On Christmas night all Christians sing, to hear the news the angels bring. News of great joy, news of great mirth, news of our merciful King’s birth. Then why should Men on earth be sad, since our Redeemer made us glad; When from our sin He set us free, all for to gain our LIBERTY. When sin departs before His face, then life and health comes in it’s place. Angels and Men with joy may sing, for all to see the newborn King. And out of darkness we have Light, which made the angels sing this night. “Glory to God in highest Heav’n, now and forever more.” Amen! Now and forever more.” Amen! Now and forever more.” Amen! Sussex Carol Leviticus 14:14-17 teaches: “And the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and the priest shall put it upon the tip of the right ear of…
Healing at the Cross Posts
The love of many will wax cold — iniquity will abound. Men’s hearts will fail them for fear. Chilling love, hearts expire. Interesting it is, how heart and love go together. A heart holds the issue of life for a person and possibly that “go” is goodness and kindness. A man believes and embraces these noble attributes and holds them firm in his value system. But can that value system sustain him in the time of testing? Is that value system changeable? In a book by Carl H. Stevens, “cosmic loneliness,” our Pastor quotes Rollo May: he defines Anxiety as “the reaction to the threat to values one identifies with his existence as a self, ” “a person can meet anxiety to the extent that his Values are stronger than the threat.” Again from May, “man defines maturity as the holding of values, with no importance placed on the truth…
The continually present sense of one’s sins having been once for all forgiven, is the strongest stimulus to every grace. J.F.B. Psalm 130:3-4 teaches, ” If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.” In John 13:10 Jesus teaches this once-for-all accomplished cleansing of unbelievers at their new birth. “He that has been bathed (once for all) needs not save to wash his feet (of the soils contracted in the daily walk), but is clean every whit (in Christ our righteousness).” “Once purged (with Christ’s blood), we should have no more consciousness of sin (as condemning us, Hebrews 10:2, because of God’s promise).” All quotes, J.F.B. commentary. But Peter tells us in 2Peter 1:9 “some have forgotten that they were purged from their old sins.” Why? He continues, they “lack certain things, have become blind, cannot see…
He was a mere twig in an dry place. “We saw Him, and there was nothing in His appearance to make us desire Him, or feel attracted by Him.” He is disesteemed and vacant from men, a man of anguish and knowing grief. He was scorned and valued not.” Isaiah prophesized the coming Messiah in this way. but, “It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.” Corinthians teaches of His imposing death and consequent “sowing” in the ground — and then: “The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.” Jesus, would Himself teach us, “Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides alone: but…
The snow fell stilly on the frosted ground . The warm 33 degree air welcomed us to wonder at it, to frolic in it, to savor the beauty of it — we rejoiced at its purity and cleansing effect. It was the last Christmas celebration — an occasion for those ‘loving His appearing’ to remember Him, His birth, incarnation; God born a man! Soon we would transfer to where He is, and then new celebration would outweigh any previous, a thousand to one. Regardless, this last Christmas carries infamy. Haters of Christ have notified the world — Christmas will no longer be celebrated — it is against the law. Yes, Christmas offends too many world-citizens and must cease. Just as the Christ Child was brutally extinguished a short season after His birth, so, now His memory must be erased also. We eat our ham and applesauce with sobriety; we refrain…
I have good news and bad–First the bad. Angrily driven, my hatred propels me to unprecedented heights of mischief and pain-inflicting. Then, righting my wounded soul by raucous revenge, I hurt that which has so damaged my cause. My deeds are done. My world of entitlement returns for my enjoying. Who cares if my methods were not exactly legal? “The end justifies the means;” because power has been regained. Yes, power. To manipulate, to steal, to wield the axe of “freedom at everyone else’s expense.” Question? When the rambunctious radical gets what he or she so desires, what now drives him? When revenge finds its sweet release, do revengers turn into happy caring individuals again? I think not. Their ugly self-validated, psychologically justified souls, have spilled over for all to see. These have played the “hate card,” the same card that we all could play, but have dared not, as…
An age, a great block of time of almost 2000 years, will soon end! The dispensation of the grace of God runs from the time of Christ’s 33 year earthly visit, till His return. This specific age features a specific management, oversight, or administration — of God toward mankind. Paul the Apostle referred to this era as: ( the mystery of Christ) in other ages it was not made known unto the sons of men, is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. Gentiles can become fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ by the gospel: Paul’s purpose in the time-block: to preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery: that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold…
Much of mankind would never think of defeating sin in their own heart. Their rationale argues for its impossibility, sin powers its way. They feel, “God could never hold us responsible for our capitulations to such a force as sin.” In failing often, their heart hardens to the fight, then gives way to justifying their actions. As many join them in their new justifications, the lobby grows strong. The kingdom of darkness joins them, providing carefully constructed rational statements, (lies) to enable the downward spiral. With doctrines of demons, the need for God and Church dissipate. Christ and His glorious triumph over sin finds no consideration amongst those embracing the attractive suicide-bent. Their lives may experience some repercussion, but they press forward. Their martyrs carry the torch, as the masses blindly follow, hoping it all to be true. Friends, let us never forget that our old selves died with Him.…
Grace ain’t a leg to stand on — but comes running when all legs to stand on break. When all legs flounder, cannot hold up, fizzle and flop.. then comes grace. Grace exists the magic which changes hell to heaven, guilt to confidence, hurt to help, shame to innocence. Grace — “loves’ perfect transporter” — never fails. No not once! Yes, grace-upholden people fly without merit as a leg. If merit defined equals “the substance of a legal case apart from matters of jurisdiction, procedure, or form,” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ then the rational thinker feels this should be enough. For example, “Johnny kicked his brother, but because he is mostly a good boy, we will excuse him this time.” He was having a bad day, he was defending himself, etc. etc. That’s not grace. But, we must think in terms of “core:” That which determines composition, the conducting wire in an electric…
We watch and pray. The whole time trying to connect the dots, or piece together the significance of current events. Again and again we find solace in our God, who defines the immediate. Moment by moment we proceed, and that with patience. Revelation 14:12 speaks to us, “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” This statement is made in the wake of the announcement: “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” Revelation 14:8 In this passage a great city pushed forward “fornication” to the point of infecting all nations, and so bringing God’s wrath on all. (the whole world?) “…and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of…