No figure has impacted the history of civilization like Jesus Christ. He has indelibly left His mark on man’s art, culture, science, politics, & religion. Even those who do not claim to be Christians, concede that the Lord Jesus’ teachings were of the highest moral standards & that He expressed many noble sentiments. Doubtless the world would be a better place if people practiced the teachings of Christ’s Sermon on the Mount. Sadly, the world bears little resemblance to the ideal paradise that the Lord Jesus spoke of. One may wonder at man’s inability to live up to the unquestionably high standards of New Testament Christianity. In North America it is easy to say that one is a Christian; living like one is a far different thing.
The great divide between the Lord Jesus’ ethical instruction and the evil that results in crime, oppression, terrorism, & other unrighteous acts that confront us has a simple explanation. Jesus Christ is the perfect man. He never uttered one word that he longed to take back, never had a sinful thought or desire. In every sense of the word He was sinless. Furthermore, the Bible also affirms that He is God. As 1 Tim.3:16 expresses it: “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” In contrast to Jesus’ perfect humanity & deity, we are incorrigible sinners who fail miserably to achieve God’s righteous standards.
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Month: April 2009
Jesus Christ & Man’s Religion
No figure has impacted the history of civilization like Jesus Christ. He has indelibly left His mark on man’s art, culture, science, politics, & religion. Even those who do not claim to be Christians, concede that the Lord Jesus’ teachings were of the highest moral standards & that He expressed many noble sentiments. Doubtless the world would be a better place if people practiced the teachings of Christ’s Sermon on the Mount. Sadly, the world bears little resemblance to the ideal paradise that the Lord Jesus spoke of. One may wonder at man’s inability to live up to the unquestionably high standards of New Testament Christianity. In North America it is easy to say that one is a Christian; living like one is a far different thing.
The great divide between the Lord Jesus’ ethical instruction and the evil that results in crime, oppression, terrorism, & other unrighteous acts that confront us has a simple explanation. Jesus Christ is the perfect man. He never uttered one word that he longed to take back, never had a sinful thought or desire. In every sense of the word He was sinless. Furthermore, the Bible also affirms that He is God. As 1 Tim.3:16 expresses it: “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” In contrast to Jesus’ perfect humanity & deity, we are incorrigible sinners who fail miserably to achieve God’s righteous standards.
To read the entire article, click on the title.
From Darkness To Light
The powers of darkness confront mankind on every side. As 1 John 5:19 expresses it: “We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” (ESV) Unwitting humans are pawns in the hands of infernal powers who use them to inflict damage on the globe. The situation of the Gadarene demoniac mirrors the state of planet earth. More importantly his encounter with the Lord Jesus provides the solution for the raging malevolence that besets the world today. The Lord Jesus repeatedly faced opposition from the Satanic forces. Both Matthew 4 and Luke 4 detail His direct temptation by the “Accuser of the brethren” himself. In the Gospel of Mark, Christ’s first miracle is the casting out of “an unclean spirit” which afflicted a man in the Capernaum synagogue (Mark 1:21-27.) In Mark chapter five, as soon as the Lord Jesus crosses over the Sea of Galilee, He is met by a demon-possessed man from out of the tombs. Other Gospel accounts show that there were two demoniacs, but Mark chooses to focus on one of them in particular.
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Commission Minded Assemblies
From the beginning of Creation God has disclosed Himself to mankind. He wants to manifest Himself to the world, even if humans are unwilling to hear from Him. The Christian faith is the capstone of the Almighty’s revelation to His creatures. In engaging in missions, the Church shares in the Lord’s commitment to reach the world with the Gospel. There are numerous benefits to local churches when they are involved in foreign missionary endeavour. Believers profit from these activities, for in supporting the witness of Christ worldwide, they enjoy greater unity of purpose, dependence on the Holy Spirit, and love for the lost.
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Choice Gleanings Devotions 2007
“The Lord is righteous in her midst, He will do no unrighteousness. Every morning He brings His justice to light; He never fails, But the unjust knows no shame.” Zephaniah 3:5, NKJV
During Zephaniah’s times the corridors of power in Jerusalem were filled with self-seeking officials. Rather than speak for God, the prophets deceived the people. The priests were supposed to guard the Lord’s holiness; instead, they profaned the holy place and corrupted the Law. The princes should have defended the weak. In contrast, they used their authority to enrich themselves, covetously devouring whatever they could get. This behavior totally misrepresented the Lord. He affirms that He is righteous, and “…brings His justice to light…” Though men may act wickedly, the Lord’s righteousness remains unassailable.
No mortal can with Him compare among the sons of men,
Fairer is He than all the fair who fill the heavenly train. –Samuel Stennett
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Choice Gleanings Devotions 2006
For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 1 Cor. 15:22
Whereas all who are linked to Adam die, all who are in Christ are given eternal life. The Lord has lifted man to heights where he could never have been before. Phrases like “accepted in the Beloved” and “seated in the heavenlies” describe the exalted position where redeemed humans now find themselves (Eph. 1:6; 2:6.) This tremendous blessing was accomplished through the Son of God becoming a man, forever assuring mankind of their importance to their Maker. “”For verily He took not on Him the nature of angels; but He took on Him the seed of Abraham” (Heb.2:16.) Hallelujah, there is a man the glory!
Thou wouldst like sinful man be made
In everything but sin,
That we, as like Thee might become, as we unlike had been.
-Joseph Stennett
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Change Born Out Of Tragedy
May 14, 1988 witnessed one of the worst bus accidents in United States history. A church bus returning from an outing at an amusement park near Cincinnati, collided with a Toyota pickup truck traveling the wrong way on Interstate 71 outside of Carollton, Kentucky. The driver of the pickup was found to be intoxicated with a blood-alcohol level of .24 %. While the gross negligence of this repeat offender caused the initial crash, the twenty seven dead and thirty four injured passengers were mainly the result of inadequate safety precautions on the converted school bus. Most of the dead and injured were killed or hurt by smoke inhalation and fire. The NTSB investigation after the tragedy determined that there was only one viable emergency exit available for evacuation after the collision. The subsequent media and public outcry motivated the Kentucky legislature to adopt some of the strictest safety standards in the United States for school buses. Many of the survivors and victims’ families aggressively combated the scourge of drunk driving through involvement in organizations like MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving – one even became the national president of this organization.) Today a sign marks the site of the accident along the Interstate highway.
It is sad that it often takes a terrible calamity such as this accident to bring about change. The human tendency is to ignore problems as long as they do not encroach on one’s daily life. It is only when trouble comes to our door that we contemplate amendment. When we behold momentous happenings like the World Trade Center / Pentagon bombings or the more recent Tsunami, then we act to do whatever we can to avert future disasters. Certainly it is far better to implement corrections before catastrophes occur.
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Angry With God
There is a great deal of anger in the world. At the present, several wars are raging on at least three continents. During these troubling times, it is disturbing to see that many people direct their rage and angst towards God. Do they have a right to be angry? Is man entitled to harbor resentment against his Maker? Let us examine the evidence from nature, everyday life, & history.
It is an audacious thing that people could be angry with God, for first of all, He made us. Even in human affairs, the creator has a right to do whatever he likes with his creation. A computer engineer or a car manufacturer can use their computer or car as they please. They may sell their creations, keep them, give them to friends, or even destroy them if they so desire. The Bible recognizes the sovereignty of God our Creator by portraying Him as a potter & human beings as the clay (e.g. Jer.18:1-10.) Rom.9:20-21 puts it this way: “Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?” By virtue of creating us, God has the right to do with us as He pleases. This certainly offends man’s pride & sense of freedom, but let us see how God chooses to exercise His control over mankind.
The Lord created man sinless & good. He placed him in the ideal setting of the Garden of Eden. He gave him dominion over the natural creation & meaningful work to perform. God also gave the first Man a helper who was suited to him for blissful companionship. In short, He placed Adam & Eve in paradise with every opportunity to succeed & enjoy their Creator & His Creation. The Almighty Himself communed with them daily, doubtless, instructing them in the best course of action in performing their pleasant tasks in the Garden. Regrettably, the world today is a far cry from what it was then. In the Garden there was no pain, death, disease, or natural disasters. Today there are wars, crime, suffering, & various kinds of catastrophes. They lived in a simple, idyllic world. Modern man lives on a planet plagued by cancer, heart disease, diabetes, AIDS, & many other maladies. What brought about this drastic change? It surely was not the Lord; He created the world & said it was “very good” (Gen.1:31). Rom. 5:12 provides the answer: “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” (Italics mine) Man has made the world what it is today. We are responsible for “Paradise Lost”, because we brought sin into the world. Thus, we must look to ourselves for the origin of the world’s problems; our rebellion against our perfectly benevolent Creator caused it all. Therefore, one cannot blame God for the evil and pain in the world.
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