The Manifold Grace of God

Posted on May 11, 2012 by admin
1Pe 4:10  As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

     Peter’s call to God’s people to minister to each other is another step along the pilgrim pathway to active Christianity. There are many verses to support this idea and none to support being a hearer of the word only and not a doer. Peter, here, states that we are to show the same grace to other believers as God shows to them. Now, of course, we aren’t God, and in our humanity we are utterly incapable of acting in any other way than human. But God, through the ministering of His Holy Spirit, helps us along the way.

     One of the things this verse tells me is that we are stewards of God’s gifts. 
Mat 25:14  For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. 
Mat 25:15  And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. 
Mat 25:16  Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. 
Mat 25:17  And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. 
Mat 25:18  But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money. 
Mat 25:19  After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. 
Mat 25:20  And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. 
Mat 25:21  His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 
Mat 25:22  He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. 
Mat 25:23  His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 
Mat 25:24  Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: 
Mat 25:25  And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. 
Mat 25:26  His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: 
Mat 25:27  Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. 
Mat 25:28  Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. 
Mat 25:29  For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. 

     In these verses, the talents are equivalent to God’s gifts. The servants are the stewards of the talents the lord gave to them. Notice that each was rewarded, not so much for compounding the talents as much as to the attitude of the hearts of the servants.  As God has gifted us with grace and has commanded that we share, we should beware of selfishness in our lives and work to remove it. Psa 139:23  Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 
Psa 139:24  And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. When we search and try ourselves, keeping a short account with God, We are better able to stay in fellowship with Him and with His people. 1Co 11:31  For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 
1Co 11:32  But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. 

     But how are we to judge ourselves? By what standard are we to judge ourselves? We are able to judge ourselves with God’s own standard because of the indwelling Holy Spirit of God. Joh 14:16  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 
Joh 14:17  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. So, good stewardship begins with a little education, learning, then knowing, that the Spirit of God guides us, directs us, and picks us up when we’ve fallen. And so knowing, we are better able to help our brothers and sisters when they have trouble in their lives. That’s what our verse is saying to us, 1Pe 4:10  As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. I’ll encourage you to practice your good stewardship, start today!
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Fear Not

Posted on May 5, 2012 by admin
Isa 41:10  Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. 

     I don’t know how many movies you watch in a week, one, three, one a day. But I’ll tell you this. It seems like just about every two of three movies made nowadays is an horror movie, or a zombie movie, or something scary or frightening. And it seems like the more bloody gore Hollywood can put in a movie, the better the review it gets. When I was a kid, a scary movie was a man in a rubber monster suit (we all knew what it was) knocking down a cardboard town.  Or a scary movie was an Alfred Hitchcock thriller that was scary because it was in your mind. I’ve seen some of these modern fright flicks-they are really more stupid than anything.
     
But we’re going to look at how God takes care of us. Our fears, as Christians, are for the most part, unfounded. What fears might we have? I could jump right to the biggest fear most people have, though I’ll save that one for later. We might have a fear of becoming blind, or becoming deaf, losing one of our major senses. We might have a fear of losing the use of our legs, or all of our limbs, or just losing the whole thing, an arm or a leg. For some of us here, losing memories is an actual fear, a fear based in reality. Our verse says that in each of these things that could happen, God is right there with us.
    
 For the child of God, these infirmities are merely bumps along our pilgrim road. Look at what Jesus says regarding these physical bodies. Mat 5:29  And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 
Mat 5:30  And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 
 WOW! Sounds a bit harsh, doesn’t it? And yet, If God tells me it would be better for me to have no feet in my life, can I argue? I might, but it would be a pointless thing. If having feet would cause me to stumble, cause me to sin, and not having feet would cause me to rely more deeply upon God, then take my feet. I can say that because I know that when God takes me to heaven He’ll give me a perfect, glorified body. It will be perfectly suited to giving glory to God the Father and God the Son. Our perfect bodies will be perfectly indwelt by God the Holy Spirit so we’ll be able to give perfect praise and glory to God. There’s a WOW! For you. 1Co 15:40  There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. 
1Co 15:41  There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. 
1Co 15:42  So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: 
1Co 15:43  It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: 
1Co 15:44  It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 
Makes a huge difference, a physical body with all of its infirmities for a lifetime verses a perfect spiritual body for eternity.
     
Well, I said I’d talk about mankind’s biggest fear, so here goes. Death. Dying. Gone. Not to get philosophical, but, were you afraid before you were conceived? Did your lack of existence matter to you at all before you were born? I tro not. It’s our existence after the body dies that worries people. Or rather the lack of physical existence. I heard people say, “Every one wants to go to heaven, but no one wants to die to get there.” Yet we find these words in the bible, Heb 9:27  And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: Man is born to die. But it is only death we fear, somewhat irrationally. Look closely at this verse in Luk 16:22  And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 
      
Angels will come to escort God’s people to heaven. ANGELS! What a blessing. God’s people will not be alone at that time of the bodies death. For some getting rid of this cumbersome cocoon of flesh will be a blessed relief, no pain, no wasting, only God’s love and joy and peace…The burden of sin will be gone.  Mat 11:28  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 
Mat 11:29  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 
Mat 11:30  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. 
     
I thank God for these comforting promises he makes to His people, the words of promise found in the gospel of Isa 41:10  Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. 
When God says in that verse, “I am with thee”, He is saying that He is with us for eternity, for ever and always. 


      
     
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Planting Corn

Posted on April 30, 2012 by admin
Joh 12:24  Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. 

     The garden is going full swing. Baby tomatoes are popping out, baby bell peppers are breaking forth, green beans are begging to flower. And the corn. I love to watch corn grow. It’s such a marvelous process. Plant the seed, it sprouts and begins to root. It soon begins to sent up the stalk and the leaves. It takes a while, teaching patience, for the corn to grow tall enough to form the tassels. When the tassels mature they drop pollen into the crux of the leaf and stalk.

     After the pollen drops, the silks of the ear form. As each strand of silk is pollinated it form a kernel of corn. Each piece of corn on a cob will have a silk attached to it. The cob of corn begins to grow and lengthen to accommodate the growing kernels. Depending on the variety, a stalk of corn will form two to eight cobs. Form one kernel of corn, then, comes hundreds.

     So, what was Jesus talking about in our verse, Joh 12:24  Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.?  Jesus was speaking to His disciples regarding His coming death, burial, and resurrection.  Joh 12:23  And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. His glorification was the fulfillment of the work His Father sent Him to earth to do. To bring salvation to man by His sacrifice. To start His church. It would be through these two fulfilled works that He, as a kernel of corn, could cause multiplication of saved souls to occur. 
Joh 14:16  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 
Joh 14:17  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 
The Comforter, the Holy Spirit, indwells the believer to give Christian empowerment, to be the “one that walks closer than a brother”. The Holy Spirit takes the prayers we say and make them what God the Father wants us to say in them. Rom 8:26  Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 

     This was one of the “ears” that came after Jesus’ resurrection.
Joh 16:7  Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 

     The Spirit of God couldn’t come until Jesus left the world. The Spirit comes to teach and exhort to the good works God has ordained Christian people to. 1Jn 2:27  But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. Abiding in Jesus isn’t just a command from the LORD, it’s a way of life. It’s the way TO live! Joh 15:1  I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 
Joh 15:2  Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 
Joh 15:3  Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 
Joh 15:4  Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 
Joh 15:5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 
Joh 15:6  If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 
Joh 15:7  If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 
Joh 15:8  Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. 

Let me tell it another way. Jesus is the root and trunk of the vine. His churches are the main branches coming from the trunk. People are the little branchlets it is and leaves (new Christians) attached to His church. If a main branch falls away, as the churches were falling in Jesus’ letters in Revelation 2 & 3, it is purged to make new growth. If a main branch dies, it is cast off. But those branches and branchlets that bear fruit are loved and cared for by the trunk (Jesus) and so can become seed and make more fruit, much more. Sounds like our main verse, Joh 12:24  Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. 


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The Third Day

Posted on April 7, 2012 by admin
Hos 6:2  After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.

       This Sunday we will celebrate the resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. There is a lot of things that happened during the three days of Christ’s passion, but we’ll cover only a small portion of it. In particular, the third day.

       Three is a very special number in the bible. There is the triune God, the three in one of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. 1Jn 5:7  For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. There are the three patriarchs of Israel, Exo 4:5  That they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee. Jonah was three days in the belly of a great fish, Jon 1:17  Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. 

       Peter denied knowing Christ three times. Mat 26:34  Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. Jesus raised three people from the death during His earthly ministry.  The widow of Nain’s son, Luk 7:13  And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. 
Luk 7:14  And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. 
Luk 7:15  And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother. 

      He raised the daughter of Jairus, Luk 8:49  While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master. 
Luk 8:50  But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole. 
Luk 8:51  And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden. 
Luk 8:52  And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth. 
Luk 8:53  And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead. 
Luk 8:54  And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise. 
Luk 8:55  And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat. 

      And He caused Lazarus to raise from the dead. Joh 11:41  Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. 
Joh 11:42  And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. 
Joh 11:43  And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. 
Joh 11:44  And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. It should be remembered, though, that these people were brought back to physical life, not to the glorified life of Jesus.

        The third day of the passion of Christ is one of the most important threes in the bible. This is the day of the resurrection. Let’s study a few things about this. Several things happened on that day. Firstly, Jesus rose from the dead. Rom 1:1  Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, 
Rom 1:2  (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) 
Rom 1:3  Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; 
Rom 1:4  And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: 
It is a historical fact that this happened. No real Christian these days would say otherwise. Others, also, arose after his resurrection and appeared to many in Jerusalem. Mat 27:52  And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 
Mat 27:53  And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. 
How could they not, seeing the Savior was so close to them.  

         The price of the redemption of the saints  was paid then, also. Eph 1:7  In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Heb 9:12  Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. This price, this blood price, long foreshadowed in the sacrificial rituals of the Old Testament was the only acceptable payment of redemption, for atonement, for salvation. Jesus paid the price and God draws the believer to Him. Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. And, Joh 6:44  No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.  

       There will come a last resurrection, that is the promise of God. Those elect saints of God, drawn by Him to His son Jesus, will be raised to everlasting life in Christ some day. Col 1:12  Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 
Col 1:13  Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 
Col 1:14  In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: 

        One more thing regarding Jesus’ resurrection. He did everything. He offered His life. He laid it down. He took it up again.  
Joh 10:14  I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 
Joh 10:15  As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. 
Joh 10:16  And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. 
Joh 10:17  Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 
Joh 10:18  No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. 
God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit had all of this planned before the creation of the world. Rev 13:8  And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.  

       The whole design of creation revolved around this one event, the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Without this event there would be no salvation for people-all would die in their sins. There would be no hope. 1Cor 15:14  And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. 1Cor 15:17  And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 1Cor 15:19  If in this life only we have hope in Christ, (a Christ not raised) we are of all men most miserable. 
Rest assured, Christ is alive in heaven, our advocate before the Father, claiming His own. Christ the LORD is Risen today, Hallelujah! 1Cor 15:20  But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 






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Consider Your Ways

Posted on March 30, 2012 by admin
Hag 1:5  Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. 

       Have you ever considered haw many times the LORD tells His people to think about things. This verse compels us to consider, to think carefully about, in this case, our ways. In this case, God is telling the Israelites to look at their environment, to study what is happening around them. Hag 1:6  Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. Everything seems to be slipping through the fingers of God’s people in spite of all that they do. The old saying, “one step forward, two steps back”, comes to mind. All of us at some time in our lives go through that. At these times God says, Hag 1:7  Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. 
       We often want to do things our way, without any help, especially from God. And so we often fail to accomplish what we started. Many times it is THEN that we call upon our LORD GOD to help us in our calamity. Help me Lord, we cry, to stand in the face of this adversity. This adversity is usually the Holy Spirit of God chastising us, bringing us back to the narrow way, the way of obedience to the LORD. God had another thought about our ways. Isa 55:8  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. God has His own ideas about how we are to conduct ourselves as we walk through this life. Eph 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. 

       Another scripture about thinking in the right way is Isa 1:18  Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. 
This passage tell us that God wants His people to figure out the right thing. An added bonus to this is that God will help us think things through. Being able to reason is tantamount to wisdom. Where does wisdom come from? Job 28:28  And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding. If we then have wisdom, we can consider our ways in the LORD. Wisdom, though, isn’t necessarily in good supply at all times in our lives. Look at what James says. 
       Jas 1:5  If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. James is, of course, writing to Christian people, people to whom God has already given wisdom, a fear of the LORD. A person cannot be a Christian if that person does not fear the Lord. Why, then, would a Christian need to ask God for wisdom? People sin. Christians sin. Sin in the Christian blocks fellowship with the LORD. Jas 1:6  But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 
Jas 1:7  For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 
Jas 1:8  A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. What are we to do to regain the LORD’s fellowship? 1Jn 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. The double minded person cannot reason with himself, let alone reason with God.

        A last look at right thinking. Paul put it very succinctly and poetically when he wrote, Php 4:8  Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. How much clearer can God speak to us about considering our ways than with these words He led Paul to write? When we read these words and think on things, we often think of things of beauty, flowers, trees, babies, kittens and puppies. We might think of Venice, or Rome, or Thailand. We think of things possessing an earthly beauty. But let’s look closely at these words. 
        Whatsoever things are true. Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. Jesus IS the truth. Think on Him.    Whatsoever things are honest. God is always, was always, and will be always, honest. Tit 1:2  In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; think on God.    What soever things are just. Jesus is just, Joh 5:30  I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. Think more on Jesus.    Whatsoever things are pure, Jas 1:27  Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. Jesus’ church is pure. Think on His church.    Whatsoever things are lovely. Son 5:16  His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem. This is a scriptural picture of the relationship Jesus has with His church, His bride. Think on His love for you.    Whatsoever things are of good report. A preacher of God’s word must be of good report, of good reputation. The people of the church must retain a good report of the people. As we think on God, on Jesus, on His love for us, on His church, our minds will be being made wise, we’ll be considering the ways of God, then we will have a good report among people. If there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things and consider your ways.  


 

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