Hello Weekly Readers! May the Peace of God be with you as we meet at the Diner once again!
I first of all want to thank you for your prayers as Chad K, and I went forth in service to the Lord into Kenya, Africa.
It was truly a blessed trip, and we surely felt your prayers as we ministered to the wonderful people in Kenya! We were received so wonderfully, and we felt that there was many people that had to true desire to partake of the Holy Word of God!
May Jesus Christ continue to be lifted up in Kenya, as well as in your country, wherever in the world you may be!
This week we have a guest writer for which I am thankful, as my time is being fully used trying to catch up on work that I am behind on due to the trip!
If the topic in the article raises any questions for you, just email me and I will be happy to communicate with you about it! foreignmission@comcast.net
May God Bless your week! John R.
THOUGHTS ON CHRIST’S SECOND COMING
The second coming of Christ has been widely debated and discussed throughout Christendom ever since Christ, Himself, spoke about it to his disciples. Tragically much of what is written or preached comes out of a person’s own views than out of the Bible. The Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, include the sayings of Jesus regarding his second coming. For the sake of brevity, a portion of our Lord’s discourse with his disciples recorded in Matthew 24:36-44 is as follows:
“…but of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
Without going into detail on the text, several facts are clearly stated that we cannot change, even if we would like to do so. Immediately we are told that, “of that day and hour knoweth no man.” So anyone who claims to know when the Lord will return is a “false prophet.”
Secondly, we are told the general conditions of life prior to the Lord’s return will be quite normal and usual. People were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day the Noah entered ark. In a sense it was “business as usual.”
Suddenly in this text, there is an alarming shift—“ Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.” The reality of the brevity and uncertainty of life in this world is inescapable and may be shocking. No one has a guarantee of tomorrow. In the light of this reality, Jesus makes the most important statement regarding his second coming saying: “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”
In Luke’s account of this sudden, unexplainable death of which Jesus spoke as “being taken”, the disciples asked. “Where, Lord?” to which Jesus gave a mysterious reply saying: “Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together” (Lk. 17:37) The word for “eagles” could also be translated as “vultures.” The meaning is clear—the one taken is not someone “raptured” out of this world, but plainly one who has died as vultures or eagles are meat-eating birds.
Thus without question the most important matter connected to our Lord’s second coming is not our concern as to the “when” of it, but the necessity of preparation for it. So what is the necessary preparation? To this the Bible gives a clear and sufficient answer. It is to personally believe in and confess that Jesus Christ is my Savior and Lord. There are many additional details that spell out more completely how this faith in Christ becomes a reality for each of us.
But essentially it is through the work of the Holy Spirit using the Word of God, the Gospel, to effect “repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21).
Everyone is summoned to repent and believe the gospel. This is the first work of God in our hearts and our response is our “first love” that is to remain as the continuous fuel that will fire our whole life of being a disciple of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is all summed up in two truths—love to God and love to one another. When these two truths are real in daily life, we will be prepared for the “when” of our Lord’s appearing!
"Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price." Isaiah 55:1
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Come and Dine!
Dear Weekly Readers ! God’s Peace be with you this day!
This week I would ask you all to be in a spirit of prayer for an upcoming mission trip. Today, Nov. 9th, Lord willing, Chad K. and I will be on our way to Kenya. Please pray for the listeners and for Chad and myself, as we endeavor to bring the Word of our Lord to whomever we encounter while in Kenya.
Please be understanding in that you will not receive The Weekly Diner for 3 weeks, since I will not be able to publish it from Africa. This article is three times the usual length, so feel free to read it in sections if you desire!
The title for our article for The Weekly Diner is titled: Come and Dine! These few precious words of our Lord Jesus are recorded for us in John 21 verse 12. Come and dine..!!
Jesus said these words as part of the story we find recorded in verses 1-14 of this chapter. This story took place shortly after the resurrection of our Lord, but before Ascension day and the day of Pentecost.
Can you imagine how the disciples felt, after having come through so many miraculous events of recent? They surely experienced many highs and lows. We also experience highs and lows in our life. There are many turbulent, trying times, as well as times of much joy.
These disciples were men like us, and Jesus knew them (and us) all very well. He knows our needs, He knows our desires. He knows that sometimes we need to experience real events to help us see the full picture of His love for us. The disciples were about to experience quite an event!
Simon Peter says in verse 3, I go a fishing. The others said, we are coming along. This shows that while these Godly men were Disciples of Christ, they still were committed workers, husbands, perhaps fathers, and sons, here on earth. They did not want to sit around idly, wondering what to do next. They plunged into their duties and for many of these men, fishing was their occupation. They did not allow the devil room to come in during these amazing times in their lives, offering idleness and folly.
This story also depicts for us a lovely picture of becoming fishers of men. Here again, we as Christians should not sit idly around, but rather be busy attending to the Lord business. These men had gone out into the sea, but they caught nothing. This draught of fish teaches us several things. In our picture of being fishers of men, it shows us that just because we are out preaching and teaching, and doing things properly, it does not mean men will repent or even listen. We learned this lesson from the story of Noah already in the Old Testament.
The draught of fish also shows us a little natural picture in that is dispels the myth that is common today which is the teaching of the prosperity doctrine. Being a Christian, faithfully doing the right thing, does not insure that we will have success in the way the world views success. It is just not true that we can provide even our daily bread without the Lord’s help. In the Lord ’s Prayer we pray, Give us this day, our daily bread. It is of the Lord’s hand that we are fed, and we will see that later in this story as well.
Verse 4. But when the morning was come, Jesus stood on the shore: How precious! He was there for a while already, but they just could not see him. Jesus is often much closer to us that we think as well. He is waiting for us, watching us, praying for us. We can believe this by faith, we do not have to see! Scripture says in John 20:25 …… blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
Jesus asked them, Children, have ye any meat? Jesus cares about us! Naturally speaking also, He wants us to have food to eat. He wants us to be nourished so we have the strength to go on. Yes, Jesus does care about our natural life! God wants to provide for us, and He is faithful!
Jesus called the disciples children, which is a lovely term suggesting that He was their Father, and God surely is our Father also. Imagine, being called Children by the King of Creation, this Jesus who was, even before the foundations of the earth were laid.
Jesus asked them if they had any meat. Do you think Jesus did not know if they had caught anything? Jesus sees and knows all things. Jesus knew of their poor success. He knows when we have poor success whether it be in our work, or in the preaching to the world. However, Jesus wants to hear our confession, He wants to communicate with us!
After hearing from the disciples that they had caught nothing, Jesus told them to cast the net on the other side of the ship, and ye shall find. Imagine for a moment being told to cast the net in a different way than perhaps they had ever done it before. Perhaps even their riggings made it more suitable to fish from a certain side of the boat. If they were like me, they could have thought, what difference could it possibly make if the net is on this side or that, it is still the same water, and we had just toiled all night and caught nothing.
It is quite sure that some of these men had thoughts on this matter, but do you know what? They did not spend time listening to bad thoughts, or giving into temptation, tiredness, laziness, or whatever other trick the devil would have used on them. They simply obeyed! Oh what joy there is in store for us when we obey the Words of our Lord. Great things may be right around the corner for us, even after times of dryness or draught. Oh Lord, let us obey Thy Word!
When the disciples obeyed, they caught so many fish that there nets were full. They were heavy laden with blessing. Even in being fishers of men, we need to be open to doing things in a way that may be different than how we have been doing it. Perhaps we have not been listening closely enough to Jesus when He tells us how to fish for men! Here Jesus came to where the men were, where they could see them. Perhaps we spend too much time waiting for people to come to church, and not enough time meeting them where they are. Let’s pray that we would be obedient fishermen, like these ones in our text today!
Then the disciple whom Jesus loved, (John) verse 7, said to Peter, it is the Lord! Upon hearing this, Peter put on hisfishing coat (the best he had available at the time, and perhaps this shows us a picture that when we go to meet the Lord, we must have on the wedding garment..) and jumped into the sea. Peter was often very aggressive. Do you remember that not long before this story took place, Peter had denied his Lord? Now Peter is so excited to see Jesus, he could not wait. Oh that we would all be this anxious to see our Lord! How refreshing it is to see Peter act in this way!
However, it is also just as encouraging to see that the other disciples were more measured in their response and continued to do the job at hand. This is an exciting picture to me, because we are all called to different parts of the Lord’s Ministry. We need to faithfully adhere to our calling. Not everyone is the out front man, the one full of life, the one vocal, the one that is the first to act, etc.
Jesus, as we will see later in our story, received the energetic and boisterous Peter, with the same love and equity that He met the other disciples! We are all equally important in His Kingdom, no matter our jobs or our natures.
As the ambassadors of Christ, (all Christians are, not just preachers) we are to do as the disciples were attempting to do with this boat full of fish, bring them to Jesus. Do not bring them to see our life, our church, our good deeds, but rather, bring them to see Jesus. We are witnesses of Jesus! In Hebrews it says, but we see Jesus! The saved see Jesus by faith!
In Verse 9 we see that when they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. Jesus had the full meal already there! The fire of the Holy Spirit is burning where Jesus is! The nourishment of God’s Word is there. Remember when Jesus told the devil, that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word which proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Here was the bread of life! The meal was ready!
We notice that there was already fish at this fire! Jesus already has fish. We need to remember, that Jesus is the real fisherman. We need to be obedient to the Master, but all results are from Him. As Christians, sometimes we can begin to feel that our circles must be the only true Christians. The devil would love us to stumble in this area! We must always remember, the Jesus knows and has His own. His work will get done with our without us. John 10: 16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. There was already fish there at the fire, Jesus saw to that, as He still does today. He does work through His disciples on earth still today, as He did in this story. But the actual work of saving souls, of causing man to repent and believe, is out of our hands. Rather we rely on Him whom is able and willing to save fallen mankind!
V 10: Bring of the fish that ye have now caught. Bring the fish to Jesus. As fishers of men, bring them to Jesus. Bring in the lost, the weak, the struggling and backsliding, the lame, the blind, bring them all to Jesus! He is the help and the Saviour or all! Bring them to Jesus! Be obedient fishermen!
This whole story, from beginning to end shows divine intervention. Now the nets did not break even though they were overloaded. The Lord is stilling working. He is interceding in our behalf before the Father in Heaven even today. Do not think that the things we do are just happen stance or accident. God is in control in our lives, and He is very close by us. So close in fact to His children, that He has given His Children the gift of His Holy Spirit to live within us. How blessed are the children of God because of His unspeakable gifts!
Now we get to those lovely words, the title of our article, in Verse 12. Come and Dine! The food is prepared. Jesus is there! Come and eat. Isaiah 55:1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
Dear sinner even today, Jesus is calling out Come and dine. You need no money, there is no price. Just Come and Dine! Then you shall find rest! Matthew 11: 29 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. The day of Grace is today. Come and Dine. Come and eat! Partake of His Grace by Faith. Tomorrow may never come, but today, Jesus is waiting and calling for you! What a time we live in!
Jesus called John 10: 4 …. and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.Let us do as the men in our story did, they came and dined! Let us always follow the voice of Jesus, and as fishers of men, let us broadcast far and wide the Words of Jesus! Lift Him up, and all men will be drawn unto him!
We notice at the end of our text, that Jesus took the bread, and gave it to them, and the fish likewise. (v:13) All the work that needed to be done, Jesus has accomplished. Man only has to partake of that which is prepared and finished by Jesus. Jesus lived perfectly, fulfilled all in our behalf, suffered, bled, died, and arose for us. All is complete, there is no work left to do. Jesus has performed it all! Believe this today, dear sinner. Those readers that are believers today, you sinners saved by grace, always continue to believe in the finished work of Redemption and Salvation provided for us by none other than our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
If there are any that read this that does not believe by faith today, call out. Make your voice heard! A fisherman of the Lord’s will hear you and will show you the way to Jesus. They will witness to you of Jesus. They will proclaim the wonderful words of life to you, that yes, you as a repentant sinner, you can believe by faith that all your sins are forgiven by and through the name and precious shed blood of our Saviour, our Lord, Jesus Christ!
Romans 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
May God continue to work in each of our hearts, and let us Dine with Him!
This week I would ask you all to be in a spirit of prayer for an upcoming mission trip. Today, Nov. 9th, Lord willing, Chad K. and I will be on our way to Kenya. Please pray for the listeners and for Chad and myself, as we endeavor to bring the Word of our Lord to whomever we encounter while in Kenya.
Please be understanding in that you will not receive The Weekly Diner for 3 weeks, since I will not be able to publish it from Africa. This article is three times the usual length, so feel free to read it in sections if you desire!
The title for our article for The Weekly Diner is titled: Come and Dine! These few precious words of our Lord Jesus are recorded for us in John 21 verse 12. Come and dine..!!
Jesus said these words as part of the story we find recorded in verses 1-14 of this chapter. This story took place shortly after the resurrection of our Lord, but before Ascension day and the day of Pentecost.
Can you imagine how the disciples felt, after having come through so many miraculous events of recent? They surely experienced many highs and lows. We also experience highs and lows in our life. There are many turbulent, trying times, as well as times of much joy.
These disciples were men like us, and Jesus knew them (and us) all very well. He knows our needs, He knows our desires. He knows that sometimes we need to experience real events to help us see the full picture of His love for us. The disciples were about to experience quite an event!
Simon Peter says in verse 3, I go a fishing. The others said, we are coming along. This shows that while these Godly men were Disciples of Christ, they still were committed workers, husbands, perhaps fathers, and sons, here on earth. They did not want to sit around idly, wondering what to do next. They plunged into their duties and for many of these men, fishing was their occupation. They did not allow the devil room to come in during these amazing times in their lives, offering idleness and folly.
This story also depicts for us a lovely picture of becoming fishers of men. Here again, we as Christians should not sit idly around, but rather be busy attending to the Lord business. These men had gone out into the sea, but they caught nothing. This draught of fish teaches us several things. In our picture of being fishers of men, it shows us that just because we are out preaching and teaching, and doing things properly, it does not mean men will repent or even listen. We learned this lesson from the story of Noah already in the Old Testament.
The draught of fish also shows us a little natural picture in that is dispels the myth that is common today which is the teaching of the prosperity doctrine. Being a Christian, faithfully doing the right thing, does not insure that we will have success in the way the world views success. It is just not true that we can provide even our daily bread without the Lord’s help. In the Lord ’s Prayer we pray, Give us this day, our daily bread. It is of the Lord’s hand that we are fed, and we will see that later in this story as well.
Verse 4. But when the morning was come, Jesus stood on the shore: How precious! He was there for a while already, but they just could not see him. Jesus is often much closer to us that we think as well. He is waiting for us, watching us, praying for us. We can believe this by faith, we do not have to see! Scripture says in John 20:25 …… blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
Jesus asked them, Children, have ye any meat? Jesus cares about us! Naturally speaking also, He wants us to have food to eat. He wants us to be nourished so we have the strength to go on. Yes, Jesus does care about our natural life! God wants to provide for us, and He is faithful!
Jesus called the disciples children, which is a lovely term suggesting that He was their Father, and God surely is our Father also. Imagine, being called Children by the King of Creation, this Jesus who was, even before the foundations of the earth were laid.
Jesus asked them if they had any meat. Do you think Jesus did not know if they had caught anything? Jesus sees and knows all things. Jesus knew of their poor success. He knows when we have poor success whether it be in our work, or in the preaching to the world. However, Jesus wants to hear our confession, He wants to communicate with us!
After hearing from the disciples that they had caught nothing, Jesus told them to cast the net on the other side of the ship, and ye shall find. Imagine for a moment being told to cast the net in a different way than perhaps they had ever done it before. Perhaps even their riggings made it more suitable to fish from a certain side of the boat. If they were like me, they could have thought, what difference could it possibly make if the net is on this side or that, it is still the same water, and we had just toiled all night and caught nothing.
It is quite sure that some of these men had thoughts on this matter, but do you know what? They did not spend time listening to bad thoughts, or giving into temptation, tiredness, laziness, or whatever other trick the devil would have used on them. They simply obeyed! Oh what joy there is in store for us when we obey the Words of our Lord. Great things may be right around the corner for us, even after times of dryness or draught. Oh Lord, let us obey Thy Word!
When the disciples obeyed, they caught so many fish that there nets were full. They were heavy laden with blessing. Even in being fishers of men, we need to be open to doing things in a way that may be different than how we have been doing it. Perhaps we have not been listening closely enough to Jesus when He tells us how to fish for men! Here Jesus came to where the men were, where they could see them. Perhaps we spend too much time waiting for people to come to church, and not enough time meeting them where they are. Let’s pray that we would be obedient fishermen, like these ones in our text today!
Then the disciple whom Jesus loved, (John) verse 7, said to Peter, it is the Lord! Upon hearing this, Peter put on hisfishing coat (the best he had available at the time, and perhaps this shows us a picture that when we go to meet the Lord, we must have on the wedding garment..) and jumped into the sea. Peter was often very aggressive. Do you remember that not long before this story took place, Peter had denied his Lord? Now Peter is so excited to see Jesus, he could not wait. Oh that we would all be this anxious to see our Lord! How refreshing it is to see Peter act in this way!
However, it is also just as encouraging to see that the other disciples were more measured in their response and continued to do the job at hand. This is an exciting picture to me, because we are all called to different parts of the Lord’s Ministry. We need to faithfully adhere to our calling. Not everyone is the out front man, the one full of life, the one vocal, the one that is the first to act, etc.
Jesus, as we will see later in our story, received the energetic and boisterous Peter, with the same love and equity that He met the other disciples! We are all equally important in His Kingdom, no matter our jobs or our natures.
As the ambassadors of Christ, (all Christians are, not just preachers) we are to do as the disciples were attempting to do with this boat full of fish, bring them to Jesus. Do not bring them to see our life, our church, our good deeds, but rather, bring them to see Jesus. We are witnesses of Jesus! In Hebrews it says, but we see Jesus! The saved see Jesus by faith!
In Verse 9 we see that when they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. Jesus had the full meal already there! The fire of the Holy Spirit is burning where Jesus is! The nourishment of God’s Word is there. Remember when Jesus told the devil, that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word which proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Here was the bread of life! The meal was ready!
We notice that there was already fish at this fire! Jesus already has fish. We need to remember, that Jesus is the real fisherman. We need to be obedient to the Master, but all results are from Him. As Christians, sometimes we can begin to feel that our circles must be the only true Christians. The devil would love us to stumble in this area! We must always remember, the Jesus knows and has His own. His work will get done with our without us. John 10: 16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. There was already fish there at the fire, Jesus saw to that, as He still does today. He does work through His disciples on earth still today, as He did in this story. But the actual work of saving souls, of causing man to repent and believe, is out of our hands. Rather we rely on Him whom is able and willing to save fallen mankind!
V 10: Bring of the fish that ye have now caught. Bring the fish to Jesus. As fishers of men, bring them to Jesus. Bring in the lost, the weak, the struggling and backsliding, the lame, the blind, bring them all to Jesus! He is the help and the Saviour or all! Bring them to Jesus! Be obedient fishermen!
This whole story, from beginning to end shows divine intervention. Now the nets did not break even though they were overloaded. The Lord is stilling working. He is interceding in our behalf before the Father in Heaven even today. Do not think that the things we do are just happen stance or accident. God is in control in our lives, and He is very close by us. So close in fact to His children, that He has given His Children the gift of His Holy Spirit to live within us. How blessed are the children of God because of His unspeakable gifts!
Now we get to those lovely words, the title of our article, in Verse 12. Come and Dine! The food is prepared. Jesus is there! Come and eat. Isaiah 55:1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
Dear sinner even today, Jesus is calling out Come and dine. You need no money, there is no price. Just Come and Dine! Then you shall find rest! Matthew 11: 29 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. The day of Grace is today. Come and Dine. Come and eat! Partake of His Grace by Faith. Tomorrow may never come, but today, Jesus is waiting and calling for you! What a time we live in!
Jesus called John 10: 4 …. and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.Let us do as the men in our story did, they came and dined! Let us always follow the voice of Jesus, and as fishers of men, let us broadcast far and wide the Words of Jesus! Lift Him up, and all men will be drawn unto him!
We notice at the end of our text, that Jesus took the bread, and gave it to them, and the fish likewise. (v:13) All the work that needed to be done, Jesus has accomplished. Man only has to partake of that which is prepared and finished by Jesus. Jesus lived perfectly, fulfilled all in our behalf, suffered, bled, died, and arose for us. All is complete, there is no work left to do. Jesus has performed it all! Believe this today, dear sinner. Those readers that are believers today, you sinners saved by grace, always continue to believe in the finished work of Redemption and Salvation provided for us by none other than our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
If there are any that read this that does not believe by faith today, call out. Make your voice heard! A fisherman of the Lord’s will hear you and will show you the way to Jesus. They will witness to you of Jesus. They will proclaim the wonderful words of life to you, that yes, you as a repentant sinner, you can believe by faith that all your sins are forgiven by and through the name and precious shed blood of our Saviour, our Lord, Jesus Christ!
Romans 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
May God continue to work in each of our hearts, and let us Dine with Him!
Monday, November 1, 2010
The Weekly Diner
Dear Weekly Readers! God’s Peace!
God’s wonderful creation is a proclamation and a reminder to us of His majesty! Psalms 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.>There are so many examples in God’s creation that we can learn from.
Below is an article of one such example, written by a guest author, a dear friend of mine. Please enjoy, and
May God Bless your week! JR
“By their fruits… ye shall know them”
A seed is planted in the warm moist earth. Days pass with no apparent change, until at the prescribed time, bent and crouching like a strong man lifting a heavy load, a tender plant, begins to emerge. The seedling slowly pushes its’ way upward, rolling away every obstacle, until standing erect, it points its’ face heavenward to receive the blessing of the summer sun.
What variety of plant is it that has just exhibited the marvelous transformation from seed to seedling? It is difficult to tell at first. Only as the plant matures, can one begin to identify its’ species by visual cues such as leaf, bark and bloom. With slightly rounded leaves of pale green and profuse blossoms of the purest white, laced with subtle pinks and rosy hues, one suspects this plant to be among that of a fruit bearing type. However, only when fruit is found among the branches, can positive identification be made. It is then that the passerby, upon tasting the bounty, knows assuredly that such flavor and texture belong only to the fruit borne of an apple tree.
It might be said at the time of harvest when the apple is gathered, that the tree has “spoken” by way of its’ fruit, making known to the world that it is a tree of such and such a species, ordained to bear fruit of a size, shape, color and flavor according to the Creators’ master plan. And this testimony will be confirmed each season, leaving no doubt to the observer as to its type and genus.
So the natural example of the fruit tree illustrates a similar picture found in the life of each child of God. The good seed of Gods’ word is planted in the soil of the heart, followed by the refreshing “water of life” that permeates the soil, causing the seed to germi-nate and grow. Attracted by the warm rays of Gods’ grace the seedling of faith bursts through the soil to prosper and develop into what Jeremiah the prophet calls a “noble plant.”
Our Good God, from the abundance of His heart affords this delicate plant every necessary grace and blessing, that would support its’ needs and prosper its’ growth. Such care and tending, in due time, strengthens the plant to bud and blossom forth to the Creators’ honor and glory.
But our Lord is not satisfied with vibrant leaves and swelling buds alone. His desire is to receive a fruitful harvest. So He instructs the keeper of the vineyard to dig about the plant and “dung it”, that no effort would be neglected or detail missed in the caring of this delightful sapling.
It is then we are told, that “the husband-man waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it.” “Until he receive the early and latter rain.”
It would be good for us to remember that the Lord has withheld no effort or expense concerning our spiritual birth, nourishment and care that would produce His desired fruit. For so we are told in His word that it is “good seed,” planted, in a “very fruitful hill” where the water of life is offered in liberal measure, to him that is “athirst,” with the invitation to “come” and take of this water freely.
How is it with us this day? Are we fruit bearing plants in the Lord’s vineyard? Are the fruits of the Spirit evident in our lives, or are we merely a religious type of ornamental shrub, pleasant to behold but void of fruit?
Jesus has told us in His word that the “fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, (and) temperance.”This is the fruit that the Lord is seeking, and it matters much that He finds fruit among his plantings.
For a solemn warning is given to the fruitless soul and yet a wonderful promise to the fruitful, when He says, cut down the fruitless tree, for “Every branch in me that beareth not fruit (is taken) away, yet every branch that beareth fruit, (is purged) that it may bring forth more fruit.”Knowing this to be true, may we pray the “Lord of the harvest” that His efforts would not be in vain concerning our spiritual welfare, but that it may be said of us, by virtue of the fruit we bear and the testimony of our lips that we are the children of God. And like King David, we can say, “I believed therefore I have spoken.” “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
God’s wonderful creation is a proclamation and a reminder to us of His majesty! Psalms 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.>There are so many examples in God’s creation that we can learn from.
Below is an article of one such example, written by a guest author, a dear friend of mine. Please enjoy, and
May God Bless your week! JR
“By their fruits… ye shall know them”
A seed is planted in the warm moist earth. Days pass with no apparent change, until at the prescribed time, bent and crouching like a strong man lifting a heavy load, a tender plant, begins to emerge. The seedling slowly pushes its’ way upward, rolling away every obstacle, until standing erect, it points its’ face heavenward to receive the blessing of the summer sun.
What variety of plant is it that has just exhibited the marvelous transformation from seed to seedling? It is difficult to tell at first. Only as the plant matures, can one begin to identify its’ species by visual cues such as leaf, bark and bloom. With slightly rounded leaves of pale green and profuse blossoms of the purest white, laced with subtle pinks and rosy hues, one suspects this plant to be among that of a fruit bearing type. However, only when fruit is found among the branches, can positive identification be made. It is then that the passerby, upon tasting the bounty, knows assuredly that such flavor and texture belong only to the fruit borne of an apple tree.
It might be said at the time of harvest when the apple is gathered, that the tree has “spoken” by way of its’ fruit, making known to the world that it is a tree of such and such a species, ordained to bear fruit of a size, shape, color and flavor according to the Creators’ master plan. And this testimony will be confirmed each season, leaving no doubt to the observer as to its type and genus.
So the natural example of the fruit tree illustrates a similar picture found in the life of each child of God. The good seed of Gods’ word is planted in the soil of the heart, followed by the refreshing “water of life” that permeates the soil, causing the seed to germi-nate and grow. Attracted by the warm rays of Gods’ grace the seedling of faith bursts through the soil to prosper and develop into what Jeremiah the prophet calls a “noble plant.”
Our Good God, from the abundance of His heart affords this delicate plant every necessary grace and blessing, that would support its’ needs and prosper its’ growth. Such care and tending, in due time, strengthens the plant to bud and blossom forth to the Creators’ honor and glory.
But our Lord is not satisfied with vibrant leaves and swelling buds alone. His desire is to receive a fruitful harvest. So He instructs the keeper of the vineyard to dig about the plant and “dung it”, that no effort would be neglected or detail missed in the caring of this delightful sapling.
It is then we are told, that “the husband-man waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it.” “Until he receive the early and latter rain.”
It would be good for us to remember that the Lord has withheld no effort or expense concerning our spiritual birth, nourishment and care that would produce His desired fruit. For so we are told in His word that it is “good seed,” planted, in a “very fruitful hill” where the water of life is offered in liberal measure, to him that is “athirst,” with the invitation to “come” and take of this water freely.
How is it with us this day? Are we fruit bearing plants in the Lord’s vineyard? Are the fruits of the Spirit evident in our lives, or are we merely a religious type of ornamental shrub, pleasant to behold but void of fruit?
Jesus has told us in His word that the “fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, (and) temperance.”This is the fruit that the Lord is seeking, and it matters much that He finds fruit among his plantings.
For a solemn warning is given to the fruitless soul and yet a wonderful promise to the fruitful, when He says, cut down the fruitless tree, for “Every branch in me that beareth not fruit (is taken) away, yet every branch that beareth fruit, (is purged) that it may bring forth more fruit.”Knowing this to be true, may we pray the “Lord of the harvest” that His efforts would not be in vain concerning our spiritual welfare, but that it may be said of us, by virtue of the fruit we bear and the testimony of our lips that we are the children of God. And like King David, we can say, “I believed therefore I have spoken.” “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Faith or Works?
Dear Weekly Readers! God’s Peace!
Today our article is by Pastor Mark Matson.
May God Bless your week! John R.
Faith or Works?
In other words, Christianity or religion?
Saved or lost? This important doctrine is the difference between heaven and hell,
eternal life and eternal death.
Ephesians 2:8- 10 says, For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not
of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that
we should walk in them.
Martin Luther, in his Introduction to Romans, brings clearness to this doctrine: "Faith is not that human notion that some hold for faith. Because they see that no betterment of life and no good works
follow it, and yet they can hear and say much about faith, they fall into error and say, 'Faith is not enough; one must do works in order to be righteous and be saved.' This is the reason that, when they hear the Gospel, they fall-to and make for themselves, by their own powers, an idea in their hearts which says, 'I believe.' This they hold for true. But it is the human imagination and idea that never reaches the depths of the heart, and so nothing comes of it and no betterment follows it.
"Faith, however, is a divine work in us. It changes us and makes us to be born anew of God (John 1); it kills the old Adam and makes altogether different men, in heart and spirit and mind and powers, and it brings with it the Holy Ghost. Oh, it is a living, busy, active, mighty thing, this faith; and so it is impossible for it not to do good works incessantly. It does not ask whether there are good works to do, but before the question rises, it has already done them, and is always at the doing of them. He who does not
these works is a faithless man. He gropes and looks about after faith and good works, and knows neither what faith is nor what good works are, though he talks and talks, with many words, about faith and good works.
"Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that a man would stake his life on it a thousand times. This confidence in God’s grace and knowledge of it makes men glad and bold and happy in dealing with God and all His creatures; and this is the work of the Holy Ghost in faith. Hence a man is ready and glad, without compulsion, to do good to everyone, to serve everyone, to suffer everything, in love and praise, quite as impossible as to separate the heat and light of fires. Beware,
therefore, of your own false notions and idle talkers, who would be wise enough to make decisions about faith and good works and yet are the greatest fools. Pray God to work faith in you, else you will remain forever without faith, whatever you think or do."
The Bible says in Philippians 2:12, 13: Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
What God has done will stand forever, as Jesus has said, "Without me you can do nothing (John 15:5)," as one who has learned that in all things He might (must) have the preeminence
(Colossians 1:18), and continues to learn. May God richly bless each of you as you do the work of the Lord, in and by the faith of Christ, which works by (because of) love, His love.
God's peace, Pastor Mark Matson Pasco, Washington
Today our article is by Pastor Mark Matson.
May God Bless your week! John R.
Faith or Works?
In other words, Christianity or religion?
Saved or lost? This important doctrine is the difference between heaven and hell,
eternal life and eternal death.
Ephesians 2:8- 10 says, For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not
of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that
we should walk in them.
Martin Luther, in his Introduction to Romans, brings clearness to this doctrine: "Faith is not that human notion that some hold for faith. Because they see that no betterment of life and no good works
follow it, and yet they can hear and say much about faith, they fall into error and say, 'Faith is not enough; one must do works in order to be righteous and be saved.' This is the reason that, when they hear the Gospel, they fall-to and make for themselves, by their own powers, an idea in their hearts which says, 'I believe.' This they hold for true. But it is the human imagination and idea that never reaches the depths of the heart, and so nothing comes of it and no betterment follows it.
"Faith, however, is a divine work in us. It changes us and makes us to be born anew of God (John 1); it kills the old Adam and makes altogether different men, in heart and spirit and mind and powers, and it brings with it the Holy Ghost. Oh, it is a living, busy, active, mighty thing, this faith; and so it is impossible for it not to do good works incessantly. It does not ask whether there are good works to do, but before the question rises, it has already done them, and is always at the doing of them. He who does not
these works is a faithless man. He gropes and looks about after faith and good works, and knows neither what faith is nor what good works are, though he talks and talks, with many words, about faith and good works.
"Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that a man would stake his life on it a thousand times. This confidence in God’s grace and knowledge of it makes men glad and bold and happy in dealing with God and all His creatures; and this is the work of the Holy Ghost in faith. Hence a man is ready and glad, without compulsion, to do good to everyone, to serve everyone, to suffer everything, in love and praise, quite as impossible as to separate the heat and light of fires. Beware,
therefore, of your own false notions and idle talkers, who would be wise enough to make decisions about faith and good works and yet are the greatest fools. Pray God to work faith in you, else you will remain forever without faith, whatever you think or do."
The Bible says in Philippians 2:12, 13: Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
What God has done will stand forever, as Jesus has said, "Without me you can do nothing (John 15:5)," as one who has learned that in all things He might (must) have the preeminence
(Colossians 1:18), and continues to learn. May God richly bless each of you as you do the work of the Lord, in and by the faith of Christ, which works by (because of) love, His love.
God's peace, Pastor Mark Matson Pasco, Washington
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
REST
This lengthly article was actually broken into 3 weeks for the Weekly Diner publication. It is about an the important topic of Rest! This is nowhere close to an exhaustive study, but if it serves the purpose of getting us to search God's Word, then May God be Thanked!
May The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God, and the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all.
Today I would like to share with you about REST…., the true Rest that is found only in our Lord Jesus Christ.
There many types of rest.
First there is a Rest that is Temporary, as from our work. This is a blessed type of rest for the Christian. This is a rest from our work, like we do as we rest on Sunday’s. Jesus even told his disciples to go apart and rest. They entered into a ship, and went to the other side and rested. We are very appreciative of this type of rest; however, we will not focus on this type, as there is a rest for more precious that we will focus on in this letter.
Another type of Rest is when we rest not from our work, but in our work….. Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest! 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. Notice that in taking His yoke, learning of Him, these are things that we do. However, the direct promise is that we SHALL find rest for you souls! How blessed!
Then there is another type of rest as in God’s rest after He created the World in 6 days. He did not rest because he was tired; He rested because His work was complete! Our God is almighty and powerful! He completed this huge task, and when He looked He said, it is good.
It is this type of rest we will focus on, and also the cause to rest like we read in Hebrews 3 and Sabbath kind of rest like we find in Hebrews 4:9 when it says there remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. A perpetual Sabbath. This is a rest that in Him is never ending, everlasting.
Let us look at a verse from the Old Testament:
Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee.”— Psalm 116:7
Those who are not Christians, have no rest to return for their soul. In fact they do not even know what they are missing out on. The unbeliever will attempt to quite his soul, to find temporary joy and happiness, but he must always keep looking. The only true rest is In Christ!
Hebrews 3:18 and 19 says: 18And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?
19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
There is no rest to the one that does not believe. Pray that they would be able to hear, to repent, and to believe during the time of Grace.
But we who Believe in Him, do enter into rest. We have entered into His rest!
Our journey can be pictured as the children of Isreal who have crossed the river Jordan and entered into the Promised Land. We still have battles here in this life, as they did once they crossed the river, but as long as we stay in Christ, we have all the promises of God available and for us! We can have peace and rest in the storms and the battles of this life!
This does not mean we will have rest as far as this world is concerned; this world is polluted with so much grief, sin and vice! Yet, in the midst of all this, the Christian is promised rest and peace!
The Apostle Paul writes to the Romans, there is no therefore no more Condemnation to those are in Christ Jesus. Who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit…. How wonderful to have such a wonderful Saviour.
We HAVE the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7
If there are reading this today that are believers but you seem to have lost this blessed rest… My message to you is RETURN unto thy rest.
I hope that you would be able to take the Psalmist words unto your own heart.. Return unto thy rest, for the Lord hath dealth bountifully with thee.
We must remember: The Believer has his rest!
There is a condition that a believer can be in when his heart is perfectly at rest. Perhaps Jude’s benediction describes it best when he says: May The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God, and the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all. We opened our letter with this today!
Let us take a moment to search the rests for the Christian heart and soul!,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK DUE TO LENGTH> Please study Hebrews chapter 3 and 4 during this week and Lord willing, I will finish this letter for next week!
May God Bless your Week in The Lord!
____________________________________________________________________________
Dear Weekly Readers! I hope and pray that this week you have meditated the topic of His rest, and have experienced His rest personally. Shall we continue where we left off?
Let’s begin by looking first at the rest of the heart and soul that comes through the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ!
When a person is come to him, when a person has repented and believed, (and remember, Isaiah 53:6
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all, then we are subject unto the Spirit of God. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Liberty. 2 Corinthians 3:17
Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. When this redemptive work is complete through Jesus Christ in our hearts, then we have peace and rest.
This is all made possible, and all Glory and Honor for this goes to our Lord Jesus and what He has done, when He willingly gave up His life on the cross! He suffered, bled, and died for you and I. He won the victory over death, hell, and the power of the devil for you and I. Ephesians 2:16
And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
On the third day, He rose triumphantly from the grave, having won the victory! What a mighty and wonderful Saviour we have! What grace the Lord Jesus Christ has given unto us!
When this complete work is believed by faith, when we have repented and believed, all of our sins are drowned in the sea of Grace, never to be remembered again! There is no fishing in the sea of Grace! Dear believer, the devil no longer has power over us, we are living by the grace and merits of our Lord Jesus Christ! What rest we can have in this fact and reality!
All of our necessities are provided for us. He has promised in His word that His eye is on the sparrow. He provides for the birds, He also provides for us. Matthew 10:31
Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. We can rest in the fact that the Lord will supply all of our needs. Now, these supplies may not be to our liking, as we may feel we need or want much more. However, we are still alive today to read this, because He has allowed us provisions by His great grace!
There is no longer need to be stressed: 2 Corinthians 4:8
We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
There is a further rest for us who believe. It is a very sweet one indeed. It is The Love of God. It comes to us with soft word like this: . Jeremiah 31:3
The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: . ……. He will be with us forever! Everlasting love, wow, how can we contain such wonderful things?
Isaiah 43:2 2When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
The facts born out by these verses, truly give us cause to be at rest. They verify that rest is for the believer!
Now let us look at another reason for this Christian rest, the Communion of the Holy Ghost. Here again is true and complete rest for the soul. Romans 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Are you with me dear reader, that we cannot ask for more? He has filled us with His Holy Ghost, to lead us and guide us safely through this life! What a wondrous gift! John 14:26
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
The comforter is ours, the Holy Ghost! He wants to comfort us, and to give us rest! Let’s listen to, and be willing to be taught and reminded by the Holy Ghost, who is God in us!
I cannot ask for more! His banner over me is love! We are as it were, living in the Palace of the Great King!
Song of Solomon 2:4
He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.
I will end part two on this topic of His Rest at this point. Next week, if the Lord allows, we will look at the sad fact that many leave this rest. Even believers are tempted to forget that they are, and can be at perfect rest! Let’s pray that the Spirit would move within us, keeping us in His rest, both during this week and always!
Reminder: Hebrews chapter 3 and 4 and Psalms 116 v7
May God Bless your week! John R.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Weekly Readers! God’s Peace and Rest be with you!
As we continue and hopefully conclude our study on the topic of His Rest, I mentioned last week, that there is a sad fact that we must address, namely that many leave this perfect rest, which is found in Christ Jesus.
Our study verse found in Psalms 116 verse 7 says Return unto thy rest... This statement indicates that believers can lose sight of the rest that they have had. This can happen in so many ways.
Losing rest can be that the believer has become discontent. Let us always remember that the Word of God says in 1 Timothy 6:6. But godliness with contentment is great gain. Let us be urged into contentment again. Have we let our earthly desires for greater riches, more fame, or more ease, begin to crowd out our contentment and our joy in His REST? If so, Return!
Sometimes the believer loses their joy in His Rest due to rumors, lies and gossip being told about them. It is so extremely sad when this takes place. The tongue, though it be such a small member of our body, can cause so much hurt. Let us never be one that would use our tongue to hurt or tell untruths about a fellow believer, or anyone else. Rest will be lost for both the teller of tales, and the one being told about. The sins of the tongue are so awful that we need to tell the devil to flee from us if we feel tempted in this area. James 1:26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
Sometimes a Child of God can lose their Rest because they have not believed the Word of God when it directs us in 2 Cor. 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? This is true in all walks of life, and most especially when it comes time to find a mate to marry. Friends and partners can lead the believer into wicked ways if one is not watchful. Let’s be sure we adhere to God’s Word even in this, so we can remain in the full Rest!
Life is full of many storms. We can get disheartened, unrestful, and saddened by many things. We experience untimely deaths of our loved ones. There are tragic accidents, death by crime, death of innocent children due to illness. It is times like these that we want to begin to quarrel with God. It is in times like these that we must remember to Return unto our Rest! Due to the fall in the Garden of Eden by Adam and Eve, sin and death has entered into the world. We should not quarrel with God, but rather know that God is sovereign, almighty, eternally righteous, and always correct! He is always calling us into His Rest, despite the storms that rage all around us!
Do you remember the time Jesus walked on the water. The water was the big problem the disciples in the boat had at the time, but Jesus put the rough waters under His feet. He calmed the storm and the sea! He can and will do this for us to, if we but trust in Him! Isaiah 66:1 Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool:
There is no problem too big for our God, no problem that he cannot overcome for us, if we be willing and obedient! No battles to large, no hurt too bad. Return to thy Rest!
There is so much more to talk about on this topic, but space in this article does not allow. We could talk about backsliding, lack of regularly gathering with the saints in fellowship, walking in all the various ways contrary to His word! There are so many ways to lose ones rest, his way, his joy.
No, man can never be happy unless truly resting in Jesus.
A picture and promise of this returning to God’s rest was given to us already at the time of the flood. Remember how after the rains stopped, Noah set a dove free? The Dove returned unto the arch because he found no resting place elsewhere. Let us be like the dove and stay resting in our ship of Faith, leaning on the promises of God! There is rest, safety and security.
Our Lord has delivered our souls from Death, has delivered our eyes from tears, and can keep us from falling! Such a mighty and powerful God we have. Enter and stay in His rest dear reader!
Isaiah 18And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places;
Hebrews 4 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God
Jude 24Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
25To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
May God Bless your week! John
May The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God, and the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all.
Today I would like to share with you about REST…., the true Rest that is found only in our Lord Jesus Christ.
There many types of rest.
First there is a Rest that is Temporary, as from our work. This is a blessed type of rest for the Christian. This is a rest from our work, like we do as we rest on Sunday’s. Jesus even told his disciples to go apart and rest. They entered into a ship, and went to the other side and rested. We are very appreciative of this type of rest; however, we will not focus on this type, as there is a rest for more precious that we will focus on in this letter.
Another type of Rest is when we rest not from our work, but in our work….. Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest! 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. Notice that in taking His yoke, learning of Him, these are things that we do. However, the direct promise is that we SHALL find rest for you souls! How blessed!
Then there is another type of rest as in God’s rest after He created the World in 6 days. He did not rest because he was tired; He rested because His work was complete! Our God is almighty and powerful! He completed this huge task, and when He looked He said, it is good.
It is this type of rest we will focus on, and also the cause to rest like we read in Hebrews 3 and Sabbath kind of rest like we find in Hebrews 4:9 when it says there remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. A perpetual Sabbath. This is a rest that in Him is never ending, everlasting.
Let us look at a verse from the Old Testament:
Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee.”— Psalm 116:7
Those who are not Christians, have no rest to return for their soul. In fact they do not even know what they are missing out on. The unbeliever will attempt to quite his soul, to find temporary joy and happiness, but he must always keep looking. The only true rest is In Christ!
Hebrews 3:18 and 19 says: 18And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?
19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
There is no rest to the one that does not believe. Pray that they would be able to hear, to repent, and to believe during the time of Grace.
But we who Believe in Him, do enter into rest. We have entered into His rest!
Our journey can be pictured as the children of Isreal who have crossed the river Jordan and entered into the Promised Land. We still have battles here in this life, as they did once they crossed the river, but as long as we stay in Christ, we have all the promises of God available and for us! We can have peace and rest in the storms and the battles of this life!
This does not mean we will have rest as far as this world is concerned; this world is polluted with so much grief, sin and vice! Yet, in the midst of all this, the Christian is promised rest and peace!
The Apostle Paul writes to the Romans, there is no therefore no more Condemnation to those are in Christ Jesus. Who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit…. How wonderful to have such a wonderful Saviour.
We HAVE the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7
If there are reading this today that are believers but you seem to have lost this blessed rest… My message to you is RETURN unto thy rest.
I hope that you would be able to take the Psalmist words unto your own heart.. Return unto thy rest, for the Lord hath dealth bountifully with thee.
We must remember: The Believer has his rest!
There is a condition that a believer can be in when his heart is perfectly at rest. Perhaps Jude’s benediction describes it best when he says: May The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God, and the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all. We opened our letter with this today!
Let us take a moment to search the rests for the Christian heart and soul!,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK DUE TO LENGTH> Please study Hebrews chapter 3 and 4 during this week and Lord willing, I will finish this letter for next week!
May God Bless your Week in The Lord!
____________________________________________________________________________
Dear Weekly Readers! I hope and pray that this week you have meditated the topic of His rest, and have experienced His rest personally. Shall we continue where we left off?
Let’s begin by looking first at the rest of the heart and soul that comes through the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ!
When a person is come to him, when a person has repented and believed, (and remember, Isaiah 53:6
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all, then we are subject unto the Spirit of God. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Liberty. 2 Corinthians 3:17
Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. When this redemptive work is complete through Jesus Christ in our hearts, then we have peace and rest.
This is all made possible, and all Glory and Honor for this goes to our Lord Jesus and what He has done, when He willingly gave up His life on the cross! He suffered, bled, and died for you and I. He won the victory over death, hell, and the power of the devil for you and I. Ephesians 2:16
And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
On the third day, He rose triumphantly from the grave, having won the victory! What a mighty and wonderful Saviour we have! What grace the Lord Jesus Christ has given unto us!
When this complete work is believed by faith, when we have repented and believed, all of our sins are drowned in the sea of Grace, never to be remembered again! There is no fishing in the sea of Grace! Dear believer, the devil no longer has power over us, we are living by the grace and merits of our Lord Jesus Christ! What rest we can have in this fact and reality!
All of our necessities are provided for us. He has promised in His word that His eye is on the sparrow. He provides for the birds, He also provides for us. Matthew 10:31
Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. We can rest in the fact that the Lord will supply all of our needs. Now, these supplies may not be to our liking, as we may feel we need or want much more. However, we are still alive today to read this, because He has allowed us provisions by His great grace!
There is no longer need to be stressed: 2 Corinthians 4:8
We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
There is a further rest for us who believe. It is a very sweet one indeed. It is The Love of God. It comes to us with soft word like this: . Jeremiah 31:3
The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: . ……. He will be with us forever! Everlasting love, wow, how can we contain such wonderful things?
Isaiah 43:2 2When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
The facts born out by these verses, truly give us cause to be at rest. They verify that rest is for the believer!
Now let us look at another reason for this Christian rest, the Communion of the Holy Ghost. Here again is true and complete rest for the soul. Romans 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Are you with me dear reader, that we cannot ask for more? He has filled us with His Holy Ghost, to lead us and guide us safely through this life! What a wondrous gift! John 14:26
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
The comforter is ours, the Holy Ghost! He wants to comfort us, and to give us rest! Let’s listen to, and be willing to be taught and reminded by the Holy Ghost, who is God in us!
I cannot ask for more! His banner over me is love! We are as it were, living in the Palace of the Great King!
Song of Solomon 2:4
He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.
I will end part two on this topic of His Rest at this point. Next week, if the Lord allows, we will look at the sad fact that many leave this rest. Even believers are tempted to forget that they are, and can be at perfect rest! Let’s pray that the Spirit would move within us, keeping us in His rest, both during this week and always!
Reminder: Hebrews chapter 3 and 4 and Psalms 116 v7
May God Bless your week! John R.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Weekly Readers! God’s Peace and Rest be with you!
As we continue and hopefully conclude our study on the topic of His Rest, I mentioned last week, that there is a sad fact that we must address, namely that many leave this perfect rest, which is found in Christ Jesus.
Our study verse found in Psalms 116 verse 7 says Return unto thy rest... This statement indicates that believers can lose sight of the rest that they have had. This can happen in so many ways.
Losing rest can be that the believer has become discontent. Let us always remember that the Word of God says in 1 Timothy 6:6. But godliness with contentment is great gain. Let us be urged into contentment again. Have we let our earthly desires for greater riches, more fame, or more ease, begin to crowd out our contentment and our joy in His REST? If so, Return!
Sometimes the believer loses their joy in His Rest due to rumors, lies and gossip being told about them. It is so extremely sad when this takes place. The tongue, though it be such a small member of our body, can cause so much hurt. Let us never be one that would use our tongue to hurt or tell untruths about a fellow believer, or anyone else. Rest will be lost for both the teller of tales, and the one being told about. The sins of the tongue are so awful that we need to tell the devil to flee from us if we feel tempted in this area. James 1:26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
Sometimes a Child of God can lose their Rest because they have not believed the Word of God when it directs us in 2 Cor. 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? This is true in all walks of life, and most especially when it comes time to find a mate to marry. Friends and partners can lead the believer into wicked ways if one is not watchful. Let’s be sure we adhere to God’s Word even in this, so we can remain in the full Rest!
Life is full of many storms. We can get disheartened, unrestful, and saddened by many things. We experience untimely deaths of our loved ones. There are tragic accidents, death by crime, death of innocent children due to illness. It is times like these that we want to begin to quarrel with God. It is in times like these that we must remember to Return unto our Rest! Due to the fall in the Garden of Eden by Adam and Eve, sin and death has entered into the world. We should not quarrel with God, but rather know that God is sovereign, almighty, eternally righteous, and always correct! He is always calling us into His Rest, despite the storms that rage all around us!
Do you remember the time Jesus walked on the water. The water was the big problem the disciples in the boat had at the time, but Jesus put the rough waters under His feet. He calmed the storm and the sea! He can and will do this for us to, if we but trust in Him! Isaiah 66:1 Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool:
There is no problem too big for our God, no problem that he cannot overcome for us, if we be willing and obedient! No battles to large, no hurt too bad. Return to thy Rest!
There is so much more to talk about on this topic, but space in this article does not allow. We could talk about backsliding, lack of regularly gathering with the saints in fellowship, walking in all the various ways contrary to His word! There are so many ways to lose ones rest, his way, his joy.
No, man can never be happy unless truly resting in Jesus.
A picture and promise of this returning to God’s rest was given to us already at the time of the flood. Remember how after the rains stopped, Noah set a dove free? The Dove returned unto the arch because he found no resting place elsewhere. Let us be like the dove and stay resting in our ship of Faith, leaning on the promises of God! There is rest, safety and security.
Our Lord has delivered our souls from Death, has delivered our eyes from tears, and can keep us from falling! Such a mighty and powerful God we have. Enter and stay in His rest dear reader!
Isaiah 18And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places;
Hebrews 4 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God
Jude 24Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
25To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
May God Bless your week! John
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
The Weekly Diner
Hello Weekly Readers! May God’s rest and peace be with you all!
The below letter shares with us the importance and the fact that we all will, should, and must, continue to grow in Christ Jesus our Lord!
May God grant you a wonderful week!
GROWING IN CHRIST
Growing in Christ means to grow in grace and to diminish in oneself. First of all, read in Ezekiel 47:1-6 how the man who had the line in his hand measured the water:
Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house;
and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the
house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward
the east, and the waters came down from under from the right
side of the house, at the south side of the altar. Then brought
he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about
the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh
eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side.
And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth
eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me
through the waters; the waters were to the ankles. Again he
measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters;
the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand,
and brought me through; the waters were to the loins. Afterward
he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could
not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a
river that could not be passed over. And he said unto me, Son
of man, hast thou seen this?
T hese four times depict four periods of time in a Christian's
life. First, in childhood, he understands very little
about Jesus or Christianity; then a little more in youth, and
much more in manhood.
When the water is to the loins, he
understands the redemptive work of Jesus and lives accordingly,
but he still has his feet on the bottom, trusting a little on
his own works, though he may not realize this within himself.
When he reaches the fourth period of life, comparable to
the measure of the fourth one thousand cubits, he finds the
hidden roots of sin in himself, such as jealousy, greed, pride
and vainglory, which affect even his holiest endeavors. He must
say, O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the
body of this death? (Romans 7:24) He finds as the apostle Paul
did, For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I
would not, that I do. (Romans 7:19)
Now he can see that he has nothing of his own to stand on; his feet must be loosened from
the bottom of his own works. He must cast himself to swim in
the sea of grace, saying, “I am what I am through the grace of
God, and that grace has not been in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:10)
A servant of the Lord, Juuso Runtti, wondered what fault
lay in him that he could not enjoy the happy feelings of grace.
He heard a voice saying, “Juuso, you are foolish to search for
one fault in yourself; don't you know you are one big fault with
God?” His heart was warmed when he realized this; he rejoiced
to hear God's Word when he felt so sinful and unworthy.
It is an eternal truth that whenever a person grows in Christ
he diminishes in himself, and grace abounds more and more.
As we begin to see the wretchedness within ourselves and then
see how God has cast all our sins and sinfulness upon His Son,
as we read in Isaiah 53, Jesus becomes our all in all. Now is the
vessel cleansed from within so that the outward life becomes
upright and a glory to God.
When we grow in Christ all else becomes as dross and to
know more of Him becomes most important to us. Our salvation
is not based on changeable feelings, but on the knowledge
of Jesus, whom God has made to be unto us wisdom, righteousness,
sanctification and redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30). In
this knowledge there is much room in which to grow; that is, to
know the Jesus of the Bible who is the Savior of sinners.
Sometimes a child of God must believe himself righteous
even though he feels that he is filled with demons, and again his
feelings of grace are so overwhelming that the vessel of clay
nearly bursts with joy. We understand that we are saved by
grace, whether downcast with temptations or in the heights of
joy.
When we grow in grace in this way, we are growing unto
the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. (Ephesians
4:13) Such a Christian is not easily swayed by winds of doctrine
and can judge all matters by the Scriptures.
Jesus says, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and
they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they
shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my
hand. (John 10:27-28)
the late Janne Marttiini
The below letter shares with us the importance and the fact that we all will, should, and must, continue to grow in Christ Jesus our Lord!
May God grant you a wonderful week!
GROWING IN CHRIST
Growing in Christ means to grow in grace and to diminish in oneself. First of all, read in Ezekiel 47:1-6 how the man who had the line in his hand measured the water:
Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house;
and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the
house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward
the east, and the waters came down from under from the right
side of the house, at the south side of the altar. Then brought
he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about
the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh
eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side.
And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth
eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me
through the waters; the waters were to the ankles. Again he
measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters;
the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand,
and brought me through; the waters were to the loins. Afterward
he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could
not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a
river that could not be passed over. And he said unto me, Son
of man, hast thou seen this?
T hese four times depict four periods of time in a Christian's
life. First, in childhood, he understands very little
about Jesus or Christianity; then a little more in youth, and
much more in manhood.
When the water is to the loins, he
understands the redemptive work of Jesus and lives accordingly,
but he still has his feet on the bottom, trusting a little on
his own works, though he may not realize this within himself.
When he reaches the fourth period of life, comparable to
the measure of the fourth one thousand cubits, he finds the
hidden roots of sin in himself, such as jealousy, greed, pride
and vainglory, which affect even his holiest endeavors. He must
say, O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the
body of this death? (Romans 7:24) He finds as the apostle Paul
did, For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I
would not, that I do. (Romans 7:19)
Now he can see that he has nothing of his own to stand on; his feet must be loosened from
the bottom of his own works. He must cast himself to swim in
the sea of grace, saying, “I am what I am through the grace of
God, and that grace has not been in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:10)
A servant of the Lord, Juuso Runtti, wondered what fault
lay in him that he could not enjoy the happy feelings of grace.
He heard a voice saying, “Juuso, you are foolish to search for
one fault in yourself; don't you know you are one big fault with
God?” His heart was warmed when he realized this; he rejoiced
to hear God's Word when he felt so sinful and unworthy.
It is an eternal truth that whenever a person grows in Christ
he diminishes in himself, and grace abounds more and more.
As we begin to see the wretchedness within ourselves and then
see how God has cast all our sins and sinfulness upon His Son,
as we read in Isaiah 53, Jesus becomes our all in all. Now is the
vessel cleansed from within so that the outward life becomes
upright and a glory to God.
When we grow in Christ all else becomes as dross and to
know more of Him becomes most important to us. Our salvation
is not based on changeable feelings, but on the knowledge
of Jesus, whom God has made to be unto us wisdom, righteousness,
sanctification and redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30). In
this knowledge there is much room in which to grow; that is, to
know the Jesus of the Bible who is the Savior of sinners.
Sometimes a child of God must believe himself righteous
even though he feels that he is filled with demons, and again his
feelings of grace are so overwhelming that the vessel of clay
nearly bursts with joy. We understand that we are saved by
grace, whether downcast with temptations or in the heights of
joy.
When we grow in grace in this way, we are growing unto
the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. (Ephesians
4:13) Such a Christian is not easily swayed by winds of doctrine
and can judge all matters by the Scriptures.
Jesus says, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and
they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they
shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my
hand. (John 10:27-28)
the late Janne Marttiini
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
The Weekly Diner
Dear Weekly Readers! God’s Peace!
First of all, I want to thank you for your prayers for safe travels as we traveled for two months around the USA. We have arrived safely home. This was a time that was very blessed, and the visiting of the congregations was very heart warming as the fellowship was wonderful! The Christians in America surely are in prayer for each of you!
This week our article is written by a guest pastor.
May God Bless your week! JR
OPEN OUR EARS, LORD!
The Bible is full of stories in which God is involved in one way or another. And every story is full of meaning and purpose. One of these stories to taken from the Gospel according to St. Mark. It reads as follows:
“And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it; And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.” (Mk. 7:31-37)
At the beginning of this chapter, Pharisees were murmuring to Jesus that his disciples were not walking according to the tradition of the elders because they ate with unwashed hands. Jesus challenged them about the hardness of their hearts, closing with the words—“he who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” (See Mk. 7:1-16 to read the entire episode!):
Jesus and his disciples, after traveling to the Gentile region of Tyre and Sidon where he healed the demon-possessed girl, returned to the area of the Sea of Galilee. Someone begs Jesus to lay his hands on a man who was deaf, because of an actual physical malady, Jesus, being all wise and all-knowing, takes into account this deaf man’s limitations. So to let him know what he is actually going to do, he took him away from the crowd. This man needed to understand that he was the special object of the Savior’s love; no longer just one in the crowd, but one to whom the Lord desired to direct all his attention. Also, this man’s condition required absolute isolation from anyone and anything that may have created a distraction.
Then Jesus put his fingers into this man’s ears and after spitting touched his tongue to let him know exactly what parts of his body he was going to be dealing with and the results of his action Because this man could not understand language, he needed “sign language.” Then Jesus looked up to heaven and sighed. This man needed to know that what was to transpire would be an act of God. In fact, it would be a re-creative act of God. Just as God at the beginning breathed and Man became a living soul, so by this breath of the God-Man, Jesus, this man’s creatureliness would be restored. He would become a full man.
Finally, Jesus spoke the word, “Ephphatha,” an Aramaic word meaning, “Be opened!” Here in an area that was a mixture of Greek and Jewish cultures, people would know that the mercy of God belongs to anyone, irrespective of their culture or condition. Physically hearing the instant this word was proclaimed, this man grasped the truth of God’s grace.
Since faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God, may the Lord have mercy on us that we do not become dull of hearing. While it is true, as Luther has stated in the explanation to the Third Article of the Creed, speaking about the work of the Holy Spirit that “I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ my Lord, or come to him,” we do need to hear, read, and study the Bible so that we have the Word of God in our minds that the Holy Spirit can then use to draw us to the Lord.
The result of this miracle was immediate, as it is with any of God’s miraculous work in our lives. And this man began to speak plainly. His prior condition of deafness made his speech garbled. Now that he heard plainly, he could also speak plainly. And that’s how it is with us, as well. Until we clearly understand the message of our salvation by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, we will not be able to clearly and distinctly proclaim that message. So help us, God! Amen!
First of all, I want to thank you for your prayers for safe travels as we traveled for two months around the USA. We have arrived safely home. This was a time that was very blessed, and the visiting of the congregations was very heart warming as the fellowship was wonderful! The Christians in America surely are in prayer for each of you!
This week our article is written by a guest pastor.
May God Bless your week! JR
OPEN OUR EARS, LORD!
The Bible is full of stories in which God is involved in one way or another. And every story is full of meaning and purpose. One of these stories to taken from the Gospel according to St. Mark. It reads as follows:
“And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it; And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.” (Mk. 7:31-37)
At the beginning of this chapter, Pharisees were murmuring to Jesus that his disciples were not walking according to the tradition of the elders because they ate with unwashed hands. Jesus challenged them about the hardness of their hearts, closing with the words—“he who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” (See Mk. 7:1-16 to read the entire episode!):
Jesus and his disciples, after traveling to the Gentile region of Tyre and Sidon where he healed the demon-possessed girl, returned to the area of the Sea of Galilee. Someone begs Jesus to lay his hands on a man who was deaf, because of an actual physical malady, Jesus, being all wise and all-knowing, takes into account this deaf man’s limitations. So to let him know what he is actually going to do, he took him away from the crowd. This man needed to understand that he was the special object of the Savior’s love; no longer just one in the crowd, but one to whom the Lord desired to direct all his attention. Also, this man’s condition required absolute isolation from anyone and anything that may have created a distraction.
Then Jesus put his fingers into this man’s ears and after spitting touched his tongue to let him know exactly what parts of his body he was going to be dealing with and the results of his action Because this man could not understand language, he needed “sign language.” Then Jesus looked up to heaven and sighed. This man needed to know that what was to transpire would be an act of God. In fact, it would be a re-creative act of God. Just as God at the beginning breathed and Man became a living soul, so by this breath of the God-Man, Jesus, this man’s creatureliness would be restored. He would become a full man.
Finally, Jesus spoke the word, “Ephphatha,” an Aramaic word meaning, “Be opened!” Here in an area that was a mixture of Greek and Jewish cultures, people would know that the mercy of God belongs to anyone, irrespective of their culture or condition. Physically hearing the instant this word was proclaimed, this man grasped the truth of God’s grace.
Since faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God, may the Lord have mercy on us that we do not become dull of hearing. While it is true, as Luther has stated in the explanation to the Third Article of the Creed, speaking about the work of the Holy Spirit that “I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ my Lord, or come to him,” we do need to hear, read, and study the Bible so that we have the Word of God in our minds that the Holy Spirit can then use to draw us to the Lord.
The result of this miracle was immediate, as it is with any of God’s miraculous work in our lives. And this man began to speak plainly. His prior condition of deafness made his speech garbled. Now that he heard plainly, he could also speak plainly. And that’s how it is with us, as well. Until we clearly understand the message of our salvation by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, we will not be able to clearly and distinctly proclaim that message. So help us, God! Amen!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
The Weekly Diner
Dear Readers around the world! God’s Peace be with you!
This week we are preparing to go a youth camp where 250 or so of the youth of our church will be gathered. Please pray that the time together with this important generation of the Lord’s church is blessed by the power of the Holy Spirit!
As summer is more than half way over now in the USA, we soon will be turning our attention to many of the tasks that begin again in earnest in September. The article below lets us know that whatever things we are given as tasks to do on earth, or whatever may befall us in the way of hardships, God can take care of all things! He is concerned even with the little things in our life! May all praise, honor, and glory go to Him for His great Grace!
Please enjoy the article by our guest Pastor Nathan Juntunen
Little Things
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh
for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. (2
Corinthians 4:17)
The choice of the word "light," above, is simply astonishing.
For Paul used it to describe the nature of the Apostles' dire fate of rejection and death for the sake of Christ. How many of us, in the middle of trial, could accept an appraisal of our woe as "light"? Yet, this is precisely what Paul was inspired to believe in regard to his own woes.
Even the severest of trials—beatings, imprisonments, severing of limbs and
family ties, and yes, even death itself— are counted as "little" and "light," indeed, for they are all nothing but momentary. It is only in the eternal Christ where these temporal weights lose their enormous pull and become as the gnat upon the shoulder of the great ox from Aesop's fable who replied to his transient guest, "I neither noticed when you landed, nor will notice when you leave."
The trials of this life, in contrast with our eternal reward, are likewise minimized. The faith of Christ grants a release from the gravity of earthly trial in exchange for a new center of infinite gravity that has come and even now draws us with cords of love. As the Lord draws us toward Himself, it cannot be but that the things of earth will grow "strangely dim."
Among these "dim" things ought to be our appraisal of death. Having been released in Christ from its frightful grasp, we are not longer to treat it with the awful majesty of which it falsely boasts. The emotions we experience in relation to it or any other difficulty are not, however, disqualified; for Paul encourages us with the sympathy of Christ Himself when he pleads with us to weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice (Romans 12:15).
Nor do we dismiss Christ's own emotional conflicts: His exasperation with His own generation at their lack of faith, His anger at the money changers who defiled His Father's house, His grief over the lost city of Jerusalem... but... standing over against all this emotional conflict, all this grief, anger and rejection to which Jesus submitted Himself, sharing flesh and blood with us, He bids us, here, to give these things their proper place, assuring us that none of these provocations are ultimate.
Isn't this what is in the heart of the Apostle Paul as he, in another place, calls us to celebrate our possessions in Christ, one of which includes death itself? Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or
things to come; all are yours; And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's. (1 Corinthians 3:21-23) Who would celebrate death as his own possession except he over whom death holds no threat or power?
Who would dare make such a strange claim? Those who are Christ's have the daring, even audacity, to belittle the false majesty of death and loss, ruin and chaos. These things
are all, in reality, very little, indeed "light," for the one whose mind is set on things above (Colossians 3:2).
We are convinced of the true littleness of our trials only in Him and by Him who has already both suffered and triumphed over them all—rejection, dread, death, hell... He is risen victorious from the dead and has transferred ownership of all things into the hands of His own who can now confidently join the Apostle's song, O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? (1 Corinthians 15:55)
Pastor Nathan Juntunen
Vancouver, Washington
This week we are preparing to go a youth camp where 250 or so of the youth of our church will be gathered. Please pray that the time together with this important generation of the Lord’s church is blessed by the power of the Holy Spirit!
As summer is more than half way over now in the USA, we soon will be turning our attention to many of the tasks that begin again in earnest in September. The article below lets us know that whatever things we are given as tasks to do on earth, or whatever may befall us in the way of hardships, God can take care of all things! He is concerned even with the little things in our life! May all praise, honor, and glory go to Him for His great Grace!
Please enjoy the article by our guest Pastor Nathan Juntunen
Little Things
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh
for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. (2
Corinthians 4:17)
The choice of the word "light," above, is simply astonishing.
For Paul used it to describe the nature of the Apostles' dire fate of rejection and death for the sake of Christ. How many of us, in the middle of trial, could accept an appraisal of our woe as "light"? Yet, this is precisely what Paul was inspired to believe in regard to his own woes.
Even the severest of trials—beatings, imprisonments, severing of limbs and
family ties, and yes, even death itself— are counted as "little" and "light," indeed, for they are all nothing but momentary. It is only in the eternal Christ where these temporal weights lose their enormous pull and become as the gnat upon the shoulder of the great ox from Aesop's fable who replied to his transient guest, "I neither noticed when you landed, nor will notice when you leave."
The trials of this life, in contrast with our eternal reward, are likewise minimized. The faith of Christ grants a release from the gravity of earthly trial in exchange for a new center of infinite gravity that has come and even now draws us with cords of love. As the Lord draws us toward Himself, it cannot be but that the things of earth will grow "strangely dim."
Among these "dim" things ought to be our appraisal of death. Having been released in Christ from its frightful grasp, we are not longer to treat it with the awful majesty of which it falsely boasts. The emotions we experience in relation to it or any other difficulty are not, however, disqualified; for Paul encourages us with the sympathy of Christ Himself when he pleads with us to weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice (Romans 12:15).
Nor do we dismiss Christ's own emotional conflicts: His exasperation with His own generation at their lack of faith, His anger at the money changers who defiled His Father's house, His grief over the lost city of Jerusalem... but... standing over against all this emotional conflict, all this grief, anger and rejection to which Jesus submitted Himself, sharing flesh and blood with us, He bids us, here, to give these things their proper place, assuring us that none of these provocations are ultimate.
Isn't this what is in the heart of the Apostle Paul as he, in another place, calls us to celebrate our possessions in Christ, one of which includes death itself? Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or
things to come; all are yours; And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's. (1 Corinthians 3:21-23) Who would celebrate death as his own possession except he over whom death holds no threat or power?
Who would dare make such a strange claim? Those who are Christ's have the daring, even audacity, to belittle the false majesty of death and loss, ruin and chaos. These things
are all, in reality, very little, indeed "light," for the one whose mind is set on things above (Colossians 3:2).
We are convinced of the true littleness of our trials only in Him and by Him who has already both suffered and triumphed over them all—rejection, dread, death, hell... He is risen victorious from the dead and has transferred ownership of all things into the hands of His own who can now confidently join the Apostle's song, O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? (1 Corinthians 15:55)
Pastor Nathan Juntunen
Vancouver, Washington
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
The Weekly Diner
Dear Weekly Readers! God’s Peace!
The Lord has blessed us with another week in and of His Grace! We are so thankful to the Lord for allowing us to visit several more churches in the USA that are part of our church federation. So many have asked me to share their greetings and love with all of you! Please remember all American Christians in your prayers.
Today, our article is written by Pastor Chuck Bylkas who is also a member of the Central Board of our Church Federation. Please enjoy! John R.
Mercies of God
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, withcheerfulness. Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. (Romans 12:1-9)
In the latter portion of his letter to the Romans, the Apostle Paul gives a significant challenge to the church. He calls Christians to a radical life of service. Paul beckons us away from the world, so that we might live lives in accordance with the will of God.
But how can we do this? No matter how hard we try to be faithful to our calling, we slip and fall. In the weakness of our flesh, we find ourselves to be like the Apostle Paul: For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. (Romans 7:15) This statement from Paul is not some sort of false modesty, but rather a declaration about the truth of the human condition. Because of sin, we cannot follow the commands of God by our own efforts.
The key to understanding Romans 12 can be found in verse one, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God...
What are these mercies of God? They are the mercies that Paul describes in chapters one through eleven. Paul tells us that no one can save himself and everyone is a sinner (ch. 1-2). He then tells us that it is faith in Christ Jesus that justifies us in God's sight, not the works of the Law (ch. 3-4). Paul then instructs us
that God's gift of grace in Christ is far greater than the power of sin and death (ch. 5). Now, through the death and resurrection of Christ we are united with Him (ch. 6). We still struggle with sin (ch. 7), but we are not condemned by God or the Law, because we walk by the power of the Holy Spirit (ch. 8).
God's mercy is given to everyone, both Jew and Gentile (ch. 9-11). So then, Paul tells us that because of all of these mercies of God, we are now able to serve Him. Our efforts gain us nothing, while God's effort gives us everything. Because of God's mercy we have been forgiven, justified and restored. We live this new life of servant hood because of who we now are in Christ Jesus.
May God grant us grace to always abide in His mercies.
Pastor Chuck Bylkas
South Range, Michigan
The Lord has blessed us with another week in and of His Grace! We are so thankful to the Lord for allowing us to visit several more churches in the USA that are part of our church federation. So many have asked me to share their greetings and love with all of you! Please remember all American Christians in your prayers.
Today, our article is written by Pastor Chuck Bylkas who is also a member of the Central Board of our Church Federation. Please enjoy! John R.
Mercies of God
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, withcheerfulness. Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. (Romans 12:1-9)
In the latter portion of his letter to the Romans, the Apostle Paul gives a significant challenge to the church. He calls Christians to a radical life of service. Paul beckons us away from the world, so that we might live lives in accordance with the will of God.
But how can we do this? No matter how hard we try to be faithful to our calling, we slip and fall. In the weakness of our flesh, we find ourselves to be like the Apostle Paul: For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. (Romans 7:15) This statement from Paul is not some sort of false modesty, but rather a declaration about the truth of the human condition. Because of sin, we cannot follow the commands of God by our own efforts.
The key to understanding Romans 12 can be found in verse one, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God...
What are these mercies of God? They are the mercies that Paul describes in chapters one through eleven. Paul tells us that no one can save himself and everyone is a sinner (ch. 1-2). He then tells us that it is faith in Christ Jesus that justifies us in God's sight, not the works of the Law (ch. 3-4). Paul then instructs us
that God's gift of grace in Christ is far greater than the power of sin and death (ch. 5). Now, through the death and resurrection of Christ we are united with Him (ch. 6). We still struggle with sin (ch. 7), but we are not condemned by God or the Law, because we walk by the power of the Holy Spirit (ch. 8).
God's mercy is given to everyone, both Jew and Gentile (ch. 9-11). So then, Paul tells us that because of all of these mercies of God, we are now able to serve Him. Our efforts gain us nothing, while God's effort gives us everything. Because of God's mercy we have been forgiven, justified and restored. We live this new life of servant hood because of who we now are in Christ Jesus.
May God grant us grace to always abide in His mercies.
Pastor Chuck Bylkas
South Range, Michigan
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
The Weekly Diner
Dear Weekly Readers! God’s Peace be with you!
Please continue to pray for our travels as we travel the USA on Foreign Mission duties. Our time has surely been blessed so far. This week again our article is written by a guest pastor.
May God Bless your week! John R.
BANKRUPT DEBTORS IN NEED OF FORGIVENESS
How amazing and wonderful is our precious and gracious Lord! Try to put yourself into his sandals. John the Baptist, having been imprisoned by Herod, had just sent servants to Jesus to ask him if he was the one to come or were they to look for another (Lk. 7:19). Jesus continued healing those who came to him (Lk. 7:21) giving evidence that in and through him the kingdom of God had truly come among them.
Then Jesus commended John to the people (Lk. 7:24-28). This commendation triggered a joyous response in the hearts of the publicans (tax gatherers) and others who had been baptized by John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected and reacted against Christ’s commendation of John (Lk. 7:30). In fact, Luke records “…the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him” (that is by John) (Lk. 7:30).
Then an amazing turn of events occurs. One of these Pharisees invites Jesus to his house for dinner. Can you believe it! This critic of Jesus and resister to the grace of God extends an offer of fellowship to Jesus! And Jesus goes! Why? Because there is no one whom God does not love. This critical, hard-hearted, stiff-necked, self-righteous Pharisees needed this love of God more than he realized. Jesus does not avoid extending God’s grace and love even to those who hypocritically feign love for him. For him to go to Simon’s house was not condoning Simon’s philosophy of life, but an opportunity to reveal to Simon a more accurate portrait of the nature of God.
Then God, orchestrating circumstances so beautifully, draws “a woman in the city, who was a sinner, and knew that he [Jesus] was sitting at meat in the house of the Pharisee, having taken an alabaster box of myrrh, and standing at his feet behind him weeping, began to wash his feet with tears; and she wiped them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the myrrh” (Lk. 7:37, 38).
The critical, judgmental Pharisee immediately concludes that Jesus is no prophet, much less the Messiah, for he has no knowledge about this woman. And this opens the door for our Savior to tell the parable that followed (Lk. 7:41-50). Both debtors are bankrupt; unable to pay their debt. So, in that sense, both are the same. Be our sins many or few; great or small as far as Man’s idea, no one is righteous before God.
James writes that “whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all” (Ja. 2:10). Undoubtedly the Pharisee thought he was morally superior to this woman. But in God’s eyes he was no more righteous than she.
Whether Simon, the Pharisee, ever understood it or not, we don’t know. The point of the parable is not to make a judgment between the two debtors, but to point out the greatness of God’s mercy and grace. Whether like Simon, the Pharisee, or this woman, we all need forgiveness for our sins.
Though this Pharisee was convinced that Jesus was deceived by this woman’s signs of remorse coupled with loving affection for her Savior, we know that Jesus knew this woman more fully than Simon. And once again the truth is revealed—"...God demonstrates His own love for us in this: “…While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Ro. 5:8). The Lord... is longsuffering..., not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Pe. 3:9) God loves the contrite heart and the broken spirit, for the contrite heart and broken spirit he will not despise (Ps. 51:17).
This woman knew her sinfulness but, also, the greatness of God’s love and mercy! Her worship of the Lord, flowing forth from a heart set free from carnal bondage, demonstrated her joyous and grateful heart. A heart set free through the assurance of forgiveness.
Jesus has suffered and died because of and for our sins. And his blood is the only blood by and through which we can truly be forgiven. Dear reader, don’t run away from God or try to bury your sins! Come to the Savior who lives in humility in your believing brother or sister, receive the forgiveness for your sins in the Name and through the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and the righteousness of God, peace, and joy will fill your soul.
Please continue to pray for our travels as we travel the USA on Foreign Mission duties. Our time has surely been blessed so far. This week again our article is written by a guest pastor.
May God Bless your week! John R.
BANKRUPT DEBTORS IN NEED OF FORGIVENESS
How amazing and wonderful is our precious and gracious Lord! Try to put yourself into his sandals. John the Baptist, having been imprisoned by Herod, had just sent servants to Jesus to ask him if he was the one to come or were they to look for another (Lk. 7:19). Jesus continued healing those who came to him (Lk. 7:21) giving evidence that in and through him the kingdom of God had truly come among them.
Then Jesus commended John to the people (Lk. 7:24-28). This commendation triggered a joyous response in the hearts of the publicans (tax gatherers) and others who had been baptized by John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected and reacted against Christ’s commendation of John (Lk. 7:30). In fact, Luke records “…the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him” (that is by John) (Lk. 7:30).
Then an amazing turn of events occurs. One of these Pharisees invites Jesus to his house for dinner. Can you believe it! This critic of Jesus and resister to the grace of God extends an offer of fellowship to Jesus! And Jesus goes! Why? Because there is no one whom God does not love. This critical, hard-hearted, stiff-necked, self-righteous Pharisees needed this love of God more than he realized. Jesus does not avoid extending God’s grace and love even to those who hypocritically feign love for him. For him to go to Simon’s house was not condoning Simon’s philosophy of life, but an opportunity to reveal to Simon a more accurate portrait of the nature of God.
Then God, orchestrating circumstances so beautifully, draws “a woman in the city, who was a sinner, and knew that he [Jesus] was sitting at meat in the house of the Pharisee, having taken an alabaster box of myrrh, and standing at his feet behind him weeping, began to wash his feet with tears; and she wiped them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the myrrh” (Lk. 7:37, 38).
The critical, judgmental Pharisee immediately concludes that Jesus is no prophet, much less the Messiah, for he has no knowledge about this woman. And this opens the door for our Savior to tell the parable that followed (Lk. 7:41-50). Both debtors are bankrupt; unable to pay their debt. So, in that sense, both are the same. Be our sins many or few; great or small as far as Man’s idea, no one is righteous before God.
James writes that “whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all” (Ja. 2:10). Undoubtedly the Pharisee thought he was morally superior to this woman. But in God’s eyes he was no more righteous than she.
Whether Simon, the Pharisee, ever understood it or not, we don’t know. The point of the parable is not to make a judgment between the two debtors, but to point out the greatness of God’s mercy and grace. Whether like Simon, the Pharisee, or this woman, we all need forgiveness for our sins.
Though this Pharisee was convinced that Jesus was deceived by this woman’s signs of remorse coupled with loving affection for her Savior, we know that Jesus knew this woman more fully than Simon. And once again the truth is revealed—"...God demonstrates His own love for us in this: “…While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Ro. 5:8). The Lord... is longsuffering..., not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Pe. 3:9) God loves the contrite heart and the broken spirit, for the contrite heart and broken spirit he will not despise (Ps. 51:17).
This woman knew her sinfulness but, also, the greatness of God’s love and mercy! Her worship of the Lord, flowing forth from a heart set free from carnal bondage, demonstrated her joyous and grateful heart. A heart set free through the assurance of forgiveness.
Jesus has suffered and died because of and for our sins. And his blood is the only blood by and through which we can truly be forgiven. Dear reader, don’t run away from God or try to bury your sins! Come to the Savior who lives in humility in your believing brother or sister, receive the forgiveness for your sins in the Name and through the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and the righteousness of God, peace, and joy will fill your soul.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
The Weekly Diner
Dear Weekly Readers! This week our article is written by Pastor Orval Wirkkala. Please enjoy!
Training, Teaching and Transition
2 Timothy 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,
2 To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
3 I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day;
4 Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy;
5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.
6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.
7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
We recall in our school days of relay races and of the baton that was carried by the runners which was handed off by the one who was finishing to the one who would be continuing the next portion of the race. In order to make the transition, it was important that they synchronize their efforts so that the baton would not be dropped in the exchange ensuring that the race would continue on smoothly.
In our text today, we could compare this example with the "passing of the Gospel" between the Apostle Paul, who was imprisoned as he wrote this, and his young co-worker, Timothy. As Paul saw the end of his ministry in the not too distant future, he wrote a letter to his beloved son in the Lord in order to leave him with some important teachings concerning the Gospel. For he knew of the importance of making sure that the teamwork of preaching the gospel was kept intact so that the power of the Gospel would not be diminished in the transition from himself to his young co-worker.
After recounting that the authority for his call into the ministry was by the will of God according ot the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, he extended the grace, mercy and peace to him from God our Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. He was thankful for Timothy, he remembered and prayed for Timothy, and wanted greatly to see him again, for it would bring him joy. Then Paul listed four influences that were instrumental in the life of Timothy which had brought him to the place where he was, a servant of the Lord.
1. He was nurtured in a Christian home. (5)
2. He had been befriended by the Apostle (2-6)
3. He had gifted by God with according to the measure of grace. (6)
4. He acted upon that which God had gifted him with discipline (6-7)
The Apostle sets before us the desired method of the Lord in that we would raise our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord so that from generation to generation the Gospel would be "handed off" to the next servants and would not be dropped. May the example of the Apostle Paul instruct us today as we consider this teaching from our place of participation in the work of the preaching and teaching of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Are we in the beginning of the race, in the middle, or are we nearing the end? May we be mindful of the privilege that is ours to be in the race as well as of the responsibility of our commitment to the continuance of the race into the future.
Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:
3 Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
4 We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.
5 For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:
6 That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:
7 That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:
8 And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.
Running with you in the Gospel,
Pastor Orval Wirkkala
Training, Teaching and Transition
2 Timothy 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,
2 To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
3 I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day;
4 Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy;
5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.
6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.
7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
We recall in our school days of relay races and of the baton that was carried by the runners which was handed off by the one who was finishing to the one who would be continuing the next portion of the race. In order to make the transition, it was important that they synchronize their efforts so that the baton would not be dropped in the exchange ensuring that the race would continue on smoothly.
In our text today, we could compare this example with the "passing of the Gospel" between the Apostle Paul, who was imprisoned as he wrote this, and his young co-worker, Timothy. As Paul saw the end of his ministry in the not too distant future, he wrote a letter to his beloved son in the Lord in order to leave him with some important teachings concerning the Gospel. For he knew of the importance of making sure that the teamwork of preaching the gospel was kept intact so that the power of the Gospel would not be diminished in the transition from himself to his young co-worker.
After recounting that the authority for his call into the ministry was by the will of God according ot the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, he extended the grace, mercy and peace to him from God our Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. He was thankful for Timothy, he remembered and prayed for Timothy, and wanted greatly to see him again, for it would bring him joy. Then Paul listed four influences that were instrumental in the life of Timothy which had brought him to the place where he was, a servant of the Lord.
1. He was nurtured in a Christian home. (5)
2. He had been befriended by the Apostle (2-6)
3. He had gifted by God with according to the measure of grace. (6)
4. He acted upon that which God had gifted him with discipline (6-7)
The Apostle sets before us the desired method of the Lord in that we would raise our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord so that from generation to generation the Gospel would be "handed off" to the next servants and would not be dropped. May the example of the Apostle Paul instruct us today as we consider this teaching from our place of participation in the work of the preaching and teaching of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Are we in the beginning of the race, in the middle, or are we nearing the end? May we be mindful of the privilege that is ours to be in the race as well as of the responsibility of our commitment to the continuance of the race into the future.
Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:
3 Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
4 We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.
5 For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:
6 That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:
7 That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:
8 And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.
Running with you in the Gospel,
Pastor Orval Wirkkala
Friday, July 2, 2010
The Weekly Diner
Dear Weekly Readers! God’s Peace! This week our articles is written by a guest Pastor. Please enjoy and may God Bless your week!
John R.
GOD CALLING YET SHALL I NOT HEAR!
This parable is in response to the comment made by one of the guests during the meal put on by a prominent Pharisee to which Jesus had been invited. Jesus was saying to him that bade him, “When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just” (Lk. 14:12-14).
Having said that, “one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.” vs. 15). Jesus uses that opening to alert the crowd to an event that would have eternal consequences. (Read Luke 14:16-24!)
Reading vs. 16,17 within the context of this parable it is clear the “ certain man" represents God, the father. - Jesus deliberately makes the man anonymous so as not to “cut off” the ears of the Pharisees who were already suspicious of Jesus’ divinity and, also, to emphasize the point of the parable—the graciousness of the host.
The supper in this parable is the call to salvation requiring nothing on the part of the guests except a willingness to come. The responses to this invitation indicates a universal stubbornness. "they all.with one consent.." not just a few! It reveals the self-centeredness of people generally: the importance of one's own agenda.
The first said, "I've bought a piece of ground and I must needs go see it" (vs. 18). Real estate and riches in this world is more important than a place in heaven.
The second said, "I have bought five yoke of oxen and I go to prove them" (vs. 19) . This man was must have been rich and had a huge farm. He was too busy: farm work becomes more important than the salvation of our soul.
The third said "I have married a wife therefore I cannot come" (vs. 20). A temporal relationship takes importance over an eternal relationship. Jesus challenges this, too in this chapter, (vs. 26) saying: - If any man come unto me and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and even his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
None of these excuses was acceptable. A day of reckoning was coming!
(vs. 21-24) “The servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.’ The privileged ones--those first invited are the losers.
Those who have no claim or right are the winners—the poor, the crippled, the blind (vs. 21b) – those whom society tends to reject for from a natural point of view they are a burden; they contribute nothing. This brings to a head the point of this parable. The invitation is not based on a person’s worth, or status, but on the grace of “the certain man.” Are not we like these poor, crippled, and blind? (Read the story of Mephibosheth – (2 Sam. 4:4; ch. 9)
The door of grace has not been closed! There is still room at the cross today! God's grace is universal. How beautiful are those words the songwriter has penned in the song, “There’s Room At The Cross For You!) How many times have you been invited and have turned down the invitation? Come now! Make no delay! Jesus is calling. The "day of grace" will one day end. The call to salvation must be joined to a warning of rejection: "today if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts" (Heb. 3:15). The close of heaven's doors to mankind will not be because heaven is full, but because no one else will respond.
John R.
GOD CALLING YET SHALL I NOT HEAR!
This parable is in response to the comment made by one of the guests during the meal put on by a prominent Pharisee to which Jesus had been invited. Jesus was saying to him that bade him, “When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just” (Lk. 14:12-14).
Having said that, “one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.” vs. 15). Jesus uses that opening to alert the crowd to an event that would have eternal consequences. (Read Luke 14:16-24!)
Reading vs. 16,17 within the context of this parable it is clear the “ certain man" represents God, the father. - Jesus deliberately makes the man anonymous so as not to “cut off” the ears of the Pharisees who were already suspicious of Jesus’ divinity and, also, to emphasize the point of the parable—the graciousness of the host.
The supper in this parable is the call to salvation requiring nothing on the part of the guests except a willingness to come. The responses to this invitation indicates a universal stubbornness. "they all.with one consent.." not just a few! It reveals the self-centeredness of people generally: the importance of one's own agenda.
The first said, "I've bought a piece of ground and I must needs go see it" (vs. 18). Real estate and riches in this world is more important than a place in heaven.
The second said, "I have bought five yoke of oxen and I go to prove them" (vs. 19) . This man was must have been rich and had a huge farm. He was too busy: farm work becomes more important than the salvation of our soul.
The third said "I have married a wife therefore I cannot come" (vs. 20). A temporal relationship takes importance over an eternal relationship. Jesus challenges this, too in this chapter, (vs. 26) saying: - If any man come unto me and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and even his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
None of these excuses was acceptable. A day of reckoning was coming!
(vs. 21-24) “The servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.’ The privileged ones--those first invited are the losers.
Those who have no claim or right are the winners—the poor, the crippled, the blind (vs. 21b) – those whom society tends to reject for from a natural point of view they are a burden; they contribute nothing. This brings to a head the point of this parable. The invitation is not based on a person’s worth, or status, but on the grace of “the certain man.” Are not we like these poor, crippled, and blind? (Read the story of Mephibosheth – (2 Sam. 4:4; ch. 9)
The door of grace has not been closed! There is still room at the cross today! God's grace is universal. How beautiful are those words the songwriter has penned in the song, “There’s Room At The Cross For You!) How many times have you been invited and have turned down the invitation? Come now! Make no delay! Jesus is calling. The "day of grace" will one day end. The call to salvation must be joined to a warning of rejection: "today if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts" (Heb. 3:15). The close of heaven's doors to mankind will not be because heaven is full, but because no one else will respond.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
The Weekly Diner
Dear weekly readers! God’s Peace!
In a few days my son and I will begin two months of travel by car as we do church visits around the USA. The purpose of the trip is to help raise awareness in congregations about the work that the Lord is allowing the Foreign Mission of the ALCA to participate in, in His Vineyard around the world. My urgent request is that you would remember us in your prayers, and that the work would be blessed by God.
Also on this trip we will be at the Annual Convention of the Apostolic Lutheran Church of America (ALCA). During these four days of meetings and services, many sermons will be preached. Please pray that the power of the Holy Spirit would be present, and all in attendance could be feed and nourished by our Lord! If you want to listen to archived recordings of these sermons, email me at foreignmission@comcast.net in late July and I will be glad to give you the information of how to do this.
Since all this travel will make my time very short for the next two months, I will be using articles written by other pastors and believers for the “Weekly Diner.” I will still publish it weekly however, but the day you get it may vary from Monday to Thursday depending on the daily schedule and internet access availability.
For this week, I will not have a long article, but just to ask you for your prayers. They are so important to the continued Work in the Lord’s Vineyard. Please remember that the USA is in a time of a poor economy, and we must all realize that we all need to join in the spreading of the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world. We want to be obedient to the words of our Lord Jesus, in both times of plenty and in hard times! Jesus only said, “Go ye into all the world,.....” He did not say to go only if the economic times are really good. No, we are to go by faith!
This week we were privileged to have a guest Pastor from Sri Lanka in our area. His name in Lynton. He spoke on Sunday night in the church that I attend on the power of prayer! He pointed out many verses from the Bible that show the amazing power of prayer. Please look up the verses on this topic in your Bible and you will be enriched by it. There are so many verses, but if you need, a topical Bible or a study Bible would help you find them. I could give you a list at some point as well if you need.
Pastor Lynton, then also shared with us a verse that goes along very well with the prayer topic. This verse lets us ponder the power of God. Jeremiah 32:27 Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me? Take the time to think ponder on this verse. Do so while you are still and quiet. I am sure upon reflection, you will agree, that NO, there is nothing too hard for God. Therefore, if you add to the fact that there is nothing too hard for God, to the part in His Word that says the prayer of a righteous man availeth much, there is much reason for both Prayer and Rejoicing!
Yes my friend, we can let the Lord take care of us! Yes, we can let the Lord take care of our friends and others! Let’s take all of our cares and concerns to our Lord in prayer, as we pray in Jesus name!
The prayers of the saints go up in Golden vials before God. So important are your prayers!
Please remember us in America in your prayers, and we will surely endeavor to remember you in ours.
May God Bless Your Week.
John R.
In a few days my son and I will begin two months of travel by car as we do church visits around the USA. The purpose of the trip is to help raise awareness in congregations about the work that the Lord is allowing the Foreign Mission of the ALCA to participate in, in His Vineyard around the world. My urgent request is that you would remember us in your prayers, and that the work would be blessed by God.
Also on this trip we will be at the Annual Convention of the Apostolic Lutheran Church of America (ALCA). During these four days of meetings and services, many sermons will be preached. Please pray that the power of the Holy Spirit would be present, and all in attendance could be feed and nourished by our Lord! If you want to listen to archived recordings of these sermons, email me at foreignmission@comcast.net in late July and I will be glad to give you the information of how to do this.
Since all this travel will make my time very short for the next two months, I will be using articles written by other pastors and believers for the “Weekly Diner.” I will still publish it weekly however, but the day you get it may vary from Monday to Thursday depending on the daily schedule and internet access availability.
For this week, I will not have a long article, but just to ask you for your prayers. They are so important to the continued Work in the Lord’s Vineyard. Please remember that the USA is in a time of a poor economy, and we must all realize that we all need to join in the spreading of the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world. We want to be obedient to the words of our Lord Jesus, in both times of plenty and in hard times! Jesus only said, “Go ye into all the world,.....” He did not say to go only if the economic times are really good. No, we are to go by faith!
This week we were privileged to have a guest Pastor from Sri Lanka in our area. His name in Lynton. He spoke on Sunday night in the church that I attend on the power of prayer! He pointed out many verses from the Bible that show the amazing power of prayer. Please look up the verses on this topic in your Bible and you will be enriched by it. There are so many verses, but if you need, a topical Bible or a study Bible would help you find them. I could give you a list at some point as well if you need.
Pastor Lynton, then also shared with us a verse that goes along very well with the prayer topic. This verse lets us ponder the power of God. Jeremiah 32:27 Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me? Take the time to think ponder on this verse. Do so while you are still and quiet. I am sure upon reflection, you will agree, that NO, there is nothing too hard for God. Therefore, if you add to the fact that there is nothing too hard for God, to the part in His Word that says the prayer of a righteous man availeth much, there is much reason for both Prayer and Rejoicing!
Yes my friend, we can let the Lord take care of us! Yes, we can let the Lord take care of our friends and others! Let’s take all of our cares and concerns to our Lord in prayer, as we pray in Jesus name!
The prayers of the saints go up in Golden vials before God. So important are your prayers!
Please remember us in America in your prayers, and we will surely endeavor to remember you in ours.
May God Bless Your Week.
John R.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
" The Weekly Diner"
Dear Weekly Readers! God’s Peace!
Jeremiah 15:21 And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible.
Such are the promises of our Almighty God towards us! We must remember that the God that made all the promises in the old times, is still our God today, …with whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17 He is the same yesterday, today, and forever!
So often the devil would tempt us and tell us that we are surely in big trouble! Yes, sometimes we are in trouble according to the way the world and we as people look at situations. The obstacles in front of us can seem so large and so burdensome. God’s promises are still for us at these times! He will redeem us. Will we give all of our cares over to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith?
Will we allow Him to deliver us, just like God delivered David from the lion and the bear? God gave David these experiences which helped to perfect his faith, so that when it was time to take on the giant Goliath, David was ready and faithful!
Dear Lord, let each one of us realize that each day the victory is won for us by what Jesus has done! Our salvation is complete. Jesus has delivered us and all believers from the hand of the wicked one! The victory is ours! We have been redeemed by the blood of His cross! We are delivered!
Dear Lord, give us the faith to believe this more and more clearly. We as humans are so often doubting and rebellious. We see this in the Old Testament with the children of Israel. When they turned away from God, they would be defeated and lose the battles. When they repented and obeyed God they would succeed and win the battles!
Lord, help us to turn to thee for deliverance! A favorite verse of my favorite president of the USA, Ronald Reagan was 2nd Chronicles 7:14. If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
In many of our countries the governments have not been honest and upright. Our God is much bigger than governments. You will notice in this verse that God is talking to His people! Not governments. All of salvation, Godliness, blessedness and blessings, is individual. Even this verse gives us good reason to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We notice that if the people repent, sins will be forgiven, and their land will be healed!
This great work of repentance, forgiveness, and new life, is one person at a time. The consuming fire of the Holy Spirit moving in the hearts of men can then cause a movement, and our unchanging God will heal our lands!
What precious promises we have! Dear Christian, believe that you are delivered and redeemed! Dear non believer, Repent and believe the gospel, and you too can have rest for your souls! You too will be delivered from the hand of the wicked, and you will be redeemed from hand of the terrible one, the enemy of souls!
Come on me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 Such a sweet rest we have when we find our rest and comfort in our Lord Jesus Christ!
Let us lean on the sure promises of God, enter into the rest of Jesus Christ, and we will be safe and most blessed!
May God Bless your week! John
Jeremiah 15:21 And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible.
Such are the promises of our Almighty God towards us! We must remember that the God that made all the promises in the old times, is still our God today, …with whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17 He is the same yesterday, today, and forever!
So often the devil would tempt us and tell us that we are surely in big trouble! Yes, sometimes we are in trouble according to the way the world and we as people look at situations. The obstacles in front of us can seem so large and so burdensome. God’s promises are still for us at these times! He will redeem us. Will we give all of our cares over to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith?
Will we allow Him to deliver us, just like God delivered David from the lion and the bear? God gave David these experiences which helped to perfect his faith, so that when it was time to take on the giant Goliath, David was ready and faithful!
Dear Lord, let each one of us realize that each day the victory is won for us by what Jesus has done! Our salvation is complete. Jesus has delivered us and all believers from the hand of the wicked one! The victory is ours! We have been redeemed by the blood of His cross! We are delivered!
Dear Lord, give us the faith to believe this more and more clearly. We as humans are so often doubting and rebellious. We see this in the Old Testament with the children of Israel. When they turned away from God, they would be defeated and lose the battles. When they repented and obeyed God they would succeed and win the battles!
Lord, help us to turn to thee for deliverance! A favorite verse of my favorite president of the USA, Ronald Reagan was 2nd Chronicles 7:14. If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
In many of our countries the governments have not been honest and upright. Our God is much bigger than governments. You will notice in this verse that God is talking to His people! Not governments. All of salvation, Godliness, blessedness and blessings, is individual. Even this verse gives us good reason to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We notice that if the people repent, sins will be forgiven, and their land will be healed!
This great work of repentance, forgiveness, and new life, is one person at a time. The consuming fire of the Holy Spirit moving in the hearts of men can then cause a movement, and our unchanging God will heal our lands!
What precious promises we have! Dear Christian, believe that you are delivered and redeemed! Dear non believer, Repent and believe the gospel, and you too can have rest for your souls! You too will be delivered from the hand of the wicked, and you will be redeemed from hand of the terrible one, the enemy of souls!
Come on me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 Such a sweet rest we have when we find our rest and comfort in our Lord Jesus Christ!
Let us lean on the sure promises of God, enter into the rest of Jesus Christ, and we will be safe and most blessed!
May God Bless your week! John
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
"The Weekly Diner"
Dear weekly readers! Welcome to the Weekly Blog which now has a new name! It is now called the Weekly Diner! I have loved that portion of scripture when Jesus says “ Come and Dine!” Oh that we could dine on His word often. It is the prayer of myself and the Foreign Mission that many souls across the world could be fed and encouraged by this “Weekly Diner.”
This week our article is written by one of our former pastors, Pastor Alvin Holmgren. This faithful servant of God is now elderly and unable to preach, but thankfully we have some of his writings preserved!
May God Bless your week! John
Fellowship in the Early Church
Acts 1 and 2
The Scriptures give a very favorable report of fellowship in the early church. Jesus had numerous meetings with His followers in the
forty-day period between His resurrection
and ascension. Luke explains in the book of Acts that
these various meetings provided infallible proof of the resurrection
and gave additional opportunity for the Lord to speak with
His disciples of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.
Then in preparation for His ascension, Jesus told the disciples
not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the coming of the
Holy Spirit. They had been baptized with water, but Jesus
promised that they would also be baptized with the Holy Ghost.
The disciples were obedient to the Lord’s command. They
continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the
women and with Mary, the mother of Jesus, and with His
brethren.
When the day of promise came, we are told that they
were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there
came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it
filled all the house where they were sitting. And there ap-
peared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon
each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and
began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them
utterance. (Acts 2:1-4)
The power of the Holy Ghost gave the disciples the freedom
and courage to speak the Word to the multitude assembled that
day. Many hearts were pricked by the spoken Word and they
began to inquire, Men and brethren, what shall we do? (Acts
2:37) Apostle Peter, the primary spokesman, said to them,
Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus
Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of
the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your
children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord
our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify
and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward
(crooked) generation. (Acts 2:38-40)
St. Luke summed up the
effect of the Spirit’s power by saying, Then they that gladly
received his word were baptized: and the same day there were
added unto them about three thousand souls. (Acts 2:41)
The Word of God teaches that faith comes by hearing, and
hearing by the Word of God. God’s Word also teaches that
when we believe, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of
the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory.
Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. But if
the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in
you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken
your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. The
Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the
children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and
joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that
we may be also glorified together. (Romans 8:9, 11, 16-17)
Pastor Alvin Holmgren
Seattle, Washington
Archived writing
This week our article is written by one of our former pastors, Pastor Alvin Holmgren. This faithful servant of God is now elderly and unable to preach, but thankfully we have some of his writings preserved!
May God Bless your week! John
Fellowship in the Early Church
Acts 1 and 2
The Scriptures give a very favorable report of fellowship in the early church. Jesus had numerous meetings with His followers in the
forty-day period between His resurrection
and ascension. Luke explains in the book of Acts that
these various meetings provided infallible proof of the resurrection
and gave additional opportunity for the Lord to speak with
His disciples of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.
Then in preparation for His ascension, Jesus told the disciples
not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the coming of the
Holy Spirit. They had been baptized with water, but Jesus
promised that they would also be baptized with the Holy Ghost.
The disciples were obedient to the Lord’s command. They
continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the
women and with Mary, the mother of Jesus, and with His
brethren.
When the day of promise came, we are told that they
were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there
came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it
filled all the house where they were sitting. And there ap-
peared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon
each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and
began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them
utterance. (Acts 2:1-4)
The power of the Holy Ghost gave the disciples the freedom
and courage to speak the Word to the multitude assembled that
day. Many hearts were pricked by the spoken Word and they
began to inquire, Men and brethren, what shall we do? (Acts
2:37) Apostle Peter, the primary spokesman, said to them,
Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus
Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of
the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your
children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord
our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify
and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward
(crooked) generation. (Acts 2:38-40)
St. Luke summed up the
effect of the Spirit’s power by saying, Then they that gladly
received his word were baptized: and the same day there were
added unto them about three thousand souls. (Acts 2:41)
The Word of God teaches that faith comes by hearing, and
hearing by the Word of God. God’s Word also teaches that
when we believe, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of
the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory.
Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. But if
the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in
you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken
your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. The
Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the
children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and
joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that
we may be also glorified together. (Romans 8:9, 11, 16-17)
Pastor Alvin Holmgren
Seattle, Washington
Archived writing
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Suffering because...
Dear Weekly Readers! God’s Peace!
These days it seems our weeks go by so quickly! We are now one week closer to eternity than we were last week. We do not know if we will see next week, and we know the we are alive now because of God’s Grace! During our life here, we experience many things including sufferings. That is the topic of our article today, which is written today by a guest writer.
Please partake of the message from your “Weekly Diner.” (please let me know if the word Diner means a place to eat, like it does in our country. I am thinking of naming the Blog “ The Weekly Diner” and I would like your feedback on that!)
“Suffering because…”
Suffering is not a pleasant topic. Everyone experiences suffering of some sort. Some suffer more than others. The Old Testament patriarch, Job, is often singled out as one endured a great measure of suffering. Not only did he suffer the loss of health, wealth, and family. But he, also, suffered from so-called “friends” who became accusers rather than comforters.
We all know there are many reasons for suffering. But generally all suffering comes under four major reasons—1) suffering because of willfulness, 2) suffering because of circumstances, 3) suffering because of the love of God, and 4) suffering for God’s purpose.
Suffering because of willfulness is that which we reap because we willfully do or say something that causes us emotional, mental, physical, social, and/or spiritual pain. As Paul wrote to the Galatians, “whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (6:7). Whenever our carnal mind is in control we will suffer for our attitudes, thoughts, words, and actions. We can blame no one because we chose the course of action!
Suffering because of circumstances are unavoidable. Accidents happen, disease and illness attack, simply living in this “fallen world” can expose us to consequences over which we have no control. We may or may not understand the “reason” for what happened. If we know the reason and it is in our power to make some changes so that what happened doesn’t happen again, well and good. But we may not ever know the reason.
This brings us to the third general reason for suffering. We may suffer because of the love of God. This is one of the more difficult reasons for us to understand, but Hebrews 12:6 states that, “whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth.” We are to believe that our loving, heavenly Father needs to discipline us in order to deepen his work within us.
This suffering is tied closely with the fourth reason for suffering; namely, suffering for God’s purpose. This purpose of God is two-fold: a) internal and b) external. The internal purpose is the sanctifying work of God wherein we are being trained to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. The more fully we know him, the more we desire to be like him, and the more our heavenly Potter will be transforming us into the image of Christ. (Read Romans 8:18-28.)
The external purpose of God is our daily, visible, inter-relationship with others as witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the evidence to others of Jesus Christ living and dwelling within us. How we relate to others; especially when under stress, will be a proof to them whether Christ is in control, or are we acting in the flesh. Of course, we all sin, we all fail, and we can be so grateful that there is forgiveness. We all need daily cleaning in the blood of Jesus. But, nonetheless, when Christ is the center of our life and the Holy Spirit is present within us, we are to walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh. (Rom. 8:9)
This inter-relationship with others includes both Christians and non-Christians. And since none of us as Christians is fully mature, even relationships with brothers and sisters in the Lord may lead to misunderstandings, conflicts, harsh words, anger, division. Hence, we may experience suffering. That can happen with non-Christians, also, but this is a different kind of suffering arising from those who are opposed to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Even if we testify to others about Christ in a kind, loving, humble manner, some will react with scoffing, scorn, rejection, hatred and even physical harm. Most certainly this is suffering for God’s purpose since He does not want anyone to perish but that all would come to repentance (2 Pet. 3:9).
Suffering for God’s purpose is the highest level of suffering we will ever have in this world. Since our heavenly Father has established His Church, suffering for His sake has been and always will be our lot. Paul wrote to his young “son in the faith” saying: “…all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Tim. 3:12). Please read the study the whole of Peter’s first epistle in the light of suffering for God’s purpose!
Praise God we have the comforting and assuring word of our Master that if we are faithful unto death we shall receive the crown of everlasting life. (Rev. 2:10) So help us God! Amen!
These days it seems our weeks go by so quickly! We are now one week closer to eternity than we were last week. We do not know if we will see next week, and we know the we are alive now because of God’s Grace! During our life here, we experience many things including sufferings. That is the topic of our article today, which is written today by a guest writer.
Please partake of the message from your “Weekly Diner.” (please let me know if the word Diner means a place to eat, like it does in our country. I am thinking of naming the Blog “ The Weekly Diner” and I would like your feedback on that!)
“Suffering because…”
Suffering is not a pleasant topic. Everyone experiences suffering of some sort. Some suffer more than others. The Old Testament patriarch, Job, is often singled out as one endured a great measure of suffering. Not only did he suffer the loss of health, wealth, and family. But he, also, suffered from so-called “friends” who became accusers rather than comforters.
We all know there are many reasons for suffering. But generally all suffering comes under four major reasons—1) suffering because of willfulness, 2) suffering because of circumstances, 3) suffering because of the love of God, and 4) suffering for God’s purpose.
Suffering because of willfulness is that which we reap because we willfully do or say something that causes us emotional, mental, physical, social, and/or spiritual pain. As Paul wrote to the Galatians, “whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (6:7). Whenever our carnal mind is in control we will suffer for our attitudes, thoughts, words, and actions. We can blame no one because we chose the course of action!
Suffering because of circumstances are unavoidable. Accidents happen, disease and illness attack, simply living in this “fallen world” can expose us to consequences over which we have no control. We may or may not understand the “reason” for what happened. If we know the reason and it is in our power to make some changes so that what happened doesn’t happen again, well and good. But we may not ever know the reason.
This brings us to the third general reason for suffering. We may suffer because of the love of God. This is one of the more difficult reasons for us to understand, but Hebrews 12:6 states that, “whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth.” We are to believe that our loving, heavenly Father needs to discipline us in order to deepen his work within us.
This suffering is tied closely with the fourth reason for suffering; namely, suffering for God’s purpose. This purpose of God is two-fold: a) internal and b) external. The internal purpose is the sanctifying work of God wherein we are being trained to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. The more fully we know him, the more we desire to be like him, and the more our heavenly Potter will be transforming us into the image of Christ. (Read Romans 8:18-28.)
The external purpose of God is our daily, visible, inter-relationship with others as witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the evidence to others of Jesus Christ living and dwelling within us. How we relate to others; especially when under stress, will be a proof to them whether Christ is in control, or are we acting in the flesh. Of course, we all sin, we all fail, and we can be so grateful that there is forgiveness. We all need daily cleaning in the blood of Jesus. But, nonetheless, when Christ is the center of our life and the Holy Spirit is present within us, we are to walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh. (Rom. 8:9)
This inter-relationship with others includes both Christians and non-Christians. And since none of us as Christians is fully mature, even relationships with brothers and sisters in the Lord may lead to misunderstandings, conflicts, harsh words, anger, division. Hence, we may experience suffering. That can happen with non-Christians, also, but this is a different kind of suffering arising from those who are opposed to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Even if we testify to others about Christ in a kind, loving, humble manner, some will react with scoffing, scorn, rejection, hatred and even physical harm. Most certainly this is suffering for God’s purpose since He does not want anyone to perish but that all would come to repentance (2 Pet. 3:9).
Suffering for God’s purpose is the highest level of suffering we will ever have in this world. Since our heavenly Father has established His Church, suffering for His sake has been and always will be our lot. Paul wrote to his young “son in the faith” saying: “…all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Tim. 3:12). Please read the study the whole of Peter’s first epistle in the light of suffering for God’s purpose!
Praise God we have the comforting and assuring word of our Master that if we are faithful unto death we shall receive the crown of everlasting life. (Rev. 2:10) So help us God! Amen!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Rise and Walk!
Dear Weekly Readers around the world! God’s Peace!
I sincerely do pray that the peace of God is in your hearts today! This is the peace that passes all understanding!
John 5:8 Jesus said unto him, Rise, take up thy bed and walk.
What amazing words for this man that was by the pool of Bethesda. This man had an infirmity for thirty eight years. Such a long time he waited to go into the water. This pool was such that when the angel stirred the water, the first man to enter into the water would be healed.
Jesus had asked the man, Wilt thou be made whole? V6. The man answered, I have no man, when the water is troubled to put me into the pool. Jesus wanted to hear from the man with his own mouth, do you want to be made whole? Jesus already knew what the man needed, and he knew his heart. This man would not have been by the pool unless he had some measure of faith that the water would heal him. Just as God called to Adam in the Garden of Eden, where art thou? Genesis 3:9 Our God knows right where we are. Yet he calls out. He is still calling out for the lost, the hurting, and the sinner today.
Here Jesus came to this pool called Bethesda, which is the place or house of mercy. The God of all mercy, our Lord Jesus Christ, came to show mercy to this man. There were many other people there that needed healing. John does not record whether or not Jesus healed any others. From this we see that each person needs to be healed one by one. Each individual heart needs to be mended one by one. As in this text, the first person into the troubled water was healed. As individuals we must face our Lord!
Oh that all mankind would come face to face with our Saviour during the time of mercy and grace, as this man did. The Bible says that unto me every knee shall bow……. Isaiah 45:23 So important it is if one by one we would humble ourselves as great sinners during this time of mercy and grace! Soon the day of Grace will be over, and the Lord will come again in the eastern sky. Then it will be too late! That will be a great and terrible day of the Lord. Much like the day that the door on the ark was closed; no more could get in when the rains came. When Jesus come again, it will be with power and Great Glory! The day of grace is then over, no more can enter in.
Once this man with the infirmity spoke of his troubles, his problems, what did Jesus do? He listened to his confession. He listened that the man had faith that if he could get into the waters, that he would be healed. Jesus listened, heard, and showed great mercy!
Jesus said unto him, Rise, take up they bed, and walk. V8 Jesus did here what He came to do! In Isaiah 61:1 we read how He came to ….. preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prisons to them that are bound.
Are there any of us reading this today that are bound? Satan has so many ways he desires to keep us bound. It may be the sins of this world, the pride of life, the deceitfulness of riches. It could be depression due to our physical illness, or so many other things. Are the waters of your heart troubled today? Will you preach today in a way that will stir up thoughts and movement in other people’s hearts? Remember, one by one we must each turn for help!
It is such a glorious Gospel then that we can hear from the ambassadors of Jesus Christ, as from God himself, when they proclaim to the dear poor, weak, sinful one; believe that Jesus died for you. You can believe that by the power of Jesus name, His completed work on earth and on the cross, and by His own precious shed blood, all of you sins are forgiven! He has come to set the captive free!
What a joy when sinner mankind can then be set free by Jesus, and can Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
Immediately the man was made whole, took up his bed, and walked. V 9 When the heart was ready, when it was prepared, and when Jesus spoke to him, immediately he was made whole. No more waiting was needed. His time of turmoil was past, the day of rejoicing is now!
Dear reader, no matter how long you or someone close to you has had turmoil and troubles, this can all be over as soon as the Lord fills us with His Holy Spirit. Enter into His Rest. Enter into His peace!
Notice the man carried his bed. He did not leave it behind. This I believe signifies that we still carry our fleshly portion with us, and we will until we die. No, life will not be perfect, we are still sinners. However, when we have been made whole by the merits of Jesus Christ, we are perfect in God’s sight, and now we are only waiting for Jesus to come take us home to worship the Lord forever in heaven above.
May God Bless your Week! John R.
I sincerely do pray that the peace of God is in your hearts today! This is the peace that passes all understanding!
John 5:8 Jesus said unto him, Rise, take up thy bed and walk.
What amazing words for this man that was by the pool of Bethesda. This man had an infirmity for thirty eight years. Such a long time he waited to go into the water. This pool was such that when the angel stirred the water, the first man to enter into the water would be healed.
Jesus had asked the man, Wilt thou be made whole? V6. The man answered, I have no man, when the water is troubled to put me into the pool. Jesus wanted to hear from the man with his own mouth, do you want to be made whole? Jesus already knew what the man needed, and he knew his heart. This man would not have been by the pool unless he had some measure of faith that the water would heal him. Just as God called to Adam in the Garden of Eden, where art thou? Genesis 3:9 Our God knows right where we are. Yet he calls out. He is still calling out for the lost, the hurting, and the sinner today.
Here Jesus came to this pool called Bethesda, which is the place or house of mercy. The God of all mercy, our Lord Jesus Christ, came to show mercy to this man. There were many other people there that needed healing. John does not record whether or not Jesus healed any others. From this we see that each person needs to be healed one by one. Each individual heart needs to be mended one by one. As in this text, the first person into the troubled water was healed. As individuals we must face our Lord!
Oh that all mankind would come face to face with our Saviour during the time of mercy and grace, as this man did. The Bible says that unto me every knee shall bow……. Isaiah 45:23 So important it is if one by one we would humble ourselves as great sinners during this time of mercy and grace! Soon the day of Grace will be over, and the Lord will come again in the eastern sky. Then it will be too late! That will be a great and terrible day of the Lord. Much like the day that the door on the ark was closed; no more could get in when the rains came. When Jesus come again, it will be with power and Great Glory! The day of grace is then over, no more can enter in.
Once this man with the infirmity spoke of his troubles, his problems, what did Jesus do? He listened to his confession. He listened that the man had faith that if he could get into the waters, that he would be healed. Jesus listened, heard, and showed great mercy!
Jesus said unto him, Rise, take up they bed, and walk. V8 Jesus did here what He came to do! In Isaiah 61:1 we read how He came to ….. preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prisons to them that are bound.
Are there any of us reading this today that are bound? Satan has so many ways he desires to keep us bound. It may be the sins of this world, the pride of life, the deceitfulness of riches. It could be depression due to our physical illness, or so many other things. Are the waters of your heart troubled today? Will you preach today in a way that will stir up thoughts and movement in other people’s hearts? Remember, one by one we must each turn for help!
It is such a glorious Gospel then that we can hear from the ambassadors of Jesus Christ, as from God himself, when they proclaim to the dear poor, weak, sinful one; believe that Jesus died for you. You can believe that by the power of Jesus name, His completed work on earth and on the cross, and by His own precious shed blood, all of you sins are forgiven! He has come to set the captive free!
What a joy when sinner mankind can then be set free by Jesus, and can Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
Immediately the man was made whole, took up his bed, and walked. V 9 When the heart was ready, when it was prepared, and when Jesus spoke to him, immediately he was made whole. No more waiting was needed. His time of turmoil was past, the day of rejoicing is now!
Dear reader, no matter how long you or someone close to you has had turmoil and troubles, this can all be over as soon as the Lord fills us with His Holy Spirit. Enter into His Rest. Enter into His peace!
Notice the man carried his bed. He did not leave it behind. This I believe signifies that we still carry our fleshly portion with us, and we will until we die. No, life will not be perfect, we are still sinners. However, when we have been made whole by the merits of Jesus Christ, we are perfect in God’s sight, and now we are only waiting for Jesus to come take us home to worship the Lord forever in heaven above.
May God Bless your Week! John R.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Oil in our Lamps
Dear Weekly Readers! God’s Peace!
“Oil for the light”… Exodus 25:6
We remember from scriptures that the wise virgins had oil in their lamps and the foolish virgins did not. Dear reader, the oil is the Holy Ghost. Without the Holy Ghost, which is the third person of the Godhead, there simply is no light. It is impossible to light our light shine, unless we have been anointed by the Holy Ghost.
Let us pray that each one who calls themselves a Christian would know that no matter what we may do, we are not capable of being a light to the world without the Holy Ghost.
“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost.” Titus 3:5
The light of Jesus shines through us by the power of the Holy Ghost! Always remember that the Word of God and the Holy Ghost agree in one. We cannot say that we are following the leading of the Holy Ghost if we are doing against what scripture records.
Let us all pray that beginning with ourselves, that we would earnestly desire to keep our light burning. Keep reading God’s Word, keep praying, keep fellowshipping with other believers, and attending the church services. These are all ways that we are fed and nourished from His word and are ways by which we are given strength by God to continue on in the battle against the enemy or our souls, the world, and our own flesh!
Let us also pray for our pastors, leaders, fellow congregants and other Christians, that they too would understand the importance of having this oil in our lamps.
Pray that they would have truth, life, joy, holiness, love, knowledge, and the many other attributes and characteristics of one that possesses the light and becomes like a sunbeam!
Galatians 2:20 says: “ I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ which liveth in me: and the life that I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
Are we living by the faith of the Son of God? If we are, then we have the Holy Ghost and the oil is in our lamps. Then we can truly be a light unto this dark world! There is no other way!
We have a children’s song in America that talks about being a sunbeam for Jesus! Our small children often sing this song. I will put a copy below since it seems fitting to our topic today! Perhaps you can teach it to your children and Sunday School children.
Let us let our light shine! The sunbeams of the morning pierce the darkness! It shows light to the lost. There is hope for the sinner, those lost and weary souls. Dear reader, if you do not yet have the light in your heart, remember, today is the day of Grace! Seek the Lord while He may be found! Seek Him out where He is today, in the heart of a true Christian Brother or Sister! Call out today, repent and believe the gospel!
May God Bless your week! John R.
Verse 1) Jesus wants me for a sunbeam, To shine for Him each day; In every way try to please Him, At home, at school, at play.
Refrain: A sunbeam, a sunbeam, Jesus wants me for a sunbeam; A sunbeam, a sunbeam, I’ll be a sunbeam for Him.
Verse 2) Jesus wants me to be loving, And kind to all I see; Showing how pleasant and happy His little one can be.
Refrain
Verse 3) I will ask Jesus to help me To keep my heart from sin, Ever reflecting His goodness, And always shine for Him.
Refrain
Verse 4) I’ll be a sunbeam for Jesus; I can if I but try; Serving Him moment by moment, Then live with Him on high.
Refrain
“Oil for the light”… Exodus 25:6
We remember from scriptures that the wise virgins had oil in their lamps and the foolish virgins did not. Dear reader, the oil is the Holy Ghost. Without the Holy Ghost, which is the third person of the Godhead, there simply is no light. It is impossible to light our light shine, unless we have been anointed by the Holy Ghost.
Let us pray that each one who calls themselves a Christian would know that no matter what we may do, we are not capable of being a light to the world without the Holy Ghost.
“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost.” Titus 3:5
The light of Jesus shines through us by the power of the Holy Ghost! Always remember that the Word of God and the Holy Ghost agree in one. We cannot say that we are following the leading of the Holy Ghost if we are doing against what scripture records.
Let us all pray that beginning with ourselves, that we would earnestly desire to keep our light burning. Keep reading God’s Word, keep praying, keep fellowshipping with other believers, and attending the church services. These are all ways that we are fed and nourished from His word and are ways by which we are given strength by God to continue on in the battle against the enemy or our souls, the world, and our own flesh!
Let us also pray for our pastors, leaders, fellow congregants and other Christians, that they too would understand the importance of having this oil in our lamps.
Pray that they would have truth, life, joy, holiness, love, knowledge, and the many other attributes and characteristics of one that possesses the light and becomes like a sunbeam!
Galatians 2:20 says: “ I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ which liveth in me: and the life that I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
Are we living by the faith of the Son of God? If we are, then we have the Holy Ghost and the oil is in our lamps. Then we can truly be a light unto this dark world! There is no other way!
We have a children’s song in America that talks about being a sunbeam for Jesus! Our small children often sing this song. I will put a copy below since it seems fitting to our topic today! Perhaps you can teach it to your children and Sunday School children.
Let us let our light shine! The sunbeams of the morning pierce the darkness! It shows light to the lost. There is hope for the sinner, those lost and weary souls. Dear reader, if you do not yet have the light in your heart, remember, today is the day of Grace! Seek the Lord while He may be found! Seek Him out where He is today, in the heart of a true Christian Brother or Sister! Call out today, repent and believe the gospel!
May God Bless your week! John R.
Verse 1) Jesus wants me for a sunbeam, To shine for Him each day; In every way try to please Him, At home, at school, at play.
Refrain: A sunbeam, a sunbeam, Jesus wants me for a sunbeam; A sunbeam, a sunbeam, I’ll be a sunbeam for Him.
Verse 2) Jesus wants me to be loving, And kind to all I see; Showing how pleasant and happy His little one can be.
Refrain
Verse 3) I will ask Jesus to help me To keep my heart from sin, Ever reflecting His goodness, And always shine for Him.
Refrain
Verse 4) I’ll be a sunbeam for Jesus; I can if I but try; Serving Him moment by moment, Then live with Him on high.
Refrain
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