Jacob The Heel Catcher - Spiritual Adultery

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Sep 3, 2016
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Bread Crumbs “The Power of Believing”

In the Christian, the power source for life, living, and labor is the indwelling person of the Holy Spirit. Jesus told His disciples that, “without me you can do nothing.” After rising from the dead and ascending to the right hand of the Father, Jesus sent back the person of the Holy Spirit to live in all who would believe in Him. The Holy Spirit's first task is to bring the believer from death to life. We were dead in trespasses and sins, but by God's grace through faith, we have been made alive in Christ. Secondly, the Holy Spirit wants to help us in our everyday life. As the believer maintains faith in Christ and the Cross, the Holy Spirit supplies the power for righteous living. Even though it is normal for the new believer to desire to live holy, the power to do so comes only through the Holy Spirit as the believer’s faith remains centered upon Christ and His finished work. And thirdly, the Holy Spirit baptism will supply the believer with power for service. In the promotion of the gospel, we battle forces far greater than ourselves. It takes the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit to perform any and all labor in successfully bringing the lost to Christ!

Romans 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.

Pastor Loren Larson
Loren Larson Ministries
 
Sep 3, 2016
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The Miracle of God’s Word

Proverbs 29:14
The king that faithfully judgeth the poor, his throne shall be established for ever.

We might ask ourselves as to why God always speaks about great blessings and opportunity being to and upon those who take care of the poor, but the answer is simple. He is the One who left His throne and all of His glory to come and redeem His most prized creation, which is men, because we were lost, without strength, and as poor as poor can possibly be. He loved us enough to come and die for us, in our place, that we could be partakers of His established throne forever and forever.

God’s throne is established in Righteousness (Proverbs 25:5, Isaiah 16:5, Hebrews 1:8), and He has given those who have trusted in His reconciling work on the cross, not only the status of Righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21), but also the opportunity to bear His fruit of Righteousness (2 Corinthians 9:10, Philippians 1:11). He also has given the Redeemed the blessing of sitting on His throne with Him forever (Revelation 3:21). What a joy to be a child of God, and He’s calling you today to be His!

Seeking God in His Word and experiencing Him through faith in the sacrifice of Christ!

Pastor Curtis
 
Sep 3, 2016
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Your Word for Today

“Now the God of Peace, Who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that Great Shepherd of the sheep, through the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do His Will, working in you that which is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to Whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Heb. 13:20-21).

By virtue of Christ’s Blood, i.e., His Atoning Sacrifice as the Good Shepherd, He is the Great Shepherd of the sheep. He could not be such had He not, as the Good Shepherd, shed His Blood for the sheep and so established the Everlasting Covenant.

The Twentieth Verse of this Thirteenth Chapter presents the only time in the entirety of the Book of Hebrews that Paul mentions the Resurrection. Even then, it is in connection with the Cross, evidenced by the phrase, “The Blood of the Everlasting Covenant,” proclaiming the fact that it was the Cross that established that Covenant.

Unfortunately, all too many modern Christians place the emphasis of strength in the Resurrection, and not in the Cross. When they do that, they are doing the same thing that Israel did with the Abrahamic Covenant.

The Abrahamic Covenant was meant to be the theme of Israel’s relationship with God, the only way, in fact, that such relationship could be established. It had to be by faith (Gen. 15:6). However, when the Law was given, Israel inverted the process. They made the Law the primary objective instead of the Abrahamic Covenant; thereby, they lost their way.

In a sense, the modern Church does the same, when it places the emphasis of the Atonement on the Resurrection instead of on the Cross. To be sure, the Resurrection is a product of the Cross, and not the other way around. The Resurrection, even as the Law, was, and is, of extreme significance, as should be overly obvious, but the Resurrection is not the central theme of the Gospel, but rather the Cross.

If the Resurrection was the central theme, wouldn’t it stand to reason that Paul would have done more than mention it just one time in this great Book of Hebrews? The answer to that is obvious.

The Covenant that Jesus established at the Cross was so perfect, so complete, so total, that the Holy Spirit referred to it as “The Everlasting Covenant.” This means that this Covenant will never have to be amended, will never lose its power and be discarded, and nothing will ever have to be substituted for it. It is Everlasting, which means Eternal.

It is so Eternal, in fact, that in the last two Chapters of the Book of Revelation, the word “Lamb” is used some seven times, which always denotes the Cross. This is remarkable when one considers that Satan and all of his cohorts are then in the Lake of Fire, where they will remain forever (Rev. 20:10).

In the New Heavens and the New Earth, there is no more sin, no more failure, no more transgression, no more disobedience, no more pain, sickness, suffering, or death, all caused by sin. It will be a perfect eternity. And yet, some seven times, the Holy Spirit then refers to Christ as “the Lamb.”

This is to let us know that all of these beautiful things described in the last two Chapters of Revelation are all made possible, and exclusively so, by the Cross, hence “the Lamb.” Not only is the Cross an Everlasting Covenant regarding the coming perfect day which will never end, but it is that, and that alone, which brings the Saint to maturity, “perfect in every good work to do His Will.”

It is ever the Cross! Ever the Cross! Ever the Cross!“

— Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart
 
Sep 3, 2016
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Bread Crumbs “The Weakness of Flesh”

By becoming a new creation in Christ, the believing sinner experiences the beginning of a marvelous transformation. Included in this regeneration process is a new heart and a new spirit. The old sinful nature we once were dominated by loses its right to rule and the believer receives a new nature, a godly nature, one that causes us to desire to live right and please God. The transformation from what we used to be to what God desires for us to be can only be carried out by the newly implanted indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. However, we still find ourselves living in the predicament of the flesh. Flesh is a term that simply describes that which pertains to being human. Sadly, the flesh has been so corrupted by the sin nature, the world’s system, and powers of darkness, that even the born-again man is not capable of producing sanctification and growth by the means of flesh. Only as we trust in Christ and what He did for us at Calvary can the Holy Spirit carry out the work of progressive sanctification. Having a desire to change is not enough! We must encounter and embrace the power to be changed, which is only made available when one's faith remains in Christ and the Cross.

Matthew 26:41 - Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Pastor Loren Larson
Loren Larson Ministries
 
Sep 3, 2016
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The Miracle of God’s Word

Proverbs 29:15
The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.

Parenting doesn’t come with a guide which you can purchase and follow along to get everything right, yet it does come with an instructional book called God’s Holy Word. God hasn’t left us here to try and figure everything out, but has surely given us absolute Truth, “Not options”, which will bring the Life we are looking for in every situation along the way. God says there is an avenue of wisdom when raising a child in which He will impart wisdom. This avenue is discipline, which is what the rod and reproof refer to.

When the parents leave the child to his or herself, which means to ignore God’s Way of discipline, they themselves are ignoring God’s Wisdom, therefore the child doesn’t have a chance until maybe they are out of the house one day to hear God’s gospel of wisdom for themselves. The children who aren’t disciplined as God says they should be will bring shame to the parents, even though they may try to ignore it, or make excuses for it. Wisdom is the better Way to go, and if our faith is in the work of Christ at Calvary, there will be obedience to His Words. God disciplines His children because He loves us (Hebrews 12:6).

Seeking God in His Word and experiencing Him through faith in the sacrifice of Christ!

Pastor Curtis
 
Sep 3, 2016
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Your Word for Today

“Do you think that the Scripture says in vain, The Spirit Who dwells in us lusts to envy? But He gives more Grace. Wherefore He said, God resists the proud but gives Grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded (James 4:5-8).

The phrase of Verse 5, “The Spirit Who dwells in us lusts to envy,” speaks of the Holy Spirit. The two words connected with Him, “lusts” and “envy,” seem strange to the ear.

As we presently understand the word “lusts,” it virtually always denotes something bad; however, the real meaning of the word is “to earnestly or passionately desire.” Of what is the Holy Spirit envious? What does He passionately desire?

The Holy Spirit is envious of any control the fallen nature might have over the Believer and is passionately desirous that He controls all our thoughts, words, and deeds. He is desirous of having the Believer depend on Him for His Ministry to him so that He might discharge His responsibility to the One Who sent Him, namely God the Father.

The pronoun “He” in Verse 6 refers to the Holy Spirit, and that He is the Dispenser of Grace. Providing the Believer ever makes the Cross the Object of his Faith, Grace will continue to come in an uninterrupted flow.

Concerning “pride” and “humility,” God resists those who look to something other than the Cross and blesses those who humble themselves by looking strictly to Christ and the Cross, which alone develops humility.

When James said, “Submit yourselves therefore to God,” this means that the Holy Spirit desires that we submit ourselves to the Plan which God has provided, which is “Jesus Christ and Him Crucified.”

Millions of Believers have read the phrase, “Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you,” and have wondered, deep in their hearts, “What does this mean?” They have tried to resist Satan, and have had little success.

The way to resist the Devil, and the only way, is to strictly look to Christ and what He has done for us at the Cross, where Satan was totally defeated (Col. 2:14-15). When we do this, we have the help of the Holy Spirit, with Whom Satan has no desire to tangle. However, far too many Christians attempt to resist the Devil in all the wrong ways. He can only be resisted in one way — that which we have given — which is Christ and the Cross and our Faith in that Finished Work.

Every Believer must have a desire to “draw near to God.” If this is done, He will draw near to us. We have here His Promise. Once again, this is ever done by Faith whichever makes the Cross of Christ its Object.

Last, of all, the Holy Spirit through James told us to “cleanse our hands,” which refers to that which we do, and to “purify our hearts,” which can only be done by making Christ and the Cross the Object of our Faith. This is the Sanctification of the Saint. It is impossible otherwise for the Believer to live a victorious, Christian life.“

— Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart
 
Sep 3, 2016
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Bread Crumbs “Believing for Miracles”

Believing God for a miracle is something that a believer should find quite normal. As believers, we serve a God that is able to do the impossible. At times, in order to reinforce this truth, He will lead us into circumstances that demand a miracle. A miracle happens whenever God intervenes and does something for us that we cannot do for ourselves. God is determined that we should learn to trust Him and the only way that we can learn to truly rely upon Him is to be placed in a situation or circumstance that we have absolutely no control over. One that we cannot, in the natural, overcome. It is here, at the edge of impossibility, that God becomes real to us. It is here that He steps up just at the right moment to prove to us and reassure us that He is who He says He is and that He does what He says He can do. Waiting for a miracle is never easy. It is a trial of our faith. But if you will trust Him and wait on Him, you will come to know Him more intimately and you will also come to realize just how much He really cares about you. Get ready. Here comes your miracle!

2 Chronicles 20:20b - “ … and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.

Pastor Loren Larson
Loren Larson Ministries
 
Sep 3, 2016
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The Miracle of God’s Word

Proverbs 29:16
When the wicked are multiplied, transgression increaseth: but the righteous shall see their fall.

When the wicked are multiplied, transgression will always be greater simply because the wicked can only do wicked, as they live as transgressors before the Lord. We sometimes ask ourselves, “How can they do what they are doing?”, but we need never forget, Lost people do what lost people do. They can’t stop doing what they do because they aren’t in control of what they are doing, but what they are in control of, they have made the wrong choice.

Always remember that man is only really in charge of one thing. That one thing is what they are trusting in. If man refuses to trust in Christ and His finished work at Calvary, then the devil, the world and their flesh will control them. If man places his trust and faith in Christ and His atoning work at Calvary, then the Holy Spirit will lead them. It is just that simple. Only the Righteous, which are those who are trusting in Jesus Christ and His Righteous work at the cross for them, will know the difference, and will see the fall of the wicked.

Seeking God in His Word and experiencing Him through faith in the sacrifice of Christ!

Pastor Curtis
 
Sep 3, 2016
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Your Word for Today

“Is any sick among you? Let him call for the Elders of the Church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the Name of the Lord: And the prayer of Faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they shall be forgiven him (James 5:14-15).

Divine Healing is part and parcel of the great Gospel of Faith. While the Lord does not heal all of the time, He most definitely still heals.

I was wondrously healed when I was about ten years old. My parents took me to the doctor several times, but nothing could be found. I stayed nauseous constantly, and, at times, would go unconscious. Actually, I passed out several times at school, and the last time this happened, the Principal told my parents, “If something is not done, you are going to have to take Jimmy out of school. We don’t want him dying on our hands.” That’s how critical the situation was.

My family belonged to the tiny Assembly of God Church in our little town of Ferriday, Louisiana. Our Pastor, although young, was a Godly Brother, who definitely believed that the Lord healed the sick. I was prayed for any number of times by him and others, but seemingly to no avail. The problem not only did not get better, it grew worse.

I will never forget the day that healing came. It was Sunday. The Church Service had ended, and my parents were taking the Pastor and his wife out to lunch. But first they had to go by the home of a parishioner who was ill and pray for him.

I remember us walking into the humble dwelling, praying for the dear Brother, and then coming back out to the front room, ready to leave. Suddenly, my Dad spoke up and said, “Brother Culbreth, anoint Jimmy, and pray for him. If the Lord doesn’t do something for him, we’re going to have to take him out of school.”

This dear man, as stated, had prayed for me many times, but to no avail. Other Godly people had also prayed for me, but still, there was no healing. Most of the time we have little clue as to exactly why the Lord does things in the manner in which He does them. Whatever He does, however, is always for purpose.

In my mind’s eye, I can see Brother Culbreth as he walked across the floor with a bottle of oil in his hand, which he had just used to anoint the dear Brother for whom we had all just prayed.

Brother Culbreth put some oil on the tip of his finger, anointed my head, and, all of a sudden, it happened. Without warning, the Spirit of God came down in that room. I felt something like a ball of fire start at the top of my head and slowly go down through my body and out my feet. I was only about ten years old, but I knew the Lord had healed me. I knew it beyond the shadow of a doubt. And that’s exactly what happened.

Whatever the problem was, it went and has never returned. In fact, I’ve had almost perfect health from that day until this, which is just a few days before my 70th Birthday. Why did the Lord do it this way? Why wasn’t I healed at the other times the Pastor prayed for me?

I don’t have the answers to those questions. However, for the following I am very thankful:

I’m glad we attended a Church that believed in praying for the sick. Had that not been the case, I probably would not be here today. Second, I’m glad our Pastor was a Godly Brother, and that he kept believing with us, despite the fact that healing did not come immediately. I’m glad my parents didn’t get discouraged and quit seeking the Lord concerning my healing. They kept believing and the Lord rewarded our faith.

When I say the Lord heals, I’m saying it on the authority of His Word; however, I’m also saying it on the authority that Word has had in my life in effecting healing for me.

The husbandman must be first partaker of the fruit. And by the Grace of God, I have been a partaker of that fruit (II Tim. 2:6).“

— Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart
 
Sep 3, 2016
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Bread Crumbs “Fullness of Joy”

The daily benefit of being a Christian is best encased in the word “joy.” There is no expression that better illustrates or describes the true Biblical experience of being a Christian more accurately than this word. When God lifts the burden and sense of guilt that has darkened the heart and mind, it is as if a million pound weight has just been lifted from the spirit. This freedom from sin coupled with the knowledge that a person is right with God produces a sense of euphoria that no drug can match. One that no alcohol can compete with and one that no carnal desire can best. From that moment forward one knows that they are in relationship with a living God. They can look God straight in the eye without lowering their head in shame due to sin. Day after day they awake with the assuredness, that the One who saved them is with them, is in them, and watches over them. We never have to face one of life’s problems alone or dependent upon our own strength or ability. And we live with the knowledge that when this life is over, we will be ushered directly into His presence. He brings a promise of joy from the beginning, all the way to the end!

John 15:11 - These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

Pastor Loren Larson
Loren Larson Ministries
 
Sep 3, 2016
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The Miracle of God’s Word

Proverbs 29:17
Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.

The parent who corrects their children, will find rest through the outcome of the child being trained in the Way they should go. A part of the process of learning “The Way” is correction and discipline. God chastens those He loves, and does not chasten the one’s He is not in a relationship of love with, which are those who are not His (Hebrews 12:6). One of the experiences for a parent who has trained their child up in “The Way” they should go is the experience of rest and delight for their souls, as only the Lord can give, due to them having sown according to God’s Way.

Our Heavenly Father sent His own Son, Jesus Christ, and He suffered for us on the cross, and through His humility and obedience unto death on the cross for us, Our Heavenly Father was pleased, and offers us today the rest for our souls which we all desperately need. He also promises to give us the desires of our hearts if we will but only delight and trust in Him (Psalm 37:4) through faith in His work at Calvary. Oh what a wonderful rest for the soul of man that is desperately needed today. He is calling for all of us who are heavy laden and burdened down to simply come to Jesus by Way of the cross! There you will find rest for your weary souls.

Seeking God in His Word and experiencing Him through faith in the sacrifice of Christ!

Pastor Curtis
 
Sep 3, 2016
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Your Word for Today

“Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through Sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied (I Pet. 1:2).

There are three steps, one might say, which pertain to the sinner coming to Christ:
1. God the Father chooses you for Salvation.
2. God the Spirit brings you to the act of faith.
3. God the Son cleanses you from your sin.

The two terms, “elect” and “foreknowledge of God,” need to be explained.

First of all, the “elect” are those who elect to favorably respond to the Call of the Holy Spirit.

The “foreknowledge of God the Father” pertains to the Omniscience of God, i.e., that He knows all things, past, present, and future. Through foreknowledge, He knew that He would have to send a Saviour to redeem man from the Fall; all who accept the Saviour are the “elect.”

The words, “elect,” “foreknowledge,” and “predestination,” do not mean, as some teach, that God has selected some to go to Heaven and some to go to Hell, and there is nothing they can do about the selected destination. These words refer to the Plan of God; it is the Plan of God which has been foreordained, elected, or predestinated. However, who will be in that Plan is determined by “whosoever will” (Jn. 3:16; Rev. 22:17).

So the first step in the Salvation process is God the Father, through Christ and by the Holy Spirit, presenting the Plan of Salvation, by whatever means, to the lost soul. That person has the privilege of responding with either “Yes” or “No”! Regrettably, most, it seems, reject.

The second step pertains to Sanctification of the sinner coming to Christ, which is carried out strictly by the Holy Spirit. The Greek word used here for “sanctify” means “to be set apart unto God.” Actually, when the sinner comes to Christ, the very thing that happens is that a “washing and sanctifying” takes place (I Cor. 6:11). Before the believing sinner can be “declared” clean, which is “Justification,” he must first of all be “made” clean, which is Sanctification.

All of this is done under the covering of the shed Blood of Jesus Christ, which could be constituted as the third step, in which God the Son cleanses the believing sinner in His Own Precious Blood. This is given to us in the words, “sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus Christ”; Peter uses the phraseology and typology of the Levitical ritual where the Priest sprinkled the people with the sacrificial blood (Heb. 9:19).

All of this is a legal work, carried out by the Lord, which constitutes one being “born again.” All the believing sinner has to do is to exhibit Faith in Christ, which then sets all of this in motion, and which is, in fact, carried out instantly.

Actually, all of this which we have just mentioned, and I refer to the Salvation process, has already been done. It just awaits the faith of the sinner. When the Holy Spirit deals with the lost soul, the person has the choice of accepting or rejecting. If he accepts, and does so by faith, Salvation instantly is accomplished, because the Work has already been accomplished at the Cross and accepted by the Father.“

— Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart
 
Sep 3, 2016
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Bread Crumbs “A Monumental Victory”

In the course of my Christian experience I have come to realize a significant truth. The length and the weight of personal trials seems to grow as time goes by. As I see it, this occurs for two reasons. The first is that God has allowed an issue to approach my life that He has deemed beneficial and necessary for my Christian growth. I have grown confident in Him. Nothing takes place around me that my Father has not orchestrated or allowed. The trials that He has already brought me through have proven the faithful character of my Father as well as the inconsistency that lies within the heart of me, His son. Second, the past trials and victories have equipped me to bear a heavier load than when I was younger in the Lord. The Holy Spirit desires to produce a deeper cleansing and effectual renewing within me. The heat of the fire and the length that the flame is endured forces the dross in my soul to the surface. Here it is exposed and removed by the Holy Spirit. Are you experiencing an elongated trial? Are you facing the unquenchable flame? Does your issue seem never-ending? Be encouraged! The more troublesome the test, the more valuable the victory!

1 Corinthians 15:57 - But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Pastor Loren Larson
Loren Larson Ministries
 
Sep 3, 2016
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The Miracle of God’s Word

Proverbs 29:18
Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

The word, “Vision” refers here to the vision that comes from the Lord, actually that which is prophetic vision. To be sober minded with this great Truth, we must see Jesus, as He is our Life which is tied to, and revealed in every bible verse in the Word of God. The spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus (Revelation 19:10), and we need to remember the Words of Jesus to Nicodemus, “You can not enter the Kingdom of Heaven, nor can you see it unless you are born again.” (John 3:3-5).

All eyesight given by the Holy Spirit comes exclusively through faith in the cross of Jesus Christ, and I do not speak of the faith we had years ago or yesterday, but as our faith is a “Now Faith is” right now faith (Hebrews 11:1), as we are again today denying ourselves of anything that will distract us from keeping our faith in what Jesus did at Calvary (Luke 9:23), so that we can follow Him again today. Not having vision is equated to perishing, and perishing is equated with those who refuse to preach and to believe the gospel of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 1:18, 2 Peter 1:9). Having vision is also equated with those who are happy because they have kept the Law. This again speaks of Christ and Him crucified, for through one’s faith there alone, does God see them as Law keepers “In Christ Jesus”, the only true Law Keeper.

Seeking God in His Word and experiencing Him through faith in the sacrifice of Christ!

Pastor Curtis
 
Sep 3, 2016
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Your Word for Today

“Forasmuch as you know that you were not Redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation (lifestyle) received by tradition from your fathers; But with the Precious Blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you (I Pet. 1:18-20).

These three Verses of Scripture proclaim to us the fact that the Doctrine or principal of the Cross of Christ is the oldest doctrine known to man. Through foreknowledge, God knew, in eternity past, that He would make man, and that man would fall. So it was deemed necessary by the Godhead that man would be redeemed by God becoming Man, going to the Cross, and thereby atoning for all sin, actually serving as man’s Substitute. All of this was decided before the foundation of the world.

“Foreordained,” in the Greek Text, means “to designate beforehand” to a position or function. In the councils of the Triune God, the Lord Jesus was the Lamb marked out for Sacrifice. Before this Universe was created, the Lord Jesus had been foreordained to be the Saviour of lost sinners, and the Saints had been foreordained to become recipients of the Salvation He would procure for lost sinners at the Cross (Eph. 1:4; Rom. 8:29).

Considering that the Cross of Christ was foreordained from before the foundation of the world to be the essential core principle of Salvation, this means that every other doctrine must be built squarely on the basis of the Cross of Christ. If it is not, at least in some manner or way, it will be specious. That, in fact, has been the problem from the very beginning. It began with Cain and Abel, even at the dawn of time.

After the Fall, the First Family was given instructions by the Lord as to how sins could be forgiven and fellowship restored. It was by virtue of the slain lamb, which would be a symbol of the Coming Redeemer. Abel carried out the instructions of the Lord to the letter, but Cain substituted something else. The “something else” has been the problem from then until now. All false doctrine has its beginning through a misinterpretation, a lack of understanding, or a denial of the Cross of Christ. When the Church gets off track, or even the individual Believer, the Church or the Believer has to come back to the Cross before things can be made right.

Even though the Cross of Christ was foreordained before the foundation of the world, still, it has been “manifest in these last times for me and you.” If we ignore what the Lord has done, there is no way we can go in the right direction. The foundation is the Cross of Christ, and it will always be the foundation. Paul labeled it “The Everlasting Covenant” (Heb. 13:20).“

— Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart