How to Spot a Healthy Church in 30 Seconds

by Joe McKeever

Something about those children intrigued me, but I couldn't figure out what it was.

For the past week or two, I have noticed these three small children playing in their yard near the Mississippi River levee. Normally, in my daily walk I don't travel as far east as their house, but recently I began lengthening the walk by another mile, trying to lose more weight. That's when I began noticing them.

The oldest child seemed to be seven or eight. There was a younger brother and a little sister. In the yard was all kinds of play equipment. No matter how cold it was, they were out there laughing and running, jumping and hiding, having a big time. You could hear them a block away.

Something about that made me smile. "Whatever the parents are doing," I thought, "its working."

Yesterday, the children were out once more, enjoying life. As I reached my turning-around point and headed back, I noticed they were doing something different. They and another boy had several large-wheel vehicles at the top of the levee which they were riding down to their yard across the grassy expanse. Two women sat in chairs near the house, keeping an eye on them. One was the mother, I assumed.

As I neared them, all the children rode off the levee except the oldest boy. As I approached, he looked in my direction and said, "Hi. I'm Harley." I was so taken aback, I had to ask, "That's your name?" He said it was. I said, "Hi, Harley. My name is Mister Joe." He smiled a big grin and said, "Hi, Mister Joe!" Then, off the levee he went.

I walked away thinking my first impression of that family was right on. The parents are doing many things right. Here is a little kid with a great friendly attitude, confident enough to introduce himself to strangers, and enjoying life to its fullest.

One day soon I plan to introduce myself to the parents. I'm going to predict that I will find the family does not have a television set and the children do not own computer games. There's more to that family than this, of course, and I want to find out what it is.

From the first, I had felt there was something so attractive about that family.

And that's what started me thinking about churches. Is it possible to do a drive-by of a church and within a few seconds determine that it's a healthy church?

I've run that question by a number of friends.

My friends and I have decided it's easier to tell an UNHEALTHY church in a few seconds than a healthy one.

As one pastor put it, "If the building is in a state of disrepair and if the people are unfriendly, those are dead giveaways. If there are no greeters for the church and no helps for first-time visitors, you decide very quickly this must be an unhealthy church."

Other signs are so obvious they require very little comment: a sparse crowd, lackluster singing, uninspired sermons, and unfriendly congregations.

But the question is: How would you tell that a church is healthy in a few seconds?

Corey gave several possibilities. "You might notice that the people are excited to be there. That works for me. A healthy congregation."

He continued, "If the people are generous, that's a great sign. Not necessarily rich. The people of Macedonia were generous but dirt-poor (II Corinthians 8)."

"If there is strong pastoral leadership, if everyone is in the right place in serving. Those are great signs. It's what I call a 'good Ephesians 4' model."

"If the people love their ministerial staff and follow them, they are going to be a healthy church in most cases."

Mike said, "I need a little more than 30 seconds to determine if a church is healthy. I want to hear their preaching and learn what the preacher is telling the people theologically."

I posted the question of Facebook today, as to how we could tell in 30 seconds that a church is healthy. Here are some of the answers, and then I'll give you mine.

·        people are friendly and speak to me.

·        I see signs of mission involvement and evangelism.

·        there's an air of expectancy.

·        the church has children.

·        people are carrying their Bibles.

·        warmth.

·        a variety of age groups.

·        in the parking lot and at the front door, servants are showing me Jesus in their very actions.

If I could choose one moment, one sliver of time, that would tell the story on a church and allow me to decide on the health-status of the congregation, it would be: How they handle a conflict.

For years, I thought Acts 6:1-6 was all about the origin of the first deacons in the church. Finally, it hit me that that is a very minor part of that story. The major theme of that story is how the church dealt with a challenge to its fellowship and peace.

You and I cannot sit off to the side and watch the Jerusalem congregation deal with the dissension that arose when one group of widows began complaining that they were being neglected in the daily distribution of food in favor of the majority group. We can't, but plenty of others in the city were watching.

They watched and they were most impressed by what they saw.

And what exactly did they see? They saw the leaders, the Apostles, move quickly as soon as the dissent arose. They saw them defer to the congregation, instead of handling the matter themselves. They saw the congregation do the most amazing thing: select seven good men from among the dissenting group and put in charge of the food distribution. They saw how it pleased everyone and how the congregation settled back down in harmony. And they made a decision.

They wanted what these Christians had.

Acts 6:7 reads, "So the preaching about God flourished, the number of disciples in Jerusalem multiplied greatly, and a large group of priests became obedient to the faith."

Question: When was the last time your church impressed the outside world by the way it dealt with conflict?

When was the last time newcomers walked into your fellowship and were so impressed by what they saw, within one minute they were ready to sign on the dotted line? What could they have possibly seen that would have brought about that kind of reaction?

I do not have all the answers on this. However, this would be a great subject for a discussion with your church leadership.

I know this: many of the first-time visitors to your church will be making a decision on whether to return within the first minute or two after they get out of the car. What they see will either draw them in or turn them off.

Scary stuff.

Baked Garlic Butter Chicken

 

---

Katerina | Diethood

Garlic Butter Chicken with fresh rosemary and cheese. The perfect one pan dish for a weeknight! Super quick, easy and SO delicious.

5 minPrep Time

35 minCook Time

40 minTotal Time

Ingredients

• 4 (16-ounces) boneless skinless chicken breasts
• salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 1 stick (1/2-cup) butter*
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
• 1/2 cup Shredded Reduced Fat 4-Cheese Italian

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Lightly grease a baking dish with a pat of butter.
3. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper; arrange chicken in a single layer in prepared baking dish and set aside.
4. Add butter to a skillet and melt over medium heat.
5. Stir in garlic and cook over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, or until lightly browned, stirring very frequently. DO NOT burn the garlic.
6. Stir in the rosemary and remove from heat.
7. Pour the prepared garlic butter over the chicken breasts.
8. Bake for 30 to 32 minutes, or until chicken's internal temperature is 165F.
9. Sprinkle with cheese and cook for an additional 3 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
10. Remove from oven and let stand a couple minutes.
11. Transfer chicken to serving plates; spoon a little bit of the garlic butter sauce over the chicken and serve.

Recipe Type: Dinner

Notes

*Though we're using an entire stick of butter for the sauce, we're only ingesting about 1/2-tablespoon of the butter per serving.

WW SmartPoints: 7

Proverbs21:23

Whoso keepth his mouth and tongue keepth his soul from troubles.

I have heard that the LORD gave man one mouth and two ears. That means we should listen two times more than we speak.

Much of our troubles come from us saying more than we should. We add stuff to the truth (embellishing it) to make our selves look bigger than we should.

You have been in situations where you have even embarrassed yourself, and, HAD to cover it up with a lie. You know people now that try to hog or control the conversation with made up stuff. Everyone in the group know what is happening and just wish that person would go away. You really have no respect or belief in what they say.

NOW, think about that person. Do you want to be around folks like that? Do you want to be like that person? Are you?

I knew a Deacon that never talked very much. He would listen to everyone, and, never said bad things about people. When he did speak, it was the truth, it was plain, and folks paid attention to what he had to say.

You and I know people that talk just to hear themselves talk. They know everything about any subject and will not listen to reason.

I'm thinking; What kind of person am I?

What about you? What kind of person are you?

 

God Bless;

Walter D. Hill D. Min.

Walk In Obedience

Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you.—Deuteronomy 5:33

I needed an underground water tank and knew precisely how I wanted it constructed, so I gave clear instructions to the builder. The next day when I inspected the project, I was annoyed when I realized that he had failed to carry out my instructions. He had changed the plan and therefore the effect. The excuse he gave was as irritating as his failure to follow my directives.

As I watched him redo the concrete work, and as my frustration diminished, a guilty conviction swept over me: How many times have I needed to redo things in my life in obedience to the Lord?

Like the ancient Israelites who frequently failed to do what God asked them to do, we too often go our own way. Yet obedience is a desired result of our deepening relationship with God. Moses told the people, “Be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you . . . . Walk in obedience to all that [he] has commanded you” (Deut. 5:32–33). Long after Moses, Jesus urged His disciples to trust Him and to love one another.

This is still the kind of surrender of our hearts that leads to our well-being. As the Spirit helps us to obey, it is good to remember that He “works in [us] to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Phil. 2:13). —Lawrence Darmani

Lord, thank You for second and third chances. Please help us to want to follow Your ways and to follow through in obedience.

The closer we walk with God, the clearer we see His guidance.

Godly Repentance

from Bible Universe

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Matthew 5:4

We are not worthy of God's love, but Christ, our surety, is worthy, and is abundantly able to save all who shall come unto Him. Whatever may have been your past experience, however discouraging your present circumstances, if you will come to Jesus just as you are, weak, helpless, and despairing, our compassionate Saviour will meet you a great way off, and will throw about you His arms of love and His robe of righteousness. He presents us to the Father clothed in the white raiment of His own character. He pleads before God in our behalf, saying: I have taken the sinner's place. Look not upon this wayward child, but look on Me. Does Satan plead loudly against our souls, accusing of sin, and claiming us as his prey, the blood of Christ pleads with greater power.

"Surely, shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength. . . . In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory." Isaiah 45:24, 25.

"Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted." .

The mourning here brought to view is true heart sorrow for sin. Jesus says, "I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me." John 12:32. And as one is drawn to behold Jesus uplifted on the cross, he discerns the sinfulness of humanity. He sees that it is sin which scourged and crucified the Lord of glory. He sees that, while he has been loved with unspeakable tenderness, his life has been a continual scene of ingratitude and rebellion. He has forsaken his best Friend and abused heaven's most precious gift. He has crucified to himself the Son of God afresh and pierced anew that bleeding and stricken heart. He is separated from God by a gulf of sin that is broad and black and deep, and he mourns in brokenness of heart.

Such mourning "shall be comforted." God reveals to us our guilt that we may flee to Christ, and through Him be set free from the bondage of sin, and rejoice in the liberty of the sons of God. In true contrition we may come to the foot of the cross, and there leave our burdens.

The Saviour's words have a message of comfort to those also who are suffering affliction or bereavement. Our sorrows do not spring out of the ground. God "doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men." Lamentations 3:33. When He permits trials and afflictions, it is "for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness." Hebrews 12:10. If received in faith, the trial that seems so bitter and hard to bear will prove a blessing. The cruel blow that blights the joys of earth will be the means of turning our eyes to heaven. How many there are who would never have known Jesus had not sorrow led them to seek comfort in Him!

The trials of life are God's workmen, to remove the impurities and roughness from our character. Their hewing, squaring, and chiseling, their burnishing and polishing, is a painful process; it is hard to be pressed down to the grinding wheel. But the stone is brought forth prepared to fill its place in the heavenly temple. Upon no useless material does the Master bestow such careful, thorough work. Only His precious stones are polished after the similitude of a palace.

The Lord will work for all who put their trust in Him. Precious victories will be gained by the faithful. Precious lessons will be learned. Precious experiences will be realized. Our heavenly Father is never unmindful of those whom sorrow has touched. When David went up the Mount Olivet, "and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot" (2 Samuel 15:30), the Lord was looking pityingly upon him. David was clothed in sackcloth, and his conscience was scourging him. The outward signs of humiliation testified of his contrition. In tearful, heartbroken utterances he presented his case to God, and the Lord did not forsake His servant. Never was David dearer to the heart of Infinite Love than when, conscience-smitten, he fled for his life from his enemies, who had been stirred to rebellion by his own son. The Lord says, "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent." Revelation 3:19. Christ lifts up the contrite heart and refines the mourning soul until it becomes His abode.

Isaiah 64:8 (KJV)

“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.”

In our present world in which we live, it seems that everything is going out of control. Sin is running rampant and people are giving in to every whim of doctrine and religion. We ask just who is in control of all of this mess? The scriptures tell us that Satan is the god of this world who has blinded the eyes of those who believe not (2 Cor.4:4), however, we who believe have one who controls us, sons and daughters of God that is the Almighty!

As we ponder on today’s verse which says God is our Father and we are clay in the Potters hand, we are His work. We should examine ourselves daily to see if we are doing things God’s way or our own way. Most of the time we forget about God and go about doing things our own way and wonder…why God didn’t do this or that?  When we do things our way, we get our results.  But when we allow God to shape and mold us we get God’s results.

Let’s be reminded that God is the Potter and we are the clay.  Let Him shape and mold us to fit His plans and purposes for our lives. We cannot go wrong being led and moved by Him. God is in control of the one who believes because we have given our lives to Him through our Lord Jesus Christ.

God Bless;

Tony Green; Anna Green

Email: christcorner74@gmail.com

Facebook: Christ’s Corner

Wrestling With GOD

And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day (Genesis 32:24).

God is wrestling with Jacob more than Jacob is wrestling with God. It was the Son of man, the Angel of the Covenant. It was God in human form pressing down and pressing out the old Jacob life; and ere the morning broke, God had prevailed and Jacob fell with his thigh dislocated. But as he fell, he fell into the arms of God, and there he clung and wrestled, too, until the blessing came; and the new life was born and he arose from the earthly to the heavenly, the human to the divine, the natural to the supernatural. And as he went forth that morning he was a weak and broken man, but God was there instead; and the heavenly voice proclaimed, "Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel; for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed."

Beloved, this must ever be a typical scene in every transformed life. There comes a crisis-hour to each of us, if God has called us to the highest and best, when all resources fail; when we face either ruin or something higher than we ever dreamed; when we must have infinite help from God and yet, ere we can have it, we must let something go; we must surrender completely; we must cease from our own wisdom. strength, and righteousness, and become crucified with Christ and alive in Him. God knows how to lead us up to this crisis, and He knows how to lead us through.

Is He leading you thus? Is this the meaning of your deep trial, or your difficult surroundings, or that impossible situation or that trying place through which you cannot go without Him, and yet you have not enough of Him to give you the victory?

Oh, turn to Jacob's God! Cast yourself helplessly at His feet. Die to your strength and wisdom in His loving arms and rise, like Jacob, into His strength and all-sufficiency. There is no way out of your hard and narrow place but at the top. You must get deliverance by rising higher and coming into a new experience with God. Oh, may it bring you into all that is meant by the revelation of the Mighty One of Jacob! There is no way out but God.

At Thy feet I fall,

Yield Thee Up My ALL,

To suffer LIVE, OR DIE

For my Lord crucified.

THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

By the late Pastor Bob Hanna


The Holy Spirit of God has influenced lives in every dispensation, but not always in the same way. A great number of students of Scripture consider the Holy Spirit's appearance at Pentecost and His effect on those present on that occasion to be the beginning of a continuous influence, even to this present day. Such, however, is not the case.

At Pentecost the Holy Spirit appeared in fulfillment of prophecy - a promise made by Jesus Christ to His apostles. When He was preparing to ascend to heaven, He told them, "Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8). He had already said to them, Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence" (Acts 1:5). Thus there was to be a twofold action: empowerment, and baptism. The promise of His coming as made by the Lord when the apostles were assembled at passover: "I will pray to the Father and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever" (John 14:16).

These conditions were exclusively related to Israel. "When the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind ... and there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them" (Acts 2:1-3). They were filled with the Holy Ghost, they spoke in other (unknown) tongues.

In this present dispensation our relationship to the Holy Spirit is entirely different. The apostle Paul explains, "That we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed (or, upon believing), ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise (Ephesians 1: 12,13). "Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you" (I Corinthians 6:19)? "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free" (I Corinthians 12:13).

God is looking for those with whom He can do the impossible -
 what a pity that we plan only the things that we can do by ourselves. -- A. W. Tozer

SPIRITUAL PROSPERITY

By Miles Stanford


"That you may be filled with a clear knowledge of His will accompanied by thorough wisdom and discernment in spiritual things" (Col. 1:9, Wey.).

Service does not come first; neither does life! The proper sequence for the believer is death to the old, from which emerges newness of life and fruitful service.

"It is a sad thing when service interferes with soul-prosperity. It is possible to be so engrossed with service that one's meditations are colored by it, one's prayers are full of it, and the Word of God becomes simply a quarry out of which material for sermons can be dug up. This is a serious loss to the soul and many are thereby hindered from making spiritual progress.

"Very often new believers who have not even peace with God are encouraged to take up service, and they become so occupied with what they are doing that they are not at leisure to learn or to take their place in the favor of the Father. Hence, so long as the service prospers, and they get on pretty well with it, they are happy. The service is their life! But when there is no success, and the whole thing seems to be a failure, their joy collapses. They have to discover how little they have really got, and in many cases to find that they are perfect strangers to the liberty and joy of acceptance." -CA.C.

"There must be a profound and genuine experience of Divine things; a cultivation of the highest possibilities of godliness if the witness is to be really effective and fruitful. There must be a man behind the message - a saint behind the service. There must be the nameless effectiveness that comes from true fellowship with the Father." -A.T.P.

"So that your lives may be worthy of the Lord and perfectly pleasing to Him while you manifest the results of right action of every sort and grow into a fuller knowledge of God" (Col. 1:10, Wey.).

The cross that ended the earthly life of Jesus
now puts an end to the sinner;
 and the power that raised Christ from
the dead now raises him to a new life along with Christ.

A BOND SLAVE OF JESUS CHRIST

by Russell S. Miller

          In Paul's epistles he always opens with his name and, in most instances the phrase, "an apostle of Jesus Christ." But in his epistle to Titus, he opens with the declaration:

 "Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness" (Titus 1:1).

Saul, as he was also known, commissioned with authority from the chief priests, was anything but godly in his persecution of Messiah's followers. But suddenly, on the road to Damascus, in Acts 9, the Lord stopped him in his tracks:

 "And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me? And he said, Who art Thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? ..." (Acts 9:4-6).

 When the Lord appeared to Paul, at Damascus, he was most acutely aware of how wrong he had been, and of how ungodly his life had been without Christ, and it greatly humbled him. Years later this once proud Pharisee wrote that it was only God's grace that had made him the man of God he had become--"an apostle" and the devoted "servant of Jesus Christ" in ministering "the gospel of God" to the Gentiles (Rom.1:1-5). In Ephesians 3:7 he further tells us that he was "made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God, given unto me by the effectual working of His power.


 "Unto me, who am LESS than the LEAST of all saints, is this GRACE given, that I should PREACH among the Gentiles THE UNSEARCHABLE RICHES OF CHRIST" (Eph. 3:7,8).

 In our text the word "servant," doulos in the Greek and rendered "bondman" in Textus Receptus, refers to one who serves. Paul was now the willing "servant" of Jesus Christ. Thus he exhorts believers not to be blinded by the devil's lies, "For we preach not ourselves, but CHRIST JESUS THE LORD; and ourselves your SERVANTS for Jesus' sake" (II Cor. 4:5). And because Paul was a faithful "bond slave" of Jesus Christ, he wrote Timothy:

"Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto His heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen" (II Tim. 4:17,18).

Choosing Faith over Fear

by Dr. Charles Stanley

Isaiah 41:8-13

 

These days, there are plenty of reasons to fear. Our world seems to be in a continuous state of war and crisis. The jobs market is dismal, natural disasters wreak havoc, and stories of crime dominate the headlines. As Christians, we know that fear should have no place in our lives, but how can we ignore what's going on around us?

 

Basically, there are two paths you can walk: faith or fear. It's impossible to simultaneously trust God and not trust God. Another way of saying this is that you cannot both obey and disobey Him--partial obedience is disobedience. So, which road are you traveling?

 

Some people who read the Bible and believe in God nevertheless choose to live with fear. Seeing others experience hardship, they start wondering if it could happen to them: Someone at my office lost his job; will I be next? Someone died in an accident--I could die too. But this kind of "logic" places your circumstances above your relationship to God.

 

If Satan can get you to think like this, he has won the battle for your mind. But when you focus on God rather than your circumstances, whatever the situation is, you win. The Bible tells us, "God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline" (2 Tim. 1:7).

 

Our heavenly Father understands our disappointment, suffering, pain, fear, and doubt. He is always there to encourage our hearts and help us understand that He's sufficient for all of our needs. When I accepted this as an absolute truth in my life, I found that my worrying stopped.

No Condemnation

by Dr. Charles Stanley

 

Romans 8:1-4

Some believers are plagued by feelings of condemnation. Either they think they'll never live up to God's expectations for them or they're nearly drowning in guilt over past sins. These men and women cannot seem to shake the sense that God is displeased with their puny efforts at being Christlike.

The book of Romans confronts this lie head-on: "There is therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 8:1). When the Savior went to the cross on our behalf, He lifted the blame from our shoulders and made us righteous before God. Those feelings of condemnation do not belong to us; they are from Satan. He amplifies our guilt and feelings of inadequacy and then suggests that's how the Lord feels about His "wayward child." Nothing could be further from the truth. Our sins are wiped clean, and we are chosen and loved by God.

 

Condemnation is reserved for those who reject the Lord (John 3:36). Sin is a death sentence (Rom. 6:23). Anyone who chooses to cling to sin instead of seeking divine forgiveness must pay the penalty, which is an eternity separated from God. Two synonyms of condemn are 'denounce' and 'revile.' Those words certainly describe Jesus' statement to unbelievers in Matthew 25:41: "Depart from me, accursed ones."

 

There is no condemnation for those who receive Jesus Christ as their Savior. The believer's penalty for sin is paid, and he can stand blameless before God. Trust in the Lord's love and let go of Satan's lie. God's beloved children are covered by His grace and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Seated In Heaven

by Pastor C. R. Stam




God sees every believer in Christ as already in heaven. See what the Bible says about this:


“BUT GOD, WHO IS RICH IN MERCY, FOR HIS GREAT LOVE WHEREWITH HE LOVED US,

“EVEN WHEN WE WERE DEAD IN SINS, HATH QUICKENED US TOGETHER WITH CHRIST (BY GRACE YE ARE SAVED),

“AND HATH RAISED US UP TOGETHER AND MADE US SIT TOGETHER IN HEAVENLY PLACES IN CHRIST JESUS:

“THAT IN THE AGES TO COME HE MIGHT SHOW THE EXCEEDING RICHES OF HIS GRACE IN HIS KINDNESS TOWARD US THROUGH CHRIST JESUS” (Eph.2:4-7).

Most sincere believers, poorly taught in the Word, are concerned about getting to heaven, but as far as God is concerned they are already there.They have been “made accepted in the Beloved” (Eph. 1:6). God has given them a position “in Christ.”


We are well aware that most of God’s people know little about this experientially, but God says that as far as He is concerned, they are already in heaven, and this is what matters. As Christ took our place on Calvary’s cross, God now sees us in Christ, at His own right hand,the place of favor and honor. This is why the Apostle Paul says to believers in Christ:

“IF YE THEN BE RISEN WITH CHRIST, SEEK THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE ABOVE, WHERE CHRIST SITTETH ON THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.

“SET YOUR AFFECTION ON THINGS ABOVE, NOT ON THINGS ON THE EARTH.

“FOR YE ARE DEAD, AND YOUR LIFE IS HID WITH CHRIST IN GOD”(Col. 3:1-3).

And all this by the free grace of God:

“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” (II Tim. 1:9).

Our hearts go out to those of our readers who have not yet received this“gift of the grace of God.” “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).

WHAT ABOUT ME, AND THE FUTURE?

by C. R. Stam
    
Is it not amazing that men who can produce intricate electronic mechanisms, build giant sky-scrapers, fly men to the moon and back -- is it not amazing that such men often do not even know what will finally become of themselves! And what is more amazing still is that most of them do not even try seriously to find out.

They are intelligent enough to plan carefully for the future where temporal affairs are concerned, but foolish enough to neglect their eternal welfare. They make plans for themselves in case they become ill and need additional funds for surgery, medicine and hospital care. They even make plans for their loved ones in case of death and bereavement, but fail to ask themselves: "What will become of me after death?"

Daily "the wise of this world" witness the truth of Hebrews 9:27, that "it is appointed unto men once to die", and most of them know that the Bible adds: "after this the judgment". They may hope that this is but a false alarm, but they do not know. They can only wonder and worry. Hebrews 2:15 declares that "through fear of death" they are "all their lifetime subject to bondage". Like Adam, they run and hide from God instead of running to Him and asking: "What must I do to be saved?" Too cowardly to face up to their own grave, no hope beyond the tomb -- too afraid, generally, to even discuss death.

The believer in the Word of God is not left thus in the dark. He glories in the truth of the passages from which we have quoted in part above. We quote them now in full:

Hebrews 2:14,15: "Forasmuch then as the children [of Adam] are partakers of flesh and blood, He [Christ] also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

"And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage."

Hebrews 9:27,28: "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.

"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 [lit., "apart from"] sin unto salvation."


 

"Life without God is like an unsharpened pencil - it has no point."

THE MIRACLE OF LOVE

by Robert Hanna

JESUS Christ, who is very God, thus addressed His disciples: "This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you, Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:12,13). The magnitude of the love of God is beyond the scope of human comprehension. "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" (John 3:16).

Obviously, the world is anything but lovable! Ergo, the evident meaning is that God showed forth such great love toward the world, that, despite their unregenerate condition, men might, upon believing, obtain eternal life. "For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:7,8). How can we possibly conceive of such love! It would be impossible for us to generate equal love. "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins .... We love Him, because He first loved us" (1 John 4:10,19).

The central figure of the entire Word of God is Jesus Christ. And the total remedy for all of the ills of the world was effected by Him in the offering of Himself at Calvary, to suffer, bleed and die as the spotless lamb of the once-for-all sacrifice required to satisfy the demands of God's standard of justice. All this was accomplished by the exercise of God's love. The supreme teaching of the Scriptures must surely be the doctrine of love.

How appropriately does our Apostle so emphasize: "And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is LOVE" (1Cor. 13:13). Our motivation--our driving force--as saints of God, is His love. "For the love of Christ constraineth us ... " (2 Cor. 5:14). By the power of His love we are assured of ultimate victory. We are destined to suffer for Him in sundry ways, as members of His body ."Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" (2 Tim. 3:12). There will be losses and defeats and pain and trials. But "In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us" (Rom. 8:37).

The Apostle's personal testimony should be emulated by every saint of God. He passionately affirms, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith [fulness] of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me" (Gal. 2:20).

Our Apostle clearly defines the spiritual responsibility of the saint of God in testimony and witness. "Now the end of the commandment is love out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned" (1 Tim. 1:5) Having enumerated the proper behavioral characteristics of the faithful believer, Paul sums up with these words: "And above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness" (Col. 3:14).

We must continually reassess our compliance with the stipulations set forth by our Apostle. Are we preoccupied with our intellectual knowledge of Scripture? Do we present ourselves to others as superior and complacent and above reproach? Do we arrogantly contend for our personal opinion and demean those with whom we do not agree? We are admonished to avoid such behavior. "The servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient. .. "(2 Tim.2:24).

The Apostle Paul prays for us as members of the body of Christ, "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God" (Eph. 3:17-19).

How very true it is, that the love of Christ "passeth knowledge!" Our reciprocal love toward Him can never compare with His love to us. That kind of love is far beyond our capacity to understand or express. But we can pour out the love of which we are capable of returning from a heart full of the joy and peace bestowed by God's grace.

Lest we be tempted to be caught up with the illusion of self-worth, may we be ever mindful of these humble words of Paul: "Though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not  love, I am nothing" (1 Cor. 13:2).

"Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and WALK IN LOVE, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us as an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour" (Eph.5:1,2).
 

SPIRITUAL VICTORY

by C. R. Stam
 

        If we go to the Scriptures and claim, by faith, the Spirit's help in overcoming our sins, we enter into the enjoyment of the fullness of spiritual life and blessing. If we fail to do so, we wither and die --- as far as our spiritual experience is concerned. We can never lose our salvation, of course, for "everlasting life" was obtained by faith in Christ, not by walking in the Spirit. This is confirmed by the fact that the same apostle who pleads: "Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God," hastens to add: "WHEREBY YE ARE SEALED UNTO THE DAY OF REDEMPTION" (Eph. 4:30).

          But failure to appropriate God's gracious provision for victory over sin does result in death as far as our Christian experience is concerned. This is what the Apostle means, when he says, by the Spirit:

          "FOR TO BE CARNALLY MINDED IS DEATH; BUT TO BE SPIRITUALLY MINDED IS LIFE AND PEACE" (Rom. 8:6).

          "FOR IF YE LIVE AFTER THE FLESH, YE SHALL DIE: BUT IF YE THROUGH THE SPIRIT DO MORTIFY [PUT TO DEATH] THE DEEDS OF THE BODY, YE SHALL LIVE" (Rom. 8:13).

          To the careless Corinthians, the Apostle Paul exclaimed:

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

          "For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's" (I Cor. 6:19,20).

NOW NO CONDEMNATION

By M. Stanford


"Ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ, that ye should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God" (Rom. 7:4).

Romans Six reveals our position as having died unto the principle of sin; Romans Seven teaches us our position as having died unto the principle of law. Both must be counted upon if we are to abide in Christ, and walk in the Spirit, as set forth in Romans Eight.

"We have to look at ourselves and see how far we are devotedly following the Lord Jesus, with full purpose of heart - how we can say, 'This one thing I do'; but we must take care at the same time not to get into legal bondage by this standard. If I say, 'Here is a rule of conduct: follow it,' this cannot reach the heart, the affections. The ministration of the letter brings only failure, and condemnation; for it prescribes a rule which man, being a sinner, can never follow. It does not change a man; it proves him 'ungodly and without strength.'

"We may turn even Christ into that letter of condemnation; we may take His life, for instance. and make it our law. Nay, we may turn even the love of Christ into our law; we may say, 'He has loved me, and done all this for me, and I ought to love Him, and do so much for Him, in return for this love,' etc. Thus if we turn His love into a rule of life, it becomes the ministration of condemnation."

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage" (Gal. 5:1).