Sunday, May 26, 2024

Humility and Love

Lamentations 3:22-23 says, The steadfast love of the LORD (Jehovah) never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.

In the four Gospels we read the accounts of the life and death of Jesus (Jehovah incarnate). There is an infinite volume of truth about Jesus’ life, His birth, His death, His purpose(s), His words, His miracles, His righteousness, His divinity, His judgments, His sorrows, His joy, etc., which we will not fully comprehend in this life.

Monday, May 6, 2024

Behold the Man

In John 18 and 19 we read of Jesus’s arrest. Then He was sent to Caiaphas, then to Pilate who questioned Him and scourged Him. After that, Pilate brought Him out to the crowd and said, Behold the Man!” John 19:5

Pilate was essentially saying, "Here is Jesus. He is not your Messiah, He is not your king, He is not God. He is just a man."
Let us consider the man...
Who for the joy set before Him endured the cross. Heb. 12:3

What joy could possibly be worth enduring the pain, torture and humiliation of crucifixion? Could it be that Jesus would be exalted above all else in Heaven and Earth? Or that He would be King of Israel... and the world? Wouldn't that be selfish and vain of Jesus? The joy set before Jesus was redeeming the human race and all of creation, for God so loved the world.
See also John 10:11.

Thursday, May 2, 2024

In The Beginning Was The Word

John 1:1, In the beginning... was the Word, and the Word was WITH God, and the Word was God.

This study begins with “the beginning” because it requires understanding. In the beginning is a vague and indistinct phrase. There is no definite place in time specified. We naturally think of Genesis 1:1 as the beginning of the time of creation. But in John 1:1, we should consider a “time” before creation, which was not a “time” in our sense of the word, but the eternity before time, or it could mean during the time of creation. In any case, the entire triune Godhead is outside of time but works within time as well. We are here introduced to a relationship before anything is created; the relationship of “the Word” to God.

Sunday, April 28, 2024

Go And Cry Out To The gods You Have Chosen

Jeremiah 2:27-28 says, "They have turned their backs to Me and not their faces. Yet when they are in trouble, they say, 'Come and save us!' Where then are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them come if they can save you when you are in trouble!"

God warns His people of old, that if they persisted in looking to their false gods in the time of prosperity--that they would have none but their idols to assist them in the season of adversity. In the same way, in times of prosperity, the unsaved not only neglect God but despise Him as well! They cast off all fear of God and serve their idols, to the utter neglect of God.

Friday, April 26, 2024

We Do Not Relinquish The Vain Pursuit!

We Do Not Relinquish The Vain Pursuit!
~Charles Simeon (unedited)

Jeremiah 2:11-13 Has a nation changed its gods, which are not gods? But My people have changed their Glory for what does not profit. Be astonished, O heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid; be very desolate, says the Lord. For My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water.

Thursday, April 18, 2024

"POP" Christianity

Not many people, in today’s modern culture, care to be part of an organization, or club, or clique unless it is popular. There is, it seems, a broad stamp of approval in being in with a group that others are eager to be part of. It offers assurance that “we’re OK” — actually better than OK; it swells our pride, which feels good; it validates our existence.

Monday, April 15, 2024

The Assurance of Spiritual Life

Ephesians 1:13-14 says, In Him (we) also trusted, after (we) heard the word of truth, the gospel of (our) salvation; in whom also, having believed, (we) were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, Who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

Our inheritance is eternal life. There is no eternal life without spiritual life which is fellowship with God. He made us, who were DEAD  in sin, alive in Him, Christ. That life is forever. A spiritual life of fellowship with God is guaranteed. What is not guaranteed  is our spiritual perfection in Him... our growing into the mature man, to the measure (standard of judgment; determined extent, which is lofty) of the stature of the fullness of Christ; which is our spiritual completeness in Him. It’s not guaranteed because that part is up to us, and apparently there are some believers in the world who either don’t know that we have to grow  into it (ignorance of the word), or have decided it’s not necessary (complacency).