The apostles and early believers were despised by the religious Jews
\nbecause of the gospel which they preached. It was not because they were
\ncovetous or proud men. They were persecuted because the gospel of God\u2019s
\ngrace, which they preached, was offensive to human\u2019s pride.<\/p>\n
They preached (as I trust we do, also) that salvation, even for the most
\nmoral person on earth, is only possible because of the grace and mercy
\nof God, given to us in Christ Jesus. These people of God knew nothing of
\nfree-will, decisionism, and giving God a chance. They knew only one way
\nof salvation, that of God\u2019s being gracious and showing sovereign mercy
\nto sinners in Christ.<\/p>\n
The gospel of grace and glory does not appear OCCASIONALY in their
\npreaching and writings, nor was it a deeper truth or doctrine which they
\ndiscussed PRIVATELY; it reigns, shines, and dominated all that they
\nsaid, wrote, and did.<\/p>\n
It is the ONLY THING that they preached!<\/p>\n
To them, any word of human worthiness, works, or rights was totally
\nwrong, and counted for nothing in the matter of acceptance before God.
\nThey addressed all men (even themselves) as guilty, condemned, and
\nperishing justly unless God is pleased to come in mercy and lift the
\nbeggar from his dunghill, sanctify and justify him through Christ Jesus,
\nand accept him in the Beloved. Henry Mahan<\/p>\n
Expectation<\/p>\n
Addictions are not so much enslaving because of the pleasure derived
\nfrom them, but rather from the expectation of a pleasure that never
\ncomes. The flesh of man is addicted to this world. Never content, his
\nexpectation for a better tomorrow drives his pursuit for happiness from
\nworldly things.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing
\ninto this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out.\u201d (I Tim.
\n6:6-7) Being content with Christ is a miracle of grace in the heart.
\nContent with Him as all our Righteousness before God. Content with Him
\nas our Redeemer, and His shed blood as our justification before God.<\/p>\n
Oh, child of God, all the expectations of the flesh will leave you
\nwanting. But Christ will never disappoint. The expectation of faith will
\nnever be able to imagine the fullness of the glory that shall be
\nrevealed in us. \u201cMy soul, wait thou upon God; for my expectation is from
\nHim. He only is my rock and my salvation\u201d (Ps.62:5-6) \u201cAccording to my
\nearnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed.\u201d
\n(Phil.1:20) ~Greg<\/p>\n
Perfect, complete, without blemish, holy, blameless, spotless; these are
\njust a few of the words the Scriptures uses to describe God\u2019s saints. We
\ndo not feel that we are any of these things in ourselves, but this is
\nwhat God says about us. Do we believe what we see in ourselves or what
\nGod says about us? God describes us with these glorious words because of
\nwhat our Lord Jesus Christ accomplished for us by His holy sinless life
\nand His sacrificial death for us on the cross. God\u2019s Word describes us
\nas what we are in Christ. \u201cThanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift.\u201d
\n~Donnie Bell<\/p>\n
DIVINE HEALING<\/p>\n
Tommy Robbins<\/p>\n
\u201cBless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who
\nforgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth all thy diseases.\u201d Ps 103:2<\/p>\n
This would be a perfect man \u2026 One that has no sin and no disease. I can
\nthink of only One that fits this description \u2026 The Lord Jesus Christ \u2026
\nThe Godman. The Lord Jesus Christ became so much one with His people –
\nHe was made our sin and we are made His righteousness – that we are
\nperfect in Him! Iniquities and disease are one and the same in this
\ncontext. The \u201chealers\u201d of our day like to apply this to themselves and
\nphysical healing. But this is not the case. Granted, if we are healed
\nphysically it is the Lords doing. However, the healing spoken of and
\nportrayed in the scriptures is the redeeming work of the great physician
\nin the putting away of our sin and the imputation of His righteousness
\nto us. Do I believe in Divine healing? Emphatically YES! I believe
\nChrist heals His people eternally! \u201cSpeak ye comfortably to Jerusalem,
\nand cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is
\npardoned: for she hath received of the LORD\u2019S hand double for all her
\nsins\u201d Isa 40:2.<\/p>\n
Those with need of healing<\/p>\n
And the people followed Him; and He received them, and spake unto them
\nof the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing. ~ Luke 9:11<\/p>\n
The Lord Jesus Christ went about healing everyone that had need of
\nhealing. He was and is Jehovah Rapha: the Lord that healeth thee. He
\nhealed all manner of diseases. He came to save and He came to heal. And
\nHe sent out His disciples with the same mission, saying: \u201cGo, preach,
\nsaying, The kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the
\nlepers, raise the dead, cast out devils\u201d (Matt.10:7-8). What a word this
\nis to every preacher of the gospel.<\/p>\n
In every congregation we face there is someone who \u2018has need of
\nhealing.\u2019 In every service there is someone who is sick and dying with
\nthe leprosy of sin; someone who is blind, halt, and lame; someone who is
\nvexed with a devil; someone who is dead in trespasses and sins. While we
\ncannot literally heal the sick, we do have a gospel that will heal the
\nspiritually sick.<\/p>\n
While we are told to reprove, rebuke, correct, and warn, we need to take
\ncare that we always try to comfort His people and heal them that have
\nneed of healing. May we always lift up Christ and Him crucified, as
\nMoses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, that every sin-sick soul
\nmay look and be healed. With every message we need to tell of Him Who
\nwill . . . remove the burden of the laboring and heavy laden; Who will
\nlift the fallen, cheer the faint; Who will receive the prodigal; Who
\nwill forgive the forlorn; Who will comfort the sorrowing; Who will heal
\nall that have need of healing.<\/p>\n
Paul Mahan<\/p>\n
Saved By Faith<\/p>\n
Luke 7:50 And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.<\/p>\n
There are many who fancy themselves more theologically sound than Christ
\nHimself, who cringe at the teaching of saving faith. They say things
\nlike, \u201cfaith doesn\u2019t save, grace does,\u201d or perhaps some even more crafty
\nwording, fashioned to make the clear teaching of Christ better fit their
\npreconceived doctrinal \u201cposition.\u201d If you ever find yourself needing to
\nqualify or alter what Christ plainly said, for fear of compromising your
\ndoctrinal position, then you need a new position. Or better yet, cease
\nto take positions at all, and simply believe what God said. Since Christ
\nsaid to a sinner, \u201cthy faith hath saved thee,\u201d I would be afraid NOT to
\nsay it, and teach it.<\/p>\n
Only faith, saving faith, the faith of God\u2019s elect, God-given faith
\nexalts the grace of God and the God of grace. And only this faith makes
\nsalvation sure to all of God\u2019s elect. Rom 4:16 Therefore [it is] of
\nfaith, that [it might be] by grace; to the end the promise might be sure
\nto all the seed . . . Why should we be hesitant to say the rain makes
\nthe flowers grow? We know Who made the rain, and Who sends it and causes
\nit to fall when and where He pleases. You could argue that it is not the
\nrain, but the clouds that give life, because without the clouds there
\nwould be no rain. Or you could just thank God for the clouds and rain,
\nand rejoice that He would delight to make it fall on such a worm as I. –
\nChris Cunningham<\/p>\n
The Revelation of Faith<\/p>\n
\u201cBut as it is written, eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have
\nentered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for
\nthem that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his spirit;
\nfor the spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God (I
\nCorinthians 2:9-10)\u201d<\/p>\n
By the sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth the believer
\nis given spiritual eyes. Spiritual eyes are eyes that see what others
\ncannot and will not see. The apostle Paul describes this vision in II
\nCorinthians 4: 18 saying —\u201cWe look not at things which are seen, but
\nat the things which are not seen: For the things which are seen are
\ntemporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal..\u201d The faith of
\nGod\u2019s elect is the gift of God that enables the believer to see through
\nthe eyes of God. John said of Christ, \u201cWhat he hath seen and heard, that
\nhe testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony. He that hath received
\nhis testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. (John 3: 32-33)\u201d
\nThe eyes of faith see through God\u2019s eyes. They see God as he is, man as
\nhe is, and Christ reconciling the two. They see the eternal, immutable
\npurpose of God in redemption, the everlasting covenant of grace and the
\none mediator between God and men accomplishing the will of God
\nconcerning these things. The eye of faith sees a bleeding substitute
\nsatisfying the justice of God concerning their sins and his righteous
\nobedience as their own righteousness making them \u201choly, unblameable and
\nunreproveable in his sight (Colossians 1:22).\u201d<\/p>\n
Seeing through his eyes we see the perfection of God in all he has done
\nand found as God did when he looked upon his work, that it is good and
\ncomplete and sufficient to cease from our labors and enter into his rest.<\/p>\n
Darvin Pruitt<\/p>\n
\u201cBelieve ye that I am able to do this?\u201d (Matthew 9:28).<\/p>\n
This was a question the Lord asked two blind men regarding His ability
\nto give them sight. Their answer was, \u201cYea, Lord.\u201d Here we are given an
\nillustration of what faith really is.<\/p>\n
Faith is not believing you are saved, or believing that God loves you
\nand Christ died for you, or believing all of your sins are forgiven, or
\nbelieving you are perfect in God\u2019s sight. These things belong to the
\nrealm of assurance. Faith is neither more nor less than believing that
\nHe is able to save you. Paul said in II Timothy 1:12, \u201cI am persuaded
\nthat He is able\u2026.\u201d Assurance that you are saved and all of your sins are
\nforgiven will come out of that, but the actual act of faith is believing
\nHe is able. If you lack assurance, perhaps you have never really
\nbelieved that \u201cHe is able.\u201d Believing He is able will lead to the
\nassurance of these things, because you are relying upon His ability, and
\nnot your own.<\/p>\n
Todd Nibert<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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