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OLAADEGBU (m)
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The Second Coming
April 5, 2009
"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thessalonians 5:23)
It has been observed that this first-written of Paul's epistles contains more direct references to the second coming of Christ than any of his other writings. Each of its chapters comes to a close with a reference to Christ's return in relation to some aspect of His great salvation, as applied to our personal lives.
In the first chapter, he speaks of the second coming in relation to service. ". . . how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for His Son from heaven " (1:9-10).
Then, in the second chapter, Paul speaks of soul-winning. "For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?" (2:19).
Next, there is an emphasis on stability. "To the end He may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints" (3:13).
The fourth chapter concludes with perhaps the greatest passage on the second coming in any of the epistles, verses 13-17. All of this is said by Paul to be the basis of our Christian strength. "Wherefore comfort |literally 'strengthen'| one another with these words" (4:18).
Finally, the last chapter concludes with the words of our text, speaking of our eternal sanctification as a result of this blessed hope of the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The second coming is thus all-important. It is a practical incentive and enablement for the Christian life, encouraging service, soul-winning, stability, strength, and sanctification; culminating in full and everlasting salvation. HMM
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OLAADEGBU (m)
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Response to Prayer
April 6, 2009
"In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedest me with strength in my soul ." (Psalm 138:3)
God's response to our prayers are delivered into two ways: practically, in the circumstances the direction, and spiritually, in the "inner man" (Ephesians 3:16).
We are often so focused on the physical or external event for which we are insistently praying that when the answer comes we fail to receive the full blessing--even if we read the practical answer correctly. Our heavenly Father is committed to providing our needs on earth (Philippians 4:19; Luke 12:30), but such supply is of minimal significance in the scope of eternity. The good thoughts (Jeremiah 29:11) and the good gifts of God (Luke 11:13) are toward the expected end, the ultimate conformity "to the image of his Son" (Romans 8:29).
While God responds to our physical needs, His heart and His purpose is to fill us "with all the fulness of God" (Ephesians 3:19). He blesses us "with all spiritual blessings" (Ephesians 1:3) and has chosen us to be "holy and without blame" (Ephesians 1:4). God's Word is designed to allow us to participate in the "divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4). God's desire in responding to our prayers is this: "that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfullness; Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light" (Colossians 1:9-12).
But please be on notice! This internal and spiritual worship and praise cannot be kept private. The "internal" blessings of God will overflow in godly behaviour and visible joy (James 3:13; 1 Peter 1:8). HMM III
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OLAADEGBU (m)
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The Designed Creation
April 7, 2009
"Understand, ye brutish among the people: and ye fools, when will ye be wise? He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see?" (Psalm 94:8-9)
The concept of evolution, according to this verse, is nothing but brute-like foolishness. If an automobile presupposes an automaker, and a clock implies a clockmaker, surely the infinitely more intricate and complex eyes and ears of living creatures require an eye-maker and an ear-maker! "The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD hath made even both of them" (Proverbs 20:12).
The most basic of all scientific laws--the law of cause and effect (no effect greater than its cause)--becomes utmost nonsense if the cosmos is the product of chaos and the universe evolved by chance. "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God" (Psalm 14:1).
Every creature, from the single-celled amoebae to the amazing human body, bears the impress of intricate planning and construction. The notion that such complex structures could evolve by random mutations and natural selection is simply a measure of the audacity of human rebellion and the absurdity of humanistic reasoning. Such things never happen in the real world, and there is no real scientific evidence whatever for "vertical" evolution from one kind to a higher kind. The only genuine evidence for evolution is the fact that the leaders of intellectualism believe it, and the only reason they believe it is their frantic desire to escape God. "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools" (Romans 1:22).
The ear did not "evolve"; it was planted. The eye did not "happen by chance"; it was formed. Every wise man and woman will say with the psalmist, "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well" (Psalm 139:14). HMM
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OLAADEGBU (m)
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Water from the Rock
April 8, 2009
"Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel." (Exodus 17:6)
This amazing provision of drinking water for the Israelites in the midst of a barren wilderness is surely one of the most remarkable miracles of creation recorded in Scripture. Furthermore, it was not a one-time event, but somehow continued to provide water for them during the entire 40 years they spent in the desert. God provided daily water just as He provided their daily bread. "Our fathers . . . did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ" (1 Corinthians 10:1, 3-4).
The provision was an act of pure grace on God's part, for even after God created the manna for them, the people were about to stone Moses (Exodus 17:4). But their complaint was really against God, so God "stood before" Moses as he smote the rock at Horeb, and a great spring of water burst forth.
This is the first mention of the word "rock" in Scripture, and it is surely significant that the apostle Paul calls this rock a type of Christ. Just as Moses smote the rock with the same rod of judgment which he had used to smite the river in Egypt (Exodus 7:20; 17:5), so Christ had to be "smitten of God" (Isaiah 53:4) because of our sins, before He could fulfill His promise: "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink" (John 7:37).
But once our Rock was smitten, the water of everlasting life was made available freely to all who will drink. The very last invitation of the Bible is: "And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely" (Revelation 22:17). Then, "whosoever drinketh . . . shall never thirst" (John 4:14). HMM
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OLAADEGBU (m)
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Gracious Strength
April 9, 2009
"Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." (2 Timothy 2:1)
As with so many other character attributes, a Christian cannot measure strength as the world does. True strength is not military might or athletic skill or purchasing power. "For . . . not many mighty . . . are called: But God hath chosen . . . the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty" (1 Corinthians 1:26-27).
A Christian is strong when he or she is a person of gracious character, strong in the grace manifested by Christ in word and deed. "My strength is made perfect in weakness," the Lord told the apostle Paul (2 Corinthians 12:9), who then prayed that we would also be "strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness" (Colossians 1:11).
But how does one acquire such strength in grace? First of all, it is by the working of the indwelling Holy Spirit in the believer’s life--"strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man" (Ephesians 3:16).
Then, it is by spending times of quietness before the Lord in prayer and study. "Their strength is to sit still. . . . in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength" (Isaiah 30:7, 15). Frantic efforts to acquire, by human methods, the power one needs to accomplish a task or to reach a goal will be futile in the end, "but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength" (Isaiah 40:31).
After the people had spent a day before the Lord and His written Word, Nehemiah could assure them that "the joy of the LORD is your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10). "Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee," the psalmist could say (Psalm 84:5). When we acquire our strength from Him, we can confidently claim the ancient promise: "and as thy days, so shall thy strength be" (Deuteronomy 33:25). HMM
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OLAADEGBU (m)
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thank you so much for the good work done on behalf of the Master.
I want to seize this opportunity to appreciate your encouragment, may the good LORD bless you and keep you in the hollow of His hands continually. Remain rapturable. |
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ayobase
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I am being blessed in here!!
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OLAADEGBU (m)
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Special Study BREAK THE WORRY HABIT: LIVE ONE DAY AT A TIMEMatthew 6:34 Now we come to the final conclusion and cure for worry and anxiety. “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” One songwriter captured the words of our Lord in the following words of his song: I’m only human, I’m just a man. Lord, help me believe in what I could be And all that I am, Just show me the stairway That I have to climb. Lord, for my sake Teach me to take one day at a time. One day at a time, Lord Jesus,
That’s all I’m asking from you.
Just give me the strength
To do everyday what I have to do.
Yesterday is gone, Lord Jesus;
And tomorrow may never be mine.
Lord, help me today, show me the way,
One day at a time.The great secret of living a happy, healthy, holy and fruitful life is living without worry about the past and without anxiety concerning the future. The true child of God settles the past with God. He has confessed the sins of the past and he has been forgiven. Now he shuts out the past and counts everything belonging to the past dead, buried, never to rise again. Locking the past behind an iron door, he throws the key of remembrance away! The future is yet unborn, so he leaves that with God until it comes. Leaving the past and future with God, he summons all grace received, strength and courage to face the challenges of each day. PREPARATION FOR A GREAT HARVEST OF BLESSINGIsaiah 40:3-5; Joshua 3:5; Genesis 35:3-5 Right from the time of old, God has desired the gathering of His people. In the Old Testament, the children of Israel were commanded to gather for feasts, to hear the word of God in a concentrated manner and to experience the spectacular (Deuteronomy 16:10-15; Ezra 6:19-22; 10:9-12). In the New Testament, it was not different (Matthew 4:23-25; 5:1,2; 15:32). In our own time, God has also given us the great opportunity to gather unto Him during special occasions like the December and Easter Retreats. The Easter Retreat this year promises abundant life, unlimited riches and hidden treasures in Christ for every participant. It is our special privilege to plunge into God’s inexhaustible storehouse and receive until our joy is full. The Lord has abundant blessings enough to meet the needs of all His children. But expectation determines realization. If we sow real faith, great expectations, serious publicity, earnest prayers and full participation into it we are sure to reap bountiful blessings and great miracles. If on the other hand we sow cold, lukewarm attitude, half-hearted participation and lethargic prayers, we cannot justly expect divine visitations. Sincere heart and life preparation always precede spiritual breakthrough and unforgettable encounter with God. The level of readiness to receive from God is determined by one’s relationship with God, earnest craving and desire, availability to receive, prayer of faith and openness of heart. This preparation serves as a link connecting us with God’s unlimited resources and sufficiency. God is prepared to bless and we must be prepared to receive too. For the free downloading of the audio and video message click on the link below and go into the "current Bible Study" hyperlink. http://www.dclm.org/Resources/ResourcesDirectory/tabid/130/Default.aspxClick here to connect with live broadcast of the On-going Easter Retreat "Wonders of the Cross" from 9th - 12th April, 2009 at the stipulated times or download the past messages if you are watching after the event. Fri. 10/4/09 05:30 GMT 09:30 GMT 18:30 GMT Sat.11/4/09 5:30 GMT 09:30 GMT 18:30 GMT Sun 12/4/09 09:30 GMT http://dclm.org/NewsEvents/EasterRetreat2009/tabid/183/Default.aspx
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OLAADEGBU (m)
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Why It Was a 'Good' Friday
April 10, 2009
"And as soon as it was day, the elders of the people and the chief priests and the scribes came together, and led him into their council." (Luke 22:66)
The origin of "Good Friday" ceremonies are somewhat muddled in history. Some suggest that the earlier roots go back as far as 100 A.D., but others insist that it was well into the fourth century before anything like the "passion week" observances became established.
Beyond that, there is a good bit of controversy about the title itself. Everyone now agrees that the focus of the dedication is on the crucifixion of our Lord. So why "Good" Friday? Why not "Sad" Friday, or "Awful" Friday? Although historians and theologians tend to focus on the etymology of the term and debate the circumstances by which the ceremony became identified, the truth may well lie in the sovereignty of God Himself.
On that day in history, the sins of the world were paid for! This was the day that "it pleased the Lord to . . . make his soul an offering for sin" (Isaiah 53:10). That day, "the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:6).
Yes, there was great sorrow and travail that day. During the awful physical darkness from noon to 3:00 p.m. (Matthew 27:45), Jesus had cried out in utter anguish: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46). The earth itself shook and rumbled as the creation was torn asunder in reaction to the horrific judgment of the Creator for sin (Matthew 27:51).
But then came the victory cry, "It is finished" (John 19:30), and, "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit" (Luke 23:46). His suffering ended, the payment completed, eternal propitiation accomplished, Jesus laid down His human life to await the great resurrection that God might give "assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead" (Acts 17:31). HMM III
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OLAADEGBU (m)
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The Dreadful Day of the Lord
April 11, 2009
"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD." (Malachi 4:5)
This is the next-to-last verse of the Old Testament and so marks the final mention in the Old Testament of the fearsome theme of the Day of the Lord. As the text says, it will be a "great and dreadful day."
This phrase occurs frequently in the Bible, reminding us over and over again that although God is merciful and longsuffering, He will not remain silent forever. Man's "day" will end someday, and the day of the Lord will come.
Note some of the other prophecies: "Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! . . . the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light" (Amos 5:18). "The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD come" (Joel 2:31). "The great day of the LORD . . . is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness" (Zephaniah 1:14-15). "Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger" (Isaiah 13:9).
The phrase also is repeated in the New Testament, most awesomely of all in 2 Peter 3:10: "The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up" (see also 1 Thessalonians 5:2, etc.).
Without trying to sort out the precise sequences and events associated with all such prophecies, it is obvious that the Day of the Lord is a coming time of terrible judgment on all who have rejected or ignored the God who created them. But God's faithful believers can take great comfort, for then "the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD" (Zechariah 14:9). HMM
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OLAADEGBU (m)
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Resurrection Demanded
April 12, 2009
"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit." (1 Peter 3:18)
Humanity must be resurrected. This is not an incidental "religious" issue: "But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen" (1 Corinthians 15:13).
Resurrection is required for the believer to enter into eternity (1 Corinthians 15:50) and the non-believer to know punishment in hell.
There are different kinds of "flesh" and other "living" creatures that do not take part in the resurrection, all of which are specifically separated from the "celestial" creation like stars and angels (1 Corinthians 15:39-40).
The earthy image of flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 15:50). God requires a change from the physical to the spiritual; from the temporal to the eternal. Physical death is an intrusion into the perfect order of the original creation (Genesis 3:19) and a great enemy that will be destroyed (1 Corinthians 15:26).
Resurrection is necessary to correct this awful distortion of the "very good" that God created and is the absolute opposite of physical death. Corruption must become goodness. Dishonour must become glory. Weakness must become power. And the natural must become spiritual.
Jesus Christ made that change possible, proven by His resurrection from the grave (Acts 17:31). The gospel insists on the birth from above (John 3:3) that makes a transfer from death to life (John 5:24)--the new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) that will ultimately consummate in "all things" being made new (Revelation 21:5).
We await the fulfillment of that promise when we will be freed from the curse of death. HMM III
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OLAADEGBU (m)
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Crucified with Christ
April 13, 2009
"And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." (Galatians 5:24)
Death by crucifixion was surely one of the cruelest and most painful forms of execution ever devised. Yet the Lord Jesus "for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross" (Hebrews 12:2); He "hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit" (1 Peter 3:18).
But just as He sacrificed Himself for us, we are now privileged to offer our "bodies a living sacrifice" to Him (Romans 12:1). This spiritual sacrifice is actually compared to crucifixion. "Our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin" (Romans 6:6).
Crucifixion is not an instantaneous death, but a very slow and painful death. Just so, the death of a Christian believer to sin does not take place in a moment of special blessing, but--as in physical crucifixion--is painful and slow. Nevertheless, it is basic in the truly effective Christian life.
In the Book of Galatians, we are told three times by the apostle Paul that the Christian believer should be following Christ in His crucifixion--in crucifixion to self, to the flesh, and to the world. First we are to be crucified to the love of self. "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, we are to be crucified to the flesh, for "they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts" (today's text).
Finally, we should be crucified to the lure of this world. "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world" (Galatians 6:14). HMM
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OLAADEGBU (m)
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To God Be the Glory
April 14, 2009
"Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake." (Psalm 115:1)
One of the great words of the Bible is the word "glory," and it should be evident that glory belongs to God, not man. Indeed, the very "heavens declare the glory of God" (Psalm 19:1). Not only do the heavens declare His glory, but "His glory |is| above the heavens" (113:4), and "the glory of the LORD shall endure for ever" (104:31). In heaven the mighty hosts of angels "give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name" (29:2).
It is thus singularly inappropriate for God's servants on earth to seek glory for themselves. "Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD" (Jeremiah 9:23-24).
This Old Testament exhortation is echoed in the New. "God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; . . . That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 1:27, 29-31).
As our text reminds us, God manifests His glory to us today in both mercy and truth, mercifully saving us in Christ, who is Himself God's truth (John 14:6). Thus, in Christ, "mercy and truth are met together" (Psalm 85:10), and we shall "praise thy name for thy lovingkindness |same word as 'mercy'| and for thy truth" (Psalm 138:2). HMM
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solosimple (m)
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Wow, this is good! Really look forward to seeing this innovation affecting lives for good.
Let me drop this article by Albert Mohler Jr. for now:
Keeping The Faith In a Faithless Age: The Church As The Moral Minority
"The greatest question of our time," offered historian Will Durant, "is not communism versus individualism, not Europe versus America, not even East versus the West; it is whether men can live without God." That question, it now appears, will be answered in our own time.
For centuries the Christian church has been the center of Western civilization. Western culture, government, law, and society were based on explicitly Christian principles. Concern for the individual, a commitment to human rights, and respect for the good, the beautiful, and the true-all of these grew out of Christian convictions and the influence of revealed religion.
All of these, we now hasten to add, are under serious attack. The very notion of right and wrong is now discarded by large sectors of American society. Where it is not discarded, it is often debased. Taking a page out of Alice in Wonderland, modern secularists simply declare wrong, right, and right, wrong.
Quaker theologian D. Elton Trueblood once described America as a "cut flower civilization." Our culture, he argued, is cut off from its Christian roots like a flower cut at the stem. Though the flower will hold its beauty for a time, it is destined to wither and die.
When Trueblood spoke those words over two decades ago, the flower could still be seen with some color and signs of life. But the blossom has long since lost its vitality, and it is time for the fallen petals to be acknowledged.
"When God is dead," argued Dostoyevsky, "anything is permissible." The permissiveness of modern American society can scarcely be exaggerated, but it can be traced directly to the fact that modern men and women act as if God does not exist, or is powerless to accomplish His will.
The Christian church now finds itself facing a new reality. The church no longer represents the central core of Western culture. Though outposts of Christian influence remain, these are exceptions rather than the rule. For the most part, the church has been displaced by the reign of secularism.
The daily newspaper brings a constant barrage which confirms the current state of American society. This age is not the first to see unspeakable horror and evil, but it is the first to deny any consistent basis for identifying evil as evil or good as good.
The faithful church is, for the most part, tolerated as one voice in the public arena, but only so long as it does not attempt to exercise any credible influence on the state of affairs. Should the church speak forcefully to an issue of public debate, it is castigated as coercive and out of date.
How does the church think of itself as it faces this new reality? During the 1980s, it was possible to think in ambitious terms about the church as the vanguard of a moral majority. That confidence has been seriously shaken by the events of the past decade.
Little progress toward the re-establishment of a moral center of gravity can be detected. Instead, the culture has moved swiftly toward a more complete abandonment of all moral conviction.
The confessing church must now be willing to be a moral minority, if that is what the times demands. The church has no right to follow the secular siren call toward moral revisionism and politically correct positions on the issues of the day.
Whatever the issue, the church must speak as the church-that is, as the community of fallen but redeemed, who stand under divine authority. The concern of the church is not to know its own mind, but to know and follow the mind of God. The church's convictions must not emerge from the ashes of our own fallen wisdom, but from the authoritative Word of God which reveals the wisdom of God and His commands.
The church is to be a community of character. The character produced by a people who stand under the authority of the Sovereign God of the universe will inevitably be at odds with a culture of unbelief.
The American church is faced with a new situation. This new context is as current as the morning newspaper and as old as those first Christian churches in Corinth, Ephesus, Laodicea, and Rome. Eternity will record whether or not the American church is willing to submit only to the authority of God; or whether the church will forfeit its calling in order to serve lesser gods.
The church must awaken to its status as a moral minority and hold fast to the gospel we have been entrusted to preach. In so doing, the deep springs of permanent truth will reveal the church to be a life-giving oasis amidst American's moral desert. "Solosimple (amidst Africa moral desert.)
your BROTHER, SOLOMON
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Techman (m)
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I am glad to hear about this, I will make out time to visit and post messages. I start now.
GOD bless you ALL, +cheers+++
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OLAADEGBU (m)
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The Order of Melchizedek
April 15, 2009
"The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek." (Psalm 110:4)
The importance of this intriguing verse is indicated both by the fact that it is the central verse of a great Messianic Psalm (quoted at least 12 times in the New Testament) and also because this one verse constitutes one of the main themes of chapters 5-7 of Hebrews, where it is quoted no fewer than five times (Hebrews 5:6, 10; 6:20; 7:17, 21), and where Melchizedek himself is mentioned nine times. It refers to the fascinating personage glimpsed briefly in Genesis 14:18-20. Melchizedek (meaning "King of Righteousness") is said to have been "King of Salem" (or "Peace"), but there is no record, either in secular history or elsewhere in the Bible, that there ever was such a city or earthly king. He was also called the "priest of the most high God" (Hebrews 7:1), and he suddenly appeared, then disappeared as suddenly as he had come.
Commentators mostly have assumed that Melchizedek was the chieftain of a small settlement of which we have no record, but this hardly does justice to the exalted descriptions of him in Scripture. He was obviously greater than Abraham (Hebrews 7:4), as well as Aaron, the founder of the Levitical priesthood. Furthermore, he was "without father, without mother, . . . having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually" (Hebrews 7:3). Such language is hardly appropriate merely because no genealogy is recorded.
If one takes the Bible literally, such statements could be true only of God Himself, appearing briefly in the preincarnate state of the Second Person, as King of all peace and righteousness. Now this same divine Person, "because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him" (Hebrews 7:24-25). HMM
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OLAADEGBU (m)
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What Christ's Death Meant to Him
April 16, 2009
"|Christ| gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." (Titus 2:14)
If one were to ask why Jesus died, the average evangelical would usually say that He died to save us from our sins. It is true that "Christ died for our sins" (1 Corinthians 15:3), but this is not the whole answer, by any means. Too many Christians think of the death of Christ only in terms of what it means for them--not what it mean to Him.
Our text says that He died for us and redeemed us from iniquity, not just to keep us from going to hell, but to "purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." Paul says: "For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that He might be Lord both of the dead and the living" (Romans 14:9). He wants a people who will have Him as Lord of their lives. "Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; . . . That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish" (Ephesians 5:25-27).
"He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again" (2 Corinthians 5:15). "How much more shall the blood of Christ . . . purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Hebrews 9:14). Finally, the apostle Peter reminds us that the Lord Jesus Christ "bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness" (1 Peter 2:24), "that henceforth we should not serve sin" (Romans 6:6).
We who have been saved by the redeeming death of Christ for our sins often thank Him for what He has done for us--and we should. But we also should praise Him for what He has thereby done for Himself, and then seek always to live in such a way that His holy purpose is accomplished in our lives. HMM
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BabyGirl_1
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Question:
Why was it written in Matt 1:1 that Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham?
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Omoboy (m)
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Pls all pray for me that i get a job i am so broke and things has been tough but i beleive with prayers everything is possible i am based in the UK.Thanks All
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OLAADEGBU (m)
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An Approved Workman
April 17, 2009
"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)
Teaching God's Word of truth properly and effectively is not play; it is hard work! The command to "study" means, literally, to "labour earnestly." There are far too many unprepared teachers of the Bible today, not even to mention false teachers. "My brethren, be not many masters |that is, 'don't many of you try to be teachers'|, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation" (James 3:1).
A workman who has presented himself for testing, and has then passed the test, is an "approved" workman, and he will certainly have spent much time training in his profession before presuming to make application for a job. In this most important of all vocations, it is vital that the Word be "rightly divided," for if, when the test comes, he cannot do this, he will "be ashamed" for having the presumption to engage in such a vital occupation without the necessary calling and training, or dedication.
The Lord had to train His disciples for three years before they were ready to start teaching the Word on their own. The apostle Paul also, even though he had already received the finest schooling in Israel, still had to be specially prepared for three years after becoming a Christian, before he was ready (Galatians 1:15-24). The equivalent of three years' full-time study still seems a good minimum before one should presume to take on a regular ministry of teaching or preaching the holy Scriptures.
Every Christian should seek to win people to Christ, of course, as soon as he himself meets Christ. He should also begin immediately to search the Scriptures (e.g., the Bereans, in Acts 17). But an "approved workman" needs to be thoroughly taught and to have studied in the Word himself. HMM
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buke1987
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Just a quick question why is it that most christians hate muslim? i am a muslim and i live in america but i see it alot if anyone could answer that would help out
saalam
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OLAADEGBU (m)
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So Great Salvation
April 18, 2009
"How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him." (Hebrews 2:3)
One of the greatest words of the Bible is "salvation," and one could expound its glories at length. Our salvation is so costly that its price was nothing less than the shed blood of the Son of God. "Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, . . . But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot" (1 Peter 1:18-19).
Nevertheless, there are only three verses in the New Testament in which the word is preceded by an adjective. These three descriptive terms are, therefore, very significant. The first of these is the one in our text--"so great" salvation. The adjective here is used only one other time in the New Testament, where it is translated "so mighty" (Revelation 16:18), describing a cataclysm so great that every island and mountain will disappear from the earth!
Not only is our salvation infinitely costly, but unlike everything else in our lives, it is unending: "And being made perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him" (Hebrews 5:9). Salvation is not merely the impartation of a better life in this life; it is everlasting life in the future life, in the presence of its divine "author" (or "cause").
The third adjective is quite different. "Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation" (Jude 3). Our salvation is also common! This same word is applied by Paul to "the common faith" (Titus 1:4). Basically, it means "oridinary." Thus, despite the infinite and eternal values associated with our great salvation, it is also very common and ordinary! Salvation is for anyone, and whosoever will may come! HMM
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OLAADEGBU (m)
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Just a quick question why is it that most christians hate muslim? i am a muslim and i live in america but i see it alot if anyone could answer that would help out
saalam
No genuine Christian would hate Muslims rather we have been instructed to love them even though they hate us and kill us as can be witnessed in the world around today. We are to love them and pray for them following our Masters' example and where possible to tell the truth in love, truth can be bitter but it will eventually heal the wounds. Check this website and see how Muslims have come to the knowledge and experience of this love and hope I am talking about. www.muslimjourneytohope.comhttp://www.muslimjourneytohope.com/watch.aspGod bless you as you watch. |
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OLAADEGBU (m)
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Living Stones in the Holy Temple
April 19, 2009
"And the king commanded, and they brought great stones, costly stones, and hewed stones, to lay the foundation of the house. . . . And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building." (1 Kings 5:17; 6:7)
The building of Solomon's temple was one of the most remarkable construction operations in history. Much of the temple's legendary beauty was attributed to the great stones--beautiful and costly stones, quarried from beds of white limestone--which were used in its construction.
Probably the most remarkable feature of its building was the fact that each stone was carefully cut and dimensioned while still in the quarry, so that the temple itself could be erected in silence, with each stone fitting perfectly in place as it came to the temple site. The temple, as the structure where God would meet with His people, was considered too sacred to permit the noise of construction during its erection.
In the New Testament, the physical temple is taken as a type of the mighty house of God being erected by the Holy Spirit. "|Ye| are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit" (Ephesians 2:20-22).
Each believer is like one of the beautiful temple stones, so costly that the price was the shed blood of Christ Himself. Taken out of the great pit of sin by the Holy Spirit, each person, one by one, is being placed quietly in the great spiritual temple. "Ye also, as lively |i.e., living| stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 2:5). HMM
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OLAADEGBU (m)
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Born into God's Family
April 20, 2009
"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). HMM
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OLAADEGBU (m)
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From Disobedience to Obedience
April 21, 2009
"As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance." (1 Peter 1:14)
A graphic figure of speech often used in the Bible is the attribution of character traits to parental inheritance.
In our text, those who honour God's laws are called "obedient children"--a term conveying the same sort of message as "children of light, and the children of the day" (1 Thessalonians 5:5), as well as "children of the kingdom" (Matthew 13:38). In contrast, note Ephesians 5:6: "Because of these things |that is, the sinful practices listed in Ephesians 5:3-5| cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience." A definitive passage is 1 John 3:10: "In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother."
Those who are "by nature the children of wrath" (Ephesians 2:3) can, of course, become children of God by the new birth. This becomes the greatest of all incentives toward a godly life. The biblical terms "regeneration" and "born again" are widely misused today, but they represent wonderful, life-changing realities: "For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light" (Ephesians 5:8).
Therefore, as in our text, we must no longer "fashion" ourselves according to our former lusts, but according to our new life. "Be not conformed |same Greek word as 'fashioned'| to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2). No longer in darkness and ignorance, we now "have light" as the "children of light" (John 12:36), and the "mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:16) as children of wisdom (Matthew 11:19). We now have the very highest of all callings, as children of God, and we must "walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called" (Ephesians 4:1). HMM
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DARA1234
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It is good to have a forum like this God bless you.  |
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OLAADEGBU (m)
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The Rock of Offense
April 22, 2009
"Give glory to the Lord your God, before He cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, He turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness." (Jeremiah 13:16)
The figurative representations of Christ as the foundation rock of the great spiritual house of God (Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 2:20; 1 Peter 2:6) and also as the water-yielding rock of sustenance in the wilderness (1 Corinthians 10:4) are two of the great symbols of the Bible.
But for those who reject Him, He becomes "a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offense. . . . And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken" (Isaiah 8:14-15).
Not only will the stone cause such a one to stumble, but Jesus said, "And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder" (Matthew 21:44). This figure is taken from the fall of the great image in Nebuchadnezzar's dream. "Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet . . . and brake them to pieces" (Daniel 2:34). All the kingdoms of the world were represented in the image, but "the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth" (Daniel 2:35).
"Unto you therefore which believe He is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient" (1 Peter 2:7-8).
Thus, the stone of stumbling, which is Christ, is also the Word, and it is deadly dangerous to stumble over the holy Scriptures. One should give glory to God before darkness falls and he stumbles upon the dark mountain in the shadow of death. HMM
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OLAADEGBU (m)
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If after reading this, it doesn't make any meaning to you or change you then, you have not started living. Please, for the love of God, check yourself. Remain blessed as you ask for His grace to see us through.
Here's a great interview with Rick Warren. He wrote the Purpose Driven Life, A highly recommended book.
Rick Warren
You will enjoy the new insights that Rick Warren has, with his wife now having cancer and him having 'wealth' from the book sales. This is an absolutely incredible short interview with Rick Warren,
'Purpose Driven Life ' author and pastor of Saddleback Church in California
In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said:
People ask me, What is the purpose of life?
And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were not made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.
One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body-- but not the end of me.
I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity.
We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense,
Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one.
The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort; God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy.
We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.
This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer.
I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore.
Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life.
No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on.
And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for,
You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems:
If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, which is my problem, my issues, my pain.' But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.
We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her- It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.
You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life.
Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy.
It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease.
So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72.
First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases.
Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church.
Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation.
Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.
We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity?
Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)?
When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better. God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do.
That's why we're called human beings, not human doings.
Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.
Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.
Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.
Painful moments, TRUST GOD.
Every moment, THANK GOD,
If you do not pass it on, nothing will happen. But it will just be nice to pass it on to a friend, just like I have done.
God's Blessings.
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