The Earth Is The Lord’s
–By Thomas Smith
“The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” Psalm 24:1
What a fabulous verse this is! It resounds majestically with the glory of God. What a powerful and mighty God we serve! Everything about the earth and all those who occupy it belong to Him.
This Bible text declares many wonderful truths about God. For instance, it proclaims the total and complete sovereignty of God. The earth is His creation. The earth did not just occur, and it did not evolve. God made everything that is made. He is the great Architect of the universe, and He created it from nothing with magnificent design and purpose.
He sustains His creation with the power of His might. He is the ruler of the entire world. There is no power of any kind, in any place, that is above Him. He rules over nations, leaders, individuals, and circumstances as well. Everything belongs to Him. The earth and all that it contains is His. Because this is true, He deserves all the glory and praise for the work of His hands.
Man is not to worship the creation, only the Creator. There are so many deceived people who worship the environment, or the things God has made, and do not give glory to the only deserving One. To refer to “Mother Earth” in a worshipful way and disregard the ruler of the earth is a form of idolatry. God has given us His earth to enjoy. What a gift this great creation is! As Christians, we should have a special appreciation for the earth that we live in. The beautiful birds, the animals, plant life, stars, mountains and rivers are sources of great pleasure in our lives. As the song goes, “This is my Father’s world, And to my list’ning ears, All nature sings, and round me rings The music of the spheres. This is my Father’s world, The birds their carols raise; The morning light, the lily white Declare their Maker’s praise.”
Our responsibility is to be faithful stewards of the part of God’s world for which He has made us responsible. He owns the world and all that it contains. That includes the things we sometimes consider our “own”. The house we live in, the cars we drive, the money we earn and spend, and the family we love, all belong to the Lord. In fact, our very lives only exist because of Him. We are not owners, only stewards. God has allowed us to use and manage these things that belong to Him, and one day we will be required to give an account of our stewardship.
SHARING
The Baptist Identity
“In those days came John the Baptist…” Matthew 3:1
The proper noun “Baptist” is an identity. An identity is not, nor does not, contain authority in or of itself. But those who are of and who have what the identity identifies, are legitimate in their claim of that identity.
A person can pin a sheriff’s badge on their chest, without being a sheriff. But a true sheriff will want to wear the badge that identifies him as sheriff. Does the badge make him a sheriff? No. But it is proper for one who is sheriff to wear the sheriff’s badge.
Baptist is the God given identity (thus precious) of the first New Testament preacher, whom God sent from heaven with New Testament baptism, with the mission of making ready a people prepared for the Lord (Luke 1:17), from which Lord and which people the first New Testament Church was made. Since baptism is the New Testament covenant seal, and that New Testament baptism was Baptist, it was Baptist baptism that sealed the membership of the first New Testament Church together.
The first local New Testament Church and all local New Testament churches mentioned in the New Testament are simply referred to as church or churches. Each and every one only had the New Testament baptism that God sent from heaven by John, that God identified as Baptist.
Neither baptism, not its God given identity, were ever an issue of controversy in the New Testament. All churches in the New Testament were true churches, with pristine baptism that all stemmed from the church which Jesus built, which had only the Baptist baptism which God had sent by John. They all knew the Lord, and their origin as a church, and the baptism it embraced, and they all knew it was Baptist.
At that time, there simply did not exist other man-made churches from which they needed to distinguish themselves. There was no other baptism they needed to distinguish themselves from. But just because there was nothing that required them to identify themselves with the name Baptist to distinguish themselves amongst other man originated churches or baptisms, did not mean they did not have Baptist baptism, nor did it mean they refused Baptist as a New Testament identity.
Should this question have been raised in their midst, and they would have given the true answer to what the name Baptist meant to them, they would have replied the same as you and I read in our Bibles as to the origin, the authority, and the identity that God gave John who was the heaven sent agent of New Testament baptism.
There should not be given more to the proper noun “Baptist” than what was given it in the New Testament. It was a God given identity. I never read where anyone in or of the New Testament sought to attack or belittle Baptist as an identity. It stands alone, sanctified and unchallenged in the sacredness of God’s Word.
Those who attack Baptist today as a New Testament identity, do so by trying to cast it into a role of something other than an identity. For instance, those who give the name Baptist prominence as a New Testament identity that is inseparable from the ordinance of New Testament baptism administered by the authority of the local New Testament church, are accused of using the identity of Baptist as being their authority, their power, and their assurance (pride) of being saved and right with God. But the Biblical name Baptist is an identification, NOT the authority, nor the power, nor the propitiation for God’s people.
Pinning the name Baptist on a religion does not give it the authority or power or sanction of God, any more than pinning a sheriff’s badge on a scarecrow would make it sheriff. However, I don’t know of a real sheriff who has a problem wearing the sheriff’s badge. Nor can I conceive how that a true New Testament church would have a problem with the God given, Holy Spirit inspired, and scripture sanctified identity Baptist.
Could it be that those who accuse the use of the identity “Baptist” to be a matter of pride, or accuse it of being used as one’s authority, power, or what makes one right with God…could it be because they have had their hearts and minds closed to what God really did when He sent John from heaven with New Testament baptism as the New Testament covenant seal and identified him as a Baptist?
Rather, to me, the reality of Baptist as the true New Testament identity that distinguishes true New Testament baptism, by which the obedient believer is joined in local New Testament church membership, is a glorious fact found in the wonderful counsel of God. SELAH. AMEN.
“And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.” Luke 7:29-30
SHARINGSo Send I You
“For how can I endure to see the evil that shall come unto my people? Or how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?” Esther 8:6
To save a soul, God the Father: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
God the Son: “He left the splendor of heaven, knowing His destiny, was the lonely hill of Golgotha, there to lay down His life for me. If that isn’t love, the ocean is dry; there’re no stars in the sky, and the sparrow can’t fly. If that isn’t love, then heaven’s a myth, There’s no feeling like this, if that isn’t love.”
“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.” 2 Corinthians 5:18-19. THUS:
“If to Christ our only King, Men redeemed we strive to bring,
Just one way may this be done–We must win them one by one.
Side by side we stand each day, Saved are we but lost are they;
They will come if we but dare, Speak a word backed up by prayer.
Only cowards dare refuse, Dare this gift of God misuse;
Ere some friend goes to his grave, Speak a word his soul to save.
So, you bring the one next to you, And I’ll bring the one next to me;
In all kinds of weather we’ll all work together,
And see what can be done,
If you’ll bring the one next to you, And I bring the one next to me;
In no time at all we’ll have them all,
So win them, win them one by one.”
–C. Austin Miles
It is not so much a question as to whom we should try to win, as it is, will we try? The one(s) you think you cannot talk to, are the one(s) you need to “Speak a word backed up by prayer.”
Today is the day of salvation, “Ere some friend (family member) goes to his grave, Speak a word his soul to save.”
While prayer is the key to heaven–it will be the going forth by faith that will unlock the door.
MAY THE LORD DEPEND ON YOU?
SHARINGWhat Should I Give To Him?
“For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.” 2 Corinthians 8:12
Perhaps one of the most difficult parts about giving is figuring out what to give, or even what you can give. What can we give to Christ? Perhaps the words to a song written by Gary Lanier may express our thoughts concerning this: “How can I give Him a birthday present? He is so far away. How do I show that I really love Him? Words really cannot say.”
One of the best ways was demonstrated by Saul of Tarsus, just as soon as he opened up his heart to Christ as his personal Savior: “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” (Acts 9:6) Jesus knew what He wanted from Saul and He knows what He wants from each of us. But do we want to do His will in this matter? If we try to force on someone something they don’t want, it hardly qualifies as being the good will of gift giving. So our first consideration should be, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?
The task of giving is not complete until the gift has been received. God gave His only begotten Son to die on the cross to save us from our sins, but this gift isn’t ours until we personally receive Christ as Savior and Lord. Just believing that it all happened does not mean we have received the gift. You can believe someone has a gift for you, but you don’t have it until you receive it. Likewise, for us to give Christ a gift, it must be something that He will receive. And for you to receive His gift of eternal life, you must first be willing to receive Him as your Lord and Savior.
Nothing about giving and receiving, where Christ and man is concerned, has been established, until we have first exercised our faith in trusting Christ to save us, for: “…without faith it is impossible to please him.” (Hebrews 11:6) Apart from faith, nothing we have will please Him.
But after we have accepted Him as our Savior, by faith, here is a list of gifts that will please Christ:
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:1-2) Maybe you could give Him a body free of sinful defilements; a body clothed in modest apparel, to God’s liking, rather than that which pertains to the opposite sex (1 Timothy 2:9-10, Deuteronomy 22:5). Give Him your love, devotion, worship, and surrender to His call unto service. “Christ will this gift receive.”
SHARINGThanksgiving Proclamation
–By Abraham Lincoln
The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.
Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defense, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle, or the ship; the axe had enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battlefield; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.
No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American People.
I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union.
SHARING
