Tag Archives: God’s Word

Bible Study – The Abrahamic Covenant Confirmed

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In last week’s study, Abraham had passed the ultimate test – by willingly not withholding his son Issac from the Lord, he had demonstrated the greatest faith yet.  When Abraham gave his son to God – he gained back his son.  When we give ourselves and our possessions to God, we gain far more than we give – BUT – if we refuse to give ourselves and possessions to God – we will eventually lose everything.  And everything means EVERYTHING!

Abraham passed his greatest test of faith, and because of this – God repeated to him, the Covenant promised to him, and his seed. 

Genesis 22:15-19

abraham

15 And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,

16 And said, 

By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:

17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;

18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.  

beersheba

19 So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.

The next verses, which cover the family tree of Abraham’s brother Nahor, are only significant, in the revealing of the source of Issac’s bride. 

Nahor's familly tree

Genesis 22:20-24

20 And it came to pass after these things, that it was told Abraham, saying, Behold, Milcah, she hath also born children unto thy brother Nahor;

21 Huz his firstborn, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram, 

 [please note that these sons are the source of the tribes named in the Book of Job]

22 And Chesed, and Hazo, and Pildash, and Jidlaph, and Bethuel.

23 And Bethuel begat Rebekah: these eight Milcah did bear to Nahor, Abraham’s brother.

24 And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, she bare also Tebah, and Gaham, and Thahash, and Maachah.

Often believers will brush over passages like this in the Old Testament, thinking they are of less significance than the dramatic events of last week’s study.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  In understanding the significance of God renewing the Covenant a second time – we see that He is not forgetful, and is the perfection of steadfastness, and the extreme importance of this Covenant which was sealed in blood.   By the recording of even Abram’s brother’s family tree, we have the situation laid out so simply, that even a child’s persistent “why” and “where” questions can be answered. 

Next week – the Gentile Bride is chosen!

Bible Study – Death and Burial of Sarah

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Abraham said of his wife,

“I know [Sarah] that thou art a fair woman to look upon” – Gen. 12:11.

She was a beautiful woman, whose beauty was more than fair looks.  She was adorned with the…

“ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.” – 1 Pet. 3:4

Sarah was God’s example of a submissive wife.

“Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord.”  

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Genesis 23 (Approximately 1860 B.C.)

23 And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah. 2 And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.

Though Abraham was wealthy, and owned rich herds of flocks, and servants, he owned no property in Canaan.  When Sarah died at age 127, Abraham sought to buy the cave of Machpelah for 400 shekels of silver – rather that receive it as a gift from heathen neighbors.

3 And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying,

4 I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.

5 And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him,

6 Hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead.

7 And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth.

8 And he communed with them, saying,

If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and intreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,

9 That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end of his field; for as much money as it is worth he shall give it me for a possession of a buryingplace amongst you.

10 And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth: and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth, even of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying,

11 Nay, my lord, hear me: the field give I thee, and the cave that is therein, I give it thee; in the presence of the sons of my people give I it thee: bury thy dead.

12 And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land.

13 And he spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying,

But if thou wilt give it, I pray thee, hear me: I will give thee money for the field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead there.

14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him,

15 My lord, hearken unto me: the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead.

16 And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant.

17 And the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about, were made sure 

18 Unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city.

19 And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan.

20 And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a buryingplace by the sons of Heth.

This was the only property Abraham owned in Canaan.  The cave in the field of Machpelah in Hebron, later became the family burial place of the patriarchs – Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 

For the Lord’s Day – What a Friend We Have in Jesus

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I thought how this week’s studies were all focused on prayer and friendship with God, this seemed like just the right thing.  Praise Him! 

Click “Watch on Youtube” to hear this beloved hymn!

What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield you; you will find a solace there.

Joseph Scriven

Joseph M. Scriven

Composer

Joseph Medlicott Scriven, was an Irish poet, best known as the writer of the poem which became the hymn “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”. wikipedia.org

  • Born: September 10, 1819
  • Died: August 10, 1886

Irish born Joseph M. Scriven (1819-1896) was 25 years old, in love and to be married. The day before his wedding his fiance died in a tragic drowning accident. Heartbroken, Joseph sailed from his homeland to start a new life in Canada. While in Canada working as a teacher, he fell in love again and became engaged to Eliza Roche, a relative of one of his students. Once again, Joseph’s hopes and dreams were shattered when Eliza became ill and died before the wedding could take place.

Although one can only imagine the turmoil within this young man, history tells us that his faith in God sustained him. Soon after Eliza’s death Joseph joined the Plymouth Brethren and began preaching for a Baptist church. He never married, but spent the remainder of his life giving all his time, money and even the clothes off his own back to help the less fortunate and to spread the love and compassion of Jesus wherever he went.

Around the same time that Eliza died, Joseph received word from Ireland that his mother was ill. He could not go to be with her, so he wrote a letter of comfort and enclosed one of his poems entitled What a Friend We Have in Jesus.

Many years later a friend was sitting with Joseph, as he was very ill. During this visit, the friend was very impressed when he ran across his poems, including What a Friend We Have in Jesus. As a result of this visit, almost 30 years after his letter of comfort to his mother, Joseph’s poems were published in a book called Hymns and Other Verses. Soon thereafter, noted musician Charles C. Converse (1834-1918) put music to one of those poems: What a Friend We Have in Jesus.  http://hishymnhistory.blogspot.com/2012/11/what-friend-we-have-in-jesus.html

Philippians 4:6

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

For the Lord’s Day – I Know Whom I Have Believed

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Click “Watch on Youtube” to hear this beautiful hymn!

I know not why God’s wondrous grace
To me He hath made known,
Nor why, unworthy, Christ in love
Redeemed me for His own.

Refrain

But I know Whom I have believèd,
And am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I’ve committed
Unto Him against that day.

I know not how this saving faith
To me He did impart,
Nor how believing in His Word
Wrought peace within my heart.

Refrain

I know not how the Spirit moves,
Convincing us of sin,
Revealing Jesus through the Word,
Creating faith in Him.

Refrain

I know not what of good or ill
May be reserved for me,
Of weary ways or golden days,
Before His face I see.

Refrain

I know not when my Lord may come,
At night or noonday fair,
Nor if I walk the vale with Him,
Or meet Him in the air.

Refrain

Major Daniel Webster Whittle (born 1840 November 22 in Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts; died 1901 March 4, Northfield, Massachusetts)

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Daniel Whittle worked as a cashier for Wells Fargo bank as a teenager and into his early twenties. He was not a wicked man at first, on the contrary, he was quiet religious. He surrendered his life to the Lord one night while acting as a night watchman at the Wells Fargo Bank. He went into the vault, got down on his knees and gave his surrendered his life for the Heavenly Father to use as he would. He even became the Sunday School Superintendent at the great Tabernacle in Chicago where he would meet his wife, Miss Abbie Hanson. He would join the army in 1861 and be commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant. In the summer of 1862, August as the Civil War began to intensify his unit was called to go South. August 22, 1862, the night before his departure, he and Abbie were married. It would be a year before they would be reunited. In his own words he tells of his departure, “My dear mother was a devout Christian, and parted from me with many a tear, and followed me with many a prayer. She had placed a New Testament in a pocket of the haversack that she’d arranged for me”

This little New Testament would pay a vital part in his rededication. Whittle rose to the rank of Major and while leading a charge, actually filling in, and he was wounded in his sword arm which led to the amputation of his arm and a stay in a prisoner of war camp. It was while he was in this POW camp that out of boredom he began to search for something to read. He found in his personal effects the little New Testament that his Mother had placed there. He read through the New Testament in a matter of days and started through it again. One night the nurse woke him up and told him that one of his men was dying and had been begging for someone to pray for him. The nurse told Major Whittle that he (the nurse) was a wicked man and could not pray. Major Whittle confessed that he too was wicked man with many sins in his own life and could not pray either. The nurse said that he thought Major Whittle was a Christian because he had observed him constantly reading the Scripture and the Major Whittle did not cuss as the other men. The nurse begged Major Whittle to at least accompany him to see the boy as he did not want to return alone. Moved with compassion, Major Whittle reluctantly agreed. Here, in Major Whittle’s own words, is what took place that night: “I dropped on my knees and held the boy’s hand in mine. In a few broken words I confessed my sins and asked Christ to forgive me. I believed right there that He did forgive me. I then prayed earnestly for the boy. He became quiet and pressed my hand as I prayed and pleaded God’s promises. When I arose from my knees, he was dead. A look of peace had come over his troubled face, and I cannot but believe that God who used him to bring me to the Savior, used me to lead him to trust Christ’s precious blood and find pardon. I hope to meet him in heaven.”

Ten years later at the encouragement of his close friend D.L. Moody he would enter into evangelism. Some of his first songs were set to music by Phillip Bliss. Whittle attended and participated in the memorial service for Phillip Bliss. Later he would work closely with the man who would set to music many of his later songs, and who set the music to this song, “I Know Whom I Have Believed”, James McGranahan. Major Whittle died March 4, 1901 after having written over 200 hymns.  http://churchchoirmusic.com/the-story-behind-the-song-i-know-whom-i-have-believed

2 Timothy 1:7-14

7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;

9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, Who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

11 Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.

12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know Whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.

13 Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

14 That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.

For the Lord’s Day – The Church’s One Foundation

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The Church’s one foundation
  Is Jesus Christ her Lord;
She is His new creation
  By water and the Word:
From heav’n He came and sought her
  To be His holy Bride;
With His own blood He bought her,
  And for her life He died.

Elect from every nation,
  Yet one o’er all the earth,
Her charter of salvation,
  One Lord, one faith, one birth;
One holy Name she blesses,
  Partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses,
  With every grace endued.

’Mid toil and tribulation,
  And tumult of her war,
She waits the consummation
  Of peace for evermore;
Till, with the vision glorious,
  Her longing eyes are blest,
And the great Church victorious
  Shall be the Church at rest.

Yet she on earth hath union
  With God the Three in One,
And mystic sweet communion
  With those whose rest is won:
O happy ones and holy!
  Lord, give us grace that we,
Like them, the meek and lowly,
  In love may dwell with Thee.

Source: http://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/833#ixzz2y4Rp4xIi\\

samuel j stone

Samuel J. Stone (1839-1900)

This hymn is well known for calling the church to be a community. The basis of the text is from the Bible when Christ tells Peter that the church will be built off of the Rock that is Himself. Written by Samuel J. Stone in 1866, “The Church’s One Foundation,” was one of the most famous of hymns written by Stone. Born in 1839 in Whitmore, Staffordshire, England, Stone was the son of Reverend William Stone. As Samuel became older, he eventually attended Charter School and Oxford College where he was ordained in 1862. Immediately after he was ordained he began serving orders at various different churches until 1870., when he joined his father in his ministries at St Paul’s in Haggerston, England. Four short years later, Samuel J. Stone followed in his fathers footsteps and took over for his father as Vicar at St. Paul’s. S. Stone served as Vicar in Haggerston until 1890, and from then until his death in 1900, he served at All-Hallow-on-the-Wall in London turning it into a safe haven for working girls and women in England. This hymn came at a very important time in the history of the church, a time where there was a great dispute of how the church should work.  http://etymologyofhymns.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-churchs-one-foundation.html

ISAIAH 28:16

water in a weary land

 Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone,

a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.

For the Lord’s Day – I Will Sing the Wondrous Story

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I will sing the wondrous story
Of the Christ Who died for me.
How He left His home in glory
For the cross of Calvary.

Refrain

Yes, I’ll sing the wondrous story
Of the Christ Who died for me,
Sing it with the saints in glory,
Gathered by the crystal sea.

I was lost, but Jesus found me,
Found the sheep that went astray,
Threw His loving arms around me,
Drew me back into His way.

Refrain

I was bruised, but Jesus healed me,
Faint was I from many a fall,
Sight was gone, and fears possessed me,
But He freed me from them all.

Refrain

Days of darkness still come o’er me,
Sorrow’s path I often tread,
But His presence still is with me;
By His guiding hand I’m led.

Refrain

He will keep me till the river
Rolls its waters at my feet;
Then He’ll bear me safely over,
Where the loved ones I shall meet.

Refrain

rowley_fh

Words: Fran­cis H. Row­ley, 1886. The orig­in­al lyr­ics be­gan, “Can’t you sing the won­drous sto­ry…” Ira Sank­ey changed them be­fore pub­lish­ing the song in the 1887 edi­tion of his Sac­red Songs and So­los.

Music: Pe­ter P. Bil­horn, 1886 (MI­DI, score).

Rowley wrote of this song:

I was min­is­ter of the First Bap­tist Church of North Adams [Mass­a­chu­setts] at the time the hymn was written in 1886, as nearly as I can remember. The church and the com­mun­i­ty were ex­per­i­enc­ing a per­i­od of un­u­su­al in­ter­est in re­li­gious mat­ters, and I was as­sist­ed by a re­mark­a­ble young sing­er named Pe­ter Bil­horn. One night af­ter the close of the ser­vice he said, “Why don’t you write a hymn for me to set to mu­sic?” Dur­ing the night these most un­pre­ten­tious and whol­ly un­wor­thy vers­es came to me. Some years ago as I was go­ing down a Lon­don street one night about ele­ven o’clock, I dis­cov­ered ahead of me a group of Sal­va­tion Ar­my peo­ple hold­ing a ser­vice, and as I came near­er to them it oc­curred to me that the hymn they were sing­ing was fa­mil­iar. Then it dawned up­on me that it was this one.

http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/i/w/iwilsing.htm

jesus-christ-wallpapers-4

REVELATION 15:3

 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of saints.

For the Lord’s Day – One Day

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  1. One day when heaven was filled with His praises,
    One day when sin was as black as could be,
    Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin—
    Dwelt among men, my example is He! One day they led Him up Calvary’s mountain,
    • Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me;
        Buried, He carried my sins far away;
      Rising, He justified freely forever:
          One day He’s coming—O glorious day!
  2.   One day they nailed Him to die on the tree; Suffering anguish, despised and rejected;  Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He.
  3. One day they left Him alone in the garden,  One day He rested, from suffering free; Angels came down o’er His tomb to keep vigil;  Hope of the hopeless, my Savior is He.
  4. One day the grave could conceal Him no longer,  One day the stone rolled away from the door; Then He arose, over death He had conquered;  Now is ascended, my Lord evermore.
  5. One day the trumpet will sound for His coming,  One day the skies with His glory will shine; Wonderful day, my beloved ones bringing;  Glorious Savior, this Jesus is mine!

Source: http://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/987#ixzz2w4UcztxW

John Wilbur Chapman

J. Wilbur ChapmanJ. Wilbur Chapman (1859-1918) was an American evangelist, revivalist and pastor. He wrote the words to the hymns One Day, Jesus! What A Friend for Sinners (Our Great Saviour) and ‘Tis Jesus. 

Romans 5:6

For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 

He didn’t die for righteous people. He died for dirty, rotten, sinful people like me. Praise Him!

For the Lord’s Day – How Great Thou Art

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Click “Watch on Youtube” to hear this emotionally robust hymn!

O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the *worlds thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the *rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed:

Refrain

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee:
How great thou art! How great thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee:
How great thou art! How great thou art!

When through the woods and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees,
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur,
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze:

Refrain

And when I think that God, his Son not sparing,
Sent him to die, I scarce can take it in,
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.

Refrain

When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then *I shall bow in humble adoration,
And there proclaim, My God, how great thou art! 

Words: Stuart K. Hine. In 1885, at age 26, Swedish preacher Carl G. Boberg wrote the words only of a poem entitled O Store Gud. Several years later, Boberg attended a meeting and was surprised to hear his poem being sung to the tune of an old Swedish melody.

In the early 1920s, English missionaries, Stuart K. Hine and his wife, ministered in Poland. It was there they learned the Russian version of Boberg’s poem, O Store Gud, coupled with the original Swedish melody. Later, Hine wrote original English words and made his own arrangement of the Swedish melody, which became popular and is now known as the hymn, How Great Thou Art.

The first three verses were inspired, line upon line, amidst unforgettable experiences in the Carpathian Mountains. In a village to which he had climbed, Mr. Hine stood in the street singing a Gospel Hymn and reading aloud, John, Chapter Three. Among the sympathetic listeners was a local village schoolmaster. A storm was gathering, and when it was evident that no further travel could be made that night, the friendly schoolmaster offered his hospitality. Awe-inspiring was the mighty thunder echoing through the mountains, and it was this impression that was to bring about the birth of the first verse.

Pushing on, Hine crossed the mountain frontier into Romania and into Bukovina. Together with some young people, through the woods and forest glades he wandered, and heard the birds sing sweetly in the trees. Thus, the second verse came into being. Verse three was inspired by the conversion of many Carpathian mountain-dwellers. The fourth verse did not come about until Hine’s return to Britain.

Music: How Great Thou Art, Swedish folk melody melody, adapted by Stuart K. Hine  http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/h/o/w/how_great_Thou_art.htm

eye of god

PSALM 92:5

O Lord, how great are Thy works! and Thy thoughts are very deep.

For the Lord’s Day – O The Deep, Deep Love of Jesus

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O the deep, deep love of Jesus, vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!
Rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me!
Underneath me, all around me, is the current of Thy love
Leading onward, leading homeward to Thy glorious rest above!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, spread His praise from shore to shore!
How He loveth, ever loveth, changeth never, nevermore!
How He watches o’er His loved ones, died to call them all His own;
How for them He intercedeth, watcheth o’er them from the throne!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, love of every love the best!
‘Tis an ocean vast of blessing, ’tis a haven sweet of rest!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus, ’tis a heaven of heavens to me;
And it lifts me up to glory, for it lifts me up to Thee!

francis_st

“O the Deep Deep, Love of Jesus” is a well-known Christian hymn, written by the London merchant Samuel Trevor Francis.[1] Francis (1834–1925) had a spiritual turning point as a teenager, contemplating suicide one night on a bridge over the River Thames. Experiencing a renewal of faith, he went on to author many poems and hymns and was a preacher in addition to his merchant career.[2]

The song compares Jesus’ love to the ocean in scope, emphasizing the limitless, unchanging, and sacrificial nature of God’s affections for the singer and all of humanity.   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_the_Deep,_Deep_Love_of_Jesus

EPHESIANS 3:17-19

17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

For the Lord’s Day – Cleanse Me (Search Me, O God)

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In keeping with the theme of yesterday’s Bible study on sanctification, this hymn came as the perfect enhancement. 

Search me, O God,
And know my heart today;
Try me, O Savior,
Know my thoughts, I pray.
See if there be
Some wicked way in me;
Cleanse me from every sin
And set me free.

I praise Thee, Lord,
For cleansing me from sin;
Fulfill Thy Word,
And make me pure within.
Fill me with fire
Where once I burned with shame;
Grant my desire
To magnify Thy Name.

Lord, take my life,
And make it wholly Thine;
Fill my poor heart
With Thy great love divine.
Take all my will,
My passion, self and pride;
I now surrender, Lord
In me abide.

O Holy Ghost,
Revival comes from Thee;
Send a revival,
Start the work in me.
Thy Word declares
Thou wilt supply our need;
For blessings now,
O Lord, I humbly plead.

    James Edwin Orr (January 15, 1912 – April 22, 1987)[1] was a Baptist Christian minister, hymn-writer, professor, author[2] and promoter of Church revival and renewal

He was a professor in the School of World Mission at Fuller Theological Seminary where he taught courses in the history of missions to career missionaries.

James Edwin Orr was born in 1912. His education includes earned doctorates from universities in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, including the Doctor of Philosophy from Oxford University and the Ed. D. from U.C.L.A. in 1971.

In his many travels, Dr. Orr has visited a hundred and fifty countries, including the Soviet Union, and has been in two-thirds of the world’s six hundred major cities.

Despite these numerous life-long accomplishments, J. Edwin Orr will no doubt be best remembered as author of a simple, revival hymn text—“Cleanse Me.”

Dr. Orr recalls that he wrote the Cleanse Me text, in 1936, during an intense movement of the Holy Spirit at the Easter, revival convention in Ngaruawahia, New Zealand—

For some time prior to this Easter campaign, an attitude of unusual expectancy had been prevalent among these people. Prayer meetings spread throughout the city with much fervency, and intercession led to wide-spread confession and reconciliation among the believers. Great numbers of unconverted students professed faith in Christ. The next night was given over to exultant testimony, with singing such as one expects in heaven.

The revival news soon spread throughout all of New Zealand. Dr. Orr reports that as he was leaving New Zealand, four Aborigine girls approached and sang for him a beautiful Maori Song of Farewell.

Mr. Orr was so impressed with the beauty of this Polynesian melody that soon afterward he wrote new verses to the tune on the back of an envelope. The text was based on the familiar words of Scripture found in Psalm 139:23-24:

       Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Further campaigns by Dr. Orr throughout Australia in the 1930s and later in nearly all of the English-speaking world, soon popularized this prayer hymn everywhere.  http://www.tanbible.com/tol_sng/sng_cleanseme.htm

PSALM 139:23-24

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

For the Lord’s Day – Jesus Paid It All

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I hear the Savior say,
“Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.”

Refrain

Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

For nothing good have I
Whereby Thy grace to claim,
I’ll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.

Refrain

And now complete in Him
My robe His righteousness,
Close sheltered ’neath His side,
I am divinely blest.

Refrain

Lord, now indeed I find
Thy power and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone.

Refrain

When from my dying bed
My ransomed soul shall rise,
“Jesus died my soul to save,”
Shall rend the vaulted skies.

Refrain

And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete,
I’ll lay my trophies down
All down at Jesus’ feet.

Refrain

JESUS PAID IT ALL

PAID IN FULL

Jesus Paid It All was written under unusual circumstances. Did your mind ever wander during a Sunday service? Perhaps you started thinking about other things–maybe what occurred last week, or plans for the coming week or what you will be doing later that day. Something like that happened to the writer of a familiar hymn.

On a hot summer Sunday morning in 1865, Mrs. Elvina Hall (1820-1889) was found in her accustomed place in the church choir loft. But as the pious words of the Reverend Schrick’s prayer droned on and on, her thoughts drifted to other things. She pondered the meaning of the cross, and the storied scene flashed before her mind’s eye.

High upon a rocky crag, three crosses scarred the afternoon sky. On the outer gibbets, hung two notorious thieves. Below, Roman soldiers drank and gambled, waiting for death to overtake the poor wretches suspended above them. It was a public execution, but far more significant than they imagined at the time. Suddenly, the air grew dense and an eerie darkness invaded the scene.

As the soldiers gazed about them in superstitious dread, a triumphant cry pierced the gloom. It came from the figure on the centre cross. One word, in the Greek tongue: “Tetelestai!” Then He was dead. That shout of victory Christ uttered as He died is usually translated “It is finished!” (Jn. 19:30). But it had another meaning back then. It was an accounting term. When a bill was paid, it was commonly stamped with the word “Tetelestai,” meaning Paid in Full.

And that is precisely what the death of Christ accomplished. “[He] bore our sins in His own body on the tree,” says Peter (I Pet. 2:24). “He Himself is the propitiation [the full satisfaction of God’s justice] for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world,” (I Jn. 2:2). The groaning weight of all the world’s sin was laid on Christ at Calvary. He bore it in our place.

As the pastor’s prayer continued, Mrs. Hall took up her hymn book and, turning to a blank page inside the cover, she began to write. Afterward, she presented the pastor with some simple lines of poetry–not likely telling him when they were written! Glancing at them, the pastor was reminded of something that had happened just that week. The church organist, John Grape (1835-1915) had composed a new hymn tune, with no words in mind. He passed it on to Pastor Schrick, suggesting they might find a use for it in future.

Stepping into his study, the pastor laid Mrs. Hall’s poem next to the lines of music. In surprise, he saw they fit one another like hand in glove. “Indeed, God works in mysterious ways!” he thought. (Little did he know!) The words and tune have been partners ever since, in the hymn, “Jesus Paid It All.”

http://www.wordwise-bible-studies.com/Jesus-Paid-It-All.html

ROMANS 6:22-23

King James Version (KJV)

water in a weary land

22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

For the Lord’s Day – To God be the Glory

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To God Be the Glory

Words By: Fanny Crosby

To God be the glory, great things He hath done,
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin,
And opened the life gate that all may go in.

Refrain:
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice!
Oh, come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory, great things He hath done.

Oh, perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,
To every believer the promise of God;
The vilest offender who truly believes,
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.

Great things He hath taught us, great things He hath done,
And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;
But purer, and higher, and greater will be
Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see

crosby_fj_1872

Fanny Crosby

1820-1915

Frances Jane “Fanny” Crosby (1820-1915), American hymn writer and poetess who wrote over 8,000 hymns. Once a preacher sympathetically remarked, “I think it is a great pity that the Master did not give you sight when He showered so many other gifts upon you.” She replied quickly, “Do you know that if at birth I had been able to make one petition, it would have been that I should be born blind?” “Why?” asked the surprised minister. “Because when I get to heaven, the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my Savior!”

4 Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; He will come and save you.

5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.

6 Then. shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.   Isaiah 35: 4-6

How to Witness for Him – #7 – Following Up

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Think of a new-born baby, umbilical cord still attached – abandoned in the center of a forest full of wild animals.  Exposed to the elements, and unable to fend for or care for itself.  Well – that’s exactly what happens when you lead someone to Christ, and then drop them!  As the baby Christian’s spiritual “foster parent,” you have great responsibility to nurture the new born Christian to ensure he/she is established and on the best food and water, has shelter, and is protected from the elements. 

Acts 2:41-42

41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

Hmmm.  Did you get that part?  Any question about what happened to the three thousand after they were saved?  Nothing vague about that.  When you, personally lead a person to Christ, then you, personally, are responsible.  Yes, you will receive the soul winners crown at the Judgment Seat of Christ, but the responsibility does not end with your joy at the birth!  Abandonment of spiritual babies, is one of the reasons for stunted growth, and future backsliding.  It also stunts the growth of the church, because spiritual babies, are not ever matured enough to reproduce themselves.

THERE ARE SEVEN THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HELP THE BABY CHRISTIAN TO GROW SPIRITUALLY.  THIS ALSO APPLIES IF YOU, GRACIOUS ONE, HAVE ADOPTED THE BABY OF ANOTHER BELIEVER.

1. Put a King James Bible directly into their hands.  Remember – new born babies cannot even bring food to their own mouths.  Write something personal on the dedication page, open the Bible and demonstrate its features.

2. Make sure the Bible has a good concordance and index, and it might also be a good idea to show the baby how to use the computer to search Bible verses.  This is subjective, because the internet is overflowing with corruption and can potentially confuse, or even seduce  the baby Christian. 

3. Make sure you emphasize, that he  can know he is 100% saved through God’s Word.  Stress the “Three Fold Proof of the New Birth.”  

4. Start him out right – not on junk food.  Not force feeding, but make sure it is plentiful enough to sustain the baby until the next “feeding.”   It’s important to make clear, that we are to be obedient to the Lord in all things. 

5. Lead him to a New Testament church.  Invite him to be your guest at your church!  Take him with you, and sit with him.  When the invitation is given, encourage him to go forward with you, and make public profession of his faith in Jesus Christ.  Remember – babies can’t walk without help! 

6.  Encourage him to tell others about his new birth.  Psalm 107:2 – “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy.”

7.  Either teach him the basics of Bible doctrine, or get him enrolled in a “new believers class.”  He will not be able to reproduce (witness) effectively, until he has a solid foundation.  Some of the essentials include the Trinity of the Godhead, the deity of Christ, and the inerrancy and divine inspiration of the Bible.  If you do not have a class for new believers near you, the studies on our Apologetics and Doctrines page are thorough, doctrinally sound, and may be used to give the new believer a solid foundation.    You are free to print off and use any of those articles. 

ONCE THE NEW CHRISTIAN HAS BEEN FIRMLY ESTABLISHED IN THE SOLID BIBLE DOCTRINES – THEY WILL BE READY TO:

GO WITH THE GOSPEL

How to Witness for Him – #6 – Giving the Invitation

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Revelation 22:17

And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

SUGGESTIONS FOR GIVING THE INVITATION:

  After sharing  God’s Plan of Salvation, invite the person to whom you are witnessing, to accept, by faith,   the Lord Jesus Christ as his/her personal Savior.   You can ask them to kneel with you, but no pressure!  If you just get down on your knees, it is likely that they will follow – but it is not necessary.  If you are on an airplane, or in a foxhole, kneeling is not going to happen.  You lead the way! 

While you are kneeling, or other posture of reverence, out loud, pray that the Lord will convict him of his sinfulness, and bring him to a state of repentance.  If he does not follow you, then arise and make another appointment to meet with him again.  If he does follow you to his knees, ask the Lord to save him now.  You will need to lead him – like a baby.  Yes – even coach- if need be.  Just be sure, that however you do it, that he/she acknowledges the complete Gospel.  Be sure he:

  1. Admits God loves him
  2. Admits Christ died bearing his sins
  3. Thanks the Lord for convicting him
  4. Admits that he is a sinner
  5. Admits that he is dead in sins
  6. Admits that he cannot save himself
  7. Cries out to the Lord to save him

 Please don’t be preoccupied with the “sinner’s prayer.”  Let the Holy Spirit lead you, as you lead the lost one to his Savior.  The prayer should flow from the heart – not a prescribed formula from an “expert.”

When you finish leading him through prayer, stand up, and ask him – “Did you by faith accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior?”  If he says yes, confirm it  – “Upon the authority of God’s Word you are now a child of God.”  Give thanks and praise to God!

Romans 10:13

 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

How to Witness for Him – #5 – Sharing God’s Plan of Salvation

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Acts 4:12

 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

WHEN YOU ARE WITNESSING TO SOMEONE, THERE ARE SEVEN PROVEN STEPS TO TAKE WHEN SHARING GOD’S PLAN OF SALVATION. 

1.  The best place to start – is with your own, personal testimony.  Not your life story!  It shouldn’t take more than a few minutes to tell how the LORD saved you.  As you come to the close of giving your testimony – that would be a good time to bring out your Bible – or a tract or booklet containing God’s Plan of Salvation.  Try saying – “May I share with you God’s Plan of Salvation that changed my life?” 

2.  The first thing to cover, would be fact #1 – GOD LOVES YOU.  Read John 3:16, and talk more about how much someone must love to sacrifice themselves for another.  Be frank, and ask the person if they will admit that God loves them.  Lead them to admit it if you need to.  This admission enacts their participation in God’s Plan of Salvation.

3. The next step, will be to cover Fact#2 – IT IS A FACT THAT YOU ARE A SINNER.   Read directly from Romans 3:23, and make sure that the person understands that you, along with everyone else, has fallen short of the glory of God.  It is not a matter of comparing ourselves with the sinfulness of others – it is how we compare to God’s standards.  After the person has taken this in, ask them if they will now admit they are a sinner.  It may require some prompting from you – which is normal.  But the person needs to know, that God’s loves them, even though they are sinful.

4. After the two admissions, the next step will be to share Fact #3 – YOU ARE NOW DEAD IN SINS.  Read directly from Romans 6:23, making sure he/she fully understands what death is according to Scripture.  When you are sure they understand what death is, ask them to admit that they are dead in sins.  Stress, that even though they are dead in sins, that God still loves them.

5. At this point, share Fact #4 – CHRIST DIED FOR YOU.  Read Romans 5:6, emphasizing that Jesus Christ, judged completely innocent, took upon Himself the sins of the world.  Ask him/her to admit that Christ died for them, personally.  The person needs to know, that Christ loves them so much, that He died on Calvary bearing their sins.  He did not die for the righteous – He died for sinners.

6. Now share with them Fact #5 – YOU CAN BE SAVED BY FAITH IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.  Read Acts 16:30, stressing that they must believe in their heart, their innermost being, that –

  • Christ died for our sins
  • He was buried
  • He rose again the third day

Ask the person to acknowledge the Gospel, and be ready to ask him/her to accept Christ as their personal Savior. 

7.  If they have actually done all of the above, now would be the time to lead them to call upon the  name of the Lord in prayer.  There is no formulaic prayer!

Please make full use of God’s Plan of Salvation, which may be printed off from this site – free of charge.  It will greatly fortify your soul winning endeavors.  The next segment covers  How to Give the Invitation!.

Romans 10:13

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

How to Witness for Him – #4 – Following Through

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Matthew 13:3-9

3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

How simple this parable appears on the surface – yet we could plumb the depths of it for the rest of our lives.  The Parable of the Sower aptly demonstrates for us, among other things, the importance of “follow through.”  Only one fourth of the seed that was sown, brought forth fruit.  The Lord explained the Parable in the  verses 18-23:

  • The sower is the witness
  • The seed is the Word of God
  • The soil is the heart of the sinner

We also learn that there are four different kinds of hearts:

  1. The hard heart; this is the wayside heart; fertile but hard
  2. The shallow heart; this is the stony soil, fertile but depthless
  3. The worldly heart; this is the thorny soil; fertile but possessed
  4. The understanding heart; this is the good soil; fertile and prepared

Simple and straightforward –  if we expect the seed (the Word of God) to take root and bear fruit, the sinner’s heart must be made ready.

  • The hard heart must be broken
  • The shallow heart must be given depth
  • The worldly heart must learn that the things of this world are temporal

CULTIVATING THE SOIL (SINNER’S HEARTS) REQUIRES TIME, WORK, AND PATIENCE.  VERY FEW SOULS ARE WON ON THE FIRST ENCOUNTER.  GO THROUGH ALL THE DOCTRINES – STARTING WITH THE FACT THAT THE BIBLE IS GOD’S WORD, PROGRESSING TO THE DEITY OF CHRIST,  ALL THE WAY TO GOD’S PLAN OF SALVATION. 

If you are unsure of any of the fundamental doctrines – please make use of the Apologetics and Doctrines page.  You are free to print off and use all of it.

How to Witness for Him – #2 – The Qualifications

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Colossians 2:6-7

6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him:

7 Rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

A QUALIFIED WITNESS IS ONE WHO IS:

1. Established in the faith. 

This does not exclude young believers!  Even the young can be mature –  spiritually.  To be established in the faith is to be rooted and grounded in God’s Word.  Peter said, “Be ready to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with  meekness and fear.”  1 Peter 3:15  The doctrinal studies on this blog, in your Sunday school class, and other sources are there to help you get firmly anchored in His Holy Word.  Study them, and carry your Bible with you to ponder any portion of one of the great doctrines.  They will give you a rock solid foundation to build your faith on.  And in this day and age – it is easier than ever to carry the Word with you via technology. 

2. Saved and know it!  

I know that I am saved, because God tells me so in His Word and God cannot lie!  You and I have the same witness!  We have the:

  • Witness of the Spirit. Rom. 8:16 –  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
  • Witness of the Word.  1 John 5:13 – These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
  • Witness of saving faith.  1 John 5: 9,10 –  9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of His Son.  10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made Him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son.

There is nothing more important than reaching the lost for Christ.  Nothing.  If it is important to you ( and as a child of God it should be ) make an effort to be rooted firmly in the Bible, and then you will be able to speak volumes with very few words!  In a courtroom setting, the witnesses are chosen based on their credibility.  Our firm conviction that we are saved, and our absolute faith and dependance in the Word of God is our credibility to witness for Him.

How to Witness for Him – #1 – The Importance of Witnessing

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Romans 10:13

 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

It is of vital importance NOT to lift the above verse out of context.  Many, many false shepherds stop with verse thirteen – leading to many, many false conversions.  Progressing to the next verse – the Lord gives us three essential questions, that must be considered along with verse thirteen.

Romans 10:14

How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

1. The first question, “How then shall they call on Him in Whom they have not believed?”  

The answer?  The lost CANNOT call on the Lord to be saved until they believe –

  • That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.
  • That Christ was buried.
  • That Christ rose again  the third day according to the Scriptures. 

15 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

4 And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures: (1 Cor. 15:1-4)

2. The second question – “How  shall they believe in Him of Whom they have not heard?”  

The answer?  The lost CANNOT believe in Him until they hear the good news of salvation. 

3. The third question, “How shall they hear without a preacher (witness)?”  

The answer?  They CANNOT hear the good news of salvation without a witness. 

  • Three thousand were saved at Pentecost because of the witnessing of the 120. 
  • The eunuch was saved because Philip witnessed.
  • Paul was saved because Stephen witnessed. (Acts 7: 54-60), and Jesus the God-man witnessed, and Annanias witnessed.  (Acts 9:1-18) 
  • Cornelius and his house were saved because Peter witnessed.
  • The Philippian jailer and his house were saved because Paul and Silas witnessed. 
  • You were saved because someone witnessed to you. 
preaching

According to the inspired Word of God, the lost CANNOT be saved without a witness.  They must have a witness to hear, they must hear to believe, they must believe to call on Him, and they must call on Him in order to be saved.  But – they CANNOT call until  they believe, and they CANNOT believe until they hear, and the CANNOT hear without a witness!

Romans 10:17

 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.

we are not born with saving faith.  it only comes when we hear the gospel.  it is of utmost importance that every single born again child of god is obedient to the word of god. 

Evangelize with the Gospel!!!!

How to Witness for Him – Introduction

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One day, as Jesus walked by the sea of Galilee, He saw two fishermen, Simon (later named Peter) and his brother Andrew.   He said unto them . . .

Matt. 4:19

Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.

SOUL WINNERS ARE MADE – NOT BORN!  FOR YOU TO BECOME AN EFFECTIVE WITNESS – YOU MUST BE TRAINED, EQUIPPED, AND MOTIVATED BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 

Our Lord spent three years teaching and training His disciples in the art of soul winning.  After His resurrection, He told them to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the “promise of the Father.”  [Acts 4:1-8]  When the disciples asked if He would restore the kingdom right then, He told them, “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power.”  It is not the job of the church to predict or focus on the Tribulation,  or be continuously searching for hidden meanings in natural events.  Our job is to witness!  “and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

ANY BELIEVER WHO ACQUIRES THE KNOW- HOW, CAN BECOME AN EFFECTIVE SOUL WINNER!

You can know –  that you and the Holy Spirit are a witnessing team. 

Acts 5:32

 And we are His witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey Him.

Therefore, when you are witnessing, remember that you are not alone! 

1 Corinthians 6:19

 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

WHEN YOU WITNESS, YOU CAN TRUST THE HOLY SPIRIT TO DO THREE THINGS –

  1. Illuminate the mind of the unbeliever.  This is the work of the Holy Spirit.  All lost souls are in spiritual darkness.  2 Cor. 4:3 –  But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:  4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
  2. Stir the heart of the unbeliever.  As Peter preached Christ to the listeners . . . Acts 2:37 –  Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
  3. Move the will of the unbeliever.  When the prodigal son “came to himself,” and returned home he said. . . Luke 15:18 – I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee. . .  The prodigal had a change of will. 

Many graduates of Bible schools have learned all of the up-to-date techniques for “modern” soul winning.  They may even be able to quote the necessary Scriptures without flaw, and stir an emotional response from their audience.  But, if witnessing is not done in the power of the Holy Spirit, all their witnessing efforts will be ineffective.  As we progress though this series on effective witnessing, please keep your heart and mind open to the Holy Spirit, and be willing to become Fishers of Men. 

God’s Creation – Bats and Pitcher Plants

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Pitcher Plants Designed to Attract Bats

by Brian Thomas, M.S. *

Evidence for Creation › Evidence from Science › Evidence from the Life Sciences › Life Was Created Fully Functional

Even children learn that plants and animals depend on one another. Plants release oxygen for animals to breathe, and plants make food—mostly sugar—for animals to eat. In turn, animals produce carbon dioxide so plants can grow using sunlight. This ecological interdependence shows enough divine design to inspire any honest thinker to consider a Creator, but a recently discovered interaction between pitcher plants and bats shows even more.1

Pitcher plants in tropical Borneo, the largest island in Asia, attract a particular species of bat to roost right inside their pitchers. The plants absorb nitrogen from the bat waste that drops to the bottom of the pitchers, and the bats enjoy comfy digs. Researchers already knew that pitcher plants in South American jungles grow flowers that attract bats for pollination, but the Asian version is unique. They give bats a safe place to roost during daylight hours. How do bats discern these preferred pitcher plants from the surrounding dense jungle foliage, and does the answer to that question help explain how this all might have evolved?

German specialists worked with biologists from Brunei, Borneo to track down the specifics on how pitcher plants attract bats. They published their results in Current Biology.2 The pitcher plants present concave reflectors that attract their bat buddies. Bats’ high-pitched sound waves bounce off the reflector, so it stands out against the drab-sounding jungle background. The pitcher’s sonic reflector has three other precise design features.

1. The plant’s reflector is situated just above the pitcher’s opening. To the bat, the reflector sounds very loud, but the opening below absorbs sound. The bats easily pick out this distinct contrast.

2. The area containing the reflector is larger than related pitcher plants that attract insects, increasing its sonic signal.

3. It reflects distinct sonic patterns on either side so that the bats can detect it from many angles.

The plant reflector’s size and side-reflecting patterns only work when a certain range of sound frequencies strike it. Of course, these exactly match the vocal range of these local bats, which happen to hold the record for highest frequencies of all bats so far measured. For more about animal sonar, watch our short video here.

How did all this interdependent fine-tuning happen? For a pitcher plant to construct the right size and shape reflector in the right place, it needs just the right building instructions in its DNA. And no number of high-pitched bat calls can somehow reach into plant-seed DNA and write new reflector construction code.

The Current Biology study authors wrote, “In the Neotropics, a few bat-pollinated plants found an efficient solution to attract bats by developing floral ultrasound reflectors, which enabled them to exploit the bats’ echolocation system.”2 But when is the last time a plant, animal, or any non-person willfully changed its DNA to solve an environmental challenge? Plus, how would these plants ever “know” about the benefits of bat guano’s nitrogen until after they already had fully formed bat homes to attract it?

The plants found no solution, developed no reflectors, and exploited no echolocation. People alone can perform these kinds of creative tasks, and the best example is the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible.”3

Pitcher plant reflectors reflect creation—His creation—and this interdependent pitcher plant-bat system showcases the ingenious design within that creation.

References

  1. Also, all animals either directly or indirectly get their necessary sugar energy from plants. See Demick, D. 2000. The Unselfish Green Gene. Acts & Facts. 29 (7): i-iv.
  2. Schoner, M. G. et al. 2015. Bats Are Acoustically Attracted to Mutualistic Carnivorous Plants. Current Biology. 25 (14): 1911-1916.
  3. Colossians 1:16a.

*Mr. Thomas is Science Writer at the Institute for Creation Research.

http://www.icr.org/article/8959

In the Bible, bats are considered “night birds.”  They are mentioned as being unclean to eat, and are also mentioned as part of the end-times judgment.  Bats are fascinating creatures in God’s creation.  They testify of His wonders, and may we never tire of learning about Him.  

Leviticus 11:  13And these are they which ye shall have in abomination among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray, 14And the vulture, and the kite after his kind; 15Every raven after his kind; 16And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk after his kind, 17And the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl, 18And the swan, and the pelican, and the gier eagle, 19And the stork, the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat.

Isaiah 2: 17And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.  18And the idols he shall utterly abolish.  19And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.  20In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats;  21To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.

The Scriptural use of bats relates to the spiritual darkness of man in the world.  They fly only at night, which is the same domain of the spiritually lost.   The light of the world is Jesus Christ, the god of this world is Satan, and there is no light in him.  Lucifer is the false light.  The light that the evil one emits, can be likened to the light given off by electric bug zappers.  The insects fly towards the light, which deceives them into thinking it is the moon.  But, the false light of the bug zapper, only leads to their destruction, just as the false light of Lucifer leads to man’s destruction.

Jesus is the Light of the World.  As believers, we reflect His glorious light to a lost and dying world.

2 Corinthians 4:3-5

3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.

God’s Creation and Rainbows – Rainbows are a Picture of Jesus

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Genesis 9:13

I do set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between Me and the earth.

  • A rainbow is a multi-colored arc that forms in the sky.
  • Rainbows are created by both reflection and refraction (bending) of light in water  (Jesus is the Water of Life) droplets in the atmosphere, which results in a spectrum of light appearing.
  • A rainbow is in fact a full circle of light.  (Jesus is the Light of the World) However, due to most people viewing a rainbow on the ground we only see a semi-circle or arc of the rainbow.
  • A rainbow is not situated at a specified distance, instead it will always be visible to a person at the precise angle freshwater droplets reflect the light which is 42 (6×7) degrees in the opposite direction of the sun.
  • A rainbow is not an object, it cannot be approached or physically touched.
  • No two people see the same rainbow, in fact even our individual eyes see slightly different rainbows. If someone appears to be standing under a rainbow you can see, they will see a different rainbow at the same angle but further away.
  • Rainbows can be seen not just in rain but also mist, spray, fog, and dew, whenever there are water drops in the air and light shining from behind at the right angle.
  • Sir Isaac Newton identified the 7 colors of the visible spectrum that together make up white light. All of which are present in a rainbow in the order red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet (the acronym or name ROY G BIV is a good way to remember these colors and their order).
  • Most rainbows we see will be a “primary rainbow” whereby the color red can be seen on the outer edge through to violet on the inner edge.
  • The sky within a primary rainbow is brighter than the sky outside of the arc. This is due to the fact that the millions of droplets needed to make a rainbow are spherical and overlap to create white light. At the edge however, these colored discs don’t overlap so display their individual colors producing the rainbow arc.
  • A “double rainbow” is where a second, much fainter arc can be seen outside of the primary arc. This is caused by the light reflecting twice inside the water droplets. As a result of this double reflection the colors of the second arc are inverted with violet on the outer edge and red on the inner edge.
  • The dark, unlit sky between the primary arc and secondary arc is called Alexander’s band, after Alexander of Aphrodisias who first described it in 200 AD.
  • Very rarely, light can be reflected 3 or 4 times within a water droplet which produces even fainter tertiary (third) and quaternary (fourth) rainbows in the direction of the sun.
  • A “moonbow” is a rare lunar rainbow or night time rainbow produced by light from the moon. Our eyes see it as white even though all colors are faintly present.
  • A “fogbow” is formed by cloud and fog droplets, they are almost white with very faint colors visible. Fogbows are quite large and much broader than a rainbow.
  • Create your very own rainbow by trying this fun rainbow experiment!
  • http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/weather/rainbows.html

John 8:12

 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: He that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

The light of the sun is made up of seven distinct colors as shown in the rainbow. In music, there are seven distinct notes. Seven is often referred to as God’s seal.  It is the perfect number.  The number of completion.  The number seven speaks of Perfection, Completion, and Eternal.

There are “literally” thousands of “patterns of sevens”  in the 66 Books of the Bible. 

The Quest for Truth, Michael Dedivonai, p. 80, 83

http://bookfornook.com/books/T/The-Quest-For-Truth.pdf

When we see or think of rainbows, let us be awestruck at His Holiness and Majesty.  How insignificant we are in face of all creation.  Truly, His ways are so far above ours, that it should bring us to a point of rapture  just thinking about it all.  How He reveals Himself to us through His creation, is thrilling beyond anything. 

Psalm 8:2-4

2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast Thou ordained strength because of Thine enemies, that Thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

3 When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained;

4 What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that Thou visitest him?

Psalm 139:5-7

5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid Thine hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

7 Whither shall I go from Thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from Thy presence?

Biblical “Kinds”

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Bible skeptics enjoy trumping the variety of species in our modern world as the main objection to Noah’s Ark being a factual occurrence.  The understanding of the “kinds” described in the beginning of the Bible is becoming clearer and clearer – thanks to modern science and the exploration of DNA.  It has been documented that polar bears and grizzly (Kodiak) bears have interbred, not only in zoos, but rarely in the wild. 

This wonderful article from the Institute for Creation Research gives glory to our Creator – and His perfect, preserved Word.

Zonkeys, Geeps, and Noah’s Ark

by Brian Thomas, M.S. *

zonkey_geep_wide

Zookeepers in Reynosa, Mexico, recently witnessed a female zebra give birth to a “zonkey.” So far, this rare hybrid animal appears to be in good health.1 Meanwhile, an Irish farmer’s sheep chases its baby “geep,” sired by a goat.2 What do zonkeys and geeps have to do with Noah’s Ark?

The zebra mother had grown familiar with a neighboring dwarf albino donkey. Although its father was colorless, the zonkey progeny has striped legs and a mostly brown torso.1 Zebras and donkeys actually have different numbers of chromosomes, making fertilization quite challenging, but cellular machinery sometimes somehow finds a way to form a viable offspring. It appears life was designed to do just that.

Similarly, the typical goat has 60 chromosomes, and most domestic sheep have but 54. Modern science has attached separate genus names for the two varieties, but the fact that they can interbreed demonstrates that they descended from a single kind. They both fall under a broader category: the subfamily called “Caprinae.”

Family names, or in this case the subfamily, for animals seems to best approximate the Genesis kind. Adding those of air-breathing, land-dwelling animals yields a population that would not even take up half the Ark’s calculated volume.3

Nevertheless, Bible skeptics discount the Ark, insisting that it could not possibly have carried all the required creatures. When asked to estimate how many creatures entered the vessel, they sometimes suggest millions—an unrealistic number by far. But they sometimes add sea creatures to their tallies, and they may also be counting various versions of sheep, goats, zebras, donkeys, and horses separately.

Noah and his sons only needed two of each kind, and if two creatures can interbreed, they essentially belong to the same kind. Noah’s family also only needed land-dwelling, air-breathing animals. The text says, “Of the birds after their kind, of animals after their kind, and of every creeping thing of the earth after its kind, two of every kind will come to you to keep them alive.”4 That rules out fish and a host of other water creatures, which comprise the largest chunk of currently tallied animal names—Nemo and Flipper need not apply.

How did today’s animal varieties arise, anyway? Since creatures continue to diversify into newly named varieties as they pioneer new environments and breed with neighbors of their own general kind, it stands to reason that the few number of animals on the ark rapidly diversified after the Flood into the vastly diverse animal kingdom we see today. For example, over a thousand named species of finches and sparrows have been linked through breeding studies to a single, interbreeding kind.5 And that’s where rare animals like zonkeys and geeps come in, showing that today’s varieties trace back to basic kinds.

Were horses, zebras, donkeys, sheep and goats on the ark separately? Maybe, but based on these rare cross breeds, perhaps the two basic kinds were represented by animals that looked more like zonkeys and geeps.

As we learn more and more about chromosomes – it shouldn’t stretch any Bible believer’s understanding to know where the “giants” of Noah’s day came from.  “Kinds” are why all the animals were able to fit, comfortably, on  Noah’s Ark. 

The animals, and even the human beings of modern history (post-flood) have been closely interbreeding for thousands and thousands of years – mostly due to geographic isolation.  What went on the Ark – both animals and people – looked much different from what we see now. 

GENESIS 7:13-15

13 In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah’s wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark;

14 They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort.

15 And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life.

You can have confidence that every Word of your Bible is true – despite the tenacious efforts of the wicked to prove otherwise.

Peru’s Marvelous Hummingbird

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Truly – I thought I knew about every kind of hummingbird there was.  One word will describe this jewel of God’s creation – breathtaking. 

Isaiah 28:5

“In that day shall the LORD of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people.”

In 1835, when scientists first saw Peru’s most unusual hummingbird, they were so overcome with its beauty that they gave it the name “Marvellous”.

This little bird treats the eye to iridescent green, yellow, orange, and purple feathers. But its most unusual feature is its tail. While most birds have eight to twelve tail feathers, the Marvelous hummingbird has only four. Two of these are long, pointed, thorn-like feathers that don’t seem to help much in flying or landing. The other two feathers are truly marvelous. They are six inches long, three times the length of the bird’s two-inch body. On the end of these two long narrow feathers are large feather fans that nearly equal the surface area of its wings.

Astonishingly, the Marvellous hummingbird has complete control of these feathers. At rest, the bird perches with these two feathers hanging down an inch or so from its body, and then crossing them until they are horizontal. In flight and landing, they provide remarkable maneuverability. During mating, the hummingbird moves them as semaphores. Interestingly enough, evolutionists admit that they are stumped as to why these unusual feathers should have evolved.

One look at our creation clearly shows that our Creator appreciates beauty. But even the beautiful Marvelous hummingbird is but a poor and cloudy hint of the beauty of our Creator Himself.  http://www.creationmoments.com/radio/transcripts/peru-s-marvellous-hummingbird

Watching the video makes me wonder what the Garden of Eden was really like, and wonder further what it will be like when He returns and restores everything.  Sigh . . .

Psalm 86:10

For Thou art great, and doest wondrous things: Thou art God alone.

Elephant Sharks Defy Evolution

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Elephant Shark Research Team Misses Creation Clues

by Brian Thomas, M.S. *

When mainstream scientists search for clues about how and when the first bony-skeleton creature evolved from a non-bony creature, do they overlook evidence showing skeletons could never evolve from non-skeletons in the first place? It appears that a large collaboration of scientists that analyzed DNA from a spectacular living fossil called an elephant shark did just that. The title of their report, published in Nature, refers to “unique insights” into evolution, but the facts actually reveal something else.1

The elephant shark, or Australian ghost shark, is a cartilaginous fish that uses a snout to probe sea-floor sands for small clams in New Zealand and Australian waters. They have other non-shark-like characteristics, including green eyes placed high atop their heads and opercula covering their gills.

Elephant shark fossils occur in Ordovician rocks, assigned a conventional age of 450 million years, and in Permian rocks, assigned an age of 260 million years. Elephant sharks are still living today. Supposedly, they have not changed in form for over 300 million years and this makes them a spectacular example of a living fossil. The Nature authors wrote that their genetic analysis “shows that the C. milii [elephant shark] genome is evolving significantly slower than other vertebrates, including the coelacanth, which is considered a ‘living fossil.’”1

To say that the elephant shark has evolved slowly because its form has not changed dramatically understates the situation—it has not evolved at all! The study authors wrote, “The factors contributing to the lower evolutionary rate of C. milii are not known.”1 (One explanation they evidently didn’t consider for why these fish have not evolved is that God created their basic form right from the start.)

The main purpose of this secular research project was to find clues that might explain how jawed fishes evolved from jawless fishes—an evolutionarily biased approach. So, the researchers fitted their elephant shark’s genomic data into an evolutionary narrative about how jawless fishes evolved into the first cartilaginous-jawed fish and how some of its descendants then evolved into the first bony-jawed fish. And this despite the fact that all three groups suddenly appear side by side as contemporaries in Cambrian system strata!

Each step in the supposed evolution of vertebrates would require a wholesale restructuring of the ancestor’s anatomy. The Nature authors wrote, “This transition was accompanied by many morphological and phenotypic innovations.”1 But there are no demonstrations of creatures innovating even one new body part, let alone many. Plus, undisputed transitions are still no-shows in the fossil record.

What if these fish were created much as we find them today and never did evolve? This report ignores such questions, and its conclusions drip with evolutionary bias. For example, the authors wrote, “Overall, the C. milii genome is the least derived [least evolved] among known vertebrates.”1 But what empirical foundation supports a “least derived” designation? It is purely subjective since another research group could just as easily assert—perhaps on the basis of another organism’s perfectly unique genetic makeup and fossil occurrence in lower strata—an entirely different creature as being the least-derived vertebrate.2

Supposedly, elephant sharks “constitute a critical outgroup for understanding the evolution and diversity of bony vertebrates.”1 How do the researchers know that this fish kind is a critical outgroup? This designation comes not from data, but from an evolutionary-slanted assertion.

The Nature authors wrote of the elephant shark’s genome, “Its value for comparative genomic studies is illustrated by our analysis of genetic events that led to the ossification of endoskeleton in bony vertebrates.”1 Wait a minute—did these authors really study genetic events? Do they have a time machine that enabled them to go back and observe these alleged events? In reality, it appears they forced a high-functioning and one-of-a-kind genome into an evolutionary model.

The most significant insights that the elephant shark study revealed are that it simply has not evolved over supposed hundreds of millions of years and that secularists insist on fitting it into an evolutionary narrative despite the evidence. But its lack of evolution makes perfect sense if God created these fish to reproduce after their kind, just like He said.3

http://www.icr.org/article/7879/

What a fascinating creature!  These fish remind me of butterflies in the manner that they swim.  Extraordinary! If you do not recognize the hand of God in the creation  – you are doomed. 

JOB 12:7-9

7 But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:

8 Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.

9 Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this?

The Miracle of Blood

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It was as recent as 120 years ago, that the ill and dying, were “bled,” to effect a cure. George Washington, regarded by many, as the greatest president the United States ever had, was bled to death.

There can be scarcely a doubt that the treatment of his last illness by the doctors was little short of murder. Although he had been bled once already, after they took charge of the case they prescribed “two pretty copious bleedings,” and finally a third, “when about 32 ounces of blood were drawn,” or the equivalent of a quart. Of the three doctors, one disapproved of this treatment, and a second wrote, only a few days after Washington’s death, to the third, “you must remember” Dr. Dick “was averse to bleeding the General, and I have often thought that if we had acted according to his suggestion when he said, ‘he needs all his strength— bleeding will diminish it,’ and taken no more blood from him, our good friend might have been alive now. But we were governed by the best light we had; we thought we were right, and so we are justified.”

Read more: The True George Washington: Physique: His Death — Infoplease.comhttp://www.infoplease.com/t/history/true-washington

/death.html#ixzz1VoCVa1xw

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The life of the flesh is in the blood

We now know, that blood is the source of life, and that healthy blood is an absolute necessity to transport nutrients, and oxygen to every cell in the body. The Bible made the scientific statement 3,500 years ago – in Leviticus 17: 11, while scientists have really only begun to understand the significance of blood in the past 100 years.  Only very recently, scientists have discovered two new blood types!  See here.

The blood . . .

  • – carries on all the different body processees
  • – absorbs oxygen from the air, and carries it throughout the body
  • – collects Co2 and waste
  • – collects digested food from cilia in the intestines and distributes it
  • – grows new cells, bones, flesh, hair and nails
  • – sustains all organs
  • – repairs wounds, grows new flesh
  • – fights disease

If blood flow is cut off from the brain for only a few minutes, the brain is harmed to such an extent, that should the victim survive, there is permanent brain damage.

O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called. . .1 Timothy 6:20

God’s Plan of Salvation – Fact #7 – You Are Now A Child of God And Are To Obey Him

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Acts 5:29

 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

If you have followed God’s Plan of Salvation and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, then you are now a child of God.  You belong to Jesus Christ!  You are not a servant – but a son.  A son that wants to please his Father.

SERVANTS OBEY BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO – SONS OBEY BECAUSE THEY WANT TO! 

This is one of the major differences between true Biblical Christianity, and pseudo-Christianity, which is works based.  Those who are not born again, work to earn their salvation and reward; and not a little amount of fear goes along with that.    Believers work as loving children, desiring to please their loving Father, always aware of His care and patience.  We do not fear Him as His children, because we are His own forever.  We already have a safe and happy home with Him in eternity.

What are some of the ways that we, as His children, can please Him in our day-to-day lives? 

1. Make an effort to find a solid, King James, New Testament church to attend.  Don’t settle for a worldly church!  Acts 2:47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

2. Do get water baptized.  Baptism does not save; it is a witness of your faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Romans 6:4 – Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

3. Do attend Sunday School!  Study the Word of God with your church family – all God’s children.  2 Tim. 2:15 – Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

4. Attend the worship services of your church.  We ALL need the preaching of God’s Word AND Christian fellowship.  Heb. 10:25 – Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

5. Be a faithful steward.  All that you are and have belongs to the Lord.  1 Cor. 4:2 – Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

6. Make time in your daily life to pray and read God’s Word, that you may grow in grace, knowledge, and understanding of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Be ever vigilant of the urge to be under the Law.  It is something that both new born and mature Christians struggle with.  Always keep in the forefront of your mind, that everything you need to know about God, is contained within the Person of Jesus Christ, Who is the Personification of the Law.  He has fulfilled it for you.  You can not follow the Ten Commandments, anymore than you can sprout wings and fly.  No one was ever able to be completely obedient to the Law except Jesus Christ. Try living the commandments that Christ gave . . .

Matthew 22:36-40

36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38 This is the first and great commandment.

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Trust me – those are enough!  Welcome to the family of God, and we will all meet one day!  Praise Him!!!

Admit this fact to yourself

I AM A CHILD OF GOD AND I WANT TO OBEY HIM

God’s Plan of Salvation – Fact #6 – You Can Be Saved And Know It

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1 John 5:10-13

10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made Him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son.

11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.

12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

UPON THE AUTHORITY OF THE WORD OF GOD – YOU CAN BE SAVED AND KNOW IT!  HAVING FAITH IN GOD’S INFALLIBLE WORD IS YOUR ASSURANCE OF YOUR SALVATION.  LOOK CAREFULLY AT VERSE 13 AGAIN:

These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God;

that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

John 3:36

 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

“HATH” IS PRESENT TENSE – IF YOU ARE BORN AGAIN – YOU HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.  FOREVER!  THERE IS NOTHING VAGUE OR UNCERTAIN ABOUT THE WORD OF GOD. 

If you have followed God’s Plan of Salvation and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, then God wants you to know:

1. That you are now a child of God.

1 John 3:2

 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.

2.  That you have been made the righteousness of God, in Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:21

 For He hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

3.  That you are now a new creature in Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

4.  That you are now a son and heir of God.

Galatians 4:7

 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

PRAISE HIM!  IS THERE ANY GREATER ASSURANCE THAN WHAT WE FIND IN GOD’S INFALLIBLE WORD?

arrow pointing down

Matthew 24:35

 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.

Beloveds – there are no guarantees in this earthly life.  Marriages fail, children break parents’ hearts, jobs are lost, businesses close, promises and contracts are broken.  Once you are His, you are always His.  Guaranteed by His Holy Word.

Admit this fact to yourself

I CAN KNOW THAT I AM SAVED ETERNALLY

Bible Study – Jacob Obtains Isaac’s Blessing

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ISAAC FORGETS TWO IMPORTANT THINGS:

Genesis 27:1-10

27 And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his eldest son, and said unto him, My son: and he said unto him, Behold, here am I.

2 And he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death:

3 Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison;

4 And make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die.

5 And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it.

6 And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying,

7 Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the Lord before my death.

8 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee.

9 Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; and I will make them savoury meat for thy father, such as he loveth:

10 And thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, and that he may bless thee before his death.

Jacob intends to bless his favorite son, the manly Esau, and requests venison meat.  Please notice what is highlighted in red.  “Savoury meat.”  Death seems imminent to Isaac, even though he would live for many more years.  “Savoury meat such as I love,” indicates that Isaac allowed the desires of his flesh to dull his “spiritual sense.”  His fleshly lusts caused him to forget two important things:

  1. God told his wife that, “the elder would serve the younger.”
  2. Esau had already sold his birthright to Jacob.

We observe, that fleshly Isaac was ready to set aside God’s divine purpose, and the carnal Esau enthusiastically went along to accept the birthright he had sold to Jacob.

JACOB DECEIVES HIS FATHER

Genesis 27:11-17

11 And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man:

12 My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing.

13 And his mother said unto him, Upon me be thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them.

14 And he went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother: and his mother made savoury meat, such as his father loved.

15 And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son:

16 And she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck:

17 And she gave the savoury meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.

What cunning!  The duplicity of mankind through the ages is evident in this episode.  It was not difficult to fool the old man.  Goat meat tastes similar to deer meat.  Wearing goat skins and his brother’s clothing in order to smell and feel like the outdoor sportsman that Esau was,  Jacob was able to fool his elderly, blind father with ease.  But that’s not all!  In the following passage, highlighted in red, we see that Jacob even contrived to make his deception appear “spiritual.”  This added a deeper level of wickedness to Jacob’s sin.  In fact, the depth of spiritual wickedness lays Jacob’s old nature wide open for all of us to see.  Using the name of God to accomplish evil is the trademark of the Evil One.  Satan likes to put the Christian label on some very evil things.  The old nature has rule in Jacob’s life at this time, and we can all learn from it.

Genesis 27:18-29

18 And he came unto his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I; who art thou, my son?

19 And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy first born; I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me.

20 And Isaac said unto his son, How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the Lord thy God brought it to me.

21 And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not.

22 And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.

23 And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau’s hands: so he blessed him.

24 And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am.

25 And he said, Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s venison, that my soul may bless thee. And he brought it near to him, and he did eat: and he brought him wine and he drank.

26 And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son.

27 And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed:

28 Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:

29 Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother’s sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.

We’d all like to think that we would never do something like Jacob did.  But it is a fact, that our old natures are capable of just about anything, including murder.  Our fleshly nature must me subdued, and we must follow Jesus Christ at all costs.  

Romans 7:15-25 (KJV)

15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.

16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.

17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.

20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.

22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

Bible Study – Esau’s Wives

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Following the history of the Jews, is the story of God’s plan of Salvation.  Every saved person can see themselves in this history.  In last week’s study, the remarkable focus on wells, and Isaac, who was the son of promise, digging for wells to provide for his tribe.  It was also observed, that Isaac’s name is associated with wells seven times!  Oh, the deep things of God get deeper and deeper. 

We next progress onto the further refining of the line of promise, and the enmity of the flesh towards the things of God. 

Esau’s wives . . .

Only two verses are devoted to this subject here, yet they are verses that portend a great deal.

Genesis 26:34-35

34 And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite:

35 Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah.

  1. Hittites were idolaters, immoral, and worshipers of demons.
  2. Esau demonstrated why the Lord did not choose him, as this occurred before Isaac even blessed Jacob.  The Lord knows us before we are even conceived in the womb.
  3. Esau did not consider his parents in that he actually caused them grief through these marriages.  The spirit of rebellion.

It is of interest to those who adhere to the infallibility of God’s Word, how the secularists had long denied the existence of any such people group as the Hittites.  As time often reveals all truth – archeologists have proven since 1876, that the Hittites  (mentioned over 50 times in Scripture) were indeed a powerful people group during the 15th and 16th centuries BC.  They were descended from Heth, son of Canaan (the cursed, youngest son of Ham) and the great-grandson of Noah.  Their pagansim resulted in truly despicable practices, which is why they were to be destroyed – not married!  When God delivered the Canaanites to be destroyed by Israel His servant – it was to prevent the chosen people from being contaminated by such evil.

Which now brings up the subject, of intermarriage for believers.  Why do the saved of the Lord still do it?  

  • For Christians – even dating an unbeliever is unwise.
  • For Christians – marrying an unbeliever is forbidden.
  • There can be no harmony between the believer and the unsaved.

2 Corinthians 6:14Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.

1 Corinthians 15:33

 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

Marriage is the most intimate relationship on earth.  It is prophetically significant in that it portrays the relationship between Christ, and His Bride – the Church.  We are to evangelize the lost with the Gospel – not marry them!