee enables Peter to encourage other believers. Peter hold out to them the hope that is ours in Christ's empty grave and beyond our grave: "an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade kept in heaven for you" (1Peter1:4). Our faith may be tried in different ways. We may be in our own prison hospitalized with an incurable disease or awaiting the outcome of major surgery. Peter teaches us to see the divine purpose in every trial of faith. Tgat hymn we sang in church service may come to to us in our present circumstance with fuller meaning and greater comfort:

             The clouds ye so much dread

             Are big with mercy and shall break

              In blessing on your head.

                                                 (TLH 514:3)

Luther wrote, "If God disposes that you must suffer, accept it, console yourself with bliss that is eternal, not temporal. . . . Peter likens the gold that is tested by fire to the testing of faith by temptation and suffering. . . . Thus God impose the cross on akk Christians to purge them that faith may remain pure, as the Wird is, so that one adheres to Word alone and relies on nothing else. For we really need such purging every dax because of the Old Adam."

  May Peter's faith while a prisoner of the Lord show us the divine purpose in every trial of faith, that we, also, receive the end of our faith, the salvation of our souls!

"Faithful Friend of God"

"But you, Israel, are My servant...the decendants of Abraham My Friend"

ISAIAH 41:8

When a president leaves office, work begins on his presidential library. It is where the legacy of his life exhibited and studied. His accomplishments, great and small are on display so that scholars and schoolchildren can research his life and learn. 

   As a great leader of his people, abraham would be worthy of a museum and archive if he lived today. Instead, we have the words of Scripture that describe his greatness. We read that he was hospitable to strangers (Genesis 18:1-8), he was obedient to God's laws (Genesis 26:5), and the Lord had blessed him in every way (Genesis 24:1). Can you imagine your name being used to describe God the Father? When the Scriptures refer to the Lord as "The God of Abraham" (Genesis 26:24) they esteem him.

   Perhaps the greatest honor the Scriptures as describe to Abraham is that he was the "friend of God." In three separate places, these words describe Abraham (II Chronicles 20:7, Isaiah 41:8, James 2:23). Are you a friend of God? Do you respect Him, honor Him, love Him and confide in Him? Abraham's example is for each of us today.

  "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend James 2:23 NIV

"Into New Regions"

        "Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sough to go

        to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach

        The gospel to them"                                                  ACTS 16:10

         Passing through the provinces of Phrygia and Galatia, Paul completes his work of revisiting and strenghtening the churches founded on his first journey. Now he wants to strike out into other areas to establish new churches. But where is he to go?

        We will see that on this second journey, Paul strategy generally is to go to major commercial and administrative cities where there is a Jewish synagogue and from where the Gospel can expand easily. Thus, it appears that his intention in this instance is to head across asia Minor ( modern turkey) in a southwesterly direction to Ephesus, a major Aegean Sea port city. However, Luke tells us Paul and his team "were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in (the province of ) Asia we are not told how the Spirit communicates this denial; Dr. Simon Kistemaker, in his commentary on Acts, speculates that Silas, who was a prophet (15:32), received the Spirit directives. In any case, the southwestern corner of Asia is barred to Paul. He then Looks north to the province of Bithynia. Along the southern coast of the Black Sea, but the spirit does not permit him to go in that direction either Essentially boxed in. Paul and his companions keep moving west until they come to the Aegean port city of Troas.

         It is here that God finally provides clearer direction. Paul receives a vision of a Macedonian man, recognizable by his speech  and clothing, pleading with Paul to come and help his people. With that, Paul and his companion ( here identified as "we" for the first time; Luke is now traveling with Paul) make immediate plans to cross the Aegean to the continent of Europe to preach the Gospel there.

        What a clear picture we are given here of Jesus strategically building His church. For reasons that are not specified, it is His will at this time that Paul move into Europe. Bypassing Asia and Bithynia. In just a couple of years, however. As he completes his second journey, Paul will visit Ephesus with the Spirit's blessing (18:19), and the city will be a lengthy stop on his third journey (19:1-20:1). From it all who dwell in the province of Asia will hear the Good News (19:10). And Bithynia,Kistermaker notes, will eventually become a Christian stronghold and the site of several important councils of the church. But in His timing Christ wants Paul in Macedonia and Greece first.

         Paul kept encountering closed doors. Have you ever experience this sort of "prohibitive guidance"? Did you, like Paul, keep the faith and go on seeking God's will as God closes doors to you, thank Him for that grace and move ahead, walking in His revealed will. Patiently He will renew your strength.

          

"A Son in the Faith"

        "A certain disciple was there, named timothy. . . He was well

         spoken of by the brethen who were at Lystra and Iconium."

                                           ACTS 16: 1b-2

        Having began his second missionary journey by passing through syria and Cilicia, Paul now comes to Derbe and Lystra, the cities he visited last on his first journey. He comes to them first on this trip because he is traveling from the east; on his first journey, he came  to then from the west and returned the way he came. He is now beginning to fulfill the stated purpose for his second  journey (Acts15:36). He is also returning to the site of his severest persecution (14:19).

        Luke has little to say about the churches in these cities. But he records Paul's encounter with Timothy, who will become his companion and his "true son in the faith" (1Tim.1:2). Unlike John Mark, with whom Paul would have nothing to do (Acts 15:38), the ostke is impressed by this young man. Timothy is the son of a Greek father and a Jewish mother, Eunice, who is, along with Timothy's grandmother, Lois, had taught him the Scriptures from an early age (2Tim.1; 3:15). These wine  may have become Christian during Paul's first visit and. In turn. Instructed Timothy in the faith. Under this tutelage, his faith grew strong, and he is known to and admired by believers from Derbe to Iconium. He is still very young at this time; even in an epistle written approximately 14 years later, Paul will advise him not to let others look down on him because of his youth (1Timothy 4:12).

        However, Paul faces one major hurdle to enlisting Timothy on his missionary team he is a product of a mixed  marriage, and his father, not being  a Jew, had not had him circumcised. As an uncircumcised son of a Jew, he is an offense to the Jews (there would have been no offense had both his parent been Gentile). Paul, of course, is carrying a degree from the Jerusalem council stating  that cirvumcision is  not necessary for Christian faith, a decision for which he argued strenuously. He will deliver that degree to the churches, helping them greatly (Acts 16:4-5). But Paul is willing to circumcise Timothy in order to take him along and still be able to minister to Jews without giving offense. Is Paul being inconsistent? Not at all. As Dr. Simon Kistemsker notes, "Paul himself wanted to be all things to all people, so that he might win both Jjew abd Gentile for Christ (1Cor.9:1&-23). He expected hat Timothy, a fellow missionary, would do the same." Timothy does, and becomes an invaluable aide to the apostle.

        All believer grow in Christ at varying rates, and those who are you g may be quite mature spiritually, we must not discount the usefulness to Christ of anyone, young or old. Neither should we discount our own abilities because of youth or age. Seem to grow in Christ to the full and to serve Him faithfully no matter what your age.

"Calvin on the will"

       "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent M

            Me draws him,  I will raise him up at the last day."

                                        John 6:44

       John Calvin is the theilogian most closely associated in popular thought with the denial of the Semi-Pelagian view of free will. The reason is his strong emphasis on the doctrine of predestination. Actually, however, ther is nothing in Calvin's view of election and the associated issues of original sin and free will that was not also in the teaching of Augustine and Martin Luther. But Calvin gets the rap.

       What precisely did Calvin believe about the human will? The popular summary of his teaching known as five Points of Calvinism forn an acronym, TULIP; the T and the U help us answer this question. The T stands for Total Depravity. This description of the condition of fallen beings does not mean that man is as bad as he possibly could be. It dies not mean utter depravity. Rather, it means that man is fallen in every aspect of being; spirit, body, mind, and will. On a hotizontal plane, Calivn said, people can do good for one another. But when it comes to the vertical plane, Calvin said fallen man can do nothing please to God. That leads us to the U, which stands for unconditional Election. Because people can do nothing to please God, they cannot earn His favor. That rules out the view that election is based on God's foreknowledge of people  choosing Him. On the contrary. Cakvin said, if anyone is saved it is stricly on the basis of God's pleasure. He must regenerate the human spirit before it will turn to Him for liberation from sin.

        Calvin was an outstanding Bible scholar and cited many passages of scripture to support his teaching. John 6:63 says, "it is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profit nothing."'Here Jesus is asserting that the Holy Spirit regenerates those who believe for they have no power in themselves to choose God. He said the same in an even more explicit way in John6:44: "'No one come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him."'No one" rules out al, fallen people; "can" speak of ability abd power; come to Me" refers not to a meeting on the roads of judea, but to Christ for sakvation; "unless" speak of a necessary condition; and "the Father draws him" spells out the condition-- the Father must act. This was Calvin's conviction: the human will is absolutely unable to choose God unless He effects a change in the hearts of those He choose.

        How did God draws you to Himself?was it a dlow awakening to your need of Him? Or was it more sudden. Each salvation experience is different, but all are alike in that God is at worm. Drawing to Himself sinful people who never would come otherwise. Thank and praise Him today that He acted upon your heart out of His live ans mercy.

"Today Your Money Talk"

 "Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God."

Marlyn and Steven had been married just a few years, and money was tight. But as she looked at their threadbare bedspread, she wanted to replace it. So she decide she would buy a new one with a credit card hoping to somehow find the money to pay it off.

     Her devotional reading for the day suprised her when it pointed her to Proverb 22:26, "If you lack the means to pay, your very bed will be snatched from under you." Marilyn decided not to go into debt for a new bedspread that day.

     Decisions about the way we spend our money are a personal matter between us and the Lord and can be difficult to make. But God hasn't left us without help. He tells us."Honor the Lord with your possessions" (Prov.3:9). and "You cannot serve both God and Money" (Matt.6:24).

     With such truths in mind, we look futher in His word for help to use money wisely. We find this "Beware of covetuousness" (Luke 12:15). Another says. "The borrower is servant to the lender" (Prov.22:7). And in 1 Timonthy we read be "read to give, willing to share" (6:18).

     Money is a big issue. God, who provides for all our needs. Can show us how to use it to bring Him honor.

         

  Lord, sometimes money and finances are overwhelming. It's 

 Hard to know what decisions to make, so please lead me and  give the wisdom to use my finances in a way that pleases You.

       

"For a little while"

       "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have 

        had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your

        Faith. . . may be proved genuine and result in praise, glory and honor

         when Jesus Christ is revealed.                                       1 Peter 1:6,7

When things are not going quite right, a bit of advice frequently handed out is to keep a stiff upper lip. The advice suggests that there are certain difficulties you can expect in life, and the only way to cope with them is to grit your reeth and make the best of it.

        The Christian has a different view of life's difficulties. First of all, he understands their origin. They result from sin. All problems, all suffering, all sorrows, all difficulties, all misery, all frustations have a common origin. They result from sin. Sin has contaminated the whole human race, and the believer also suffers from that contamination.

         In addition, the Christian has another view of the difficulties he encounter in life. He knows that they are intented for his good. Granted, there are times when this is extremely hard to understand and accept. Yet the Bible stresses this again and again. God sends correction measures into our lives, just as parents do with their. Peter wrote to his readers that the trials which they were encountering had come "so that your faith. . .  May be proved genuine and result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed."

         God's love for us is so great that he wants nothing to lure us from living and abiding in his saving grace. It is our trials in life, our problems, our tribulation which keep us from becoming too wrapped up in worldly affairs. If everything went along smoothly in life, if every day brought nothing but joy and pleasure, if every week and every month were nothing but one big pleasure trip, we would face the grave danger of becoming very attached to this world

         But we are strangers on this earth heaven is our home. The trials of life remind us of this. With the strength God provides, we can endure these trials. The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead  is  God's assurance that he will give us that strenght. How rich we are that God strengthens us in all the trials of life!

"When He Is Easily Lord"

        "Return, faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding.'

        'Yes, we will come to you, for you are the Lord our God."       

                                     Jeremiah 3 :22

Who is the truly obedient Christian? Is the one whose life exhibits blue-ribbon behavior? Is it the believer who demonstrates the Lord's commands in their possible meadure?

         When we heed the call to begin afresh a life of obedience, we may think that by more Bible study and self- scrutiny we will grow into it. That we assume, obedience will gradually come. That's a mistake. Jeremiah learned this lesson when the Lord said to him, "return. . . I will cure you." God pointed to Himself as the cure. In the Lord's eyes, the truly obedient person is the one who truly longs to know Him.

          God doesn't want our achievements, he want us. God doesn't want our rule keeping, He desires us. But remember, Jesus will never force you or coerce you into obeying. He will never insist on being your Master, Instead, He insist on loving you.

          "In certain moods we wish God would make us do the right

           Thing, but He will not; and in other moods we wish He would

           Leave us alone altogether, but he will not. If we do not keep 

            His commandment, He does not come and tell us we are 

            Wrong,' says Owald Chambers.*

            When you make Jesus the center of your thoughts and the 

            desire of your heart, when you live in adoration of him. . . 

            . . He is easily Lord.

            Father, I know now that the life of cintinual obedience is 

            Impossible without continual fellowship with You. Help me to 

            see that obeying you is perfect liberty and that in turning to you,

            I shall be happy, safe, and free. Have sway over my heart I might

            Turn to You and obey."