In Everything Give Thanks
By Paul Hutchens
When clouds of sorrow sweep across my sky of brilliant hue,
When gray and somber, warlike, fierce, they hide away the blue,
I am not bidden to despair or mope with clouded brow;
God’s Word comes shining–’tis His Sun, my courage to endow–
“In every thing give thanks!”
When faced with dire calamity, when driven to despair,
When tempted to cry out, “My God! Thy dealings are unfair!”
He shows me One whose awful grief made Heaven hide its face;
And then His Word comes shining through to give sustaining grace–
“In every thing give thanks!”
When bounties rich and plentiful are lavished from His hand,
When all our needs are met by Him on whom our lives depend,
‘Tis then of all times we are tempted to forget His love,
Forget to offer praise to Him, to lift our eyes above
And “in every thing give thanks!”
God grant that I may learn to walk so humbly with my Lord,
So keep in fellowship with Him, abiding in His Word,
That not one day, but every day, may be Thanksgiving Day,
That life and lips and all I am–may all of me, always,
“In every thing give thanks!”
Spiritual Irony
“…so they did eat, and were filled, and became fat, and delighted themselves in thy great goodness.” Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs…” Nehemiah 9:25-26
We are living in perilous times! Not just a time of physical peril in view of violence, terrorism, etc., but a greater peril, the abandonment of God’s Word as the authority by which we are to live, amongst those who claim to be Christians: “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” 2 Timothy 3:5
“Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” 1 John 3:4 “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” 1 John 2:4 Even though God says that the transgression of His law is sin, and the failure to keep His commandments is the abandonment of real faith in god, yet the voices continue to rise that advocate that since Christ has redeemed us and we are not under the law, that therefore God’s laws don’t really apply to us and that the transgression of His laws is not that relevant, because God looks on the heart, etc. SO THE PERILOUS TIMES ARE UPON US, in which men are justifying the casting of God’s laws behind their backs.
But even though this is what people like and flock to and justify, in the name of grace, God continues to affirm the true doctrine of grace to be: “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? GOD FORBID.” Romans 6:15 God goes on record saying, that under no conditions, does grace, or the fact we are not under the law, mean that now it is okay to transgress God’s laws, or that since we are saved, sin is not really that big of an issue, or that it is not really that important how one lives, etc. Rather to know what God’s law says and to go ahead and do contrary to it, is willful sin, plain and simple: “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins.” Hebrews 10:26 There is hardly anything that matches the denial of God’s authority and power any more than the justification of willful sin. This epitomizes the casting of God’s law behind their backs. This is the ultimate deceit about faith in God’s Word. This is an open declaration of war against the doctrine of repentance, which is a godly sorrow over sin (the transgression of God’s law) unto turning from sin unto faith in God as the authority on sin and righteousness.
The idea that God’s Word doesn’t really apply to us, and that it is okay to violate the terms of God’s law and what one does in the outer man is not really that important, was the grease on the slide that led to the eating of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden.
SHARINGIt’s A Done Deal For Most
The horrible deed has been accomplished, for the most part…the task of persuading people that it is okay to change God’s sacred Word, as long as you do it under the guise of a “new translation”. Many can’t wait for the next one to come out.
2 Peter 1:20-21: God inspired the writing of the Bible, word for word, without any latitude for His men to reflect their private interpretation, and, forbidding any reader to do so: “…no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation” – 2 Peter 1:20. But modern versions of the Bible are just that–interpreting the sacred form of the scriptures, into modern day expressions.
Modern English so called translations of the Bible have numerous, deliberate omissions, deletions, additions, and alterations that limit the Word of God, change the doctrine of Christ, delete his blood and eliminate His deity. Some of the better known translations have hundreds of changes in the New Testament alone. All of this, in spite of the fact that the Bible itself absolutely forbids the changing of the scriptures, adding to, or deleting from!
The arguments in favor of changing God’s Word follow the general lines of deceit used by the serpent in the Garden of Eden, such as: “God didn’t really mean for you not to revise the Bible, etc.” And, “God knows if you do revise the Bible, it will open up a broader range of understanding, thus it is desirable to make one wiser.” And, “The new revisions are good for spiritual food, and pleasant to modern eyes, who otherwise are disinterested in the scriptures.”
But perhaps the most beguiling and seductive argument in favor of the new versions is, “Well, modern man needs a modern version in order to understand God’s Word.” But not only is this an argument in favor of violating the sacredness of God’s written Word, it is also a denial of both the spiritual level and nature of God’s Word, as well as denying the spiritually dead nature of mankind: “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:14 True spiritual light and understanding cannot be, and is not conveyed to spiritually dead mankind through a more modern version of the Bible. Light and understanding comes only from the working of the Holy Spirit, using the Word as He inspired it, to bring about repentance unto the acknowledgement of the Truth.
WAKE UP! Rewritten versions of the Bible are a diversion of the mind of the person from the Word which the Holy Spirit authored and uses to give light and understanding. The original King James Version is the time tested and proven translation of God’s Word into the English language.
SHARINGThe Eternal Aspect Of The New Testament Church
–Foreordained in God’s eternal plan & purpose: Ephesians 3:9-11
–Prepared for by John the Baptist: Luke 1:17
–Built by Christ; given it’s ordinances, gifts, procedures, commission by Christ before His ascension: Matthew 16-28
–Empowered & sent forth by the Holy Spirit: Acts 1:8
–Promised perpetuity until Jesus comes & removes the saints at the rapture: Matthew 16:18, Matthew 28:20
–At the Rapture, New Testament Churches of all ages become the Bride of Christ.
WHAT ARE INCLUSIVELY & EXCLUSIVELY NEW TESTAMENT CHURCHES ON EARTH, IS WHAT WILL INCLUSIVELY AND EXCLUSIVELY MAKE UP THE BRIDE OF CHRIST IN HEAVEN
–Consider: Old Testament Saints were not a part of a New Testament Church; people who will be saved during the Tribulation (a great multitude – Revelation 7:9-17) are not a part of a New Testament Church, plus there are some saved people who are not members of a true New Testament Church.
AND, there are churches that Christ withdrew the candlestick from, thus no longer a New Testament Church. There are brethren who have been dismissed from the church fellowship, no longer a part of a church.
SO, not every saved person will be a part of the Bride of Christ.
JESUS DOESN’T MARRY THE WHOLE FAMILY OF GOD, JUST THOSE WHO HAVE MADE UP HIS FAITHFUL BRIDE (New Testament Church members found faithful at the judgment seat of Christ) – 2 Corinthians 11:2, Ephesians 5:25-27
–Marriage is a union of faithfulness: Christ is faithful, and His bride will be those deemed faithful by Christ, Revelation 19:7-9
–This is the prize of the high calling, Philippians 3:11-15
–This is the difference between the wise & foolish virgins, those included in the marriage to the Bridegroom, and those shut out, Matthew 25:1-13
BEWARE! Satan is out to cast down the faithful and dislodge them from the Body of Christ here on earth & thus the Bride of Christ in heaven: “weeping, wailing, gnashing of teeth; ashamed at His coming, saved so as by fire, suffer loss.” – 2 John 8, Revelation 3:11
THE MARRIAGE OF THE LAMB & HIS BRIDE TAKES PLACE IN HEAVEN BEFORE CHRIST RETURNS TO EARTH TO FIGHT THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON & SET UP HIS MILLENNIAL KINGDOM, Revelation 19:9,11-21
–On the new earth, the bride of Christ reigns with Christ, as the New Jerusalem, being the capital city of the new earth, Revelation 21
–All the saints who are not a part of the Bride, are the other inhabitants on this new earth, who bring their glory and honor into this city, Revelation 21:24-26
–Note the references to “the kings of the earth”; thus, there are rewarded positions for those who served God in capacities other than New Testament Church membership, such as Old Testament Saints, and those out of the Great Tribulation.
The bride of Christ does not take anything away from the rewards of those who were not a part of New Testament Churches, but those not a part of a New Testament Church will not be included in the bride of Christ.
OF IMPORTANCE: the bride consists only of those who are called by the Bridegroom to be His bride (Matthew 25). Those who are called are those who have made themselves ready, having answered His call to be faithful to Him while they were a member of His body (New Testament Church) on earth. (Not all who have had their name on a church roll, fit this description) – Ephesians 5:26-27
Just as there is a difference on earth between those who serve God faithfully, and those who neglect to do so, this difference will be reflected in our eternal positions and rewards, 2 Corinthians 5:9-11. When we face the Lord, are judged and enter eternity, will we then be satisfied with the life we are now living?
To get the right answer, we must not confer with flesh and blood (that does not answer God’s call or respect the recompense of eternal rewards), but it must be through getting beyond ourselves to understand the mind of Christ.
Now is the time to lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven!
SHARINGBuried With Him
“Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.” Colossians 2:12
John the Baptist required fruits meet for repentance and personal faith in the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world, before he would consider one as a candidate for baptism.
Peter preached to the house of Israel (Acts 2:38) that repentance unto faith in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, were essential requirements for baptism.
Baptism is a pictorial ordinance, demonstrating that in Christ’s substitutionary death, the believer has died to sin, “That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.” (1 Peter 4:2) Likewise, in order to live for God, the dead-to-sin believer is convicted, “that 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.” (Romans 6:4) It takes the power of God enabling the believer to do God’s will, who is subjected to God’s purpose and will, by self-denial and mortification of their own will.
Thus, the saved person finds success in both excluding sin and including God’s service, through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. One’s personal faith in Christ secures their soul’s salvation (Romans 1:16, John 1:12) and the believer’s obedience to God’s command to be buried with Christ in baptism, includes their life in the operation of God as a member of the Body of Christ here on earth and a part of the Bride of Christ in heaven.
For the believer to live for Christ, who has baptism sanction by heaven, it is a matter of yielding to do the will of God by the aid of the power of God – Romans 6:12-13. The strength and means to commit sin is in the flesh, if you yield to the flesh. Likewise, the strength to serve God exists with those who have been resurrected to walk with Christ in newness of life, as they yield unto the Holy Spirit.
Christianity not only functions on different principles than the flesh, but also on different strengths. The difference is in the strength of the flesh being buried in death with Christ, unto receiving the strength of God to walk with Him, that comes by His power in raising us up to do so. The religions of men emphasize the strength of the flesh through reformation, self-improvement, and self-assertion. But Christianity functions on having no confidence in the flesh unto seeking the power of Christ’s resurrection – Philippians 3:3-10. Before Paul was saved he was a religious zealot. But after he was saved, that strength was useless to serve God. After Paul was baptized, with the working of God’s power, he chose to engulf his whole life into the work of the Lord. Being buried and rising to walk with Christ through scriptural baptism is important!
SHARING
