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AMBASSADORS OF RECONCILIATION 
PART 2 OF 3
Pastor J. C. O’Hair

We go back now to II Corinthians 5:17 to 21: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, Who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For He hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.”

Here we note that the ambassador for Christ is a new creature. According to Ephesians 2:10 he is God’s workmanship, created anew in Christ Jesus. Man by nature belongs to the old creation. He is identified with Adam, the sinner. The most important transformation that can come to any man is to get out of Adam and in Christ; that is to be identified with “The Last Adam” Who is now the glorified Man in heaven. All who are in Adam are in sin, in the flesh, and under condemnation. If any man be in Christ there is a new creation. The new creature is no longer dead in sin. He is dead to sin. The believer’s old man has been crucified with Christ. He is in the Spirit. He is made accepted in Christ, the Beloved. He is complete in Christ. He is waiting to appear with Christ in glory. His citizenship is in heaven. He is in the world, but not of the world. And now he has a new responsibility. For unto him is committed the word of reconciliation. To him is given the ministry of reconciliation.

In these closing verses of the fifth chapter of II Corinthians we observe that it is not the sinner seeking God; but God, through ambassadors of Christ, seeking the sinner, and beseeching the sinner, in Christ’s stead, to be reconciled to God.

There is no more definite statement of the gospel, no clearer announcement of saving truth than we find in II Corinthians 5:21: “For He hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.”

When the Lord Jesus Christ cried “finished”, and yielded up the Ghost on the cross, He was crowned with a crown of thorns, the emblem of the curse. He was made sin, although He knew no sin. The God of all grace ordained and permitted the cruel death of the sinless Christ, yea, offered up His well-beloved Son, so that poor unrighteous men might, by His infinite grace, through faith, be made the righteousness of God in Christ. Man’s only place of security and Divine blessing is in Christ. 

This ministry of reconciliation is distinctively a Pauline ministry. More than a dozen times that great apostle emphasized the fact that he was the apostle, the preacher, and the teacher of the Gentiles; that unto Him the risen Christ committed the “dispensation of the grace of God for Gentiles”; the “unsearchable riches of Christ for Gentiles”; “the mystery among the Gentiles”; and the “dispensation of the mystery.” Romans 11:13; Ephesians 3:1 to 3; Ephesians 3:8 and 9; Colossians 1:24 to 27. 

According to Galatians 2:8, God was mighty in Peter in the apostleship of the circumcision. Peter received from Christ the keys of the kingdom of heaven and the so-called “great commission.” In his ministry, recorded in the early chapters of Acts, Peter preached unto Israel repentance and restitution; the gospel of the kingdom; the promises and blessings of the covenants which God made concerning Israel; but never once did he preach reconciliation to Gentiles. He did not refer to Adam. Never once did Peter preach to Israel, in those chapters, concerning the “old man” and the “new man”; concerning the “old creation” and the “new creation”. Peter did not preach concerning the believer’s identification with Christ in death, burial and resurrection; blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies. Peter had no authority from Christ to even refer to uncircumcised Abram from whence came Paul’s gospel of the uncircumcision. It was unto Paul that the risen Lord committed the gospel of the uncircumcision, (Galatians 2:7; Galatians 3:8) the ministry of reconciliation and the mystery concerning the Body of Christ. Invariably when we have the ministry of reconciliation we find linked with it the ministry of the new creation and the truth of the believer’s identification; out of Adam, into Christ. The word “atonement” in Romans 5:11 is a mistranslation. It should read “reconciliation”. Then follows the story of Adam and Christ, the old creation and the new creation, and the new creature’s identification with Christ. Romans 5:12 to Romans 6:12.


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TRUE UNITY
  by C. R. Stam
   
There are many unions all over the world, but in only one place is true unity to be found: in the Lord Jesus Christ. The children of fallen Adam have always been divided. Adam's first two children could not get along together. One killed the other. And now that the race has multiplied there are about three billion separate, individual wills in the world. Some of Adam's children try to get along together amicably and enjoy some measure of success, but this always takes effort. It does not come naturally. Even the dearest lovers must be prepared to yield to each other's wishes frequently to get along well together. There is no true unity in this world.

But where Adam's children have been divided by sin, they may be saved and truly united in Christ. As Christ became one with us when He died our death (the wages of sin) at Calvary, so we may become one with Him as in faith we acknowledge that that death was not His but ours. This is what the Apostle referred to when he asked: 

"Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death?" (Rom. 6:3).

This verse does not refer to water baptism, for no one can be baptized into Christ -- become one with Him -- by a physical ceremony. The only way to become one with Him is to accept by faith the fact that He died our death on the cross. The meeting place must always be Calvary. And as we acknowledge His death as ours and become one with Him, we automatically become one with each other. 

"For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body" (I Cor. 12:13).

Unity in Christ is not something for which Christians are to strive. It is a fact of grace to be recognized and enjoyed by faith. True believers in and out of all denominations have been baptized into one body, whether or not they recognize this. 

Now it is for us to appropriate and enjoy this unity in Christ, "endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Eph. 4:3) i.e., seeking to experience the unity which the Spirit has made. Only those who have been baptized into Christ by faith can appreciate the blessed oneness which believers may enjoy.

 If you knew what God had planned for you, 
your knees would buckle  
your heart would skip
 and your mind do summersaults! 
By    Diane 

GraceNTheTruth@COX.NET

AMBASSADORS OF RECONCILIATION 
Part 1 of  3
Pastor J. C. O’Hair

In Great Britain, France, Mexico and other countries, the United States maintain ambassadors. Such a representative of the United States is called “minister plenipotentiary and ambassador extraordinary.” As a servant of this country he is a servant full of power or authority, and, being the personal spokesman for more than 120 million people, with the President, the cabinet, the congress, the army and the navy behind him, he is truly a representative extraordinary.

Of course, the man selected for such an important ministry should be fully qualified for the position. In order that he may honorably and uncompromisingly protect the interests of his nation and people at the foreign court he must be exceedingly careful about receiving personal favours, concessions and gifts from official representatives of that foreign nation.

In the important act of establishing treaties and agreements between his own government and the foreign nation that has received him as United States representative, this ambassador is forwarded a government document from Washington, bearing the seal of the United States of America. signed by the President and the Secretary of State. In dignity, accompanied by his official attendants, the ambassador presents the document to the foreign court for the signature of the Ruler and the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Thus treaties of possession, commerce and peace are made.

It is deplorable when such a representative is chosen, not because he is qualified for the post but to pay a political debt.

Surely it is a great privilege and a great honor to be an ambassador representing the United States. 

It is not an easy task to persuade people that it is a greater honor and a greater privilege to be an ambassador for Christ, and the Kingdom of God. Note the statement of the Apostle Paul, recorded in II Corinthians 5:20. “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.”

This same apostle, in Philippians 3:20, says: “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.” The word “conversation” here could be translated “citizenship” or even “politics.” There is a sense, then, in which the citizenship and politics of every representative of Christ is in heaven. But while here on earth, as ambassadors for Jesus Christ, those who belong to Christ have the very difficult task of trying to be pleasant among sinners, while at the same time being governed by Galatians 1:10; “for do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.”

In His wonderful prayer, recorded in John 17, the Lord Jesus said concerning His disciples: “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” John 17:16. The qualification for an ambassador is set forth in Colossians 1:12 to 15: “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son; In Whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.” In Colossians 1:12 the expression “hath made us meet” could be translated “hath qualified us.” In other words, before we can acceptably represent Christ we must qualify. We must be delivered; we must be redeemed. In Colossians 1:20 we are told how this is accomplished. It is through the blood of His cross. Here we note that by the blood of the cross of Christ the believer is reconciled and is at peace with God. We quote Colossians 1:20 to 22: “And having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself; by Him, I say, whether they be things it. earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled. In the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight.”

Here we note that alienated enemies are made wholly unblameable and unreprovable because of what Christ did through death.

Peace and reconciliation by the blood of His cross. What a wonderful message God’s ministers have to proclaim to lost sinners. And what glorious good news the sinner may receive and be saved for time and eternity.


THE GRACE OF GOD IS CONTINUAL IN THE LIFE OF THE BELIEVER. 

GraceNTheTruth@COX.NET

Led  by the Spirit 
Part 3 of 4
by Dennis Kiszonas


Walking by the Spirit 

The Holy Spirit came to live in us when we believed, and He came to lead us in our life for the Lord, not to drag us or force us--Paul writes to the Galatians:

Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage (slavery). Galatians 5:1

The leading of the Holy Spirit is not a leading that drags us on the end of a chain, it is freedom and not bondage.

On the other hand, His leading is not "carrying us" or ''bearing us." He leads us, but we need to follow Him, or as Paul writes to "walk by the Spirit" since we are now ''living by the Spirit." Though the Spirit is leading, He is not living the life in us all by Himself. As Paul wrote to the Philippians: 

Work out (note carefully: not work for) your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Philippians 2:12-13 

He is at work in us to will and to perform, but we are the one who must work out what He is working in. How do we do that? Paul wrote to the Galatians:

This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Galatians 3:2-3

They received the Spirit by hearing the message of grace, the message of the cross, with faith, that's how they "began in the Spirit." Now Paul says, continue as you began. We go on believing in the message of grace (Ephesians 2:8-9), we go on focusing on the cross. We are motivated under grace not by the offer of blessings---we have already been totally blessed, and not by the fear of cursings---He became a curse for us, but we are motivated by gratitude, by thanksgiving for what the Lord did for us on the cross.

The first ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives revealed to us in Paul's letters is found in Romans 5:5-6:

... the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

The Holy Spirit comes into the believer's heart under grace with the primary ministry of pouring out the love of God in our hearts, that's His love for us demonstrated at the cross where the Lord Jesus died for us. And as we focus on that love, Paul describes the proper response:

For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

Gal 5:7  You were running beautifully! Who cut in on you and stopped you from obeying the truth? 
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. 

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Led  by the Spirit 
Part 4 of 4
by Dennis Kiszonas

Paul's heart had been gripped by the love of Christ for Him, that 'He loved me and gave Himself for me!' (Galatians 2:20). This love compelled Paul, it gripped his heart and life so that from now on he would no longer live for himself but for the Lord who died and rose for him. 

The life led by the Spirit is a life motivated not by fear or the desire to add more blessing, but by love and gratitude. What more could the Lord have done for us? If the cross does not grip our hearts, what will? 

And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Colossians 3:17 

Whatever you do, Paul writes, let it all be done as a prayer of thanksgiving. Everything in life done to say 'Thank you, Lord' for dying for me. 

The Spirit and All-Sufficient Grace 

In a number of places in his letters Paul writes of the amazing power of God at work in his life. He wrote to the Philippians: 

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. 
Philippians 4:13 

And to the Corinthians, he wrote about the time he prayed for relief from a problem and received an unexpected answer: 

Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. " Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:8-9. 

This grace that is sufficient for every situation in life is nothing less, no one less, than the Spirit Himself. He points us constantly back to the cross and to the resurrection of the Lord. 

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me,' and the life which I now live in the flesh I live  by faith in the Son if God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2:20 

Here is God's provision for us to be "led by the Spirit" and living in "newness of life." 

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. 

I have learned over these many years of ministry to be very leery of anything that is embraced by the world and becomes wildly popular by the masses.  The fact is, the pure Truth of the Bible is NOT something this lost world gravitates to.  They want something that feels good, makes them happy for a moment, helps them through a difficult time, without making any real commitment or sacrifice in return.  That is why the spiritual crack of our day, these New Age teachings are so popular.  Sacrifice and service don't sell, success and satisfaction does!!!
By B. KELLER

GraceNTheTruth@COX.NET

Led  by the Spirit 
Part 1 of 4
by Dennis Kiszonas

But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Galatians 5:18

With this simple statement the Apostle Paul taught one of the most important principles for living the new life in Christ. Transformation, a changed life, begins here with the ministry of the Holy Spirit in a believer's life. We are changed by a person who has come to live in us permanently.

Receiving the Holy Spirit 

Since the Holy Spirit is a "spirit," He cannot be felt, seen, touched. He is spiritual and not able to be sensed by physical senses. 

The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.  John 3:8

We can see & hear the effects of the wind, but we cannot see the wind itself. So with the Holy Spirit, we can see His effects, but we are not capable of directly sensing Him. For this reason there are many unscriptural ideas about the Holy Spirit. We must walk by faith here and believe what the scriptures teach about the Holy Spirit, rather than trying to actually see or feel his presence.

Paul writes to the Galatians that all believers are led by the Spirit. He came to live in us at the moment that we put faith in the Lord Jesus as our Savior:

This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith? Galatians 3:2

And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" Galatians 4:6

We received the Spirit by the ''hearing of faith" ---that is, when we believed the gospel, we received the Holy Spirit into our lives. When we became sons of God, He sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts. In the dispensation of grace that we read about in Paul's epistles, there is no believer who does not have the Holy Spirit. And we don't have to wait to receive Him, He comes into our hearts as soon as we believe the gospel.

As you think about being a part of God’s family by faith in Christ, remember His faithfulness to you and His desire to use you to bring about His purposes. —Marvin Williams

Phi 2:13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of [his] good pleasure.

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. 


GraceNTheTruth@COX.NET

Led  by the Spirit 
Part 2 of 4
by Dennis Kiszonas


The Spirit's Leading 

When the Holy Spirit entered in, He came to ''lead'' us. We often hear people saying things like, "The Spirit led me to do something," or "God led me to go somewhere." But this is not the idea that Paul is writing about in Galatians 5:18 because these experiences are just occasional, sporadic events in the believer's life, but the leading of the Holy Spirit is a constant experience. The Holy Spirit doesn't lead us only in rare occasions, but at all times. 

It is helpful to put two verses side by side to see the point that Paul is making here:

But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Galatians 5:18

.......for you are not under law but under grace. Romans 6:14 

Both verses state that we are "not under law." One says, in contrast to being under law, that we are "led by the Spirit." The other that, in contrast to being under law, that we are "under grace." To be under grace is to be led by the Spirit, and to be led by the Spirit is to be under grace. Not passing, occasional experiences, but comprehensive descriptions of the Christian life today in the dispensation of grace.

We are not under law---not under a system in which blessings are earned by obedience and curses received for disobedience (this was God's plan for the nation of Israel, see Deuteronomy 28 for a full exposition of the operation of ''law.'') We do not earn our blessings a little at a time by obeying God because under grace we were blessed totally, with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, when we believed the gospel (Ephesians 1:3). And as for curses, the Lord Jesus became a curse for us on the cross (Galatians 3:13). There is no curse for us today.

Under grace we are completely released from the system of earning blessings or fearing curses, we are "loved." Instead of a system of law, we are given the Holy Spirit who leads us under grace. We do not always follow Him, but He is leading us every moment under grace.


THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK 

A Grace Disguised
Belief in Gods sovereignty gives us the security of knowing God is in control, but it also assigns us the responsibility of using our freedom to make wise choices and to remain faithful to Him. It assures us that God is transcendent without canceling out the important role we play. God's sovereignty allows us to believe that He is bigger than our circumstances and will make our lives better through those circumstances. 
- Gerald L. Sittsser

GraceNTheTruth@COX.NET

Seducing spirits and influenced religious leaders to promulgate  an array of pseudo creeds which do not conform with the written Word. We must be able by the Spirit's enablement to discern between these conflicting voices (1 Timothy 4:1).

From the casual observation it might appear that the Seven  Unities would not be adequate for solving all of the complex problems relating to the Body. For example, the basic precept of inspiration of the Word does not appear specifically in the Seven Unities. However, if we accept the ONE Spirit principle is our absolute guide, we would be bound to accept without reservation the entire Word as being inspired by the Holy Spirit ( Romans 15:4; 1st Corinthians 10 -11; 2 Timothy 3:16; 1 Peter 10– 11;  2 Peter 1:21)

Likewise the doctrine of inbred sin is not incorporated in the seven-fold Unity of God. Yet, man cannot be convicted of sin except by The ONE Spirit ( John 16:9). It is the prerogative of that   ONE Spirit to confer all spiritual gifts upon members of the Body ( 1 Corinthians 12:11). Time would fail is to expand upon all the intricacies of the works of the Holy Spirit. The instructions in this Unity are not expressed in detail, but basics for further development in the Body truth are found therein.

The Unity of the Holy Spirit in the Unity of the Body are associated directly with the Unity of the ONE  Baptism, which will be discussed later ( 1st Corinthians 12:13). Thus, we see how closely knit are the Seven Unities within the one Unity of God. Each and all autonomy, yet they are inseparable ( Acts 1:14; 2:1; Philippians 2:2).

THE ONE SPIRIT
PART 1 OF 2
BY Pastor Richardson

Holy angels are spiritual emissaries of God. Demons( fallen angels) our spiritual beings, who assiduously carry out their  assigned  tasks by their prince(  Eph. 2:2; 6:12; Heb.1:7, 14;1 Jon. 4;1). We should be more sensitive to the reality of the unseen evil spirit world around us ( 1 Corinthians 2: 8; 14:10; 2 Corinthians 4:4; 10:4; Galatians 5:17; Ephesians 3:10; 6:11–12; 1 Jon 5:19). God, the Holy Spirit, is the sole monitor and dispenser of all spiritual truth (Jon. 16:13). Although we be surrounded by a host of evil spirits we are indwelt by the omnipresent Holy Spirit ( 2 Kings 6:16; 1 Jon 4:4).


One of our shortcomings is our failure  to assess the vast chasm which exists  between the spirit and the flesh  ( Romans 7:18; 1st Corinthians 15:46; Galatians 5:17). Tyrannical flesh has dominated the world since the fall of man ( Romans 8:3 ). Human efforts are impotent when they are used to combat the weakness of the flesh( John 6:63; 7:19; acts 7:53; 15:10. The first penalty exacted against  man's  disobedience was spiritual death,which is separation from God. Physical death followed in its wake (Genesis 3:19; Romans 5:12; Hebrews 2:15; 9:27).


Some reputable religions reject vicarious atonement is the only antidote for sin. As a result they rule out physical death is a reality. The outcome has been that God's word is desecrated  and human ego is inflated( John 3:27;; 15:5). A perpetual  controversy is being waged between the forces of life and the forces of death, or between the spirit and the flesh.


A multitude of other duties of the Holy Spirit are equally indispensable in God's plan for his creatures. He was the renovator of the physical world for initial human habitation( Genesis 1:2). He alone is capable of developing spiritual growth in believers, as their comforter,  guide and  intercessor (John 16:14; Romans 8:26). Paul accents the necessity of walking in the spirit, as the secret of victorious living( Romans 8:4–13).

The Holy Spirit is the spirit of prophecy apprentices (John 16:13; 2 Peter 1:21). He provides access into both the heavenly New Covenant Kingdom and the new man( body). Each requires different qualifications for admission ( John 3:3, 5; 1st Corinthians 12:13). All of these special attributes attest to the importance of maintaining the Unity of the Spirit. The application of this Unity guarantees uncondit- ional liberty and perfect harmony within the body, when it is prompted by sincerity, conformity and confidence  (2 Corinthians 3:17).

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"Blessed Assurances" 
Part 2 of 2 
by Dennis Kiszonas 
 
Paul's next phrase is, "We have ... "
 
 ''Therefore, having been justified by faith, "Paul writes, ''we have ... "
 
What does it actually mean to say, 'we have'? This is a present tense verb that indicates continual possession. An uninterrupted, continual possession of all of the following blessings. Having settled the matter of salvation, we presently and continually have as our constant possessions the blessings that are coming up. These are not blessings that come and go, or vary from day to day depending on our circumstances, or our obedience or faithfulness or spiritual experience, these are constants, real 'Blessed Assurances.' Things that every believer in Christ can be sure of all the time.
 
#1 Peace with God
 
"Peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. " We have at all times now that we are saved, peace with God. He no longer has anything at all against us, in fact we can now be assured that He is "for us" -- ''If God be for us who can be against us?" Romans 8:31. Because of the cross where the Lord paid for everything we've ever done or ever will do wrong, God says to the believer that we have as our constant possession at all times, peace with Him. He is for us, on our side, in our corner.
 
Of course, we each have a personal struggle with an enemy who restlessly wants to convince us otherwise. Satan uses every possible circumstance, every possible "wile of the devil" to try to shake our confidence, and make us wonder if indeed God is really on our side at all. But as long as we remember and believe that God has nothing against us and is on our side, we are invincible, unbeatable.
 
I mean, as Paul says, If Almighty God is on our side--think of that!--then really, who can be against us--they try to be, but who can succeed against us if God is on our side?
 
But we need to always remember, it is ''peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." This is all by the grace of God and not by our own worthiness, our own efforts and good works. It is all because of Him and His cross work for us. Believe it and be thankful forever!
 
#2 Standing in Grace
 
Romans 5:2 "through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand. " 

Not only do we have peace with God as our present continual possession through Christ, but also through Him we have "access by faith into this grace" 
 
'Access' could well be translated here as a 'welcome.' Through the Lord Jesus, God actually welcomed us into His grace through faith. The red-carpet was rolled out, enemies were invited to come, even welcomed into this amazing grace when we put our faith in the Lord Jesus who paid the penalty in full for us.
 
And once we enter into this grace of God salvation by believing in the Lord Jesus as our Savior, we are now told even further, not only were we welcomed into this grace, but now we are 'standing in this grace.'  We were welcomed into this grace at the moment of our salvation, and now ever after we are standing in grace.
 
For one thing, that means that there is no way we can "lose our salvation." We're not standing in our own works, or our own faithfulness. We would all fail. But we are standing in His grace--"And if it is by grace it is no longer by works, otherwise grace is no longer grace." Romans 11:6. Our standing before God no longer depends upon our works but is in His grace. We are not standing in a performance system, but in His grace.
 
#3 We have a sure hope.
 
Paul finishes verse 2 by writing, "and (we) rejoice in hope of the glory of God"
 
We had read in Romans 3:23, that we all fall short of the glory of God. If we didn't let God save us by His grace, none of us would ever see the glory of God in heaven. Now, though, because of the cross and His grace, we are rejoicing in hope of the glory of God.
 
"Hope" here is not the weak sort of "hope" that we often speak of in English. We sometimes hear a person say, "I hope I'm going to heaven." That's more like "wishing" for it.
 
Like saying, "I hope it doesn't rain and ruin our picnic." That is a wish, some-thing that we want but are very unsure whether we'll get.
 
You can't "rejoice" in a hope like that! How could anyone rejoice in some-thing that they aren't even sure that they have? 
 
This "hope" that Paul writes about though is not like that. It is a hope that is sure for the future. I am sure, I expect to see the glory of God, I know I'm going to heaven because the Lord has paid for everything wrong that I've ever done or ever will do, therefore I am rejoicing ahead of time. When a believer thinks about the Lord's coming for us, or when we think about dying, we see these things as events full of joy. We have here an assurance in the face of death and the uncertainties of life.
 
Let's stop and quickly review the blessings of these first two verses in Romans 5. 

#1 We have peace with God -- He is on our side, He is for us-- at all times and in every circumstance.
 
#2 We were welcomed into His grace and now we are standing in His grace by faith in the Lord Jesus. We are not on a performance system to earn God's love or to keep this relationship alive. We are standing in His grace, and therefore it is, "no longer of works, otherwise grace isn't grace any more. " (Romans 11:6) 
 
#3 We are rejoicing in our expectation ad hope of one day sharing in the glory of God in heaven. In the present we have peace and grace, for the future we have a sure hope of glory. What more could we ask?
 
Now we go on to a surprising statement in Romans 5:3-4. We might think that having God on our side, and standing in His grace would guarantee that our life would be "problem-free." No more worries about financial problems. No more concern that we might get cancer or die in a war or lose our job or have a divorce in our marriage or a problem with a child on drugs or in prison.
 
That's what I thought when I became a Christian. I thought that all my problems would be solved because now God is my Father and He's going to bless my life with abundance in every way---abundant health, finances, love from family and friends. All the good things in life would be mine. If you believe that, you're going to have some big problems in the christian life! Just read the next verses--Romans 5:3-4:
 
And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 

There you have it: Tribulations are part of the christian life--and Paul even welcomed them! If anybody ever tells you that problems are not going to be your lot when you're saved, just remember these verses. God says that tribulations are part of His plan for us and that we should welcome them because He allows them to come into our lives for His good purposes.
 
Of course, whenever we're facing problems, especially long, hard, problems that just seem like they're never going to be solved, we begin to wonder, why did God do this to me? Did I do something that caused Him to turn against me? 

The devil just loves when we begin to question, and doubt God. If he can drive a wedge between us and God, he's got us beat.
 
At times like that we need to review verses I and 2. "I have at all times as my permanent and constant possession peace with God. He is on my side, He has nothing against me, it was all paid for by my Savior at the cross. And I am now standing in the same grace that I was welcomed into on the first day that I believed. And I am going to glory. So how can I think that God has somehow now turned against His word and His promises and has somehow turned against me?" Impossible! Unthinkable! "God is faithful.... "
 
So Paul writes, tribulations are part of life even for us who have God on our side, even while we're standing in His grace and on our way to glory.
 
Paul even says, don't just groan about those tribulations, but actually rejoice in them! They come for a good reason even if they feel awfully hard to accept. God uses tribulations in our lives to cause us to grow. "Knowing that tribulation produces perseverance ... character ... hope. " 

Its "knowing" God's purpose in allowing the tribulations that causes us to have a new attitude about them. 


GraceNTheTruth@COX.NET

An Easter Exhortation 

The Word of God for today says that we believers have been bought out of the sphere of satanic darkness and transferred into the sphere of light and eternal life in the Lord. 

The universal truth in the Bible is that the wages of sin is death. The purpose of the sinless Person of Jesus Christ's death on the Cross was to pay the penalty for the sin that separated the human race from God the Father. 

We Christians, to whom God has given faith, should never forget that Jesus Christ paid the death penalty that was against us--He died for our sin, and as a consequence, we have been forgiven and have eternal life!
 
Indeed, Jesus Christ has purchased us out of the satanic sphere of sin and death. Apart from this death on Calvary's Cross, we would still be spiritually on death row!
 
All that we are and all that we have, we have because of Him! The least we can do is make ourselves and all that He has given to us available to Him. Please join with us in teaching His Word for today-the Gospel of Grace!
 E.R.Campbell


GRACE AS A DOCTRINE 

Sometimes as I've traveled, people have said to me, "Our church is focusing on grace this year." When I'm told that, I can't help but find myself thinking, "What did you focus on last year? What will you focus on next year?" I've even heard some say that grace is a very important doctrine and how important it is that we understand it.
 
These kinds of statements sound good on the surface, but they completely miss the point of grace. Grace is not an important doctrine. In fact, grace is a Person. His name is Jesus Chris, He is Grace personified. When we talk about grace, we're talking about Him.
 
Grace is the essence of our very lives in Christ. Grace is the foundation of who God the Father is to us through His Son, Jesus Christ. To say that grace is an important doctrine puts it in a categorical list of other doctrines, which undermines its value and meaning. Grace is not to be put in a list of doctrinal teachings. It is the fountainhead from which every doctrine of the Bible flows.
 
To suggest that grace is an important doctrine is like saying that breathing is an important part of my life. That would be an understate-
ment of ridiculous proportions. Breathing is not an important part of my life. When Paul said, "For me to live is Christ," he might as well have said, "For me to live is grace." They are the same. John said that Jesus came "full of grace." (See John 1:14) It's who He is.
 
Yes, grace is as much a part of our lives as is breathing. It is the core and essence of the gospel. In Acts 20:24, Paul showed that grace is the gospel. "I do not consider my life of any account, as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God." Note how the gospel is inseparably joined to grace here.
 
The word gospel means "hilariously good news." What is this good news that Paul said he had been entrusted to share with those around him? It was the good news of the grace of God. Once we wander away from grace in what we proclaim, we've left the gospel. We might be telling the truth, but we've left the gospel. We might be helping people to some degree, but we've left the gospel. The gospel is the message of grace. It's the only thing that has the power to transform lives. Paul described it as "the power of God unto salvation." 

Let's not think we flatter grace when we call it an important doctrine. It's more than that. It's everything. 
 Steve McVey

THANK YOU FATHER FOR SENDING YOUR
 SON TO GIVE US ETERNAL LIFE,
  THANK YOU THAT HE IS THE GRACE
 WE  NEEDED IN OUR  LIFE
IN HIS  PRECIOUS NAME,
AMEN

Col 2:9  For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 

GraceNTheTruth@COX.NET

"Blessed Assurances" 
Part 1 of  2
The Blessings of Romans 5 -  
by Dennis Kiszonas 
 
  
A famous old pastor in Chicago came to the end of his life. He had preached the grace of God for decades to a large congregation and an even larger radio audience. On his death bed, in the last moments of his life, he recited from memory a passage of scripture which spoke of the assurances that he enjoyed as he faced the near end of his earthly life. The passage? Romans 5: 1-11.
 
In Romans 5 God tells us of a set of blessings that are basic to the Christian life. Here is a great chapter to study, and blessings that we need to under-stand and apply in our lives, and a great chapter to memorize so that we can recall these vital truths whenever we need them, whether in the midst of life or at the time of death. 

Rom 5:1-11
 
   1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2. through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God 

3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope.
 
5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
 
6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 

7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
 
9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
 
11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
 
Let's study this passage thought by thought.
 
Romans 5: 1 - "Therefore, having been justified by faith, ... " The chapter begins with Paul looking back over his shoulder to the things which he explained in Romans 3 and 4. If we're reading thru Romans as we get to chapter five, we've already read, "being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus," Romans 3:24.
 
To be 'justified' means to be declared 'righteous' in the sight of God the Judge. Not only are we forgiven for all of our sins (Col. 2:13), but we are actually declared by God to be righteous in Christ--all that God expected and demanded and required of us is now credited to us, so now He can bless us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Eph 1:3). How could God do this for sinful people?
 
Remember again Romans 3:24, "being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." 'Justified freely,' that means 'without a cause in ourselves.' Its not because we're so good or righteous, in fact God says "there is none righteous no not one" Romans 3:10, but now, without a cause or reason in ourselves, God has declared us righteous in his sight "by His grace thru the redemption that is in Christ Jesus! "
 
Because of what the Lord Jesus did for us at the cross when He took the blame and accepted the guilt of our sins and made the full payment for them all by dying for us, now God says, "Don't look for a cause in yourself, but by My overflowing grace I consider you to be righteous in my sight and will treat you as a righteous person forever." 

What did we have to do to receive this amazing righteousness? "But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness. " Romans 4:5. 

We have to do nothing -- it's to him who does not work! --stop even trying to save ourselves and let Him save us by His grace thru the redemption/payment that is in Christ. On the cross the Lord did all the work that was required by God for Him to be able to save any person who puts his faith, trust, reliance in the Lord as his Savior.
 
So our passage in Romans 5 begins with this backward glance to the previous chapters in the letter and sums them up with this opening phrase: "Therefore, having been justified by faith, ... " Paul is saying, now that we have settled this matter of salvation by the grace of God thru faith, now let's go on to see what the results of that salvation are.
 
GraceNTheTruth@COX.NET

UNION WITH CHRIST
PART  2 of  3

Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God ... But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the  Spirit and not in oldness of the letter. ( Rom. 7:4,6))

It's not just the ceremonial or civil aspects of the Old Testament law that we have died to.  Many teach that. But after Paul stated that we have died to the law, he immediately provided an example--- straight from the Ten  Commandments: "You shall not covet" (Romans 7:7).

Just as we no longer have any relationship to sin, we no longer have any relationship to the law, including the moral law. Just as sin no longer has any power over us, the law no longer has any power over us. We have died to sin. We have died to the law.

Why did God crucify us to the law? Because although the law is holy and righteous and good (Romans 7:12), it has fulfilled its function in our lives. The law was given that it might reveal sin (Romans 3:20) and lead us to Christ:

Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. (Galatians 3:24-25)

Once a person becomes a believer, the law actually hinders the fulfillment of God's purpose for our lives: that He might express His life in and through us. That is because the law by its nature sets a standard which we automatically try in our own effort to live up to. And the moment we do, we are living according to the flesh, from our own self-effort, rather than by faith, trusting Christ's life in us. That is exactly what Paul chastised the Galatians about:

You foolish Galatians! ... Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? (Galatians 3:1-3)

God had to crucify us to the law, because as long as we were married to it (Romans 7:1-3) we were obligated to try (and fail) to keep it on our own. Having been crucified to it, we are free to allow Christ in us to naturally express His life through us. It is not us trying. It is us resting in Him as He produces His righteous fruit.

The third thing we died to on the cross is ourselves as our point of reference. Paul testified in Galatians 2:20:

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

It's impossible for a person to know their union with Christ, and live out of that union, if they don't know that they have died with Christ. If I think that the old me is still alive, I am still my point of reference. If I am still my point of reference, I am still trying to correct me, straighten me up, make something out of me, or do something to change me. As long as my emphasis is upon me, it can't be upon Christ in me. So I'm a divided person.

Oh, I can still live in the Romans 7 trap --- what I want to do I don't do; what I don't want to do I do --- but I've had enough of that, haven't you? I Want to be out of that. What Paul tells us in Romans 6 and 2 Corinthians 5 is that we really are out of that.
GraceNTheTruth@COX.NET

UNION WITH CHRIST
PART  3 of  3
When Paul poses the question, "Shall we continue in sin just to prove the reality of grace?" he concludes, "People who go on living like that don't really know they died in Christ." In other words, their point of reference hasn't been changed. Their point of reference is still themselves, and they think they are no good and want to sin. Consequently, they are excited about all of this grace of God that they can keep drawing on. Paul would say, "Yes, you can keep on drawing on the grace of God for everything you ever do, for every sin you ever commit. But WHY? Why not instead draw on the LIFE of God?"

A friend of mine once said to me, "You know, until I really knew that I had been crucified with Christ, there was no way for me to get rid of me. Because I was still alive to me." It's so true. Until we know we've died, we're never going to be free of ourselves, and we will never experience union. We will still be a problem to ourselves. The spotlight will still be on us. That's where most Christians are living their life: "I've got to produce for God."

Until the full work of the cross --- our death and resurrection with Christ --- becomes a reality to us, we will try to produce something that's not required of us. Our focus will still be on us, instead of Christ in us. And we will neglect to be involved in the glorious activity of God as He lives out through us for others. We participate in God's life when we see that we died to ourselves as our point of reference. Christ in us is now our point of reference in all things.

Everything necessary for living the Christian life is provided in the cross, completely and properly understood. It's all in the cross. God hasn't omitted one thing from the cross that is necessary for us to allow Him to live His life through us.

We must experientially know both sides of the cross: Christ died for us (the blood) and we died and were raised with Him (the body). In the next chapter, we will look at the "raised with Him" part. For now, it's absolutely fundamental to know that you died with Christ. You cannot know your union until God has shown you that the old you died. When you died, you died to sin. You died to the law. You died to yourself as your point of reference. As far as being an impediment to God, you are out of the way. The old you is not a factor anymore.

It's a great victory to move into the reality of who you are in Christ. You have the privilege of seeing yourself the way He sees you. Your entire point of reference is now Christ who lives in you. You and He are one. He lives His life through you.

We can continue to say, "That can't really mean me, because here I am and I know me. I know I'm not dead." Then we'll never know union. We'll never know Christ as our life. We may understand the concept of our death, but not truly know the truth of it in our inner being.

If your death with Christ hasn't become an experiential reality to you yet, I encourage you to ask the Father to make it a reality: "Lord, I want to know. I want to know and experience the truth that I died with Christ. Reveal that to me and make it real in my life." He will.

Our Purpose and Mission

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

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 fulness of Christ:" 

OUR COMMISSION IN THE AGE OF GRACE IS:

2Co 5:16-21  Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we [him] no more.  Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  And all things [are] of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;  To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.   Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech [you] by us: we pray [you] in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.  For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 

GraceNTheTruth@COX.NET

UNION WITH CHRIST
PART  1 of  3

Our problem always was a spiritual problem: sin. Jesus didn't just identify with our problem; He became the problem. "He [God] made Him Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). The cure was radical. Jesus became sin and joined our old man to Himself. Thus, our old man died with Him. And when our old man died, sin was eradicated from our inmost being. We died to sin.

Jesus didn't just die for us to forgive us. Through our spirit union with Him, He did something in us. He completely solved the sin problem. He took the sin nature out. As Paul said in Romans 6, he who has died is freed from --- cut off, separated from ---- sin. Says who? "I do," God says. "And if you ever catch up with Me, you'll see it."

But if I have died to sin, why am I still tempted to sin? Why do I have this pull within me toward sin? Paul explained that in Romans 7. Though sin has been removed from our deepest inner being, it has not been eradicated from our body, our "members," as Paul put it. So we can still be pulled by the power of sin that dwells in our body, but not in our spirit.

That's why it's so crucial to understand that our old man was crucified with Christ and that we died to sin. We are free from sin. That is a spirit level truth. Because if we live by our soul's thoughts and feelings, we feel sin's temptation and think that's the real us. It feels as if the real us wants to sin, so we conclude there must still be something wrong with the real us.

To put it in theological terms, it feels like we have both an old nature (our old man) and a new nature (our new creation in Christ). Every outward appearance seems to verify that. The only thing that doesn't is what God says is true: "Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him ... that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin."

The blood side of the cross labels us FORGIVEN. The body side of the cross labels us THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD (2 Corinthians 1:21). You're the righteousness of God. You're not just forgiven, but perfect and complete. In the unseen and eternal, you are a finished product.

We are: Forgiven  by His Blood

We are: Righteous, Holy, Perfect, Complete By His Body

The old man manifested his nature through us: sins. The new creation in Christ -- the new spirit man, born by God's Spirit in righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:24) - manifests Christ's nature through us: righteousness. As we learn to live from the truth of what has happened in our  spirit, we will witness externally what God has already made an internal reality. We have been separated through death from the power of sin. We have become the righteousness of God. We have a total victory over sin.

So the first thing we died to when we were crucified with Christ is sin. The second thing we died to is the law. The church drowns in confusion over the issue of the law. It has misunderstood it since the first century. Paul's epistle to the Galatians was written to set the record straight on this issue. But most of the church remains confused.

The Scriptures could not be clearer about this. In exactly the same way that Paul said in Romans 6 that we died to sin, in Romans 7 he said that we died to the law.

    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


Would you like to help this ministry? Consider trying to get one other person to subscribe to the GRACE DAILY INSPIRATIONAL.  This worldwide ministry asks for no funds and is sent to glorify our precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, AND TO HELP YOU TO GROW IN GRACE AND KNOWLEDGE. 

GraceNTheTruth@COX.NET

Know ye not that we shall judge Angels
By Mike  Szafranski 

Something had changed for the Apostle Paul to be able to make this statement. Normally, when we see angels interact with mankind in the Scriptures prior to Paul, angels not only outrank men, but also instructed them as to the Scripture and indeed gave them Scripture. So what happened? 

The Greek word for angel is aggelos (ang'-el-os). It is translated in the AV-"angel" 179 times, "messenger" 7 times; 186 in all. Strongs' rightly defines it as "a messenger, envoy, one who is sent, an angel, a messenger from God." Some commentators think Paul is here referring to fallen angels, but this is not the case since elect or non-elect angels are not specified in the context like they are in other places. For example I Timothy 5:2I, " I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality. " 

The Body of Christ now has a position above the elect angels. Colossians 3:1: " If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God" Also, Ephesians I:20-22 says: "Which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. And hath put all things under His feet."
 
No other economy has been so lifted up as the Body of Christ when it comes to eternal destiny. This will be one of our main occupations in eternity, to co-judge the angels with Christ from His throne. Praise God! 

The English word "angel" is used 175 times in the entire New Testament but only 13 times in the Pauline Epistles. This is huge and not merely an argument from silence. Angels in the Kingdom Dispensation normally deliver saints and instruct them in Bible studies, like Daniel, for example, or the Apostle John with the Revelation. But Paul's Epistles do not mention anything about these types of angelic activities as in the Old Testament or even the times after Matthew to the present Age of Grace. Indeed, Paul's only mention of the assistance of an elect angel is Acts 27:23 and there is no deliverance here or sense of hierarchy, but of encouragement and what God will do in His time of need. 

All of Paul's revelations, regarding Scripture and the Body of Christ, were received without angelic assistance, directly from the Lord Himself. Galatians I:11-12: "But 1 certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. " This is quite different from the norm in the past, as angels were instrumental in the dispensing of Scripture, as well as the understanding of them. Angels were also used of God to protect Israel in many physical battles of even sustenance by eating angel's food. Psalm 28:25: "Man did eat angel's food" This verse does not mean that manna was what the angels were used to eating, but those angels delivered this food to the nation Israel. This kind of intervention is not even mentioned in Paul's instruction for the Body saints for today. This information would surely have been mentioned in Paul's Epistles for us today. 

It may even be pointed out that part of the angelic ministry to Israel was to assist the Jews in their worship of God (1 Kgs. 19:5; Ps. 34:7; 91:11; Dan. 6:22; Mt. 2:13,19; 4:11; 18:10; Lk. 22:43; Acts 5:19; 12:7-10; Heb. 1:14). 

The angels observe us (Ecc. 5:6; 1 Cor. 4:9; Eph. 3:1), a fact which should influence conduct. They receive departing saints (Lk. 16:22). Man is made "a little lower than the angels." Ecclesiastes 5:6 says: "Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error; wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?" 

In the Kingdom program, the angels instructed Old Testament saints; today we are instructing them, a direct reversal of ministry.  

Without a doubt there is no greater, or more valuable possession that we can hold in our hands than the word of God - The Holy Bible. And while we hold, and read, and study God's word, we have no greater need than to know how to handle it as God has intended that we handle it. For only then will we handle the Bible properly. and only then will it be able to effectually and fully function for us as "the word of truth' that it is, and thereby be able to accomplish what God has designed it to accomplish in our minds, and hearts, and lives. 
_K. Blades

    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 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:" 

GraceNTheTruth@COX.NET

LEGITIMATE PRAYER 
by C. R. Stam 

Prayer, in Old Testament times, was based upon a covenant relationship with God, or it was an appeal to His revealed nature as merciful, gracious, etc. Today it is based upon the redemptive work of Christ, whose death opened the way for us into the Father's presence. This is why acceptable prayer today is offered “in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ”. With our Lord's departure from this world in view, He said to His disciples: 

“I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by Me” (John 14:6). 

“Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My name…At that day ye shall ask in My name: and I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you, for the Father Himself loveth you, because ye have loved Me…” (John 16:24-27). 

Thus today we pray directly to the Father in the name of the Son. 

Our prayers, however, are often faltering and sometimes the way is so dark before us that we do not even know what to ask for. Thus Paul declared: “We know not what we should pray for as we ought” (Rom.8:26). But he was quick to follow this with the declaration: 

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose” (Rom.8:28). 

This is why the Apostle Paul encourages God's people: 

“Be careful [merimnao--anxious-- take thought.pansies butterflies header.jpg] for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God: 

“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep ( phroureo--to mount guard as a sentinel ) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil.4:6,7). 

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb.4:16).

In the total expanse of human life there is not a square inch of which the Christ, 
who alone is sovereign, does not declare, "That is mine!" 
-- Abraham Kuyper 

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 

GraceNTheTruth@COX.NET

LAW VS. GRACE 
Part 2 of 3
By John Steiner

   Those who approach God expecting eternal life in return for good works are offering God THEIR terms which He will never accept. God will not sell justification or righteousness to those ALREADY UNDER CONDEMNATION FOR SIN! But now He does offer sinners complete justification by grace because, again, "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, 'Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree! 'Under the law, God through Moses, commanded:

   "And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he is to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree. His body shall not remain all night upon a tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day, (for he that is hanged is accursed of God) that thy land be not defiled, which the Lord thy God gjveth thee for an inheritance. " (Deut. 21:22-23) Could it be that being hanged pictures being cursed because he is being suspended between the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of earth so-to-speak? And that this depicts being a citizen of neither? And consequently the "cursed man" should be avoided since he is cursed? THANK GOD He sent Jesus Christ to become that curse in our place! Thank God, those who trust this good news are given God's righteousness for it is bestowed upon them as we read in Romans 3:21-22 "But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference." Do believe that? This is difficult for many people to accept, especially the religious, but here it is written in the Word of God, "But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested .. "

   But how shall we interpret the words "But now" in this passage? When was this "Bestowed righteousness" due to trusting in Jesus vicarious death first shown, or revealed? Was it revealed at Calvary? No, nothing is explained of the accomplishment there yet. Was it revealed at the so-called "great commission"? No, not one record of the commission contains one word about justification given through the merits of Christ's death. (Only that remission of sins could be issued to those repentant of the murder of Christ and water baptized demonstrating faith that He is the Son of God.) Was it at Pentecost then? No, not even at Pentecost. There the convicted murderers were still told to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins.

It was not until Paul that this blessed message went forth. It was Paul and no one until Paul who declared "But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested." The reason for this is that up to the point of Paul's conversion, God was still honoring and answering the prayer of our Lord Jesus on the cross. There our Lord prayed, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do," (Luke 23:34) And the Father answered that prayer giving Israel (nationally) the opportunity to demonstrate repentance and faith in Jesus as the Son of God after the coming and testimony of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Remission of sins and the Holy Spirit was given to those who obeyed the Apostles command to be water baptized in Jesus' name. (See Acts 2:36-39, Acts 3:19-20, Acts 5:30-32, and Acts 8:35-38) But with the stoning of Stephen, and the great wave of persecution that resulted from it, it was evident that Israel did not wish to be the instrument of blessing to the world for they were sticking with their rejection of Jesus Christ from a national standpoint. 



Should this Inspirational be a blessing and encouragement to you, why not send to a friend, coworker or, to your loved one's 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.  

This is the kind of relationship God wants with you! The notion that God recreated you in Christ to get more work out of you is such a low view of our Father. God wants you to adopt Paul's life verse: "that I may know Him [Christ]" (Philippians 3:10). As you pursue that goal, spiritual fruit will begin to drop off of you to the glory of Christ. Men asked Jesus, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" Jesus answered, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent" (John 6:28,29). 

GraceNTheTruth@COX.NET

LAW VS. GRACE 
Part 3-3 Conclusion
By John Steiner

So, no, this righteousness bestowed "upon them that believe" was not possible until it was revealed, and announced. At Calvary our salvation was purchased but not proclaimed that way until through Paul. And who better to be the herald of the grace of Christ than Saul, also called Paul. After all, by the inspiration of God, he called himself  the chief of sinners, and less than the least of all saints, because he persecuted the Jewish church and wasted it. He hadn't repented or shown any signs of faith for he was "yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter" when he was stopped by the Lord in "exceeding abundant" grace and love.

Paul received the message of grace directly from the Lord himself by direct revelation. In a similar way as John the apostle received the Revelation concerning the tribulation period and the Day of our Lord's judgment, Paul by direct revelation received the message which is in affect "now" or during "this present time", or the "Day" of grace and the "Day of salvation".

Paul tells us "But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ." (Galatians 1:11-12) He says "If you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward. How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery (as I wrote afore in few words, whereby, when you read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit." (Ephesians 3:2-5) 

So when Paul says "but now ... "rest assured that these are the very words of our Lord Jesus Christ and that he is only speaking in behalf of the Lord in this day of grace. And so as a scripture writer he says, "But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, (this message) we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ,  that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:22-26)

So what about you my dear friend? Do you know what it means to experience bestowed righteousness? Or are you still under the curse of the law, still trying to do the impossible feat of keeping the law perfectly? Jesus Christ was "made a curse for us" by enduring the cross, and bearing our penalty. Put your trust completely in His finished work there in shedding His blood and YOU WILL experience His bestowed righteousness. Take advantage of God's gracious offer while it's still being made. We have no promise of tomorrow, so this may be your last day, hour, or minute for that matter. And besides that, God may decide to move on with his dealings with man, and begin to show His other attributes such as His righteous judgment. For under His righteous judgment, the great tribulation period, His dealings with man will not be so gracious as they are today in the Day of Grace. Under the dispensation to come you will need to endure to the end in order to be saved. But for now, God is offering you the same kind of grace He showed Paul on the road to Damascus. So don't pass it up, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." (Acts 16:31) 

Should this Inspirational be a blessing and encouragement to you, why not send to a friend, coworker or, to your loved one's 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.  

A THOUGHT TO KEEP IN MIND 

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.......sufficient 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...His servant

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.

GraceNTheTruth@COX.NET

LAW VS. GRACE 
PART 1 OF 3
By John Steiner

Romans 4:15, clearly states that "the law worketh wrath." But so many people do not wish to see this. Even some clergymen tell us that God gave the law to help us be good, when God speaking through Paul the apostle says the very opposite: that it was given to show us how bad we are and need a Savior. Could it be that some do not wish to  see themselves as law breakers? Or, as a person who stands guilty and condemned by the law of God?

"The law worketh wrath." You know every criminal knows this, and every sinner should too because the Bible has so much to say on the subject. A criminal understands that breaking the law has a consequence (especially if he's doing jail time for it). And in the Bible, breaking God's law always carried with it a consequence. 

After the penalty for our sin was paid by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, He chose to reveal insight to man regarding the purpose and intent of the law. Through Paul, God now shows us what the purpose was and is to bring about "the ministration of condemna- tion" and "the ministration of death." (II Corinthians 3:7, 9) It was to stop every bragging mouth, and bring us before God as we really are: guilty. "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and ALL THE WORLD MAY BECOME GUILTY BEFORE GOD. There- fore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: FOR BY THE LAW IS THE KNOWLEDGE OF SIN." (Romans 3:19-20) 

Paul said, "I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, 'Thou shalt not covet .' But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I FOUND TO BE UNTO DEATH." (Romans 7:7-l0) 

By the way, who would be considered under the law today? Would it not be anyone who seeks to make himself acceptable to God by keeping the law? In Galatians 3:10-14, Paul tells us that these people are under a curse. The law only condemns them. "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that NO MAN is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, 'The just shall live by faith. " 

Here Paul quotes the law and the prophets, but is giving added revelation now with it saying: "AND THE LAW IS NOT OF FAITH, but the man that doeth them shall live in them. CHRIST HATH REDEEMED US FROM THE CURSE OF THE LA W, being made a curse for us: for it is written, 'Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.' That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. " 

Should this Inspirational be a blessing and encouragement to you, why not send to a friend, coworker or, to your loved one's 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

GraceNTheTruth@COX.NET

THE CAUSE OF RETARDED GROWTH
  by C. R. Stam
 
    In the physical realm retarded growth may be due to 
some mishap or may be simply one of the results of the 
curse, having no direct bearing on the behavior of the par-
ents, and certainly not of the child itself.  In the spiritual 
realm this is not so.  God has made abundant provision for 
every child of God to grow to spiritual manhood, and Paul 
rebukes the Corinthian believers for not having grown.

The trouble with the Corinthians was that they did not 
have much appetite for the Word; they did not have a pas-
sion to know and obey the truth, for the babe in Christ who 
"desires" the pure milk of the Word will surely "grow there-
by."  This was the trouble with the Hebrew believers too, 
for when the Apostle would have gone further into the 
great subject of Christ as "an High Priest forever after the 
order of Melchisedec," he was forced to write:

"Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered,
seeing ye are dull [Gr., nothros, slothful] of hearing"
 (Heb. 5:11).

This is precisely the cause of the carnality among be-
lievers today.  During World War II there were several 
occasions when parents came to the writer with letters from 
their sons in the armed forces, explaining that a code had 
been arranged by which "Johnny" could let them know to 
which theatre of war he had been sent, but that now it was 
difficult to understand his letter.  Together we would sit 
down and study the letter in detail in an effort to make out 
exactly what it was that "Johnny" was trying to make his 
parents understand.

Such interest and concern over a letter from "Johnny"!  
And appropriately so, but do the majority of believers show 
such interest in the Word of God to them?  They do not.  
They are satisfied with "the simple things," with knowing 
only a few passages which "warm their hearts."  This is the 
root cause of the spiritual immaturity in the Church today.  

Lord Jesus, You are my indwelling treasure. When pressures, perplexities, persecutions, or catastrophes come my way, teach me to trust in You. When others ask how I am sustained through these difficulties, remind me to give all glory and honor to You. In Your name I pray, Amen

  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

THE GLORY OF THAT LIGHT
  by Russell S. Miller
  
The resurrected Christ appeared unto Paul very differently than His appearances had been unto all those other saints. Peter and the Eleven had only seen the risen Christ as He will reign upon this earth in His kingdom glory (Matt.17:1-9). But Paul saw the risen, glorified, Lord Jesus Christ in "the glory of His grace" (Eph.1:6,14). The glorified Lord Jesus Christ appeared unto Paul as He had never appeared to any man before upon this earth. He appeared unto Paul from heaven:

"And when I could NOT see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus. And one Ananias..., Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul... The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know His will, AND SEE THAT JUST ONE, and shouldest hear the voice of His mouth. For thou shalt be His witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard" (Acts 22:11-14).

Christ could have judged the world, and He will, but instead He revealed Himself to Paul in the glory of His grace. To the Apostle Paul, then, Jesus Christ revealed "the riches of His grace" in salvation (Eph.1:7), "the exceeding riches of His grace" in glory (2:7), and "the unsearchable riches of Christ" in heavenly places (3:8). And this message Paul calls" the Mystery" in Colossians 1:26. Furthermore, the Lord Jesus commissioned Paul, and us, "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" (Eph.3:9). And all this, Paul says, is "according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust" (ITim.1:11).

"But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them" (II Cor.4:3,4).

The conversion of Saul of Tarsus, therefore, marks the beginning of an entirely new administration of God in the affairs of men:

"...Have [you] heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation He made known unto me the Mystery..." (Eph.3:2,3)?

God now sees us "accepted in the Beloved One" (Eph.1:6), and clothed with the very "righteousness" of our Lord Jesus Christ (IICor.5:21). And we stand before God today "complete in Christ" because of what Jesus Christ accomplished on our behalf at Calvary (Col.2:10-15). Through "no works" of our own, then, we are forever "seated" with Christ "in the heavenlies" (Eph.2:6,8,9).

"That in the ages to come He might shew the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus" (Eph.2:7).

So in Paul's gospel when he focuses in upon the "crucified" One (ICor.1:23), he proclaims "Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the Mystery" (Rom.16:25). Not only has "CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES" (ICor.15:3), but our glorified Saviour is coming again to catch us away to be with Himself for all eternity. In our endeavors, then, to keep our congregations informed of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, may we never forget that God revealed to Paul "the light of the glorious gospel of Christ."

"For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (IICor.4:4,6).


O Glorious Lord, what a good reminder this is of the desperate condition I was in when You justified me. I was not merely needy; I was spiritually dead. I thank You for burying that old life with Jesus in His tomb. I praise You for raising me with Christ to a new life. I rejoice in the radical nature of Your saving grace. Lord, by the power of the resurrection, lead me in the reality of newness of life, in Jesus name, Amen.

    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

Would you like to help this ministry? Consider trying to get one other person to subscribe to the GRACE DAILY INSPIRATIONAL.  This worldwide ministry asks for no funds and is sent to glorify our precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, AND TO HELP YOU TO GROW IN GRACE AND KNOWLEDGE. 

GraceNTheTruth@COX.NET

BUYING UP THE TIME
    by C. R. Stam
    Nineteen hundred years ago Paul wrote to his fellow- believers in the vicinity of Ephesus: "See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming [Lit., buying up] the time, because the days are evil" (Eph. 5:15,16). Those were indeed evil days, when a wicked tyrant ruled the Roman Empire, when Messiah had been rejected, not only in incarnation, but in resurrection, and Christianity was fighting a life-and-death battle to penetrate the prevailing pagan darkness with the light of God's grace. Surely Paul never dreamed that the dispensation of grace would continue for more than nineteen hundred years. He expected the Lord to come at any time to recall His ambassadors and bring the day of grace to a close. Hence the urgency of his appeal to be "buying up the time, because the days are evil."

    But if Paul had reason to suspect that the day of grace would soon be brought to a close, we today have greater reason to think so. Now that the light of the gospel has been brought to Europe, America and many other parts of the world, men are turning their backs on it. Only a small minority of even Christendom truly believe the Bible and know the Christ it presents -- and how very few know the riches of His grace!

    Meanwhile our governments, our educational institutions and our social systems are becoming ever more godless. The result? The newspapers, radio and TV -- even a trip downtown to any fair-sized city, will tell us all we need to know. Once again "the days are evil" and the Lord's coming for His own seems imminent. There is still much talk about lasting peace and prosperity, but no thoughtful person believes that we are headed in that direction. Rather the world appears to be heading straight toward the prophesied "day of wrath."

    What a comfort it is to the believer, then, to know that "God hath not appointed us unto wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us..." (I Thes. 5:9,10). "For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed" and "whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Rom. 10:11,13).


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 THE WEEK

I love you and care about you so much. The Christian faith is not a buffet where you can pick and choose what you want to believe. We don't get to determine what Truth is, God has already done that and given it to us in the Bible. 

GraceNTheTruth@COX.NET

 OUR WEAKNESS AND GOD'S POWER
  by C. R. Stam
    
    

When our Lord was on earth He healed great numbers of sick and diseased people. The believers at Pentecost also healed many in the name of Jesus, offering to Israel His return from heaven upon condition of their repentance (Acts 3:19-21).

All those who were healed, however, finally succumbed to physical infirmity or disease again and died after all. This was because the Lord Jesus was rejected as King, not only in His incarnation but also in His resurrection. Rom.8:22,23 declares the result as we see it in our own day:

"...we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit [that is], the redemption of our body."

But Christians in "this present evil age" often need physical infirmity to draw them closer to God in prayer and faith. Paul himself said:

"...there was given to me a thorn in the flesh... lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And He said unto me: My grace is sufficient for thee, for My strength is made perfect in weakness" (II Cor. 12:7-9).

The Apostle's response to this shows how well he understood that suffering and weakness are an important part of Christian discipline.

"Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me... I take pleasure in infirmities...for when I am weak, then am I strong" (II Cor. 12:9,10).

"For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a for more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (II Cor. 4:16,17).

  THOUGHT FOR THIS WEEK

*Even though suffering baffles our minds, we can trust God to be near and to work out His purposes. —Vernon Grounds
Phi 1:29 "For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake"
The storms of our life prove the strength of our Anchor*

    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

Conduct Worthy of the Gospel 
(Part 4 of 4)
By Gregg Bing


Striving Together with One Mind

Paul wanted to hear that they were "with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel." The expression "striving together" is from the Greek word "sunathleo." The last part of this word, "athleo," is where we get our word "athletics." It means to engage in an athletic contest or to compete in public games, to contend for the prize. This competition requires endurance, sometimes even pain and suffering. The Christian life is not an easy life. Paul often uses the concept of athletic competition to describe the Christian life. He speaks of it as "running in a race" (1 Cor. 9:24-27), of engaging in a wrestling match (Eph. 6:12), of "fighting the good fight" (1 Tim. 6:12).

The first part of the word "sunathleo" is the preposition "sun" which means together with. Paul is stressing that, as believers, we are not in this alone; we are to contend and compete together, as a team. To do so effectively, we must have one mind. The word "mind" is actually the Greek word for "soul." The soul speaks of our natural life (Gen. 2:7). It is the seat of our emotions, our feelings, our passions. To effectively strive together we need to have a real, shared passion for the work.

What are we to be passionate about? What are we to strive and contend together for? The faith of the gospel. As we have already seen, "the faith" refers to the truth of God's Word that we put our faith in. We live in a time when the Word of God in general, and the gospel of Jesus Christ in particular, is constantly under attack. Satan opposes and seeks to keep people away from God's Word (1 Tim. 1:18-20, Titus 1:9-11) because he knows "it is the power of God unto salvation" to those who hear and believe it (Rom. 1:16). This is why, as heavenly citizens, we need to "contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3).

We need individuals, and local churches who will stand firm and strive together for this precious message with one soul, with a real passion for the Lord, for His Word, and for reaching people with the gospel of God's grace.

Suffering in the Same Conflict

As we take a stand and strive together for the faith, we will most certainly find opposition. Satan and his ministers will take a stand against us, speak out against us, persecute us, and seek to hinder us in every way possible. Paul told the Philippians not to be "terrified" by this prospect. The word "terrified" means to be frightened or scared; it is also used to describe a horse being "startled." Paul is basically saying, "Don't be surprised" and "Don't be scared" when you are faced with persecution and suffering from your adversaries. "For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake" (Phil. 1:29). The word "granted" is the Greek word "charizomai" which is from the Greek word for "grace." It is been "freely given" to us, by God's grace, not only to believe in Him (as Savior and Lord), but also to "suffer for His sake." We don't often look at suffering as a gift, particularly a gift from God, but this is exactly what this verse teaches. It is a privilege to suffer for the name of Christ, to experience sufferings on His behalf (John 15:18-25). In Acts 5 we read of the twelve apostles being held by the Jewish Sanhedrin for teaching and preaching in the name of Jesus Christ. After the apostles were beaten, commanded not to speak any more in the name of Jesus, and let go, "they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name" (Acts 5:41).

As heavenly citizens, the way we respond to sufferings and opposition, is an important part of our conduct. We must realize that "all those who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution" (2 Tim. 3:12). The Philippians were facing the "same conflict" which they had seen in Paul (when he was in Philippi, Acts 16), and now heard was in Paul (as he was in prison in Rome). This same conflict rages on today as Satan continues to oppose the truth of God's Word and the people of God who proclaim it. As we face these sufferings that will come, let us not be surprised, let us not be scared, but let us "be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might" (Eph. 6:10) and "be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus" (2 Tim. 2:1).

May each of us take heed to this important directive from the Apostle Paul: "Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ." May we stand fast in one spirit, striving together with one mind, one soul, for the faith of the gospel, joyfully enduring the sufferings that we will all face, knowing that, as we do, it all will redound to the glory of God.

The will of God will never take you, where the grace of God cannot keep you, where the arms of God cannot support you, where the riches of God cannot supply your needs, where the power of God cannot endow you.
The will of God will never take you, where the Spirit of God cannot work through you, where the wisdom of God cannot teach you, where the army of God cannot protect you, where the hands of God cannot mold you.
The will of God will never take you, where the love of God cannot enfold you, where the mercies of God cannot sustain you, where the peace of God cannot calm your fears, where the authority of God cannot overrule for you.

The will of God will never take you, where the comfort of God cannot dry your tears, where the Word of God cannot feed you, where the miracles of God cannot be done for you, where the omnipresence of God cannot find you.

Everything happens for a purpose. 
We may not see the wisdom of it all NOW, but trust and believe 
in the Lord that everything is for the best.

~~ Author Unknown ~~
GraceNTheTruth@COX.NET

Conduct Worthy of the Gospel 
(Part 3 of 4)
By Gregg Bing

"Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God. For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me." (Phil. 1:27-30)

As believers in Christ, we are declared to be heavenly citizens (Phil. 3:20-21). While this citizenship affords us wonderful rights and privileges, it also carries with it great responsibility as well. Though citizens of heaven, we are left here on earth by God as "ambassadors for Christ" (2 Cor. 5:20). We have been entrusted with the Word and ministry of reconciliation, imploring the lost to be reconciled to God through the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, it is important that we conduct ourselves in a manner fitting that of heavenly citizens. Paul admonishes us, "Only let your conduct (i.e. as citizens) be worthy of the gospel" (Phil. 1:27).

We looked last month at the fact that the measure of "proper" conduct is the gospel of Christ. Our conduct is to be "worthy" of the gospel, or, more literally, to "balance" or have equal weight as this wonderful gospel message entrusted to us; a gospel message that focuses on the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross of Calvary; a gospel message that is based on the grace of God; a gospel message that is received by faith in God.

In this lesson, we want to look at three specific areas of the believer's conduct that Paul stresses in Philippians 1:27-30.

Stand Fast in One Spirit

As believers it is important that we "stand fast." The expression means to take a firm stand and then to keep one's standing, to persist, to be unmoved. What are we to stand firm for, and why is it such an important part of our conduct? Paul admonished the Galatian believers to "Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free" (Gal. 5:1). These saints had believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, been saved by God's grace, and been freed from the law, the "yoke of bondage" which held them in sin and death. Yet, they were allowing false teachers to turn them away from this wonderful freedom to a system of religious and legal works (Gal. 1:6-9). We see the same types of false teachers today, seeking to keep men under the bondage of one legal system or another, teaching that men must do "good works" to be saved. Thus, a vital part of our conduct as heavenly citizens, is to stand fast in the grace of God that saved us.

Paul wrote to the Corinthian believers and encouraged them to "stand fast in the faith" (1 Cor. 16:13). The Corinthians were a spiritually immature group of believers (1 Cor. 3:1-3). As a result, they were carnal (fleshly minded), and their church was beset with a number of serious problems: envy, strife, division, sexual immorality, marriage problems, etc. The solution to all these problems is found in God's Word. This is why Paul instructed them to "stand fast in the faith." The expression "the faith" refers to the truth of God's Word which they had believed. Once we are saved, we need to grow, and spiritual growth comes through reading, studying, and living God's Word. The Corinthians did not hold firm to the truth of the Word, and so they did not grow spiritually. Sadly, this is a problem in many churches and in the lives of more and more believers today. Paul warned Timothy that this would be the case. "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons" (1 Tim. 4:1). "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables" (2 Tim. 4:3-4). Paul experienced this in his own life and ministry. "This you know, that all those in Asia have turned away from me, among whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes" (2 Tim. 1:15). It's possible they turned away from him because he was in prison, but more likely, they turned away from him because of the message he was then proclaiming, the truth of the mystery that God had entrusted to him for this present age of grace (2 Tim. 1:13-14, Eph. 3:1-9). How we need believers today who will take a faithful stand for the truth of God's Word, particularly for the truth of the mystery committed to Paul. Paul instructed Timothy of the need to "Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus" (2 Tim. 1:14).

Paul stressed that these believers in Philippi were to "stand fast in one spirit." It was not just as individuals that they were to stand fast, but as a local church as well. Certainly they were to take their stand in the power of the Holy Spirit, but they were each to have the same spirit, the same spiritual resolve in their stand for the Lord. A local church that takes a firm stand for the Lord, for the truth of His Word, and for the wonderful message of God's grace is one that can truly be used of God to reach people for Christ and to enable believers to grow and mature in the things of the Lord.

Christ is our life (see Acts 17:28; Galatians 2:20; Philippians 1:21; Colossians 3:4). To become obsessed with anything other than Him is idolatry, even if that other obsession is religious rules. Perhaps the greatest danger in the American church is that we have lost our focus on Jesus Christ and have been focusing more on "Christian values" which is merely morality by another name. 

Should this Inspirational be a blessing and encouragement to you, why not send to a friend, coworker or, to your loved one. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled USA.  We are loosing a great many of our privileges the founding fathers of our great county have protected us by the Constitution of America, there is no country in the world as great as America. Let's stand up and take back our roots, VOTE YOUR GOD GIVEN PRIVILEGE

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Conduct Worthy of the Gospel 
(Part 1 of 4)
By Gregg Bing

The saints at Philippi were well acquainted with the concept of citizenship. Philippi, named for Philip of Macedon, Alexander the Great's father, was made a Roman colony by Caesar Augustus around 42 B.C. Roman citizenship was a valuable possession. Some, such as the Apostle Paul, were fortunate enough to be born Roman citizens; others paid large sums of money to purchase this valuable title (Acts 22:28). Roman citizenship entitled a person to specific rights and privileges that non-citizens could not claim. For example, after being wrongfully imprisoned in Philippi, Paul announced he was a Roman citizen. Upon hearing this, the city magistrates, were afraid, for they knew they had violated his rights (Acts 16:37-38).

In his letter to these Philippian saints, Paul makes use of their familiarity with the concept of Roman citizenship to teach them an important spiritual truth.

"For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself." (Phil. 3:20-21)

As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, our citizenship is in heaven. The Philippians, though over 600 miles from Rome, still enjoyed all the privileges of Roman citizenship. As believers we, too, enjoy all the wonderful privileges of our heavenly citizenship, though we presently live here on the earth. This world is not our home; heaven is. We are merely strangers and pilgrims here on earth, living for and serving the Lord as His "ambassadors" (2 Cor. 5:20) until He comes to take us home to be with Him. The opportunity to be an "ambassador for Christ" is a great privilege, but it is also a great responsibility.

An ambassador is sent to represent someone else. In our case, we are here on earth to represent our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We are here to serve Him in "the ministry of reconciliation" (2 Cor. 5:18); to share His message with the world, "the word of reconciliation" (2 Cor. 5:19); to implore people, on His behalf, to "be reconciled to God" (2 Cor. 5:20). As ambassadors, our words are very important, for we are presenting the truth of Christ to others, but our conduct, our behavior, is equally important. Paul addresses the issue of our "conduct" as heavenly citizens in the opening chapter of Philippians.

"Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God. For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me." (Phil. 1:27-30)

The word "conduct" ("conversation" in the KJV) is the Greek word "politeuo" from which we get our English words: politics, political, police, and the suffix -polis (i.e. metropolis, Indianapolis, etc.). The word means "to be a citizen" or "to live as a citizen." Wuest, in his Word Studies in the Greek New Testament, says it refers to "the duties devolving upon a man as a member of a body" (i.e. as a citizen).

If you knew what God had planned for you, your knees would buckle your heart would skip and your mind do summer saults!   By ---- Diane 
         
     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 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:" 

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

GraceNTheTruth@COX.NET


Conduct Worthy of the Gospel 
(Part 2 of 4)
By Gregg Bing

Our conduct here on earth should be proper or fitting for heavenly citizens, but how do we measure what is proper? Paul says that our conduct is to be "worthy of the gospel." The word "worthy" is the Greek word "axios." You can readily see the English words that derive from this word: axis, axiom, axle, etc. Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament defines the word as: "weighing, having weight, having the weight of (weighing as much as) another thing, of like value, worth as much." The picture we get is that of a scale that measures by placing items of equal weight on each side. As heavenly citizens, our conduct should have equal weight or value as "the gospel." That is, our conduct should be fitting and proper in relation to the wonderful "gospel" message that has been entrusted to us by our Lord (1 Thess 2:4). What a glorious privilege is ours! Yet, what a tremendous responsibility is laid upon us!

How can our conduct be "worthy" or balance with the gospel? Consider the following three facts. First, our gospel is "the gospel of Christ" (Rom. 1:16); the "good news" that Christ died on the cross for our sins and rose again (1 Cor. 15:3-4). Just as the focus of our message is Jesus Christ, so the focus of our conduct should be as well. Paul told the Philippians, "to me, to live is Christ" (Phil. 1:21). Paul's whole purpose for living was Jesus Christ; that He might be given the pre-eminence in Paul's life (Col. 1:18). Paul instructed the Colossian saints to "walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him" (Col. 1:10). Conduct worthy of the gospel is conduct that glorifies and honors the Lord Jesus Christ and seeks to please Him in all things.

Second, our gospel is "the gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24); the "good news" is that "by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast" (Eph. 2:8-9). Colossians 2:6 tells us,

"As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him."

We received Christ Jesus all because of God's grace. Our salvation was "not of ourselves" and "not of works," there is therefore nothing for us to glory in; it was a wonderful gift from God. Conduct worthy of the gospel is conduct that is dependent upon the grace of God for all our needs (2 Cor. 9:8); conduct that, therefore, gives God all the glory and boasts only in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (Gal. 6:14).

Third, our gospel is a message of faith. Paul speaks in this very verse (Phil. 1:27) of "the faith of the gospel." Salvation comes through faith in Christ and His finished work on the cross for our sins. We trust in Him and Him alone. We rely upon Him and His faithfulness toward us. This is true in regard to our salvation, but it should also be true in regard to our daily walk, or behavior. Conduct worthy of the gospel is conduct lived by the faith of the Son of God and by our faith in Him (Gal. 2:20); conduct that trusts in Him in all situations (Prov. 3:5-6).

How important is this admonition to let our conduct be "worthy of the gospel?" Paul prefixes this admonition with the word "only," a word that emphasizes that as believers, our "only" concern, the single focus of our lives, should be that our conduct is "worthy of the gospel." Is this true in your life? I encourage you to carefully examine your own heart and life and answer this question honestly, and then seek to ensure that your conduct is, indeed, "worthy of the gospel" each and every day.

Next month we will look at three specific areas of the believer's conduct that Paul was concerned with as mentioned in verses 27-30.

"KNOWN UNTO GOD ARE ALL HIS WAYS" 
He knows from the beginning! He moves forward to a purposed point and a glorious goal. Man often fails to finish what he begins, but God never begins what He does not finish 


Our Purpose and Mission

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

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 fulness of Christ:" 

OUR COMMISSION IN THE AGE OF GRACE IS:

2Co 5:16-21  Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we [him] no more.  Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  And all things [are] of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;  To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.   Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech [you] by us: we pray [you] in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.  For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 

GraceNTheTruth@COX.NET

WHAT GOD IS DOING TODAY
  by Russell S. Miller
    
"...For to make in Himself of twain one new man, so making peace" (Eph.2:15).

It is a shame that so many in the Body of Christ do not see what it is that God is doing today, in this dispensation of His grace committed to Paul. The error of some is a failure to come unto perfection in the Pauline revelation, for they labor under the so-called Great Commission. Others go to extremes with agendas that are used of the devil to cause "divisions" in the Church and "blind [even] the minds" (IICor.4:4) of believers from knowing the truth. Consequently such teachings are used by Satan to deceive both saint and sinner alike. Thus men walk in darkness. When lies are substituted for truth, the devil gets a foothold in the Church to wreak "havoc".

God, however, will not be mocked of men, for "the Judgment Seat of Christ" (IICor.5:10) awaits those who make merchandise of "the Word of God" (IICor.2:14-17; Tit.3:10) and there shall be a great loss of rewards (ICor.3:15). And when the devil "blinds the minds of them that believe not", souls that could have been saved will be cast into hell and the Lake of Fire at the "great white throne" judgment (Rev.20:11-15).

In this endeavor to discover what it is that God is doing today, several passages of Scripture come to mind. Along with Romans 16:25 and I Corinthians 12:13 are two very similar verses in Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians:

"Having abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in Himself of twain one new man, so making peace" (Eph.2:15).

"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" (Eph.3:9).

God is in the business of building the Body of Christ today, and He is looking for "faithful" men and women in the ministry of the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (ICor.4:1,2). He appointed Paul, "the Apostle of the Gentiles" (Rom.11:13), giving him the blueprints (ICor.3:9-15) for the Church today. Paul and Timothy were faithful in proclaiming "this Mystery among the Gentiles" (ICor.4:15-17). Will you "follow" in their footsteps or be drawn into an extreme teaching?

God can do anything He wants to have done. 
He doesn't want what you can do ...
Instead, He wants you. 

Should this Inspirational be a blessing and encouragement to you,  would you like to help this ministry? Consider trying to get one other person to subscribe to the GRACE DAILY INSPIRATIONAL.  This worldwide ministry asks for no funds and is sent to glorify our precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, AND TO HELP YOU TO GROW IN GRACE AND KNOWLEDGE. 

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SUSTAINED 
By M. Stanford

"Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee" (Ps. 55:22). 
  
Our Father's living waters flow both in summer and winter (Zech. 14:8). He provides the barrenness of winter in order to cut us off from every other supply, and teach us to draw from His ever-flowing water of life. 

"The Father passes us through all the seasons here; and the winter, the most trying one, is the most helpful, if we are really cast on Him in it. Then the real measure of our dependence on Him is ascertained, and also the extent of our resources in Him; and we make acquisitions in Him which we never make at any other time. All our growth and fruit depend on our winters, or rather on how we pass through them. 

"The more we can rest in Him the more we are independent of everything outside of Him at such a time, the more vigor we really possess; and the better we get over the winter, be it ever so severe. If I am independent of the winter, it is evident that I have mastered it, and not it me; and if I have done so, through the strength of the Lord Jesus, I am relieved though in no human way. Peter is delivered from prison in a superhuman way; but first he, though enduring a very trying winter, could lay him down and sleep - take his rest, because the Lord sustained him." -J.B.S. 

"It is a wonderful thing to be so satisfied with the Lord Jesus' company, that we can be tranquil about everything. I remember when I used to think that I should be happy beyond conception if I were able to say, 'I will fear no evil; my heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.' In order to reach this, you must find Him enough, with-out anything else. You can never prove the worth of anyone, until you are absolutely dependent upon him." --J.B.S. 

"I laid down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me" (Ps. 3:5). 

Should this Inspirational be a blessing and encouragement to you, why not send to a friend, coworker or, to your loved one's 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

GraceNTheTruth2@AOL.COM

SET FREE TO LIVE 
BY STEVE MC VEY

The greatest gift you ever have or ever will receive is the life you have been given in Jesus Christ. Receiving forgiveness for our sins is the secondary issue in the life of a Christian. God's purpose in forgiving us was so that He could give us His life. Divine life resides within you - think about that for a moment. Divine life resides inside you!

Do you see the possibilities that fact opens up for you? Paul wrote, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." He got the point. Do we? Do we really understand the truth that God places desires in our hearts and then empowers us to see those desires realized?

I challenge you to make only one resolution each year. Resolve to experience life in Christ to the fullest. After all, that's exactly why He came. (See John 10:10)

Charge into the remaining months of 2008 with a new boldness that you've not appropriated before now. Determine to identify the God-given dreams that may be buried in your heart and bring them back out into the light of day. Jesus wants to do some unique things through you in this world. Submit yourself to Him and cooperate with His Spirit and watch miracles unfold in your life!

Cast off old mind sets that hold you back in life. Renounce the lies that bind you. Ask your Father to stretch you in your ability to see things that are not visible in your life yet as though they are real. After all, "faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1) I don't mean empty positive thinking. I'm talking about breaking free from a negative mind set about God, about yourself and about life.

Let your assumptions about 2008 be based on the viewpoint that your Heavenly Father gushes with love for you. He "longs to be gracious to you" and is just waiting for the chance to "have compassion on you." (See Isaiah 30:18) It thrills Him to pour out His goodness on you!

Let's stop waiting "for the other shoe to drop." Don't appropriate bad things. Life is full of disappointment and heartache, but you have divine life residing in you! The life of Christ will overshadow anything that may strike you in 2008.

Don't limp through life. Instead, run or skip. For that matter, dance your way through the coming months! God's kingdom really is a party. It's all about "righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17). Laugh with Jesus this year.

You have been set free to live. The world is full of dead men walking, but you don't fit that category. You have been made alive with Christ (see Ephesians 2:5) and now have the ability to live in His resurrection power. (Phil. 3:10)

What are you going to do with the rest of this year? Your Father invites you to join Him on a days journey where He intends to show you some things you don't expect. He plans to work in you and through you. He plans to reveal more about Himself to you and to show you every day how much He loves you.

Relax. Be yourself. You have nothing to prove. Just live. Know that you are accepted by God and that, with that truth in mind, there's nothing left to prove. Enjoy the remaining 2008 by letting Jesus live through you each day. That's all He wants and all we need.

Our Purpose and Mission

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

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 fulness of Christ:" 

OUR COMMISSION IN THE AGE OF GRACE IS:

2Co 5:16-21  Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we [him] no more.  Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  And all things [are] of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;  To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.   Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech [you] by us: we pray [you] in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.  For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 

GraceNTheTruth@COX.NET

LIBERTY -- HOW PRECIOUS!
  by C. R. Stam

We were interested to read, recently, about the man in California who ran short of grazing land for his herd of 13 buffalo. To solve this problem he put them on a barge and took them over to a large island in Lake Berryessa where there was lots of pasture. But what did the buffalo do? They jumped back into the lake, swam to shore and began charging fishermen and chasing automobiles -- so enraged were they at being imprisoned on an island!

After all, neither man nor beast enjoys bondage, though many of us are in fact enslaved.

Our Lord said in John 8:32: "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." To this the religious leaders replied: "We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest Thou, Ye shall be made free?" But our Lord answered: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin" (Ver.34). St. Paul says the same thing in Rom. 6:16:

"Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?"

Sad to say, many sincere religious people think that they can free themselves from sin by putting themselves in bondage to the Law, the Ten Commandments. This never works, for the Law can only condemn the sinner. Rom.3:19,20 declares that the Law was given "that every mouth may be stopped and that all the world may be brought in guilty before God... for by the law is the knowledge of sin."Again we have to turn to Christ for salvation and true liberty. He "died for our sins" (I Cor. 15:3) and has "redeemed us from the curse of the law" (Gal. 3:13).

Having believed this and trusted Christ as Savior, true Christians serve the Lord, not from fear, or to gain favor, but out of sheer love and gratitude. This is true liberty and this service is the only kind that God desires from us. Probably no man ever served the Lord more sincerely or tirelessly than the Apostle Paul. In II Cor. 5:14 he gives us the secret: "The love of Christ constraineth us..."

Our Purpose and Mission

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

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 fulness of Christ:" 

OUR COMMISSION IN THE AGE OF GRACE IS:

2Co 5:16-21  Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we [him] no more.  Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  And all things [are] of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;  To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.   Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech [you] by us: we pray [you] in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.  For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 

GraceNTheTruth@COX.NET

~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.......sufficient 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

Rom 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.

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. 

GraceNTheTruth@COX.NET

~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.   

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.  

GraceNTheTruth@COX.NET

*What it Means to be Free From the Law*
*by Dr. Bill Gillham *
*
When I was a kid, "Mr. Stone" owned two, new dream cars: a black Packard 
with white walls (like the bad guys drove in the 30s and a Lincoln 
Zephyr, the prototype of the Lincoln Town Car. Those babies could lay 
their ears back and fly. There were no highway speed limits. If we'd 
driven our old Chevy wide open it might have reached 40 mph for a few 
miles, and then it would have sounded like the pistons were swapping 
holes. Mr. Stone would blow by us doing 70! He might even strike his 
match on our car to light his cigar. Nah.

Was Mr. Stone a speeder? No, because there was no speed law, no baseline 
by which to differentiate between Mr. Stone and the rest of us 
oil-stained wretches. In God's time, the legislature passed a new law: 
Speed Limit 50 mph. After this, when Mr. Stone aired out his wheels at 
70 mph, was he a speeder? Yes. Why? Law made the difference. "What shall 
we say then? Is the speed Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, Mr. 
Stone would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for he 
would not have known about speeding if the Law had not said, 'You shall 
not speed'" (Rom. 7:7, with minor changes). God's Law is a wake up call 
for sinners to convince them that they desperately need a Savior esus 
(Gal. 3:23-26). Law was never designed to keep Christians in line (Rom. 
6:14).

My friend Lee LeFebre grew up reciting the Ten Commandments in church 
every Sunday. You'd think this would be a deterrent against sinning. 
But, it will produce the opposite results. What if you began each day by 
repeating, "Keep off the grass" ten times? This would tempt you to walk 
on grass that you'd hardly noticed before! Hammering away with "you 
oughts" and "you ought nots" is not God's plan for stimulating 
Christians to good works. Grace is to accomplish this desirable goal 
(Rom. 6:14).

Have you ever seen a bird dog that tucks its tail and cowers at your 
approach? Law likely produced that. Its master crushed its "spirit" by 
intimidating or perhaps beating it into submission. This animal has no 
joy. Its purpose for experiencing its created role (hunting) has been 
quenched by a hard taskmaster's abusive law. Were it possible to give it 
a personality inventory test this dog would register very low on 
self-worth. It may even feel unworthy to eat its master's food or feel 
guilty for breathing "his" air!

Consider, on the other hand, a bird dog that is owned by an agape master 
who has its best interest at heart. It was first taught the master's 
will through rules (law), reward and discipline, then trained how to 
best experience the role for which it was created (hunting). It "lives 
in vital union with its master" as they work and play together (Col. 
2:6, LB). Its greatest delight becomes to simply please its master who's 
been careful not to crush its "spirit" like that of the first dog, but 
to bring its will into line with his own for the dog's best good as well 
as for his own pleasure.

This dog manifests a zest for living. He has a sparkle in his eye as he 
ranges out in a grid-like pattern according to his master's will. He is 
not restrained by a leash (law), but by the law of love for his master. 
He yearns to submit to his master's will. Obedience has become the joy 
of his life. This demonstrates "the law of love" which controls 
Christians (Rom. 8:2). This animal does not perceive himself as being 
controlled by a burdensome taskmaster, but as cooperating with his 
life-companion, the love of his life. Sure, at times he needs correction 
and because it's administered to him properly, he is the better for it. 
He delights all the more to please his master. Our relationship with our 
Spiritual Dad is very similar to this. Such obedience and love bring 
much joy to us and to Him as well. We were recreated in Christ to 
experience this on earth.

Can you identify with one of these dogs? Is the evil one beating you 
down with law, deceiving you into believing that an angry God, not 
Satan, is behind this? Or are you constrained by the invisible leash of 
Christ's boundless grace and love for you? The later is what you were 
recreated in Christ to experience. "For the love of Christ controls us quot; 
(2 Cor. 5:14). Understanding this will be a fresh breeze to your spirit. 
Christians are motivated to live up to (or down to!) what they believe 
to be God's opinion of them. Believe the lie that you are a sorry, 
no-good, worthless sinner saved by grace and you'll act like it. Believe 
the truth that through Jesus you are the holy, pure, righteous, 
accepted, BODY OF CHRIST and you'll be highly motivated to live like it.

As I grew in Christ, I saw teaching about the Law that confused me. "God 
made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter (Law), 
but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life" (2 
Cor. 3:6). Does that say that Law "kills"? Yes. Look at the next verse: 
"But if the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones quot; (2 Cor. 
3:8). "Ministry of death?" Yes! Just to be sure we get it, God says it a 
third time, "For if the ministry of condemnation has glory quot; (2 Cor. 
3:9). God says the Law kills, and has the "ministries" of death and 
condemnation! How do we explain this?

"For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized 
through Jesus Christ" (Jn. 1:17). Notice, grace and truth were not 
imparted to man via Law nd it will never be so. Condemnation and death 
were imparted to man via Law nd it will always be so (Rom. 3:20-21). 
Many well-meaning mentors teach that keeping God's law is our means of 
attaining or retaining His acceptance. In fact, if you removed law from 
their sermon barrel, it might be a big step toward solving our paper 
shortage. Using law to motivate Christians not only fails to inhibit 
sin, it actually fuels sin's engine, and makes it stronger! Remember the 
"Keep off the grass" illustration. I realize that it may be difficult to 
accept this if it's is a new concept to you. This new concept, however, 
is as old as the New Testament. God wishes that mentors understood that 
grace, not law, motivates Christians to obedience. God designed it this 
way. Have you not noticed that the preacher who rails the loudest 
against sexual sin is often the one who runs off with his secretary?

Now, I'm not teaching that since we are "not under Law" (Rom. 6:14), we 
can violate God's Law with abandon while He smiles at our antics like an 
indulgent Grandpa oys will be boys. Absolutely not! We're like a 
sparrow in the prison exercise yard that is governed by a higher law 
(aerodynamics) than the inmates (gravity). The new creature in Christ is 
governed by "the law of love (agape)," which is written on his heart 
(Heb. 10:16) nd this includes a passion to do the will of God. 
Christians wish they could overcome their sin (Rom. 7:15). That's a ten! 
Paul verbalizes our desire, "For I joyfully concur with the law of God 
in the inner man" (Rom. 7:22). Does that sound like we crave sin? 
Ridiculous! The reason that God can trust us by taking us out from under 
the Law is because He has "written [the desire to obey Him] on our heart 
and mind" (Heb. 10:16). You might say we're on a love tether. Love 
motivates us to obey.

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 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:"

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


*GraceNTheTruth@COX.NET*

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


Would you like to help this ministry? Consider trying to get one other person to subscribe to the GRACE DAILY INSPIRATIONAL.  This worldwide ministry asks for no funds and is sent to glorify our precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, AND TO HELP YOU TO GROW IN GRACE AND KNOWLEDGE. 

GraceNTheTruth@COX.NET

DO YOU KNOW THE A B C'S OF SCRIPTURE? OUR AIM IS TO HELP YOU,

A 2Co 5:6 Always be cheerful! As long as we are in these bodies, we are 
away from the Lord.

B Eph 1:3 Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly [places] in 
Christ

C Eph 1:4 Chosen in him before the foundation of the world,

D Rom 6:8 As surely as we died with Christ, we believe we will also 
live with him.

E 1Th 5:11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one 
another, even as also ye do.

F Rom 5:1 By faith we have been made acceptable to God. And now, 
because of our Lord Jesus Christ, we live at peace with God.

G 1Ti 3:16 God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, 
seen by angels, preached among nations, believed on in the world, and 
received up into glory.

*GraceNTheTruth@COX.NET*

DO YOU KNOW THE A B C'S OF SCRIPTURE? OUR AIM IS TO HELP YOU, MORE WILL 
FOLLOW IN THE DAYS AHEAD.

H Col 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the 
beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all [things] he might 
have the preeminence.

I 2Co 4:16 Wherefore we faint not; but though our outward man is 
decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day.

J 1Co 6:17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.

K 1Ti 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the 
knowledge of the truth.

L Tit 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing 
of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

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

N 1Co 9:16 For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory 
of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not 
the gospel!

*GraceNTheTruth@COX.NET*

DO YOU KNOW THE A B C'S OF SCRIPTURE? OUR AIM IS TO HELP YOU, MORE WILL 
FOLLOW IN THE DAYS AHEAD.

O Col 3:20 Children, obey [your] parents in all things: for this is 
well pleasing unto the Lord.

P Th 5:17 Pray without ceasing.

Q Col 2:13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision 
of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you 
all trespasses;

R 1Th 1:3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and 
labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the 
sight of God and our Father;

S Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things 
which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

T Act 14:3 Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the 
Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs 
and wonders to be done by their hands.

U Eph 3:4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in 
the mystery of Christ)

V Rom 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but [rather] give 
place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance [is] mine; I will repay, 
saith the Lord.

W Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] 
eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

X Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of 
this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit 
that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

Y Col 2:13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of 
your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all 
trespasses;

Z Tit 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all 
iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.