Evil Is Temporary.

 God cannot lie.

Tit 1:2  In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began

We can lie, we do lie, it happens all the time. We lie to ourselves often, and also to others. We call them innocuous lies, but no lie is innocuous, they all have consequences. 

Do you think the Devil tallies up the lies told- all of them from the very first human lie to the lies continuing even now as I write this? He is the father of lies. 

Joh_8:44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

Each lie told is a tally mark for Satan, a sin in need of forgiveness. There are examples in the Bible of men and women of God lying, and their lies had consequences. They needed forgiveness from each and every lie, just as we do. We can't think our lies don't matter. Our words matter, and they are nothing like God's words. God's words do not lie, God cannot lie. God can be trusted. It's we who twist God's words to mean things they do not. We warp the meaning and context and then blame God for our own deception. Sometimes we even deceive ourselves, we begin to believe our own lies and we are allowed to do that because God does not force our hands, God does not stop our bent on evil not in the tiniest form of evil or the most horrific. We wonder why, and claim if we were God we wouldn't let these terrible things happen. We rail against God and say He's no God at all for allowing the evil. We make so many accusations and the truth of the matter is, God's mercy has all the evil, the worst of the worst of evil, as only being temporary. TEMPORARY.  Does that make a difference? Yes, yes it does. Evil would have evil be eternal. God allows things to happen, but He has a gospel of the purest love that tells us all the evil is temporary. As we walk through the valleys of evil against ourselves and against others, against purest innocent, and against other evil, we can BELIEVE it's temporary! This is NOT how it will be forever! This our loving God has made sure of, He's proclaimed this truth and God cannot lie!

(Excerpt)

Faith is the expecting the word of God itself to do what the word says and depending upon that word itself to do what the word says.

When this is clearly discerned, it is perfectly easy to see how it is that "faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

Since the word of God is imbued with creative power and so is able to produce in very substance the thing which that word speaks and since faith is the expectation that the word itself will do what the word says and depending on the word only to do what that word says, it is plain enough 

that faith is the substance of things hoped for.

Since the word of God is in itself creative and so is able to produce and cause to appear what otherwise would never exist nor be seen, and since faith is the expecting the word of God only to do just that thing and depending upon "the word only" to do it, it is plain enough that faith is "the evidence of things not seen."

Thus it is that "through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear."

He who exercises faith knows that the word of God is creative and that so it is able to produce the thing spoken.  Therefore, he can understand, not guess, that the worlds were produced, were caused to exist, by the word of God.

He who exercises faith can understand that though before the word of God was spoken, neither the things which are now seen nor the substances of which those things are composed, anywhere appeared, simply because they did not exist; yet when that word was spoken, the worlds were, simply because that word itself caused them to exist.

This is the difference between the word of God and the word of man. Man may speak, but there is no power in his words to perform the thing spoken. If the thing is to be accomplished which he has spoken, the man must do something in addition to speaking the word--he must make good his word.

Not so the word of God.

When God speaks, the thing is. And it is, simply because He has spoken. It accomplishes that which He was pleased to speak. It is not necessary that the Lord, as man, must do something in addition to the word spoken.  He needs not to make His word good; it is good. He speaks "the word only," and the things is accomplished.

And so it is written: "For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God, which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe"--in you that exercise faith. 1 Thess. 2:13.

This also is how it is that it is "impossible for God to lie." It is not impossible for God to lie only because He will not, but also because He cannot. And He cannot lie, just because He cannot. It is impossible. And it is impossible, because when He speaks, the creative energy is in the word spoken, so that "the word only" causes the thing to be so.

Man may speak a word and it not be so. Thus man can lie, for to speak what is not so is to lie. And man can lie,  can speak what is not so, because there is no power in his word itself to cause the thing to be. With God this is impossible; He cannot lie, for "he spake, and it was"; He speaks, and it is so.

This is also how it is that when the word of God is spoken for a certain time, as in a prophecy for hundreds of years to come when that time actually has arrived, that word is fulfilled. And it is then fulfilled, not because, apart from the word, God does something to fulfill it, but because the word was spoken for that time, and in it is the creative energy which causes the word at that time to produce the thing spoken.

This is how it was that if the children had not cried, "Hosanna to the Son of David," the stones would have immediately cried out; and this is how it was that when the third day had come, it was "impossible" that He should be any longer holden of death.

O, the word of God is divine! In it is creative energy. It is "living and powerful." The word of God is self-fulfilling,  and to trust it and depend upon it as such, that is to exercise faith. "Hast thou faith?"

January 3, 1899 A.T. Jones 

The Vine of All Living.

 

In the mists of early morning, in the garden beyond the border, there under the wings of the angels, I peered. 

A beam of sunlight struck the minuscule droplets of water, and in a burst of vapor dissipated the veil before my vision. There in glorious beauty, I beheld the magnificent Vine. 

No ordinary vine was this before me. In all my knowledge-seeking I'd never been able to watch a vine writhing in growth, twisting and bringing forth new shoots even as other shoots withered and began their slow descent to the ground. 

The dying tendrils caught my eye, momentarily distracting me from the myriad of newly budding shoots. Before any of the dying shoots, broken off from the Vine, could touch the mossy floor below they turned to dark, thick dust, and wind swept them away. Not a single withering slip of decay ever touched the earth, it simply vanished.

Quickly my attention returned to the constant new growth, intermingling with the continuous release of the non-viable tendrils and it was a sight unlike anything known to me before.

Nature beyond this angel guarded garden simply had never shown us such a wondrous Vine as this, Vine of all Vines. We'd been allowed glimpses of such wonders. A plant whose flower would bloom only once a hundred years, a plant whose flower opened fully for only a single night, a water shoot growing twelve inches in one day… yet all these marvels could not compare to this Vine. 

This was the true Vine of all living, of all who had ever lived, and all who had ever died. Each offshoot of bearing life kept its promise of living even when it no longer grew- there attached to the Vine in a state of suspended growth- it would never die, rather forever be a part of this wondrous Vine.

Each offshoot of death left its tiny pockmark in the Vine for now, a testament to a life that could have been. 

All the tiny tendrils newly shooting forth were growing either towards life, or towards death. 

As I bore witness to the growing vines I noticed that many of them, if not all, were writhing each in their own almost agonizing way. I longed for a closer inspection of those living tendrils and even as I leaned inward I felt a sudden heat surround me. Daring to look upwards, I gasped as the glowing swords of the angel guardians ignited into flames of the most brilliant fire. I knew instantly this was a mere warning. I would only be allowed to catch glimpses of this majesty before me, not enter within the garden, not cross the border by even a hairsbreadth  

Leaning back, the instant relief from the glowing fire above rushed over me. As sweat beaded down my forehead and dotted my cheeks, I knew how close I had come to my own end should I have dared to move any closer. 

Yet the struggle of the tiny vine shoots beckoned my attention. Those living tendrils branched outwards from the vine pushing from within them something, but what? Were those fruit?! The tiny bits of golden nubs dotting a tiny branch here and there, fruit? Oh, how those struggling shoots were tormented by some unseen force! They struggled as they chose life, clearly longing for something, perhaps a promise of what they would one day become.

A heavy weight dropped upon my heart, but only for the briefest of moments. The weight then lifted, taken from me, as the story's end flashed into realization, a memory from the past.

Being allowed this brief vision of truth I knew that all I'd been told of the Vine long ago would come to pass one day. 

As the lore passed down through time unwound its tale I knew the Vine would not bring forth new shoots forever. One day the last tiny tendril would come forth from the Vine, and then all that would remain would be for each tendril still growing to compete its life cycle- choosing death or life. When the decision for each was made and the very last slip of life was decided, then and only then would the Vine bring into being the everlasting blooms promised of the Vine. All the sleeping branches of the Vine would once more spring to full life obtaining their ultimate end of eternal flowering along with every single living shoot attached to the Vine. Such beauty! Such wonder! How miraculous that would be to behold! 

To see the Vine of All Living. Such a gift I'd been given. As the vision clouded before me and I fought drifting downwards into a deep thought-less sleep, my lips curled in a soft smile, I would remember this dream. And I did.

*******

Joh 15:1  I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 

Joh 15:2  Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 

 Joh 15:7  If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 

Abide.... do we abide in Christ?  More on this tomorrow by the grace of our Lord and Savior.

The Word Has Power.

 

What Is Faith.

 The Word of God.

Joh 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

Joh 1:2  The same was in the beginning with God. 

Joh 1:3  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 

Joh 1:4  In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 

Joh 1:5  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. 

Joh 1:6  There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 

Joh 1:7  The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. 

Joh 1:8  He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 

Joh 1:9  That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. 

Joh 1:10  He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 

Joh 1:11  He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 

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

Joh 1:13  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 

Joh 1:14  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. 

Joh 1:15  John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. 

Joh 1:16  And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. 

Joh 1:17  For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. 

Joh 1:18  No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. 

Cultivating Faith - What Is Faith?

(Excerpt)

In order to be able to know what the Scripture means when urging upon us the necessity of cultivating faith, it is essential to know, first of all, what is faith.

Plainly, it must be too little purpose to urge upon a person the necessity of cultivating faith, while that person has no intelligent idea of what faith is. And it is sadly true that, though the Lord has made this perfectly plain in the Scriptures, there are many church-members who do not know what faith is. They may even know what the definition of faith is, but they do not know what the thing is. They do not grasp the idea that is in the definition.

For that reason the definition will not be touched now, but rather there will be cited and studied an illustration of faith-an instance which makes it stand out so plainly that all can see the very thing itself.

Faith comes "by the word of God." To the Word, then, we must look for it.

One day a centurion came to Jesus and said to him, "Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof, but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed . . .  When Jesus heard it, he marveled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel." Matt. 8:6-10.

There is what Jesus pronounces faith. When we find what that is, we have found faith. To know what that is, is to know what faith is. there can be no sort of doubt about this, for Christ is "the Author . . . of faith," and He says that that which the centurion manifested was "faith"--yes, even "great faith."

Where, then, in this is the faith? The centurion wanted a certain thing done. He wanted the Lord to do it. But when the Lord said, "I will come" and do it, the centurion checked Him, saying, "Speak the word only," and it shall be done.

Now what did the centurion expect would do the work? "The word ONLY." Upon what did he depend for the healing of his servant? Upon "the word ONLY."

Now, brother, sister, what is faith?

December 6, 1898 A.T Jones EXCERPT

Not Our Righteousness.

 Christ's Righteousness saves us! This must be a constant reminder and not a reminder in such a way as we know we sin and are forgiven, so we deliberately indulge in sinful ways without true remorse. We cannot have the attitude of once saved, always saved- this is a ruse of Satan's many have fallen for.  Accepting Christ as our Savior is an ongoing continuous way of life. Christ is part of us, Christ is in us- our hope. Christ is our righteousness in us. We can go an entire day without falling into sin by overcoming our temptations that so easily beset us, but it will still NOT be us who have not sinned and are now are righteous because of that. We CANNOT make ourselves righteous, or find any righteousness in us outside of Christ's righteousness.  IF we do happen to overcome some more obvious and blatant sins we are prone to -we must give all the glory to God for that overcoming. At the same time we have to continue to recognize that our thoughts can also betray us with sin. Our righteousness is forever Christ's righteousness, and never ours. The victory over sin is Christ's victory and we partake of that through His grace! Having such an amazing gift as salvation does not intitle us to presumptuously sin, not ever. If sin ever becomes acceptable to us and not abhorrent we seriously need to seek forgiveness urgently! Forever let us kneel at the foot of the cross, recognizing the sacrifice made for us, and the righteousness of Christ alone- His righteousness in us. All through HIS LOVE!

(Excerpt)

 

"Now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;  even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe; for there is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."

Ro. 3:21-23

The righteousness of God is that which every man is to seek first of all. 

"Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness." Matt 6:33 And in the way of righteousness there is life. It is impossible to separate the life of God from the righteousness of God. As certainly as you have the righteousness of God, so certainly you have the life of God.

And "now the righteousness of God is made known." Ro. 1:17 Now is at this time, at this very moment, even while you read. At this very moment, then, the righteousness of God is manifested "unto all, and upon all them that believe." Ro. 3:22  Do you believe in Jesus Christ now, at this moment? Do you? If you say, Yes, then "now," at this very moment, the righteousness of God is made known to you and upon you. Do you believe it? The word of God says that it is; do you say that it is? And if you do not say that it is, then do you believe the word? When the Lord says plainly to you that His righteousness is "now" manifested unto you and upon you and you do not say that it is now manifested unto you and upon you, then do you really believe the Lord? When He plainly says a thing to you and you will not say that that thing is true to you, then do you really believe Him?

The Lord wants you to say that what He says is so; that it is so "now," at this moment, and that it is so to you and in you. "A new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you."  1 Jn 2:8 When the Lord says a thing, it is true, even though nobody in the world ever believes it. It would be true in Him, but not in them. But He wants it to be true in you as well as in Himself. And when you acknowledge that what He says is true to you "now," at this moment, then that thing is true in Him and in you. This is believing God. It is believing His word.  This is having His word abiding in you. And, "If ye abide in me and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." Jn. 15:7

 

Many people are ready to admit, in a general way, that what the Lord says is so; they will admit that it may be so to other people, but that it is so to themselves, just now, they will not say. Such people do not really know that the word of God is true. "Hast thou faith? Have it to thyself before God." Ro. 14:22 

If you do not have faith for yourself,  faith of your own, you do not have faith at all. If you do not believe the word of the Lord as being true to you personally and now, you do not believe it at all; for as you are not living yesterday nor tomorrow but just now,  while it is now, so if you do not believe now, you do not believe at all. Therefore the word of God is that now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation; 2 Cor. 6:2 and, "Now the righteousness of God . . . is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe." Ro. 3:21,22

Do you believe in Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour now? You can answer that in one moment; you know that you do. Then this moment thank the Lord that His righteousness is manifested unto you and upon you. He not only says it but He gives you witnesses to the fact--it is witnessed by the law and the prophets. That law which you have transgressed, that law that has shown you guilty before God, that very law "now," in view of the manifestation of the righteousness of God, witnesses that you have a just claim to this righteousness and that you are thereby justified through the faith of Jesus Christ. 

The prophets likewise witness to this blessed fact. "The moment the sinner believes in Christ, he stands in the sight of God uncondemned; for the righteousness of Christ is his; Christ's perfect obedience is imputed to him." 

Ro. 4:22-24

Is not this, then, sufficient to cause you to say now, at this moment if never before, that "now the righteousness of God is manifested" unto you and upon you who now do believe in Jesus?

"Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past,  through the forbearance of God." Ro. 3:25

Would you rather have the righteousness of God now than to have your sins?  You say, Yes. Very good. God has "now" set forth Christ Jesus "to declare" to you "his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past."

Will you let the sins go now, this moment; and take the righteousness which He is set forth purposely to give and which He now, this moment, freely gives? "Being justified freely." Ro.3:24 "Being" is present tense. "Was" is past; "shall be" is future; but "being" is present. Therefore the Lord says to you and of you who believe in Jesus, "Being [now, at this moment] justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus . . . through the forbearance of God."

But the Lord does not drop the subject yet. He emphasizes the present power and blessing of this infinite fact.  "To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness." Ro.3:26 First He says that it is "now" that the righteousness of God is manifested unto all and upon all them that believe; then He speaks of all such as "being justified freely", Ro.3:24 and next He emphasizes it all thus: "To declare, I say at this time his righteousness." Ro.3:26  O poor, trembling, doubting soul, is not this assurance enough that now, at this moment, the righteousness of God is yours? That now you are being justified freely by His grace? that now, "at this time," righteousness is declared to you for the remission of all your sins that are past?

Is not this enough? It is enough to satisfy the Lord, for He says, "To declare, I say, at this time, his righteousness; that he might be just and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus." Then as it is all-sufficient to satisfy the Lord, is it not enough to satisfy you? Will you now take the fullness of this blessed "gift of righteousness," which is life, so that the Lord, by seeing the fruit of the travail of His soul, shall be satisfied again, and so, by your rejoicing, be doubly satisfied? This is all He asks of you. For "to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." Ro.4:5

Here is the word of God, the word of righteousness, the word of life, to you "now," "at this time." "Will you be made righteous by it now? Will you live by it now? This is justification by faith. This is righteousness by faith. It is the simplest thing in the world. It is simply whether the word of God shall be true in you "now" or not. God spoke to Abraham, "Tell the stars, if thou be able to number them. . . . So shall thy seed be." And "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." "Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him; but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up our Lord Jesus from the dead; who was delivered for our offenses and was raised again for our justification. Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

"Now," "at this time," it is true; it is true in him. Now, at this time, let it be true in you.

November 10, 1896 A.T. Jones EXCERPT

The Word.