Tag Archives: Jesus Christ

Bible Study – Abraham’s Greatest Test of Faith

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God never tempts anyone to sin (that is the province of Satan) but He does test  the faithful.  After all that has gone before –  Abraham leaving Ur of the Chaldees, and journeying to the Promised Land in faith, the Covenant,  and the extraordinary birth of the son of promise – Isaac –  when Abraham was 100 years old. 

It was now time for Abraham to be tested – the ultimate test – to prove Abraham – and to portend the future.  We must always hold God first in our lives.  Please consider that since the LORD is omniscient – He already knows the outcome of this test! 

Isaac carries the wood

GENESIS 22:1-14

22 And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.

2 And He said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

HERE IS THE TEST – DID ABRAHAM LOVE HIS SON MORE THAN HE LOVED GOD? ON “ONE OF THE MOUNTAINS” TELLS US THAT GOD HAD A PARTICULAR PLACE AND A PARTICULAR MOUNTAIN – MOUNT MORIAH!  THE SAME PLACE WHERE SOLOMON’S TEMPLE WOULD LATER BE BUILT AND THE SAME PLACE WHERE JESUS WOULD OFFER HIMSELF AS THE LAMB OF GOD!!!!!

3 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.

4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.

5 And Abraham said unto his young men, 

Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.

6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.

7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?

8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

9 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.

10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

the sacrifice

11 And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. 

12 And He said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from Me.

13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.

14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.

JEHOVAHJIREH = THE LORD WILL PROVIDE

BOTH ABRAHAM AND GOD THE FATHER OFFER SONS ON ALTARS – THIS IS KNOWN AS BIBLICAL TYPOLOGY

  • Isaac carried his own wood/Jesus carried His own cross
  • God provided the lamb/Lamb
  • Isaac was held by ropes/Jesus was held by iron nails
  • Isaac gave no resistance/ Jesus gave no resistance
  • Abraham’s son was spared/ God spared not His own Son
  • In the mount of the Lord/ Christ died on Mt Calvary
  • Ram caught in thorns was offered/ Christ was crowned with thorns
  • Isaac was heir to everything  Abraham had /Jesus Christ is the heir to everything  of God the Father’s – all power, all wealth, all glory, all kingdoms, the universe, all praise, all honor, all eternity, all judgment, all righteousness, all truth, all Lordship, all love, all mercy, all grace.

MORE SONGS AND WORDS HAVE BEEN WRITTEN ABOUT CALVARY THAN ANY OTHER PLACE ON EARTH!

Please consider the Lord’s omniscience – in knowing what Abraham would do – but Abraham himself, did not know what he would do!  These are the deep things of God, beloveds.

For the Lord’s Day – When We All Get to Heaven

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1.	Sing the wondrous love of Jesus; 
	sing his mercy and his grace. 
	In the mansions bright and blessed 
	he'll prepare for us a place. 
Refrain:
	When we all get to heaven, 
	what a day of rejoicing that will be! 
	When we all see Jesus, 
	we'll sing and shout the victory! 

2.	While we walk the pilgrim pathway, 
	clouds will overspread the sky; 
	but when traveling days are over, 
	not a shadow, not a sigh.
	(Refrain)

3.	Let us then be true and faithful, 
	trusting, serving every day; 
	just one glimpse of him in glory 
	will the toils of life repay. 
	(Refrain)

4.	Onward to the prize before us! 
	Soon his beauty we'll behold; 
	soon the pearly gates will open; 
	we shall tread the streets of gold. 
	(Refrain)
Eliza_E_Hewitt

The author of this text, Eliza Hewitt, was a school teacher in Philadelphia and a Christian lay worker who was deeply devoted to the Sunday school movement. Like many of the other gospel song writers during the latter half of the nineteenth century, Eliza’s goal in writing her songs was to reach children and teach them the basic truths of the gospel. She dedicated this particular song to her own Sunday school class in Philadelphia. Though an invalid for much of her life, Eliza was always active and enjoyed a long personal friendship with Fanny Crosby. These two women met often for fellowship and discussion of their new hymns.

http://hishymnhistory.blogspot.com/2012/11/when-we-all-get-to-heaven.html

1 THESSALONIANS 4:17

 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Sigh. . .can’t wait – can you?  Today’s hymn selection was inspired by our sister Paulette, who we recently prayed for, and was pronounced cancer free.  And now she has the news from her son, that he has felt the calling, and desires to enter ministry.  Praise Him!        

For the Lord’s Day – Great is Thy Faithfulness

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Great is Thy Faithfulness

Refrain:
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

Refrain

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Refrain

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Refrain

Great is Thy Faithfulness, The Song and the Story

Composer Thomas Chisolm Writes Great is Thy Faithfulness

Thomas Obadiah Chisolm (1866-1960) had a difficult adult life. His health was so fragile that there were periods of time when he was confined to bed, unable to work. Between bouts of illness he would have to push himself to put in extra hours at various jobs in order to make ends meet.

After coming to Christ at age 27, Thomas found great comfort in the Scriptures, and in the fact that God was faithful to be his strength in time of illness and provide his needs. Lamentations 3:22-23 was one of his favorite scriptures: “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness.”

While away from home on a missions trip, Thomas often wrote to one of his good friends, William Runyan, a relatively unknown musician. Several poems were exchanged in these letters. Runyan found one of Williams’ poems so moving that he decided to compose a musical score to accompany the lyrics. Great is Thy Faithfulness was published in 1923.

For several years ,the hymn got very little recognition, until it was discovered by a Moody Bible Institute professor who loved it so much and requested it sung so often at chapel services, that the song became the unofficial theme song of the college.

It was not until 1945 when George Beverly Shea began to sing Great is Thy Faithfulness at the Billy Graham evangelistic crusades, that the hymn was heard around the world.

Thomas Chisolm died in 1960 at age 94. During his lifetime, he wrote more than 1,200 poems and hymns including O To Be Like Thee and Living for Jesus  http://www.sharefaith.com/guide/Christian-Music/hymns-the-songs-and-the-stories/great-is-they-faithfulness-the-song-and-the-story.html

“I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known Thy faithfulness to all generations.” (Psalm 89:1)

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)

whittle_dw

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 – 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.

Friday Proverb – Wisdom Speaks

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Mankind, full of egoism and idolatry, refuses to hear wisdom, as she is crying out for all to hear and see. What follows is the result of rejecting the wisdom that is offered.

24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;

25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:

26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; 27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.

Since true wisdom comes only from God, the Bible says that following the wisdom of the world is to invite calamity. Our nation has invited destruction. Just look at this quote from famous evangelist, Billy Sunday(1862-1935):

“Rivers of America will run with blood filled to their banks before we will submit to them taking the Bible out of our schools.”

How quickly America submitted. In 1962 and 1963, respectively, prayer and the Word of God were removed from our public schools. Read more here.

As the Proverb comes to an end, Wisdom states that she will not answer when called upon after being ignored and cast aside.

27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. 28 Then shall they call upon Me, but I will not answer; they shall seek Me early, but they shall not find Me:

 29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord:

30 They would none of My counsel: they despised all My reproof.

 31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. 32 For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.

Following the prosperity of fools??? Ridiculous fashion trends, extravagant lifestyles, personality cults, excessive consumerism, idolization of sports figures and celebrities. . .

 But whoso hearkeneth unto Me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

Proverbs 1: 20-33

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 – Have Thine Own Way Lord

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How we all like to “have our own way.”  Our way stinks!  As an aside – most sheeple have never even heard the very deep fourth verse of this wonderful hymn.  And it is very, very deep.

  1. Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
    Thou art the Potter, I am the clay.
    Mold me and make me after Thy will,
    While I am waiting, yielded and still.
  2. Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
    Search me and try me, Master, today!
    Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now,
    As in Thy presence humbly I bow.
  3. Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
    Wounded and weary, help me, I pray!
    Power, all power, surely is Thine!
    Touch me and heal me, Savior divine.
  4. Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
    Hold o’er my being absolute sway!
    Fill with Thy Spirit till all shall see
    Christ only, always, living in me.

Born: No­vem­ber 27, 1862, Bloom­field, Io­wa (birth name: Sar­ah Ad­di­son Poll­ard).

Died: De­cem­ber 20, 1934, New York City

Adelaide Pollard was distressed. In spite of her best efforts, she could not raise the funds she needed to go as a missionary to Africa. “Why?” wondered the forty-year-old woman.

Discouraged, she attended prayer meeting one evening in 1902. There an old woman prayed: “Lord, it doesn’t matter what you bring into our lives–just have your way with us.”

The words sank home. Adelaide went home. She meditated on the old woman’s prayer and on Bible texts in Jeremiah 18:3,4 and Isaiah which referred to God as a potter. As a result, she wrote a hymn which millions have sung:

Have Thine own way, Lord!
Have Thine own way!
Thou art the potter; I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.

Adelaide was named Sarah when she was born in Bloomfield, Iowa on this day, November 27, 1862. She didn’t like her given name and adopted Adelaide in its place.

Her life was always centered on her faith. After training in Chicago, she taught in several girls’ schools and then became active as a Bible teacher, evangelist and healer. She herself had been healed of diabetes through prayer. Contemporaries saw her as a mystic and saint.

During the years that she was unable to go to Africa, she taught at the Christian and Missionary Alliance school in Nyack, New York. Shortly before World War I, she did reach Africa. However, the war forced her to retreat to Scotland. After the fighting was over, she returned to the United States where, despite failing health, she preached in New England. One of her major themes was that Christ would soon return.

Adelaide wrote over 100 other songs, but just how many we do not know for certain, since she seldom signed them, not desiring credit.

http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1801-1900/sarah-pollard-didnt-like-her-name-11630530.html

JEREMIAH 18:3-4

King James Version (KJV)

3 Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.

4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

Dear Lord, make us worthy vessels like unto Thee.

Dear Lord, make us worthy vessels like unto Thee.

Isaiah 64:8

But now, O Lord, Thou art our father; we are the clay, and Thou our potter; and we all are the work of Thy hand.

For the Lord’s Day – Rock of Ages

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Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure;
Save from wrath and make me pure.

Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone.

Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to the cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die.

While I draw this fleeting breath,
When mine eyes shall close in death,
[originally When my eye-strings break in death]
When I soar to worlds unknown,
See Thee on Thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.

rock_of_ages

Augustus Montague Toplady (1740 to 1778), was an unusual child. His father died when he was very young and so he was raised by his mother who adored and spoiled him. He was not very well liked by his peers or his relatives, partly because they did not relate to his extreme intelligence, and partly because he was sickly and neurotic.

Controversy followed Toplady throughout his short 38 years of life, but he did not let that stop him. At a very young age he showed a keen interest in developing a relationship with God. By age 12 he was preaching sermons, and at age 14 he began writing hymns. He was ordained as an Anglican priest at the age of 22. Although some thought him to be arrogant and obstinate, excerpts from his writings verify that he was a devoted and humble follower of Christ.

an excerpt from his personal journal, at age 27:
O, my Lord let not my ministry be approved only, or tend to be no more than conciliating the esteem and affections of my people to Thy unworthy messenger; but to do the work of Thy grace upon their hearts: call in Thy chosen; seal and edify Thy regenerate; and command Thy everlasting blessing upon their souls! Save me from self-opinion, and from self-seeking; and may they cease from man, and look solely upon Thee. (faithclipart.com)

1 O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation.

2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto Him with psalms.

3 For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.

4 In His hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is His also.

5 The sea is His, and He made it: and His hands formed the dry land.

6 O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker. Psalm 95: 1-6

6 Wherefore also it is contained in the Scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on Him shall not be confounded. 7 Unto you therefore which believe He is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the Stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the Head of the corner, 8 And a Stone of stumbling, and a Rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the Word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. 1 Peter 2: 6-8

For the Lord’s Day – In The Garden

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C. Austin Miles (1868-1946) was a pharmacist turned hymn writer and church music director. He was also an amateur photographer. One day in March, 1912, while in his dark room waiting for film to develop, Miles had a profound spiritual experience in which he saw an incredible vision of Mary Magdalene visiting the empty tomb. He saw her leave the tomb and walk into a garden where she met the Master and heard Him speak her name.

When Miles came to himself his nerves were vibrating and his muscles tense; the words to a new song were filling his mind and heart. He quickly wrote out the lyrics to In The Garden and later that evening composed the musical score. The song was published that same year and became a theme song of the Billy Sunday evangelistic crusades. (faithclipart.com)

In The Garden

I come to the garden alone,
While the dew is still on the roses,
And the voice I hear falling on my ear,
The Son of God discloses . . .

And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own,
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other, has ever, known!

He speaks and the sound of His voice,
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing,
And the melody that he gave to me,
Within my heart is ringing . . .

And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own,
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other, has ever, known!

And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other, has ever, known!

11 But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre,

12 And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.

13 And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid Him.

14 And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.

15 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto Him, Sir, if thou have borne Him hence, tell me where thou hast laid Him, and I will take Him away.

in the garden

16 Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto Him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.

17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch Me not; for I am not yet ascended to My Father: but go to My brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto My Father, and your Father; and to My God, and your God.

18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things unto her.

John 20: 11-18

I Need Thee Every Hour

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As I sit hear alone, I am overwlemed with this song. Truly, I need Him every hour. A short story about the author as you listen but please don’t miss the words.

Annie Hawks wrote:
“One day as a young wife and mo­ther of 37 years of age, I was bu­sy with my reg­u­lar house­hold tasks. Sud­den­ly, I be­came so filled with the sense of near­ness to the Mast­er that, won­der­ing how one could live with­out Him, ei­ther in joy or pain, these words, “I Need Thee Ev­e­ry Hour,” were ush­ered in­to my mind, the thought at once tak­ing full pos­sess­ion of me.”

After writ­ing the lyr­ics, Hawks gave them to her pas­tor, Ro­bert Low­ry, who add­ed the tune and re­frain. The hymn was first pub­lished at the Na­tion­al Bap­tist Sun­day School Con­ven­tion in Cin­cin­na­ti, Ohio, in No­vem­ber 1872. Some years lat­er, af­ter the death of her hus­band, Hawks wrote:

“I did not un­der­stand at first why this hymn had touched the great throb­bing heart of hu­man­i­ty. It was not un­til long af­ter, when the sha­dow fell over my way, the sha­dow of a great loss, that I un­der­stood some­thing of the com­fort­ing pow­er in the words which I had been per­mit­ted to give out to others in my hour of sweet se­ren­i­ty and peace.”

I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord No tender voice  like Thine can peace afford

I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby Temptations lose  their power When Thou art nigh

I need thee, oh, I need thee, every hour I need Thee I need  thee, I need thee, I need Thee every hour

I need Thee every hour in joy or pain Come quickly and abide  or life is in vain I need Thee, oh, I need Thee, every hour I need Thee I  need Thee, I need Thee, I need Thee every hour I need Thee, I need Thee, I  need Thee every hour

Oh, bless me now, my Savior, I come to Thee Oh, bless me  now, my Savior, I come to Thee I need Thee every hour, teach me Thy will And Thy rich promises in me fulfill

I need Thee, oh, I need Thee Oh I need Thee every hour I  need Thee, I need Thee, I need Thee every hour I need Thee, I need Thee, I  need Thee every hour

Oh, bless me now, my Savior, I come to  Thee

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

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  1. “Man of Sorrows!” what a name
    For the Son of God, who came
    Ruined sinners to reclaim.
    Hallelujah! What a Savior!
  2. Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
    In my place condemned He stood;
    Sealed my pardon with His blood.
    Hallelujah! What a Savior!
  3. Guilty, vile, and helpless we;
    Spotless Lamb of God was He;
    “Full atonement!” can it be?
    Hallelujah! What a Savior!
  4. Lifted up was He to die;
    “It is finished!” was His cry;
    Now in Heav’n exalted high.
    Hallelujah! What a Savior!
  5. When He comes, our glorious King,
    All His ransomed home to bring,
    Then anew His song we’ll sing:
    Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Philip Paul Bliss

1838-1876

Born: Ju­ly 9, 1838, Clear­field Coun­ty, Penn­syl­van­ia. His most popular song was Hold the Fort! (1870) which was based on the events of a Civil War battle in October 1864 near Atlanta, GA. He is especially noted for his hymns and character songs. Among his most popular hymns were I Am So Glad, Daniel’s Band, More to Follow, Free From the Law, Whosoever Will, Man of Sorrows, Almost Persuaded, I Know Not the Hour, and Meet Me at the Fountain.

Died: De­cem­ber 29, 1876, Ash­ta­bu­la, Ohio. Bliss and his wife died in a tra­gic train wreck caused by a bridge col­lapse. He sur­vived the in­i­tial im­pact, but went back in­to the flames in an un­suc­ces­sful at­tempt to res­cue his wife.

The night be­fore that ter­ri­ble rail­road ac­ci­dent at Ash­ta­bu­la…he said to his au­di­ence, I may not pass this way again; then he sang a so­lo, I’m Go­ing Home To­mor­row. This in­deed proved pro­phe­tic of his own home go­ing.

Crosby, Chapter XVII

[hymntime.com]

3 He is despised and rejected of men; a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.

4 Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not his mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth.

8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare His generation? for He was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of My people was He stricken.

9 And He made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death; because He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth.

Isaiah 53: 3-9

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 – #3 – The Approach

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Never fear beloveds!  This is easier than you think.  Often we are afraid of giving witness, because we just don’t know how to approach the “target.”  Sometimes, it seems, the Lord places someone right in our paths.  Other times, it may seem as though it’s been a long time between witnessing opportunities. 

THERE ARE TWO WAYS TO APPROACH THE PERSON YOU ARE WITNESSING TO:

1.  The direct approach.  This approach can be used when witnessing to:

  • A relative.  Andrew used the direct approach with his brother Simon Peter, bringing him to Christ.  John 1:40-42
  • A friend.  Philip the apostle used the direct approach to bring Nathaniel to Christ.  John 1: 45-46
  • The concerned.  Jesus Christ used the direct approach to win the heart of Nicodemus.  John 3: 1-21
  • The seeker.  Paul and Silas used the direct approach to lead the Philippian jailer to Christ.  Acts 16: 19-34

2. The second, is the indirect approach.  This approach can be used when witnessing to:

  • A stranger.  Jesus used the indirect approach to win the heart of the Samaritan women.  John 4: 7-26
  • The religious.  Philip the evangelist used the indirect approach to lead the Ethiopian eunuch to Christ.  Acts 8: 26-39

Never be afraid to share your faith!  The method used, will vary according to the leading of the Holy Spirit.  Either way – direct or indirect –  be sure to follow through (the subject of the next article on How to Witness) until you have presented God’s Plan of Salvation and invited them to accept Christ as their personal Savior.  Remember that you have the witness of your faith to add strength to your work – and that witnessing for Him – is the true work of every child of God.

Isaiah 43:10-12

10 Ye are My witnesses, saith the Lord, and My servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He: before Me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after Me.

11 I, even I, am the Lord; and beside Me there is no saviour.

12 I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God.

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!!!!

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?

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 #5 – You Can Be Saved By Faith In The Lord Jesus Christ

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Acts 16:25-33

25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.

27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.

28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.

29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,

30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.

33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.

Acts 16:31

 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

The Philippian jailer directly asked Paul and Silas – “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”  The answer was quick, concise, and positive in content – “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, thou and thy house.”  Just what was that answer that Paul and Silas gave to the jailer?  The Gospel!  Upon hearing the Gospel preached, the jailer and his family believed and were saved.

WHAT IS THE GOSPEL THAT SAVES WHEN BELIEVED?

  1. “That Christ died for our sins.”
  2. “That He was buried.”
  3. “That He rose again the third day.” 1 Cor. 15:3-4

Jesus Christ  the God-man, died for you, was buried for you, and rose from the dead for you.  And He is now at the right hand of the Father, interceding for you.

1 John 2:1

 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

Romans 1:16

 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation only when you believe.  Your faith in Christ releases the power of God that saves your soul.

The man born blind received physical sight by a miracle, but spiritual sight came when Jesus asked –

John 9:35-38

35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?

36 He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on

him?

37 And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen Him, and it is He that talketh with thee.

38 And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped Him.

Salvation came to Thomas , when he believed and confessed –

John 20: 24-29

24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.

25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe.

26 And after eight days again His disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.

27 Then saith He to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold My hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side: and be not faithless, but believing.

28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

When you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God hath raised Him from the dead – you will be saved.

Romans 10:9-10

9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Please, accept Him now by faith.  Speak to Him in prayer, while you are alone at your computer, or anywhere you like.  It doesn’t matter where.  You don’t need to follow any special words, but your prayer might go something like this:

Lord Jesus, I know that You love me, because You died on the cross bearing my sins.  Thank You, Lord, for revealing to me my lost, sinful condition.  I confess that I am a sinner, dead in sin, and cannot save myself.  I do now by faith, gladly accept You as my personal Savior, and I praise and thank You, Lord, for all Your mercies, and the gift of eternal salvation.  Amen.

Admit this fact to yourself

I CAN BE SAVED THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST

God’s Plan of Salvation – Fact #4 – Christ Died for You

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Romans 5:6

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

Christ died for the ungodly – all those who are not like God.  That includes you. 

Romans 5:8

 But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Indeed – Christ died for each and every man, woman and child – sinners all.

2 Corinthians 5:21

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

1 Peter 1:18-19

18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

1 Peter 3:18

 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

1 Corinthians 15:3

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

Aren’t those Scriptures wonderful?  Won’t you join the family of God and thank Him for His great love in sending His Son to bear your sins in His own body on the cross?

Admit this fact to yourself

CHRIST DIED ON CALVARY FOR ME

God’s Plan of Salvation – Fact #3 – You Are Dead in Sin

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If you have confessed and admitted that you are a sinner,  then God now wants you to know that “the wages of sin is death.”  Just as you are paid wages for the job you perform in the world, so you are paid wages in the spiritual world for the things you have done.

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Romans 6:23

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

You are dead in sin, until you accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior.  He must be  your –personal- Savior, because you have personally sinned against God.  YOU!  It has nothing whatsoever to do with anyone else, or any outside mediator such as a religious affiliation.  The  relationship is personal, between you and God alone.  To be saved, is to be made spiritually alive in Christ.

Ephesians 2:1

 And you hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.

Only the Holy Spirit can convict you of your sins.  Should you choose to ignore Him, you will remain dead in your sins.  What is death?

  1. Death is spiritual separation.  Your sins have separated you from God, therefore you are dead in your sins.
  2. Death is physical separation.  It separates the spirit and soul from the body.
  3. Death is eternal separation.  If you choose to remain lost in your sins, you will stand before God at the Great White Throne Judgment.  It is there that your sins will separate you from the mercy of God forever.  This is hell.

Revelation 20:11-15

11 And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from Whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

great white throne judgment 2

13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

YOU KNOW THAT GOD LOVES YOU – YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE A SINNER . . .

Admit this fact to yourself

I AM DEAD IN SINS

God’s Plan Of Salvation – Fact #2 – You Are a Sinner

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Romans 3:23

 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.

If you are a human being – you qualify as “all.”  Sin is sin, and you are a sinner. 

1 John 3:4

 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

Sin is the transgression of the law.

1 John 5:10

 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.

Sin is unbelief – it calls God a liar.

Isaiah 1:2

 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against Me.

Sin is active and passive rebellion against God.

 GOD CAN NOT LIE.  HE SAID THAT “ALL HAVE SINNED.”  “ALL” INCLUDES YOU.  YOU HAVE SINNED AGAINST GOD IN THOUGHT, WORD, AND ACTIONS.  YOU HAVE COMMITTED SINS OF COMMISSION AND SINS OF OMISSION – BY DOING WHAT IS WRONG AND FAILING TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT.  IN THE PERFECT, SINLESS, SIGHT OF GOD – YOU ARE A SINNER. 

Admit this fact to yourself

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I AM A LOST SINNER, BECAUSE I HAVE SINNED

God’s Plan of Salvation – Fact #1 – God Loves You

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IT IS AN ETERNAL FACT THAT GOD LOVES YOU WITH AN EVERLASTING LOVE THAT CANNOT BE FATHOMED.  IT IS A LOVE SO BOUNDLESS, THAT IT CAN ONLY BE KNOWN THROUGH FAITH. 

Jesus saving

John 3:16

 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Just think about the simple word “so,” in the above verse.  So simple, yet so expressive.  That deep and simple word gives us some concept of the magnitude of God’s love.  God so loved you, that He gave His only begotten Son, to be made sin for you, that you might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

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.

JESUS CHRIST WAS MADE THAT WHICH GOD HATES – SIN 

SO THAT YOU MIGHT BE MADE THAT WHICH GOD LOVES – RIGHTEOUSNESS. 

It is because God so loves you, that you can exchange your sins for His righteousness.  Is there any greater evidence of love?

CALVARY IS PROOF THAT GOD LOVES YOU – AND IT IS HIS GREATEST LONGING TO SAVE YOU.

Admit this fact to yourself

GOD LOVES ME

God’s Plan of Salvation – Introduction

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As we enter into this all-important focus of Bible Doctrine, please take note of these three important imperatives:

  1. There are seven irrefutable facts revealed in God’s plan of salvation.
  2. It is God’s plan – not man’s.
  3. There is no other plan that can save your lost soul and make you a child of God.

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.

Revisionist history states that the Holy Roman Empire was dissolved, but that is not entirely true.  It still exists, and is regrouping for the final phase of the story of the world.  At one point, during  its zenith – all roads led to Rome.  And in a very real sense – all organized religions also lead to Rome – not to God and His salvation.  There is only one way – God’s way.  And, God’s Way is a Person; and the Person is His Son – Jesus Christ.

John 14:6

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.

GOD’S THREEFOLD PLAN OF SALVATION

I.  Christ appeared here, on this earth, to save each and every one of us, from the penalty of sin.  He accomplished this, by putting away our sins, through sacrificing Himself on the cross.  Heb. 9:26 – For then must He often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

II.  He then appeared in heaven, in the presence of God, after His resurrection, to save us from the power of sin.  Heb. 9:24 – For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:

III.  Christ will appear again on this earth, for the second time, as “Lord of Lords and King of Kings,”  to save us from the very presence of sin.  Heb. 9:28 – So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation.  

Please come back, for an in depth, seven part study of – God’s Plan of Salvation.

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 – God Confirms Covenant With Isaac

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Only by adhering strictly to Scripture, are we allowed to see the Lord’s complete relationship with mankind.  Anytime we veer even slightly into the world, our “world-view” will become corrupted.  There are countless books, blogs, websites,  Youtubes, and even television programming, devoted to “expanding our understanding of the Bible.”  Unfortunately – the “world-view” of whoever  is producing these products, will heavily impress itself upon the finished product.  It is essential to truly delve into the Word of God in the King James Bible, to understand Him.  And, through His Word, we can understand why the Jews were –  and still are – God’s chosen people. 

Genesis 26:1-5

26 And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar.

[Abimelech = My father is king.  It is not a name as much as it is a title, in the same fashion as Pharaoh is.  There were several “Abimelechs” recorded.]

2 And the Lord appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of:

3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father;

4 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;

5 Because that Abraham obeyed My voice, and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.

As we progress through the Book of Genesis, we see our Lord further refining the people known as Hebrews.  In the above passage, the Lord reconfirms the eternal Abrahamic Covenant.  It is not a  new covenant.  In verse 5, He lists the reasons why He has done so.  In verse 4b – He states just how ALL the nations of the world will be blessed through Abraham’s penultimate seed –  Jesus Christ.

There are many ministries, religions, cults, and so-forth,  dedicated to destroying the Biblical truth of the nature of God’s relationship with Israel.  Many even go so far as to trash the Epistles of Paul!  It is imperative, for the serious Bible student, to understand the difference between the Nation of Israel, and the Church.  It is implicitly laid out in both the Old and New Testaments.  God used Israel throughout His-story, and He is still using them.  It is my firm belief, that even the Song of Solomon is about our Savior  and His Gentile Bride – the Church.  This story is told over and over again, in varying scenes, throughout the Old Testament.  Jews do not even know why they perform the rituals and rites of the proscribed Feasts – yet all the same – they are portraying the same story.

All O.T. Biblical Covenants are between Jehovah and Israel – the Church is a third party beneficiary!  The Church is not a part of the nations of the world – but rather a pilgrim on earth.  Israel engages in earthly physical battles, while the Church’s battles are spiritual.  Israel has a priesthood, the Church is a priesthood.  Israel has Biblical borders and a capitol, while the Church consists of peoples from all nations and tongues.  Israel is referred to as the frequently  faithless wife of Jehovah, while the Church is referred to as the Bride of Christ.  God’s relationship with Israel was one of Subject/King, while the Church’s relationship is one of Bride/Bridegroom.

four fifths of the bible pertains to the jews, while one fifth deals with the church!!!!

Just because the Jewish nation at large does not realize their role, does not mean they are not still players in the scene.  They have been blinded in part, and it is not for us to conjecture  the full why and how.   He tells us in the following passage, that the Jews were blinded so that we may take part in His Salvation.   It is one of the mysteries of God’s manifold love for His creatures.

Romans 11:24-26

24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?

25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: