No Excuse For Not Knowing God.

 

Breath and Faith.

 

Rooted.

 

Fragile Flesh.

 

The Law of God Is the Gospel.

 

Give Me Understanding and I Shall Live.

 

People In Whose Heart Is God's Law.

 We have no righteousness of our own.

Isa_64:6  But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Filthy rags- that is all our righteousness can be.

We need Christ's righteousness.

The people in whose heart is God's law- will know righteousness.

All God's commandments are righteousness.

May God help us as we see to learn all we can of God's righteousness as we continue this study.

All by the grace of God!

Excerpt-

The Righteousness of God. 

The Lord says:

"Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath;  for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment; and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner; but my salvation shall be forever and my righteousness shall not be abolished.  Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law." Isa. 51:6, 7.

"My tongue shall speak of thy work; for all thy commandments are righteousness." Ps. 119:172.

The righteousness of God, therefore, is his law. Let this not be forgotten. The term "the righteousness of God" occurs frequently in the book of Romans, and much confusion has resulted from giving it arbitrary and varying definitions. If we accept the definition given in the Bible, and do not abandon it in any instance, it will simplify matters very much. The righteousness of God is his perfect law.

Faith - To All.

 EJ Waggoner-

Saved by Faith. 

The gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes. 

"By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God." Eph. 2:8. 

"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." Mark 16:16. 

"As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." John 1:12. 

"With the heart man believeth unto righteousness." Rom. 10:10.  

"This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." John 6:29. 

*

Faith works.

Time would fail to tell of those "who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, . . . out of weakness were made strong," etc. Heb. 11:33, 34. 

Men may say, "I can not see how it is possible for one to be made righteous simply by believing." It makes no difference what you can see; you are not saved by sight, but by faith. You do not need to see how it is done, because it is the Lord who does the work of saving. Christ dwells in the heart by faith (Eph. 3:17), and because he is our righteousness, "he also is become my salvation" (Isa. 12:2). We shall have salvation by faith illustrated more fully as we proceed in our study,  because the book of Romans is devoted wholly to this one thing.

*

"To the Jew First."

When Peter, at the request of Cornelius, the Roman centurion, and the command of the Lord,  went to Caesarea to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, his first words when he heard the story of Cornelius were,  "Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons; but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him." Acts 10:34, 35.

This was the first time that Peter had ever perceived that truth, but it was not the first time that that thing was true. It had been a truth as long as God had existed. God never chose anybody to the exclusion of anybody else.  The wisdom that comes from above is "without partiality." James 3:17.

 It is true that the Jews as a nation were wonderfully favored by the Lord: but they lost all their privileges simply because they assumed that God loved them better than he did anybody else, and were exclusive. All through their history God was trying to make them see that what he offered them was for the whole world, and that they were to pass on to others the light and privileges which they shared.

The cases of Naaman, the Syrian, and of the Ninevites to whom Jonah was sent, are among the many instances by which God sought to show the Jews that he was no respecter of persons.

Then why was the gospel preached "to the Jew first"? Simply because the Jews were nearest. Christ was crucified at Jerusalem. It was from there that he commissioned his disciples to preach the gospel. At his ascension he said, "Ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." Acts 1:8. It was most natural that they should begin to preach the gospel in the place and to the people nearest them. This is the secret of all missionary work. He who does not labor in the gospel in his home, will not do any gospel work although he goes to a foreign country.

May We Stand Before the Son of Man.

 

Insidious Lies.

 The fate of the world was decided upon a lie. 

Eve had facts- truths from God, and lies from the serpent, Satan. She knew God- her Creator- did not want her to eat from that one tree. Did God go into great detail telling her why she shouldn't eat of it? Was He supposed to convince her to listen to Him? He created her and all the things around her and gave her a single restriction.

I imagine in our world that there have been countless parents who have told their children not to do something or it would harm them and the children went ahead and did it anyway- and it hurt them. Should the parent have been trusted and listened to? In an ideal world, always.

Satan used a lie to get Eve to sin.  Would she have sinned without Satan lying to her? I don't think so.

Now do you believe Satan's lie just like Eve? It's quite possible you do. Satan said - Gen_3:4  And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die

And today millions and millions and millions of people believe that lie. They believe no one really dies. They believe they instantly live on after their heart stops beating and their lungs stop breathing. They believe they will in the future- and that their already passed loved ones- simply continue on in a new way of life. They believe they are transformed. But God did not say that in the day they eat of the tree they will be transformed, HE DID NOT SAY THAT.  Satan however said- you won't die, he has duped the majority of people into believing that lie. Sure, your body here stops existing, no one is disputing that aspect of death, but Satan stands by the old… you didn't really die, you just went to heaven. A lie. Satan would rather we believe that God lied than that he lied. He's twisted death to his advantage.

The Bible talks of a 'second death'.

Rev_2:11  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

Did you even know there is a second death? 

If there is a first death and you die and are transformed into a being that goes to heaven does the second death mean you have a chance to die again?

Sounds really strange right? Doesn't make sense. Hasn't your so called fate been decided the first time around? 

You see, when we die we don't transform. We are thoughtless, unable to think any longer and our bodies decay in the grave. The breath of life that God gave to us upon our birth left our bodies and returned to God. 

Psa_146:4  His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.

Our God who created all things, who created our minds in the first place, will use the same creative power to bring our minds back to life- along with new bodies and He'll do all this when He returns for us and calls us to meet Him in the air.

1Th 4:16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 

1Th 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. 

The dead will RISE.  Not- those who died will be given new bodies to go with their spirits that already went on to heaven to live. It doesn't say the dead will again receive their bodies. In fact, who would want to go from being in supposed spirit form without any restrictions of a body, to being put back into a body? Also, the thoughts of the dead have perished, remember? If they are living on and thinking as so many people believe they are - not dead- then whose thoughts have perished? These are all logical questions that need to be asked.  

Back to the second death-  the Bible has this to say about the second death-

Rev_21:8  But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

All those who do NOT go to heaven with Christ when He returns will face the second death. 

2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 

2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 

2Th 2:9  Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 

2Th 2:10  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 

2Th 2:11  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 

2Th 2:12  That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 

All the living WICKED are destroy by the BRIGHTNESS of Christ's coming! All dead wicked are already in their graves and like those who died in Christ, they've been sleeping the death of nothingness, knowing nothing. Now they are joined by the rest of the wicked in death- not transformed into spirits and sent to suffer endlessly. 

All these wicked dead will be resurrected- here's when--

Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 

Rev 20:5  But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 

Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. 

After those who are with Christ have lived with Him in heaven a thousand years… then the wicked dead are raised and then ultimately utterly destroyed completely- their SECOND death- the one NO Christ follower wants to experience!

Rev 20:11  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. 

Rev 20:12  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. 

Rev 20:13  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. 

Rev 20:14  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 

Rev 20:15  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. 

Do you understand why the LIE of not dying matters so much? It's the greatest deception of Satan. If we choose to believe that LIE we are just as Eve, being told that we won't surely die and deceived by Satan. Once we are deceived by Satan in this way, there is no stopping Him from deceiving us in a multitude of other ways.

Remember we told there will be people who think they are the Lord's but He won't know them!!  They'll think all the good they did was for the Lord, but their true master will be Satan.

Mat 7:22  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 

Mat 7:23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. 

The power of a lie goes beyond our ability to fully understand.

A lie is deadly, it kills truth.

When you kill the truth because lies seem easier to accept, you are choosing to live your life in a lie.

Being a truth seeker means diligently searching to know truth.  

If something contrary to a set belief you hold appears in your life you don't ignore it, you study to know truth.

So, just how important is lying in the grand scheme of things? A simple little lie- there no such thing. In the grand scheme of things being a liar, or choosing to believe lies by ignoring truth is of an eternal-life deciding importance.

We live in a world where lying is part of our lives so when we are confronted with whether or not believing a lie is really harmless because it is hurting no one we often err on the side of it being 'not so bad'.  

If you believe something someone else is convinced is a lie and you have studied deeply and still believe that something, then you've done all you can do- you didn't simply accept what you believed- you did all you could possibly do to make sure you believed truth. 

I believe a lot of things that people do not believe, to them, I am believing a bunch of lies.  Now it's up to me to go before God and seek guidance and through prayer and study to decide if I am believing lies. If I don't do this I am accountable for choosing to believe what could very well be traditions of mankind and not God's truth at all. If after extensive study I still believe in things others call lies, then I have to hold fast to what God has convicted me to be truth. Others may continue to believe what I consider to be lies and they individually have to answer to God for their own beliefs- we all do. 

As much as we'd like to believe that believing lies won't hurt someone, they can, but WE ARE NOT the eternal JUDGE!  God alone knows whether or not someone has chosen purposefully to remain blind to truth, or whether they've opened their heart fully to Him and have been given all the light they personally need to be His.  

I may tell someone that what they believe is a lie and then that person has to make the decision to either -- through studying on their own, or asking me to explain my position, or asking others -- to look into their own beliefs, or they can choose to hold fast to their beliefs without questioning them at all. The choice is individual, eternal life will be decided individually.

We all stand alone before God answering to Him for all our decisions.

If you're convicted to tell someone they're believing lies, then tell them. If that results in absolutely no change, leave that to God. A seed planted now might not sprout for a long, long time- we don't know how God will work in other's lives. We should never batter anyone with our beliefs, an offer to expound on them should be given only once if convicted, not harped upon over and over. 

I write a daily (almost daily) study I call it, but it's possibly more of a blog, or just a plain old journal, who knows. I post it here and there, and send it to a few people etc, but I do this KNOWING no one who comes across the posting or email has to read it, there is no force involved at all whatsoever. We have the option to ignore things people post/write- it's not battering unless someone is forced to listen, to read. 

Truth is something I pray I always seek, and I pray to never accept a single lie- from myself or others.  Perhaps part of our 'forgiving those who trespass against us' is about forgiving living surrounded by lies told to us as a part of society's way of life. 

God help us all.  Jesus is…

Joh_14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Jesus is THE TRUTH.

Satan is the father of lies.

If we can't comprehend the insidiousness of lying then Satan has deceived us into believing so.  God help us!

Never Be Ashamed of Christ.

 Never be ashamed of God, of the Gospel of Christ- never!

Mar_8:38  Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

Rom_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.

Rom_5:5  And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Rom_9:33  As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

Rom_10:11  For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

2Ti_1:8  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

2Ti_1:12  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.

1Pe_4:16  Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.

1Jn_2:28  And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

Excerpt - EJ Waggoner

'Ashamed of the gospel of Christ! 

Could there possibly be a worse case of the exaltation of self above God? 

For to be ashamed of the gospel of Christ, which is the power of God, is an evidence that the man who feels thus ashamed really thinks himself superior to God, and that it is a lowering of his dignity to be associated with the Lord.

  "Ashamed of Jesus! sooner far

  Let evening blush to own a star;

  He sheds the beams of light divine

  O'er this benighted soul of mine.

  "Ashamed of Jesus! just as soon

  Let midnight be ashamed of noon;

  'Twas midnight with my soul till he,

  Bright Morning Star, bade darkness flee."'

Not Ashamed

 God has prepared for us a city. This is real. This isn't some fairy tale, some made up story, but a reality to all who make the choice to believe. The city-

Rev 21:2  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 

Rev 21:3  And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 

Rev 21:4  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 

Rev 21:5  And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. 

Rev 21:6  And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 

Rev 21:7  He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 

Rev 21:8  But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. 

((The CITY))

Rev 21:9  And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. 

Rev 21:10  And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 

Rev 21:11  Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; 

Rev 21:12  And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: 

Rev 21:13  On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. 

Rev 21:14  And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 

Rev 21:15  And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. 

Rev 21:16  And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. 

Rev 21:17  And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. 

Rev 21:18  And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. 

Rev 21:19  And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; 

Rev 21:20  The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. 

Rev 21:21  And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. 

Rev 21:22  And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. 

Rev 21:23  And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. 

Rev 21:24  And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. 

Rev 21:25  And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. 

Rev 21:26  And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. 

Rev 21:27  And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. 

God sanctifies us- He makes US holy- Christ in us makes us holy. Christ isn't ashamed to call us brothers!

God is not ashamed to be called our God!

God has prepared for us a city!

The love! The amazing love! Our God isn't ashamed of us because we have been made holy by Christ in us, our hope. Our Savior isn't ashamed to call us brothers (sisters) because He has made us holy in Him and if He is in us we have no need to be something shameful to Him, we are His!

All glory to God, always! All praise to our Lord, our Savior now and forever!

Heb 2:11  For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren

Heb 11:16  But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. 

*******

(Excerpt- E.J. Waggoner)

Christ not Ashamed.

Concerning Christ we read, "For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one; for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren." Heb. 2:11. "God is not ashamed to be called their God; for he hath prepared for them a city." Heb. 11:16.

Surely if the Lord is not ashamed to be called the brother of poor, weak, sinful mortals, man has no reason to be ashamed of him.

"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God." 1 John 3:1.

Preaching of the Cross.

 

The Power to Know Christ.

 

Gospel Privledge

 (Excerpt- EJ Waggoner-)

Gospel Liberty.

Gospel liberty is the liberty that God gives men through the gospel.

It expresses His idea of freedom. It is the freedom seen in nature and in all the works of His hands. It is the freedom of the winds, blowing where they list; it is the freedom of the flowers, scattered everywhere through wood and meadow; it is the freedom of the birds, soaring unrestrained through the heavens; the freedom of the sunbeam, shooting from its parent orb and playing on cloud and mountain top; the freedom of the celestial orbs, sweeping ceaselessly on through infinite space. This is the freedom which flows out from the great Creator through all his works.

Tasting Freedom Now.

It is sin that has produced what is narrow and contracted and circumscribed, that has erected boundary lines, and made men stingy. But sin is to be removed, and then perfect liberty will be realized once more in every part of creation. Even now this freedom may be tasted, by having sin removed from the heart. To enjoy this freedom through eternity is the glorious privilege now offered in the gospel to all men. Who that claims to love liberty can let this opportunity pass unimproved?

(Recap-)

We have covered the introduction to the main body of the epistle. The first seven verses are the salutation; the next eight treat of personal matters concerning the apostle and the brethren in Rome, the fifteenth verse being the link which unites the introduction to the directly doctrinal portion of the epistle.

Let the reader note carefully the verses referred to, and he will readily see that this is not an arbitrary division, but that it plainly appears. If in reading any chapter, one will note the different topics touched upon, and the change from one subject to another, he will be surprised to find how much easier it is to grasp the contents of the chapter, and to hold them in mind. The reason why so many people find it difficult to recall what they read in the Bible, is that they try to remember it in bulk, without giving special thought to the details.

In expressing his desire to meet with the Roman brethren, the apostle declared himself to be debtor to both Greeks and barbarians, both to the wise and to the unwise, and therefore ready to preach the gospel even in Rome, the capital of the world. The fifteenth verse, and the expression, "preach the gospel," give the keynote to the whole of the epistle, for the apostle glides from this naturally into his theme.

To be continued….

Christ Went to the Lowest Depths.

 

Foreign World.

 We are owed nothing, but we are freely gifted with the opportunity for life in a future world- perfect in the way we can only long for now as life rips us apart at every turn.

Is God with you in all you do? If not, He should be. When we exclude God from any part of our lives we are only part-time Christ followers, and Christ won't know you at all when He returns.

Good or bad, whatever you're doing let God be there with you. Yes, even as you do something you know is contrary to the will of God, don't exclude Him. Acknowledge your weak flesh, acknowledge it -not as a way to excuse doing wrong when you know right from wrong, but because truly we are incredibly weak in our flesh. Acknowledge God not as an act of defiance, but as knowing you are weak and in need of rescuing. Acknowledge God in all honesty, He knows all truth and our acknowledging the truth before Him isn't wearisome to Him. Acknowledge your creature status before your Creator. Ask for miracles, ask for help, ask for forgiveness over and over again, without ceasing. 

The torment we experience right now in so many ways is excruciating to us on emotional, mental, spiritual and physical level. We can, and do ask God to release us from the myriad of agonies, and see no relief in sight. God answers us from His word, our treasures should be in heaven, our hope is in Christ, the world of the future is our reward. Right now we are but pilgrims, aliens in a foreign world knowing the corruption which has caused all the horrors of this existence are not the world we belong to. We know this world is temporary, we know our lives here are temporary and we can't ever take our eyes off that prize- eternity.

God help us as we seek to follow His will- serving others as He served, working hard now as He worked hard, all through HIS love! HIS LOVE!

*******

Excerpt - E.J. Waggoner-

"I Am Debtor." 

That was the keynote of Paul's life, and it was the secret of his success. Nowadays we hear of men saying, "The world owes me a living." But Paul considered that he owed himself to the world. And yet he received nothing from the world but stripes and abuse. Even that which he had received before Christ found him was a total loss. But Christ had found him, and given himself to him, so that he could say, "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 of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Gal. 2:20.

As Christ's life was his life, and Christ gave himself for the world, Paul necessarily became a debtor to the whole world.

This has been the case of every man who has been a servant of the Lord. "David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep." Acts 13:36. 

"Whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant; even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many."

Personal Labor. 

There is a foolish notion prevalent that ordinary labor is degrading, especially to a minister of the gospel. It is not all the fault of the ministers themselves, but largely the fault of the foolish people about them. They think that a minister must always be faultlessly attired, and that he must never soil his hands with ordinary manual labor. Such ideas were never gained from the Bible. Christ himself was a carpenter, yet many professed followers of him would be shocked if they should see their minister sawing and planing boards, or digging in the ground, or carrying parcels.

There is a false dignity altogether too prevalent, which is utterly opposed to the spirit of the gospel. Paul was not ashamed nor afraid to labor. And this he did not merely occasionally, but day after day while he was engaged in preaching. 

See Acts 18:3, 4. He said, "These hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me." 

Acts 20:34. He was speaking to the leaders of the church when he said, "I have showed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive." Vs. 35.

Presence of the Spirit.

 Established by Spiritual Gifts.  (Excerpt- E.J. Waggoner)

"But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal." 

What is the profit? 

"For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ;  till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." Eph. 4:12, 13.

The gifts of the Spirit must accompany the Spirit. As soon as the early disciples received the Spirit in accordance with the promise, they received the gifts. One of the gifts, speaking with new tongues, was manifested that very day. It follows, therefore, that the absence of the gifts of the Spirit in any marked degree in the church, is evidence of the absence of the Spirit, not entirely, of course, but to the extent that God has promised it.

The Spirit was to abide with the disciples forever, and therefore the gifts of the Spirit must be manifest in the true church until the second coming of the Lord. 

As before stated, the absence of any very marked manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit is evidence of the absence of the fullness of the Spirit; and that is the secret of the weakness of the church, and the great divisions that exist. Spiritual gifts establish the church; therefore the church that does not have those gifts can not be established.

Who May Have the Spirit? 

Whoever asks for it with earnest desire. 

See Luke 11:13. If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? 

The Spirit has already been poured out, and God has never withdrawn the gift; it only needs that Christians should ask and accept. (End Excerpt)

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Remember the spiritual gifts we talked about yesterday…

Wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment of spirits, different languages, interpreting different languages.

We can't assume we will each have all these spiritual gifts.

1Co 12:8  For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 

1Co 12:9  To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 

1Co 12:10  To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: 

1Co 12:11  But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. 

DIVIDING to every man severally as HE WILL.

1Co 12:12  For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 

1Co 12:13  For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. 

1Co 12:14  For the body is not one member, but many. 

1Co 12:15  If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 

1Co 12:16  And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 

1Co 12:17  If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? 

1Co 12:18  But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. 

1Co 12:19  And if they were all one member, where were the body? 

1Co 12:20  But now are they many members, yet but one body. 

1Co 12:21  And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. 

1Co 12:22  Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: 

1Co 12:23  And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. 

1Co 12:24  For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked: 

1Co 12:25  That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. 

1Co 12:26  And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. 

1Co 12:27  Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

 

1Co 12:28  And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. 

1Co 12:29  Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? 

1Co 12:30  Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? 

1Co 12:31  But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way. 

1Co 14:12  Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church. 

None of the spiritual gifts are given to us for self-satisfaction, self-glorying, self-serving, not a single one. All the spiritual gifts that we are zealously seeking are solely for the edification of others- for sharing Christ, and His salvation, His gospel with all others. Not a single spiritual gift is good for anything other than glorifying God! If you are seeking spiritual gifts so you may consider yourself 'good enough', 'accepted by God', 'importantly spiritual enough to be God's and used by Him', then you are seeking for the wrong reasons- IT'S NOT ABOUT US! Satan would have us make it all about US, but it's NOT, it's just not!  Pride will try to ensnare us at every turn of our existence and it will trap us over and over, but we need to recognize the trap and know that the release from that trap is putting Christ first, it is seeking Christ's righteousness only found in Christ, not given outside of Christ to us, but only found in Christ when Christ is in us! It's not about us. We have to tell ourselves that over and over and over… and yes, over! Christ will use us for His glory, not for us to glorify ourselves in any way. Spiritual gifts to Christ's glory! No glorying in ourselves or patting ourselves on the back , no, no, no!  All praise goes to GOD, not to ourselves!  

Lord, please keep me completely in You and not in myself. Help me not to seek self-adoration, self-congratulations, self-serving… please, Lord, let my life be all about YOU. Please kill the pride in me that threatens to rise up constantly as I seek selfish self-worth, as if I can be anything without You! You are everything! Be my everything! All glory to You, God! All glory to YOU now and forever!!!!!!!

Gifts

 

All Things...

 Do you believe this-- 

Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 

The good, the bad… all things.

The Bible is filled with truths of men and women who suffered terribly being ultimately used by God for good, for His purposes. 

We don't have to comprehend, in fact to tell ourselves we must comprehend or else not believe - would be damning ourselves to the nothingness of eternal death. To want to comprehend all of God is to commit the very first sin ever committed- that of pride, that of self-adulation.  Do you remember that Satan told Eve she could be like God- be gods themselves? He said, GOD knew that SHE could be a GOD- A LIE, from the father of lies, Satan himself.  

Gen 3:5  For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 

When we want to know all of God's way, all of God's reasoning, all of God's knowledge, all the whys and wherefores- we are saying we want to be a god rather than a creature of God- this is truth! 

We must accept the our GOD will work everything together for good in ways beyond our comprehension. Us creatures must bow down to our Creator in all ways, at all times. By the grace of God may we do this!

*******

Excerpt- EJ Waggoner-

"A Prosperous Journey." 

Paul prayed earnestly that he might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to visit Rome. Read the twenty-seventh chapter of Acts, and you will learn just what kind of journey he had. Most people would say that it was not a prosperous journey. Yet we do not hear any complaint from Paul; and who can say that he did not have a prosperous trip? "All things work together for good to them that love God,"  Therefore it must have been prosperous. It is well for us to consider these things.

We are apt to look at matters from a wrong side. When we learn to look at them as God looks at them, we shall find that things that we regard as disastrous are prosperous. How much mourning we might save if we always remembered that God knows much better than we do how our prayers should be answered!

Rejoice

 

People of Prayer.

 Paul a man of prayer, an example to us all. Yesterday we talked of persevering in prayer, the need for us to never stop praying. Will we ever lose our need of God's intercession on our behalf? No. Will we ever lose our need of communicating with God? Will we ever lose our need of God? NEVER. We will never lose our need of God. We were created, we are creatures and we need our Creator. We will NEVER be in a position, nor were we ever created with the idea that we should live completely independent of God. Companionship, never means being alone. Don't get me wrong, right now we are often separated from those we long to be companions with but let me ask you this- when you are separated from them does your heart, your love still belong to the missing one? Yes. The separation does not tear apart your connection. God created us, gave us a planet to inhabit, all the while intending to forever remain a part of our lives- always!  Too often it is portrayed that we were created and left to fend for ourselves, a lie! God hasn't left us, we left Him, and still He remains.  Through prayer we remain forever in touch with our God, forever! The importance of being a man (woman) of prayer cannot be overstated, not ever. 

God help us to forever persevere in prayer. Ready always to communicate with our God.

A Man of Prayer. 

This is what Paul was. He made mention of the Romans in all his prayers. To the Corinthians he wrote, "I thank my God always on your behalf." 1 Cor. 1:4.

To the Colossians, "We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you." Col. 1:3. 

Still more emphatically he wrote to the Philippians, "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy." Phil. 1:3, 4. 

Again to the Thessalonians, "We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; remembering without ceasing your work of faith," etc., 1 Thess. 1:2, 3. 

And further, "Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith." 1 Thess. 3:10.

To his beloved son in the faith he wrote, "I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day."  2 Tim. 1:3.

Persevering In Prayer.

 Praying without Ceasing.

The apostle exhorted the Thessalonians to "pray without ceasing." 1 Thess. 5:17. 

He did not exhort others to do that which he did not do himself, for he told the Romans that without ceasing he made mention of them always in his prayers. It is not to be supposed that the apostle had the brethren at Rome on his mind every waking hour of the day, for in that case he could not have thought of anything else. No man can be consciously in prayer every moment, but all can continue "instant in prayer," or, as Young translates it,  "in the prayer persevering." Rom. 12:12.

This is in harmony with what the Saviour said, that "men ought always to pray, and not to faint," or grow weary.  Luke 18:1. In the parable that follows, the unjust judge complains of the "continual coming" of the poor widow.  That is an illustration of praying without ceasing. It is not that we are to be every moment in conscious prayer,  for then important duties would be neglected, but it is that we should not grow weary of praying.

Humble Yourself.

 1Pe_5:5  …Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

Jas 4:6  But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. 

Job 22:29  When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person. 

Isa 57:15  For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. 

Isa 66:2  For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. 

*

We lift ourselves up constantly. We take assessment of ourselves in a split second and place ourselves upon pedestals provided by Satan, to declare we are offended by one another. 

We get offended by one another all the time. Whether in a word, a deed, a word unsaid, or a deed undone- it doesn't matter- the occasions to take offense are plentiful. On any given day we are set up with opportunities to be offended in a steady stream of interactions with each other.  It does not matter if the one offending us intended for us to take offense, we assume they intended to hurt us with their words- those words we choose to believe were spoken to offer offense. If the person who spoke the offending words didn't intend the reaction of offense, why did they say what they said? Wouldn't it have been better to say nothing offense at all? Ah, but if they didn't intend offense, how could they know their words would be taken as offense? We reason within ourselves that they had to know they were offending us, what other logical reason is there to say what was said? Do they even care that their words are cutting words, words meant to provoke offense? How easy it is to point out the failures of others, and in pointing them out we instantly intend offense, because we know when others point out our failure- we take offense. So the intent is there…constantly there to reveal your shortcomings over and over, and over again. Could it be true the revealer of your constant shortcomings truly doesn't intent harm?  Stop right there. Ask this question… does it matter if harm is intended or not when we are offended? We get offended and once offended, once that cutting offense is made even if the one didn't mean it, shouldn't we be unoffended, just as if they did mean it, yes, I said unoffended.  The ones who abuse us through slighting taunts are to be forgiven, it's that simple. We truly are placing ourselves in a position to be offended when we allow our pride to rise up in us. Without pride, can your pride be offended? We cling to our pridefulness in so many ways, puffing ourselves up day after day, night after night setting ourselves up perfectly to be poked and prodded painfully with each intended or unintended slight. 

Pride- selfish, selfish pride.

The next time you notice yourself being offended, ask yourself how inflated is your pride? Because it will be inflated, you will be puffed up as soon as the offensive hurt feeling begins to course through you. You cannot be offended without pride. Remind yourself of that over and over and over.

Pro 16:18  Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. 

Pro 16:19  Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud. 

Dan 4:37  Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase. 

*******

Ro. 1:7 "To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called saints, grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."

Gal. 5:6 "For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing , nor uncircumcision, but faith which worketh by love."

1Th. 1:3 "Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father."

Habbakkuk 2:4 "Behold his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him, but the just shall live by his faith."

*Excerpt

"Called Saints." 

The reader will notice that the words "to be" in Romans 1:7 are indicated as supplied, so that instead of "called to be saints," we may read literally, "called saints." God calls all men to be saints, but all those who accept him he calls saints. That is their title. When God calls people saints, they are saints.

These words were addressed to the church in Rome, and not to the Church of Rome. The Church of Rome has always been apostate and pagan. It has abused the word "saint" until in its calendar it is almost a term of reproach. No greater sin has ever been committed by Rome than the distinction it has made between "saints" and ordinary Christians, making practically two standards of goodness. It has led people to think that laboring men and housewives were not and could not be saints, and has thus discounted true, everyday piety, and has put a premium on pious laziness and self-righteous deeds.

But God has not two standards of piety, and all the faithful people in Rome, poor and unknown as many of them were, he called saints. It is the same to-day with God, although men may reckon differently.

The first seven verses of the first chapter of Romans are the salutation. No uninspired letter ever embraced so much in its greeting as this one. The apostle was so overflowing with the love of God that he could not write a letter without covering almost the whole gospel in the salutation. The next eight verses may well be summarized in the words "debtor to all," for they show the completeness of the apostle's devotedness to others. Let us read them carefully, and not be content with one reading:

8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.  9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; 10 making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you. 11 For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; 12 that is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. 13 Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let [hindered] hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles. 14 I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. 15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.

A Great Contrast. 

In the days of the apostle Paul the faith of the church in Rome was spoken of throughout all the world.

Faith means obedience; for faith is counted for righteousness, and God never counts a thing so unless it is so. Faith "worketh by love." Gal. 5:6. And this work is a "work of faith." 1 Thess. 1:3. Faith also means humility, as is shown by the words of the prophet, "Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith." Hab. 2:4.

The upright man is the just man; the man whose soul is lifted up is not upright or just; but the just man is such because of his faith; therefore only the man whose soul is not lifted up has faith. The Roman brethren, therefore, in the days of Paul, were humble.

But it is far different now. An instance is given by the Catholic Times of June 15, 1894. The pope had said, "We gave authority to the bishops of the Syrian rite to meet in synod at Mossul," and had commended the "very faithful submission" of those bishops and had ratified the election of the patriarch by "Our Apostolic authority."  An Anglican paper had expressed surprise, saying, "Is this a free union of equal churches, or is it submission to one supreme and monarchical head?" To which the Catholic Times replies: "It is not a free union of equal churches, but it is submission to one supreme and monarchical head. . . . To our Anglican pleader we say, You are not really surprised. You know well what Rome claims and always will claim, obedience. That claim is now, if it ever was, before the world."

But that claim was not before the world in the days of Paul. In those days it was the church in Rome; now it is the Church of Rome. The church in Rome was famous for its humility, and its obedience to God. The Church of Rome is famous for its haughty assumption of the power of God, and for its demand for obedience to itself.

Let Me Be Among Your Beloved.

 Heal my backsliding, Lord, please. Love me freely!  Please, let me be among your beloved now and always! 

I know this for a fact- You so loved this world You gave Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ. If we believe in Him we won't perish, we will have life, everlasting life. This is YOUR promise to us.  John 3:16 a very well-known verse of scripture.  

I  believe in Him, help me to believe! 

*******

Rom_1:7  To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

(Excerpt- E.J. Waggoner)

"Beloved of God." 

That was a most comforting assurance that was given "to all that are in Rome." How many people have wished that they could hear an angel direct from glory say to them what Gabriel said to Daniel,  "Thou art greatly beloved"! 

The apostle Paul wrote by direct inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and so the message of love came as directly from heaven to the Romans as it did to Daniel. The Lord did not single out a few favorites by name, but declared that all in Rome were beloved of God.

Well, there is no respect of persons with God, and that message of love to the Romans is ours as well. 

They were "beloved of God" simply because "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. 

The Lord hath appeared of old unto me,  saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee." Jer.  31:3. 

And this everlasting love to men is not shaken, although they forget it; for to those who have turned away,  and fallen by their iniquity, he says, "I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely." Hosea 14:43.

 "If we believe not, yet He abideth faithful; He can not deny Himself."

(Ro. 1:7,Dan. 9:23, Ro. 2:11, John 3:16, Jer. 31:3, Hosea 14:4, 2 Tim. 2:13)

We Believe.

 

Power.