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As Christmas approaches, the thoughts of all men have the potential to be turned toward the true meaning of Christmas. That is, the truth of the coming of the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. I choose to observe the Christmas season to remind myself that there was a chosen day and time that God sent His only begotten Son to live and later die for the redemption of all humanity. Getting to know Jesus Christ personally has been the greatest source of peace that my heart and mind has ever known. With all the hatred, the killings, the confusion, and the drama that surrounds our lives and even our country, I am certainly glad that I know the Prince of Peace. I honestly am not sure what lies in store for America, but I am very sure that when we commit our lives to Christ, He becomes the One who is in charge of our safety, our well-being, and our peace. As we learn to trust and depend upon Him we can experience a perfect peace that calms the heart and mind, even in these tumultuous times. Trust and depend on Christ Jesus today and experience a season of peace that will extend far beyond the date of December 25th.
Isaiah 26:3 - Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Proverbs 30:6
Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
We are never to add to God’s Word, for when we do, we forfeit the purity of His Word, and at the same time even without being aware of it, we are attempting to change God Himself, for His Word is who He is (John 1:1). He has already declared to His people that He changes not (Malachi 3:6), and these words should let us know that it is us who need to be changed, and not God.
Because we know that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by God’s Word (Romans 10:17), when God’s Word has been tainted through man taking away from it, adding to it, or altering it in any way, faith cannot come, but only flesh which puffs us up, corrupts, and destroys us. When we remove the gospel context from God’s Word, we are sowing to the flesh and the Sin Nature will deceive and slay us (Romans 7:9-11). Let us cling to the cross and not be seen by our Lord as “Dead” like the Church in Sardis (Revelation 3:1-6). The power of God remains to this day in the blood of the Lamb!!
Seeking God in His Word and experiencing Him through faith in the sacrifice of Christ!
“Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous. (I Jn. 3:12).
We learn from this Text that there is no such thing as a middle ground between the Children of God and the children of the Devil. In other words, one cannot be a little of both. One is either — or!
Abel was a Child of God. Cain was a child of the Devil. To “do Righteousness” is to act as Abel did. He humbled himself and accepted God’s way of Righteousness. To “commit sin” is to act as Cain did. His religious works were evil. Cain was, in fact, a very religious man, but not a righteous man. His worship would have secured the admiration of “modern thought,” but the Holy Spirit here says it was evil. He rejected the Divine Way of Righteousness, and thus showed that he was “out of” the Evil One.
Popular modern Preachers teach that both religions are equally good; but God did not think so, for He accepted the one and rejected the other. He also states here that there is a Devil, that morally he has children, and that these children may be very religious.
Satan actually has two ways of Salvation: one by Sacraments, and the other by ethics. Christ’s Atonement — possessing infinite moral value — condemns and destroys both these false ways of seeking acceptance with God. Christ is the measure of the Believer’s acceptance; therefore, that acceptance is perfect, full, and eternal. In that Righteousness, the Righteousness of Christ, which was gained at the Cross and is given freely to believing man, no one can find a flaw; it needs neither ecclesiastical ceremonies nor human merits to add to its perfection.
The word “slew” in the Greek is “sphazo,” which means “to butcher by cutting the throat.” The inspired writer goes out of his way to use a specialized word to describe the murder of Abel by Cain. Cain slit his brother’s throat.
God said to Cain, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries unto Me from the ground” (Gen. 4:10). The method Cain used to kill his brother was one in which much blood would be shed. The cutting of the jugular vein would fit that description. As is overly obvious, Cain was evil, which played out to what he did to his brother.
In view of all of this, John said that we are not to “marvel, if the world hate you” (3:13). John’s readers were astounded at the fact that people of the world should hate them because they were Children of God. The hatred of the world toward the Child of God is, however, a fact. This will not change. And yet, at the same time, we must not do things that would give the world a legitimate reason to think ill of us. No matter what the world thinks, our business is to commend Jesus to it, and to win it to the Lord.
Most of the hostility, however, will not come from the world, but rather from professing religion. I speak of that which calls itself “the Church.” Cain was very religious. He built an altar and offered sacrifice; however, it was not the type of sacrifice that God could accept, so Cain was rejected by the Lord. In this context, he murdered his brother.
Such hostility from the religious counterpart began with Cain and has continued ever since. As proved by the saga of Cain and Abel, the greatest animosity is tendered by the Church, and the reason is the Cross. The reason always is the Cross! (Gal. 5:11).“
— Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”) Donnie Swaggart
For most people the celebration of Christmas is a time filled with joy, family gatherings, the giving of gifts, and many happy and wonderful memories. And so it should be! But life has a way of sneaking in and stealing the emotional joy that Christmas time might bring. I have spent Christmas alone, without family, without loved ones. I know what it is like to be limited financially and not be able to purchase gifts for loved ones. I have experienced the loss of loved ones or family and have experienced the grief over the Christmas experiences that will never happen again. But the true meaning of Christmas is not found in a forlorn stable outside of Bethlehem, but on a hill outside of Jerusalem. This is where the Son of God, who came to the earth to die for our sins, sacrificed His life for all of mankind. Now, whosoever will may give their heart to Christ, and no matter their situation, they will find the joy and contentment that only peace with God can bring. You will always find the true meaning of Christmas when you consider what the Christ Child did for us on the Cross! You will always find the true meaning of Christmas in the Cross.
Luke 2:14 - Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Proverbs 30:7
Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die:
Two things the writer humble and broken requests of the Lord before he dies, I believe so that his heart could be right in God’s eyes. Is this our desire today? To be right in God’s eyes, and to be so concerned about pleasing Him, that we are seeking Him diligently for His direction and for our hearts to be upright before Him?
He only asks for two things, but these two things if granted will be great provision for the race set before us as God’s people today. The two things I’ll mention briefly here and later on I will discuss more. The first, is not to be found a liar, and the second is to only have the daily provision that is convenient for him. When we realize that we are only passing through, and that our lives are but a vapor, we should be more aware of the eternal things rather than the temporary things. No one is making a name for themselves, even the folks who think they are. Even if our work was of such a quality that everyone everywhere knew and respected us, we will surely, one day, be forgotten by those who come after us (Ecclesiastes 1:9-11), therefore let us today cling to the old rugged cross, for then what we are experiencing today can be left as an example for the humble for they will hear and be glad (Psalm 34:2).
Seeking God in His Word and experiencing Him through faith in the sacrifice of Christ!
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of Antichrist, whereof you have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world (I Jn. 4:1-3).
The idea of these Passages is that Believers are to stop believing every spirit. Paul finds the source of false doctrine in demons who actuate the false teachers who propound heresy (I Tim. 4:1). Thus, these spirits are human beings actuated either by demons or by the Holy Spirit.
The exhortation is to try these individuals, whoever they might be, to see whether they are of God or not. The word “try” in the Greek is “dokimazo,” which means “to put to the test for the purpose of approving, and finding that the person put to the test meets the specifications laid down, to put one’s own approval upon him.” Thus, the Bible teacher, for instance, was not to be put to the test for the purpose of condemning him, but with the intent to approve him. The brother was not to be treated as a heretic before he had shown himself to be one.
The reason for putting visiting teachers to such a test was that many false prophets “are gone out into the world.” In the Greek, the words speak of an action that is taking place presently. They have gone out; as a present result, they are in the world of mankind, and they have established themselves among the people.
John now gives the test which will prove that the Holy Spirit is actuating a teacher. If that teacher confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, that is proof of the fact that he is a true Believer and is actuated by the Holy Spirit. What does John mean by this?
The statement, “Jesus Christ is come in the flesh,” refers to the Incarnation, and what that means. The name “Jesus” means “Jehovah saves.” “Christ” means “The Anointed One.” It speaks to the fact that the God of the Old Testament, Who, in the Person of His Son, became incarnate in human flesh without its sin, died on the Cross to satisfy the just demands of His righteous Law, which man broke, and raised Himself from the dead in the Body in which He died, to become the Living Saviour of the sinner who places his Faith in Him in view of what He did for him on Calvary’s Cross.
John says that the person who teaches that is actuated by the Holy Spirit; likewise, the teacher who does not agree with that doctrine is not of God. Such a teacher is actuated by the spirit of Antichrist, who denies and is against all that the Bible teaches regarding the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus.
(Our thanks to Kenneth Wuest for most of the above material on the Person of Christ.)
To simplify the statement, John, in essence, is saying, “Christ and the Cross must be the Object of Faith.” If that is denied in any way, the person is not of God. That’s the reason that we look askance at many of the modern schemes which claim to be of God, such as the “Purpose Driven Life” doctrine, the “Government of Twelve (G-12)” doctrine, the “Word of Faith” doctrine, etc.
The last one openly repudiates the Cross. The G-12 claims to believe the Cross, but then turns to works to effect one’s Sanctification, which, in effect, denies the Cross. In no way could one come to the conclusion that the “Purpose Driven Life” theory looks to the Cross at all. It is a religion of supposed ethics, which God can never accept.
John the Beloved, who wrote this Epistle, is saying, “Such is not of the Lord.”
As it regards doctrine, Christ and His Cross are always the deciding factor!“
— Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”) Donnie Swaggart
The child of God who does not look exclusively to the finished work of the cross is in essence frustrating The grace of God whether they know it or not. The grace of God is his goodness extended to undeserving man, and also it is the help, assistance of the Holy Spirit that the believer needs in order to live this Christian life. God has provided all that the believer needs to live a holy victorious life, but if we do not avail ourselves to God’s prescribed order of victory, which is the cross of Christ, then we will not see victory in our lives.
Paul was used mightily by the Lord and he was given the meaning of the new covenant, meaning he received from the Lord the message of Grace and Faith, the message of the cross. This message alone can set the captive free and deliver the sin sick soul. The Holy Spirit through Paul tells us that we should simply place our faith in Jesus Christ and what he did for us at Calvary, this alone should be the object of the believers faith, and upon our faith being placed properly in the cross, this alone give the Holy Spirit the latitude to work within our hearts and lives.
However, if we look to our own strength, or any other thing other than the cross, then we frustrate the grace of God, which means we thwart, or stop the efficacy of that grace. We need grace, and the only way that we receive grace is through faith in the blood of Christ. So, if we don’t look to the cross, then we in essence stop the flow of that which we need for the Christian life.
Galatians 2:21
“I do not frustrate the Grace of God, for if righteousness comes by the law then Christ is dead in vain.”
One of the greatest statements ever made by a human being was made by Mary, the earthly mother of Jesus Christ. When the angel Gabriel appeared to her and told her that she would become pregnant in a supernatural way, she at first questioned, “how?” When told that her pregnancy would produce the promised Messiah, the one that had been promised for thousands of years, she readily accepted that miracle and that responsibility. What most don't understand is that Mary and Joseph, though legally married, were in a time of examination. The traditions of the Jews demanded that this time of testing be accomplished prior to the consummation of their physical relationship. If the woman was found pregnant during the time of assessment she was to be taken out and stoned. At the very least, her husband would divorce her and her reputation would be forever marred. But to her credit, despite the threat of death or the dismemberment of her reputation, Mary was willing to do the bidding of the Lord. She agreed to be impregnated by the Holy Spirit, to have Christ placed inside her, and to bring Him forth for the benefit of the whole world. No matter what the cost! Are we willing to do the same today?
Luke 1:38 - And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
Proverbs 30:8
Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:
The two requests from this humble, frail and broken prophet, to the Lord are, for all things that are vain and the lies that go along with them to be removed from his heart, and that He would not be in poverty nor have riches, but that he would only have that which was convenient for him.
His requests from so long ago are given to us today in the Word of God and confirmed in the New Covenant (1 Timothy 6:8). Jesus taught us to ask for daily Bread (Matthew 6:11, Luke 11:3), and as we see Him as our Bread that came from heaven (John 6:51), we can deny ourselves, take up our cross daily so that we can partake of Him (Luke 9:23). Jesus is that daily Bread which is convenient for us, and the Truth of His great atoning sacrifice is that which defeated the Liar and all of his lies (Colossians 2:14-16, Hebrews 2:14), and prevents us from being carried away through the lying lust of our own flesh.
Seeking God in His Word and experiencing Him through faith in the sacrifice of Christ!
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear has torment. He who fears is not made perfect in love (I Jn. 4:18).
If we properly love the Lord, and know that He loves us, which He most definitely does, then we know that He is working everything according to our benefit. Everything that happens to a Child of God is either “caused” by the Lord or “allowed” by the Lord. While the Lord definitely does not cause sin, He does allow it, and with consequences.
Further, the Lord is not the cause of negative situations which come our way. But He does, at times, allow them. But no matter what He does, it is always for our benefit. We must know this, understand this, and believe this. If we love Him as we ought to, we will know that He likewise loves us, and that He will allow nothing to hurt us. We have this confidence in Him.
The phrase, “Perfect love casts out fear,” pertains to God. This love is not known by the poor results of its action in man, but by its perfect action in God. And here is something we must never forget: that perfection manifested itself at Calvary. This perfect love is a fact, and it manifested itself outside of man in order to effect the Salvation of man.
The Believer knows it by the Gift of God’s Son, and he enjoys it by the Gift of God’s Spirit. It is at Calvary that we learn what love is (4:10); and that when we had no love for God, the Lord loved us perfectly, even though we were far from Him and dead in sins. Man has no love for God; his pretension to possess it is self-deception. He cannot find it by searching within himself, but he can know it as manifested in the Atoning Sacrifice of Christ. Jesus gave the Life which loves and made propitiation for sins.
We who really possess this Divine nature love because we are loved. It is especially a fraternal love; it loves fellow-Believers more intimately than the nearest relatives who are unconverted. It binds the heart with a stronger bond to persons never seen than to the dearest companions of childhood. It is a new nature, a realm outside of natural human affection — a realm of Divine love — a fellowship with God and with all who know Him. In truth, there is no real love outside that realm.
The “fear” of which John here speaks, “fear” which “has torment,” is certainly not a Godly fear, a holy fear of displeasing the Father through sin (I Pet. 1:17; Heb. 12:28), but rather a slavish fear of a slave for a master, or of a criminal before a judge.
The word “torment” carries the thought with it of punishment. Thus, the Saint who has experienced the fullness of this Divine Love in his earthly life will have no fear of correction or penalty (loss of reward) at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
While the “perfect love” has its home in Christ, and is exercised at the Cross, the Saint can also have all that Christ has, which means that we can have “perfect love,” which is gained through our Faith in Christ and what He has done for us at the Cross. It is at the Cross that this great love was shown by God to a dying world, and it is at the Cross that the Believer takes upon himself this “perfect love.” It can be gained at no place other than the Cross (Jn. 3:16).“
— Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”) Donnie Swaggart
Why Is it true that desperation precedes revelation? When the course of our every day life is moving along without emergency, we often times fail to seek God as we ought. But when a dire circumstance raises its head, whenever there is a threatening storm on the horizon, or when we experience a “pressing need,” that is when we finally look to God. Oh Saint of God, this ought not to be so! We ought to be desperate for God every single hour of every single day. We should live with the constant recognition that without Him we can do nothing. Without His assistance, His guidance, His grace, we are helpless! That does not mean that we should live in a constant state of despair or have a negative attitude towards life in general. It means that the child of God must learn how to walk by faith! It definitely means that being desperate is that honest moment when we look to God in a state of absolute dependence. Then He, seeing our need, full of compassion and mercy, is always gracious and answers our heartfelt cry. Whenever we become desperately dependent, He reveals the required answer. So stay desperate for Him!
John 15:5 I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.
Proverbs 30:9
Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? Or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.
The Holy Spirit reveals to us the danger of, and the temptation of, riches and poverty as well. He doesn’t ask for the Lord’s help not to reject Him, nor does he ask for the Lord to help him not to steal, but rather he asks for the removal of these things so there will be no opportunity through these avenues to deny or to take the name of his God in vain.
It will require a true look with the heart of man, at the cross of Jesus Christ daily, to recognize the true riches, and all that is vain. To live with the Lord as anything other than the centerpiece of our lives, through faith in His sacrificial atonement for us is to exist and survive without the very experience of why we are here. When we pass away one day soon all that we’ve worked for will only be bargains at an estate or garage sale for someone else. Let us be more concerned with loving and pleasing our God than anything else, as He came to purchase our souls with the blood of His own Son, Jesus Christ. All the silver and gold in the world could not purchase one single soul, yet the blood of Jesus was offered for all! Return to the cross today and find the true treasures of Life!
Seeking God in His Word and experiencing Him through faith in the sacrifice of Christ!
“For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our Faith (I Jn. 5:4).
We are emphatically told in this Passage that it is “our faith” that gives us victory over the world. What exactly does John the Beloved mean by the phrase, “our faith”?
To understand the type of faith of which John speaks, i.e., the Faith that overcomes the world and guarantees victory, we must understand what the Object of this Faith must be. John tells us in Verses 6 through 8 of this same Chapter.
John says, “This is He Who came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ (this refers to the Living Word becoming flesh [Jn. 1:1, 4], which is symbolized by ‘water,’ and then as the Lamb of God, Who took away the sin of the world, which was effected by the shedding of His Blood on the Cross of Calvary); not by water only, but by water and blood (testifies to the fact that the Incarnation, within itself, although absolutely necessary, was not enough; the phrase also testifies to the absolute necessity of the Atonement). And it is the Spirit Who bears witness, because the Spirit is Truth (the Holy Spirit bore witness to the Divine Birth of Christ and to the Divine Sacrifice of Christ [Mat. 1:18; Heb. 9:14]).
“For there are Three Who bear record in Heaven (the Law has ever required the Testimony of two or three witnesses [Deut. 17:6; 19:15; Mat. 18:16; II Cor. 13:1]), the Father, the Word (Jesus Christ is the Word [Jn. 1:1]), and the Holy Spirit: and these Three are One (the only sense in which Three can be One is in essence and unity, which is clear in John 17:11, 21-23).
“And there are Three Who bear witness in Earth (as in Heaven, so on Earth), the Spirit, and the Water, and the Blood (speaks of the Holy Spirit; the humanity of Christ, while never ceasing to be Deity; and the Atonement, i.e., ‘the Cross’): and these Three agree in One. (These Three agree that Christ is Very Man, while at the same time being Very God, Who died on the Cross to redeem fallen humanity [I Jn. 5:6-8].)”
All of this tells us that our Faith must be anchored in Christ as the Source of all things which come from God to us, and the Cross is the Means by which all of this is done. “Jesus Christ and Him Crucified” must be the Object of our Faith. Such faith, properly registered, will guarantee victory that we overcome the world in every respect (I Cor. 1:23; 2:2).“
— Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”) Donnie Swaggart
Every now and then every Christian will face a spiritual drought. It may last for simply a day or it may be an extended amount of time. At times it can be very frustrating, especially when we don't understand why we are encountering this “dry time.” It may be true that we have not been paying attention to our spiritual lives as we ought to. Our prayer life has been practically nonexistent and our personal Bible reading has been little or nothing. At other times we may have been attending to the Christian disciplines but yet God remains silent. This is where the exhortation to “walk by faith and not by sight” must be thoroughly embraced. We can know, based upon the promises of God's Word, that a move of His Spirit is sure to come. Just one tremendous moving of the Holy Spirit in one’s soul can bring the spiritual drought to an end. We should always make ourselves available and position ourselves to receive from God by paying proper attention to prayer and Bible reading. But we may always rest assured that God's Spirit, who dwells within, will rise up and bring an end to our spiritual thirst. Keep believing and the drought will be sure to come to the expected conclusion.
2 Corinthians 5:7 - For we walk by faith, not by sight:
Proverbs 30:10
Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty.
Getting in everybody’s business seems to be the norm in today's society. Years ago diaries were kept for personal use only, while today it seems that everyone is on social media desiring everyone know everything about them. We, as God’s people, need not go around accusing folks to their employers, bosses, master’s or whatever the case may be. If they are guilty, they will reap what they are sowing.
Us butting into everyone else’s business will only backfire on us. Jumping into domestic turbulence will only end up taking us somewhere we didn’t want to go. We do have the answer if we are carrying the knowledge of Christ and His work at Calvary with us everywhere we go (2 Corinthians 2:14-16). Remember, scripture used outside of this context will only make the situation worse, while deceiving ourselves (Romans 7:9-11) even while we are attempting to help others. May we be found carrying the aroma of Christ and Him crucified with us everyday and everywhere we go!!
Seeking God in His Word and experiencing Him through faith in the sacrifice of Christ!
“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common Salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the Faith which was once delivered unto the Saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the Grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ (Jude, Vss. 3-4).
Jude, the half-brother of our Lord (Mat. 13:55; Mk. 6:3), was thinking of writing a letter explaining the way of Salvation, a letter similar to Paul’s Epistle to the Romans; however, news reached him of such a nature to cause him to put that project aside and hasten to write this letter, urging Believers to contend earnestly for the Faith once for all entrusted to them. It was a fully revealed Faith, needing no additions, repelling all corruptions, and infallibly declared in the Apostolic writings.
The short phrase, “It was needful,” carries the idea of being constrained. The compulsion to exhort the Saints to contend for the Faith found its source in the Holy Spirit. To be sure, it was no welcomed task: necessity was laid upon him.
The exhortation was to Preachers, and actually to all Believers, that they earnestly contend for the Faith. This Faith here is not faith as exercised by the individual, but Christianity itself in its historic doctrines and life-giving Salvation.
The short phrase, “Earnestly contend,” in the Greek is “epagonizomai,” which means “a vigorous, intense, determined struggle to defeat the opposition.” Our word “agony” is the English spelling of the noun form of this word. The Greek athletes, for this is the form in which the word is given, exerted themselves to the point of agony in an effort to win the contest. Jude says that the Saints should defend the doctrines of Christianity with the same degree of intense effort, seeing that God gave the Christian doctrines to the Saints as a deposit of truth to be faithfully guarded.
In the Fourth Verse, Jude gives the reason why the Saints should contend for the Faith: False teachers were in the Church!
Wuest addresses this by saying:
“There is a Greek word in II Corinthians 11:13-15 which admirably describes the methods of those who take after their father, the Devil. The Greek word is ‘metaschematizo,’ which means ‘to be transformed.’ It refers to the act of an individual changing his outward expression by assuming an expression put on from the outside, an expression that does not come from, nor is it representative of, what he is in his inner character. “Lucifer did that after he struck at God’s Throne, and became the fallen angel, Satan. As a fallen angel, he gave expression to his sin-darkened heart. But he knew that he could not attract the human race that way. He must impersonate God, if he expected to be worshipped as God. He therefore assumed an outward expression of light, put on from the outside, and not representative of his inner sinful being. He disguised himself as an angel of light.
“His ministers have done the same. They use the same terms that Godly Preachers use, but put their own private meanings upon them, which negate the Biblical view.
“Reader, do not trust these false teachers any farther than you would a rattlesnake. A rattlesnake will give you warning before he strikes, but not these false teachers. The eternal welfare of your soul depends upon what you believe regarding the Person and Work of our Lord on the Cross.”
When Jude mentioned “The Faith,” he was speaking primarily of Christ, which refers to Who He was, and is, the Son of God, and what He did on the Cross, which was to effect Salvation by the giving of Himself in Sacrifice, which He did by the pouring out of His Life’s Blood.
It is not pleasant to point out false teachers and false doctrine, but it must be done. The Holy Spirit through Jude said so!“
— Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”) Donnie Swaggart
Christmas time is a magnificent time for most families. But there are many people that suffer through the events of Christmas in the quiet stream of loneliness. There are no joyful get-togethers, no presents to give or open, no hand to clasp, and no neck to hug. If they who are lonely will only become mindful of the true purpose of Christmas, there is a solace for their sadness, there is a balm for the hurt, and an inner joy that can possess both heart and mind. When one accepts Christ as their Lord and Savior, they instantly enter into the magnificent family of God. Every truly born-again man becomes their brother. Every born-again woman is their sister. And around the world throughout the Christmas season true believers look to the heavens and thank God for the gift of life that Jesus Christ brings to all those who claim Him as Lord. This universal family stands hand in hand and heart to heart, no matter where they may physically find themselves. No heart need remain heavy when each sees themselves as a member of this precious family of faith! Merry Christmas, my brother. Merry Christmas, my sister. Let us open the gift of Christ’s undying love extended to each of us, together!
Matthew 1:23 - Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
Proverbs 30:11
There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.
The Word of God is very clear concerning those who do not honor their parents, as God has said their lamp will be put out (Proverbs 20:20), meaning they will not have long days on the earth and it will NOT be well with them (Ephesians 6:1-3). Many excuses are made for unruly children, but God deals with where the issue really is. Sometimes it is with rebellious children who just refuse to have anything to do with the Truth, but the majority of the time it is the parents that have refused to train their children up in the way they should go (Proverbs 22:6).
There is only one way a child can learn to honor and bless their parents, and that Way has a name. That name is Jesus, and that Way is the Way of the cross. All who reject this way are heady and high minded in God’s sight, but those who choose it, find the grace and wisdom needed to see their children learning to honor and bless their parents out of a love for Christ. Faith in anything other than Christ and Him crucified is a faith not driven by love (Galatians 5:6), and can deceive greatly!
Seeking God in His Word and experiencing Him through faith in the sacrifice of Christ!
