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Malcolm Smith: The Gospel	Dec 10, 2008 9:25 pm 29 Views
The Gospel is the call to rest, to receive the free, undeserved gift that God has given us in Christ. There is nothing man can do to earn salvation from his past, or his present acceptance and walk with God. It is, from beginning to end, the grace of God, which can only be received by faith. The body of truth that proclaims the revelation of God is called the Good News. News, by definition, is the announcement of something that has happened, not a list of things that must be done! All that must be done for a man to live in perfect union with God has been accomplished by Jesus in His death and resurrection. The heart of the Christian life is to stand in wonder before His love and say, "Thank You!" The Gospel is not a call to do something, but the announcement that all is done in the One Who stood for all. The Christian life is not living in our own strength and resources, but from the infinite Christ Who lives within those who believe. All human strength will come to an end sooner or later, leaving each of us with charred, burned out life. But His strength knows no end! We have one function in life: to be the manifestors of His life to the world. Only when we are living His life are we truly living our own! This is the reason for our creation. We realize that He is not only the past tense Savior from sin, but also the One Who now lives within us in the present tense, our life and breath. Christianity is not a formula, but the Person of Jesus Himself. Never think that Christianity is a matter of adjusting behavior, but rather, of letting Christ live through us in His strength and power. life and breath. Christianity is not a formula, but the Person of Jesus Himself. (Malcolm Smith)
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Freedom To Live Boldly	Dec 10, 2008 9:19 pm 32 Views
Imagine for a moment that you had never done anything to feel guilty about. Wouldn’t that be fantastic? What if any and every wrong thing you’ve ever done had never happened? Would that empower you to live more boldly and confidently that God’s plan is to bless you in all you do? Could you move forward in pursuing God’s will with boldness then? Grace brings news to you that seems almost too good to be true. It’s this – your sins have been removed as if they never happened. They are gone and forgotten by God. When God looks at you, He sees you as if you have never sinned. Does that seem too good to be true? “How could that be?” you might ask. The answer is that it is possible because of what Jesus did when He came the first time. He dealt a deathblow to sin that didn’t simply defeat it; the blow against sin through the cross annihilated sin in your life. There is not even a trace of it left now. Many of the prophets in the Old Testament predicted that a Messiah would come who would deal with sin, once and for all. Daniel spoke about Him and said that Christ would “make an end of sin” (Daniel 9:24). If you look that phrase up online in a Hebrew lexicon (that tells the meaning of the original words), you will discover that it means “to destroy or finish.” Jesus didn’t just come to forgive your sins. He came to obliterate them. When He showed up at the Jordon River, John the Baptist said about Jesus, “Look! It’s the Lamb of God who has come to take away the sins of the world!” (See John 1:29) What did John say Jesus came to do? Forgive your sins? No, He does that, but it’s even better than that. He came to take them away completely. When Jesus cried from the cross, “It is finished!” that’s exactly what He meant. Your sins were forever thrown away (see Hebrews 9:24) behind the back of God (see Isaiah 38:17), wiped out (see Isaiah 44:22), forgotten (see Jeremiah 31:34) and will never be mentioned again (see Hebrews 9:2! There is absolutely nothing now that would stand in the way to keep God from leading you into the realization of the wonderful plan that He has for your life. . Read the verses I’ve mentioned in the paragraph above and ask yourself, “Are they true?” Did Christ really put away our sins by the sacrifice of Himself as Hebrews 9:24 says? If He came to take away our sins, did He succeed or did He fail? Which was it? If He succeeded and our sins are really gone, then why are we holding on to a guilty conscience? It is important for you to fully believe the truth that God has no grudge against you about your past that would keep Him from blessing you. Your past is forgiven. You are totally bless-able because your life is Christ, the One about whom the Father said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!” Posted by Steve McVey
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Standing On The Promises	Dec 10, 2008 9:17 pm 29 Views
Steve McVey Somebody emailed me this week with a question about whether or not it is the right thing to do as a new testament Christian to claim the promises of God to Abraham. It's a good question, and one with an answer that is thrilling to those who understand it. The answer is no. We don't claim the promises of Abraham. The Apostle Paul explained why that is the case in Galatians 3:16. He wrote: Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, "And to seeds," as referring to many, but rather to one, "And to your seed," that is, Christ. Paul makes it clear that when God told Abraham that His promises would be fulfilled in Abraham's seed, He didn't mean the Jewish people. He meant one person. Paul makes the distinction that there's a reason God said "seed" and not "seeds." The promises of God have all been fulfilled in Jesus Christ. For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us. (2 Corinthians 1:20) Everything the Father has ever promised has been fulfilled in the Son. Now, here's the exciting part: Jesus Christ lives inside you! If Jesus is the fulfillment of all God's promises and He is your very life, then the fulfillment of every promise of God is already yours in Christ! I grew up singing the old hymn, "Standing On The Promises," but the truth of the Bible is that we don't stand on promises. We stand in the grace of God which has come to us through Jesus Christ, bringing the fulfillment of every promise He has made. It is Jesus, "through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand" (Romans 5:2) that has brought the fulfillment of God's promises to us. We have "received every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 1:3). Maybe a new verse for the old hymn could say, Standing in the Person of Christ, my King, By God's grace, I now have everything, Resting in what He has done, I now can sing, Standing in the finished work of Christ!
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The Growing Grace Revolution	Dec 10, 2008 9:15 pm 30 Views
Steve McVey Many people are worried about the effect of unrighteousness in the church. But the fact is that it isn't unrighteousness, but self-righteousness that presents the greatest threat. Legalistic religionists can’t stand grace for at least one reason. It takes them completely out of the limelight and gives all the glory to God. Tell the church leaders in Martin Luther’s day that people’s good works didn’t move them one inch toward salvation and, like Luther, you would have been considered a heretic. Today this fundamental fact about salvation probably makes sense to everybody who reads this. After all, the Protestant Reformation was five hundred years ago and the issue has long ago been settled. Works have nothing to do with salvation. Every Christian knows that. Though it was a controversial matter back then, that fact is a no-brainer in the church world today. It’s a slightly different grace related issue that will get you into trouble with many in the church today. It’s not about salvation, but about sanctification – how a person becomes holy and then lives a holy lifestyle. Tell many at church that works don’t define salvation and they’ll say a hearty “Amen,” but tell them that the Christian life isn’t defined by works and you’d better take a step back and prepare yourself for the verbal lashing that is likely to follow. In many ways, Protestant denominations today have lapsed right back into the same errors that stirred Luther to action in his day. The difference is that the controversy then surrounded what it took to become a Christian while today the issue revolves around what it takes to become a good Christian. It’s the same battle, just a different battleground. To suggest that Jesus is the answer in both instances may seem obvious, but when you look at the message given in the modern church world, an unbiased observer would hardly come to that conclusion. Ask almost anybody in almost any contemporary congregation what a good Christian is and then listen as they describe all the things that person will be doing. They may have learned that at church but it sure didn’t come from the Bible. The fact of the matter is this: Christianity isn’t about what we do. Neither entering nor living the Christian life revolves around doing. It has only to do with Jesus Christ and nothing else. I didn’t say we won’t do anything so please don’t read into my words something I haven’t said. Of course Christians do, but we don’t do to be good Christians. We do precisely because we are good Christians. We’re good Christians, not because of anything we may do or not do, but because our good God has put His good Spirit in us where He lives and defines us, giving us our very identity. Your goodness has nothing to do with anything you do. It’s because of what He has done. I’m going throw out a bone here by mentioning works in their proper context. Yes, Christians do good works. There, I’ve said it. I’m sure somebody will read that statement and feel like a smoker who gets his first long draw after not having had a cigarette all day. If that’s you, savor the moment. Yes, we work. It’s inherent to who we are. Having said that, I can't resist reminding you again that Christianity isn't about works, but grace. If the growing grace revolution is to keep gaining momentum, modern Christians will have to detoxify from their addiction to works and stop having the need to constantly be reassured about the whole subject. I can almost hear the voices now: “People may misunderstand what you’re saying and think works don’t matter at all!” That’s a risk anybody takes who teaches the pure grace of God, but it is a risk that must be taken if we’re going to avoid diluting the truth of the gospel. To make grace clear, we just have to run the risk. The great Bible expositor, Martyn Lloyd Jones wrote: The true preaching of the gospel of salvation by grace alone always leads to the possibility of this charge being brought against it. There is no better test as to whether a man is really preaching the New Testament gospel of salvation than this, that some people might misunderstand it and misinterpret it to mean that it really amounts to this, that because you are saved by grace alone it does not matter at all what you do; you can go on sinning as much as you like because it will redound all the more to the glory of grace. If my preaching and presentation of the gospel of salvation does not expose it to that misunderstanding, then it is not the gospel. The great need in the church is that we find ourselves more and more addicted to grace and a biblical understanding of what it means to relax and simply allow Christ to live out His life through our lifestyle. If you get antsy when somebody like me talks about works not being the foundation of Christian living, that is an indication that you need to grow in your understanding of grace. Works -- it always has been a hot topic in the church. It was the subject that triggered the revolution that led to reformation in Luther’s day and it’s the subject that the growing grace revolution hinges on today, five centuries later. Despite the fact that the Apostle Paul himself said that works and grace are impossible to mix , those who speak out boldly against works-righteousness as the basis of Christian living had better be prepared for resistance. The religious world hasn’t changed since Paul’s day or, for that matter, even Luther’s day when he addressed the subject as it relates to salvation. Some have argued that “going too far with grace” can cause people to grow lax about sin in their lives. They imagine the Summer Youth Trip at the Local Community Church turning into a “Girls Gone Wild” video. That kind of assumption is totally ungrounded in reality. It ranks right up there with “There’s a boogey-man under my bed.” Grace doesn’t cause people to go wild in sin. That’s a ridiculous idea perpetuated by two groups of people: (1) Those who are fearful because they don’t trust the Holy Spirit inside other people to lead them and (2) those who are afraid that they will lose control over other people if they actually begin to believe this grace teaching is true. You can’t go too far with grace. That’s like saying, “don’t go too far with Jesus.” Paul wrote in Romans 5:17 that it is by the abundance of grace that we learn how to reign in life. The real threat to the church isn’t that we will go too far with grace, but that we won’t go far enough. Paul told Titus that the grace of God teaches us to deny ungodly behavior and empowers us to live like the righteous people we are. Show me somebody who is sinning and calling it grace and I’ll show you somebody who is telling a blatant lie. They’ve embraced disgrace and have given it a slanderous new name. Do you feel an inner defense mechanism suddenly kick in when somebody like me starts to talk about how works aren’t the basis of the Christian life? If so, I encourage you to ask yourself why. Is it because you’re afraid that grace might cause people to become lazy or even passive? Grace won’t do that. The Apostle Paul commented on his own level of work when he said, “I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10). Paul was willing to put his works ethic in the Christian life up against anybody. What was it that he said gave him such a strong motivation for works? It was the grace of God at work in him. You don’t have to be afraid that grace will make people lazy. True grace never does that. To the contrary, it motivates us toward authentic righteous works as opposed to mandating artificial religious works that only masquerade as being righteous.
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There's A Difference Between Knowing Grace & Identity	Dec 10, 2008 9:13 pm 29 Views
Steve McVey He is a fantastic grace teacher, but he says we are still dirty sinners who need to constantly apply God's grace to our lives," somebody recently said to me about a Christian author we both admire. "That seems different from what you teach," he continued. "Well, in my opinion, he understands grace but not identity," I responded. "What's the difference?" the sincere inquirer asked. It's a good question. There's a big difference between understanding the grace of God and understanding who we are in Christ. I've read a number of authors whose writings about God's unconditional love deeply touches me, but they are missing the identity component. You'll just have to take my word for it that I don't see myself as having a perfect understanding of this subject anymore than anybody else does. Nor do I attempt to set myself up as judge and jury over anybody else. But it's a fact that not everybody who understands grace also knows the truth about who we are in Christ. The grace of God is wonderful and must be taught. It teaches us that God's love for us in unconditional and bigger than we could ever imagine. It has nothing to do with anything good in us, but has everything to do with His goodness. God loves us regardless of what we do or don't do. He has made up His mind about loving you and you aren't big enough to stop it. Identity,however, is another issue. Understanding our identity in Christ necessitates that we know that the old man we were in Adam was co-crucified with Christ and that we were raised up with Him and given His resurrection life. Out with the old man, in with the new. Now He is our very Life and we are righteous, not because of how we behave, but because we are in union with Him, and that's what defines us. So, some who speak about grace in ways that are biblically sound and personally thrilling don't understand the reality of who we are in Him. They see themselves as deeply loved by our Father, but still depraved to the core. They see half the truth but not the whole picture. God doesn't love you in spite of you. He has transformed you and made somebody new out of you by joining you into union with Himself through Christ. You are lovable because "in Him you live and move and exist." So when you read books that encourage you about the love of your Father, but still teach you that you are a dirty sinner, check to make sure that they're on target about who you are as well as about God's love. It's importance to recognize the distinction. Sometimes we have to, as they say, "eat the meat and spit out the bones." As we grow in grace, we learn how to do that in a way that allows us to broaden our capacity to receive from those who aren't exactly on the mark on every point. After all, who is?
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Are You Qualified?	Dec 10, 2008 9:12 pm 32 Views
I talk to many people who don't see themselves as the kind of person God could use in the growing grace revolution because of weakness in their lives or even sins they've committed. I hope you don't fit in that category. If you’re waiting to get your act together before you will step up to act as an ambassador of Christ, spreading His grace in this world, you’ll wait forever. Don’t think for a moment that God uses people who have worked out their spirituality to the place where they’re in a different league than you. The truth is they are more like you than you may want to know, but you need to know it because, by knowing that there are no Super Saints, you may be more likely to believe that God can use you to advance the cause of His grace in this world and, even more difficult than that these days, in His church. One guy said to me, “If you only knew the things I’ve done, you’d know why God couldn’t use me.” “Really?” I asked. “Are the things you’ve done worse than murder? Adultery? Stealing? Lying? Drunkenness?” Read the list of those mentioned in Hebrews 11, the “faith-chapter” that lists those set forth for us as examples of faith from biblical history. Look at their lives individually. They did everyone of those things and more. As you consider their sins, remember that the sinful things they did were, for the most part, after they had been called by God and began to follow Him. So don’t try to fall back on the yeah-but-my-sins-were-done-after-I-trusted-Christ excuse. So was theirs. Check out that list in Hebrews 11. Then go back and look at the things the Old Testament tells us about what they did. After doing that, you may be inclined to ask, “Is this the best God can do if He wants to give us a list of people who had great faith and were mightily used by Him?” Yes, it is. So don’t think God can’t use you. Don’t believe for one minute that anybody who sets himself up above you today, as if he has some spiritual advantage you don’t have, is telling you the truth either. This whole idea of there being super-saints in the church today who are somehow different from the rest of us is an enemy tactic meant to discourage us from thinking God can use us. When we see them we may feel like we don’t measure up, but just remember looks can be deceiving. In spite of the way some religious leaders present themselves to us, the truth is that people are just people. We all have the same kind of struggles, doubts, temptations and weaknesses. If you doubt that, then ask yourself again why God listed the kind of people He did in Hebrews 11. Maybe there’s a higher quality of saints in the world today? Maybe back then He listed them because there weren’t so many good examples as there are today? Yeah, right. You know that’s not true. People have always been the same and God has never looked for perfect people to use. He only looks for people who will completely trust Him – nothing else. You might not be able to clean up your act the way you’ve wanted to in the past but He isn’t asking you to do that. He’s just asking you to trust Him. You can do that much, can’t you? I’m not suggesting that the gifts the Spirit has given to the church don’t distinguish some in ways that are different from others. What I am saying is that there are no second-class citizens in God’s kingdom and that you don’t have to think for one moment that you lack anything that would keep you from rising up at this very moment to be used by God. In Jesus Christ, you have been made complete because you have all of Him and in Him resides the fullness of Almighty God Himself. Steve Mcvey
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The Finished Work	Dec 10, 2008 9:09 pm 53 Views
The Finished Work Of Jesus Christ On The Cross The understanding of these particular doctrines is essential for the believer's growth in grace. "But if it (salvation) is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace" (Rom. 11:6). Often Christians parrot the words "salvation by grace," but when questioned further it is quickly discovered that most are ill-equipped and incapable of presenting a proper, indepth explanation regarding this GRACE in which we (believers) stand (Rom. 5:1-2). The basis for our salvation by grace is found in what is properly called "the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross." A specific work which was divinely committed to Christ to accomplish and which did not begin until the cross and ended, thereon, with His death. It is the work which constitutes the content behind Christ's words: "It is finished" (Jo.19:30). Specifically, the work of REDEMPTION, RECONCILIATION and PROPITIATION. There are other doctrines relating to the value of Christ's death for believers, such as, forgiveness (of sins), regeneration, justification and sanctification, which also are divinely applied to the sinner at the time of personal belief, but the trilogy above is unique because each extend benefits to both the saved and unsaved in that this finished work on the cross, 2000 years ago, was done with the whole "world" in mind (Jo. 1:29; ref. 1Jo.2:2; 4:14). It must be clearly understood that Christ's death is SUBSTITUTIONARY and the work He accomplished through His death is, in itself, PERFECT and COMPLETE. The sinner freely benefits by and accesses this finished work, in full, at the time of personal belief (Rom. 5:2) and cannot add to it nor subtract from it in any way. It was Christ's work to accomplish and accomplish it He did, completely and perfectly. Therefore, the sinner, at the time of personal belief, is completely and perfectly REDEEMED from sin; completely and perfectly RECONCILED to God; and God, through Christ, is completely and perfectly PROPITIATED by His shed blood. On this basis, the life bestowed upon a repentant sinner, at the time of personal belief, is vitally eternal. NOTE: Just as the Lord warned the Israelites that their stone altars for burnt and peace offerings must be built with uncut stones (not shaped by human tools) or the altar would be profaned (Ex. 20:24-26), so the work of Christ must not be commingled with any human effort. REDEMPTION = Sinward The perfect, divine solution for sin. RECONCILIATION = Manward The perfect, divine solution for the sinner. PROPITIATION = Godward The perfect, divine solution for the offended holiness of God. REDEMPTION Redemption is the sinward aspect of Christ's work on the cross. There, God Himself, through Christ Jesus, paid the ransom price of human sin which the outraged holiness and government of God required. Jesus said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin" (Jo. 8:34). Therefore, in order for the enslaved sinner to be liberated (redeemed) from this bondage, there must be one willing to redeem, along with having the means and the power to accomplish the task. In Christ, these requirements were met perfectly. Old Testament Types Israel In The Bondage Of Egypt Israel in Egypt was a type of man's bondslavery to sin. It was the Lord who undertook their deliverance through a mediator of His choice (Moses) and the blood of an unblemished, sacrificial lamb. It was the blood of the passover lamb which paid the ransom price while the arm (strength) of the Lord delivered them (Ex. 6:6; 12:13). The Apostle writes to believers, this side of the cross, "knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ" (1Pet. 1:1. As the blood of the sacrificed, paschal lamb protected Israel from the destroying angel and the power of the Lord delivered them from their bondage in Egypt, so Christ our passover Lamb also has been sacrificed (1Cor. 5) and by the power of God was raised from the dead "because of our justification" (Rom. 4:25). Ascended and glorified He has taken His seat at the right hand (power) of the throne of the Majesty on high in the heavens (Heb. 1:3; 8:1) and "He is able (has the power) to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them" (Heb. 7:25). Kinsman Redeemer As the book of Exodus is the book of redemption, the book of Ruth reveals the Kinsman-Redeemer, the "ga'al." The Law of Moses provided for a person or an estate to be redeemed (the act of setting free) through the payment of a ransom price (Lev. 25:25, 47-4. It required that the "ga'al," (1) be a kinsman, (2) have the means to redeem, (3) free from the calamity befallen the one to be redeemed and (4) he (the kinsman redeemer) must be willing. Certainly Christ fulfills all the requirements for our Kinsman-Redeemer. Entering into humanity through the virgin birth He became our Kinsman, He was free from sin through Adam, He willingly came to do the Father's will and His precious blood was the price He paid. New Testament Witness The New Testament reveals the estate of all unredeemed men as sold into bondage to sin, hence, slaves of sin (Rom. 7:14; 6:20). There are three Greek words that reveal the full picture of Christ's work of redemption on the cross for sinners: agorazo....... To purchase in the market (Rev. 5:9; 14:3-4) exagorazo ... To purchase and to REMOVE or TAKE OUT of the market never to return (Gal. 3:13; 4:5) lutroo ........... Loosed and set free (Titus 2:14; 1Pet. 1:1 Christ paid the ransom price (His precious blood) IN FULL on the cross in order that the one who comes by faith in Him is purchased out of the slave market of sin, never to return again and is set free. If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed" (Jo. 8:36). Though man's redemption is now fully accomplished and paid for by Christ's work on the cross, Scripture also refers to a future "redemption" of our physical, mortal bodies which are still subject to futility (Rom. 8:23; Phil. 3:21). In the future, this mortal (body) must put on immortality, and this perishable (body) must put on the imperishable (1Cor. 15:35-5. Christ's finished work redeemed the whole man: body, soul and spirit. When a repentant sinner, by faith, turns to God via the cross, Christ's FINISHED, redemptive work is then applied, in full, to that sinner. In other words: "IT IS FINISHED." RECONCILIATION Reconciliation is the manward aspect of Christ's work on the cross. By His death on the cross he brought about a most amazing and complex work on behalf of man. Not only redeeming us from our sinful estate brought about by the fall, but also reconciling the sinner to an infinitely holy God. "For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life" The Greek root "katalasso" basically means to change completely. In fact, if you were to substitute the word "reconcile" with "changed completely" each time you read a passage containing this word, you would preserve the true force of its meaning, "Now all things are from God, who changed completely us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of changing completely (2Cor. 5:1. The Divine Ledger Reconciliation can also to understood as an accounting term with the basic idea of "causing to be conformed to, or adjusted to, a specific norm or standard." Each month your check book balance must conform to the balance on the monthly statement you receive from your bank. When it does not, an adjustment must take place. In the case of Divine Bookkeeping there was found a necessity (the sin factor) to have an adjustment made on man's books which were out of balance with the Divine Norm or Standard. This imbalance was adjusted at the cross where man was, and is, reconciled (changed completely) to God. "Namely, that God was in Christ (on the cross) reconciling (changing completely) the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them" (2Cor. 5:1 There, on the cross, Christ's work of reconciliation was accomplished completely and perfectly. And since then, the word of reconciliation has gone out into the world, as the Apostle Paul writes, "He has committed to us the word of reconciliation" (2Cor. 5:19b) Man accesses this Divine Adjustment at the time of personal belief. "Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ (who accomplished the work), be reconciled to God (through faith, emphasis mine)" (2Cor. 5:20). The sinner, at the time of belief in Christ is changed completely from an enemy of God to a friend of God (Rom. 5:10). The finished, reconciliatory work of Christ is appropriated to the sinner at the time of personal belief. Reconciliation And Beyond Keeping with the bookkeeping metaphor it will be helpful to point out here another aspect of Divine Grace, mainly, the free gift of righteousness. Man, because of the fall and personal sins, appears on the negative side of the Divine Ledger. However, through Christ's work of reconciliation on the cross, the believer is brought back to a "zero balance" having all his sins forgiven. But God does not stop there with His riches toward us in Christ Jesus. The believer is then placed on the plus side of the Divine Ledger being declared forever righteous in Christ. "He made Him who no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." (2Cor. 5:21; see also, Rom. 5:12-21) When, by faith, a repentant sinner comes to God via the cross, where Christ's reconciliatory work was completed, he is, at the time of his faith, changed completely from an once enemy of God to a friend of God. And by an immediate act of Divine Grace, made the righteousness of Christ in Him. In other words: "IT IS FINISHED." PROPITIATION Propitiation is the Godward aspect of the finished work of Christ on the cross. Here, as in redemption and reconciliation, Christ's work is two fold. He is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world and his work is applied to the individual sinner upon personal belief. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world" (1Jo. 2:2). "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (1Jo. 4:10). Propitiation undertakes the problem of an offended God. The death of Christ satisfied God's anger toward a sinful world and averted His wrath, thereby, enabling God to receive into His family those who place their faith in the One who satisfied Him (Jesus Christ). A definition of propitiation is: The offering of a gift or sacrifice of sufficient value in order that the wrath of another might be fully satisfied. The propitiated one is the one whose wrath has been turned into pleasure by the offering of a gift so desirable that he can no longer find reason to continue in anger. Three Principles Involved In The Act Of Propitiation 1. The person who brings the gift designed to turn away the wrath of another declares himself (at least in appearance) to be the inferior of the one offended. Phillippians 2:6-8 tells us that Jesus Christ, God the Son, emptied Himself, took on the form of a bondservant, being made in the likeness of men (took on humanity), He humbled Himself and became obedient (to the Father) even to the point of dying on a cross (His propitiatory death). 2. The propitiatory gift, designed to turn away the wrath of the offended one, must precede the offender. Christ Jesus is Himself the priceless GIFT of PROPITIATION, so therefore, it was necessary for Him to precede us sinners into the presence of God. If we were to go before the Gift had been accepted, we would have been slain (Heb. 10:19-20). 3. The giver must be wealthy enough to present a gift of sufficient value to bring about the intended results. Christ Jesus offered Himself, without blemish, to God, and then entered the heavenly, holy place (through His own blood) for us, once for all having obtained eternal redemption (Heb. 9:11-22). Sinful mankind was utterly without resources to provide a propitiatory gift valuable enough to satisfy the wrath of an infinitely holy God. So God, according to His infinite mercy, provided the only Gift worthy enough in the Person of His Son, Jesus Christ. This is alluded to in Genesis chapter 22 when God told Abraham to take a three day's journey to the land of Moriah and offer his promised son, Isaac, as a burnt offering. When Isaac saw the wood and fire for the sacrifice, he asked his father where the lamb was for the burnt offering and Abraham responded, "God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." Centuries later Jesus reflected on this ancient incident and said, "Abraham rejoiced to see My day; and he saw it, and was glad." In Christ Jesus, God provided the Sacrifice. Year after year, on the Day of Atonement, the High Priest would enter the holy of holies with the blood of the slaughtered, unblemished goat and sprinkle it on and in front of the mercy (literally, propitiatory) seat for all the sins of the assembly of Israel. In fulfillment of this yearly sacrifice, Christ Jesus is Himself, God's eternal "mercy seat" (Heb. 10:1-25 7:25). When a repentant sinner, by faith, turns to Christ Jesus, His propitiatory work on the cross is applied to that sinner in full. God does not look to the sinner nor the saint to satisfy His offended holiness. Through Christ Jesus, God has been propitiated. In other words: "IT IS FINISHED." Written by Gary Nystrom
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The American Ideal of 1776:	Dec 9, 2008 5:30 pm 73 Views
by Hamilton Abert Long Intelligent choice--between 1776 Americanism and conflicting Isms (chiefly Socialism in the USA today)--requires primarily thorough knowledge of these Principles. The book is the essential tool for all who wish to be worthy trustees for today’s children and future generations of their just heritage: this Ideal, its eternal values and the supporting Constitution, as The Founders intended. They believed to default about this is to betray. (emphasis the author's)
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Thomas Sowell on Slavery and "Roots"

Dec 9, 2008 4:57 pm
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Thomas Sowell on Slavery and "Roots"

Please read this column but don't stop there. If you want a true understanding of slavery and specifically, African slavery, you must dig deeper. Try Hugh Thomas' THE SLAVE TRADE which is listed on the Suggested Reading page.

The central point is that Alex Haley's "Roots" is a farce, but a particularly evil farce written specifically to cast the white Southerner as the evil doer when in fact it was the African slave trader who actually kidnapped African people and them sold as slaves to Yankee ship captains who transported them across the Atlantic . Everyone in the chain of this evil enterprise shares equal guilt with the eventual slave owner---but that's not shown in ROOTS.

continued below as Article begins

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Quadraplegic healed by God - William Kent	Dec 9, 2008 4:46 pm 91 Views
Posted September 6th, 2007 by michaelGiving all the Praise, Honor and Glory unto the Lord through whom this testimony is made possible this eleventh day of November 2000. Edited this 20thday of December to include the following quote from my Doctor, Dr. Dino Delaportas, MD "I rejoice in awe of you and the miracles the Lord has performed." My physician, as evidenced in the enclosed document, has confirmed the miracles I received from the Lord during a Faith and Victory Service at the World Harvest Church with Pastor Rod Parsley delivering the Word on November 5th, 2000. On Monday the 13th of May 1985 I was involved in a motorcycle v. train accident which resulted in a Closed Head Injury (massive traumatic brain injury), Ruptured Optic Nerve (right eye), and Spinal Injuries. These injuries left me a quadriplegic (no use of my lower extremities and only partial use of my right hand with no feeling on my entire right side) cognitive deficits and short-term memory loss. As you can imagine these injuries were tremendously life changing. However, being a Born Again Christian, as well as having been an Emergency Medical Technician for several years before my accident, I was better situated in overcoming my injuries and moving forward with my life. Although I was confined to a wheelchair I was able to continue through Him in my education at Salisbury State University, Hagerstown Junior College, and Prince George's Community College where I was a student in General Studies and Para-Legal Studies. While attending Salisbury State University in 1987, I became involved in wheelchair sports and excelled in Shooting. Over the next three years God blessed me with 39 Gold Medals, 14 Silver, and 3 Bronze and opportunities to compete in Regional, State, National, International, World Championships, and the 1988 Paralympics in Seoul, South Korea. During this time God also blessed me with 19 National and World Records. In 1993, while attending Prince George's Community College, I was blessed in an internship with Judge William D. Missouri the Administrative Judge of the Circuit Court for Prince George's County (the first such internship in the Para-Legal program). During the time between 1994 - June 2000, I went through a lot of turmoil in both my personal and professional life and was separated in faith through choice and ignorance - I thought I knew better without the Lord - was I ever wrong. This was perhaps the most destructive time in my life. I attempted suicide twice, lost the love of my life (so I thought), lost a business, and lots of friends. Finally in July 2000, due to circumstances beyond my control, I was stuck at my Sister-in-Christ's house with a broken down van. During this time I was lead back to the Lord and magnificent things started happening. I became so full of the Spirit that I lost control and have completely surrendered unto Him. I became active in the Church (The Tabernacle Church of Laurel, MD) and have been working on computers at the church since. About three weeks before the November 5th service at the World Harvest Church the Lord moved in me that I needed to be in Columbus, Ohio on November 5th. I didn't know why. I didn't know anyone in Columbus nor had I ever heard of Pastor Rod Parsley or the World Harvest Church. Then about two weeks later I saw in infomercial about a Dept Burning Service at the World Harvest Church and the fact that the church was located in Columbus, Ohio. The Lord immediately came over me and led me to call the church right then to get the information, which ultimately lead to my being there on November 5th. On the evening of Thursday, November 2nd I went to service at the Tabernacle Church in Laurel, MD and gave testimony that the Lord had placed it on my heart that I was to go to the World Harvest Church in Columbus, Ohio and that I was to receive a healing - just what healing I didn't know as I had several ailments. Pastor Gurley then prayed over me for a healing that manifested the next morning with the feeling being restored to my right hand. Later that Thursday evening Pastor Gurley took an offering in order that my gas be covered to get me to Columbus - otherwise, without this blessing from God, I would not have been able to receive the awesome blessing that the Lord has provided. Upon arrival at the World Harvest Church I called into the church from the parking lot, on my cell phone to speak with Ed McKee to see if there was some type accommodation that I may freshen up after my more than 400 mile drive. During this conversation I was informed that Ed was not there and that I had called in on the Prayer Line and the offer was extended for prayer. I accepted the offer and during this prayer a burning sensation came over my feet and I knew that the Lord was once again at work in my body and at that point I declared through Him that I would be healed and that I would accept His blessing that would enable me to walk. I revealed this to the prayer partner and asked that she keep an eye out for this miracle and then come shake my hand afterward so that I may meet her and thank her for agreeing in this healing. During the service at the World Harvest Church on November 5th Pastor Parsley called all those with diabetes to come forward - and while I was up there the Pastor named several other afflictions and during this time I could feel the Lord working on my body and when I went to adjust myself in my wheelchair one of your ushers asked if I was trying to get out of my chair - and before I had a chance to respond the Spirit took control and spoke through me and said "I'm going to jump out of this chair in thirty seconds" - well guess what? - in thirty seconds I was standing for the first time in 15 ½ years. The ushers then asked if I could walk - I didn't know - after all this was the first I had stood in 15 ½ years - I took a few steps forward and back and they asked if I could walk up the steps and I replied "lets ask the Lord" - and with that the Lord walked me up the steps onto platform (stage) on which the pulpit stands. Before I entered the World Harvest Church that evening I tested my blood sugar and it as 470 without insulin for the prior three days. After I returned to my seat in the witness of the ushers and God Himself I tested my Blood sugar again - it as 128: Praise God!!! And the healing hasn't stopped. After returning to Laurel I called Pastor Gurley to inform him of the awesome miracles and ask that I be allowed to go into the sanctuary at the Tabernacle Church to give Praise and Worship unto Him for what He had provided in me and for the many others to see the miracles that they may also be blessed and renewed in Faith. Prior to going into the sanctuary that morning, Pastor Gurley prayed over my eye and by the power of God flowing through him the patch came off. Praise God!!! The optic nerve damage in that eye was healed and I have limited vision out of my right eye. I still need prayer to clear up a cataract which has formed in that eye over the years but I put all my Faith and Trust in Him that this condition will also come to pass. On Sunday, November 10th, God anointed a service at The Tabernacle Church (a packed house I may add) through which the miracles were unveiled in a dramatic way giving Praise, Honor, and All the Glory unto Him through Jesus Christ. His blessing which was bestowed unto me was then released and poured out over the congregation at The Tabernacle Church as He restored and renewed His Faith in His followers - it was absolutely awesome to be witness to His Awesome Power!!! In a recent conversation with the Lord, He revealed to me that He has performed a supernatural healing in restoring me in which man is unable and that know I am to seek man to restore that which he is able and may we all be blessed in the gifts He has provided in all. In the meantime be blessed and relax in the Spirit of the Lord and I am looking forward to God blessing the masses through the blessing that He has bestowed upon me as I follow His directive to go forth and spread the Word and demonstrate the awesome power of the Lord as He has provided in me. In Christ, may all be blessed. William A. Kent
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