Category: General

To foretell Christ’s coming, Isaiah exclaimed, “Arise, shine; for thy light is come…” (Isaiah 60:1). Jesus identified Himself as “…the light of the world…” (John 8:12), and His disciples are called the “…children of light” (Ephesians 5:8), in contrast to the children of darkness. The world in the first century was described prophetically as in “…gross darkness…” (Isaiah 60:2). Jesus himself said, “For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.” (Matthew 13:15). Rome ruled blindly, having abandoned the judgment of statesmen and just men, while bureaucrats lived luxuriously as they taxed the middle class out of existence. Violence was in the streets and lustful immorality was the fashion of the day.

Even Israel, the privileged nation of God’s revelation and law, had exchanged God’s doctrine for the tradition of men (Mark 7:8). Under these conditions, Christ was introduced by John as the “…light of men” (John 1:4) and the light that “…shineth in darkness…” (John 1:5). “That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world” (John 1:9).

Darkness was not limited to the generation that nailed Jesus to the cross. What of our own attitude toward God and His Word? Has not our generation done all within its power to thwart God’s law and raise up an army of rebels in high-handed sin? Do we not laugh at the adulterous flaunting of sex on every side and bring it into our living rooms for family viewing? Has not our society trampled almost to death the God-ordained home? Few couples take seriously the meaning of their vows. Children, if allowed to live at birth, are seen not as blessings from God to be nourished in the bread of His Word, but are seen as burdens and hindrances to pleasure, to be farmed out to day-care centers.

The truth of Christ openly contradicts the philosophy of man, which at the moment, is subjective irrationalism. In everyday words, this means that men follow trends as they appeal to their emotions. They see nothing as absolute truth. Every new idea that is flashed across the horizon of man’s emotionally charged perspective is judged on the basis of how he “feels” about it, and his feelings are influenced by how popular the idea is with his peers. There is no certainty. Nothing holds him to a firm cause through adversity and conflict, for he has no bed-rock upon which to stand. He is carried about by every wind of doctrine. Jesus is popular at Christmas because a “good feeling” is created by the commercial world; but, of course, the same is true of Santa Claus.

Nowhere is the subjective irrationalism more evident than in the churches. They compete for new “ideas” of how to appeal to the mindless masses. They must continually change the format of worship and recreation because the masses are fickle and cannot follow any ad very long. Instead of letting the light of Christ shine forth to reveal the eternal truth, modern churches advertise the latest popular illusion. The darkness is not simply black; it comes in various shades.

Acceptability in such a society requires the sacrifice of Scriptural doctrine. It is okay to be religious, but disgraceful to hold to a definite Scriptural doctrine. Doctrine is belittled. To believe is permitted, just don’t believe anything in particular. Your doctrine is not important, but your sincerity is! But how can one be sincere if he has nothing absolute and in particular about which to be sincere? The sincerity simply amounts to a deep feeling, belief based not upon reality but upon subjective irrationalism. We call a man insane if he sincerely thinks that he is Napoleon, but it is normal and highly religious and acceptable for one to sincerely think he is a Christian when he has not given even the slightest indication that he has met God on the terms of the Gospel, to repent and believe and live in obedience to God’s Word.

Such a philosophy leads to frustration and helplessness, insecurity, and, of course, eternal damnation. Christ is the light that reveals the bed-rock of truth; where one may get off the merry-go-round of irrational relativism and stand on divine revelation.

Christ is the light of reality, which produces faith; not faith that is a product of feeling, which may change with the weather, but faith based upon facts revealed. Deep feelings of peace and joy are results of the faith, not the cause of it. Jesus did not begin His ministry with a jovial “Ho, Ho,” but with a solemn “…repent ye, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15). Those who reject Him to follow their own ambitions, fear and despise the Light; and they raise up the substitutes of religious fantasy and legend.

To all who love God and desire His purpose and will, the Light is a joy to behold. The desire of every true Christian is to draw nearer and nearer to Him. “But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God” (John 3:21)

“Arise, shine; for they light is come…”

In 1967, Louis Washkansky, a South African grocer; received the first human heart transplant. In 1982, Dr. Barney Clark, a retired dentist from Seattle, became the first person to receive a permanent artificial heart.

The Bible is a book of the heart. Just as we have doctors that tell us about our physical heart, so the Word of God is the “doctor” that diagnosis our spiritual condition. A careful examination of every human heart reveals a sinful state. In Genesis 6:5, we read, “And God saw that…every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

Jeremiah recognized the symptoms, for he wrote, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked…” (Jeremiah 17:9). Our Lord confirmed the prophets diagnosis when He said, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies” (Matthew 15:19).

Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived said, “…thou only knowest the hearts of the children of men” (2 Chronicles 6:30). God knows your heart, and He is concerned about you.

Just as there are various degrees of physical heart needs, so it is with spiritual. Hardening of the heart is one of the most serious conditions possible. But there is a remedy for all spiritual heart trouble. God knew about transplants long before doctors started to experiment with them. He gives a new heart to all who repent of sin and receive Christ as their personal Saviour. Along with a new heart, He gives an entirely new life. “…if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). How is your heart?

1. Keep Your Heart – Proverbs 4:23 The word “keep” means “to walk guard” around. Don’t let any type of sin conquer your heart. Keep them out. Some examples are found in Mark 7:21-23.

2. Watch For Your Soul – Hebrews 13:17 The soul of a righteous man can be vexed (worn down) by worldliness. 2 Peter 2:8. We need to watch out for the world, or it will get to us and wear it down. Other scriptures to study: 1 Peter 2:11, 1 Thessalonians 5:23.

3. Rule Your Spirit – Proverbs 25:28, 16:32 The spirit of man is their emotion and will. Emotions like rage, temper, anger, depression, etc. can ruin you if they control you. With God’s help, control your emotions, don’t let them control you.

4. Captivate Your Mind – 2 Corinthians 10:4-6 “Bring into captivity every thought.” The human mind can only think about one thing at a time. Thus is not impossible for God to control your mind, Yield your mind to the Holy Spirit each moment. Ask Him to take control.

5. Bring Your Body Into Subjection – 1 Corinthians 9:27 The appetites of the body are called “the flesh” in the scriptures. You can control you appetites, or they can control you. Appetites include: eating, drinking, sleeping, sexuality, nervous system (often triggers urges to smoke, drink, use drugs, etc.) The Lord can help you with this if you’ll surrender your all to Christ. – Galatians 5:16, 24-25.

6. Tame the Tongue – James 3:8 It is a sign of perfection if we can tame the tongue. (James 3:2) The tongues needs to be bridled. Its power for good or evil is awesome: James 3:5-6, Proverbs 18:21.

7. Commune With the Holy Spirit – 2 Corinthians 13:14 The Holy Spirit is a real person. He is God. He lives inside of us as believers. Talk to Him. Have fellowship with Him. Get to know Him as real as you know God the Father and God the son.

Proverbs 10:7

According to this verse, the way you are remembered after your death has everything to do with how you live your life now. 

The memory of the just is blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot.

Let’s see if that is true. Compare the memories associated with these following names and tell me which are blessed and which are rotten.

1^st col.     2^nd col.

Cain and Abel

Pharaoh and Moses

Saul and David

Jezebel and Abigail

Judas and Peter

Pilate and Cornelius

Satan and Jesus

You don’t hear of anyone named after someone in the first column but you hear a number of people named after those in the second column – that’s because the memories associated with the names in the second column are blessed memories and the memories associated with the names in the first column have rotted!!

You see, how these folks lived their lives in their lifetimes affected the memories associated with their names for eternity – Abel was righteous – Moses was meek and a friend of God – David was a man after God’s own heart – Abigail was of good understanding and of a beautiful countenance – Peter loved Jesus – Cornelius feared God – and Jesus did always those things that pleased God

On the other hand, the folks with the rotten names had rotten lives – Cain’s works were evil – Pharaoh was hard hearted [he that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy] – Saul was stubborn and rebellious and rejected the word of the Lord – Jezebel was an idolater and a murderer – Judas betrayed the Lord Jesus Christ – Pilate condemned an innocent man – and Satan is a deceiver who is full of pride – all of them rotten names!!

How will they remember you?  It all depends on how you live your life –

The deciding factors are based on the decisions you make and the actions you take in the following areas

The Righteousness of God – like Cain or Abel – is it right?

The Pleasure of God – like Pharaoh or Moses – does it please God?

The Word of God – like Saul or David – is it according to the word of God?

The Worship of God – like Jezebel or Abigail – does it honor God?

The Love of God – like Judas or Peter – is it out of love for God?

The Fear of God – like Pilate or Cornelius – is it in the fear of God?

The Will of God – like Satan or Jesus – is it the will of God?

Ask those 7 questions of anything you do before you do it – your answer will determine how you are remembered in eternity!!!

“Taking it easy is often the prelude to backsliding. Comfort precedes collapse.”  -Vance Havner

He lays them on His sinless Son (2 Corinthians 5:21

He forgives us of them (1 John 1:9)

He washes us whiter than snow (Psalm 51:7)

He makes them as wool (Isaiah 1:18)

He covers them (Romans 4:7)

He frees us from them (Romans 6:18)

He removes them from us as far as east is from the west (Psalm 103:12)

He casts them behind His back (Isaiah 38:17)

He dumps them into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19)

He blots them out (Isaiah 44:22)

He remembers them no more (Jeremiah 31:34)

            We are living in a world of great need. Life has never been easy. Pressure has always seemed to close in upon people and breakdowns, tensions, frustrations are certainly nothing new. But this is an age of almost perpetual crisis. Now the problem is one of concern over natural resources.

            A well-known radio announcer, commenting on the energy crisis, said, “We don’t have a shortage problem, but we do have a crisis. There is probably unlimited resources of oil and other natural resources, but the crisis is in their production, distribution, and sharing.”

            How applicable this observation is to the believer in relation to the Word of God and precious souls! There is certainly no shortage of God’s resources, but there is often a crisis because Christians are not sharing their blessings with others.

            Our nation is faced with a very critical spiritual condition – the need for the Gospel which “…is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth…” (Romans 1:16) The shortage of oil, whatever its case, has produced hardships for many people in various parts of the world, but the shortage of the Gospel has produced a spiritual condition which is far worse.

            The real crisis in our nation and in the world today is the famine of the Word of God. Even if man in his wisdom learns to utilize and activate and share our vast natural resources, we will not live free of crises and tensions. These are conditions that can only be met as we learn to appropriate the greatest resources of all – the power of the Gospel and blessings of our God. What is more thrilling than a life changed and made new by the power of the cleansing blood of Christ as the Gospel is preached? What is more wonderful than the abiding presence of God’s Holy Spirit in the believer? It is exciting to know that despite all the tension-filled news and aura of gloom that pervades our world – that God is with His children and has resources sufficient for all our needs.

           The crisis of the world today is spiritual. We are living in the day of apostasy. Church after church is bowing to the pressures of the ecumenical movement. Formerly staunch Christians are upholding and promoting modern versions of the Bible. Everything that is essential for the salvation of the soul is being denied the people. Little wonder our nation is on the downward slide. May we determine as never before to share His resources – all the blessings of the Gospel with others.

Christian, Do You Harbor Any Of These Unchristian Characteristics?

• A secret spirit of pride or an exalted feeling of yourself in view of your success or position. Taking pride of your good training, appearance or your natural gifts and abilities. Entertain a self-reliant, independent spirit? Prov. 16:18, 20:6; Rom. 12:3; James 4:6-8.

• Love of human praise; a secret fondness and desire to be noticed; love of supremacy; drawing attention to self in conversation, appearance, or conduct; a swelling out of self when you have a specialopen door in public speaking or praying? Jn. 5:44, 12:42-43; I Cor. 13:4.

• The stirrings of anger or impatience at others which you piously call “nervousness” or “holy indignation”; a touchy, sensitive spirit; a disposition to resent and retaliate when disapproved of, corrected, or contradicted; a desire to throw sharp, heated remarks at another; a defensive, vindictive, critical spirit? Psalms 37:8; Eccl. 7:9; Luke 21:19; James 1:19: Rom. 5:3.

• Self-will; a stubborn, unteachable spirit; an arguing, talkative spirit; harsh, sarcastic expressions; an unyielding, headstrong disposition; refusing or grudgingly admiting wrong; a driving, commanding spirit; a disposition to criticize and pick flaws at others when you are set aside and unnoticed; a peevish, fretful spirit; a disposition that loves to be coaxed and humored? Deut. 1:43; Mal. 2:2; James 3:17; II Peter 2:10.

• Carnal fear; a man-fearing spirit; fear of losing worldly, carnal things; a secret fear of speaking for or being associated with Christ and His word; a shrinking from reproach and duty; reasoning around your cross; a shrinking from doing your whole duty to those of wealth or position or poor and needy; a fearfulness that someone will offend and drive some prominate person away; an undue compromising spirit? I Sam. 15:24; Prov. 29:25; Gal. 2:12; I John 4:18.

• A jealous disposition; a secret envy in your heart; an unpleasant sensation in view of the prosperity and success of others; a disposition to speak of the faults and failings rather that the gifts and virtues of those more talented and appreciated than yourself? Gen. 26:12-16; I Sam. 18:8-9; Prov. 6:34,14:30; Mt. 21:15; Rom. 12:9-10.

• A dishonest and deceitful disposition; the evading and covering of the truth; the covering up of your real faults; leaving a better impression of yourself than is strictly true; false humility; exaggeration, straining the truth; blaming others alone while you share the blame? Ps. 15:2-3; Isa. 29:13; Jer. 17:9; Mt. 23:28; Lk. 22:48; Acts 5:2-3; I Tim. 4:2.

• Unbelief; a spirit of discouragement in times of pressure and opposition; lack of quietness and confidence in God; lack of faith and trust in God; a disposition to worry and complain in the midst of pain, poverty, or at the dispensations of divine Providence; an overanxious feeling whether everything will come out all right? Is. 7:9; Lk. 12:28-30; I Cor. 2:14; II Cor. 5:6; Heb. 11:6; I Pet.5:7.

• Formality and deadness; lack of compassion and concern for lost souls; dryness and indifference; lack of zeal and power with God? Mt. 15:14; II Tim. 3:5; Rev. 2:4, 3:1.

• Selfishness; love of ease; love of money; love of your own time; value yourself above others; a secret desire for worldly things and ways? Lk. 12:19-21; I Tim. 6:10-11; Amos 6:1-6.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me…” Psalms 139:23-24

Living in the reality of this blessed hope will mean much to every believer.

The Second Coming of Christ is a Purifying Hope

“And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” (1 John 3:3) The same thought is presented in 1 Corinthians 1:7-8, “…waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The Coming of our Lord is a Cleansing Hope

In Colossians 3:4-5, we read, “When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:”

The Second Coming of Christ is a Strengthening Hope

“Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.” (Philippians 4:5). We need spiritual fiber for our daily walk with the Lord.

The Blessed Hope is a Patient Hope

“Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.” (James 5:7-8)

The Return of Christ is a Love-Giving Hope

“And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.” (1 Thessalonians 3:12-13. How little love there seems to be among Christians! So often there is jealousy, envy, backbiting, and devouring of one another. God grant more love in these last days.

The Coming of the Lord is a Heavenly Hope

“For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:” (Philippians 3:20). This hope helps us to realize we are heaven-bound, and we are not to live for time and for the things of this world, as so many believers are doing today. This world is not our home.

Robert Moffat, the great missionary to Africa, once told this story: He said that a woman came to him after having walker fifteen miles and said that she wished for a New Testament. Mr. Moffat said to her, “My good woman. There is not a copy to be had.

            “What!” exclaimed the woman, “Must I return empty-handed?” “I fear you must,” said Mr. Moffat.

            “Oh,” she said, “I borrowed a copy once, but the owner came and took it away, and now I sit with my family, sorrowful, because we have no Book to talk to us. Now we are far from anyone else. We are living at a cattle outpost with no one to teach us but the Book. Oh, go try to find a Book! Oh my brother, do go and try to find a Book for me! Surely there is one to be found. Do not let me go back empty.”

            Mr. Moffat felt so deeply for her; for she spoke so earnestly, and he said, “Wait a little, and I will see what I can do.” Mr. Moffat searched here and there and at last found a copy and brought it to the good woman. Mr. Moffat, as he told the story, said, “Oh, if you could have seen how here eyes brightened, how she clasped my hands and kissed them over and over again. Away she went with the Book, rejoicing with a heart overflowing with gratitude.

We need a greater love for God’s Word! “My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.” Proverbs 4:20-22