Month: April 2023

” … I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5).

It should be enough that God ” … hath said … “, even if ten thousand other voices, both within and without the soul, should speak the contrary. His love is everlasting, ” … I have loved thee with an everlasting love … ” (Jeremiah 31 :3). His covenant is everlasting (Isaiah 61:8; Hebrews 13:20) and unchangeable. “Thus saith theLORD; If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season; Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant … ” (Jeremiah 33:20-21). Think of it! Just as much as it is impossible for man to change the seasons or the day and the night, so is it impossible for God to break His covenant of mercy to one of His servants. Though ” … we believe not, yet he abideth faithful…” (2 Timothy 2: 13).

All healthy, thriving, stalwart Christians become so by appropriating the promises. David said, “Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever: for they are the rejoicing of my heart” (Psalm 119:111 ). “Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage” (Psalm 119:54). All who believe the promises ” … rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Peter 1 :8), even in seasons of great heaviness through manifold temptations, knowing that ” … all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

The sincere milk of the Word of God is food for babes in Christ by which they grow (1 Peter 2:2). It is through the Scriptures that they became “Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith … ” (Colossians 2:7). Jesus has left His own with many comforting promises of His abiding presence and help in time of need.

‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,

Just to take Him at His Word;

Just to rest upon His promise;

Just to know, “Thus saith the Lord. “

It takes little persuasion to get us on the move when we are faced with a bee or two, a snake, or a mouse. The dictionary defines the word persuasion as a strong belief or conviction. With this in mind, let us consider a few of the involvements in a persuasion or call.

Perhaps no single thing “bugs” more young people regarding the Lord’s service, particularly abroad, than this persuasion or call. To some it is comparatively easy and crystal clear. To others it is like floundering in heavy seas for many days and nights. For Paul, it was a once-for-all “knock-out-blow” on the Damascus Road from which he never recovered- to doubt. This assurance characterized his life’s testimony to Timothy in salvation, saying,  “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39). In his dedication there was not a cloud in the sky, not a moment’s hesitation. Thus he could testify unflinchingly later in life, “…I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision” (Acts 26: 19). The spiritual need of men loomed before him larger than any local horizon, and he was off.

Strange isn’t it? It takes no persuasion, no special call to plunge into work at the mine head when fellow-workers and loved ones are trapped hundreds of feet below. “My buddy is down there.” “My daddy is down there.” “My sweetheart is down there.” How true! Can’t you just feel the tug and throb of compassion. Can’t you sense the urgency of life and death. Years ago, when Henry Throne and Dave Fellin, Hazelton, PA, were trapped 365 feet below the surface in a mine disaster, workmen drilled the clock around for days to make the breakthrough. I can fairly hear the shouts of joy and almost see the tears of relief as those rescued men rose to view.

What then is involved in this missionary persuasion? Let us consider four things:

First, Paul was persuaded of his own salvation. From that moment he was no longer his own. He could say on his initial encounter with Jesus, “Lord.” The first step in missions is the Lordship of Christ. It is simple but essential.

Second, Paul was persuaded of infinite protection as he declares in Romans 8:38-39,  “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” He could unreservedly say, “… none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself … “ (Acts 20:24). This assurance, like Daniel’s, took him through all things, and in all places, under all circumstances triumphantly. He didn’t quit after the first year or term of service! ” … Arise … ” said Jesus, ” … and it shall be told thee what thou must do” (Acts 9:6). ” … I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake” (Acts 9: 16). Paul arose; he went; he learned; he suffered; he endured.

Third, Paul never flinched from his first flush of love and devotion for his Lord. Thus, he could say in testimony before the great king, “Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision” (Acts 26:19). One thing that hinders many from accepting and following through with the Lord’s call is the fear of the cost in separation, sacrifice, the ever foreboding uncertainties, and insecurities. “I just   the price. I just can’t do it. I can’t! I can’t!”

Paul’s similar problem was solved in Acts 26:17, when the Lord said, “Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee.” His persuasive call rested with the Lord on the word delivering. Is not this all anyone requires? ” … but God is … my portion for ever” (Psalm 73 :26), said David.

Fourth, Paul’s vision became vocal. Profession became practice. Passion became possessive. Persecuting feet became preaching feet. Loud anathemas gave way to vibrant maranathas. “And straightway he preached Christ … that he is the Son of God” (Acts 9:20).

Millions of people live without sufficient food, shelter, clothing, and health facilities. Many, many live in extreme poverty and go to bed hungry every night. Our problem is dieting; their problem is living. Their problem is not only living, but dying too. Theirs is not only a problem of wandering through this world lean, but the tragedy of drifting into eternity lost.

Yes, someone is down there, way down there, in that mineshaft of sin – really millions of them. Will you be persuaded to rescue some of them? David Livingstone was. He said, “I place no value on anything I have or possess except in relation to the kingdom of God.”

I challenge each of you to ask this question, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?”

“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).

Due to the tremendous amount of high-pressure advertising and salesmanship that exists today there is a tendency to be suspicious and treat lightly anything that is offered to us free! We will always look for a gimmick or catch of some kind. We are prone to doubt anything can be of value that is offered to us free. Because of this condition we are apt to think of anything that is free as being cheap. This attitude is carried into religion and salvation.

Because of the doubt and suspicion that we have concerning anything “free,” efforts are made to put a “purchase price” on salvation. Men rebel at accepting a free salvation and will put forth every kind of effort to “buy” salvation. They will try to buy salvation with their good morals, with their good works, with their baptism, with their rites, rituals, and ordinances, with their church membership, and their church activities. It seems as though we want to put a price on salvation, a price that we can pay so that we can be able to say how much our salvation cost us. Probably this is one of the main reasons why the truth concerning the salvation of God has been so twisted and distorted. A tremendous percentage of organized Christianity is nothing more than the efforts of man to buy salvation.

Any salvation that would be so low in value as to be purchased by our puny, sinful efforts wouldn’t amount to much. How ridiculous to think that any of our works of righteousness would be valuable enough to be able to purchase salvation. It seems as though one of the hardest things to realize is that we are completely unable to adequately pay for our own salvation.

Because of man’s efforts to purchase salvation, salvation has been cheapened. Anything that could be purchased by our efforts could not amount to much. Thus man gets a low opinion of salvation.

Another thing that seems to cheapen our salvation is the association of the Gospel with the cheap theatrical appeal, emotional orgies, and third-rate entertainment that exists in the name of religion.

Man needs to learn that salvation is free but not cheap! It is free, not because it is worthless but because the price has already been paid. When Jesus Christ died upon the cross, He paid it all. The terrific price for our sins was the death of Jesus Christ. In His death He paid the price for every sin that you and I had committed and purchased salvation, thus enabling Christ, and Christ alone, to be able to offer unto us the free gift of salvation. We cannot buy it, we cannot earn it, we cannot merit it. It is ours to receive as a free gift. It would be impossible to place a value upon salvation. It goes beyond our minds to understand the infinite work of redemption from Hell and salvation to Heaven.

Maybe as you read this, you are one who has put forth efforts to purchase salvation. Surely now you can see the futility of this effort, and you will turn in repentance and by faith look to Jesus Christ and accept that which He has purchased for you – free salvation.

1. The Old Testament foretold the resurrection.

Such evidence is most clearly seen in some of the Messianic Psalms. Compare Psalm 2 with Acts 12:33; Psalm 16 with Acts 2:22-36. See also John 20:9.

2. Jesus Christ Himself foretold His resurrection.

In all three synoptic Gospels, our Lord declared several times that He would be crucified and then in three days would rise from the dead. For examples, see Matthew 12:38-40; Matthew 16:21; Matthew 17:22-23; Matthew 20:17-19; Mark 8:31; Mark 9:30-32; Mark 10:32-34; Luke 9:22; Luke 18:31-34.

3. On the third day the tomb was empty.

Scholars agree that the tomb was empty. The women found it empty (Luke 24:3); Peter found it empty (John 20: 1-10); the angel said it was empty (Matthew 28:5-7); and even the Jewish Sanhedrin admitted it was empty, because they had bribed the guards to lie about what had happened (Matthew 28:11-13 ).

4. No answer but an actual resurrection can explain why the tomb was empty.

Space here does not allow detailed replies to the shopworn theories designed to explain away the resurrection (the swoon theory, the fraud theory, the hallucination theory), but convincing refutations abound. Our faith does not rest on myths or philosophical speculations, but on a historical event. Jesus died and rose from the dead in an actual place and at an actual time.

5. Many saw Jesus and spoke with Him after He arose.

Jesus did not just come out of the tomb and then disappear. That morning He appeared to Mary Magdalene alone (John 20:14-18), then to the two 2 Marys (Matthew 28:8-10), to Peter (Luke 24:34; 1 Corinthians 15:5), to two disciples on the Emmaus Road (Luke 24:13-31). He appeared that night in the upper room to ten of His disciples (Luke 24:36-43; John 20:19-23). A week later, He appeared to eleven disciples early one morning at the Sea of Galilee (John 21: 1-23). Once He appeared to five hundred brethren (1 Corinthians 15:6).

6. Witnesses not only saw Jesus, but talked with Him and examined His wounds.

When Thomas thrust his hand in Jesus’ side, he exclaimed, ” … My Lord and my God” (John 20:28). On another occasion, Jesus said, “Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have” (Luke 24:39). This should answer once and for all the charge of cults who argue that Jesus’ resurrection was a spiritual one and not a bodily one.

7. The ascension testified to the fact that He had risen.

Without the resurrection, of course, there could not even have been an ascension, an event clearly recorded in Acts 1:10-11. This took place forty days after He arose. Jesus had ” … shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs … ” (Acts 1 :3).

8. The Apostle Paul saw the risen Lord and preached it as central to his message.

An encounter with the risen Lord (Acts 9:3-6; 1 Corinthians 15:8) converted Paul from a fanatic persecutor of the early church to its foremost missionary. Paul preached the resurrection throughout his epistles. See such passages as Romans 6:4-11; 1 Corinthians 15; Ephesians 1:19-23; Colossians 1:18. The account of the resurrection occurs so many times, in fact, that one authority writes, “Paul, more than anyone, is the apostle of the risen Lord; he is supremely the ‘witness of the resurrection.”‘

9. Stephen and John saw the risen Lord

Stephen saw Him as the angry crowd, with Paul in the midst, was about to stone him to death (Acts 7:54-60). John saw him on the Isle of Patmos (Revelation 1: 10-18).

10. The church through the centuries in itself has been a witness to the resurrection.

Since the days of Pentecost, when Peter made the resurrection the very heart of his message, Christians have exemplified in one degree or another the victory and power of the resurrection released on that morning when Jesus Christ arose from the grave. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the central event in world history; but of course, it’s much more than that. It’s also the best news in all the world.