Posts

HAPPY IS THE PEOPLE WHOSE GOD IS THE LORD

"Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and Who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places." (Deuteronomy33:29).   The blessings and promises that God bestowed upon Israel in the Old Testament were but foreshadows of everything that He has given to the believers in Christ.   Christ was always going to be the fulfillment of God's great plan.   He was the Tree of Life in the beginning of creation, and He is the Tree of Life in the closing chapter of the Revelation of John.   Though the prophecies of old were spoken to Israel after the flesh, most of them have their broader fulfillment in spiritual Israel which is the church of Jesus Christ - that body of believers (both Jew and gentile) who have been born again and are bound together not by any particular doctrine, creed, or bloodline, but by the Spirit of the living God....
Post a Comment
Read more

THE WORK OF GOD

"Then said they unto Him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent." (John 6:28,29).   The works of the flesh should be quite evident to most Christians.  In fact, the apostle Paul tells us as much in Galatians 5:19.  He says the works of the flesh are manifest, openly known, or apparent.  He even lists many of them such as adultery, fornication, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, jealousies, selfish ambitions, envy, murders, and drunkenness.  The Christian, however, must also be concerned about the less apparent things that are just as clearly the works of the flesh.  We know we should avoid the very bad things, but it is the seemingly good things that we plunge headlong into.  We call them good deeds, Christian ministry, and godly service; but in many cases they are self-directed and the result of self-righteousness and self-effort, an...
Post a Comment
Read more

LAYING DOWN OUR LIVES

At a certain point in Jesus’ earthly ministry, He began to show His disciples the truth concerning His Passion.   He told them plainly that He was to suffer at the hands of the elders and chief priests, and that He would be killed by them; but, after three days, He would be raised from the dead.   This was, indeed, a difficult concept to comprehend.   It was hard to wrap one’s mind around.   After all, Jesus was the mighty Son of God, the promised Messiah, and the Prince of Peace.   How could they kill Him?   Hadn’t He come to establish God’s heavenly Kingdom on earth and reign forever?   Peter was especially affected by this revelation, and, acting as a friend and one who loved Jesus, he began to rebuke his Lord saying, “Be it far from Thee, Lord: this shall not be unto Thee.” (Matthew 16:22). I’m sure that Peter’s whole intent was to comfort His Lord, and encourage Him that He would overcome these difficulties, and go on to be the King of Israel...
Post a Comment
Read more