Quickly Perishing

When I look at our society today I see so many who are quickly perishing, and are completely unaware of it.  Why do I say they are unaware of it?  They live as though there was no end.  They live as though there is no God.  They live as though they will answer to no one.

We are all fickle at times.  We can so easily be led astray, be deceived and deluded.  There is something we all must realize and that is, that, there is more to life, than “Me”.  “Me” will one day end, and then what.  Hear what the apostle Peter has written,

“For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass.  The grass withereth, the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever.  And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”  1 Peter 1:24-25 (KJV).

It is a terrible thing for man who is quickly perishing to give so much confidence and power to things which we cannot take with us.  I heard the story of a woman who was married to a wealthy man, on his death bed, who wasn’t leaving anything to her, and wanted it all cashed out before he died and, then,  put into his coffin with him at his burial.  She went and cashed everything out, and the day of the funeral put a box in the coffin before they closed the lid.  A friend who was with her asked, “What was in the box?”, and she proceeded to tell her of her deceased husband’s request, and that she had placed it in the box.  She went on to say, “I deposited the money in my checking account, and wrote him a check.  Now he can cash it any time he chooses.”

Any one with any sense knows when you die, that, silver, gold, or paper money will be of no service to you.  It too will rot, rust, decay, and one day blow away in the wind with the rest of the dust.

There is only the “word of the Lord” that endures for ever, and that will be in the lives of those who put their faith and trust in Him through His Son Jesus Christ, and His death, burial and resurrection.  “Forever, O LORD, Thy word is settled in heaven.” (Psalm 119:89).  Those who will come to God the Father through God the Son will have an eternity with Him in glory.  Call on His name today.

-Tim A. Blankenship

Born Again

The title is a term which has been heard and used by many in various ways.  If a man falls down a steep cliff and lives he says, “It is like I have been born again.”, but there is no change in the way he lives his life.  One former President of the USA, made the term known, or better known by using it in his campaign in the seventies.

Peter the apostle writes:

“…Having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,…”  1 Peter 1:23 (NKJV).

He previously wrote of having purified souls, which are connected with obeying the truth of God’s Word.  There can be no true love for God or others except by the Spirit of God and His Word.

We are enabled, empowered to love and obey because we have been “Born again”.  Jesus said to Nicodemus, “You must be born again”.  This is a spiritual birth.  When we are physically born into this world we are spiritually dead, and separated from God.  Our eternal destination is not God’s plan for us.  He made us eternal beings to spend eternity with Him, but that was shattered by sin.  There would be found no place for fallen man (Revelation 20:11).

The new birth comes about by the supernatural power of God.  It is not by the will of the flesh; for John has written, “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”  (John 1:12-13). 

The seed of man is corrupt by sin.  The seed of God is incorruptible, and by the Word of God the seed of God comes and quickens the spirit of man, giving New Birth.  The Word of God is alive and lives forever.  The Psalmist has written, “Forever, O LORD, Thy word is settled in heaven.” (Psalm 119:89).   When the word is forever settled in heaven it is forever sure in the heart made alive by the Spirit of God.

There may be trials and tribulations in this life, but those made alive by the Spirit of God, and His living Word are overcomers, and have the assurance of glory in God, and living forever in His presence.  Trials?  Tribulations?  In this world?  Yes!  Jesus said, “But be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world”.

Going Beyond

We hear much about love.  Love for your wife, or your husband.  Love for your child or children.  Love for a friend.  What is meant by the word “L.O.V.E.”?  Real love goes beyond the ordinary.  That kind of love is more than feeling; it is a decision.  It is not driven by being loved by an individual; it is driven by the love of God, and it is displayed by a decisive act of mercy, grace and goodness; even toward one who has wronged you.  Maybe I could or should say, “…especially toward one who has wronged you”.

Well no one can do that you might say.  God and His Word teaches us to do just that thing.  Hear the Word of the Lord:

“Since you have purified yours souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart…”  1 Peter 1:22 (NKJV).

This verse is directed toward loving the brethren, ie., our brothers and sisters in Christ.  This is a “Going Beyond” type of love.  We are to love when we are not loved by others.  We are to love when it may not be convenient to do so.  This is not just a speaking of words but an act of love. 

This is the kind of love that responds to a command – the command to love.  It is the kind of love which will take you to a neighbors yard to mow it when they need help, even though this neighbor has caused you many heartaches, and much grief.  All Christians have this “Going Beyond” love.

It comes from a purified soul.  You receive a purified soul by “obeying the truth through the Spirit” of God.  This “Going Beyond” love is only possible through faith in Jesus Christ and His work on the cross, and His bodily resurrection.  This kind of love meets others at their point of need.  This is the love of Jesus Christ.

Conduct Yourselves in Fear

 Conduct Yourselves in Fear

In this first chapter of First Peter we looked last at being holy.  It is God’s command that His people, even Christians, and maybe should say, especially Christians be holy.  We are called apart, set apart, so we are to be apart from the wiles, wickedness, and ways of worldliness.

Looking now at verses seventeen through twenty one we see what is required of us to be holy:

“And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear;  knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver and gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.   He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God” 1 Peter 1:17-21 (NKJV).

To be holy is to be set apart from the society in which we live.  Not as monks, or as though a world of our own, but apart in the sense of not participating in the world system of greed, debauchery, lust, uniformity, etc.. 

Being holy, and since we as Christians call on the Father on a quite regular basis we also know that He is One who judges us justly, and  fairly according to our works, and knowing that we will conduct ourselves with the utmost respect of Him who holds our hearts and each breath we breath in His hands.  We will live with the fear, knowing that the time of our lives is in His hand.

Knowing the Father as we do; we also know that we have not been redeemed with material things.  Our redemption is not founded on how much gold or silver we possess, or how much we give away.  It is not based on any form of material wealth.  It is not gifts given for the fulfillment of the traditions of men.  Our redemption is not dependent upon someone else paying our way out of a fictitious purgatory.  The price of our redemption was paid to God our Father by the shed blood of Jesus Christ.  Our sin debt was owed to God. 

Jesus Christ, the precious lamb of God, paid our sin debt to the Father for us.  The price of our redemption was His life.  He laid it down, and no man took it from Him.  As a matter of fact; the Father took His life (Read Isaiah 53:4).  Jesus was that sacrificial Lamb who was without spot, and without blemish.  There was no sin in the life of Jesus Christ, but He became sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21), and the wrath of Almighty God was poured out to the max upon Him.

This was “foreordained” even before the foundations of the earth were laid, and it was fulfilled in that day when Jesus died on the cross for our sins.  It is only because of this wondrous gift than anyone can call on the name of the Father, and He will hear us, save us, and give us life eternal.  No one can come to God except it be given of the Father, through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Because of the resurrection of Jesus from death He has been restored to the glory He had with the Father from the beginning.  His glory renewed we can now have faith and hope in God.  Without this there would not be much of a point in our brothers and sisters in Christ suffering for His name.  Because He lives we live.  Because He died for us, we can die for His name’s sake, and give Him the glory.

May God bless our brothers and sisters who are suffering for the name of Jesus.

Pastor’s Visits, and Bible Classes Stopped

 It is with joy in the Lord Jesus that we can face our persecutors.  Our Brothers and Sisters in Christ who are experiencing the joy of the Lord in suffering for Him will receive a reward of great blessing.  The following report is from -

VOM News and Prayer Update: August 7, 2007

PAKISTAN
Pakistani Jail Officials Beat Christian, Halt Bible Classes – Compass Direct News
Pakistani officials have stopped all Bible classes for Christian prisoners in a Punjab jail, isolating an inmate who taught the classes and barring a local pastor from his weekly visits. Compass Direct News reports, “Protestant Pastor Munir Phool has been refused entry to Kasur city’s district jail for his weekly visits since June 25, when Catholic prisoner Dil Awaiz was put in a high-security cell and tortured. Awaiz told Phool that Muslim inmates became angry when a Christian prisoner drank from one of their water glasses. The authorities retaliated by forcing the Christian prisoner to drink out of a glass used for cleaning toilets. Later, the authorities had Awaiz beaten and thrown in a high-security cell and deprived contact with other Christian prisoners.” Pray for a speedy recovery for Awaiz and for Christians in Pakistan. Exodus 15:26, Isaiah 40:31

Taking the study of God’s Word is like taking away food from a hungry child.  Let’s pray that these Christian prisoners will be treated with more dignity and respect, as all humans should be treated.  Let’s also pray that they may renew their Bible classes, in order that they might fellowship together, and grow in the image and likeness of our Lord Jesus.