GraceNTheTruth@ COX.NET~OUR ASSURANCES UNDER GRACE

And So Shall We Ever Be With The Lord"*
*Part Eight of Nine*
*By Keith Blades*
*

*
*The Perfection and Fullness of Christ's Pervading Presence*
*

At this present time we possess only a measure of the fulness of
Christ's pervading presence as the head of His body. Wherefore we can
only experience, respond to, and appreciate the measure that we
presently have. And the fact that we presently possess only a measure of
this fulness is only natural. For this is perfectly in accord not only
with the conditions that are presently imposed upon our sonship status,
edification, and life; but it is also perfectly in accord with the fact
that we do not yet have 'the redemption of our bodies. '

Now it will not be until our bodies are redeemed, and we are manifested
as God's "sons," that we will actually possess the fulness of Christ's
pervading presence as the head of His body, and will be in the position
to experience it and appreciate it. This, therefore, means that it will
not be until God concludes this present dispensation of His grace with
the rapture of the church that we will possess the fulness of Christ's
pervading presence, and will begin to experience the effects of its fulness.

However when our bodies are re deemed and we do possess the fulness of
Christ's pervading presence as the head of His body, this is what will
provide for us to "ever be with the Lord" even though we will be in the
heavenly places.

*
*The Redemption of Our Bodies*
*

There are numerous changes that will take place when our bodies are
redeemed. In fact as Paul deals with the issue of the resurrection of
the dead in I Corinthians 15, he sets forth 5 general categories of
changes that will occur, with a number of changes belonging to each
category. Hence he says...

42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it
is raised in in-corruption: 43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in
glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: 44 It is sown a
natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body,
and there is a spiritual body. 45 And so it is written, The first man
Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is
natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. 47 The first man is of
the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As is the
earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such
are they also that are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of
the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. (I Corinthians
15:42-49)

Each of these categories of change is glorious to consider. Yet the one
that is most germane to our subject is the fifth one - i.e. the change
in our bodies that will have us 'bearing the image of the heavenly,' and
that thereby will make us physically fit to both reside in, and function
in, the heavenly places.

Within this final category of change, the particular change that we need
to take note of is the one that provides for us to possess and enjoy the
fulness of Christ's pervading presence as the head of His body. And Paul
has reason to cite this particular change later on in II Corinthians 5.
He cites it as part of his description of how the doctrine of the
redemption of our body effectually works within us to enable 'the eyes
of our understanding' to 'look at the things which are not seen,' and
thereby enable us to confidently face and endure the threat of death in
a godly manner. Wherefore Paul says...

1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were
dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands,
eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be
clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: 3 If so be that being
clothed we shall not be found naked. 4 For we that are in this
tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed,
but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. 5 Now he
that hath wrought us for this selfsame thing is God, who also hath given
unto us the earnest of the Spirit. 6 Therefore we are always confident,
knowing that whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the
Lord: 7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 8 We are confident, I say,
and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with
the Lord. (II Corinthians 5:1-8)

As Paul says, our present bodies are "our earthly house of this
tabernacle." Yet when they are redeemed we will have "a building of God,
an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." Then our bodies
will be fit to reside "in the heavens" in accordance with our vocation
in the heavenly places as God's "new creature."

However since our present bodies are "our earthly house of this
tabernacle," this not only means that right now they are unfit to exist
"in the heavens," but it also means that they are not capable of fully
possessing, sensing, or responding to the issue of the Lord's pervading
presence as the head of His body. And this is one of the reasons why
Paul says that "whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from
the Lord. "

And So Shall We Ever Be With The Lord"*
*Part Seven of Nine*
*By Keith Blades*

Now this is the way it is with our own body. Disregarding the issue of
any corruptive effects from "the bondage of corruption," our own head
has this pervading and permeating presence throughout our body. And each
and every member of our body 'feels its presence' equally, and knows
that it is 'in the head's presence.'

Mechanically- speaking the pervading and permeating presence of our head
throughout our body is a function of our inner self; that is, of our
spirit/soul complex; the immaterial part of our being; our inner man. In
being what it is, our inner man possesses the God-designed capacity to
be in real, functional, and equal contact with each and every member of
our body. Our inner man is functionally and equally joined to each and
every member of our body, and thereby is able to functionally and
equally live in, (and express itself in and through), each and every member.

Simply put, therefore, our spirit/soul within us provides for the
pervasive and permeating presence of our head throughout our entire
body. This in turn makes it so that each and every member of our body is
not only in the immediate presence of its head, regardless of where it
is located in the body, but each and every member also senses that it is
in the head's presence.
*
*The Parallel*
*
This remarkable capacity for the head to pervade the body with its
presence also exists in "the body of Christ." And as the spirit of a man
provides the mechanical means for the head's presence to pervade and
permeate throughout a person's body, so also does the Spirit of God
provide for this to be so in "the church, the body of Christ."

Wherefore as "the head of the body, the church" that He is, the Lord
Jesus Christ's presence pervades His body, and it is brought to bear
upon each and every member of the body through the function and ministry
of the Holy Spirit. For having been "baptized into one body" by the
Spirit, the Holy Spirit is not only the former of "the body of Christ,"
but He is also its 'adjoining spirit.' He is responsible for uniting
each and every member to the head, and each and every member to each
other, as well as being responsible for producing the effects of our
living-union- relationship, both during this present dispensation and in
the future.

**

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*
*Eph 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, *
*which from the beginning of the world *
*hath been hid in God,*
*who created all things by Jesus Christ*

*Truth can't be judged on the basis of popularity. *

And So Shall We Ever Be With The Lord"*
*Part Six of Nine*
*By Keith Blades*
*
Now these basic, yet remarkable things that pertain to the issue of us
being "members one of another," (along with others like them), are what
we are taught to understand and appreciate first and foremost about "the
body of Christ." And naturally so. For they are fundamental and integral
to our proper functioning as the members of "the body of Christ" right
now, and also they are integral to our vocational training for what is
yet to come. Besides this they are also the easiest and most obvious of
the body's features and capacities for us to understand, appreciate, and
put into operation. Hence they come first.
However as remarkable as these elementary 'member-to-member' features
and capacities are, they certainly are not the only remarkable
capacities of a body. There are others, especially those we are taught
about later on in our edification that pertain to the head of the body.
And of those that pertain to the head, the ones that involve the head's
unique relationship to, and interaction with, each member of the body
are especially significant and fascinating.
One such capacity is how it is that each of the members of a body are
equally 'in touch,' so to speak, with its head, and are also equally
sensing the head's presence, regardless of where it is located in the body.
In fact this is one of the most remarkable capacities belonging to the
head. And it is experienced and enjoyed by each one of the members of a
body, and also by the head itself. What's more, it is a capacity that
also exists with us in "the body of Christ." As such it has a direct
bearing upon our ability to "ever be with the Lord" from the time of the
rapture on, even though we will be residing in the heavenly places in
accordance with our heavenly vocation.
*
*A Head's Pervading Presence In A Body*
*
Because of what the head of a body is, it possesses a capacity that is
uniquely commensurate with its name and its position. Being the head,
the force of its presence exists throughout the whole body, touching as
it does every member, and also being sensed by every member. Wherefore a
head pervades the entire body with its being. There is no member that
does not know that it is there, and there is no member that does not
know that it is the head.
Moreover each and every member of a body is equally 'in touch' with its
head. For the head recognizes and knows the role and value of each
member of its body, and it purposefully maintains direct, constant, and
fully sensed contact with each and every member. As such each and every
member of a body fully 'feels the presence,' so to speak, of its head,
and it thereby knows that it is in constant, personal contact with the head.
Furthermore this is true in spite of where each member of a body is
located in the body. As far as a head's pervading presence is concerned,
the proximity of a member to the head is not an advantage, nor is its
distance from the head a disadvantage. A head's pervading presence
within its body transcends any physical factor. There are no barriers to
its pervasive and permeating presence, nor any limitations on it.
Wherefore in essence a head's presence within its body is omnipresent,
with each and every member equally aware of its presence, as well as
being appreciative of it and responsive to it.

The Word of God is so needed in our world today, especially in our own
USA, if this devotion has been a blessing and encouragement to you, pass
it on to a friend.

*"And So Shall We Ever Be With The Lord"*
*Part Five of Nine*
*By Keith Blades*
*

Now this is not just some theological concept. Nor is it some abstract,
ethereal type relationship that only exists as virtual reality, or as
imagery, but without real substance. Instead it is a genuine, real,
living relationship, and an organic union, just as we are taught in
Romans 12, and just as Paul describes to the Corinthian saints when he
says...

12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of
that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be
Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to
drink into one Spirit. (I Corinthians 12:12-13)

So it is then that in creating "the body of Christ" - i.e. this new and
different living-union- relationship -God has created a new living
entity, or a new life form, so to speak. One that possesses all of the
essential attributes and functions of the original "creature," with the
result that it can be His "new creature."

Wherefore being God's "new creature" we indeed have both a heavenly
residence and a heavenly vocation in God's plan and purpose. Hence when
God concludes this present dispensation of His grace He not only will
'rapture' us "to meet the Lord in air" n accordance with His promise to
deliver us from the wrath to come, but He will also 'rapture' us in
accordance with providing for us to assume our heavenly vocation as His
"new creature."

Moreover in full accordance with the issue of our inheritance, and with
His own future plans, God has designed for us to stay in the heavenly
places; to reside there. Even when He Himself and the Lord Jesus Christ
are residing on the earth in fulfillment of His purpose for the earth,
and in fulfillment of His program with Israel.

Now even though this will be so, once again it will not be any
impediment whatsoever to us 'ever being with the Lord.' For since we
have this new and special living-union- relationship with the Lord Jesus
Christ, and with one another; (that is, because we are the members of
"the body of Christ" and "members one of another"); we will be able to
both occupy the heavenly places and "ever be with the Lord" at the exact
same time. For this very capacity is one of the remarkable features of a
body.

*
*The Remarkable Features of A Body*
*

There are many unique features, characteristics, abilities, capacities,
and the like, belonging to a body. And especially is this so regarding
the individual members that make up a body. As the composite organism
that it is, a body is an intricate union of a variety of different
members with their different features and abilities, which being
governed by a head mutually function for the good of the whole body, and
for the purpose of accomplishing the desires of the head. A body,
therefore, is a corporate entity and it functions as such.

For this reason when we are taught to understand and appreciate the
workings of our special living-union- relationship with Christ and with
one another in "the body of Christ," they are taught to us on the basis
of the natural parallel that exists with our own physical bodies. For
the individual members of our own bodies, being the collective members
of a body that they are, possess the same type of
living-union- relationship one with another as we have with the Lord
Jesus Christ and each other. In accordance with this, we are naturally
first of all taught to understand and appreciate such remarkable things
as the ingenious and mutually profitable interactions that the
individual members of a body are designed to have one with another, and
how that the members are designed to function for the benefit of the
whole body. Wherefore in Romans and I Corinthians we are taught such
things as...

4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the
same office:
5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one
of another. (Romans 12:4-5)
14 For the body is not one member, but many.
15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the
body; is it therefore not of the body?
16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the
body; is it therefore not of the body?'
17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole
were hearing, where were the smelling?
18 But now hath God set the members everyone of them in the body, as it
hath pleased him.
19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?
20 But now are they many members, yet but one body. (I Corinthians 12:14-20)

*"And So Shall We Ever Be With The Lord"*
*Part Four of Nine*
*By Keith Blades*
*
*The Remarkable Creation of The "New Creature"*
*
In Romans 8, (and as part of our sonship establishment) , God teaches us
to understand and appreciate the basics regarding our heavenly vocation
in His plan and purpose. He teaches us that in accordance with His now
revealed plan for also delivering "the creature" from the bondage of
corruption and not just the earth, He has purposed that we are to be His
"new creature," and that thereby we will be the means by which "the
creature" will get delivered and its realm will become reconciled unto God.
Then after having established us as His "sons," (and as we begin going
through the curriculum for our sonship edification and for our
vocational training), God also begins to teach us about something else
that is directly connected to our capacity to function as His "new
creature." Something that specifically provides for us to fulfill this
unique vocation.
Beginning in Romans chapter 12 God begins to teach us about the new and
different and special kind of living-union- relation- ship that we in this
present dispensation have both with the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and
also with each other, whereby He has made us fit to be able to actually
function as His "new creature." As such, this new and different
living-union- relationship has been specifically designed by God to
perfectly suit the particular vocation that He has for us in His plan
and purpose. It, therefore, has been tailor-made by God for us in this
present dispensation, and also it has been tailor-made for our heavenly
vocation. Hence it truly does provide us with the mechanical means and
capacity to fulfill our heavenly vocation.
Now this new and different and special living-union- relationship that we
have with the Lord Jesus Christ, and with one another, is the issue of
us being "one body in Christ" and also being "members one of another."
It is the result of God Himself Iegally identifying us with, and
associating us with, the Lord Jesus Christ, who in connection with His
now revealed inheritance as God the Father's "firstborn" has both
received dominion over "the creature" and is the legal heir of its realm.
What's more, having legally identified us with Christ as such, God has
also legally joined us to Christ as the 'head of the creature' that He
now is. Whereby He has made it so that we can legally be incorporated
into "the creature," with both the right to occupy its realm and to
assume its function.
Now our legal identification with Christ, and our legal joining to
Christ, have been accomplished by the Holy Ghost Himself. Who when He
baptized us "into Christ" not only made us 'dead to sin and alive unto
God,' but He also created the vitally necessary and living bond of
genuine union between us and the Lord, as well as between each of us
collectively, which enables us to mechanically function as "the new
creature." Hence by the Holy Spirit God has organically joined us to the
Lord Jesus Christ as the 'head of the creature' that He now is, and He
has also organically joined us one to another.
Wherefore in this present dispensation of His grace God has indeed
created, (and He has put us into), a new and different and special
living-union- relationship with His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. For the
sake of being able to make it so that we can function as His "new
creature" God has both created this new living-union- relationship, and
by it He has made it so that we are "one body in Christ," and we are
also "members one of another."
*
*Truth can't be judged on the basis of popularity.
*GraceNTheTruth@ COX.NET*

*"And So Shall We Ever Be With The Lord"*
*Part 3 of 9*
*By Keith Blades*

This seeming incongruity is also some-thing that is often latched on to
by ones who either do not 'rightly divide the word of truth,' or who
deny that we have a heavenly vocation. They use it to say that we cannot
have a heavenly vocation, (or at least not a permanent one), and that
therefore we will not be residing in, or occupying, the heavenly places.
For as they say, 'Since Paul says that we will "ever be with the Lord";
and since the Lord will be coming back to establish His kingdom and to
reside on the earth, just as the prophets teach; then obviously we will
not be staying in the heavenly places. Rather we will have to come back
with the Lord to the earth and we will be with Him on the earth in His
kingdom. For this is the only way that we can "ever be with the Lord. "

Thus it is that this particular "blessed" truth -"and so shall we ever
be with the Lord" - seems to pose a problem.

*
*Not Really Puzzling At All*

However what appears at first to be puzzling or incongruous, is really
not so at all. It only seems so. In other words it only seems that our
heavenly residence and vocation would be an impediment to, or would be
inconsistent with, the issue of us 'ever being with the Lord.' But in
truth this is not the case at all. For in view of who we are as God's
"new creature," God has actually made it so that we can "ever be with
the Lord" even though the Lord will be residing on the earth and we will
be residing in the heavenly places.

In fact this amazing and remarkable capacity is actually part of the
astounding glory that belongs to us as God's "new creature" and as the
members of "the church, body of Christ" that we are.

Now doctrinally- speaking, as we progress through the curriculum for our
sonship edification, the knowledge of this remarkable capacity is
something that we are given to understand and appreciate long before we
ever come to the final details about the rapture that are set forth to
us in I Thessalonians. Hence we are expected to have learned about this
remarkable capacity, and to be familiar with it, beforehand.

Wherefore in order to 'solve this puzzle' we at least need to have a
basic appreciation for this remarkable capacity. And for this we must
make sure that we understand some of the fundamental things that God
teaches us about who we are in His plan and purpose as His "new creature."

*

*"And So Shall We Ever Be With The Lord"*
*Part 2 of 9*
*By Keith Blades*
*Blessed, Yet Some Times A Bit Puzzling*
There are, however, some issues about the rapture that some times can
seem a bit puzzling, especially when they make us wonder either why they
will occur, or exactly what their full purpose might be. For example,
the reason for "the voice of the archangel" some times puzzles folks.
Likewise some matters can even cause a bit of consternation, because at
first they might not seem to naturally fit in with the event. Or they
might not seem to be fully consistent with some other things that we are
taught to understand and appreciate, either about ourselves as the
church the body of Christ that we are, or about this present
dispensation of God's grace in which we live.
However more times than not whenever such things puzzle us it is because
we do not fully or clearly understand all that we should. This is
especially so whenever we are puzzled by information that is given to us
at the end of a doctrine. Or if it is information that completes a
doctrine, rather than begins it; as is the case with the information in
I Thessalonians 4.
One such issue in the doctrine of the rapture that some times puzzles
folks is what Paul states at the end of I Thessalonians 4:17. As Paul
concludes describing the mechanics of the rapture he says...
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with
them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be
with the Lord. (I Thessalonians 4:17)
Now when Paul ends this verse by saying "and so shall we ever be with
the Lord," at first thought this might not seem to convey anything that
could be construed as being the least bit puzzling. After all having
believed "the gospel of Christ" we have received justification unto
eternal life and personal, permanent reconciliation to God. This then
makes it so that we are able to live together with God forever. And is
not this simply what Paul is saying will be what we will experience from
the rapture on?
However when you think about what Paul says in the light of the
knowledge of who we are in God's plan and purpose, (i.e. not simply
being justified unto eternal life, but also being the members of God's
"new creature," the church the body of Christ), then the issue of us
'ever being with the Lord' from the time of the rapture on can seem to
pose a problem. For in being God's "new creature" we are taught that we
have a heavenly vocation in God's plan and purpose. We are taught that
in accordance with the revelation of "the mystery of Christ" we are
going to be used by God for His reconciliation of the heavenly places
back to Himself. As such, therefore, we are going to be occupying the
heavenly places, being God's "new creature."
Now add to this the fact that God will resume His program with Israel on
this earth when the rapture of the church occurs, and you can begin to
see where the puzzlement comes in. For when God resumes His program with
Israel the Lord will return to the earth at the concluding portion of
His day of wrath. At which time the Lord will then establish both His
residence and His kingdom on this earth. In so doing He will dwell on
the earth forever, just as He has purposed to do all along, and just as
He has prophesied that He will do.
Wherefore the puzzlement is this: How is it that we can't ever be with
the Lord' from the rapture on, when we will be occupying the heavenly
places and He will be on the earth? How can we be said to be 'with Him'
when we are not on the earth, and therefore are not physically in His
presence on the earth?
*
The Word of God is so needed in our world today, especially in our own
USA, if this devotion has been a blessing and encouragement to you, pass
it on to a friend.
*THOUGHT FOR THIS WEEK
**While we are to be encouragers
to each other,
only Jesus can look into the hidden corners of our hearts and see the
tears, frustrations, heartaches, loneliness, terror and agony that we
keep hidden from people.
Only Jesus can heal a broken heart and restore our joy.
-- Joanne Lowe*
*GraceNTheTruth@ COX.NET*

And So Shall We Ever Be With The Lord"*
*Part 1 of 9*
*By Keith Blades*
*
In I Thessalonians 4:13-18 God has the apostle Paul set before us some
final details and pieces of information for our edification regarding
the nature of the event that will conclude this present dispensation of
His grace - the rapture of the church.
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning
them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no
hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them
also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto
you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the
coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the
Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of
the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall
rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up
together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so
shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with
these words. (I Thessalonians 4:13-18)
When we understand and appreciate what Paul sets forth here, these final
details provide for us to have the full measure of comprehension that
God wants us to have for our "blessed hope." These final pieces of
information primarily pertain to the further knowledge that we need to
have about the mechanics of the rapture, as well as what we need to
understand about the effects of its all-inclusive nature as it
encompasses both those who have already died and so "sleep in Jesus,"
and those "which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord."
Now when we consider the complete doctrine of our "blessed hope,"
it is easy to understand why it is called our "blessed hope." For every
detail is "blessed" indeed. Whether we are considering the simple fact
of it, or the issue of our confident hope of it, or what it delivers us
from, or the redemption of our body in connection with it, or the glory
of the coming of the Lord, or of our being caught up to meet Him in the
air, or whatever detail it might be, each is a thrill for us to consider
and a joy to know.
Moreover the very nature of the doctrine itself, along with how it
works within us, is also "blessed." For not only is each and every
detail "blessed" to think about, but each one also purposefully makes a
particular kind of thrilling impact upon us. In other words, each one is
designed by God to effectually work within us in a particular way.
For instance, some details of the doctrine of the rapture are
designed to fill us with the thrill of anticipation for it, while others
are designed to produce comfort and consolation. Some specifically work
to generate patience within us, while others are designed to help shape
our godly perspective. Some of them even stretch the limits of our
understanding, giving us further insight into our heavenly vocation in
God's plan and purpose, while others specifically work together with
this further insight and thereby help keep our hearts and minds focused
upon what really matters in this present life.
Collectively, therefore, all of the information that is contained
in the doctrine of the rapture is "blessed" for what it does, as it
ranges far and wide throughout the scope of our godly edifying. In fact
the complete doctrine of the rapture has some of the most far-reaching
and multifaceted capabilities of any of the forms of doctrine in the
curriculum for our godly edification in this present dispensation. Its
overall effectual working within us is designed by God to be very
extensive, spanning as it does the entirety of our godly edification
from beginning to end. As such 'roots' are located in "the gospel of
Christ" itself, and then all of the various 'fruits' of its progressive
effectual working within us are designed to benefit us at every stage,
and every step of the way, in the progress of our edification. Even
benefiting us right up to and including the time of our death, (if we
die before God ends this dispensation) , as well as at the very rapture
itself.
Wherefore the complete doctrine of our "blessed hope" is
"blessed" indeed, both in its details and in the way in which each one
of them is designed to effectually work within us.

The Word of God is so needed in our world today, especially in our own
USA, if this devotion has been a blessing and encouragement to you, pass
it on to a friend.

*GraceNTheTruth@ COX.NET*

DO-IT-YOURSELF SOUL WINNING" *
*Part 3 of 3 *
*

Next, it is necessary to know what the gospel is:

We live in an age of deception. Satan is doing all he can to keep people
from hearing the true gospel of Christ (2 Cor. 4:4). One of the methods
he has employed is the use of false gospels (Paul warned the Corinthian
believers of this very fact - 2 Cor. 11:2-4). Radio and television are
full of preachers proclaiming a wide variety of gospels, many which are
corrupted by Satan himself. A false gospel is proclaimed where church
membership ceremonies and sacraments are imposed in order for one to
gain any hope of Heaven upon their death. Still others speak of good
works, benevolence, positive thinking and kindness as being the way. But
these all fall short (Rom. 3:23; Isa. 64:6; Eph. 2:8-9) and will not
provide a moment of time spent in Heaven. Great religious leaders die
and immediately their goodness is proclaimed and the statement is made
that they are surely now in the very presence of God. But this is
decreed upon them for their goodness, religious service, and social
positions, not because of any deep-held faith in the meritorious work of
Christ alone. There are increasing numbers of people whose minds have
been clouded into thinking that all religions are basically the same and
that there is little, if any, difference. This philosophy has caused
many a child of God to pull back from sharing the gospel with a loved
one or a coworker because "they go to church" or "they're pretty
religious - they must already be saved."

The gospel is simply the declaration of the work of Christ on behalf of
condemned sinners (I Cor. 15:1-4; Rom. 10:9-10; Eph. 1:12-13). The
following outline sets forth a simple approach to sharing the gospel
with any individual:

The first hurdle in soul winning is getting the person lost. This may
sound strange hearing this, but most people, especially the affluent,
see no need of a Savior in a life filled with everything they could ever
desire. Most people believe themselves to be basically good, honest
citizens who never committed murder, robbed a bank or cheated on their
spouse. Using the Ten Commandments as a basic outline of God's righteous
standard, it is easy to show people how they have stolen (even a paper
clip or pencil is stealing), lied (most will admit to a "white lie"),
and used the Lord's name in vain. By this simple comparison, it is easy
to show that the person has fallen short of God's standard of
righteousness and is deserving of eternal punishment. >From here you
move into a presentation of what God the Father did through the person
of His Son Jesus Christ on the behalf of sinful man. The following chart
is given as a sample of the gospel and its various points:

1. Man has a need (Rom. 3: 10-18,23; 5: 12).
2. Sin has a penalty (Rom. 6:23).
3. God made a provision (Rom. 5:8).
· Christ died for sinners (Rom. 5:6-10; 3:24-25).
· Christ was buried and rose again to save sinners
(Rom. 4:25).
· Christ lives to save sinners (Heb. 7:25).
4. Man must respond (Rom. 10:9-10).
5. God is faithful to save (Rom. 10:13).

I would strongly urge you to become a soul winner: The writer of
Proverbs wrote, "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he
that winneth souls is wise. " I believe that the Rapture of the Church
grows nearer with each passing day and, thus, the urgency of the hour
grows stronger and stronger. The clock of opportunity is ticking and the
door of invitation is open wide. But soon it will close and all those
left behind who have heard and rejected the gospel of Christ will be
doomed to a Christless eternity in the Lake of Fire. Do you believe in a
literal Heaven? Do you believe in a literal Hell? Then be a soul winner
for the Lord Jesus Christ and stand fast upon the Word of God - rightly
divided. Don't leave it up to the professional - do it yourself - it's
your responsibility!


Should this Inspirational be a blessing and encouragement to you, why
not send to a friend, coworker or, to your loved one who maybe defending
the USA. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world. It is our
heart at GRACE AND THE TRUTH and mission to reach as many people as we
possibly can TO SHARE with them the Word of God and all that the Lord
Jesus Christ has done for members of the body of Christ.

"May God, Whose grace is irresistible and
all sufficient, be glorified!"
*GraceNTheTruth@ COX.NET*

DO-IT-YOURSELF SOUL WINNING
Part 1 of 3
BY EVANGELIST JOEl MCGARVEY
As our caravan continues its journey in ministry over the summer and
fall, I continue to share in many of the churches I visit the two-fold
challenge of soul winning and standing true and firm for the Word of God
rightly divided. It is in the message of God's Grace that we find the
Gospel of the Grace of God and the only message that can save today;
therefore, I have been encouraging the saints to be soul winners. By
using the term "soul winning" I do not mean to indicate some sort of
sporting event or attempting to put notches in one's belt. The term
"soul winning" is used exclusively to describe the work of evangelism,
or the preaching of the Gospel of the Grace of God to individuals in a
lost and dying world. The one thing that I, or any individual, must
always keep in mind when sharing the Gospel is that he or she is merely
the one who plants or waters - it is the Holy Spirit Who is the real
soul winner (1 Cor. 3 :6-7).
Over the years, and now in my travels, I have seen, and continue to see,
an alarming trend among believers toward a philosophy of
"professionalism. " When the roof needs to be repaired, a roofer is
called; when a sink backs up, a call is placed to a plumber. The same is
seen in the area of soul winning and much of the work of the Lord. Souls
need to be saved soooo...call the preacher! In my years of ministry, I
can't begin to count how many times I received a phone call on Saturday
evening informing me that an unsaved friend or relative would be
attending church in the morning and so I was asked to really preach the
gospel hard. I didn't mind, and usually included a gospel presentation
in all of my messages anyway, but it was the thought behind the request
that often bothered me. The saints don't visit the sick and shut-ins
(except close family)... "That's the preacher's job." People don't
witness, as they should... "That's why we pay the preacher." The idea of
"professionalism" is one of Satan's little lies he has successfully used
to keep the saints of God content and quiet. If you silence the army,
who is left to fight?
Time is short and there is no time to call the professional. What the
Church of Christ needs today is some "do-it-yourselfers. " The Acts of
the Apostles written by Luke records the activities that took place
following the stoning of Stephen. "Therefore they that were scattered
abroad went everywhere preaching the word" (Acts 8:4). Some may read
this verse and think that the work going on here was the work of the
"professionals" - the Apostles; but that was not the case. According to
the opening verse of the chapter, the "professionals" had remained in
Jerusalem. "...And they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions
of Judea and Samaria, except the Apostles" (Acts 8: I). The Apostle Paul
writes how God had given the office of the pastor/teacher (Eph. 4: 11)
and then proceeds to set forth its function, or purpose - "For the
perfecting [equipping] of the saints" (Eph. 4:12a). The Biblical purpose
of the pastor/teacher (the "professional" ) has little to do with what
man has made it and everything to do with the proclamation and teaching
of the Word of God to the saints of God. It is his responsibility to
train the saints in the Scriptures. But for what reason is this training
to be accomplished? The Apostle continues with the word "for" which
introduces the next result clause, "...the work of the ministry. "
The ministry that God has given to His Church is two-fold in nature. The
first is the "ministry of reconciliation" (2 Cor. 5: 18), and the second
is "to make all men see what is the fellowship of the Mystery" (Eph.
3:9). Let me illustrate Ephesians 4:11-12 in the following manner in an
attempt to give it clarity.
Eph. 4:11- "And He gave some, apostles; and some prophets; and some,
evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers. "
Eph. 4:12 - "For [introduces the result clause] (1) the perfecting of
the saints ...
for [introduces another result clause] (2) the work of the ministry...
for (yet another result clause] (3) the edifying of the Body of Christ. "
You see, God gives the pastor/teacher for the purpose of perfecting
(equipping, training) the saints. That is why the Apostle Paul
instructed the pastor to "feed the Church of God" (Acts 20:28). The word
translated "perfecting" is used many ways in Scripture. One of those
ways is found in Hebrews 10:5, where it speaks of preparing. The farmer
prepares the ground for planting. A meal is prepared for consumption.
The child of God is to be prepared for service. This perfecting is then
carried out to the end that the saints do the work of the ministry which
is sharing the Gospel, making all men see the Mystery, and caring for
one another. All of this is done for the purpose of edifying, or
building up (strengthening and expanding) the Body of Christ.
*
*THOUGHT *
**God never promises to remove us from our struggles.He does promise,
however, to change the way we look at them.
Max Lucado
Our Purpose and Mission
The ministry of "Grace and The Truth" has the purpose of encouraging
Christians to believe what God says.
We read in Ephesians. 1:18 "The eyes of your understanding being
enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what
the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints," and in
Colossians 2:2 " That their hearts might be comforted, being knit
together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of
understanding, to the acknowledgment (epignosis) true knowledge of the
mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ".
We are dedicated to helping Christians to a fuller knowledge of Him, and
the Grace of God. Until we all come into the Unity, Ephesians 4:13 "Till
we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son
of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the
fullness of Christ:"

DO-IT-YOURSELF SOUL WINNING" *
*Part 2 of 3*
* BY EVANGELIST JOEl MCGARVEY*
*

The word "edifying" has the idea of structure or building up. We use the
same word today in relation to a building when we speak of its edifice.
The edifying of the Church (the Body of Christ) is carried out in two
distinct areas, each one important. First is the area of soul winning.
As saints of God share the gospel, unbelievers are brought to a saving
knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and, thus, the Body of Christ is
built up, or expanded. Some speak negatively about this and make the
accusation that we're only interested in numbers. Well, friends, soul
winning is never about increasing church membership or gaining a
following; it is only about where a soul will spend eternity - Heaven or
Hell! But in the scheme of things, souls are people and people are often
counted (numbers). Hence, edifying the Body of Christ includes
increasing its size or number of members. Second, edifying the Church
has to do with the education, or the training of the flock. This is the
primary role of the pastor/teacher. It is his function to train or equip
the saints in the Word of God so that they may in turn take the gospel
to a lost and dying world and also have an answer for the things that
come their way each day. It is the responsibility of the pastor/teacher
to equip the saints in the Word of God "rightly divided" - so that they
can be rooted, grounded and established in the faith (Col. 2:6-8). The
failure on the part of the pastor/teacher to do both of these is the
failure to carry out his God-given responsibility.

This two-fold ministry is given to all of the saints and it is the
function, or purpose of the pastor/teacher to equip or train the saints
to carry it out. The preacher is not paid simply to alleviate the saints
of their God-given responsibilities. The work of the ministry belongs to
everyone. It was received that day you took Christ as your Savior.
People will request prayer for an unsaved loved one but never stop and
really share the gospel with them. They may mention to the individual
how thankful they have been to know the Lord and how He has blessed
their life. Now while all of that is true, that is not sharing the
gospel. The saints of God must awake, arise and begin to do what God has
called them to do. "For He saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted,
and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the
accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (2 Cor. 6:2).

As the days of our summer travels slow down, and the Grace Revival for
Evangelism VI draws near (October 4-7 in Branson, MO at the Stonecroft
Conference Center), I wanted to take this space to encourage you in your
daily walk to be a soul winner. Don't leave it up to the so-called
"professional. " Do what God has called upon all of His children to do -
share the gospel of Christ with others.

To do this, I want to quickly set forth what I believe to be the gospel
(if we're to share the saving gospel of Christ, we need to know what
that gospel is) and present a quick outline of some "do's" and "don'ts"
of soul winning.

Soul winning is not:

I. A system of human effort or good behavior carried out for the
purpose of gaining the favor of God;
2. Seeking people to add to a church membership drive or the
following of religious ceremonies (Titus 3:5-6; Eph. 2:8-9); or
3. Rehabilitation, redevelopment or reformation (Rom. 3:9-12;
10, 13).

Soul winning is:

1. The engagement of unbelievers in conversation, and communicating to
them a clear presentation of the saving gospel (Acts 17:2,17; 18:4,19;
19:8-9); and
2 . Presenting the truth in a clear and systematic fashion by use of
the Scriptures (Acts 17:3).



*GraceNTheTruth@ COX.NET*

NO FADS AND FASHIONS HERE*
*By Pastor Paul Hume*
*

Scripture Reading: Mal. 3:6; Rom. 11:29; Jas. 1:17

It's really amusing to review the changes in men's and women's apparel
over the years! Remember the longer fuller dresses which women wore
just a few years ago at the outbreak of World War II? Remember the wide
flowery neckties men wore in the mid-40's? Behold! How the hemline on
feminine clothing has risen! How narrow men's ties became just a few
years ago, and how wide they have suddenly become now! What will develop
next? You never really know!

But not so with the Person of the blessed Godhead! Our Triune God is
ever "young" and perfectly changeless. This is what the theologians call
"the immutability of God." God is unchangeable. He is "the same,
yesterday, today, and unto the ages." Therefore the Scriptures liken Him
and His beloved Son unto. "the Rock" (Deut. 32:4, I Cor. 10:4).

He is immutable in His essence. "I am the Lord, I change not." Why?
Simply because He is the only One in all the universe who can ever
state, "I am that I am" (Ex. 3:14). "He is altogether uninfluenced by
the flight of time. There is no wrinkle upon the brow of eternity." (A.
W. Pink)

He is immutable in His attributes. Semper idem __always the same - is
written over every attribute of our blessed God and Savior: His
righteousness, holiness, His truth, His mercy, and His love. There-fore
His blessed written Word is "forever settled in heaven" (Psa. 119:89).
Think of that: "forever SETTLED..."! !

His purpose is immutable. "The Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying...as I
have purposed, so shall it stand... For the Lord of hosts hath purposed,
and who shall annul it?" (Isa.14:24,27) . Praise the Lord! May we echo
with Frederick Faber:


*O Lord! my heart is sick*
*Sick of this everlasting change;*
*And life runs tediously quick*
*Through its unresting race and varied range;*
*Change finds no likeness to itself in Thee,*
*And wake's no echo in Thy mute Eternity.*
*

Are you linked, by faith through the Holy Spirit, to this unchangeable One?

*God doesn't call the qualified. *
*He qualifies the ones He calls!*

ENEMIES OF GOD AND WORSHIPERS OF SATAN*
*by C. R. Stam *
"...we were enemies..." (Rom. 5:10).
"...the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe
not..." (II Cor. 4:4).
Many religious but unsaved people will not accept the fact that they are
enemies of God, and fail to understand why the Bible should insist that
they are. But the God who says that they are sinners, worthy of
everlasting judgment; that their only hope of salvation lies in the One
who poured out His life’s blood to pay the penalty for their sins --
this God, the God of the Bible, they cannot abide. Let one of His
servants tell them what He says about them and they are insulted. When
this God, the true God, refuses to accept their "good" works or their
"righteous" conduct they react like Cain, of whom we read: "And Cain was
very wroth, and his countenance fell" (Gen. 4:5). They simply will not
bow to this God, and their attitude betrays their enmity against Him.
But why will they not turn away from their self-righteousness and trust
in Christ, who died for their sins?
Simply because they worship Satan, "the god of this age," who "hath
blinded the minds of those who believe not." Worship Satan? This too is
hard for the unregenerate man to believe about himself. As he has his
own conception of God, he also has his own conception of Satan -- a
wrong one.
Unbelievers do not know that the real Satan, the Satan of the Bible, has
a vast wardrobe and, in this dispensation of grace, doubtless appears
most often as "an angel of light" with "ministers of righteousness" (II
Cor. 11:14,15). This Satan they do indeed worship. They adore him, and
try to live by his precepts, convinced that the way to salvation is to
do and be good.

*Love The Truth*
*I love the truth. *
*I hate a lie.*
*Living a lie, we will die.*
*Jesus gave us the word of God.*
*The word of God is truth.*
*The word of God has set us free.*
*I was once blind, now I see.*
*For the grace of God has saved us.*
*I praise the Lord for this grace he hath set us free.*
*Jesus is the truth and the light.*
*He gave us life. *
*His Glory is so Bright.*
*For the Glory goes to Jesus Christ.*
*Let's not let be taken away.*
*My Country 'Tis of Thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing; land
where my fathers died, *
*land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountain side let freedom ring*
*Our fathers' God to Thee, author of liberty, to Thee we sing; long may
our land be bright *
*with freedom's holy light; protect us by Thy might, great God, our King! *
*In His grace and love, Paris*
*If you are blessed by this devotional, please *
*forward it to your friends*

THE SPIRIT OF SONSHIP*
*by C. R. Stam *

*

"For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye
have received the spirit of adoption [Lit., sonship], whereby we cry,
Abba, Father" (Rom. 8:15).

The position of the believer in the family of God is amply illustrated
for us in the Epistles of Paul. In Gal. 4:1-5 the Apostle alludes to the
fact that in the life of every Hebrew boy there came a time, appointed
by the father, when the lad was formally declared to be a full-grown
son, with all the rights and privileges of sonship.

It was now assumed that the young man would no longer need overseers to
keep him in check. There would be natural understanding and cooperation
between father and son. And so the "adoption" [Gr., son-placing]
proceedings took place, indicating that the child, now a full-grown son,
was no longer under law, but under grace.

"And because ye are sons," says the Apostle, God hath sent forth the
Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou
art no more a servant, but a [full-grown] son" (Gal. 4:6,7).

This is the position of every believer in Christ. He may, like the
Corinthians, still be a babe in his spiritual experience (I Cor. 3:1),
but in Christ he occupies the position of a full-grown son, and to grow
spiritually it will do him no good to go back under the Law; he must
rather recognize his standing before God in grace. This is why the
Apostle says in Rom. 8:15:

"Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have
received the spirit of adoption [sonship], whereby we cry, Abba, Father."

A recognition of this position will do far more to help us live godly
lives than will the "dos and dont's" of the Law.

*
*God's Gifts to His Church*
*by Paul M. Sadler, *
* *
*
"And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets;
and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the
perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry." -- Ephesians
4:11-13

Paul warns us about those who, whether wittingly or
unwittingly, would spread unsound doctrine among us. We are living in a
time when some of the brethren seem to deem it important to find
something new. Of course, it is not our intent to discourage anyone in
regard to exercising the "Berean spirit." However, care should be taken
not to undermine the foundation upon which our faith rests. We do well
to remember that the "Doctrinal Statement" our forefathers forged for us
was a product of intense debate with the denominational leaders of their
day. Each plank of the statement was carefully crafted as a defense and
confirmation of the Fundamentals of the faith and Paul's gospel.
Therefore, let us not be too quick to challenge those things which are
"tried and true."

At this late hour, there are those who tell us that
the "gifts" of evangelists, pastors and teachers or pastor-teachers are
no longer in operation today. Some have even gone as far to say that the
enabling "gifts" have also passed. This flies in the face of our
"Doctrinal Statement," which has served us well for over fifty years. It
states:

"The gifts necessary for the ministry of the Body
of Christ are those enumerated in Eph. 4:7-16. Of these, only the gifts
of evangelists and pastor-teachers are in operation today. "

Here in Ephesians, one of Paul's later epistles,
the apostle sets the tone for the course of this dispensation. Clearly,
the context of this portion concerns itself with the gifts God has given
to His Church. It is true that the gifts of "apostles" and "prophets"
passed with the completion of the Word of God (I Cor. 13:8-13 cf. Col.
1:25). Once the Word of God was dispensed, these two offices and the
gifted men who held them were nonessential. We now have something far
better, the written revelation that they handed down to us, which is to
be obeyed in matters of faith and practice.

There is no indication, whatsoever, that the gifts
of evangelists, pastors and teachers have ever been withdrawn. In fact,
Paul plainly states their purpose: "For the perfecting [maturing] of the
saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying [building up] of
the Body of Christ. "And how long shall this continue? "Till we all come
in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge [Gr. epignosis -- full
knowledge] of the Son of God" (Eph. 4:13).

Surely, it could not be said there has ever been a
period in Church history, past or present, that the "unity of the faith"
has been attained, much less a "full knowledge" of the Son of God. But
this is exactly what we are being asked to believe; that is, the unity
of the faith has been attained. Perhaps, we should put this to the
Berean test.

Creation: Some believe God created all things in
six literal twenty-four hour days. Others teach the "ruin and
reconstruction theory" that God created, destroyed and re-created. This
is commonly called the "gap theory" which places millions or billions of
years between the original creation and the re-creation.

Redemption: The battle has raged for centuries over
whether Christ died for the sins of all mankind or merely for the sins
of the elect. Which do you believe?

Things to Come: It is well known there are those
who believe the events covered in the Book of Revelation are entirely
futuristic. Many would challenge this assertion as absurd. They teach
that the early chapters of the Apocalypse describe the various stages of
Church history up to the present "Laodicean" age. If we agree that there
are two camps of interpretation on any Biblical subject, then we have
yet to come into the unity of the faith.

There is not one scintilla of evidence that the
"unity of the faith" has ever been attained by all. Even in Paul's day,
the saints were wielding the sword of the Spirit against one another (II
Tim. 1:15 cf. 2:17-19). In addition, we must inquire: Has the Church
come to a full knowledge of the Son of God? That is, of His person, work
and present heavenly ministry. We shall answer this question with a
question: Has the Church, which is His Body, acknowledged the preaching
of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the Mystery?

The "unity of the faith" and a "full knowledge" of
Christ is a goal set before us that will never be fully attained until
the Rapture. Thus, the responsibility of Gods gifts to His Church is to
proclaim the whole counsel of God in light of the Pauline epistles. Why?
that the saints might be established in the faith!

There is also an experiential side to this truth as
well. When God called me into the ministry nearly thirty years ago, it
was definitive. Other pastors have testified of similar experiences,
which confirms that the "gifts and callings of God are without
repentance" (Rom. 11:29). Beware of those who would rob you of this
precious truth!


*GraceNTheTruth@ COX.NET*

UNDER LAW OR UNDER GRACE? *
*By Pastor Joel Finck*
*
Scripture Reading: Romans 6:14
People are always looking for an excuse to sin. If they can somehow
justify their sin with Scripture, so much the better --- or so they
think. Paul knew that God's super-abounding grace would probably be
misused by some to become lax about sin. Therefore, immediately after
informing us that we "are not under the law, but under grace," he
quickly added, "What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the
law, but under grace? God forbid" (Romans 6:14,15).
We should thank God we are not under the law! No longer are we required
to bring animal sacrifices as an offering for sin. No more do we live in
the bondage of the Mosaic code, which spelled out every detail of life
and threatened death for those who slipped. What freedom we have in Christ!
Yet Christian liberty was never designed to give us freedom to sin;
rather, it was meant to give us freedom to serve. "For brethren, ye have
been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the
flesh, but by love serve one another" (Galatians 5:13).
Indeed, when we exercise genuine Christian love, we actually fulfill in
a practical way that which the Law could never produce; that is,
experiential righteousness. "Love worketh no ill to his neighbor:
therefore love is the fulfilling of the law" (Romans 13:10). While so
many today are trying to live by law, let us who know the grace of God
live by grace, and thereby demonstrate to a dying world what the power
of God can do in the life of a yielded believer.

*THOUGHT FOR THIS WEEK*
*Our worst days are never so bad*
*that you are beyond the reach of God's grace.*
*And your best days are*
*never so good that you are beyond the need of God's grace.*
* -- Jerry Bridges*

*
*GraceNTheTruth@ COX.NET*

PEACE WITH GOD, ACCESS TO GOD AND THE HOPE OF GLORY*
*by C. R. Stam *
*

According to Rom. 4:25, Christ was delivered to death for our sins and
then raised from the dead because He had fully settled our debt. The
results of this mighty work of redemption are marvelous indeed to ponder
over.

First, it means for every believer in Christ, that "being justified by
faith we have peace with God" (Rom. 5:1). If Christ has paid for our
sins and the barrier between God and us has been removed, why should we
not enjoy peace with God? Why should we not rise in the morning, go
about our work during the day and retire at night with complete
confidence that all is well; that we are at peace with God and that He
loves us as His very own?

But more: Verse 2 goes on to say that by Christ we also have "access by
faith into this grace wherein we stand." If the barrier of sin has been
removed and we are at peace with God, what is there to keep us out of
His presence, especially when He Himself bids us to "come boldly unto
the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in
time of need"? (Heb.4:16). How wonderful to have a standing before God
in grace! to be at peace with Him and to enjoy free access into His
presence by faith!

But there is still more. Not only does the believer in Christ enjoy
peace with God and access to God, but, as this same verse says: "We
rejoice in hope of the glory of God." "Hope" in the Bible is, of course,
more than a wish. It is an eager anticipation of wonderful things to
come. Heb. 6:19 says: "Which hope we have as an anchor to the soul, both
sure and stedfast." Man has always been afraid of the glory of God. When
the glory of the Lord shone round about the Judaean shepherds "they were
sore afraid." This was because "all have sinned and come short of the
glory of God" (Rom. 3:23). But the simplest believer in Christ may
rejoice in the anticipation of sharing God’s glory someday.

**
*
Should this Inspirational be a blessing and encouragement to you, why
not send to a friend, coworker or, to your loved one who maybe defending
the USA. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world. It is our
heart at GRACE AND THE TRUTH and mission to reach as many people as we
possibly can TO SHARE with them the Word of God and all that the Lord
Jesus Christ has done for members of the body of Christ.

*
*Eph 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, *
*which from the beginning of the world *
*hath been hid in God,*
*who created all things by Jesus Christ*

*Truth can't be judged on the basis of popularity. *

*~What the Resurrection of Christ Means to Us~*
*Part One of Two*
*by Pastor R. Jordan*

*"Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was *
*raised from the dead according to my gospel."*
*-II Tim. 2:8*
*

When the Apostle of the Gentiles declared that Jesus Christ was "raised
from the dead according to my gospel" he made it imperative that we
understand just what this tremendous event means to us.

Because of limited space, we offer the following brief (and admittedly
incomplete) outline, and trust our readers will use it as a springboard
to look further into this important truth. The resurrection of Jesus Christ.

*
*REPRESENTS A FACT TO BE BELIEVED*
*

"For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how
that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
"And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day
according to the scriptures" (I Cor. 15:3,4).

The resurrection of Christ is not fiction--His body was not stolen by
His followers, nor did He somehow revive from a death-like coma and walk
away by Himself. Further, the resurrection of Christ is not a fable--the
modernist claim that He "lives on" in the "continuation of the spiritual
principles He taught" is the real "religion myth"!

No, the resurrection of Christ is a fact of history to be accepted and
believed. The "many infallible proofs" (Acts 1:3) of His resurrection
make it an event as thoroughly and historically validated as any in past
history.

Our faith does not rest on a coffin lid! The resurrection of Jesus
Christ is a fact to be believed. It also

*
*PRESENTS A FAITH TO BE EMBRACED*
*

"...if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt
believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou
shalt be saved" (Rom. 10:9).

Our faith is to rest in the fact of the resurrection of Christ-not
simply in the historic reality but also in the divinely revealed meaning
of this event:

"[Christ] was delivered for our offences, and was RAISED AGAIN FOR OUR
JUSTIFICATION" (Rom. 4:25).

The reality of Christ's resurrection declares the finality of the work
of Calvary. When "Christ died for our sins, "He thoroughly put away sin,
paying its penalty in full. Thus, the debt of sin having been paid,
death could not hold Him. His resurrection is, as it were, the receipt
that declares: "Paid in full!"

It is because the shed blood of Christ fully and completely paid for sin
that Jesus Christ could be raised from the dead--and thus, with a
perfect redemption accomplished and attested to, we can be declared
righteous in Him.

*THOUGHT TO PONDER *
*

This moment is all you're guaranteed, tomorrow may never come......(in
this world)...... so live it up,.....love it up....laugh it up........and
put Jesus at the very center of every moment...... .and enjoy.

This is the abundant life God was talking about....... .seize
it.......suffiecien t to each day are it's troubles.... .we can either
live in those troubles or by faith in God........cast all our cares on
Him and live in His joy......... ......you choose.

............ ..Wendell

Ro 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all *joy* and peace in
believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

What the Resurrection of Christ Means to Us~*
*Part Two of Two*
*by Pastor R. Jordan*
*

The import of the resurrection does not end with our justification,
however, for it also

*
*OFFERS A FORCE TO BE EXPERIENCED*
*

".. .like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of
the Father, EVEN SO WE ALSO SHOULD WALK IN NEWNESS OF LIFE" (Rom. 6:4).

This is the practical impact in the believer's life of the reality of
Christ's resurrection. Rom. 8:10,11 declare:

"And if CHRIST BE IN YOU, the body is dead because of sin; but the
Spirit is life because of righteousness.

"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 resurrection life of Christ is a power, a force, to be experienced
by every believer. The "newness of life" received from Christ means that
He lives His life in us.

Christianity is not a religion--it is a life. It is Christ in us living
His life through us. This is the essence of Christianity.

Have you ever found the Christian life difficult to live? If not, you
will! In fact, it is not only difficult, it is impossible. Only Jesus
Christ can live His life--and He does just that as we simply walk by
faith in His marvelous grace to us.

Experiencing this glorious freedom and power is the goal Paul set before
himself and us:

"That I may know Him, and the power of his resurrection and the
fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death:
"If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead"
(Phil. 3:10,11).

There is something else, too, which Christ's resurrection does for us. It

*
*ASSURES A FUTURE THAT IS GLORIOUS*
*

"For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also
which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him" (I Thess. 4:14).

The future of many things may be very uncertain, but for the believer it
is only glorious. No matter how difficult things may be for us now, one
day it will only be ''glory for me!"

One day soon our ever-living Savior will return for us and in that day
He "shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His
glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to
subdue all things unto Himself" (Phil. 3:21).

May God help us to rejoice in the reality of the resurrection of Christ
and all God has made it mean to us.

*
*Truth can't be judged on the basis of popularity. *

THE ONLY WAY TO HEAVEN
by Russell S. Miller

"For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how
that CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS according to the Scriptures; And that He
was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the
Scriptures" (ICor.15:3,4) .

There is, in fact, only one way of salvation in this day and age of
grace in which we live today: Christ's death upon that cross. In the
above passage we read that "CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS" and it is upon the
basis of this one Sacrifice that God saves souls today. Thus the extreme
importance of trusting the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour! His death
upon Calvary's cross is the only means of salvation from sin's
consequences. The Lord Jesus "made peace" for every believer "through
the blood of His cross" (Col.1:20). Listen to the Apostle's declaration
to the Ephesians:

"BUT NOW IN CHRIST JESUS YE WHO SOMETIMES WERE FAR OFF ARE MADE NIGH BY
THE BLOOD OF CHRIST" (Eph.2:13).

Our communion with God today is based upon the blood of Christ
(ICor.10:16; Heb.10:19; Eph.3:12). In Hebrews alone there are twenty-two
references to the blood of Christ whether in type or antitype (Heb.2:14;
9:7-25; 10:4,19,29; 11:28; 12:4,24; 13:11,12,20) . "AND WITHOUT [THE]
SHEDDING OF BLOOD IS NO REMISSION" (Heb.9:22). Such is our access to God.

"Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the
blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which He hath consecrated for
us, through the veil, that is to say, His flesh" (Heb.10,19,20) .

"According to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our
Lord: In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith
of Him" (Eph.3:11,12) .

The Apostle Paul uses the Greek word, katallagee, rendered "atonement"
once (Rom.5:11) and "reconciliation" three times in his epistles
(Rom.11:15; IICor.5:18,19) , in speaking about the basis of the only way
into God's presence today.

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ:

"By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand,
and rejoice in hope of the glory of God" (Rom.5:1,2).

But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet
sinners, CHRIST DIED FOR US.

Much more then, BEING NOW JUSTIFIED BY HIS BLOOD, we shall be saved from
wrath through Him.

For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of
His Son, MUCH MORE, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

"And not only so, but WE ALSO JOY IN GOD through our Lord Jesus Christ,
by whom we have now received the atonement? (Rom.5:9-11) .

So we have here the blessed truth that "Christ died for our sins"; that
we are "justified by His blood"; that we are "saved from wrath" through
the death of Christ, and not by our own works. And we are "reconciled to
God by the death of His Son" (Rom.5:10). "His life" at the right hand of
God is the manifest evidence of His resurrection and His Almighty power
to save those that believe. The fact that "He ever liveth to make
intercession for us" keeps us for time and eternity (Heb. 7:25;
Rom.8:34). So, whether we like it or not, even changing our minds cannot
change His mind about our salvation in Christ Jesus.

No, God does not change His mind regarding those who place their faith
in His Son. Jesus Christ is the Eternal God and "whatsoever God doeth,
it shall be for ever" (Ecc.3:14; Rom.8:35-39) .

It is therefore not a conditional salvation that Christ wrought upon the
tree, but a perfect and complete redemption was fully accomplished by
the Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary's cross. If there had been any other
way surely "the only wise God" would have known. "If there had been a
law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have
been by the Law" (Gal.3:21). But there was no other way! None other can
save you from Hell and the Lake of Fire. Oh, keep this in memory and
don't ever forget that "CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS" because this is the
only way to heaven.

* Our Purpose and Mission

The ministry of "Grace and The Truth" has the purpose of encouraging
Christians to believe what God says.

Message "CHRIST" Rom. 16:25, Col. 1:28
Material "All Scripture, 2 Tim. 3:16, 17
Method "Rightly Dividing The Word of Truth, 2 Tim. 2:15
Mission "To Make All See" Eph. 3:9

"But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by
the blood of Christ." Eph.2:13.

**We are dedicated to helping Christians to a fuller knowledge of Him,
and the Grace of God. Until we all come into the Unity, Ephesians 4:13
"Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the
Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the
fullness of Christ:"

We are wiling to help you on this journey just give us a call, 1 623
546 8866, Paris

*

*GraceNTheTruth@ COX.NET*

"CEPHAS" AND PAUL'S GOSPEL*
* by Russell S. Miller*
*

The name "Simon," and this phrase, "whose surname is called Peter," is
found some six times in the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. But
"Cephas," this name, is found only in Paul's epistles, and John 1:42:

"...And when Jesus beheld him, He said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona:
thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone."

Having established that Peter's name was to be changed to Cephas, we can
now consider the subject before us, "Cephas" and Paul's Gospel. Thus it
is essential that we realize that when Paul speaks of Cephas in his
epistle to the Galatians, he is actually referring to the Apostle Peter:

"And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived
the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right
hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto
the circumcision" (Gal.2:9).

This is most significant because, although our Lord had changed Peter's
name to Cephas, he is referred to as "Simon Peter" some nineteen times
in the Gospels. However, it is also interesting to note that the Apostle
Paul refers to Peter as Cephas four times in First Corinthians
(ICor.1:12; 3:22; 9:5; 15:5). And these are the only passages where this
name Cephas is found. But what's more interesting about the gospel that
Paul preached is that in the context of I Corinthians 15:3,4, the
Apostle of the Circumcision, "Cephas" (ICor.15:5), had come to
understand that salvation today is "through faith" in Christ's shed
blood -- Romans 3:25; I Peter 1:18,19. In early Acts, Peter had only
preached the resurrection of Christ to sit upon the throne of David's
prophesied kingdom (Acts 2:25-31). He did not know what the crucifixion
of Jesus Christ had accomplished (Luke 18:34). There he only knew that
"by wicked hands [Israel] had crucified and slain" the Son of God (Acts
2:23). Even as late as his visit to see Cornelius in Acts 10, the
Apostle Peter had not understood the preaching of the cross. It is
through Paul's Gospel that Peter came to see what the finished work of
Christ actually accomplished, and through this knowledge he became a
stalwart for the truth. And this is why he is called Cephas in Paul's
epistles, a "PILLAR" for the truth of God's Word "rightly divided."

According to the Apostle Paul then, Peter and all believers, Jews or
Gentiles, are instructed to leave the so-called Great Commission with
its repentance and water baptism, and come on unto "perfection" through
the Pauline revelation (Hebrews 6:1,2). And having seen this, Peter
obeyed, and gave to Paul and Barnabas "the right hands of fellowship"
(Gal.2:9). Again Peter's own words later written in his first epistle:

"For as much as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible
things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by
tradition from your fathers; But with THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST, as
of a lamb without blemish and without spot" (I Peter 1:18,19).

Again, in the context of I Corinthians 15:3,4, Paul goes on to say:
"Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed"
(ICor.15:11) . In Acts 15:7-11 Peter had declared that Jews are saved
exactly the same way Gentiles are saved today. No longer does the law,
nor repentance and water baptism save.

Would to God that all our Baptist friends would come to see the truth of
the Mystery as Peter had. These are not the words of Paul and Silas in
Acts 16:31, but Peter's own inspired words, to his own countrymen at
that Jerusalem Council:

"BUT WE BELIEVE THAT THROUGH THE GRACE OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST WE SHALL
BE SAVED, EVEN AS THEY" (Acts 15:11).

Paul not only "received" this Gospel from the Lord Jesus, but he also
"delivered" that same Gospel, which he had "received" to the Corinthians.

"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto
you... For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received,
how that CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES; And that
He was buried, and that He ROSE AGAIN the third day ACCORDING TO THE
SCRIPTURES" (ICor.15:3,4) .

And this, beloved, is consistent with the Apostle Paul's words in Romans
16:25,26, that Christ's death, burial, and resurrection (ICor.15:3,4)
was "according to his gospel, AND THE PREACHING OF JESUS CHRIST,
ACCORDING TO THE REVELATION OF THE MYSTERY, WHICH WAS KEPT SECRET SINCE
THE WORLD BEGAN, But now is made manifest, AND BY THE SCRIPTURES OF THE
PROPHETS, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made
known to ALL NATIONS for the obedience of faith" (Rom.16:25,26) .

This also explains how John 3:14-16 is so greatly used of God today.
Peter and John had both come to see "the grace that was given" to the
Apostle Paul in all the types and shadows of Calvary's cross (Gal.2:7-9;
IIPet.3:15-18; I John 1:7).

"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the
Son of man be lifted up: THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM SHOULD NOT
PERISH, BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. For God so loved the world, that He gave
His only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believeth in Him should not
perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:14-16).

COLOSSIANS 3:23-25
"And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance:
for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for
the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons."

*GRACE AND GOOD WORKS*
*By Pastor R. Hanna*
Lest we mistakenly relegate the position of good works only to
dispensations other than the dispensation of the grace of God, it will
behoove us to take note of some of the apostle's admonitions as well as
his personal example "We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be
absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore WE
LABOR, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of Him. FOR
WE MUST ALL APPEAR BEFORE THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST; that every one
may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done
whether it be good or bad" (2 Corinthians 5:8-10).

Note the terms, so clearly set forth. "If any man's work abide which he
hath built (upon the foundation of Jesus Christ), he shall receive a
reward. If any man's work shall be burned (having been "tried by fire),
he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved: yet so as by fire"
(1 Corinthians 3:14-15). These words clearly delineate between loss of
reward for lack of good works and loss of salvation, which is a free
gift apart from good works.

Again offering his own personal example for our edification, "the
apostle looks back over his career of service for Christ as he
approaches the end of his mortal years. "I am now ready to be offered,
and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I
have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid
up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge,
shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also
that love His appearing" (2 Timothy 4:6-8).

GOD'S TIMETABLE *
*Part 4 Conclusion*
*By ~ Jack Trumm ~ *

*
They will wish for the days of grace which we now have much like those
Jews wail now at the Wailing Wall, wishing they could go back in time,
but they cannot "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not
since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be
saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened." (Matthew
24:21-22) "then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a
woman with child; and they shall not escape." (I Thessalonians 5:3)

So, the Bible tells us what happened yesterday, what is happening today,
and what will happen tomorrow. But what about you, friend? Have you
obeyed the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ? Will you be among those of
us who "shall be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at
the last trump" of grace? (see I Corinthians 15:51-58) OR will you be
among those who remain here to endure the most horrible time of testing
man has seen or ever will see because you failed to accept God's
gracious offer of salvation in the day of salvation? Evidently the
fullness of the Gentiles is not "be come in" yet. You can be the next,
and who knows, maybe the last Gentile to receive this blessing before
the Gentiles are "cut off" again and God turns His attention back to the
"natural branches" (the nation Israel) to graft them back in through the
time called "Jacob's trouble." Receive the good news of God's grace.
Take it to heart, and apply it to your soul. Jesus Christ died the death
you and I deserve. He made complete satisfaction to God for your sins
and mine. God is satisfied completely by His shed blood on the cross and
through His death. We know this because He raised Jesus Christ from the
dead to assure us of His satisfaction. But you must believe that this is
the only way of salvation, and that it is not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but rather it is by His grace and mercy He saves us
today as a free gift through faith. Trust Him with your soul now. "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." (Ephesians
2:8-9) "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a
curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a
tree. " (Galatians 3:13) "For he (God) hath made him (Jesus Christ) to
be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in him. We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also
that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. (For he saith, I have
heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I
succoured thee: BEHOLD, NOW IS THE ACCEPTED TIME, BEHOLD, NOW IS THE DAY
OF SALVATION" (II Corinthians5: 21-6:2)

Trust Him now while this gracious offer is still being made.

GOD'S TIMETABLE *
*Part 3 OF 4*
*By ~ Jack Trumm ~ *
*
TOMORROW
Paul warned the Gentiles concerning the end of this blessed standing,
saying "boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest
not the root, but the root thee" "well because of unbelief they were
broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not high-minded, but fear:
for if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare
not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them
which fell, severity; but toward thee goodness, IF THOU CONTINUE IN HIS
GOODNESS, otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they
(Israel nationally) abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in:
for God is able to graft them in again." (Romans 11:18,20-23)
Paul predicted that after "the fullness " of the Gentiles are come in,
God will do just that-graft Israel in again. "And so all Israel shall be
saved: as it is written, there shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and
shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: for this is my covenant unto
them, "when I shall take away their sins." (Romans 11:26-27) And then
they will be that channel of blessing to the world, for Paul wrote that
if setting Israel aside proved to be a blessing for the world, "how much
more their fulness?" "now if the fall of them be the riches of the
world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles, HOW MUCH
MORE THEIR FULNESS?" "For if the casting away of them be the reconciling
of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but LIFE FROM THE
DEAD?" (Romans 11:12,15)
You may be thinking, well we Gentiles are blessed either way! In the
end, yes, but in between time, NO! Because at this present time many
restraints are in place in this world, restraints in which God Himself
has in place. These seals of restraints will be removed during the great
tribulation period which is to come after the last trump of grace. Some
people look at wars, natural disasters, various pestilences,
earthquakes, and Tsunamis as acts of God's wrath, but the Bible makes it
clear that when God pours out His wrath, there will be no mistaking it
for natural disasters, or the folly of men. God at that point will speak
as He answers in His wrath, as it is written, ''Then shall he speak unto
them in His wrath, and vex them in His sore displeasure. " (Psalm 2:5)
It will be during "the great tribulation ", that time referred to as
"Jacob's trouble", and her "day of trouble", that Israel is delivered,
cleansed, redeemed, and grafted back in as God's favored nation. During
the great tribulation the Book of Hebrews, the epistles to the
circumcision, and the Book of Revelation will be much more than books
"for our learning." For those writings will find direct obedience and
application necessary for the believers in those coming days, as God
will have moved on in His dealings with man from the grace He shows
today, to His righteous judgment. Once the fulness of the Gentiles have
come in, through obeying the gospel of the grace of God, and we are
caught up together to meet the Lord in the air, the remaining Gentiles
will find themselves in the "day of the Lord." The remaining Gentiles
will find themselves in "the hour of temptation, which shall come upon
all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." (Rev. 3: 10) As
God removes the seals of restraints upon the "mystery of iniquity ",
they will be deceived, tested, and judged "when the Lord Jesus shall be
revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking
vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our
Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction
from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power." (II
Thessalonians 2:7, 1:7-9)
With the restraints removed allowing the "mystery of iniquity" to do
what he wants, those remaining Gentiles will be easily deceived. "And
then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the
spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his
coming: even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all
power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of
unrighteousness in them that perish; BECAUSE THEY RECEIVED NOT THE LOVE
OF THE TRUTH, THAT THEY MIGHT BE SAVED. And for this cause God shall
send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all
might be darned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in
unrighteousness. " (II Thessalonians 2:8-12)
So do you see it? God's dealings with mankind after the present Gentile
dispensation will not be so gracious as they are now. God will have
moved on from showing the attributes of the grace, mercy, and love which
are in Christ Jesus to His other important attributes. He will have
moved on to show "who is the ONLY Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord
of lords; who ONLY hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man
can approach unto, whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honor
and power everlasting. Amen." (I Timothy 6:15-16) Those who remain on
earth after "our gathering together unto him" (II Thessalonians 2:1), if
they are able to endure long enough, will experience the revelation of
Jesus Christ as He shows "his wrath" and makes "His power known" upon
"the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction. " (Romans 9:22) The time
will have come when God the Father fulfills His promise to His Son in
which He said, "sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy
footstool". (Matthew 22:44)
Continued
--------------
GOD'S TIMETABLE *
*Part 4 Conclusion*
*By ~ Jack Trumm ~ *
*
They will wish for the days of grace which we now have much like those
Jews wail now at the Wailing Wall, wishing they could go back in time,
but they cannot "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not
since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be
saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened." (Matthew
24:21-22) "then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a
woman with child; and they shall not escape." (I Thessalonians 5:3)
So, the Bible tells us what happened yesterday, what is happening today,
and what will happen tomorrow. But what about you, friend? Have you
obeyed the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ? Will you be among those of
us who "shall be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at
the last trump" of grace? (see I Corinthians 15:51-58) OR will you be
among those who remain here to endure the most horrible time of testing
man has seen or ever will see because you failed to accept God's
gracious offer of salvation in the day of salvation? Evidently the
fullness of the Gentiles is not "be come in" yet. You can be the next,
and who knows, maybe the last Gentile to receive this blessing before
the Gentiles are "cut off" again and God turns His attention back to the
"natural branches" (the nation Israel) to graft them back in through the
time called "Jacob's trouble." Receive the good news of God's grace.
Take it to heart, and apply it to your soul. Jesus Christ died the death
you and I deserve. He made complete satisfaction to God for your sins
and mine. God is satisfied completely by His shed blood on the cross and
through His death. We know this because He raised Jesus Christ from the
dead to assure us of His satisfaction. But you must believe that this is
the only way of salvation, and that it is not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but rather it is by His grace and mercy He saves us
today as a free gift through faith. Trust Him with your soul now. "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." (Ephesians
2:8-9) "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a
curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a
tree. " (Galatians 3:13) "For he (God) hath made him (Jesus Christ) to
be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in him. We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also
that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. (For he saith, I have
heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I
succoured thee: BEHOLD, NOW IS THE ACCEPTED TIME, BEHOLD, NOW IS THE DAY
OF SALVATION" (II Corinthians5: 21-6:2)
Trust Him now while this gracious offer is still being made.

G**OD'S TIMETABLE *
*Part 2 of 4*
*By ~ Jack Trumm ~ *
*

ISRAEL'S YESTERDAY

So with an outstretched hand and tender nurturing, God led the children
of Israel and cared for them. He sent His Son to them confirming the
promises made unto the fathers. Some of the promises made unto the
fathers (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, etc.) were conditional. If they
would be obedient, God would bless them, or if they disobeyed, He would
punish them. However, God also made UNCONDITIONAL promises unto them,
promises in which He would not take back. Among these was the promise
that national Israel would be the instrument of blessing to the Gentile
nations under the reign of Christ. Isaiah 60 and 61 describe this in
detail, predicting a redeemed Israel, shining forth the glory of God,
reigning over the rest of the nations as head.

Paul explains that God will fulfill this promise to them when He takes
away her blindness, and takes away her sins in accordance to prophecy.
Paul explains, "and so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written,
there shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away
ungodliness from Jacob: for this is my covenant unto them, when I shall
take away their sins." (Romans 11:26-27)

The cleansing and deliverance of Israel was the subject of every prophet
which spoke, beginning with "Samuel and those that follow after, as many
as have spoken" (Acts 3:24), also John the Baptist, the Lord Jesus
Christ, and all of the apostles. This period of her cleansing can be
summed up in the phase: "the great tribulation period". In the Old
Testament it is referred to as: "the time of Jacob 's trouble ", and her
"day of trouble ". (Jeremiah 30:7, Daniel 12:1, Zephaniah 1:15, Ezekiel
7:7) Paul the apostle called it "the day of the Lord", (I Thessalonians
5:12) John the apostle called it "the revelation of Jesus Christ".
(Revelation 1:1)

But this terrible time of trouble has been put on 'hold' so-to-speak,
"until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in ". (Romans 11:25) God has
chosen to reveal and dispense a Gentile dispensation first. He chose to
set Israel aside temporarily, avoiding her, considering her an enemy for
the sake of the Gentiles. He chose to bless the world thru her fall,
taking out of the Gentiles a people without Israel's instrumentality.
And so God has ushered in a Gentile dispensation in which He shows mercy
and grace to all who come to Christ by faith. In fact, even an
individual from the rebel nation Israel may receive the spiritual
blessings of grace, but he must come to God in the avenue which the
Gentiles now receive it, by grace through faith alone. For the middle
wall of partition between Jew and Gentile is now broken down, the
Israelites have lost their favored nation status, that covenant
relationship. They must come to God with no merit of their own. Paul
writes "even so have these also now not believed, that through your
mercy (the Gentiles) they also may obtain mercy (the Jews)." (Romans
11:31) Today, in the day of grace, they must come to God through the
mercy and grace presently being shown to the Gentiles. Paul makes this
declaration against national Israel as the Book of Acts closes, "Be it
known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the
Gentiles, and that they will hear it." (Acts 28:28) We are in a Gentile
dispensation. Israel nationally is still being ignored (actually
considered as an enemy of God) for our sakes. "as concerning the gospel,
they are enemies for your sakes." (Romans 11:28)

God today is not answering Israel, for if He were to answer her, He
would have to answer in His wrath for He still holds her responsible
(nationally) for the rejection of His Son. It is spelled out by Paul in
Romans 11:27 where it says, "when I shall take away their sins."

How long will the Gentiles continue to receive this blessed opportunity
to approach God in this way, and enjoy this goodness? Paul answers this
in Romans 11:25 by saying, "until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in
". This tells us that God has a number in mind, a number which will
bring Him to what He considers "fulness". Maybe there is only one more
to be added to "the church which is His body" (Ephesians 1:22-23) before
He comes to gather us to Himself. "For the Lord himself shall descend
from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the
trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first, then we which are
alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to
meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." (I
Thessalonians 4:16-17)

CONTINUED
GOD'S TIMETABLE *
*Part 3 OF 4*
*By ~ Jack Trumm ~ *
*
TOMORROW
Paul warned the Gentiles concerning the end of this blessed standing,
saying "boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest
not the root, but the root thee" "well because of unbelief they were
broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not high-minded, but fear:
for if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare
not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them
which fell, severity; but toward thee goodness, IF THOU CONTINUE IN HIS
GOODNESS, otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they
(Israel nationally) abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in:
for God is able to graft them in again." (Romans 11:18,20-23)
Paul predicted that after "the fullness " of the Gentiles are come in,
God will do just that-graft Israel in again. "And so all Israel shall be
saved: as it is written, there shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and
shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: for this is my covenant unto
them, "when I shall take away their sins." (Romans 11:26-27) And then
they will be that channel of blessing to the world, for Paul wrote that
if setting Israel aside proved to be a blessing for the world, "how much
more their fulness?" "now if the fall of them be the riches of the
world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles, HOW MUCH
MORE THEIR FULNESS?" "For if the casting away of them be the reconciling
of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but LIFE FROM THE
DEAD?" (Romans 11:12,15)
You may be thinking, well we Gentiles are blessed either way! In the
end, yes, but in between time, NO! Because at this present time many
restraints are in place in this world, restraints in which God Himself
has in place. These seals of restraints will be removed during the great
tribulation period which is to come after the last trump of grace. Some
people look at wars, natural disasters, various pestilences,
earthquakes, and Tsunamis as acts of God's wrath, but the Bible makes it
clear that when God pours out His wrath, there will be no mistaking it
for natural disasters, or the folly of men. God at that point will speak
as He answers in His wrath, as it is written, ''Then shall he speak unto
them in His wrath, and vex them in His sore displeasure. " (Psalm 2:5)
It will be during "the great tribulation ", that time referred to as
"Jacob's trouble", and her "day of trouble", that Israel is delivered,
cleansed, redeemed, and grafted back in as God's favored nation. During
the great tribulation the Book of Hebrews, the epistles to the
circumcision, and the Book of Revelation will be much more than books
"for our learning." For those writings will find direct obedience and
application necessary for the believers in those coming days, as God
will have moved on in His dealings with man from the grace He shows
today, to His righteous judgment. Once the fulness of the Gentiles have
come in, through obeying the gospel of the grace of God, and we are
caught up together to meet the Lord in the air, the remaining Gentiles
will find themselves in the "day of the Lord." The remaining Gentiles
will find themselves in "the hour of temptation, which shall come upon
all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." (Rev. 3: 10) As
God removes the seals of restraints upon the "mystery of iniquity ",
they will be deceived, tested, and judged "when the Lord Jesus shall be
revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking
vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our
Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction
from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power." (II
Thessalonians 2:7, 1:7-9)
With the restraints removed allowing the "mystery of iniquity" to do
what he wants, those remaining Gentiles will be easily deceived. "And
then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the
spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his
coming: even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all
power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of
unrighteousness in them that perish; BECAUSE THEY RECEIVED NOT THE LOVE
OF THE TRUTH, THAT THEY MIGHT BE SAVED. And for this cause God shall
send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all
might be darned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in
unrighteousness. " (II Thessalonians 2:8-12)
So do you see it? God's dealings with mankind after the present Gentile
dispensation will not be so gracious as they are now. God will have
moved on from showing the attributes of the grace, mercy, and love which
are in Christ Jesus to His other important attributes. He will have
moved on to show "who is the ONLY Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord
of lords; who ONLY hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man
can approach unto, whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honor
and power everlasting. Amen." (I Timothy 6:15-16) Those who remain on
earth after "our gathering together unto him" (II Thessalonians 2:1), if
they are able to endure long enough, will experience the revelation of
Jesus Christ as He shows "his wrath" and makes "His power known" upon
"the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction. " (Romans 9:22) The time
will have come when God the Father fulfills His promise to His Son in
which He said, "sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy
footstool". (Matthew 22:44)
Continued

*GraceNTheTruth@ COX.NET*
YESTERDAY , TODAY and TOMORROW *
*GOD'S TIMETABLE Part 1 of 4*
*By ~. Jack Trumm ~ *
*
It's been said that you can buy a newspaper and find out what happened
yesterday. You can turn on the radio, television, or computer and find
out what's happening today, but thank God, you can open your Bible and
find out what's going to happen tomorrow. Actually, the Bible can tell
us about and explain all three (yesterday, today and tomorrow).
GOD'S TIMETABLE
First of all, to learn where we are on God's timetable, remember this:
the status of the nation Israel tells us where we are on God's
timetable. Like the hands on a clock, this points to where we are in
God's dealing with mankind.
Let's take today for example. What is the status of the nation Israel
today, as far as God's word is concerned?
1. They have been set aside in unbelief.
2. Currently, they have no covenant relationship with God. (In fact no
nation has.)
3. They are in partial (or temporary) blindness, and are being avoided
(even considered enemies) by God as He blesses the Gentiles and focuses
on them for the time being. Paul writes, "as concerning the gospel, they
are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are
beloved for the fathers' sakes." (Romans 11:28)
We can see from a brief study of the Bible, from Genesis 12, all the way
through the rest of the Old Testament, and continuing through the four
gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and through the first
seven chapters of the Book of Acts, God's focus of attention is His
nation, Israel. The Book of Acts records the failure of the nation
Israel to believe the claims of Christ, and their failure to accept the
offer of their King and Kingdom nationally for the time being. Then with
Paul's conversion, calling and message, we learn of Israel's temporary
casting away or being set aside and avoided.
We can look around us, study current events and see that Israel still
remains in unbelief, and still wails at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem,
crying out for God to speak to her. She wishes God would focus on her as
in the days of old, and speak to her as in days of old. She remains in
unbelief and blinded to this very day. So then, from examining Israel's
current status and looking at the Bible, we can see where we are on
God's timetable.
OUR YESTERDAY
The Bible explains our yesterday. It tells how God chose Israel to be
his favored nation, and how He gave the Gentile nations over to their
own lusts. Paul writes, "when they knew God, they glorified him not as
God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and
their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they
became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an
image made like unto corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed
beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to
uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their
own bodies between themselves, who changed the truth of God into a lie,
and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is
blessed for ever. Amen." (Romans 1:21-25)
>From then on the Gentiles are avoided, and often times ordered to get
out of the way as God placed Israel into the promised land. And so from
Genesis 12 unto Paul's conversion in Acts 9, the Gentiles are avoided by
God and ignored. Paul wrote,"Wherefore remember, that ye being in times
past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which
is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands, that at that time
ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel,
and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without
God in the world." (Ephesians 2:11-12)
In our yesterday, God's focus, His attention was on His favored nation,
Israel. Even in our Lord's earthly ministry He made it very clear
saying, "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel"
adding, "It is not meet to take the children's bread, and cast it to the
dogs. " (Matthew 15:24,26) He commanded His disciples, saying, "Go NOT
into the way of the Gentiles, and into ANY city of the Samaritans enter
ye NOT: but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
(Matthew 10:5-6) And in further clarification, to the Samaritan woman
our Lord Jesus said, "Ye worship ye know not what, we (Jews) know what
we worship, for salvation is of the Jews." (John 4:22)

Walking in Him *
*By L. Peterson*
*Ephesians 1:18*

*It should be the heartfelt desire of all believers to know the will of
God. While volumes have been written and spoken on this subject, it
seems to me that most have missed telling us that we are God's will.
Let's look at Ephesians 1:18.

Eph 1:18 (KJV) The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye
may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the
glory of his inheritance in the saints.

Looking at the word enlightened, we find that this may be fully rendered
having had light thrown upon, or having had illuminated to the eyes of
your heart. The construction of this is as such that prior to giving to
them a spirit of wisdom and revelation, they had their eyes of their
hearts enlightened. This can be interpreted to include their initial
salvation when the Lord transferred them from darkness to light.
Furthermore, it implies that the results continued.

Since the passive voice used indicates that one other than themselves,
namely, God the Holy Spirit, had enlightened them. There is no way for
those who are in the sphere of darkness to be launched into the sphere
of light part from God Himself doing the launching. The eyes of a
depraved heart are blind, totally incapable. God the Holy Spirit,
according to sovereign election, had and continued to enlighten their
hearts. (Eph. 4:18)

Paul says that the object of enlightenment is "that ye may know" better
rendered "unto the end that you may know" that you may know three key
things? We need to recognize that God's sovereign enlightening, this was
not an end in itself, but was unto the end that they might be
knowledgeable regarding their spiritual eyes. God will give via the
Spirit, minds of wisdom and insight into the Truth for the Church.

The first specific aspect of the Mystery which Paul wants them to know
is "what is the hope of his calling," This means the expectation,
anticipation and that which is looked forward to. The word "calling" as
used here, means a summons, an irresistible invitation, and a
non-disobeyable order to come. Now lets put this in an amplified
translation, God has given to believers spiritual enlightenment to know
the hope, expectation and anticipation that belongs to His sovereign
calling, summons and irresistible invitation.

The calling is Gods sovereign purpose of making man alive in Christ and
members of His Body, the Church. (Romans 8:30; Phil. 3:14; Phil 1:21)

The second specific aspect which Paul desires them to know is "what is
the richness of the glory of his inheritance in the saints." Since the
word for "richness" is in the singular, speaking of only one things that
belongs to the glory of His inheritance, it should be translated rich,
opulent, and profuse the glory is which belongs to God's inheritance.
This word defines the quality of the "glory" which in turn, describes
God's inheritance.

Now let us look a the statement "his inheritance in the saints." The
possessive pronoun "his" clearly indicates that this inheritance belongs
to God. It is an inheritance which God has in the sphere of the saints,
i.e. the saints themselves are the inheritance. Rich, opulent, and
profuse glory surrounds and circumscribes God's inheritance, the saints.
Apart from what God has done for us saints, "having blessed us with
every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ...Eph. 1:3 having
foreordained us unto a position of sons.. and having made us heirs" with
Christ, we would not be a rich and glorious inheritance (vs 3,5,11).
Paul wants all the saints to know that God has sovereignly made them a
rich-in-glory "inheritance" or possession for Himself. We are God's will.

PRAISE THE LORD