A Humiliating Thing to Think That

“We honor God when we ask for great things. It is a humiliating thing to think that we are satisfied with very small results.” D.L. Moody

Blessed Assurance Jesus is Mine

God does not intend for His saved child to live the Christian life without the blessed assurance of eternal life.

The apostle Paul had a profound conviction that nothing will be able to separate the believer from the love of Christ (Rom. 8:31-39).

Jesus spoke of double assurance or security for the believer when He said to His disciples: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand . . . and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one” (John 10:27-30).

We have “been born anew to a living hope” (1 Pet. 1:3-5). We are guarded by God’s power through faith for salvation. Because the new birth has taken place in our lives, we have the presence of the Holy Spirit within us (Rom. 8:23). He is called the “first fruits,” the initial promise and pledge of a greater harvest to follow. The Holy Spirit does a work in our lives producing His fruit that is characteristically different from our human nature. The Holy Spirit is evidence of assurance because “we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His own Spirit” (1 Jn. 4:13).

The ascension of Christ to heaven to be our advocate is another great assurance for the believer who has been saved by grace. Jesus “ever lives to make intercession on our behalf” (Rom. 8:34; 1 Jn. 2:2). He is our great God and “He is able for all time to save those who draw near to God through Him” (Heb. 7:25). Do you have an intimate love relationship with your Savior? Are you abiding in Him and He in you? Spend time with Him every day. Learn to go into His presence throughout the day and make yourself available to Him all day long.

God’s sovereignty gives assurance to the sinner saved by grace that “all that the Father gives Me will come to Me; and him who comes to Me I will not cast out” (Jn. 6:37). Have you taken these words of Jesus to heart and believed on Him alone for your salvation? God’s eternal purpose of salvation is such that He will accept and forgive all who trust Him for salvation.

Have you taken John 3:16 seriously? “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” Every person who hears His voice and follows Him will never perish or can ever be snatched out of His hand. And they can never fall out of His hands because Christ has His hands securely around the believer and God the Father has His hands around His Son! “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all” (Jn. 10:29). How big is you God? Is He as big as Jesus claimed His Father to be? A God that big can provide eternal assurance for the weakest believer who is acutely aware of his sins and weaknesses. Have you confessed your need for Him to save you and keep you saved? Have you asked Him to save you? Are you trusting in Him alone for salvation?

If you are trusting in your good works to save you, then you should be filled with anxiety regarding your salvation. How can you ever have assurance that you have done enough good works, or are good enough, or perfect enough to be saved? Such presumptive pride should cause you to tremble before the Lord God (Matt. 7:21-23; Heb. 3:12).

Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone (Eph. 2:8-9). Will you now put your faith and trust in the finished and all-sufficient work of Jesus Christ to save you for all eternity? When you do you can find eternal security. “He who begin a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6).

SELAH! Pause – reflect- just think of that!

Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006 Anyone is free to use this material and distribute it, but it may not be sold under any circumstances whatsoever without the author’s written consent.

Psalm 23 Explained in Todays Terms

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

In His presence I am supplied with all I need for today.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

He leads me beside quiet waters,

In His presence I am quieted from the turmoil in and around me.

He restores my soul.

In His presence I am built up, forgiven, refreshed.

He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

In His presence I am guided along the right paths for me, paths that will honor His name.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil, for You are with me;

In His presence I can be fearless in trusting Him even with destruction and death are all around me.

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

In His presence I am comforted because I know He is equipped to watch over for me.

You prepare a table before me, in the presence of my enemies.

In His presence I am nourished and protected even when I’m in unfriendly territory.

You anoint my head with oil;

In His presence He anoints me with healing and with love.

My cup overflows.

In His presence I am filled to overflowing regardless of outer circumstances.

Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life,
I am pursued by His mercy and His goodness every day.
His presence calls me.

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
In His presence I am secure for today and forever.

Those Who Say to God

There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, ‘All right then, have it your way.'” C. S. Lewis

The Only Known Antidote To

The only known antidote to fear is faith. Woodrow Kroll

You Don’t Always Need A

“You don’t always need a plan. Sometimes you just need to breathe, trust, let go and see what happens.”Mandy Hale

Is Much More Important Than

Faith is much more important than religion. Religion enslaves, faith frees. Joseph- Anthony: Green

There is No Other I

Another word for hope is faith. Another word for faith is trust. There is no other I trust my life with but Jesus. Joseph- Anthony a son of Jehovah

Give it to Him to Succeed.

Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this Psalm 37:5 New International Version

I have known for two years that God has called me to be a Christian writer.

One morning during morning prayers I was talking with God about it and mentioned how even though I have spent two years faithfully obeying His calling there has not been enough money to pay the monthly bills.

Here is how He answered my prayers:

One of the morning devotions sent to me email every morning had the above verse in it.

That afternoon while listening to an online sermon, the preacher mentioned that once we become Christians we are assigned a task by God that He has prepared for us to do.

That evening another preacher online quoted this verse: Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD. Proverbs 16:20 New International Version

Each time I felt God saying to me: You know what my plans are for you. As long as you follow my plans I will take care of you.

A feeling of calm reassurance came over me.

I do not expect to become a millionaire with the writings but have complete faith my needs are and will be taken care of by God.

Prayer: Thank you Jehovah Jireh (God our provider) for promising and fulfilling Your promise to me in a most wonderful and gracious way. I give thanks in the name of He who provides a way to Heaven, Jesus Christ. Amen.

May the sweet sunshine of Jesus’ precious love bless you today and every day.

SELAH! Pause – reflect- just think of that!

A Virgin, Immanuel and the Incarnation

Ahaz was faithless.

Neighboring countries of Syria and Israel banned together to fight the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Ahaz, the king of Judah, sent for the king of Assyria to come to his rescue.

The LORD God is sovereign in the affairs of the nations and He sent the Hebrew prophet Isaiah to counsel Ahaz. Isaiah said, “Take care, and be calm, have no fear and do not be fainthearted because the two stubs of smoldering firebrands . . .” (Isaiah 7:4).  The two threatening countries are just burned up pieces of firewood. God said, “It shall not stand, nor shall it come to pass” (v. 7).

What would you have done if you were Ahaz? The pressure on Ahaz was intense, not just the threat of war, but the LORD was breathing down his neck as well. “If you will not believe, you surely shall not last” (v. 19). Ahaz, you are as good as gone yourself if you do not trust Me. If you trust Me I will deliver you from this smoke, but if you don’t you are through as a king. Moreover, trusting in the Assyrian army is not trusting in Yahweh.

Ahaz refused to trust in the LORD. So He spoke to the king again, “Ask for a sign for yourself from the LORD your God; make it as deep as Sheol or high as heaven” (v. 11). Go ahead, ask Ahaz! What an opportunity to see God do the impossible!

King Ahaz got a little religious. “I will not ask, nor will I test the LORD” (v. 12). That was exactly what he was doing by not trusting Yahweh. God invited Ahaz to ask for the “sign.” He was not testing God; God was testing him. The “sign” was a pledge of divine certainty, a miracle wrought for evidential purposes.

What would you have asked for? How would you have responded?

Now if Ahaz had been a wise man he would have gone ahead and asked. When God proposes a sign it is not a test; it was an invitation to come and see what God can do in a time of crisis. “Listen now, O house of David!” Isaiah was getting to a little testy. “Is it too slight a thing for you to try the patience of men, that you will try the patience of my God as well?” (v. 13). Isaiah did not say “your” God, but “my God.”

“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel” (v. 14).

I have no problem with the “virgin” because I do not have any problem with “Immanuel.” The greater event is not the “virgin,” but “God with us.” The Incarnation, God becoming flesh, is the great mystery. Isaiah was referring to something very unusual. It would not be unusual for a maiden to conceive; that happens every day. However, a “virgin,” a marriageable young lady of unblemished reputation would be a very unusual “sign.” It pointed to the greater event.

J. W. Watts said the sign of the virgin would be “an encouragement to a faithful remnant to Israel. As a wonder of wonders such as had just been offered, and as a condemnation of the faithless elements in the line of David.”

The prophet Isaiah developed the idea of the child to be born (7:14), His birth (9:6f), His reigning (11:1f), and His death as the suffering servant of the LORD (Isa 52:13-53:12).

“God with us.” That is the wonder of wonders. God in the corporeal self-manifestation of Himself would be a super-human person. God with us is the God-man. He is the incarnation of Deity. Immanuel would Himself be El (God). This child to be born would be God among His people, and characteristic of Him.

“God with us” is “Christ, in you the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). “For in Him [Christ] all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority” (Col. 2:9-10).

How did the LORD God fulfill His “sign” given to Ahaz? The angel Gabriel said to the virgin, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy offspring shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). “God with us” is “Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).

“God with us.” “Christ in you.” Not only is all the fullness of Deity dwelling “in bodily form” in Jesus Christ, but “in Him you have been made complete . . .” (Col. 2:10).

The apostle Paul, in the verses that follow, stresses the Christian’s vital union with Jesus Christ. “And in Him you have been made complete . . . and in Him you were also circumcised . . . having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions . . .” (Col. 2:11-13).

Don’t miss the greatest mystery in the Bible. “God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (1:27).

God’s great goal in the gospel ministry is “that we may present every man complete in Christ” (v. 28).

SELAH! Pause – reflect- just think of that!

Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006 Anyone is free to use this material and distribute it, but it may not be sold under any circumstances whatsoever without the author’s written consent.