What Is Grace? - by Pator Cornelius R. Stam

What Is Grace?

by Pator Cornelius R. Stam

“The father of lies” always hates the truth, but he does not always oppose it by the same methods. If he fails to succeed as a roaring lion he may appear as an angel of light, suggesting that surely a God of love will not condemn Christ-rejectors forever. Sinners, he will contend, are not responsible for their sins anyway, for does not Eph. 1:11 teach that “[God] worketh all things after the counsel of His own will”? And thus God Himself is supposed to have conceived the idea of sin as “a gracious means to a glorious end,” and to have caused man to fall into sin so that He might finally save him from it!

Why an almighty, all-wise, all-loving God permitted sin to enter the universe must, for the time being, remain an impenetrable mystery to us, but one thing is certain: He is not the author of sin, and never accepts the responsibility for it — except that in grace and love He bore its penalty for man.

God calls sinners “children of disobedience” and “children of wrath” (Eph. 2:2,3), explaining in the clearest language that He hates sin and that His anger is kindled against it (Rom. 1:18; Eph. 5:6; John 3:36). But if God meant man to sin and caused him to sin, how was man disobedient and what cause could God have to be angry? Those who would shift the responsibility for sin from themselves to God should remember that He proclaimed His standards of righteousness in the Law “that every mouth may be stopped and that all the world may be brought in guilty before God” (Rom. 3:19).

The contention that all will finally be saved may at first sound like wonderful grace, but actually there is not one particle of grace in it, for it is based on the theory that since God got us into sin it is only just that He save us from its penalty. But grace is God’s mercy and kindness to the undeserving. In Eph. 2, after calling sinners “children of disobedience” and therefore “children of wrath,” the Apostle Paul goes on to say:

“BUT GOD, who is RICH IN MERCY, for His GREAT LOVE wherewith he loved us… hath quickened us… raised us up… and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus; that in the ages to come He might show THE EXCEEDING RICHES OF HIS GRACE IN HIS KINDNESS TOWARD US THROUGH CHRIST JESUS” (Eph. 2:4-7).

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UNDERSTANDING THE BIBLE - Pastor Richard Jordan

UNDERSTANDING THE BIBLE

Pastor Richard Jordan

Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth - Chart

"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth" (II Timothy 2:15).

In Ephesians 2 the Apostle Paul sets forth the basic three- fold division in God's dealings with mankind: Time Past (vs. 11,12), But Now (v.13), the Ages to Come (v.7). When the Bible is "laid out" according to this divinely inspired design we easily get an overview of not only what we are reading but when and to whom it was written. Thus the Word of God itself provides us with the key to its own proper understanding and right division:

Time Past: Ephesians 2:11,12 sets forth the basic issue in Time Past as the division between the Circumcision and the Uncircumcision, between the nation Israel and the Gentiles. When you find this issue governing the way God was working with men, you know you are in Time Past. This covers the "Old Testament" (see Genesis 17:9-14, Deuteronomy 4:5-8, Numbers 23:9) as well as Matthew thru John (see Romans 15:8, Matthews 10:5,6; 15:24, John 4:22) and the early Acts period (see Luke 24:47, Acts 1:6,8; 2:14,22,36; 5:32; 11:19).

But Now: Ephesians 2: l3 indicates that in the But Now portion Gentiles are no longer "far off" but rather the "middle wall of partition" between Israel and the Gentiles has been eliminated and now "those who were far off are made nigh." Romans thru Philemon provide the doctrine for the dispensation of grace (Romans 11: 13; 15;16; 16:25, I Corinthians 14:37, Ephesians 3:1-9).

The Ages to Come: God will bring His purposes to fruition and thus Ephesians 2:7 points to the Ages to Come. The books of Hebrews thru Revelation focus on this.

The chart above has demonstrate the importance of the secret, hidden nature of the present dispensation of grace (Ephesians 3: 1-9). Fold the chart to hide the "mystery" section and you will see the perfect continuity of that "which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began" (Acts 3:21). Open the chart to reveal the mystery program and you will visualize how the prophetic program has been temporarily interrupted by "the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest" (Romans 16:25,26).

The present dispensation of grace is "the mystery" hid in God until first revealed to the Apostle Paul (Ephesians 3:1-9, Colossians 1:24-26, Romans 16:25,26, I Timothy 2:4-7, Tit. 1:2,3, etc.). Thus in Paul's writings alone we find the doctrine, position, walk and destiny of the Body of Christ. Remember: While all Scripture is for us, all Scripture is not written to or about us. This is the key to understanding the Bible.

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PLAN FOR HEAVEN - By Les Feldick

 

PLAN FOR HEAVEN

 By Les Feldick

http://www.lesfeldick.org/plan4hvn.html 


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1. Video - Pre-Trib Rapture? By Les Feldick

1. Video - Pre-Trib  Rapture?

By Les Feldick

https://lesfeldick.net/all-videos/

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Never Even Missed It - by Pastor John Fredericksen

Never Even Missed It 

by Pastor John Fredericksen

One Sunday, a Christian family of four decided to take two different cars to church. After the service was over, the young boy rode home with his mom while the eight-year-old girl rode with dad. The father and daughter decided to stop at a furniture store to look for a living room set. After a while the dad got in his car and drove home. After a few minutes in the house, the mother asked, "Where's Emily?" Until that question, the father had not realized that he left the store without his daughter and drove all the way home without her. Despite the solitude in the car, he never missed her until after arriving home. All the way back to the store, the ten-year-old brother, who was very angry with his father, kept asking his dad, "How could you have forgotten my sister?"

It is a simple reality that many times the most important things in life are simply forgotten. During the years of Israel's many kings, a pattern of turning away from the Lord to false gods persisted. But that changed with one king. Once King Josiah ascended the throne, "he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord" (II Kings 22:2). "And like unto him there was no king before him, that turned to the Lord with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might" (II Kings 23:25). Josiah became a spiritual reformer, ridding the land of false worship, sinful practices, and leading the nation back to the proper, exclusive worship of Jehovah.

This spiritual revival began at the beginning of Josiah's reign and was built on one primary incident. Josiah instructed trusted people to make needed repairs in Israel's house of worship, the temple, which had been neglected for many years. In the process of making these repairs, Hilkiah the high priest made an important discovery. He reported back to King Josiah, "I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord" (II Kings 22:8). Amazingly, God's chosen and blessed people, Israel, had been without God's Word for decades. It had been absent in their times of worship, in their homes, in their conversations, in their work place, and in their lives, AND NOBODY EVEN MISSED IT.

Over and over in the Old Testament, the Lord instructed Israel to build their lives around the Scriptures. They were to write portions of it on their door posts, read it daily, diligently teach it to their children, and make it a topic of conversation as they went about their day (Deut. 11:18-20). How could it be that God's own people could be without God's Word and not even miss it? No doubt the answer is through a growing neglect of the Scriptures, disinterest in spiritual things, and preoccupation with temporal things, resulting in a cold callousness toward the Lord. It's a dangerous pattern and a dangerous place to be.

Could we today, who know Christ as Savior, come to a place where we have little or none of God's Word in our lives and never even miss it? Absolutely,and it happens all the time. The same pattern that plagued Israel persists today. We are easily distracted and preoccupied with the temporal distractions of this world. Neglecting time in the Scriptures, or not applying it to our daily lives and conversations, can lead to a growing disinterest in the things of the Lord. It may be easier to see this in someone else's life than in our own, but this danger is very real for all of us.

What should each of us do to avoid this from happening to us? The first thing is to be awakened to our need to make God and His Word preeminent in our lives. Just as Israel was to read it daily, constantly discuss it, and make it the central part of their worship, so it should be for us. This principle is just as needed today as it was for Israel. The Apostle Paul tells us to "hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love" (II Tim. 1:13). God's Word in our lives is our life line to good spiritual health so "don't leave home without it" and make it a topic of conversation with family and Christian friends. Finally, don't neglect the place of worship where God's Word is rightly divided and where the primary doctrines of grace are recognized to be found in the letters of the Apostle Paul.

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The Fruits Of The Resurrection - by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam

The Fruits Of The Resurrection

by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam

The fruits of our Lord’s resurrection from the dead are many and important.

First, there were immediate results. It silenced those who had ridiculed His claims, and struck terror into their hearts. It explained how the prophecies would be fulfilled which predicted the death of Christ and the kingdom glory to follow. It heartened His followers, making cowards bold, turning their fear into faith, their sorrow into joy and their despair into glorious victory.

Then there were also long range results, for our Lord’s resurrection is a warning to unbelievers:

“Because [God] hath appointed a day in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead” (Acts 17:31. See also John 5:22,27; Acts 10:42).

As to believers, first, Christ’s resurrection from the dead assures us that our debt of sin has been fully paid:

“[HE] WAS DELIVERED FOR OUR OFFENCES, AND WAS RAISED AGAIN FOR OUR JUSTIFICATION. THEREFORE BEING JUSTIFIED BY FAITH, WE HAVE PEACE WITH GOD THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST” (Rom. 4:25; 5:1).

Second, His resurrection gives us a living Savior to help us in our daily walk.

“WHEREFORE HE IS ABLE ALSO TO SAVE THEM TO THE UTTERMOST THAT COME UNTO GOD BY HIM, SEEING HE EVER LIVETH TO MAKE INTERCESSION FOR THEM” (Heb. 7:25).

Third, His resurrection is the pledge of our own:

“FOR IF WE BELIEVE THAT JESUS DIED AND ROSE AGAIN, EVEN SO THEM ALSO WHICH SLEEP IN JESUS WILL GOD BRING [FROM THE DEAD] WITH HIM” (I Thes. 4,14; cf. Heb. 13:20).

“BLESSED BE THE GOD AND FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST WHO, ACCORDING TO HIS ABUNDANT MERCY, HATH BEGOTTEN US AGAIN UNTO A LIVING HOPE BY THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST FROM THE DEAD” (I Pet. 1:3).

The Coming Judgement on the Whold World- Isiah 2:14

By Les Feldick

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgigDZRi-Pw

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THE TRUTH ABOUT ISLAM - By Les Feldick

  THE TRUTH ABOUT ISLAM 

 By Les Feldick

THE TRUTH ABOUT ISLAM {Click} By Les Feldick

All Videos {Click} Through The Bible with Les Feldick

Les Feldick Ministries

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Prophesied vs. Testified - by Pastor Ricky

Prophesied vs. Testified

by Pastor Ricky

"If it was Paul who revealed that Christ gave Himself a ransom 'for all' (1 Tim. 2:6) as opposed to the "many" in Israel (Matt. 20:28), how do we explain John 1:29?"

"...John seeth Jesus...and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."

John was a prophet (Luke 7:28), and the prophets didn't always understand their own prophecies (1 Pet. 1:11), especially when it came to "the sufferings of Christ." God knew that this would probably trouble the prophets, so He comforted them by explaining that "not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things" that they prophesied (v. 12).

We know that no one who heard John make his statement understood that Christ would die for the sins of the world, for some of the 12 heard it, but didn't understand it (Luke 18:31-34). Not even Satan understood it (1 Cor. 2:7,8), or else he wouldn't have instigated Judas to betray the Lord (Luke 22:3,4).

So the ransom Christ made for all men might have been prophesied in John 1:29, but it wasn't "testified" until the "due time" came for Paul to be "ordained a preacher and an apostle" (1 Tim. 2:6,7).

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Why God Waits - Pastor C. R. Stam

  Why God Waits  

  Pastor C. R. Stam

St. Peter was not wrong when he declared at Pentecost that the last days had begun (Acts 2:16,17). They had indeed begun, but God had a secret plan to give the world a period of grace before putting down its rebellion and sending Christ to reign.

This secret purpose concerning “the dispensation of the grace of God” is the subject of Paul’s epistles. However, it is interesting to see how Peter’s last message explains the reason for this interruption in God’s prophesied program and the delay in Christ’s return to reign. First, he says in II Peter 3:8:

“But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years years as one day.”

Mark well, this is not our feeble explanation now as to the delay in Christ’s return. This statement was made at the beginning of this time of waiting, at the dawn of the age of grace. But let us go on with Peter’s declaration:

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise… but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (Ver. 9).

So the delay in Christ’s return to judge and reign should not be counted “slackness” or laxness, but longsuffering. Thus the Apostle goes on to say:

“And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation…”

Where did Peter get this information? How did he know about “the dispensation of the grace of God”? Verse 15 explains:

“Even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given unto him, hath written unto you.”

To Paul particularly was committed “the gospel of the grace of God” which we proclaim today (Acts 20:24). Peter recognized this (Gal. 2:2,7,9), and closed his second epistle with the exhortatio

“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (II Peter 3:18).

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