News you won't see in controlled mainstream media.

-The Christian's Position
-By: Henry Morris III, D.Min.

-THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE HAS CHOSEN US, HIS PEOPLE, CHRISTIANS!

"According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world" (Ephesians 1:4).

The search for identity and meaning can drive one to great successes or tragic failures. For the Christian, however, the question is answered throughout Ephesians.

We are chosen! We are selected as a favorite out of "many [who] are called" (Matthew 22:14) "out of the world" (John 15:19). What a privilege! We are God's choice to bear His name, represent His cause, and share His glory throughout eternity.

In fact, we are "predestinated [previous boundaries set] . . . unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself" (Ephesians 1:5). And "if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ" (Romans 8:17).
Furthermore, we have been "accepted in the beloved" (Ephesians 1:6). That word, "accepted," is a specialized form of the word most often translated "grace." We have been "graced" by almighty God, who has set absolute boundaries around our lives, and made us His children. We were purchased "through His blood" (v.7) "that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar [that is, `precious'] people, zealous of good works" (Titus 2:14).

Moreover, we are forgiven! (Ephesians 1:7). Our sins are "covered" (Psalm 32:1), "cast" behind God's back (Isaiah 38:17); removed "As far as the east is from the west" (Psalm 103:12); "remember[ed] . . . no more" (Jeremiah 31:34); and cleansed "from all unrighteousness" (I John 1:9).

Hallelujah! Since we are God's children, we should have no identity crisis. We are a chosen, predestined, accepted, redeemed, forgiven, and holy people.

Finally, we are predestined "to be conformed to the image of His Son" (Romans 8:29).

ICR/HMM III


-HALLELUJAH! WHAT A SAVIOUR!!

-The Christian's Purpose
-By: Henry Morris III, D.Min.

--The Creator of the Universe has chosen us before the world began, for His glory! Holy is the Lord God Almighty, the earth is filled with His glory. What an awesome CREATOR!

"According as He hath chosen us in Him . . . that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love" (Ephesians 1:4).

In the grand purpose of our "selection" into God's family, two key words are used:

"Holy" (Greek, hagios) stresses dedication. A holy man or woman is distinctively God's, set apart for God's use; separated from the secular, and consecrated to God's service. All who are "chosen" are chosen to be holy.

The Colossian Christians were told to "mortify" the physical appetites, to "put off" their sinful mental attitudes and habits, and to "put on the new man . . . as the elect of God, holy and beloved" (Colossians 3:5-12). The focus is character.

"Without blame" refers to our reputations. This character will only be fully realized in heaven (I Corinthians 1:8), but there is a present responsibility to "present your bodies a living sacrifice. . . . And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind . . ." (Romans 12:1-2).

The character of holiness will become the cause of a lifestyle of blamelessness. We are to be the "sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world" (Philippians 2:15).

This holy and blameless condition will result in "the praise of the glory of His grace" (Ephesians 1:6) where God will someday "gather together in one all things in Christ" (v.10).

What a magnificent thought! The purpose for which we have been chosen, predestined, redeemed, and forgiven is to be holy in character and blameless in reputation, so that when God gathers us all together in Christ, we will be the praise of the glorious grace of God! HMM III

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-The Christian's Possibilities
-By: Henry Morris III, D.Min.

"That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ. . . may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened . . ." (Ephesians 1:17-18).

The "spirit of wisdom" is applied to a wide variety of circumstances. It certainly includes leadership (Deuteronomy 34:9).

But wisdom is also identified with the ability to make beautiful clothing (Exodus 28:3) and to engineer and invent complex equipment (31:2-6). Daniel was said to have "an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and showing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts" (Daniel 5:12). We are even promised that our "adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist" (Luke 21:15).

A "spirit of revelation" is also made available to us. This revelation (literally, "to take off the cover") is not new doctrine or truth. Revelation is implemented by the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 2:10), having the source of His revelatory work from Jesus Christ on behalf of Christ (John 16:13-15).

The Greek language of the phrase, "The eyes of [our] understanding being enlightened" (Ephesians 1:18), could be translated, "the vision of your deep thought will be made to shine" . . . or paraphrased in a more colloquial expression, "the light comes on!"

There are three specific enlightenments cited here: the hope of our calling (see Romans 15:13-14), the riches of the glory of our inheritance (11:33-36), and the exceeding greatness of His power exercised on our behalf (Ephesians 3:20; 6:10). Each of these three are specifically designed by God to undergird our faith and embolden our confidence, even though we are "strangers and pilgrims on the earth" (Hebrews 11:13). HMM III

-The Christian's Power
-By: Henry Morris III, D.Min.

"And . . . the exceeding greatness of His power to usward who believe . . ." (Ephesians 1:19).

The power of the tri-une Creator, as displayed in the resurrection of Christ, is directed toward us! We can be certain that we will never fully comprehend that, but the Scriptures provide several clear statements that will help us get some usable grasp on this resource:
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(1) We receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on us (Acts 1:8). The Holy Spirit indwells every believer (John 14:17; I Corinthians 6:19) and is therefore readily accessible to all believers (Ephesians 3:20).

(2) We use the power of God every time we preach the gospel (Romans 1:16; I Corinthians 1:18), whether to one person or to thousands.

(3) We learn of the power of God through "great and precious promises" (II Peter 1:3-4). Indeed, those promises involve "all things that pertain to life and godliness."

(4) We see the results of the power of God in our lives when our characters reflect "all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness" (Colossians 1:11).

The Lord desires "that [we] might be filled with all the fulness of God" (Ephesians 3:19) and "strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man" (v.16). The purpose of this empowering is to be "Rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith" (Colossians 2:7), "able to comprehend . . . the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge" (Ephesians 3:18-19).

"Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen" (vv.20-21).

--ICR/HMM III

-The Christian’s Partnership
-By: Henry Morris III, D.Min.

“Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19).

Prior to salvation, we are called “aliens . . . and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12). “But now . . .” (Ephesians 2:13) we are part of the “new man” (Ephesians 2:15) and the grand partnership that has been made possible between Jew and Gentile, Old and New Covenant saints, and the operative impact and purpose of the “household of God” (Ephesians 2:19).

We are “made nigh” and made “one.” The enemy has been “abolished,” with the “middle wall of partition” that was between us broken down (Ephesians 2:13–15), making us “one body,” with common “access by one Spirit unto the Father” (Ephesians 2:16–18).

Therefore, we are “fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God . . . built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets;” “fitly framed,” growing unto a “holy temple . . . for an habitation of God through the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:19–22), now displayed in a fellowship of past and present, bond and free, male and female—all new “partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel” (Ephesians 3:1–6; Galatians 3:22–29).

And God has “created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ephesians 3:10,11).

God has designed His salvation for us in such a way that we cannot fail to achieve His plans for us! We should humbly thank Him for what He has accomplished in us through Christ Jesus.

-ICR/ HMM III

-The Christian's Calling
-By: John D. Morris, Ph.D.

"I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called" (Ephesians 4:1).
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The Christian's calling in Christ is a high calling. Since we are encouraged to walk in a manner worthy of this calling, it behooves us to make careful study of it, lest our lifestyle bring reproach to the One who has called us. Consider the following sampling of the uses of this important word:

First, the calling is "of God" and irrevocable (Romans 11:29). We are called "by His grace" (Galatians 1:15) and "into the grace of Christ" (Galatians 1:6). We are called "out of darkness" and "into His marvellous light" (I Peter 2:9). Furthermore, we are "called to be saints" (Romans 1:7). He has "called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace" (II Timothy 1:9). We are "partakers of the heavenly calling" (Hebrews 3:1), and in response, we should "press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14).

The New Testament writers as well mention many things to which we are called. We are "called unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord" (I Corinthians 1:9). We are "called unto liberty" (Galatians 5:13) and are now free to "serve one another," even though it means accepting the call to suffering. "For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps" (I Peter 2:21).

The "eternal life, whereunto thou art also called" may not come easily, for it involves the "good fight of faith" (I Timothy 6:12). We are called "to glory and virtue" (II Peter 1:3), even "His eternal glory by Christ Jesus" (I Peter 5:10), for we are "called the sons of God" (I John 3:1).

"Give diligence to make your calling and election sure" (II Peter 1:10).

-ICR/JDM

-In the Shadow of His Wings

"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." (Isaiah 41:10)

In the song, verse two of "Jesus, Lover of My Soul" deals with life's trials and tribulations and begins by presenting our Savior as "our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1).

Other refuge have I none; Hangs my helpless soul on thee
Leave, oh, leave me not alone; Still support and comfort me.
All my trust on Thee is stayed, All my help from Thee I bring;
Cover my defenseless head With the shadow of Thy wing.

We may be helpless on our own, but in love He beckons us to "the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16). Our soul need not hang in jeopardy. "He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee . . . we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man may do unto me" (Hebrews 13:5-6).

"There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky. The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms" (Deuteronomy 33:26-27). Help from none other is needed. "Thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory and the lifter up of mine head" (Psalm 3:3). As His sacrificial death drew near, Jesus' heart nearly broke over Israel's rejection of His love. "How often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" (Matthew 23:37).

We dare not reject His loving provision. We can pray with David, "Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings" (Psalm 17:8).

The one to whom we pray will answer, for He is Jesus, the lover of the soul. JDM

--David's Army [A Type of Christ]
-By: Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father’s house heard it, they went down thither to him. And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men” (I Samuel 22:1,2).

As David was fleeing for his life from King Saul, a rather pitiful and unpromising company began following him, and they became the nucleus of what would soon be his army. Others joined them, and David trained them, “For at that time day by day there came to David to help him, until it was a great host, like the host of God” (I Chronicles 12:22). Soon they were no longer discontented misfits, but a remarkable array of “mighty men” (v.21). One group, for example, was said to be “men of war fit for the battle, . . . whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as the roes upon the mountains” (I Chronicles 12:8).

In many remarkable ways David was a type of Christ, his life foreshadowing the experiences of the greater “son of David” who would come a thousand years later. In such a parallel, his army is a type of the earthly “host of God,” the great company of those who have chosen to follow Christ, each of whom has been called to “endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (II Timothy 2:3).

The followers of Christ were once also in distress, for the “base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen” (I Corinthians 1:28). He is now “the captain of their salvation” (Hebrews 2:10), urging that each one should strive to “please Him who hath chosen him to be a soldier” (II Timothy 2:4). When He is finally ready to take the kingdom, these will be with Him in His triumphant return and eternal reign (Revelation 19:14; 22:5).

--ICR/HMM

-The Courtroom of the World

"You will be my witnesses--in Jerusalem, in all of Judea, in Samaria, and in every part of the world." (Acts 1:8)

~~We are witnesses. And like witnesses in a court, we are called to testify, to tell what we have seen and heard. And we are to speak truthfully. Our task is not to whitewash nor bloat the truth. Our task is to tell the truth. Period.

There is, however, one difference between the witness in court and the witness for Christ. The witness in court eventually steps down from the witness chair, but the witness for Christ never does.

Since the claims of Christ are always on trial, court is perpetually in session, and we remain under oath, all the time.~~

--Just Like Jesus
-By: Max Lucado

-Few And Far Between
-By: Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon His name” (Malachi 3:16).

Modern Christians tend to measure spiritual success in terms of big numbers, but this has never been the Lord’s criterion. It is always the “remnant whom the Lord shall call” (Joel 2:32), the “little flock” to whom is the “Father’s good pleasure to give . . . the kingdom” (Luke 12:32).

Before the Flood, “while the ark was a preparing,” there were “few, that is, eight souls [who] were saved by water” (I Peter 3:20). Concerning the children of Israel, “The Lord did not set His love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people” (Deuteronomy 7:7). Gideon’s army had to be reduced from 32,000 to 300 before God would let them fight the 135,000 Midianites (Judges 7:3–6; 8:10). In Elijah’s day, there were only 7,000 out of the millions of Israelites who had “not bowed unto Baal” (I Kings 19:18).

Christ said, “narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:14), “For many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14). Even among the few who are saved, “the laborers are few” (Luke 10:2).

Nevertheless, there are a few! In Malachi’s day, almost all the people and even their priests had forsaken God, but there was a small, faithful, believing remnant, and these “spake often one to another,” and “feared the LORD, and thought upon His name.” The Lord’s testimony concerning these few-and no doubt this applies also to the faithful few in every time and place-was this: “They shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels” (Malachi 3:17). Strangers and pilgrims here, but the Lord’s own jewels there!

--ICR/HMM

-Wise and Learned Men Who Believed in a Creator
-By: Dorothy E. Kreiss Robbins

What did the wise and learned men who founded the greatest republic in the world (the U.S.A.--the most free and prosperous for over 200 years), believe about the beginning of this universe? Were they evolutionists? Were they theistic evolutionists?

Never has the world seen so many men of such great learning and sagacity engaged in a work over such a long time span (150 years) with such a wide and benevolent influence. These men, whose erudition gained them respect in the courts of the kings of Europe, whose writings have astonished the world, did they believe in a Creator and a creation? Emphatically, yes! They were believers in a Creator: the God of the Bible. The few quotations gathered here must forever refute the proposition that learned men cannot believe in the creation of the universe by a wise, benevolent, and intelligent being: Jehovah God.

Let us begin with the reputed discoverer of this hemisphere, Christopher Columbus (1451-1506). Columbus had great learning in many sciences and was also well acquainted with the Scriptures. In a prayer taken from a letter to the sovereigns of Spain, dated October of 1492, we read: "O Lord, Almighty and everlasting God, by thy holy Word Thou hast created the heaven, and the earth, and the sea. . . ." And later, "(May you) . . . be well received before the eternal Creator, to whom I pray. . . ." (Las Casas' abstract of Columbus' Journal of the First Voyage.)[1]

Kay Brigham says, "The Admiral writes in his letter to the nurse of Prince John (1501): 'My hope in the One who created us all sustains me; . . .' She writes further, '. . . (T)he Holy Scriptures inspired the Discoverer to execute the idea with a sense of mission (and strength). Others had dreamed, but Columbus followed through and realized . . . the discovery of the marvelous Americas (unknowingly) . . . (and) the expansion of Christianity to 'Other Worlds.'"[2]

John Calvin (1509-1564), of whom it was said: "(He) was the founder of the greatest of republics. The 'Pilgrims' . . . were his sons . . . and that American nation which we have seen growing so rapidly boasts as its father the humble reformer on the shores of (Lake) Leman."[3] He, who was one of the greatest intellects that ever lived, whose influence is still felt throughout the world, wrote: ". . . God was pleased that a history of the creation should exist - - a history on which the faith of the church might lean without seeking any other God than Him whom Moses sets forth as the Creator and Architect of the world."[4]

The nation God raised up was, indeed, begun by men who knew who He is. William Bradford, the great leader of the Pilgrims (who wrote our founding document, the Mayflower Compact), is the third person in our anthology to whom we turn as proof of the Creator's being honored by those who founded our country.

William Bradford (1590-1657), Governor of the Pilgrims for 37 years, author of the famous history of the beginnings of our country, and learned in several languages, wrote: 'Though I am grown aged, yet I have had a longing desire, to see with my own eyes, something of the most ancient language, and holy tongue, in which the Law, and oracles of God were writ; and in which God, and angels, spoke to the holy patriarchs, of old time; and names were given to things, from the creation."[5]

Skipping hundreds who believed as these did in an Almighty Creator, we come now to those men most immediately influential in the laying of the foundations of our sovereignty as a nation. The following quotations will give us a better idea about our worthy progenitors. Consider first Sir William Blackstone (1723-1780). Mr. Federer tells us, "When scholars examined nearly 15,000 items written by the Founding Fathers from 1760 to 1805 . . . they found that Sir William Blackstone was quoted more than any other author except one," and then quotes Sir William thus: "(M)an, considered as a creature, must necessarily be subject to the laws of his Creator, for he is entirely a dependent being. . . . (I)t is necessary that he should in all points conform to his Maker's will. . . .[6]

[color:#000099]Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) (so well known he needs no introduction), said: "I believe in one God, the Creator of the Universe." March 9, 1790, in a letter to Ezra Stiles, p. 250.

Samuel Adams (1722-1803), "Father of the American Revolution," author of The Rights of the Colonists (the most systematic presentation of the American cause ever written and by whose suggestion Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence), stated: "In the supposed state of nature, all men are equally bound . . . by the laws of the Creator. . . ." He, Lieutenant Governor, was addressing the Massachusetts state legislature, 1794, p. 24.

John Quincy Adams (1767-1848), sixth President of the U.S.A. (so well educated he was only a boy of 14 when made secretary to the ambassador to Russia), said: "I see Him (Jesus Christ) explicitly and repeatedly announced, not only as having existed before the worlds, but as the Creator of the worlds without beginning of days or end of years." Written from London, December 24, 1814, p. 17.

Noah Webster (1758-1843), lexicographer and "Father of American Education," mastered 26 (!) languages to produce his American Dictionary of the English Language, therein defining creation and creature thus: "Creation . . . especially, the act of bringing this world into existence, Romans I. . . . Creature, . . . Every being besides the Creator, . . . "[7]

Edmund Burke (1729-1794), outstanding orator, author, and leader in Great Britain, defended the colonies in Parliament. "There is but one law for all, namely, that law which governs all law, the law of our Creator." p. 82.

Alexander Hamilton (1757-1804), signer of the Constitution and author of 51 of the Federalist Papers. "(L)iberty is a gift of the beneficent Creator."

Patrick Henry (1736-1799), five-time Governor of Virginia, whose "Give me liberty or give me death" speech has made him immortal, said: "It cannot be emphasized too strongly" nor too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. . . . " He defined religion, like many others of our Founders, thus: 'That religion, or duty which we owe to our Creator, and the manner of discharging it. . . ." pp. 288-289.

John Jay (1746-1829), first Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court: "We (by the Bible) enable (people) to learn that man was originally created and placed in a state of happiness, but, becoming disobedient, was subjected to the degradation and evils which he and his posterity have since experienced. The Bible will also inform them that our gracious Creator has provided for us a Redeemer, in whom all the nations of the earth shall be blessed. . . . "from an address as President of the American Bible Society, May 13, 1824, p. 318.

Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), third President of the U.S.A., chosen to write the Declaration of Independence, said: "I have little doubt that the whole country will soon be rallied to the unity of our Creator, and, I hope, to the pure doctrines of Jesus also." He, too, recognized that it was the God of the Bible who founded our country when he said in his inaugural address in 1805: "I shall need, too, the favor of that Being in whose hands we are, who led our forefathers, as Israel of old, from their native land and planted them in (this) country." p. 323, 327, 332.

William Samuel Johnson (1727-1819), lawyer, signer of our Constitution, President of Columbia College for 13 years, in remarks to the graduating class of that college, said: "You have . . . received a public education . . . the better to serve your Creator and your country. . . . Your first great duties, . . . are those you owe to Heaven, to your Creator and Redeemer."James Madison (1751-1836), our fourth President, was known as the "Chief Architect of the Constitution," and the original author and promoter of the Bill of Rights. In the Constitutional Convention he spoke 161 times. Madison said: "It is the duty of every man to render to the Creator . . . homage. . . ." and defined "religion" thus: "Religion ... the duty we owe our Creator." p. 410.

George Mason (1725-1792), the richest man in Virginia, American Revolutionary statesman, and member House of Burgesses, was the author of the Virginia Constitution and Virginia Bill of Rights. The first ten amendments to the Constitution "are practically his." He too stated that religion is "the Duty which we owe our Creator." "In his Last Will and Testament, (he) wrote: '. . . My soul, I resign into the hands of my Almighty Creator, whose tender mercies are over all His works. . . .'" p. 424.

Andrew Jackson (1767-1845), seventh President, lawyer, Congressman, U.S. Senator, Judge of Tennessee Supreme Court (in a letter to a couple on the bereavement of a child): "This charming babe was only given you from your Creator and benefactor. . . . We have one consolation that this babe is now in the bosom of its Savior." p. 309.

Not only individuals, but whole bodies of people capable of establishing a nation such as ours, were believers in the Creator and a creation.

The authors of the Declaration of Independence: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. That they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights. . . ." July 2, 1776. (Emphasis added.)

"We, . . . the people of Massachusetts (establish this Constitution [of Massachusetts, 1780. . . . ] Part I, Article II:) It is the right, as well as the duty, of all men in society, and at stated seasons, to worship the Supreme Being, the Great Creator and Preserver of the Universe." p. 429.

In closing this list of quotations (which is just a small sample of those that could be given), we come to one by that great Christian man, George Washington, found in his little book of personal prayers: "WEDNESDAY MORNING . . . Almighty and eternal Lord God, the great Creator of heaven and earth, and the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; look down from heaven . . . in pity and compassion upon Thy servant, who humbly prostrate myself before thee, sensible of thy mercy and my own misery . . . take me unto thy protection this day, keep me in perfect peace, which I ask in the name and for the sake of Jesus. Amen." p. 659.

Can any honest and reasonable person now doubt that, not only have we progenitors whose faith in the Almighty Creator was very real, but that these same men had no compunction about acknowledging the same. Shall we do less?

*Dorothy E. Kreiss Robbins is the author of several books on the Christian History of the American Constitution, most recently You, Your Child, and the Constitution.

References: <www.icr.org>

I had read some of Sam Adams' words before; always a special pleasure to me. I had not read "The Rights of the Colonists" before, to my recollection. I was not disappointed.

It is a superb document, and I was astonished to discover Jefferson denied copying. Everyone else says he must have. Perhaps his memory failed him. The denial came many years later.

Blessings to you, CTD!
It's always nice to read your thoughts in particular matters. Thank you.
-----The next post was about to be made, when I saw your comment. Have a great life, in our Creator, Jesus the Christ!
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-The Ministry Of The Saints
-By: Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours” (I Corinthians 1:2).

This salutation to those “called saints” at Corinth (the words “to be” are not in the original) makes it clear that all who “in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord” are the saints of God. The word “saint” means “one who is sanctified,” or “set apart,” having been called to serve the Lord.

That service is varied, and many striking figures of speech are used in the Bible to describe it. In the first place, the saints are “witnesses unto me” (Acts 1:8) and, therefore, “ambassadors for Christ” (II Corinthians 5:20). The words and deeds of believers are to serve as an actual Bible to those who may not read God’s word. “Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart” (II Corinthians 3:3).

Christ applied the figure of candlesticks to the churches addressed in Revelation, with Himself in the midst (Revelation 1:12,13). Similarly, we are enjoined to “shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life” (Philippians 2:15,16). This light is not merely the light of a godly life, but the light of God’s revealed truth, for we constitute “the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (I Timothy 3:15).

In relation to Christ, we constitute “the body of Christ, and members in particular” (I Corinthians 12:27) and have been presented “as a chaste virgin to Christ” (II Corinthians 11:2). One day we shall reign with Him as “kings and priests unto God” (Revelation 1:6).-- ICR/HMM

-PERFECT RIGHTEOUSNESS

-By: David Wilkerson
-[May 19, 1931 - April 27, 2011]

God accepts only one kind of righteousness — perfect righteousness. Nothing else will stand in His presence on Judgment Day. Unless our righteousness is absolutely perfect, He cannot save us, justify us, recognize or accept us.
This perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ our Lord can be had only by faith.

The writer of Hebrews introduces us to the truth that this righteousness is the inheritance of all true believers. It is something Jesus has left for us, something that belongs to us, a legacy: "By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith" (Hebrews 11:7).

Noah became an heir not by building an ark, but by what he believed and preached. He grasped this knowledge of
righteousness which God had revealed to him — a righteousness that is by faith — and he became an heir of a perfect
righteousness!

Beloved, you and I were given a great inheritance when Christ departed the earth. He left us a title and deed to His very own perfect righteousness. Of course, Jesus lived in absolute poverty while on this earth; He owned no land, had no money. But He left us riches greater than the diamond mines of South
Africa; greater than the oil fields in the Middle East; greater than the gold and silver buried under America's mountains. Jesus gave us an inheritance that can make us far richer than any person on the face of the earth. It is an inheritance to a perfect righteousness that allows us to stand before God without condemnation.

Once you understand this inheritance, you can stand against every devil in hell.
Satan will not be able to accuse you before the Father, before your brethren, before your own conscience, because you are an heir to the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ!

-JESUS RANSOMED US
-By: David Wilkerson
[May 19, 1931 - April 27, 2011]

By Adam's sin, we all were made sinners and by Jesus' sacrifice, we are made righteous. Jesus ransomed us, paid the price, so that the devil would have no claim on those who repent and trust in Christ and His completed work.

All along God knew that man could not keep or fulfill His divine law. He had instituted the law to bring order to the human race, lest we destroy ourselves. The law was for our own protection; it was to make us realize that in our own
strength and righteousness, we could not stand before a holy God. The law was a mirror God held up to us, saying, "Let me show you what I expect, what My justice requires. Here is My law and here is where you've failed, where you're living in sin. You have failed at this point . . . this point . . . and this point. No one is righteous enough to fulfill My law!"

The Pharisees tried to fulfill the law. They observed more than 600 regulations, from the washing of hands and pots to refusing to touch a Gentile. They tried to keep all the law, believing that one day they could stand before God and say, "I kept all Your laws. I did this, this and this. Now You are
obligated to save me."

But no one can expect his good works to merit justification. God's Word answers, "If you've failed just one point of the law, you've failed the whole law!" If you expect God to accept you for your good behavior, forget it! You'll never be able to keep the whole law.

Because we couldn't meet justice's demands to fulfill God's law, Jesus came to earth and perfectly fulfilled the law of God. He never failed one point of it and He did it all out of pure motives of love. "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil" (Matthew 5:17).

When Jesus ascended to the Father, His perfect obedience had fulfilled all the demands of the law and His blood was presented in full payment for our sin. Here stood a Man in the presence of God whose righteousness was perfect and therefore acceptable to the Father. /
Jesus paid our sin-debt on Calvary! Hallelujah what a Saviour!
----

-Called and Chosen

"But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto He called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ." (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14)

Note the order established by God in His great plan of salvation. God had chosen these Thessalonian believers to salvation even before they were born, for it was from the beginning. Then He called them, and they heard the gospel, believed the truth, and were sanctified (that is, "set apart") by the Holy Spirit, eventually destined to be glorified in Christ.

To accomplish this, however, the Spirit used human messengers. He first, in a spiritual revelation, directed Paul to go to Greece to preach the gospel (Acts 16:9), where he eventually reached Thessalonica and taught the truth to those he found in the synagogue. However, of the many who were "called" as Paul preached and taught, only "some of them believed" (17:4). Most of his listeners had not been "chosen," so they resisted the "call" and refused to believe. As Jesus said, "Many be called, but few [are] chosen" (Matthew 20:16).

Such a truth may be difficult to understand with our finite minds, but (like Paul) "we are bound to give thanks" that we who believe today, like the Thessalonian believers then, have been both "chosen . . . in him before the foundation of the world" (Ephesians 1:4), and also "called . . . out of darkness into his marvellous light" (1 Peter 2:9).

This same mysterious but glorious truth is found throughout Scripture. "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. . . . What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:28, 31). HMM

-Called Before Birth
-By: Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by His grace, To reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him” (Galatians 1:15,16).

There is great mystery here. Paul was the human writer of much of the New Testament, yet he also claimed divine inspiration. “I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:11,12).

It was only a short time before, however, that Paul had been bitterly opposing that gospel. “Beyond measure,” he said, “I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it” (Galatians 1:13). Eventually, he was converted and began to preach “the faith which once he destroyed” (Galatians 1:23). Yet, during all his years of fighting God’s truth, he had already been separated unto God, and called by His grace, even before he was born, as our text reveals. His teachers in the synagogue, his studies under Gamaliel, even his anti-Christian crusades, were all being orchestrated by God to develop Paul into the unique person he would be, the great Christian whom God could use to write much of His own written word. Paul’s epistles were thus truly his epistles, derived from his own experience, research, study, reasoning and concerns. At the same time, they came out as God’s word, inspired by the Holy Spirit, free from error and perfectly conveyed from God to man, because God had Himself ordained and planned all Paul’s experiences and abilities, and had implanted all these concerns in his heart.

And so it was with all the human writers of the Bible. God’s word (like Christ Himself) is both human and divine, yet meeting all our needs. This is mysterious indeed, but well within the capabilities of our omnipotent and gracious Creator.
--ICR/HMM

-Conformity
-By: Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29).

One of the greatest dangers facing Christians is the temptation to become conformed to the things of the world around them, thus destroying their testimony for the Lord. We are specifically commanded, in fact: “Be not conformed to this world” (Romans 12:2). One cannot serve two masters, and the great privilege of the believer is the privilege of becoming conformed, not to a dying world, but to the living Christ.

But first we must be conformed to His death, dying to the world and its standards. The greatest desire of the Apostle Paul was to “win Christ. . . . That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death” (Philippians 3:8,10).

Death is far from the end, however. When Christ returns, He “shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body” (Philippians 3:21). In this verse, the Greek for “fashioned like” is the same as “conformed to.” These corruptible, dying bodies we now live in will one day be changed. As Christ rose from the dead, we also shall rise; and our bodies, like His, will be alive for evermore.

Even that wonderful prospect is not the best of it, however. Not only will our bodies be incorruptible like His, but we shall be like Him in every way—like Him in holiness, like Him in love, like Him in wisdom.

“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him” (I John 3:2). In the words of our text, we are actually predestined to be conformed to the very image of the Son of God!
-ICR/HMM

--Jesus Christ: Creator

"For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him." (Colossians 1:16)

The Old Testament uses several names for the One who created. For example: "For thus saith the LORD [i.e., Jehovah] that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it" (Isaiah 45:18). But the New Testament leaves no doubt as to who the Creator is.

Today’s verse states it clearly. The "him" in context is the Father’s "dear Son" (v. 13) who shed "his blood" (v. 14). Similarly, the favorite passage in John 1:3 identifies Christ as the Creator: "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." "He was in the world, and the world was made by him" (v. 10). "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us" (v. 14). No member of the human race nor member of the Trinity fits this description except Jesus Christ. "God . . . hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds" (Hebrews 1:1-2).

Jesus Christ is the Creator, and once He put on human form, His creative abilities continued to find application.
Several of His miracles involved creation out of nothing. Note the feeding of the five thousand (John 6:10-11), the transformation of water into wine (John 2:9-11), and bringing life from non-life--the raising of Lazarus (John 11:43-44), just to name a few.

Perhaps the most important creative act of Christ is one He performs on repentant sinners every day. "Therefore 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).

--ICR/JDM

--GIFTED
TO SERVE~

-Romans 12:3-13
----
There are diversities
of activities, but it is
the same God who
works all in all.
--1 Corinthians 12:6-
----
-IT occurred to me one day that my right foot does all the pedal work when I'm driving my automatic transmission car. It alone works the accelerator and the brake. The left foot is idle. What happens if I decide that to be equitable, my left foot ought to replace my right foot half the time when I am driving? If you have never done so, please don't try it!

If we don't require such equality of the members of our own body, why is it that we sometimes expect it of people in the church? That seems to be an issue that the first-century church at Rome faced. Some were thinking more highly of themselves than they ought (Rom 12:3) just because they were doing some things others were not doing. But Paul reminds us that "all members do not have the same function" (v.4). We've been gifted according to God's grace (v.6). He gave us those gifts to serve others, not ourselves (vv.6-13). Our service is to be marked by diligence and fervor, for we are serving the Lord, not man (v.11).

So, let's not look over our shoulders to see what others are doing or not doing. Look at how God may be able to use you in His kingdom today. He has gifted you just as He has pleased (v.3).
--
'Lord, lead me today as you see best. Use the gifts You have given me to encourage others on their journey. Help me not to compare myself with others but to be content with who You have made me to be.'
----
-We can't all play the same part in God's band of service, but we should all play in harmony.

--ODB/CPH

-The Christian's Position
-By: Henry Morris III, D.Min.
--
"According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world." (Ephesians 1:4)

The search for identity and meaning can drive one to great successes or tragic failures. For the Christian, however, the question is answered throughout Ephesians.

We are chosen! We are selected as a favorite out of "many [who] are called" (Matthew 22:14) "out of the world" (John 15:19). What a privilege! We are God's choice to bear His name, represent His cause, and share His glory throughout eternity.

In fact, we are "predestinated [previous boundaries set] . . . unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself" (Ephesians 1:5). And "if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ" (Romans 8:17).

Furthermore, we have been "accepted in the beloved" (Ephesians 1:6). That word, "accepted," is a specialized form of the word most often translated "grace." We have been "graced" by almighty God, who has set absolute boundaries around our lives and made us His children. We were purchased "through his blood" (v. 7) "that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar [that is, 'precious'] people, zealous of good works" (Titus 2:14).

Moreover, we are forgiven (Ephesians 1:7)! Our sins are "covered" (Psalm 32:1); "cast" behind God's back (Isaiah 38:17); removed "as far as the east is from the west" (Psalm 103:12); "remembered . . . no more" (Jeremiah 31:34); and cleansed "from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).

Hallelujah! Since we are God's children, we should have no identity crisis. We are a chosen, predestined, accepted, redeemed, forgiven, and holy people. Finally, we are predestined "to be conformed to the image of his Son" (Romans 8:29).

--ICR/HMM III

-God's Foundation
By: Henry Morris, Ph.D.

"His foundation is in the holy mountains. The LORD loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah." (Psalm 87:1-3)

The 87th Psalm was dedicated to the praise of Jerusalem as the chosen city of God, the site of His temple where He could dwell with His people. It is on this city that He focuses His continual attention. However, none of the great fathers of the chosen people--Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Joshua--were ever citizens of earthly Jerusalem, but they all "looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God" (Hebrews 11:10).

The Lord Jesus has gone "to prepare a place" (John 14:2) for us, and God "hath prepared for them a city" (Hebrews 11:16). This is "mount Sion . . . the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem" (Hebrews 12:22), the "Jerusalem which is above" (Galatians 4:26).

The day will come when this beautiful city of God will rest on "a great and high mountain . . . descending out of heaven from God, Having the glory of God" (Revelation 21:10-11). There on the new earth (Revelation 21:1-2) it may indeed rest on foundations extending to the center of the earth, for it will be 1,400 miles high, wide, and long (Revelation 21:16).
Inscribed on its beautiful foundations are the names of the 12 apostles, but the sure foundation must be none other than Christ Himself (Ephesians 2:20; 1 Corinthians 3:11). "Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his" (2 Timothy 2:19).

"Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King" (Psalm 48:1-2).
-ICR/HMM

-- God Remembers --

"And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters assuaged." (Genesis 8:1)

This verse contains the first mention of the beautiful word "remember" in the Bible, and it tells us that God remembers! During the awful cataclysm of the Flood, the most devastating event thus far in the history of the world, God still remembered the faithful obedience of Noah, and He even remembered every living thing!

We may forget many things, but God remembers: "For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name" (Hebrews 6:10). Nor does He ever forget a promise. The first mention of "remember" in the New Testament is the Spirit-inspired testimony of Zacharias: "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people . . . to remember his holy covenant; The oath which he sware to our father Abraham" (Luke 1:68, 72-73). That promise had been made 2,000 years before, but God remembered.

God even remembers the sparrows: "Not one of them is forgotten before God" (Luke 12:6). And He certainly remembers His own children: "For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust" (Psalm 103:14).

Even after the children of Israel had gone deeply into idolatry, He could still say, "I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness" (Jeremiah 2:2).

God remembers the evil as well as the good, of course. The one thing He chooses not to remember is the sinful past of those who have come to Christ for forgiveness. "And their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more" (Hebrews 10:17).

--ICR/HMM

-The Honest Use of Scripture

"Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye." (Mark 7:13)

Jesus uttered these sharp words of rebuke to the scribes and Pharisees, who had encumbered the plain teachings of Scripture with numerous "interpretations" which enabled them to ignore whatever teachings they found inconvenient. The Lord Jesus Himself always took the Scriptures literally and as of divine authority, and so should we.

Furthermore, He taught that every word was true and authoritative: "For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled" (Matthew 5:18). He also said that "the scripture cannot be broken" (John 10:35).

Skeptics may pose certain difficulties in the Bible, evolutionists may ridicule its account of creation, and sinners in general may try to wriggle away from its moral constraints, but the Scripture cannot be broken!

Jesus said, "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day" (John 12:48). He Himself is the living Word of God, and we dare not tamper with the written Word inspired by the Holy Spirit. Christ, of course, could and did in some cases extend and apply the Old Testament Scriptures, because He Himself was their Author, but He never questioned their factuality or literal accuracy, and neither should we.

Nevertheless, many modern "Christian" intellectuals and cultists are following in the example of the Pharisees, rather than that of Christ, "wresting" the Scriptures for their gain but "unto their own destruction" (2 Peter 3:16). God has spoken plainly in His Word. It is our responsibility to believe and do what He says.

--ICR/HMM

--TAKE IT TO THE CROSS
--By: David Wilkerson
-[May 19, 1931 - April 27, 2011]

Under the Old Covenant, (Law)- absolute obedience was required. God's law made no allowances for even the slightest disobedience. Simply put, the soul that sinned died.

Those commandments were laid out clearly, describing the perfect obedience a holy God requires. Yet the Law made no provision in the flesh for such obedience and man found himself utterly unable to keep the Law’s demands. Paul called the law “. . . a yoke upon the neck . . . which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear” (Acts 15:10).

Yet, Paul also describes the Law as a “schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith” (Galatians 3:24). The law exposes our hearts, teaching us we are weak-willed, helpless as babies, in need of a Savior, JESUS.

At this point, you may be wondering, “Why would God demand perfect obedience from us, and yet not provide us with power to comply?” The Bible makes it clear: God had to bring us to a place where we realized we had no power to escape our sin.

It took Israel four hundred years of affliction to learn they could not provide their own deliverance. They couldn’t rid themselves of their slave masters in their own strength. They had to have a deliverer—a God who would reach down and bring them out of their bondage.

And it took centuries—up to the time of Zechariah—for Israel to recognize their need for a Redeemer. They finally became convinced they needed a Savior who would “be unto [them] a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of [them]” (Zechariah 2:5). God himself would be the fire around them and the glory within them!

Yet many Christians today still have not learned this lesson. They are living under the Law, striving in their flesh, making promises to God, trying to get free from their sin. They wake up each day saying, “This is the day, Lord! I’m going to find the strength and willpower to break these chains. With just a little more effort, I’ll be free!”
No! It will never happen. It will only end in more guilt. The Law is meant to drive us to the Cross to acknowledge our helplessness, our need for a Redeemer.
----------
[If you have received Jesus into your heart as Lord and Saviour, and repented of your sins, turning to Him to lead the rest of your life, then you are SAVED! You are delivered from the curse of the Law, once you receive Jesus as your Sin-bearer. Jesus died to pay the price we could not pay.

If you have not done it yet, please call on the name of the Lord Jesus for deliverance from the curse of the Law, and THEN you will be set free to serve Him. There is NO OTHER WAY. Religion will not save you. Being a good person and going to church will not/can not save you. Not even being born into a Christian family. YOU MUST ASK JESUS FOR FORGIVENESS,(PERSONALLY)! AND THEN HE WILL HELP YOU TO CHANGE. (Please read Romans 10:9-10.)

Once you have done this you, then you "ARE GOD'S CHOSEN PERSON!

--JESUS CAME TO REDEEM ALL OF US!
-Life Lessons/ By: Max Lucado
-Psalms 53:1-55-23
---
-Situation:
People who denied God were foolish, for they denied the One who could save them. David prayed for salvation to reach his people. He praised God for giving favor to an unworthy nation.

-Observation:
Denying God doesn't detract from His majesty, but it does separate you from your divine Father. Avoid this tragedy!

-Inspiration:
The road out of Bethlehem was steep and dangerous. It led him through a lizard-laced desert, an angry Jerusalem, conflict, and peril. Leaders resolved to kill him. His people sought to stone him. His own family chose to mock him.

Some people lifted him up as King; others cast him down. Jerusalem gates saw him enter as Sovereign and leave like a fugitive. He eventually died a lonely death in the Hebrew capital.

But He is far from dead!

His words still speak. His legacy still lives. Love or hate him, society keeps turning to him, reading his thoughts, pondering his deeds, imagining his face. Scripture gives only scant sentences about his looks, so sculptors and artists have filled galleries with their speculations. Michelangelo. Rembrandt. Da Vinci. Canvas. Stone. Painting. Sculpting.

And books. Oh the Books! More pages have been devoted to Bethlehem's prodigy than any other figure in history. We can't stop talking about Him. Sand has filled his Judean footprints thousands of times over thousands of years--but still we gather to reflect on His life.

You know whom I'm describing.

You do, don't you? The pasture. The anointing. The childhood call. The lifelong enemies. Wilderness. Jerusalem. Judea. The lonely death. The endless legacy. Who is this boy from Bethlehem?

Jesus, of course. Jesus understands you. He understands small-town anonymity and big-city pressure. He's walked pastures of sheep and palaces of Kings. He's faced hunger, sorrow, and death and wants to face them with you.
Jesus "Was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:15,16).
He,[Jesus], became one of us. And He did so to redeem all of us.

--From: Facing Your Giants/ML

-Application:
Humanity has built tall buildings, gone to the moon, and transplanted organs. But we haven't overcome the penalty of sin. Such a challenge escapes us. Who has the cure for sin or for death? Open your heart to God today. Watch God accomplish changes in areas you have not been able to change.

-Exploration:Denying God--Exodus 11:9,10; Matthew 10:32, 33; 2 Timothy 2:12.~~~


--Redeemed by: Big Daddy Weave

-Born Again By The Word Of God
-By: John D. Morris, Ph.D.

“Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever” (I Peter 1:23).

Our rebirth into the family of God is quite unlike our natural birth. All human birth and, indeed, due to the universal curse placed on all creation (Romans 8:20–22) at the time of Adam’s rebellion (Genesis 3), all plant (I Peter 1:24) and animal reproduction as well is “of corruptible seed,” withering and dying.

Our spirits, however, if we have availed ourselves of God’s free offer of eternal life through the death of His dear Son, have been reborn of “incorruptible” seed, not subject to decay or death. The agent which brought about this transformation is the incorruptible “word of the Lord [which] endureth for ever” (v.25).

This “word” is modified by two descriptives, both of which are emphatic in the Greek. First, it liveth; i.e., it actually possesses life. His sacrificial death yields our eternal life.

Note the precious truth: “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” (Galatians 2:20).

Secondly, the word of God abideth (same word as endureth in verse 25) forever. There are two emphases here: One is on the quality of the word; i.e., it will never change nor lose its relevance. The other is on the self-perpetuating nature of the word. It so consists of life that it is able to give life.

“This is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you” (I Peter 1:25), by which we are born again to incorruptibility and immortality. “That by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (II Peter 1:4).
--ICR/ JDM

--The Mind of Christ

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 2:5)

Although salvation is free, it is not cheap, since it required the Creator Himself to become man and submit to an agonizing death on the cross. This was the mind of Christ!

And, by the same token, although our salvation is not conditioned on any meritorious acts of our own, the standard by which we must measure our lives is nothing less than the perfect life of Jesus Christ. In the first place, our words and deeds are to be compared to His: "For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps" (1 Peter 2:21). Our standard of holiness is to be His life of holiness. "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation [meaning ‘behavior']" (1 Peter 1:15).

If we truly follow His steps, they may well lead to suffering and persecution, but "he that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked" (1 John 2:6), and this involves a willingness to be "crucified with Christ" (Galatians 2:20). The Christian life is preeminently to be characterized by unselfish love, but again the standard of that love is nothing less than the love of Christ Himself. "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another" (John 13:34).

To love as He loved; to walk where He walked; to be holy as He is holy; to follow His example in word and deed--all this requires that we think as He thought, that the very attitude of our soul be like His. In position, we do "have the mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:16), but in practice, we still come far short. May God help us to cast down "imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God," and bring "into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5).--ICR/HMM

--The Best Education

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
--(Matthew 11:29)

-The education to be secured by searching the Scriptures is an experimental knowledge of the plan of salvation. Such an education will restore the image of God in the soul.

It will strengthen and fortify the mind against temptation, and fit the learner to become a co-worker with Christ in His mission of mercy to the world. It will make him a member of the heavenly family; and prepare him to share the inheritance of the saints in light.

Jesus tells us, "Search the Scriptures, for it is they that testify of Me." We have an action verb here, SEARCH! And also we must PRAY (without ceasing, as Paul admonishes us.)
Of course, this means keep an attitude of prayer as you go about your daily duties and work. The Lord is always with us. Don't leave Him out of your daily life.
"Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age." ~ JESUS

-Hope For the Future~

"If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."
----(2 Corinthians 5:17)

--The Bible tells us there can be hope for the future for believers in Christ.

-First, there is hope of a changed person. No matter how hard we try, we are incapable of ridding ourselves of the selfishness and greed that cause conflict and strife and war. Our only hope is a changed heart--and Jesus is in the business of changing hearts.

Second, there is hope of a changed world. When we know Christ, He gives us by His Spirit a new love and concern for others. We can no longer be indifferent to their sufferings, and we'll want to do something about them. Changed by Christ, we can begin to change our world.

Third, there is hope of an unchanging eternity in Heaven. This world is not all there is. Someday all its pain and heartache will come to an end for those who know Christ (Revelation 21:4). Evil and death will be abolished, and we will be safely in God's presence forever.

As you read the headlines or look at your own life, you may be wondering if there is any hope. The answer from the Bible is a resounding yes!

--Hope for Each Day/BG

-Understanding What Jesus Did for You!

"She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from thier sins."-- Matthew 1:21

IT'S hard to imagine what it was like for Jesus to live under the shadow of the Cross every day of His life. Even as a lad in Joseph's carpenter shop, nailing those nails into a piece of lumber, He must've thought about the day when those soldiers would drive the nails in His hands and in His feet.

One of my favorite pictures of Jesus portrays Christ as a toddler. It's the end of the day. He's playing next to His father, Joseph, in his carpentry shop and the sun is setting. And as Jesus is kneeling down handling some metal spikes, the shadow of a Cross is formed on the ground over His shoulder.

Jesus lived every day of His life in anticipation of that moment when He would give His life on the Cross for our sins. So it was no surprise when He, at 33 years of age, was arrested, beaten, and sentenced to die for the sins of the world.

And even harder than that is to imagine that when He died, He made a way for you to have a relationship with God. So thank Jesus today for what He did for you and, if you haven't already, accept the 'free gift' of salvation He's given you through His death and resurrection.

--Jesus lived every day in light of what He would do for you on the Cross. So thank Him and trust that He's saved you from death!
--Power Point/JG

<http://youtu.be/9p4G2GbPYQA>
-MY REDEEMER LIVES/ NICOLE Mullen

--DISPLAYING
GOD'S GLORY ~

-Romans 8:1-10
----
Those who live
according to the
Spirit, [live according
to] the things of the
Spirit. --Romans 8:5
----
I LOVE baseball and have been a fan of the sport since I was little kid. I especially enjoy following the Detroit Tigers. But during a recent season, the Tigers' poor play and losing record early in the season frustrated me greatly. So for my own personal well-being, I took a break. I spent 4 days avoiding anything to do with my favorite team.

During those 4 Tiger-less days, I began to contemplate how difficult it is to give up things we've grown accustomed to. Yet there are times when God may want us to.

For instance, we may be involved in an activity that has become all-encompassing--and we know it would be best to limit it (see 1 Cor. 6:12). Or we may have a habit or practice that we know misses the mark of pleasing God, and we realize that we need to let it go because we love Him and want Him to be glorified through us (15:34).

When we do find things that interfere with our relationship with the Lord, with His help we can stop. God has given us the provision (1 Cor. 10:13), and the Spirit provides the power (Rom. 8:5).

Let's ask Him to help us not let anything block His glory from shining through.
-----
-DRAWING CLOSE TO CHRIST PRODUCES
A GROWING CHRISTLIKENESS.

--ODB/DB/[Draw Me Close To You /Sung By:Michael W. Smith]
<http://youtu.be/a_tdG9yM93A>
---

-FOLLOW THE LEADER, JESUS!

--LEADING FROM
THE FRONT

-Psalm 23
-----
He leads me beside
the still waters. He
restores my soul; He
leads me in the paths
of righteousness for
His name's sake.
--Psalm 23:2-3
---
STEPHEN AMBROSE's book Band of Brothers follows the US Army's 'Easy Company' from trainkng in Georgia through the Normandy Invasion of D-Day (June 6, 1944) and ultimately to the end of World War II in Europe. For the bulk of that time, 'Easy Company' was led by Richard Winters. Winters was an especially good officer because he led from the front. The most commonly heard words from Winters in combat were, "Follow me!" Other officers may have sought the safety of the rear arears, but if Winter's men were going into combat, he was going to lead them.

Jesus is the one true Leader of His children. He knows what we need and where we are most vulnerable. His leading is part of what makes Psalm 23 the most beloved song in the Bible's hymnal. In verse 2, David says that the Shepherd "leads me beside the still waters," and in verse 3 he adds, "He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake." These twin ideas reveal why His care is so complete. Whether it is times of refreshing and strengthening ("still waters") or seasons of doing what pleases Him ("paths of righteouness"), we can follow Him.

As the old song says, "My Lord knows the way through the wilderness: all I have to do is follow."
-------
-JESUS KNOWS THE WAY--FOLLOW HIM!

--ODB/BC/ THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD/ Jeff Majors
<http://youtu.be/VDrH-4oCMBI>

--A Home in Heaven~

-"If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself." John 14:3

-During Christ's ministry on Earth, He had no permanent home. He once said, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head" (Matthew 8:20).

What a contrast to the Heavenly home He left in order to come to Earth. From all eternity His dwelling place had been filled with unimaginable glory and splendor. And yet, the Bible says, He "emptied himself...being born in human likeness" (Philippians 2:7). Out of love for you and me, He left Heaven's glory for Earth's misery.

But the story doesn't end there. Now He has returned to Heaven--and someday we will join Him. Think of it: He wants to share Heaven's glory with us!

One evening, a little girl was taking a walk with her father. Looking up at the stars she exclaimed, " Oh,Daddy, if the wrong side of Heaven is so beautiful, what must the right side be like!" ~~

--Hope For Each Day/BG

--Two Sets of Books

"If anyone's name was not found written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." Revelation 20:15--
---
-These are sobering words--the most sobering words imaginable.

The Bible says that in Heaven there are two sets of books. One set records every detail of our lives: everthing we have done since the day we were born. All of that will be held against us at Judgment.

But Scripture tells us there is another book in Heaven: The Book of Life. When we come to Christ--when we receive Him, when we come to the Cross where He died for us, when we believe that He is risen and we receive Him into our lives--our names are blotted out of the first set of books. God no longer even remembers our sins because they have been blotted out by the blood of Christ, shed on the Cross for us.
The moment our names are blotted out of the first set of books, God writes them in the Book of Life. Only those whose names are recorded there will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Is your name written in the Book of Life? Make sure by opening your heart to Christ and committing your life to Him without reserve. ~~
--Hope/BG /Oh Glorious Day!
<http://youtu.be/xODpgyqGCYM>

--JARS OF CLAY~

-2 Corinthians 4:7-15
----
We have this treasure
in earthen vessels,
that the excellence of
the power may be of
God and not of us.
--2 Corinthians 4:7
--
WHEN you buy a nice piece of jewelry, it is often tucked into a setting of black- or dark-colored velvet. I think it's designed that way so that your attention is immediately drawn to the beauty of the jewelry. If the packaging were highly decorated, it would compete with the beauty of the treasure.

It reminds me of Paul's comments about the ministry of Jesus through us, when he said, "We have this treasure in jars of clay" (2 Cor. 4:7) It's easy to forget that we are the packaging and His work is the treasure. So we adorn our jars of clay, taking credit for the things we do to serve Christ.

We seek to bring glory to ourselves when we've forgiven someone, or shown mercy, or given generously. The problem is, when we start seeking affirmation and praise for good deeds, we compete with the brilliance of the treasure of God working through us.

When we do things for Christ, it's not about us but about His glory. The less obvious we are, the more brilliant He becomes. Which is why, Paul says, the treasure has been put in jars of clay so that God would be the One to be glorified. Besides, since when are jars of clay significant? It's what's inside that counts!
-
-Let the brilliance of the treasure of Christ
shine through you as you live for Him. ~~
--ODB/JS

--A DEBTOR~

-2 Corinthians 5:12-17
---
"The love of Christ
compels us."
--2 Corinthians 5:14

AS a young man, Robert Robinson (1735-1790) enjoyed getting into trouble with his friends, so the stories go. At age 17, though he heard a sermon by George Whitefield from Matthew 3:7 and realized his need for salvation in Christ. The Lord changed Robinson's life, and he became a preacher. He wrote several hymns, including his best-known "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing."

Lately I've been pondering God's amazing grace toward us and the last stanza of that hymn: "O to grace how great a debtor daily I'm constrained to be!" The hymn brings to mind the apostle Paul's words: "The love of Christ compels [or constrains] us...that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again" (2 Cor. 5:14-15).

We can't earn God's love and grace. But because He has lavished it on us, how can we help but love Him in return by living for Him! I'm not exactly sure what that looks like, but it must include drawing near to Him, listening to His Word, serving Him, and obeying Him out of gratitude and love.

As debtors, we are called to live each day for Jesus who gave Himself for us.

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
---
-Those who know God's grace show God's grace.
--ODB/AC= /"Come Thou Fount by David Crowder"
<http://youtu.be/fvo7zybJAj8>
----

--BEHOLD, YOUR DELIVERANCE!~
-Isaiah 38:1-20


"Behold, for peace I had great bitterness; but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption; for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back."
--ISAIAH 38:17

--KING Hezekiah of Judah was dying and prayed his great desperate "arrow prayer" to the Lord for deliverance. The Lord added 15 years to his life. In our reading, Hezekiah pours out his soul in thanksgiving. One translation of our verse says "from the pit of nothingness." Isn't that what anguish of soul often feels like? It is the nothingness and the chaos which the Lord spoke His word into at the Creation.

God's immense power and love were shown in His creating something out of nothing. Only He, our Creator can accomplish that. As Andrew Bonar says, "the same Architech, the same skill, the same love" is active in our lives now, shaping a new coherent life for us out of our own bereft "nothingness."

Like Hezekiah we cannot just "psych ourselves out" of depressive thought patterns. But God can and does love us out of whatever our "pit of nothingness" may be. He wants to place each of us on (the) Rock that is higher than we are (see Psalm 61:2). We can't haul ourselves up, but Jesus--who is our Rock--does it for us.
----
The LORD has delivered us in the past, is delivering in the present, and will deliver in the future. This is the unbreakable threefold cord. "A threefold cord is not quickly broken."

--Haven Today~~

--BEHOLD, THE UPRIGHT PERSON!
--Psalm 37:1-40

-"Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright; for the end of that man is peace...But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord; he is their strength in the time of trouble."
--(Psalm 37:37, 39, KJV)-

Lest you read this verse and begin looking around to study upright people, know first and foremost that there has only been one Upright Man. He, of course, is the Lord Jesus. We can only be upright by the grace of God in which we stand, a grace extended to us through Jesus alone.

I have always been struck by the flying buttresses of Gothic cathedrals--external supporting structures which bolster up the incredible height of the nave. Without them the buildings would collapse. One writer paraphrased the Greek word "paraclete" (which means Advocate or Comforter) as "bean pole," because one of the Holy Spirit's functions is to stand alongside, as a bean pole does. Without the Holy Spirit, we would not be supported and could not grow. You could say He is our "bean pole" or our "flying buttress." We are supported by the right hand of His righteousness.

Still there are some believers whom we do behold as distinctively upright. Paul encourages us in 1 Corinthians 4:16 to imitate him.
Whom does Paul follow? JESUS!
---
There are many role models we can imitate, but ultimately we will only be upright because the Upright One supports us. ~

--Haven Ministries

--On Mission For Jesus~
---Luke 2:40-52

-When we look at Jesus, we see He had a clear focus on His mission. By age 12, He was already able to verbalize His purpose: He told Mary and Joseph that He had to be about His Father's business.

As Christians, we may understand the global mandate of the Great Commission. But that can feel so vast in scope that it's possible to lose sight of how we, as individuals, should implement it at home.It's a good idea to think in terms of your own personal mission statement, which is a bit like the popular message "Think globally; act locally".

We should never underestimate the power of attending to nearby duties, even if they seem mundane or unimpressive. Second Samuel 23:11-12 (KJV) gives us an interesting example: while all the people were fleeing from the field, Shammah "stood" and "the Lord wrong a great victory." Your mission right now may be simply 'to stand.'

Sometimes that's all it take for the Lord to bring about a powerful victory.~~~
--In Touch/ TURN YOUR EYES UPON JESUS~
<http://youtu.be/nO4uIyz_d90>
-----

--- Chain Of Command
--By: Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the LORD your God giveth you to possess it” (Joshua 1:9–11).-

In the army of the Lord, typified here by the Israelites as they prepared for the conquest of Canaan, there must be order rather than irresponsibility. This is evidently the first reference in the Bible to a chain of command in these armies. God commanded Joshua, who had previously been appointed by God, through Moses, to be their human commander-in-chief. “Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people,” who were thereafter to “command the people.”

Similarly, there must be a system of orderly responsibility, with loyalty to the Lord exercised through a recognized chain of command, in any church or other Christian organization, before any kind of victory for our supreme Commander can ever be won. When “every man [does] that which [is] right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25), the organization will fail.

Jesus Christ is the “Captain of [our] salvation” (Hebrews 2:10), the Greek word for “captain” meaning, literally, “chief leader,” and it is He who calls and commissions those who are to serve as leaders under Him. Leadership, however, does not imply dictatorship. They must not act as “lords over God’s heritage” but as “[examples] to the flock” (I Peter 5:3).

Whether we are called to be leaders or followers in God’s spiritual army, each of us must also be willing to “endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life” (II Timothy 2:3,4).

--ICR/ Henry Morris, Ph.D.

--- What We Have Now In Christ
---By: Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:15).

The one who is trusting Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord has many wonderful possessions which cannot be seen with our physical eyes, but which are as real and permanent as if we were already in heaven. Many of these (only a few of which can be listed here) are noted by the present tense of the verb “have” (Greek, echo).

First of all, as our text indicates (and these are the words of Christ!), we who believe in Him have right now—eternal life! Our sins have been taken care of by the sacrificial death of Christ, “In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7; see also Colossians 1:14). Our sins will be remembered against us no more, because we have already been eternally redeemed. Then also, in spite of all our sins and failures, “being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).

One of the great resources we now have, but use so seldom, is the capacity to “think God’s thoughts after Him.” “For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ” (I Corinthians 2:16).

Having the mind of Christ should keep us from sin. Nevertheless, “if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (I John 2:1). Not only do we have an advocate defending us, but we have a priest as our mediator. “We have a great high priest, . . . Jesus the Son of God” (Hebrews 4:14).

Finally, we already “have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (II Corinthians 5:1). And all this is only the beginning!
“Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard . . . the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him” (I Corinthians 2:9).

--ICR/ HMM

--DOING RIGHTEOUSNESS~

"Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous."
---(1 John 3:7)

EVERY genuine Christian knows that part of the salvation gift is the promise of being made "unblameable in holiness" (1 Thessalonians 3:13). We sometimes have trouble, however, with the concept of present-tense holiness in our everyday lifestyles.

John speaks of the abiding Christian who "sinneth not" (1 John 3:6). Indeed, such a Christian "doth not commit sin" (1 John 3:9) because, John notes, the "seed" of God remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." Furthermore, "whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not" (1 John 5:18)

It's accurate to translate those passages with the "continuing" implication of the Greek structure (i.e. "does not continue in the practice of sin," etc.) However, the emphasis is on an obvious, continuous, clearly embraced lifestyle of righteous living!

The visible transformation from a worldly conformity (Romans 12:2) begins with a desire for "the sincere milk of [God's] word" (1 Peter 2:2). fashioning ourselves after God's holiness "in all manner of conversation" (1 Peter 1:14-15). Neither are we to let sin reign in our bodies, but we are to yield ourselves as "instruments of righteousness" (Romans 6:12-13). Since we are "risen with Christ" we are to "mortify" the fleshly appetites, "put off" emotional outbursts that reflect an ungodly nature, and "put on" godly attributes so that whatsoever we do is done in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (Colossians 3:1-17). ~~~
"YOU RAISE ME UP! SELAH~
<http://youtu.be/2DorNUsi5LE>
----

---WE ARE GOD'S CHOSEN PEOPLE~

---Rightly Divide the Word
---
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15)

This command is for us to "give diligence" (Greek spoudazo) for God's approval by "rightly dividing" the word of truth. That which is to be rightly divided is not in doubt: "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth" (John 17:17). The end goal is to "display yourself" as one who is, therefore, approved by God.

The key is to "rightly divide" the Scriptures. The Greek word orthotomeo, only used this one time, has several shades of meaning: to cut straight, to cut straight ways; to proceed on straight paths, hold a straight course; to make straight and smooth; to handle aright; to teach the truth directly and correctly.

Two passages emphasize the way to "divide" the Scriptures. When Isaiah asked rhetorical questions about how to learn and understand biblical knowledge, the answer was "precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little" (Isaiah 28:9-10). Thus:

Find the major pieces first.
Find the supporting elements next.
Find the pieces throughout the text.

Solomon, as the "wise preacher," noted that one who would teach the people knowledge must have given "good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs" (Ecclesiastes 12:9).

***Pay attention to the words (meanings, context).
***Penetrate (research) the teaching (text first, then books).
***Organize the information for teaching purposes.

This kind of study preparation requires a "workman"—one who is willing to give the "diligence" necessary to produce the powerful sayings built on the "word of truth." If properly prepared, the workman will never be "ashamed."
--ICR/ HMM III

--We Are God's Chosen People/ He has predestined us to be called His own.

--A FATHER TO FOLLOW ~

-2 Chronicles 17:1-10
-------
[Jehoshaphat] sought
the God of his father,
and walked in His
commandments.
--2 Chronicles 17:4
---
WHEN I think of my father, I think of this saying: "He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and he let me watch him do it." During my youth, I watched my dad walk with God. He participated in Sunday church services, taught a Bible-study class, helped count the offering, and served as a Deacon. Outside of church, he faithfully defended the Gospel. I saw him express his love for the Lord through outward actions.

Asa, King of Judah, modeled devotion to God for a season in his life (2 Chron. 14:2). He removed the idols from his kingdom, restored the altar of the Lord, and led the people into a covenant with God (15:8-12). Asa's son Jehoshaphat carried on this legacy by seeking "the God of his father and walking in His commandments" (17:4). Jehoshaphat purged the land of idol worship (v.6) and sent out priests and Levites to teach God's law in all of the cities of Judah (vv.7-9).

Jehoshaphat's reign resembled that of his father; he faithfully honored Asa's godly example. Yet even more important, Jehoshaphat's "heart took delight in the ways of the LORD" 9v.6). Today, if you're looking for a father to follow, remember your heavenly Father and take delight in His ways.
---ODB/JBS ~~
Let's also remember in John 15:15 - "Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knows not what his lord does, but I have called you friend; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you." "I Am A Friend of God" /
<http://youtu.be/bGJ_81dgoEQ>
-------

--ARE YOU REALLY COMMITTED?
-
-"Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established." --Proverbs 16:3

-I picked up an article years ago with the headline, "Fewer than 10 Percent of Americans are Deeply Committed Christians." It was from pollster George Gallup Jr., who commented on the findings, "(The 10% who are committed) are more tolerant of people of diverse backgrounds, they are more involved in charitable activities, and they are far happier than the rest of the population."

But then he went on to observe, ***"Most Americans who profess Christianity don't know the basic teachings of the faith and they don't act significantly different from non-Christians in their daily lives. Overall," he added," the Sunday school and religious education system in this country is not working. Not being grounded in the faith, these professing believers are 'open for anything that comes along.'"

This is a very sad reality that we face in our churches today. It makes me sad about those 90%...and it breaks my heart that they want to identify with Jesus Christ, but not to the point they're truly committed. At the same time, the poll above is correct that, for years, our system for religious education in many churches was not up to par, and in many ways still isn't.

When it comes to the cause of Christ, I pray that we become a people of God who are sold out to His purposes. Commit yourself to God today, and live your life fully for Him!

--***COMMIT YOURSELF WHOLLY TO GOD AN BE SOLD OUT TO HIS PURPOSES!!
--PP/JG

--Our Eternal Bodies

“Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.” (Philippians 3:21)

Only those religions which believe in special creation—that is, orthodox Judaism, Islam, and Christianity—also believe in a bodily resurrection. Of the three creationist/resurrectionist religions, however, only the Christian faith acknowledges that the resurrection can be possible only when the Creator Himself becomes the atoning Savior, dying for sin and thereby defeating death.

When Christ arose from the tomb, He could proclaim, “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore” (Revelation 1:18).
His resurrection body was the same physical body that had been in the grave, able to be touched and even retaining its crucifixion scars. Nevertheless, it was different, a “spiritual” body (1 Corinthians 15:42-49), controlled by spiritual forces. Our present “natural” bodies are controlled by natural forces, but the resurrected Christ could move quickly from Earth to heaven, and could pass through closed doors (John 20:17, 19, 26).

But our resurrection bodies will be like His someday, according to the “working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead” (Ephesians 1:19-20). By that same “working,” He is able to subdue all things, for He is the Creator of all things (Colossians 1:16). Our “vile” bodies will become “glorious” bodies, no longer subject to sickness and aging, or lusts and evil passions. “This corruptible shall have put on incorruption” (1 Corinthians 15:54). “We know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2). This is the blessed hope of the genuine Christian.
ICR/HMM

--WELCOME
-TO ALL!~~

--Isaiah 55:1-9**-
------
HOW people look on the outer appearance, of course, is not an indicator of what is in their hearts. God's focus is on the inner life of people. He looks far below the surface of someone's appearance (1 Sam. 16:7) and that's what He desires for us to do as well. He also knows the hearts of those who appear to be "righteous" but are "full of hypocrisy" on the inside (Matt. 23:28).

God's message of welcome, which we are to show to others, is clear. He says to all who seek Him: "Everyone who thirsts, come to the water of life." (Isa 55:1)

-Thank You, Lord, that You welcome all into Your family,
and you have welcomed me. Show me how
to be as accepting of others as You are.
May I reveal Your heart of love. ~~-
--------
-No one will know what you mean when you say, "God is love" --unless you show it. Let Christ shine through you, for His glory!
--ODB/CHK
------
-ISAIAH 55:1-9*** (NIV)~~

"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk.
Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to Me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.
Give ear and come to Me; hear Me, that your soul may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
my faithful love promised to David.
See, I have made him a witness to the peoples.
Surely you will summon nations you know not,
and nations that do not know you will hasten to you,
because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel,for
He has endowed you with splendor."

Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call on him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts.
Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for He will freely pardon.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.
As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
~~~~~~~

--YOUR FLIGHT
IS CONFIRMED!~

--Romans 3:21-26
---
For as in Adam all die,
even so in Christ all
shall be made alive.
--1 Corinthians 15:22--
----
A HEAVY THUNDERSTORM delayed our flight to Frankfurt, causing us to miss our connecting flight. We were told that we had been confirmed on another flight the next evening. But when we arrived at the gate, we were told we were on standby. The flight was full.

When I learned this, I wondered if this was mere miscommunication or if this was how they dealt with missed flight. If passengers had been told up front that they were only on standby, they would have been unhappy. Perhaps they saved the truth until later.

Thankfully, God doesn't work that way. He clearly tells us everything we need to know to get to heaven. The Bible declares that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23). God gave us the full picture of our sin nature from Genesis 3 so that He could give us His full and complete solution.

God's solution in Romans 3:24 is that we are "justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." God sent His own sinless Son to die for our sins. His sacrifice on the Cross provided us forgiveness. All we need to do is receive that 'free gift' through faith. I'm so glad God told us the truth up front! He hasn't left us to find our own way.
---------
--CHRIST'S WORK MAKES US SAFE; GOD'S WORD MAKES US SURE!

--ODB/CPH

--ARE YOU 'ALL IN' FOR JESUS?
-"Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and He will act." --Psalm 37:5

EVERY single person on earth has two basic questions he or she is asking: "Who am I?" and Why am I here?" There was a time when people went to the Bible to find answers to those questions. But now, people are headed in different directions. They're turning to New Age movements, psychics, and psychology, seeking to find meaning and purpose for life.

And all the while the message of Christ has been suppressed, even by many Christians who have made their prayers, "Lord, make us comfortable," and "Lord, keep us safe." They've taken the Gospel and made it a refuge rather than a revolution! And they're flocking to churches, organizations, and cults which promise comfort over and above the Cross.

But I want to tell you that comfortable, casual Christianity will not make it in this generation because it does not answer those two basic questions. No, the Christianity that will make it is a revolutionary Christianity that challenges and changes culture with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The days of standing idly by and being a passive worshiper are soon coming to an end. It's time for God's church to stand for what they believe! So if it feels like you're riding the fence of the Christin life, go "ALL IN" today, committing yourself wholly to God's purposes and living every minute for the glory of Christ Jesus!
People, we are not on a Cruise Ship, we are on a Battle Ship for Jesus Christ, winning souls for His Kingdom!

--PP/JG

---MORE THAN
--ENOUGH ~~

--Whom Shall I Fear?

-Psalm 103:1-11
----
[The LORD]
crowns you with
lovingkindness and
tender mercies.
--Psalm 103:4-
----
-WE SERVE a God of abundance who is consistently "more than enough." We can see our Creator's generous nature in the way He loves His children. In Psalm 103, David lists the many benefits our Father bestows on us. Verse 4 says that 'He redeems our life from destruction and crowns us with lovingkindness and tender mercies.'-

The Apostle Paul reminds us that God "has blessed us with every spiritual blessing" and "is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think" (Eph. 1:3; 3:20). Because of His great love, we are called children of God (1 John 3:1), and His grace gives us "sufficiency in all things" (2 Cor. 9:8).

God's love and grace, spilled over into our lives, enables us to share them with others. The God of power and provision is always the God of "more than enough"!

With our Creator always with me (us), "Whom Shall I Fear?" Jesus said, "Lo, I am with you even until the end of the age." We have nothing to fear, Jesus is here! Hallelujah!

--ODB/ck / WHOM SHALL I FEAR? / Lincoln Brewster & Kari Jobe
<http://youtu.be/49yvPqCRlEw>
------------

--OMNISCIENCE OF GOD~~

-'O LORD, you have examined my heart
and know everything about me.'
--PSALM 139:1-

-THERE are no compartments of life that are beyond God's view. Every thought, every nuance, every hint of a whisper in our souls is an open book to Him. At first this might be alarming; we have corners of our souls we'd prefer to hide. But when we get past our shyness from divine eyes, we realize an amazing truth; the God who knows everything about us does not withdraw because of anything He sees.

The desire to be accepted is universal. That's why we hide aspects of ourselves even from those close to us--we fear rejection. But we have an even deeper desire to be intimately known and still accepted in spite of what's known. That's why we are drawn to those who know our faults and choose to be with us anyway. They instantly become candidates for our intimacy needs because they are safe.

God is safe. He isn't safe in the sense that He leaves everything intact--He'll change the parts of us that need to be changed, if we let Him--but we don't need to fear rejection from Him. He went to great lengths to bridge the gap that was created by the rebellion in Eden. There's no way a few common (or even uncommon)human flaws would compel Him to leave the gap intact. Those compartments we think are utterly depraved do not deter Him. He knows us--and loves us--deeply.

You probably know--theologically--that God knows everything about you. But has your total transparency before Him completely sunk in? Do you realize that He is gazing into your heart even at this moment? That you, at your core, are fully, completely known? You've been stripped of all facades, and it's okay. Rest in the fact that you have been thoroughly examined--and the Examiner has stayed.

-'God, You see everything about me. You hear my thoughts, know my needs, and see my sins, and still You stay. Thank you, Lord. Help me, Lord, to draw close to You as You draw close to me.' amen~~

-EGP/CT

--LOVE'S REDEEMING WORK~~

"God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us..."
~~~~~
Redemption occurred because of God's great love for us. "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son." Redemption "is finished," Jesus cried.
-Verse three of the hymn "Christ the Lord is Risen Today" celebrates this victory:

"Love's redeeming work is done, Allelujah!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Allelujah!
Death in vain forbids Him rise. Allelujah!
Christ hath opened paradise, Allelujah!"

As Charles Wesley wrote this, he had more in mind than Christ's resurrection. "I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore." And then He promised, "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God."

How can we gain sweet redemption and enter into this paradise? "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."

--Scriptures:
-Ephesians 2:4-6; John 3:16;19:30; Revelation 1:18; 2:7; Romans 10:9 ~~~~

--Days of Praise/ICR=/We should celebrate this everyday! " Risen Today -Sung by: Aaron Shust~
<http://youtu.be/FMX7jmQDDHk>
-----------

--What it Means to Be 'True to your Word?'

"Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD,
but those who act faithfully are his delight.
--Proverbs 12:22 -

Years ago, there was a feature article in 'Time' magazine entitled, “Is America Telling the Truth?” This article brought to light the plague of lying that’s spreading across our country. In our places of work, our universities, and our schools, lying has become a rampant and expedient way for people to get what they want.

The sad reality is that we are living in a truth-decaying society – a world in which truth is slowly becoming a minor thing and you can say whatever you want to get ahead in life. You can lie and cheat, as long as you don’t get caught, and you’re okay. In fact, I read a survey that found 66% of Americans believe it’s okay to tell a lie.

So as the church of God, what is to be our response to this disease of deception that has gripped our culture? Quite simply, it’s to counter those lies with the truth. If we say we live by the truth of the Word of God, then we also ought to live by the truth of our own words as well.

This week, I want to spend some time looking at this epidemic and how you and I can be a light of truth in the face of so much darkness. Let’s discover how we can better live by the truth of our word and show others what it means to walk in the truth of the Word of God.

-'LIVE BY THE TRUTH OF YOUR WORD'= AND YOU’LL SHOW THE WORLD WHAT IT MEANS TO LIVE BY THE TRUE WORD OF GOD.
--PP/JG

--KNOW YOUR WEAPON!
--Franklin Graham / Decision

For Christians the one weapon we have in this fallen world is found in Ephesians 6:17. We have 'the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God" (Ephesians 6:17, ESV). We need to know God's Word inside out, and we need to trust in its power and truth.

Nowadays, too many so-called Christians either don't know or trust God's Word. In their eyes God's laws seem out-dated. His judgment is not to be feared. The devil can't be real, Hell is not eternal, so they think.

That's frightening and deadly. Jesus not only warns us repeatedly about Hell, but He gave His life on the Cross so that we might be free of sin and escape eternal death and damnation, if we trust Him as our Lord and Savior.

God hates sin just as absolutely as He loves us. Yet today we have Christians who wink at sin and tell unrepentant sinners that everything will be OK--while condemning men of God for taking a stand for the truth of God's holy Word.

The only way they can justify this is by assuming that God's Word has somehow changed, like the seasons turn or the centuries pass.

Times have certainly changed, but God's Word has not.

The Prophet Isaiah tells us, "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever" (Isaiah 40:8).

God's Word still means what it says. We all need to be prepared to stand in judgment before a holy God. The only way to prepare for that is to repent of your sins and trust Jesus as Lord and Savior.

It breaks my heart to think that many churches will sidestep the truth, leading people astray in an effort to make them feel comfortable or welcome.

If these churches are not going to proclaim the whole truth of the Gospel, then it is all the more urgent for the rest of us to do so.

We have to always be vigilant, and ready to wield the weapon of the Word in our fight against the world, sin and temptation. Let's rededicate ourselves to the Lord through prayer and Bible study so that we will always be ready to speak the truth in love.- Yes, God is love. God is also Righteous and Holy. He can not stand in the presence of sin.
Christians, know your weapon. 'Heaven and earth will pass away, but My Word will never pass away.' --JESUS ~~

--AN IMPORTANT
-COMMAND

--Mark 12:28-34
----------
"You shall love the
LORD your God with
all your heart, with
all your soul, with
all your mind, and with
all your strength."
--Mark 12:30
------
--WHEN asked by a lawyer to identify the most important rule in life, Jesus replied, "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, etc, etc. (see text). Jesus summed up what God most desire from us.

As we learn to love God with everything, we begin to see our difficulties as "our light and momentary troubles"--just as the apostle Paul described. He had in mind a "far more exceeding and eternal....glory" (2 Cor. 4:17).

When we love God with the entire soul, doubts and struggles do not disappear, but their effect on us diminishes. "We love Him because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19), and our urgent questions recede as we learn to trust His ultimate goodness.
-------
--The most treasured gift we can give to God is one that
He can never force us to give---OUR LOVE.

---Resurrection: Our New Body
---2 Corinthians 5:1-10--(Recommended Reading)

What a scene will occur at the sounding of the Lord’s trumpet! The “dead in Christ” will emerge from their resting places all over the earth and soar into the sky; these saints’ resurrected bodies will reunite with their spirits, which will have been residing in heaven with Jesus. Close behind them will follow believers who haven’t yet departed this life—at that moment, they’ll miraculously be changed as they are “caught up . . . to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thess. 4:16-17).

The description sounds extraordinary, but in fact, the plan is practical.. We’re going to need a body with which to enjoy the new heaven and new earth that Jesus is preparing for His followers. However, earthly flesh and bones will not do. They age, break, and succumb to sin. So God promised to transform our humble structures into glorious bodies like the one Christ had after His resurrection. Common temptations and limitations will be gone. In addition, our physical substance will be altered so that we are not restricted by time and space. Remember, Jesus didn’t bother with doors (John 20:19)! Our new bodies will be suited for the environment where we are to dwell forever—an ageless eternity in which all of our needs are perfectly met.

Each believer will still be him- or herself. Friends and family long separated will recognize one another; our personalities will be unchanged, except that we’ll be absolutely sinless. At last, you and I will be the persons that God intends for us to be. And we’ll be housed in a body fashioned like that of Christ—perfect, sinless, and complete.

--IN TOUCH

--THE HEAVENS DECLARE! ~~
--Job 12:7-11

-"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--His eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."
--Romans 1:20

~~Teachers use object lessons to teach big concepts with small things. And some of the objects they use are pretty big themselves. However, no teacher has ever taught a lesson using a larger object than God used. He used 'EVERYTHING!'

Romans 1:20 says God's eternal power and divine nature can be understood by observing what He has made. He made 'everything'. We're talking galaxies, here. We're talking systems of galaxies. As big as things get, He made them. Not only did He make things, but He also made the space in between the things. And He made the time it takes to get from one thing to another. Our finite minds can hardly conceive of it all!

As great as that seems, remember what teachers do: they teach big concepts with small things. Compared to God's eternal power and divine nature, the universe is only a small thing being used in a lesson. And that lesson includes 'us'. God knows us and wants us to know Him. It's why He entered our world as a man and drew near. Could there be a more important lesson to study?
----
-We serve a God who made all things and works in all things for the good of those who love him!

--Anchor~~ 'GLORY IN THE HIGHEST! --Chris Tomlin~~
<http://youtu.be/oadNGjIdu0w>
----------

--Glorified in the Saints

--“And they glorified God in me.” (Galatians 1:24)

It is amazing to read in the Scriptures that the God of glory can actually receive yet more glory through His people. But that is what happened in Paul. When he became a Christian, his life changed completely, and those who saw the change glorified God in Paul.

Jesus prayed that this would be so, not only in Paul, but in all His followers. In the upper room before His crucifixion, He prayed: “I pray for them . . . which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them” (John 17:9-10).

He is glorified when we, like Paul, become His. But then He is further glorified as we grow in Him. Paul himself prayed for those whom he had seen come to Christ: “Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power: That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him . . .” (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12).

Finally, He shall be glorified when He comes again. “When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven. . .. . he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe . . .” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-10).

As we give glory to Christ in word and deed, He truly was, and is, and will be, glorified in His saints. This is a privilege greater than can be measured, which more than compensates for any opposition this generates from the world.
“If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified” (1 Peter 4:14). Therefore, “let your light so shine before men, that they may . . . glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
--ICR/ HMM--BE GLORIFIED!
-<http://youtu.be/9GFa26I_HB4>
---------------

--FROM DISBELIEF TO DEVOTION~~
-[Transformational Testimonies~~]

--SPECIAL REPORT: ATHEISM ~~ (Finding Out It's WRONG!)

--JOSH MCDOWELL: DISCOVERING DADDY
------------
-As a young boy it was common for Josh to see his father sloppily drunk. Over and over again, Josh saw his mother bloodied and beaten by his father. Eventually, he says, she died of a broken heart.

"I grew up believing fathers hurt," he said. "People would tell me there's a Heavenly Father who loves you. That didn't bring joy. It brought pain because I could not discern the difference between a Heavenly Father and an earthly father."

That wasn't all that hurt. Josh was sexually abused by a farmhand named Wayne from the age of 6 through 13. To this day, Josh doesn't let people touch him on the shoulder when they pray for him.

He mocked Christians in college and said if any of them had any mental ability, any intelligence, it would die of loneliness. He vowed to disprove the resurrection of Jesus, traveling out of the country to do research.

But the more he pursued his goal, the more convinced he became that the Resurrection and the Bible were true. Eventually, he accepted Christ.

Several months later, he led his father to the Lord and saw an instant change in his dad's life.

Josh has written 138 books on Christianity and has given talks to more than 25 million people in 125 countries.

He has a passion, rooted in his past, for reaching youth for Christ.

"Youth is where people--not always, but frequently--struggle to determine their worldview and what they believe," he said.
--------
"So why not deal with people right when they're in the struggle of it? ....and if you really want to influence youth, start with their parents." ~~~
--[Decision / March 2014]
---------

--JUST CALL!
--Psalm 5:1-3, 11-12

"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."
-----

--Allow Jesus to show you His grace through great and amazing things you never knew! JUST CALL!
Surrender your lives completely to the Lord Jesus Christ.

<http://youtu.be/HcnfT4arZtI>
----------

--We Are God's Chosen People to Spread the Good News!

--WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?

--Romans 10:11-15
-----
'How shall they
believe in Him of
whom they have not
heard? And how shall
they hear without a
preacher?'
--Romans 10:14
------
-MISSIONARY Egerton Ryerson Young served the Salteaux tribe in Canada in the 1700s. The chief of the tribe thanked Young for bringing the 'Good News' of Christ to them, noting that he was hearing it for the first time in his old age. Since he knew that God was Young's Heavenly Father, the chief asked, "Does that mean He is 'my' Father too?" When the missionary answered, "Yes," the crowd that had gathered around burst into cheers.

The chief was not finished, however. "Well," he said, "I do not want to be rude, but it does seem to me...that it took a long time for you to...tell it to your brother in the woods." It was a remark that Young never forgot.

Many times I've been frustrated by the zigs and zags of my life, thinking of the people I could reach 'if only'. Then God reminds me to look around right where I am, and I discover many who have never heard of Jesus. In that moment, I'm reminded that I have a story to tell wherever I go, "for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For 'whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved'" (Rom. 10:12-13).

Remember, we don't have just any story to tell--it's the Best Story, the 'Good News of Jesus Christ', that has ever been told!
------
--Sharing the Good News is one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread. Let's go, for Jesus! ~

--ODB/RK --/ THIS IS AMAZING GRACE~ By:Jeremy Riddle
<http://youtu.be/XBINwfOE5VQ>

--We are God's Chosen People/ The Christian's Position~~

---WHERE ARE YOU?
--Genesis 3

--"Then the man and his wife...hid from the Lord. ...But the Lord God called to the man, 'Where are you?'"
--(Genesis 3:8-9)~~

--AT the very beginning of time, Adam had it all: a wife wonderfully suited to him, an environment of perfect harmony and balance, fellowship with God, no fears or regrets. But then he blew it, failing the one test God gave him. Gone was the happy anticipation of God's approach.

The first sin not only changed the open relationship Adam had enjoyed with his Creator, it also infected every one of us down through the ages. No matter how we may try to hide, God's same question, "Where are you?" goes out to us today. Are you looking for a place to hide? Are you afraid of what the light of His presence will reveal?

Remember that your Creator knows you and loves you. That taste of perfect life we know about from the garden will be restored to us again one day. The perfect second Adam, Jesus, came to win it back for us. When we accept God's offer of restoration through His Son, our fellowship with Him is reestablished. We no longer have to hide. Rather, we can run into His open arms and enjoy His presence. ~~
--ANCHOR ~~~

--Go ahead! Tell Him that you need Him. He longs to hear us call on Him. He is our Abba Father. He is our Lord and Savior. In Christ alone, by the power of the Cross, we have been granted eternal life with Him.

He is waiting to hear you call His Name. "Behold I stand at the door and knock. If any man will open the door, I will come into him and have fellowship with him." OPEN THE DOOR! ~~
<http://youtu.be/kzJqoDzR2tY>
--------------

--The Book of ROMANS~

-This book in the New Testament does not 'beat around the bush'. It tells Christians 'point blank' how we should live.

--WE all head in the wrong direction from time to time. Our lives do not glorify the Lord, as we try finding our way back to the Father. "There is none righteous, no not one" (3:10). "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (3:23).

We are headed in the wrong direction! We've taken the wrong turn and we need help. In Romans, Paul explores all the wrong options and takes us to the only correct one. The wrong solutions are pleasure and pride (chapter 1 and 2); the correct solution is Christ Jesus (3:21-26). According to Paul, we are saved by grace, (undeserved, unearned favor) through faith (complete trust) in Jesus and His work.

The letter concludes with practical instruction for a growing church, including thoughts on spiritual gifts (12:3-8); genuine love (12:9-21); good citizenship (chapter 13). The final chapters provide brilliant instruction for dealing with everything from church division to difficult brethren.

Romans is a life-changing letter for people who are willing to admit they are sinners. For those who admit they are headed in the wrong direction, the letter provides the correct itinerary.
Read it and take note! That flight Home is one you don't want to miss!~~
--'The Lucado Life's Lessons Study Bible'/ML
<http://youtu.be/fx10drNM3gc>
------------

--We Are God's Chosen People/ The Christian's Position~

---God Has Not Forgotten You!

--BIBLE MEDITATION:
“And He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.” Psalm 37:6

--DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
A preacher was in a church where he felt God had led him. But nothing seemed to be working out, so he wanted to go to another church.

He told a friend, “I know where God put me, and I know God put me here, but I just wonder if He remembers where He put me.”

Yes, God remembers! He has not forgotten. He is never late. Don’t rush God. Don’t think He has abandoned you because your prayers are not answered. He will turn your midnight into a sunrise and your mourning into dancing. 'His timing is not our timing.' He has everything in control. Trust in the Lord.

--ACTION POINT:
--Read: Psalm 37:4-7 and rejoice in the hope of God’s providence and provision in your life.
--Adrian Rogers =/ I KNOW MY REDEEMER LIVES!
<http://youtu.be/lhE-06hjpJY>
-----------

--The Way and the Glory

“Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.” (Exodus 33:13)

“Moses the man of God” (Deuteronomy 33:1) was surely one of the greatest men who ever lived. He was the leader of a great nation, he received the tablets of the law from God, and he compiled and wrote the Pentateuch. It was said that “there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face” (Deuteronomy 34:10). Yet, “the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3).

It was such a man as this who made two remarkable requests of God. The first was, as above: “Shew me now thy way.” The second, just a moment later, was: “Shew me thy glory” (Exodus 33:18).

These were not selfish requests. Moses desired the way of the Lord on behalf of his people. God answered this request with the gracious promise: “My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest” (Exodus 33:14).

But then he also asked to see the glory of God. So God placed Moses “in a clift of the rock,” covering him with His hand as His glory passed by, allowing him to see the remnants of His glory, as it were (Exodus 33:22-23), since he could not have endured any more. With such a 'spiritual insight' of God’s glory, Moses was then able to lead the Israelite multitude for 40 years in a terrible wilderness, transforming them from a mob of slaves into God’s chosen nation, ready to bring God’s Word, and God’s Son, into the world.

We also can see His way and His glory. Jesus said: “I am the way” (John 14:6). Then He prayed: “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory” (John 17:24).
--ICR/ HMM = / SHOW ME YOU FACE LORD~~ Paul Wilbur
<http://youtu.be/F0nV5xbu014>
------------

---Born into God's Family

“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.” (1 John 3:1)

-One of the most motivating truths of the Bible is the doctrine that we become sons of God when we are born again through faith in Christ. God then deals with us as a father does with his beloved children. We should therefore respond as obedient children who love their father.

The little epistle of 1 John has many references to this relationship and our consequent responsibilities. In the first place, “ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him” (2:29). “Whosoever is born of God doth not [habitually] commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God” (3:9).

Another attribute of our sonship is brotherly love: “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him” (5:1). “Every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God” (4:7). Furthermore, each child of God should have a victorious faith. “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” (5:4).

All who are truly sons of God will never lose that holy relationship. “He that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not” (5:18). This is because of the fact that “greater is he that is in [us], than he that is in the world” (4:4).

There are many such references in the Bible. All stress that we should reflect the character of the Father in our lives as His children. The glorious, ultimate promise is this: “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (3:2).
--ICR/ HMM /WHO HAS THE NAME ABOVE ALL NAMES? 'JESUS ONLY JESUS'=Matt Redman~~ \o/
<http://youtu.be/LeImi6gOLsk>

--True Freedom in Christ

--BIBLE MEDITATION:
-“But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.” Romans 6:22

--DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
When Jesus Christ comes into your life, He changes you. Maybe you have a problem with drugs or alcohol. Maybe you struggle with lust, fear, doubt, or self- pity. Maybe you’re a slave to public opinion or perfectionism. But I want to tell you that the Jesus Christ who set Adrian Rogers free is the Jesus Christ who will set you free.

Our freedom in Jesus Christ isn’t the privilege to do what we want. Instead it is the glorious, abundant, supernatural power to do what we ought.

It is saving grace that sets us free. It is sustaining grace that keeps us free.

--ACTION POINT:
Bow before the Lord and thank Him for the freedom you’ve been given through the great price of Calvary.

--Adrian Rogers~~
--"If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed." (John 8:36)
<http://youtu.be/qtO0RsGF8Ow>
--------

--Being a Disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ

--BIBLE MEDITATION:
“God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:9

--DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
John Calvin was one of the greatest theologians who ever lived. He said, “I gave up all for Christ and what have I found? I have found everything in Christ.” Do you wish you could say that too? You can. Just don’t get confused about what it means to “give up all” to find Christ. So many think that being a disciple means they must get into a movement or go to the mission field or attend seminary. Friend, being a disciple is fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ — knowing Jesus intimately and following Him wherever He leads. Fellowship with Christ comes before service for Christ. We must minister to Jesus before we can minister to anyone else.

--ACTION POINT:
Are you praying about where you fit in the body of Christ as His disciple? Spend some time fellowshipping with Him this week and the answer will come.
--Adrian Rogers//<http://youtu.be/S_as9yxrf6E>
~~

----The Called
“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.” (Romans 8:28)
-
-This great promise has been an immeasurable source of strength and comfort to Christians, especially during times of trial. It is specifically directed, however, only to those who are “the called.”

Recognition of those who are “the called” is best achieved through their synonymous description as “them that love God.” There are also numerous other Scriptures that further describe them. There are two Greek words (each occurring 11 times) which specifically refer to those who are members of this select group: One of these words is kletos (“called”); the other is klesis (“calling”). Another very important term is ekklesia, meaning “called out,” which occurs 115 times and is almost always translated “church.” That is, a true church is composed of people who have been specially called by God out of the world system, then joined together in a local church to fulfill the purposes of their divine calling.

“Not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called” (1 Corinthians 1:26). No I.Q. test, or physical exam, or social standing is used as a criterion; neither are any human achievements. “[God] hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began” (2 Timothy 1:9).

God’s call was strictly by grace, according to His own eternal purpose! The means by which God calls is the gospel: “Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 2:14). No wonder, then, that we can know that all things work together for good on behalf of those whom God has called, and who therefore love God!
--ICR/HMM http://
<http://youtu.be/mZGzu6oI9b4?list=RDmZGzu6oI9b4>
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---Prepared For You
--By: Henry Morris, Ph.D.
Evidence for Creation

"Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (Matthew 25:34).

In context, this wonderful promise may apply specifically to those living believers recognized as "sheep" by Christ when He returns to judge the nations (or "Gentiles") at the end of the age. For them He has "prepared" a wonderful kingdom in which they can fully serve their great King here on Earth. The "goats," on the other hand, will be sent away into "everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matthew 25:41).

But we remember also that the Lord Jesus Christ has also "prepared" a mansion in heaven for His faithful disciples. "In my Father's house are many mansions . . . I go to prepare a place for you" (John 14:2).

He is, even now, preparing for us that glorious "place." One day it will be fully prepared, and we shall see it when He brings it down from heaven, as John did in His great vision. "And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband" (Revelation 21:2).

It will, indeed, be a wonderful place of "many mansions," and John describes some of its beauties in the Bible's last two chapters. But that is not all. "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him" (I Corinthians 2:9). Therefore, we can say with Paul: "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18). He has indeed prepared a great eternal future for His redeemed children.
--ICR/ HMM - / I Will Rise / Chris Tomlin
<http://youtu.be/382KwD-48Jo>
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---- -Dancing in the Sky-
By: Dani & Lizzy Nelson (27 years old, twins from Vancouver)
This song, made a 'BIG HIT' on facebook a few months ago, after they lost a dear friend. It's been put to a few different videos. I like this one. You can go on youtube if you prefer to see others.

--"DANCING IN THE SKY" lyrics

What does it look like in Heaven
Is it peaceful and free like they say
Does the sun shine bright forever
Have your fears and your pain gone away?

'Cause here on earth it feels like everything ... good is missing, since you left
Here on earth everything is different, there is an emptiness.

I hope you're dancing in the sky
I hope you're singing with the angels' choir
I hope the angels, know what they have
I bet it's nice up in Heaven since you arrived.

Tell me, what do you do up in Heaven
Are your days filled with love and light
Is there music? Is there art and invention
Tell me are you happy and more alive.

'Cause here on earth it feels like everything ... good is missing, since you left
Here on earth everything is different, there is an emptiness.

I hope you're dancing in the sky
I hope you're singing with the angels' choir
I hope the angels, know what they have
I bet it's nice up in Heaven since you arrived....
...since you arrived (2x last verse/ chorus).
<http://youtu.be/gw1h7wPkH1w>
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---The Body of Christ
--Ephesians 4:11-16 -(Please read)

All the people who gather to worship in churches around the world form one body—the body of Christ. Jesus is the head. Paul described Him as "the beginning, the first-born from the dead" (Col. 1:18). He takes priority in the church and in the lives of every believer.

At salvation, you become a part of the body, no matter what your local church's membership rules may be. By receiving the Savior, a person is made one with Jesus. Therefore, if you're a believer, you are a breathing and active part of Christ, who is at work on earth through His followers. The church is Jesus' feet to carry the gospel message, His arms to care for those in need of love, and His hands to uphold the weak.

Christ's physical body underwent terrible pain and persecution. His church body cannot expect a cozy, easy existence either. Being Jesus to the world means making sacrifices, accepting ridicule, and loving our enemies (Heb. 13:16, Matt. 5:44). God called us to spread the gospel, but that doesn't mean people always like what we have to say. Sin and accountability aren't popular messages. Yet being trendy and well liked is not the point. We're here to carry out the work and mission of God, even when doing so is uncomfortable.

The spiritual makeup of the church is linked to its mission. The gospel cannot be spread except through the strength and wisdom of Jesus Christ, the head. The body of believers is united with Him through the indwelling presence of His Holy Spirit. He reaches the world through His church and its members.
--IN TOUCH~~/ IF WE ARE THE BODY - CASTING CROWNS~
<http://youtu.be/Ki-Jc_DoC1g>

--CONFIDENCE IN TROUBLED TIMES~~
Please Read | Romans 8:35-39

-"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
"For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."

No, in all these things we are conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all Creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
--Romans 8:35-39 ~~ // PRESS ONWARD, DEAR SAINTS!

--Life is continually changing. At times I tell myself that if just a few pressing issues resolve, my days will be calmer. But as soon as those problems are settled, a new challenge pops up. Even globally, we’re in a constant state of flux. The economy rises and then spirals downward. Gas and food prices increase. New conflicts flare up all the time. Since we live in a fallen world, trouble is part of our reality. Life will never settle down to the point that we can sail along with uninterrupted ease.

Thankfully, God guides believers through times of turbulence (Ps. 23). He is the Good Shepherd, who constantly abides with His world-weary lambs. Jesus vowed to His disciples, “I will not leave you as orphans” (John 14:18). And His promise was fulfilled in the person of the Holy Spirit, who was sent to indwell and care for each of God’s followers. Paul poetically described the Spirit as a seal placed around believers until they are called to their Heavenly Home. In other words, He provides a protective barrier against evil forces desiring to snatch us from God’s hand.

In the verses leading up to today’s reading, Paul described his audience as the Lord’s children (Rom. 8:16). So let me be very clear that the promise of a holy, protective presence is only for those who have received Jesus Christ as Savior.

No one’s life will always be calm. But believers are assured of a Companion in the dark hours. You can be confident that God’s goodness and love will surround you until you dwell in His house forever (Ps. 23:6).
--IN TOUCH = 'Lord, Take Up Your Holy Throne' / Paul Wilbur
http://youtu.be/Dzn7hHgEDP0
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--ETERNITY WITH KING JESUS! FOREVER LIVE!

--ETERNITY:
'And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.'
--1 John 5:11 --

'Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.'
--John 5:24

'Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.'
--John 6:47

'And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.'
--1 John 5:20

'So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory."
"O Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?"
--1 Corinthians 15:54,55

'But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave,
For He shall receive me. Selah!
--Psalm 49:15

'My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
And I will give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand.'
--John 10:27,28 ~~
--AMEN! PRAISE THE LORD! JESUS IS FOREVER LIVE!'-(Kari Jobe)
<http://youtu.be/mv4LRl2KI2M>

---THE JUDGE~~~
--(Please Read/ Acts 10:42-48)
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During our life on earth, Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior. However, as our days here draw to a close, and especially at the end of time, He takes His seat as Judge and prepares to reward believers for the good things they did in His name.

I think there is a widespread misconception that God the Father will be our judge. But it is Christ who gave us, His followers, the charge to go into the world and make disciples (Matt. 28:19). Therefore, He has been given the right to determine which of our actions and thoughts furthered His goal (John 5:22).

Christ is an impartial judge. He is not influenced by what others think or say, but rather, He determines what is right and good based on His honorable, just standard. We'll be stripped of our worthless works--in other words, the actions and words we used for selfish ambition or vain conceit. All that will remain are the worthwhile things we thought, said, and did to honor God. These are the valuable parts of our lives for which we will be rewarded.

**Reward is the whole point of placing believers before the judgment seat of Christ. Shame and guilt over past sin and mistaken motivation have no place there (Rom. 8:1). Our loving Savior is eager to show us our heavenly treasure.

Christ will expose the real you at the judgment seat by casting away the worthless things you've done. What remains will be the man or woman who endeavored to please the Lord. Let us determine to be powerful reflections of our Savior, both on earth and in heaven.
--**IN TOUCH**
[You can be sure of where you spend eternity by trusting in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. When He died on the Cross of Calvary, He carried the weight of the entire world upon His shoulders. Why? "Without the shedding of blood their is no remission for sin." Jesus paid our sin debt. It's up to us to accept this 'free gift', and invite Him into our hearts to lead us to Heaven when we depart this earth. Are you ready? Have you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior? (Please read/ Romans 10:9-11).

Get right with Him before He comes to judge this world with a rod of iron. He is waiting for that last person to accept His love and become His follower. Will you please ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins? Admit you are a sinner in need of Him, your Savior, and turn your life over to Him, to lead, guide and direct your steps. "Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins." Come now! Please, we are not assured of tomorrow. ~~ What can wash away our sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Get right with Him today. You may not be here tomorrow.---(Singer:Matt Redman) ~~
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pk3BkC6GHTc>
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