tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11303856528434524962024-03-12T17:49:12.380-06:00Buffalo NoiseRon Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10685550197231995860noreply@blogger.comBlogger301125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130385652843452496.post-81467991967278538282021-06-14T18:49:00.001-06:002021-06-14T18:49:49.571-06:00Mount Rushmore and Creation<p><span style="font-family: inherit;">A recent trip to Mount Rushmore reminded me of something I had thought about a long time ago. No one in his right mind would ever say anything like the following:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Look at those four faces. It is truly amazing how wind and rain erosion formed them over millions of years. It is even more amazing that they are the faces of four U.S. Presidents, and that they took those shapes long before any of them were even born. It just shows us the power of natural selection to create order out of disorder."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">I believe it is safe to say that there is no one in the world who would make such a statement, because it is obviously absurd. Yet, some of the same people who would laugh at such an idea believe that the actual living men represented by those faces were brought to life by time, chance, and natural processes, as defined by the hypothesis of evolution. Real human life is infinitely more complex and infinitely less likely to be formed by natural processes than faces carved in rock on the side of a mountain, regardless of how big they are. Clearly, both ideas are ludicrous. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">It is obvious that both were formed by someone's hand. The faces on the mountain were formed by human hands using appropriate tools. We know that because there were pictures taken and historical records written. As difficult as the task was, taking fourteen years and hundreds of workers to complete, it is a small accomplishment when compared to the creation of life. We marvel at the works of man, yet so many ignore the works of God.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Living things were formed by the hand of God. We know that because God told us in His Word what He did. On top of taking God at His Word, we have our own common sense that tells us that life with all of its complexities could never have come into being without a Creator. I once heard a prominent atheist say that the odds are totally against our being here, and the fact that we are is truly a miracle. He, of course, credited that miracle to natural selection rather than God. His argument is summed up as follows: "We are here even though we shouldn't be. God didn't create us because He doesn't exist. Therefore, we evolved." His second premise breaks down as nothing but </span>speculation<span style="font-family: inherit;"> and an assumption with no evidence. This destroys his entire argument.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span class="text John-1-1" style="background-color: white;">In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span class="text John-1-2" id="en-NASB1995-26047" style="background-color: white;">He was in the beginning with God.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></i><span class="text John-1-3" id="en-NASB1995-26048" style="background-color: white;"><i>All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being</i> (John 1:1-3).</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span class="text Col-1-16" id="en-NASB1995-29482" style="background-color: white;">For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></i><span class="text Col-1-17" id="en-NASB1995-29483" style="background-color: white;"><i>He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together</i> (Colossians 1:16-17).</span></span></p>Ron Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10685550197231995860noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130385652843452496.post-13343383361951597362020-10-31T15:48:00.002-06:002020-10-31T16:05:45.533-06:00How To Know How To Vote<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">The following is an excerpt from a longer post from 2012, <a href="https://buffalonoise.blogspot.com/search?q=how+to+vote" target="_blank">"The Christian and Politics."</a></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><strong>Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people </strong></i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">(</span><a class="lbsBibleRef" data-reference="Proverbs 14.34" data-version="nkjv" href="http://biblia.com/bible/nkjv/Proverbs%2014.34" style="background-color: white; color: #003fff; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Proverbs 14:34, NKJV</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">). Righteousness as opposed to sinfulness on the part of candidates and issues must be considered. The questions to ask ourselves are "What is right?" and "Who will do right?" Of course, it would be most helpful to have more Bible-believing, born again, Godly candidates. Failing that, we need to select the candidates and issues that most reflect Biblical principles. There are certain issues, such as the murder of the unborn, that we must reject and work to eradicate, because it is as true today as it was when it was written, that "sin is a reproach to any people."</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Some issues are not merely political. Issues that involve normalizing sin are not political issues. Rather, they are moral and Biblical issues, and ignoring them by saying that Christians and the church should stay out of politics is at best cowardly and at worst a denial of our convictions and a great detriment to our nation.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i style="text-align: justify;"><strong>When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when a wicked man rules, the people groan… Scoffers set a city aflame, but wise men turn away wrath </strong></i><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">(</span><a class="lbsBibleRef" data-reference="Proverbs 29.2" data-version="nasb95" href="http://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/Proverbs%2029.2" style="color: #003fff; text-align: justify; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Proverbs 29:2</a><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">,</span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"> </span><a class="lbsBibleRef" data-reference="Proverbs 29.8" data-version="nasb95" href="http://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/Proverbs%2029.8" style="color: #003fff; text-align: justify; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">8</a><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">, NKJV). We ought to rejoice greatly that we still live in a free country where we are allowed to vote. Such is a great privilege and responsibility, and we owe it to God, ourselves, and our children not to take such a responsibility lightly. When evil individuals are in office, we ought to vote wisely so as to remove them, and when foolish, unbiblical laws are enacted, we ought to make every effort to see them repealed.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord… </strong></i><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">(</span><a class="lbsBibleRef" data-reference="Psalm 33.12" data-version="nkjv" href="http://biblia.com/bible/nkjv/Psalm%2033.12" style="color: #003fff; text-align: justify; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Psalm 33:12, NKJV</a><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">). We hear a great deal of foolishness today about our country not having been founded on Biblical principles and Christian ideals. Such nonsense will continue to be stated, but repeated statements of falsehood never make a lie into the truth. We need only look at some of the statements of the founders of our country to put that foolishness to rest. I offer only a few of the huge number that are readily available.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">"While we are zealously performing the duties of good citizens and soldiers, we certainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher duties of religion. To the distinguished character of Patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of Christian" (George Washington,</span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"> </span><i style="text-align: justify;">The Writings of Washington</i><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">, John C. Fitzpatrick, editor, Vol. XI, pp. 342-343, General Orders of May 2, 1778).</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here" (</span><i style="text-align: justify;">The Trumpet Voice of Freedom</i><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">, Patrick Henry of Virginia, p. 3.)</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">"I am a real Christian – that is to say, a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus Christ" (</span><i style="text-align: justify;">The Writings of Thomas Jefferson</i><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">, p. 385).</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">There is no way to know how many of our founding fathers truly trusted Christ as Savior, but there can be no doubt that the vast majority had tremendous respect for God, the Bible, and Christianity, and that is sorely lacking today. Can we still say we are "a nation whose God is the Lord?"</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i style="text-align: justify;"><strong>The God of <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">Israel</st1:country> said, The Rock of <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">Israel</st1:country> spoke to me: "He who rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God"</strong></i><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">(</span><a class="lbsBibleRef" data-reference="2 Samuel 23.3" data-version="nkjv" href="http://biblia.com/bible/nkjv/2%20Samuel%2023.3" style="color: #003fff; text-align: justify; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">2 Samuel 23:3, NKJV</a><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">). God most certainly holds us all responsible. Citizens are responsible for obeying the laws put into place by their leaders. That is not to say that all laws are right and just, and it is also not to say that there is never a time to resist authority. The apostles certainly experienced that situation firsthand when they were ordered not to continue preaching the gospel, and they responded appropriately. </span><span class="text Acts-5-29" id="en-NKJV-27089" style="text-align: justify;"><em>But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men"</em> (<a class="lbsBibleRef" data-reference="Acts 5.29" data-version="nkjv" href="http://biblia.com/bible/nkjv/Acts%205.29" style="color: #003fff; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Acts 5:29, NKJV</a>). This really sums up where we ought to be. It is our responsibility to obey all laws that do not violate Biblical principles. If men's laws are in violation of God's laws, we must obey God first, always remembering that there may be consequences to such an action.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Not only are citizens responsible to obey the just and righteous laws their leaders enact, but also those leaders must be prepared to answer to God for the manner in which they lead. They "must be just, ruling in the fear of God." That is an awesome responsibility not to be taken lightly. Politicians who accept high office only to enrich themselves or feed their own egos are setting themselves up for the judgment of God. We need humble, godly leaders who will obey the Scriptures.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;"><i><strong>Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness</strong></i> (<a class="lbsBibleRef" data-reference="Proverbs 25.5" data-version="nkjv" href="http://biblia.com/bible/nkjv/Proverbs%2025.5" style="color: #003fff; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Proverbs 25:5, NKJV</a>). Not only must rulers lead in a righteous, Godly manner, but those who advise them must not be evil individuals. When a potentially good leader listens to ungodly advice, the results can be disastrous. I think of King Rehoboam, who unwisely listened to the wrong counselors, and the result was that he, and ultimately the nation, did evil in the sight of the Lord. Such always leads to God's judgment. You can read about King Rehoboam </span><a href="http://buffalonoise.blogspot.com/2011/07/king-rehoboam.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #003fff; text-align: justify; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">here</a><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;">.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Lying lips are an abomination to the <span style="font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Lord</span>, but those who deal truthfully are His delight.</strong></i><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"> (</span><a class="lbsBibleRef" data-reference="Proverbs 12.22" data-version="nkjv" href="http://biblia.com/bible/nkjv/Proverbs%2012.22" style="color: #003fff; text-align: justify; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Proverbs 12:22, NKJV</a><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">). During this political season as the presidential election approaches, it is certainly accurate to say that we have been told numerous lies. Some of them are so blatant that even the media is starting to challenge them on both sides, probably for fear that they themselves will be exposed for their lack of honesty as they fail to point out obvious lies. God honors truth. "...those who deal truthfully are his delight." We ought to seek to elect honest politicians (Is that an oxymoron? I hope not totally.) and support honest rather than deceitful laws. Those who would seek to gain office by dishonest means are inviting judgment, because "lying lips are an abomination to the Lord," and He is not asleep.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><em style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><strong>Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens</strong></em><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">(</span><a class="lbsBibleRef" data-reference="Exodus 18.21" data-version="nkjv" href="http://biblia.com/bible/nkjv/Exodus%2018.21" style="background-color: white; color: #003fff; text-align: justify; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Exodus 18:21,NKJV</a><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">).</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This Scripture makes it clear that good leaders are those who are capable of doing the job, who fear God, who are truthful and hate falsehood, and who are not greedy and cannot be bribed.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">I encourage every Christian to fulfill the responsibility to vote based on Biblical convictions. We do not always get everything we want in a candidate, but if we stay home because we don't like one issue, or if we vote for a third party candidate who clearly has no chance, we may be unwittingly helping into office those who may stand for the opposite of what we believe. Some have said they cannot vote for "the lesser of two evils" because the lesser of two evils is still evil. However, "the lesser of two evils" is less evil, and we want the least amount of evil possible in our country. Failure to vote for the lesser of two evils is to help the greater of two evils to take control. That is surely not what we want.</span></p>Ron Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10685550197231995860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130385652843452496.post-72060536077837249342020-07-21T13:30:00.002-06:002020-07-21T13:30:56.251-06:00A Brief Summary of Biblical Theology, by Ralph M. Petersen<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">In a sermon, a couple
years ago, my pastor summarized all of biblical theology in two statements:</span><br />
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial";">1. GOD IS. That fact is
declared in the first four words <span class="textexposedshow">of the Bible
(Genesis 1:1) “In the beginning GOD.”</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial";">2. HE HAS REVEALED
HIMSELF. And that is the rest of the Bible in its entirety. It is all about
Him. It is His revelation of and about Himself to His creation. Everything we
need to know for faith and practice, He has revealed in His written Word.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial";">If we can get these two
statements firmly embedded in our minds, everything else falls into place.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial";">And frankly, I think it
is enough. Most of us have a hard enough time understanding, believing, and
obeying what He has revealed. We don’t need more or new revelation; we just
need to believe what He has already given us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial";">And He has given us all
we need to know about Him. So when it comes to hard truths, that are beyond our
human ability to understand, like the tri-unity of God, we don’t have the
prerogative to decide, define, or explain it. According to God’s revelation,
the Father, the Word, and the Spirit-- these three are co-equal and coexistent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial";">Churches and
denominations divide over this doctrine because they try to explain it in terms
that make sense in our own human dimension and with our finite understanding.
It is possible that many (or all) of them can be WRONG but one thing is
certain; THEY CAN'T ALL BE RIGHT.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial";">And any foolish attempts
to deny God’s triune nature or to explain it with stupid analogies (like water
or eggs or…) are ludicrous; in fact, analogies are probably heretical,
idolatrous, or blasphemous.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial";">God’s ways are not our
ways; His thoughts are higher than our thoughts; He is the creator and we are
the creatures; He is eternal and we are finite; He is spirit and we are flesh,
and He exists in dimensions that we cannot conceive. And He has not seen fit to
reveal, to us, how that can be nor has He ordained that we should understand
it. He has just declared it and our responsibility is to believe it.
Apparently, that's all we need to know or He would have revealed more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial";">It is probably
over-simplified to just state that the One True, Eternal, Living God coexists
in three distinct persons. The Father is God. The Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,
is God. The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the Father and the Son, is God. And yet
these three are co-equal in glory, and power. But that's about as reverently
and Scripturally accurate as we can get when describing the Trinity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial";">Remember - God is and He
has revealed Himself. As for me, I will just accept, as truth, what He has
declared. To disbelieve His Word is to deny Him.</span></div>
Ron Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10685550197231995860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130385652843452496.post-30077671178533202022020-05-28T16:07:00.003-06:002020-05-28T16:21:20.654-06:00Man-Made Body Parts by Ron Livesay<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I will give thanks to You, for I
am fearfully and wonderfully made; </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Wonderful are Your works, </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">And my soul knows it very well</span></i><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">
(Psalm 139:14, NASB).</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It seems impossible
that anyone could do even a cursory study of the human body and come away with
the conclusion that there is no intelligence behind the design. We are quite
obviously <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">fearfully and wonderfully made</i>, and no amount of conjecture, denial, and theorizing can change the fact that we
are a special creation of God. What someone believes to be true has absolutely
no impact on truth and reality. These things never change.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">All of God’s
creation was perfect in every way. That being the case, it could be concluded
that all parts of our bodies are permanent and will never wear out. However,
that logic breaks down when the fall of man into sin is factored in. There was
no death, bloodshed, or suffering before Adam sinned. As it has been since
then, we are all subject to death. This cannot be denied.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In 1973, I had a collision
with another player in a basketball game, which resulted in torn ligaments in my
left knee. I had surgery to repair the damage, and I was
told that I would someday need knee replacement surgery. I decided not to worry about it and sort of dismissed it
from my mind for many years. Eventually, my right knee became very painful and
unstable. By this time, both of my knees were bad. I tried, with mixed results,
a brace, cortisone injections, gel injections, etc., but eventually nothing
helped. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">For a number of
years, I struggled with simple activities, yet I steadfastly refused to
consider knee replacement. One line I used when people would ask if I planned
to get the surgery was, “Anything made by man is inferior to what God has
created, so I’ll just keep the knees He gave me.” </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The first half to
that statement is, of course, true. However, it fails to factor in the impact
of sin on our human bodies. Because of Adam’s sin of disobedience, the human
race inherited the sin nature from him, and therefore our bodies deteriorate
from infancy through old age. I finally faced the reality that while God
created the human body to be perfect for the function of living on this earth,
the parts of our bodies do wear out. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Thank the Lord that
He has given many people the desire, strength, ability, and wisdom to make
replacement parts. We ought to appreciate the work of such scientists and
doctors, but even more so, we should be thankful to our Lord for giving them
the ability to come up with such things. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Lord receives
all the glory for these advancements. This is true in every area of life. Did
the Wright brothers invent the principles of aerodynamics? Of course not – they
merely took the principles they discovered to make (not “create”) the first
heavier-than-air powered flying machine. Flying has gone from simple beginnings
to where it is now. God knew the principles of aerodynamics long before the
Wright brothers because He created them. God <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">created</i> the principles in the beginning, and humans, after several
thousand years, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">made</i> a flying machine.
Whether humans choose to give God the glory or not, the fact remains that He
gets the glory for every advance that has been made in human history. This
could be illustrated in a myriad of ways.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I had my first knee
replacement last Wednesday, and the second is tentatively scheduled for three
months from now. This is in addition to the fact that last summer I had stent
grafts placed in my iliac arteries and my aorta. I may soon be a bionic man.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This does not
negate the fact that what God created in the first place is far superior to
man-made devices. I have been told that my new knees should last 20 or 25
years. Obviously, this is not anything like the expected wear-out date for the
parts of the human body. While I am very thankful for those who invented these
things that potentially will give me a better quality of life, I am far more
thankful for the Creator of all things, the One <span style="background: white; color: black;">in whom <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">…we live and
move and exist…</i>(Acts 17:28, NASB).</span> </span></div>
<br />Ron Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10685550197231995860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130385652843452496.post-38554377188933064582020-04-27T15:02:00.000-06:002020-04-27T15:04:23.251-06:00The Trinity<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">By <a href="https://notallowed2laff.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Ralph M. Petersen</a>, 4/23/20</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I don’t understand the doctrine
of the Trinity. I cannot comprehend a triune God nor can I explain Him. But I
do know that stupid analogies always fail and are heretical. God is NOT like an
egg, water, a man, pie, a triangle, a three-leafed clover, or Pla-doh.
Furthermore, there are lots of people who reject the doctrine of the Trinity
simply because they think these analogies don't make sense. And they are right.
There are no analogies that can explain the Trinity and we have no right to try
to invent such nonsense.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Nor do we have the right to
disbelieve the doctrine of a triune God; JUST BECAUSE WE DON'T UNDERSTAND THE
TRINITY IS NO REASON TO DISBELIEVE IT.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Deuteronomy 29:29 tells us, “The secret things belong unto
the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our
children forever.”</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And this is one of those secret things. The tri-unity of God
is a doctrine of special (biblical) revelation but He has NOT revealed how that
can be or how we can understand it. Ours is just to take Him at His Word and
believe it. No analogy can explain the Trinity because there is nothing in all
of God's creation like Him. He is holy; there is none like Him.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">“God Said It, I Believe It and That Settles It For Me,” was a
song that was popularized in the 1970s. At first glance, it sounds good but the
obvious error in the song is the phrase, “I believe it.” That seems to imply
that the veracity of the declared Word of God is dependent on my belief. The
better lyric would be, “God Said It and That Settles It Whether I Believe It Or
Not.”</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So, regarding the doctrine of the Trinity (and all other
doctrines of God as He has revealed Himself in Scripture), our belief (or even
our understanding) is irrelevant. There are a lot of things about Him that I
don't understand. I can't comprehend eternity apart from and unaffected by
time. Nor can I understand how God can exist apart from His created universe
and yet inhabit His creation. Nevertheless, God’s Word is true even if no one
understands it or believes it. We are not privileged to a complete
understanding. All we can know about Him is what He has revealed to us in His
Word. That’s it! That settles it! That’s all! End of discussion!</span>Ron Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10685550197231995860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130385652843452496.post-78059035381623614182020-04-22T16:35:00.002-06:002020-04-22T16:35:20.273-06:00Grace Bible Church Encouragement Email: Psalm 119, Part 2<span style="border-image: none; border: 1pt windowtext; color: #201f1e; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We are back in Psalm 119 talking about God and His word. Let’s
zero in on verses 33-40 and I trust this will encourage you as you are praying
to God for your own spiritual growth. Let’s finish with part 2 today (verses
37-40). </span></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="border-image: none; border: 1pt windowtext; color: #201f1e; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="border-image: none; border: 1pt windowtext; color: #201f1e; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. Turn my eyes – The
psalmist speaks of the eyes (v. 37). His eyes see things that can be desired
both good and evil. There are many things that would desire to take his time
and attention and yet, he needs to direct his eyes and ultimately his thoughts
to those things that are worthwhile. Covetousness is just another expression of
the selfishness that is lurking inside of us. Instead of an attitude that
treasures God first and then seeks to serve others, often the eyes seek for
selfish things, attention, wealth, prestige, power, etc. Chasing these things
is like chasing things that have no substance (mirages, rainbows) and instead
results in the emptiness that comes with chasing things that are of no value. Turning
our eyes is similar to an infection that we don’t want to have spread. Each
time I’m visiting in the hospital, they have hand-disinfecting stations around
the hospital and warnings and messages about using them to keep disease from
spreading. If we are not cleansing ourselves from the “infection” of our eyes,
it can spread to our heart and mind. This infection goes by many names but for
today, let’s just call it covetousness. Ultimately it is an expression to God
of our dissatisfaction with how He is meeting our needs or how He has made us.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="border-image: none; border: 1pt windowtext; color: #201f1e; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="border-image: none; border: 1pt windowtext; color: #201f1e; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2. Reassure me - The
psalmist is asking for God’s word and his promises to be kept and brought to
his mind (v. 38). The psalmist wants to fear and be in awe of God but desires
to be reassured. Everyone needs reassurance from time to time. Even with our
families, we express our love on a frequent basis. Very few of us practice the
attitude of, “I told you once that I loved you and if that ever changes, I’ll
let you know.” We need to be reminded and that reminder serves to bring hope
and comfort to our lives. Is it any different with our God? We want to be
reminded of His care for us. Our hearts desire to see His promises fulfilled. Every
time a promise is carried out, our fickle and insecure hearts are reassured. Our
doubts are calmed for at least a little while.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="border-image: none; border: 1pt windowtext; color: #201f1e; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="border-image: none; border: 1pt windowtext; color: #201f1e; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3. Turn away the reproach –
the psalmist is not being motivated by a selfish ambition to avoid
embarrassment. He does not want to do that which would cause God’s name to
suffer. There are those around David who are trying to destroy him. Consider
Psalm 119:21-23. <em>You rebuke the insolent,
accursed ones, who wander from your commandments.Take away from me scorn and
contempt, for I have kept your testimonies. Even though princes sit plotting
against me, your servant will meditate on your </em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">statutes</span></em><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>(ESV). The psalmist commits his
reputation to the Lord.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="border-image: none; border: 1pt windowtext; color: #201f1e; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="border-image: none; border: 1pt windowtext; color: #201f1e; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4. Give me life in your
righteousness – the psalmist shows his desire for God’s word and asks for God’s
help in following his righteousness. All of us need God’s help each day as we
seek to follow Him. We need God’s help to face the challenges of right now. </span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -</span></div>
<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
</span></span><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sent
out to all who attend <a href="https://gracebiblecs.org/">Grace Bible Church</a>
by Pastor Ted Bigelow, Pastor of Preaching and Development and Pastor Steve
Ridge, Executive Pastor.</span></span></div>
<br />
<br />Ron Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10685550197231995860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130385652843452496.post-48872095102926661832020-04-16T15:44:00.002-06:002020-04-16T15:48:20.093-06:00Grace Bible Church Encouragement Email: Psalm 119, Part 1<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Most of you know that Psalm 119 is about God
and His Word. Let’s zero in on verses 33-40 and I trust this will encourage you
as you are praying to God for your own spiritual growth. Let’s start with part
1 today (verses 33-36). </span></span><br />
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Look at all that David, the psalmist, is asking for God to help him with. Almost
every verse contains the thought of “me” or “my” as he is asking God for help. Not
in some selfish way but in his desire to please God, he is realizing his own
shortcomings and where he needs improvement towards God. Let’s run down some of
his list and see if some of these same things should be on our list as well.</span></span><br />
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1. “Teach me” (submissive spirit) – He
desires to be taught by God. He wants to know how God wants him to live. His
understanding is that there is a way to walk and he desires to follow that way.
His goal then is to live according to God’s statutes for the rest of his life
(v. 33). What a wonderful thought for us today…God, teach us and once you do, we
will be committed to your teachings as long as we are on this earth.</span></span><br />
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2. “Give me understanding” – This
implies that he was lacking something. The Psalmist needs understanding and he
is not asking for knowledge for its own sake. There is also the comprehension
that unless God was the one teaching him, his struggle to understand would be
endless. Once he has gained this understanding from God, he will then respond
in obedience to God’s Word. This obedience will go far beyond an outward
compliance but will encompass his whole being. Even today, God gives us
understanding and wisdom as we read, hear, and obey His word (v. 34). God
desires believers who are more than just shopkeepers’ bright window dressings.
He desires an obedience that completely envelopes the believer.</span></span><br />
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">3. “Lead me” – Consider that the
psalmist is asking for help to walk the correct path. When a person asks for a
guide, he/she is giving up some of their own liberty/authority. This person
will now go where the guide points to rather than following his own path. The
psalmist wants to walk in the right way and more than that, he wants to want to
walk in God’s ways. His delight is to walk in the way of God’s commands. He
does not express it as a heartless duty (v. 35). What a blessed path that a
believer can walk as he treads in the way that God desires of him! Am I
willing to give up control of my own life and truly rely on God’s direction to
lead me?</span></span><br />
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">4. “Incline my heart” – The psalmist
identifies that his heart can go two different directions. He is asking for God
to keep his heart focused on the things of God. The psalmist understands that
his human heart, if left to itself, does not desire the things of God, so he
needs God’s help. The other direction is one of “selfish gain” or dishonest
profit. This type of attitude is condemned in passages such as Isaiah 56:11, “The
dogs have a mighty appetite; they never have enough. But they are shepherds who
have no understanding; they have all turned to their own way, each to his own
gain, one and all” (ESV). Also Jeremiah 6:13, “For from the least to the
greatest of them, everyone is greedy for unjust gain; and from prophet to
priest, everyone deals falsely” (ESV). During this time in history, is your
heart being drawn towards God? Ask God for His help to refocus you.</span></span><br />
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -</span></span></div>
<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-color: white; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Sent out to all who attend <a href="https://gracebiblecs.org/" target="_blank">Grace Bible Church</a> by Pastor Ted Bigelow,
Pastor of Preaching and Development and Pastor Steve
Ridge, Executive Pastor</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-color: white; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">.</span></span></span>Ron Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10685550197231995860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130385652843452496.post-30462813178000908472020-04-13T12:18:00.003-06:002020-04-16T15:47:01.000-06:00Grace Bible Church Encouragement Email: What About Death?<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Ever heard the statement, “Death is a part of life”? I hope the death of logic
in that statement is apparent. Death is a part of death, not life.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I listened in on a few sermons yesterday on TV before we had our own family
church together. Apparently, the resurrection of Jesus Christ happened to give
you peace in the midst of life’s storms. Funny, I don’t ever remember any
apostle putting it quite that way. They cared about people, I’m sure, and the
common sufferings we all go through – including struggles with anxiety and
peace.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">But doesn’t it seem to you that resurrection deals with death more than life
here and now? I think it does. And I also believe that we all struggle with
anxiety because we are sinners, fallen mentally and emotionally, and shall be
until the resurrection. And frankly, being a sinner means making myself and my
problems in the center of this life, and putting my emphasis in life on the
wrong things <span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">–</span> <span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">like</span> making anxiety my greatest
problem. You too.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Anxiety is not, in case you’re wondering, your biggest problem. Getting along
with a holy God is, in this life and the next. And resurrection provides the
foundation for getting along in both. If God shall give you a promise of resurrection,
then the worst thing that can happen to you is the best thing that can happen
to you: death.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And if you are shot through with sin having learned it at your mother’s knee,
then the best thing that can happen to you is resurrection.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And if you struggle in this life, unhappy with yourself, your well-being, your
job, your everything, then again, resurrection is the best thing that can
happen to you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Declaration of Independence promises you “life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness.” God doesn’t. He does it better by promising resurrection to all who
trust in Christ for their sins before God.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Your biggest concern is a holy God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And every
problem in life is only as big as He is small in your eyes. Can not a God who
freely grants resurrection based on His Son’s work on the cross not also give
you freely all things to enjoy with Him? Why would He promise the greater and
renege on the lesser?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Look death squarely in the nose, right now. It isn’t your greatest enemy,
because the One who holds death is more powerful than it: “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold,
I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death” (Revelation
1:18, NKJV).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">“He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy
him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who
through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For indeed He
does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. Therefore,
in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful
and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for
the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He
is able to aid those who are tempted” (Hebrews 2:14-18).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-connectorsauthtoken="1" data-imageproxyendpoint="/actions/ei" data-imageproxyid="" data-imagetype="External" height="1" originalsrc="http://links.breezechms.com/wf/open?upn=ZmcE6gCYtJ6bq-2B0Bzgxu4UqK1VEhWTbtOdU-2FOwXbw-2FJAuYs-2F8-2BqLY5aP8saScT8UoNZkoZh6pICiHiDyTA9HmIfFkhEh-2FHcjQoz-2BOEXzwP-2FfR5PJ3K2N1Fp1z-2BCdYEdtCayXkaYr6fCLyZzsaPrxXFO2l5suS1aQs745wy1RvN1R9ymbbLfQwfH0I8Hq915TftGIQ-2By1G7NHY3NqFNO9YjPYCjRHV1dTAsKpqjAxIElUvUOtletqyp6jh-2FOY5yQf5di5KURAmAIVH9AnmIzr0pzuhqC3yMPii7rjuBbKb-2B0-3D" src="file:///C:/Users/ronli/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtml1/01/clip_image001.gif" v:shapes="_x0000_i1025" width="1" />- - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - -</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white;">Sent out to all who attend <a href="https://gracebiblecs.org/" target="_blank">Grace Bible Church</a> by Pastor Ted Bigelow,
Pastor of Preaching and Development and Pastor Steve
Ridge, Executive Pastor</span><span style="background: white;">.</span></span>Ron Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10685550197231995860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130385652843452496.post-5665862951212990392020-04-12T19:20:00.002-06:002020-04-12T19:20:36.914-06:00Encouragement Email – Resurrection Sunday!<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What a happy morning! A few women scurried to the garden where your Lord
was laid in a tomb three days ago after being crucified. They were in such a
hurry they forgot to make plans on how to roll away the massive stone covering
the entrance into it (Mark 16:2-3).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What a happy surprise awaited them as a young man dressed in brilliant white,
telling them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was
crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him” (Mark 16:6, NKJV). Only, he wasn’t a man. He was an angel (Matthew 28:5)!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well, that’s revealing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yesterday your Lord had preached His victory to the demonic spirits already in
prison (1 Peter 3:19). It may have continued in assembly of the great ranks of
demons, whose only perspective is slander and hatred of God’s holy Son, and our
human race. They delight in human sin.</span><br />
<div align="left" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But what they can’t understand, because they are blinded by hate, is the glory
of the sacrifice of Jesus. He came to earth from heaven and disrobed Himself of
all dignity, becoming a man. Then He disrobed Himself of the dignity of a man,
and took the cross. All of this was Jesus making Himself a sacrifice. His holy
soul, for your sinful soul. He did this in order to redeem a vast multitude and
one day present them all as a love gift to the Father.</span></div>
<div align="left" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The demons can’t enjoy the resurrection, so why follow them in their promotion
of sin? They hate everyone, Jesus, the cross, and the resurrection. They only
want to think of themselves, but the resurrection not only redeems us from our
sins and death, but also seals their fate in the worst pain and shame and
misery, without hope for relief, for all eternity.</span></div>
<div align="left" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The holy angel at Jesus’ empty tomb bridged the two worlds of heaven and earth.
One day both shall be one in perpetuity, as holy angels and redeemed men and
women made holy unite in worship and service to Jesus, His Father, and their
Spirit.</span></div>
<div align="left" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hope is the rib cage of Christianity that protects the heart of faith. Like
faith, it is not a wished-for outcome of good circumstances. Hope is the
certainty that God unwinds evil and makes all things new and good. Hope is the
cheerful confidence that if there’s no food in the cabinet, God will provide
one way or another. It needs to be especially strong as the days wind down,
hopeful that He is good to His promises. Even in death.</span></div>
<div align="left" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jesus Christ defeated death, my beloved Christian friends. Unless he returns
soon, most of us shall taste it, I’m sorry to say. But the glories on the other
side of death are so great, that the experience will be like nothing compared
to the glories to follow.</span></div>
<div align="left" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Had I preached today, I think I would have made much of the Corona virus, because it puts people in touch
with the pain of death. We despise it so much we’ll stay inside and avoid
social functions, work, and handshakes. But I’m pretty sure I would have stayed
away from saying, “There’s a worse virus, and it’s called sin!” I’m sorry, I
find that a bit confusing. A lot of people survive the virus, but no one survives
sin.</span></div>
<div align="left" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How about this instead? The wages of the Corona Virus might be death for you.
And if it’s not this virus, it might be another virus or something else. A car
crash, an unforeseen circumstance.</span></div>
<div align="left" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now if death for you means entrance into Life, then it’s a servant of the God
who makes </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">promises about such Life after death. Death then has lost its sting, because
Christ took away its power to kill. Christian hope is certain of this.</span></div>
<div align="left" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the other hand, if death for you is an entrance into the demonic realm, the
abode of the dead where you suffer in agony with demons forever and without any
hope of relief, won’t you repent of living in your sins and preferring them to
the love of Christ for you?</span></div>
<div align="left" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He wants to rescue you, so please, call upon Jesus to save you.</span></div>
<div align="left" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; color: black;"><div align="left" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
</span></span><div align="left" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; color: black;">Sent on April 12, 2020 by the </span><span style="color: black;"><a href="https://gracebiblecs.org/staff/" target="_blank">Pastoral Staff</a><span style="background: white;"> (Ted Bigelow, Pastor of Preaching and Development and
Steve Ridge, Executive Pastor) of </span><a href="https://gracebiblecs.org/" target="_blank">Grace Bible Church of Colorado Springs</a><span style="background: white;">.</span></span></span></div>
Ron Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10685550197231995860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130385652843452496.post-27012440959940342392020-04-12T10:03:00.001-06:002020-04-12T19:23:21.117-06:00Encouragement Email – Saturday, Passion Week<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Silence on earth, but not in heaven!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As the earth slumbered on, unperturbed that its Creator had been slain by
wicked men, the angels rejoiced! Yesterday their Lord returned with a brand
plucked from the fire, the thief on the cross! It wasn’t for poetry sake He
said, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise”
(Luke 23:43, NKJV). But He had left again.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In Jerusalem,
Saturday morning’s sun arose just like every Saturday’s sun had for eons. True,
the markets were quiet because of the Mosaic Law, and had been Sabbath-quiet
since Israel
had taken possession in the days of Joshua, in the division of the Promised
Land. Somewhere out on the slopes the women cried and the men hung their heads
low, as the elect of elect Israel dropped their heads in that familiar shame
that clings to God’s people in this world.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Prince of Life lived no more, they all knew. The word had spread by the
women who had seen where He was laid. His disciples were nowhere to be seen,
and strangely, none sought them out for counsel, or to get a word in with their
Teacher.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Then came evening and the familial social distancing of the Sabbath lifted. The
women who anointed the dead Messiah’s body went back to the markets and bought
even more spices to honor it again (Mark 16:1). They would make the lonely trip
early the next morning, perhaps not knowing the tomb was sealed and guarded by
crack Roman troops.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And earth lumbered on. The Roman military planned their conquests, asking the
gods of war for success. Citizens and peasants alike plowed fields, farmed
animals, cooked meals, and made sacrifices of animals and their baser appetites
at the temple. While students studied and newborns cooed, and while the
drunkards drank and the sluggish slept all afternoon, the philosopher and
priest earned ridicule for claiming sin to be good and the gods to be fickle.
Blindness continued another day. The earth continued on its axis, seemingly
none the worse for wear. Across the oceans undiscovered tribes hunted buffalo
and fought for territory, raised their families and prayed to the sun. The
demons and their hapless subjects, the sons of Adam, didn’t even question,
“Why?”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">But something else had happened, apart from hapless eyes. The glorious Son of
Man proclaimed a great victory to them on Saturday, first in their eternal
prisons, for He had been “put to death in the flesh but made alive by the
Spirit, by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison…” (1 Peter
3:18-19, NKJV). Then I picture the glorious Son of God, now triumphant Son of
Man, ascending the mountain of the Lord where the ranks of Satanic
intelligentsia and powers howled their protests against the LORD when He
prophesied: “I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the
assembly I will sing praise to You” (Hebrews 2:12, NKJV).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Could it be a complete domination of Lucifer and His hundreds of millions army,
all arrayed against the sons of men to secure their misery and deaths right
before the face of God? Could it be? “Oh yes,” they told each other, from the
depths to the heights.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">“Defeated by a mere man?” they asked each other. “Oh yes,” they confessed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">“Well,” hissed their Leader, “Not so fast. He’s still with us and not with
them, isn’t He?”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; color: black;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; color: black;">Sent on April 11, 2020 by the </span><span style="color: black;"><a href="https://gracebiblecs.org/staff/" target="_blank">Pastoral Staff</a><span style="background: white;"> (Ted Bigelow, Pastor of Preaching and Development and
Steve Ridge, Executive Pastor) of </span><a href="https://gracebiblecs.org/" target="_blank">Grace Bible Church of Colorado Springs</a><span style="background: white;">.</span></span></span>Ron Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10685550197231995860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130385652843452496.post-36062146155470512392020-04-10T14:53:00.004-06:002020-04-12T10:03:47.773-06:00Encouragement Email – Friday, Passion Week<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">By the time you woke up this morning, your Lord had been through as many as six
trials, all occurring late at night and early into Friday morning. Physically
He should be exhausted, but emotionally and spiritually He is keen and wise.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Perhaps you would like to think about these events during your day today.</span><br />
<u><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></u>
<u><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Late Last Night:</span></u><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The first trial was at Annas’ house (John 18:13-24) during which Peter gives
his first denial. The second trial is before Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin (Matthew
26:57-68, Mark 14:53-65; Luke 22:54). During this trial Jesus identifies as the
Son of Man coming from heaven to subjugate the peoples of the world and
establish God’s kingdom on earth, a statement to which the chief priest tears
his robe in mock disgust.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Then comes Peter’s second denial of Christ (Matthew 26:69-75; Mark 14:66-72;
Luke 22:55-65; John 18:25-27), where they detect Peter’s Galilean accent.</span><br />
\<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A third trial occurs before the gathered Sanhedrin (Matthew 27:1; Mark 15:1a,
Luke 22:66-71). This is the third of three Jewish trials, all of them illegal
by their own protocols. Perhaps Judas was standing outside, for he now runs off
and commits suicide (Matthew 27:3-10; Acts 1:18-19).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A fourth trial starts in the early morning as Jesus is taken before Pilate (Matthew
27:2, 11-14; Mark 15:1b-5; Luke 23:1-5; John 18:28-38). Jesus declares to him,
“My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world then my
servants would be fighting.” Pilate responds, “I find no guilt in Him.”</span><br />
<u><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></u>
<u><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Early this Morning:</span></u><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Pilate sends Jesus over to Herod, in town for the Passover. The sun is now up
when Herod tries to get Jesus to do a miracle for his entertainment. Jesus
refuses to say even a word to Herod which offends him, and after having Jesus
beaten sends him back to Pilate with a robe as a gift. This initiates the sixth
and final trial back at Pilate’s judgment seat (Matthew 27:15-26; Mark 15:6-15;
Luke 23:13-25; John 18:39-19:16). Pilate says Jesus has done nothing deserving
death, releases Barabbas, has Jesus scourged and presented<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"> </span>to the people now gathered. They cry out “crucify
Him” and Pilate washes his hands as a sign of self-forgiveness, an act of
cruelty and self-love. Pilate signs the death warrant and hands over Jesus to
the soldiers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Prior to be taken out by them, Jesus is mocked before and beaten before the
crowd, for their enjoyment (Matthew 27:27-30; Mark 15:16-19). Jesus’ journey to
the place of crucifixion is comprised of several scenes with common people: a man pressed into service to carry the heavy
cross bar and women who cry out (Matthew 27:31-34; Mark 15:20-23; Luke
23:26-33a; John 19:17).</span><br />
<u><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></u>
<u><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">9AM to 3PM:</span></u><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The gospel writers divide up the crucifixion into two parts, from 9am to noon (Matthew
27:35-44; Mark 15:24-32; Luke 23:33b-43; John 19:18-27), and from noon to 3pm
at which time death comes (Matthew 27:45-50; Mark 15:33-37; Luke 23:44-45a, 46;
John 19:28-30). Jesus, alert and submissive to God, prays for the soldiers,
“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). The
soldiers gamble for His garments, the last and final possession of Jesus, and
affix a sign over his head, all designed to afflict your Lord with maximum
shame, as though His sins were so great He deserved the greatest mockery and
humiliation.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As Jesus dies an agonizing death He cries out words of sacred Scripture and
forgiveness: “It is finished.” A number of miracles occur as a centurion bears
witness to Jesus dying, the Son of God (Matthew 27:51-56; Mark 15:38-41; Luke
23:45b, 47-49).</span><br />
<u><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></u>
<u><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">After 3PM but before Sunset:</span></u><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Pilate grants Jesus to be taken down from the cross in response to a wealthy
man who gives the use of his tomb to your Lord, now dead in is humanity (Matthew
27:57-58; Mark 15:42-45; Luke 23:50-52; John 19:31-38). His body is quickly
placed in the tomb before the Sabbath begins at sunset (Matthew 27:59-60; Mark
15:46; Luke 23:53-54; John 19:39-42).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Finally, the tomb in which your Lord’s holy body is laid is watched over by the
women and guarded by the soldiers (Matthew 27:61-66; Mark 15:47; Luke
23:55-56).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The level of detail surrounding Jesus’
trials, punishments, and death is staggering. Every text rewards contemplation
and consideration.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">May your Good Friday, beloved friends in Christ, be profitable in your love for
Him above all.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - -</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white;">Sent on April 10, 2020 by the </span><a href="https://gracebiblecs.org/staff/" target="_blank">Pastoral Staff</a><span style="background: white;"> (Ted Bigelow, Pastor of Preaching and
Development and Steve
Ridge, Executive Pastor)
of </span><a href="https://gracebiblecs.org/" target="_blank">Grace Bible Church of Colorado Springs</a><span style="background: white;">.</span></span>Ron Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10685550197231995860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130385652843452496.post-10655706017471286832020-04-09T12:05:00.000-06:002020-04-10T14:45:20.735-06:00Encouragement Email – Thursday, Passion Week<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Imagine your Lord waking up on Thursday, and knowing He in His humanity
will never sleep again.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Like Wednesday, Thursday daytime, is quiet. You may assume that your
Lord is resting and meditating in preparation for tonight. He travels down to Jerusalem with His men
and His betrayer. There is no obvious anxiety in this Man who walks into the
city of God His
final time. In four days’ time He’ll appear in the city again, now resurrected,
and in His Second Coming shall enter as Jerusalem’s
Defender and King (Zechariah 12-14).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As He is resting midday, the disciples come to Him and ask, “Where do
you want for us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?” He has been keeping it
from them lest word get out and those wanting to kill Jesus might find Him and
the disciples. Jesus shows supernatural power over all things by directing them
to follow a man carrying a pitcher of water into a house in Jerusalem. Once safely inside, they will
learn of His prior arrangements (Matthew 26:17-19; Mark 14:12-16; Luke
22:7-13).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Then comes evening and all are in the upper room, served by faithful
women and men. This shall be the last Passover meal for your Lord (Matthew
26:20, Mark 14:17, Luke 22:14-16): “I shall never eat it again until it is fulfilled
in the kingdom of
God.” Then taking off His
robe and donning a towel, He washes the disciple’s feet, a picture of lowly
service for us to imitate with each other, and of Christ’s descent from heaven
to earth to forgive our sins (John 13:1-20). Is any as good as Jesus?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Then He identifies Judas as the betrayer just prior to an argument among
the disciple’s as to which is the greatest (Matthew 26:21-25, Mark 14:18-21;
Luke 22:21-30; John 13:21-30). If He was hoping for better from men then He was
disappointed, for fallen men are much more like devils than deity. Jesus even
points out the confident Peter as one who will deny him (Luke 22:31-38; John
13:31-38).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Passover concludes and your Savior institutes the Lord’s Supper
(Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:17-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26).
Normally we would take this together on Good Friday. May our inability to do so
help us appreciate every opportunity in the future to honor Christ’s
institution: the local church and its
founding activity that brings us together in faith and love.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Now your Lord settles into teaching proper: The Upper Room Discourse filled with
encouragement for sad disciples (John 14:1-16:33), and the encouragement of
Jesus’ prayer for them, and for all those who will believe in Him through their
word (John 17:1-26). That’s you, my believing friend.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Jesus predicts again that Peter will, in fact, deny Him that night but
also tells the men He will rise from the dead and meet them in Galilee. In arrogance Peter rebukes Jesus and professes
his own spiritual strength to stand strong in temptation (Matthew 26:30-35;
Mark 14:26-31); Luke 29:39-40a; John 18:1).</span><br />
<div align="left" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Jesus moves on the Garden
of Gethsemane and prays
hard that the cup might pass, meaning, that He might not have to die the death
of crucifixion and shame. His human side makes fervent plea to God, but always
leaves the matter up to God His Father. Strengthened, He is prepared to do the
will of God (Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:40b-46).</span></div>
<div align="left" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">No sooner than He was finished, but Judas and a large contingent of
soldiers and temple police show up to arrest your Lord. Although He could call twelve
legions of angels to eradicate the human race at that point, He submits (Matthew
26:47-56; Mark 14:42-52; Luke 22:47-53; John 18:2-12), even healing the cut-off
ear of a slave. One cannot detect a single bit of revenge or anger in Jesus at His
mistreatment.</span></div>
<div align="left" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Oh that we would learn to be like him!</span></div>
<div align="left" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Your Lord won’t sleep tonight, but will endure six overnight court
trials before His condemnation to a cross the next morning. We’ll look at those
tomorrow.</span></div>
<div align="left" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span></span><br />
<div align="left" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">
</span></span><br />
<div align="left" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Sent
on April 9, 2020 by the </span><a href="https://gracebiblecs.org/staff/">Pastoral Staff</a><span style="background: white;"> (Ted Bigelow, Pastor of Preaching and Development and
Steve Ridge, Executive Pastor) of </span><a href="https://gracebiblecs.org/">Grace Bible Church of Colorado Springs</a><span style="background: white;">.</span></span></div>
Ron Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10685550197231995860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130385652843452496.post-23391661241899773142020-04-08T19:55:00.003-06:002020-04-10T14:56:30.607-06:00Encouragement Email – Wednesday, Passion Week<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">What a mournful day is Wednesday.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Your Lord does not travel down to Jerusalem,
He does not teach the crowds, He does not argue with His enemies. Instead, He
prepares.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The only event that happened on Wednesday was despicable. Judas, inexplicably,
goes to the chief priests to betray your Savior. Here’s the text:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Now it came to pass, when Jesus had
finished all these sayings, that He said to His disciples, "You know that
after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be
crucified." Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the
people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, and
plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him. But they said, "Not during
the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people…." Then one of the
twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests, and said, "What
are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?" And they counted out
to him thirty pieces of silver. 16 So from that time he sought opportunity to
betray Him.</i> (Matthew 26:1-5, 14-16).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If you read it in your Bible, you’ll notice Matthew inserts the story of Mary
anointing Jesus with perfume in the middle, and event that had happened the
previous Saturday night. Why would Matthew do this? Well, Jesus prophesied she
did this to prepare him for His burial (Matthew 26:12). So, contrast Judas who
is now preparing Jesus for a Friday burial on Wednesday out of unbelief, and
Mary, who did the same on Saturday but out of faith. Both were saddened at the
prospect of Jesus dying, but one thought Jesus foolish for going to His death
and chose to profit by it; the other thought Him wise and suffered great
financial loss by it. What do you think…was He wise, or foolish for going to
His death?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Speaking of wisdom, I think Jesus wisely rested on Wednesday. If you remember,
He had poured Himself out like water the day before with all the teaching and
arguing in the temple, followed by lengthy teaching of the disciples on the Mount of Olives. He had a big day coming tomorrow
(Thursday), and of course, He knew Friday, the Passover, was His pending
crucifixion. I imagine Him spending Wednesday in prayer, physically resting but
spiritually preparing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">He also knew what Judas was doing, as He had prophesied and would again of him
on Thursday night. He knew Judas would come back late on Wednesday night,
thirty pieces of silver guiltily jingling in his bag. There’s no reason to
assume Judas didn’t sleep restfully that night, either, finding peace as he
finally gave exercise to his sin.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Perhaps Wednesday’s theme is loneliness, a loneliness made worse for Jesus by
betrayal. Was Jesus sad? Of course. He was about to lose Judas to Satan. But He
also felt the “joy that was set before Him” (Hebrews 12:2). Serving God is
pleasing at all times, especially the worst of them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The prospect of doing what God wants makes even the worst events bright with
light, if not always cheerfulness. Even loneliness is fellowship if you have
God to talk to and console with.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; color: black;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; color: black;">Sent on April 8, 2020 by the </span><a href="https://gracebiblecs.org/staff/"><span style="color: #003fff;">Pastoral
Staff</span></a><span style="background: white; color: black;"> (Ted Bigelow,
Pastor of Preaching and Development and Steve Ridge,
Executive Pastor) of </span><a href="https://gracebiblecs.org/"><span style="color: #003fff;">Grace Bible Church of Colorado Springs</span></a><span style="background: white; color: black;">.</span></span>Ron Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10685550197231995860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130385652843452496.post-19075904731502978252020-04-08T13:35:00.001-06:002020-04-08T13:40:24.951-06:00But…My Good Outweighs My Bad!<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">By Ron Livesay</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">During this shutdown, when most churches are not meeting, many
are having worship services at home. This past weekend, Janet and I met a block
away with our son, his wife, and their three children. We had prayer, singing,
Scripture reading, and a sermon from the Internet by John MacArthur.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The sermon again reminded me of a concept I have
presented several times while teaching Sunday school. The common thread that
runs through all false religion is the idea that human beings can do enough
good to get to Heaven. This thread comes in many forms, usually having to do
with completing a number of requirements on a list to prove to God that one is
worthy of salvation. It is often summed up like this: “Someday I will stand in the final judgment,
and God will weigh my good against my bad. If my bad outweighs my good, I will
be in trouble, but if my good outweighs my bad, God will let me into Heaven.
I’m sure it will all be okay, because God is loving and I’m a good person.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This is a very dangerous idea with eternal consequences. It
makes some very false assumptions.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">First of all, It assumes that humans can do good things in the eyes of God. <span style="background: white;">Martin Luther said, “The most damnable and pernicious
heresy that has ever plagued the mind of man is that somehow he can make
himself good enough to deserve to live forever with an all-holy God.” Click <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/filthy-rags.html" target="_blank">here</a> for source.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">T</span>his idea ignores the fact that, while God is
loving, so much so that He sent His Son to earth to be the atoning sacrifice
for sin and to rise from the dead to defeat sin and death forever, He is also
holy and righteous. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Your eyes are too pure to approve
evil, and You cannot look on wickedness with
favor”</i> (Habakkuk 1:13, NASB).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">For
all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are
like a filthy garment;</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> and all of us
wither like a leaf, and our iniquities, like
the wind, take us away”</i> (Isaiah 64:6, NASB).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">For
the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and
peace,</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not
subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so,</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and those who are in the flesh
cannot please God”</i> (Romans 8:6-8, NASB).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This idea that my good can outweigh my bad totally ignores the insidious
nature of sin. We were born in sin, and our natural bent is toward sinning. We
cannot possibly overcome that in our own strength.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Second, this idea assumes that our alleged “good” can somehow outweigh
our bad. Aside from the fact that even our “good” is “bad” in the eyes of God,
this assumption is totally incorrect. It only takes one sin to condemn us in
the eyes of God, and there is no human, other than our Savior, who has lived a
sinless life. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">…there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never
sins”</i> (Ecclesiastes 7:20, NASB).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This reality can be easily illustrated. Suppose a man is accused of
murder and decides his best course of action is to plead guilty and then try to
reason with the judge. Imagine the following dialogue:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Judge: “You are accused of one
count of first-degree murder. How do you plead?<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Accused: “Your Honor, I plead
guilty to this one count, but I have some other facts to present that should
prevent any punishment for my actions.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Judge: “You have entered a plea
of ‘guilty’ to one count of first-degree murder, but I will hear your
additional facts. This should be interesting.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Accused: “Well, Your Honor,
it’s like this. I did kill one man. However, in comparison to the total
population, one individual is not even a ‘drop in the bucket.’ There are dozens of people who live on my
block, hundreds of people who live in my neighborhood, thousands of people in
my town, hundreds of thousands in my county, millions in my state, hundreds of
millions in the whole country, and billions in the world. Just look at all the
people I didn’t kill. Look at all my good deeds. I did not kill you. I didn’t
kill anyone else present in this courtroom. As a matter of fact, I did billions
of good deeds by not killing anyone else in the whole world. Surely my one
little mistake is forgivable and hardly even noticeable. It certainly is not
significant in the grand scheme of things. It should be obvious that my good
deeds outweigh my bad.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Judge: “Your argument is not
compelling. You are guilty of one count of first-degree murder, and you will be
sentenced accordingly.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">No right-thinking
person would expect the judge to rule any differently based on the argument the
accused presented. It is interesting that almost everyone would expect a
fallible human being to understand clearly and make a correct ruling in such a
case, yet many of the same people would expect the infallible God of the
universe to buy into such an argument. Who could legitimately stand before God
and foolishly believe that salvation is based on “my good outweighs my bad?”
The obvious answer is that no one will be able to make such an argument. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">All of us are
sinners, and any and all sin is an offense to a holy God. He does not, and
cannot, save us by His love. Instead, His great love motivated Him to provide a
way to save us by His grace.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It is clear that
the human race stands condemned before God: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> “…<span style="background: white; color: black;">that
every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God” </span></i><span style="background: white; color: black;">(Romans 3:19, NKJV).</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; color: black;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; color: black;">One sin is enough to condemn someone, and it is obvious from
Scripture (Romans 3:23) and from experience, that all people are sinners.
Breaking even one part of God’s Law is breaking all of God’s law, just like
breaking one link in a chain is breaking the chain. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one </i></span><i><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">point</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: black;">, he has become guilty of all”</span></i><span style="background: white; color: black;"> (James 2:10,
NASB).</span></span><br />
<span style="background: white; color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background: white; color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">God’s holy standard is Himself and His own righteousness and
perfection. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect”</i>
(Matthew 5:48, NASB).</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; color: black;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; color: black;">If God’s standard is so high, how can anyone be saved?
Clearly, none of us can be saved on our own. No matter how good we think we
are, we fall far short of God’s holy, perfect standard. We don’t even come
close. Our only hope is to “throw ourselves on the mercy of the court” by
coming to Christ by faith for His mercy and grace. Only then can we become
perfect, as His perfect righteousness is applied to us, because our sin was
applied to Him. </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">“He made Him who knew no
sin </span></i><i>to be</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness
of God in Him”</span></i><span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> (2 Corinthians 5:21, NASB).</span></span><br />
<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">He
took what we deserved so we could have what He deserves. There is no better
deal available anywhere in the universe.</span></span>Ron Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10685550197231995860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130385652843452496.post-65335369599289922642020-04-07T17:24:00.001-06:002020-04-10T14:56:52.914-06:00Encouragement Email – Tuesday, Passion Week<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Tuesday is an extremely busy day for your
Lord. It begins with the proof of yesterday’s curse of the fig tree: it is all
withered. Jesus uses it pitiful condition as an object lesson to teach His
disciples on faith and prayer (Matthew 21:19b-22; Mark 11:19-25). May we learn
this, too.</span><br />
<div align="left" style="text-align: left; vertical-align: top;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left; vertical-align: top;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Then he goes down to the temple, and Passover week is in full swing. Thousands are
there from all over the known world, and almost immediately, like they knew He
was coming, there was a formal challenge of Christ’s authority by the chief
priests, scribes, and elders: (Matthew 21:23-37, Mark 11:27-33, Luke 20:1-8).
He’s never caught unprepared or surprised by His enemies. They’re awful!</span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left; vertical-align: top;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left; vertical-align: top;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In true Messianic form, Jesus hides the truth from some and reveals it to those
with ears to hear by teaching the faithful discharge of responsibility in 3
parables: (Matthew 21:28-22:14; Mark 12:1-12; Luke 20:9-19). Oh, what a high
value our Lord places on loyalty and fidelity to Him!</span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left; vertical-align: top;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left; vertical-align: top;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The drama increases as thousands overhear a debate, in Middle-Eastern fashion,
as Jesus humiliates his accusers who tried to humiliate him: (Matthew 22:15-23:36; Mark 12:13-40; Luke 20:20-47). He crushes them as they try to use
sophistry and duplicity to condemn and kill Him. He’ll make it to Friday’s
Passover, O blessed Lamb of God!</span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left; vertical-align: top;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left; vertical-align: top;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Leaving the temple, Jesus’ disciples ask him about the end-times, which results
in Jesus delivering “The Olivet Discourse”: (Matthew 24:1-41; Mark 13:1-32;
Luke 21:5-33). The details are intense and sequential, awaiting the future
still for fulfillment. Until then, may we learn to fear the Lord and study His Word!</span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left; vertical-align: top;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left; vertical-align: top;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">One might conservatively estimate the Lord has been on His feet or sitting,
while teaching upwards of thousands, for three to four hours already. But He’s
not done.</span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left; vertical-align: top;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left; vertical-align: top;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">From here your Lord teaches His men five more parables on watchfulness and
faithfulness: (Matthew 24:42-25:30; Mark 13:33-37; Luke 21:34-36). The
temptation to walk away from His is so intense. We need more teaching! I’m
guessing He slept well that night!</span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left; vertical-align: top;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left; vertical-align: top;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">How are you sleeping these days? Go to Him for help by reading some of these
parables and praying over them in detail, taking all the concerns of your soul
to Him. One hour with Him is better than a hundred seeking peace from worry</span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left; vertical-align: top;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; color: black;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left; vertical-align: top;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; color: black;">Sent on April
7, 2020 by the </span><a href="https://gracebiblecs.org/staff/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #003fff;">Pastoral
Staff</span></a><span style="background: white; color: black;"> (Ted Bigelow,
Pastor of Preaching and Development and Steve Ridge,
Executive Pastor) of </span><a href="https://gracebiblecs.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #003fff;">Grace Bible Church of Colorado Springs</span></a><span style="background: white; color: black;">.</span></span></div>
Ron Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10685550197231995860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130385652843452496.post-67569598680674455722020-04-06T13:56:00.000-06:002020-04-10T14:57:05.262-06:00Encouragement Email – Monday, Passion Week<div align="left" style="text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><sup>12</sup>The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. <sup>13 </sup>Seeing
in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit.
When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season
for figs. <sup>14 </sup>Then he said to the tree, "May no one ever eat
fruit from you again." And his disciples heard him say it. <sup>15</sup>On
reaching Jerusalem,
Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and
selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches
of those selling doves, <sup>16 </sup>and would not allow anyone to carry
merchandise through the temple courts. <sup>17</sup>And as he taught them, he
said, "Is it not written: 'My house will be called a house of prayer for
all nations?' But you have made it a den of robbers.'" (Mark 11:12-17,
NIV).</span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As your Lord enters Monday, the final Monday of His earth-bound life, He has
already been inundated with hypocrisy. Yesterday’s entry to Jerusalem was suffused with worshippers and
critics, most of whom will disown Him in but a few days. Thankfully His band of
followers tag along by His side, listening carefully to Him whose every word
was precious.</span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">He makes his way down the hill toward Jerusalem.
Surely there is sustenance for Him at this time of year in a fig tree. But the
tree that promised figs by its showy leaf plumes yielded an unhappy surprise.
What looked fruitful from a distance was in reality a lot of nothing. There
were no figs to be eaten from that tree for breakfast.</span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
So, Jesus uttered a curse upon it, likening the fig tree to Israel as
Isaiah likely did in chapter 5 of his prophecy. “Okay,” we say. “That fits. The
punishment was just; it was earned for obstinate rebellion.” It’s a punishment
that is still in effect 2,000 years later.</span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
So too, we would agree, with our Lord’s temple cleansing. Not a physical
cleansing, mind you, but a spiritual cleansing. It too came with reproof, “you
have made it ‘a den of robbers!’” I can’t help but wonder if His anger didn’t
but burn hot. The temple, meant for men careful about their souls and anxious
for God’s glory, was a fast-paced meat market. And is religion any less greedy
for your money today?</span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
And those are the two events on our Lord’s Monday recorded for our
contemplation. Both were profoundly painful to the Lord who looked at all
things not merely as a man does, outwardly, but also inwardly, as God does, to
the heart. His soul is preparing for the cross.</span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
As your thoughts turn to Friday’s cross, ask yourself a few questions.</span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
“What is the condition of true religion in God’s name around me like on the
surface, and then on the inside?”</span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
“What is the fruit God wants, versus the fruit religious men admire?”</span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
“How shall I love my Lord better in my heart, given that He was opposed to all
hypocrisy?”</span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
“What people shall I love better with my words and deeds, seeing that He has
given Me His Son?”</span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" style="text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -</span></span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Sent on April 6, 2020 by
the </span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><a href="https://gracebiblecs.org/staff/" target="_blank">Pastoral Staff</a></span><span style="background: white;"> (Ted Bigelow, Pastor of Preaching and Development and
Steve Ridge, Executive Pastor) of </span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><a href="https://gracebiblecs.org/" target="_blank">Grace Bible Church of Colorado Springs</a></span><span style="background: white;">.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span>Ron Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10685550197231995860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130385652843452496.post-71722218255676981812020-04-06T13:08:00.000-06:002020-04-10T14:57:31.190-06:00Encouragement Email – Sent on March 22, 2020<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">“Praise Him in His mighty expanse. Praise Him
for His mighty deeds; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness. Praise
Him with trumpet sound; Praise Him with harp and lyre. Praise Him with timbral
and dancing; Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe. Praise Him with
loud cymbals; Praise Him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has
breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD!” (Ps. 150:1-6, NASB).</span></span><br />
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">“Let this be the one, true barometer of my religion,” says the Christian.
“Though the mountains fall into the sea and the fig tree refuse to produce any
fruit, though there are no cattle in the stalls and the fields produce no food,
yet I will praise the Lord.”</span></span><br />
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">“What?!” says doubt, with evident disdain. “Don’t you see how at risk we are
all?”</span></span><br />
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">“Indeed I do,” says the Christian. “And better than that…. God sees too.”</span></span><br />
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A long time ago, in a barren spot out in the desert, a forsaken single mom,
clutching her crying and hungry baby boy, even while out of food and water
referred to God as the “…God who sees. Have I even remained alive here after
seeing Him?” (Gen. 16:13, NASB).</span></span><br />
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">She learned what we all must, all we who profess to know God. That not only is
our God the God who ordains deprivation, but He is also the God who provides
Himself. He not only ordains all that comes to pass, He ordains that the
knowledge of Himself covers the earth as the waters cover the sea.</span></span><br />
<div align="left" style="text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And what is it like to know Him? To rest happy in the truth that all He ordains
is the very, very best. That all sufferings and blessings are subsumed under
divine heading: God is good. That He is
so good that all that is in your life is the very best you could ever, ever
wish for, if you knew what God knows. That anything He does in life that
directs the longing heart to Himself is an extension of His intimate kindness
the ancients yearned for but did not attain: “Kings will shut their mouths on account
of Him; For what had not been told them they will see, And what they had not
heard they will understand” (Isa. 52:15).</span></span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">All grace to you, beloved saints of God, on this strange Lord’s Day where we
cannot gather as one to praise the Lord. But let’s not let that stop us, or
else the rocks themselves will cry it out!</span></span><br />
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Sent out by the </span><span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #000120;"><a href="https://gracebiblecs.org/staff/" target="_blank">Pastoral Staff</a></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white;">(Ted Bigelow, Pastor of Preaching and Development and
Steve Ridge, Executive Pastor) of </span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: windowtext;"><a href="https://gracebiblecs.org/" target="_blank">Grace Bible Church of Colorado Springs</a></span><span style="background: white;">.</span></span></div>
Ron Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10685550197231995860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130385652843452496.post-91231594869479172992020-04-06T11:26:00.000-06:002020-04-10T14:57:46.531-06:00Encouragement Email – Sent on March 20, 2020<span style="border: 1pt; color: #201f1e; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">“The rest of mankind, who were not killed by
these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship
demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of
wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; and they did not repent of their
murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts”
(Rev. 9:20-21, NASB).</span></span><br />
<span style="border: 1pt; color: #201f1e; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="border: 1pt; color: #201f1e; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">John the Apostle wrote Revelation to bless and amaze us, because he too was
amazed at what he saw coming in the end-times. Already in chapter six he wrote
about future people who will prefer living in caves and under rocks rather than
stopping the practice of their sins, while experiencing the end-times wrath of
the Lamb. Amazing! And a few chapters later as God’s judgments continue, the
people of the world will be still be making the same dumb choices. Amazing</span></span><br />
<span style="border: 1pt; color: #201f1e; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="border: 1pt; color: #201f1e; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Who in their right mind wouldn’t trade misery for joy? Or, who wouldn’t trade
pain for relief? Or heinous plagues for holy pleasures? The answer is most
strange: pretty much everybody.</span></span><br />
<span style="border: 1pt; color: #201f1e; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="border: 1pt; color: #201f1e; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">However, when a man or woman is delivered from their sins by God in this age
and the next, they are given not only a new heart, but a new mind too. This “new
man,’ of which you and I are a part by faith in Jesus Christ, is renewed in
knowledge as it is “created according to God, in true righteousness and
holiness” (Eph. 4:24 NKJV). Apart from that amazing new creation, wouldn’t we
think and do just like the rest? Wouldn’t we all be young people acting
recklessly on Spring Break?</span></span><br />
<span style="border: 1pt; color: #201f1e; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="border: 1pt; color: #201f1e; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So what’s really amazing is the grace of God in making you a member of the new
man in Christ, a new creation in which “there is neither Greek nor Jew,
circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ
is all and in all. Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on
tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one
another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another;
even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put
on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your
hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful” (Col.
3:11-15 NKJV)</span></span><br />
<span style="border: 1pt; color: #201f1e; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="border: 1pt; color: #201f1e; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Sent
out by the </span><a href="https://gracebiblecs.org/staff/" target="_blank">Pastoral Staff</a><span style="background: white;"> (Ted Bigelow, Pastor of Preaching and Development and
Steve Ridge, Executive Pastor) of </span><a href="https://gracebiblecs.org/" target="_blank">Grace Bible Church of Colorado Springs</a><span style="background: white;">.</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />Ron Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10685550197231995860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130385652843452496.post-71203345018006206292020-04-05T15:39:00.001-06:002020-04-10T14:59:56.310-06:00Encouragement Email – Sent on March 19, 2020<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">T<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">hen Solomon prayed…</span></span><br />
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence, if there is
blight or mildew, locust or grasshopper, if their enemy besieges them in the
land of their cities, whatever plague, whatever sickness there is, whatever
prayer or supplication is made by any man or by all Your people Israel, each
knowing the affliction of his own heart, and spreading his hands toward this
house; then hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive and act and render
to each according to all his ways, whose heart You know, for You alone know the
hearts of all the sons of men, that they may fear You all the days that they
live in the land which You have given to our fathers” (1 Kings 8:37-40, NASB).</span></span><br />
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In the great dedicatory prayer of Solomon, sanctifying the temple to the great
God of Israel, he admits in advance of the fact there will be severe testing
that comes upon the people who serve and love the Lord. Some of them will be
nation-wide illnesses, attesting that God’s hand is moving and He desires the
immediate attention of His people. </span></span><br />
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We might naturally think they must make sacrifice at the temple to show they’ve
heard Him, and we would be right.</span></span><br />
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">But I wonder, have you thought what it would be like to go worship Him only
three times a year, at festivals help in concert with harvest seasons as
stipulated in the Law of Moses? If one made a sacrifice at the temple when God
did not ordain, it was rejected by Him and considered unholy.</span></span><br />
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Or to say it differently, Israelite worshippers could only offer gifts to the
Lord when He ordained, and it might not be for months after the time of
harvest, or months after plague. And all of a sudden, guess what? The gathering
of people for worship isn’t quite so routine. For the pious, the heart grows
faint, “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and
appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to
me all day long, ‘Where is your God?’” (Ps. 42:2-3, NASB).</span></span><br />
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Truth is, God never wanted their gifts. He wanted their hearts, just as His Son
said, “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;
in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. You
leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men” (Mark 7:6-8, ESV).
No wonder God gave them time off between worship services. He was giving them
time to get their hearts square with Him and His high and holy commandments.</span></span><br />
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Sent
out by the </span><a href="https://gracebiblecs.org/staff/" target="_blank">Pastoral Staff</a><span style="background: white;"> (Ted Bigelow, Pastor of Preaching and Development and
Steve Ridge, Executive Pastor) of </span><a href="https://gracebiblecs.org/" target="_blank">Grace Bible Church of Colorado
Springs</a><span style="background: white;">.</span></span>Ron Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10685550197231995860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130385652843452496.post-58088725495166666602020-04-04T15:20:00.001-06:002020-04-10T14:59:39.742-06:00Encouragement Email – Sent on March 17, 2020<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">During this shutdown, the <a href="https://gracebiblecs.org/staff/" target="_blank">Pastoral Staff</a> <span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">(Ted Bigelow, Pastor of Preaching and Development and </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Steve</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Ridge</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">,
Executive Pastor) </span>of <a href="https://gracebiblecs.org/" target="_blank">Grace Bible Church of Colorado Springs</a> has been sending out encouragement emails on a regular basis.
This is the first one.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- -</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="border-image: none; border: 1pt windowtext; padding: 0in;"><br /></span></i></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="border-image: none; border: 1pt windowtext; padding: 0in;">"So Gad came to David and
told him; and he said to him, ‘Shall seven years of famine come to you in your
land? Or shall you flee three months before your enemies, while they pursue
you? Or shall there be three days' plague in your land? Now consider and see
what answer I should take back to Him who sent me.’ And David said to Gad, ‘I
am in great distress. Please let us fall into the hand of the LORD, for His
mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man.’ So the LORD
sent a plague upon Israel
from the morning till the appointed time. From Dan to Beersheba seventy thousand men of the people
died”</span></i><span style="border-image: none; border: 1pt windowtext; padding: 0in;"> (2 Sam. 24:13-15 NKJV).</span></span><br />
<span style="border-image: none; border: 1pt windowtext; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="border-image: none; border: 1pt windowtext; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">For both great and small and from age to age, God ordains all your
experiences. In the Old Testament, when the King of Israel sinned, the whole
nation could suffer punishment. This is the concept called “Federal Headship.”
Today God extends grace to all through Jesus Christ, a grace even greater than
escaping a plague. It is simply called, “eternal life,” and such life comes
because Jesus Christ our king, like King David of old, is the federal head of a
people. He is the One, we are the many (Rom. 5:12-21, 1 Cor. 15:22). We who
believe in Him receive “every blessing in the heavenly places” as Ephesians 1
explains, so much so that we needn’t fear the “terror that stalks by night or
the arrow that files by day” (Psalm 91:2). He is in control.</span></span><br />
<span style="border-image: none; border: 1pt windowtext; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="border-image: none; border: 1pt windowtext; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We are thinking of you, beloved of Christ, as we wait to see how
bad this COVID 19 will be. We’re here for counsel, or if appropriate, a
pastoral visit. Not only are these days of being prepared for safety, but also
being prepared with the gospel. Do you tell yourself the gospel every day? No?
Why not!? It’s good news no matter how bad “the pestilence that walks in
darkness" (Psalm 91:6). </span></span>Ron Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10685550197231995860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130385652843452496.post-4171980526033186372020-04-03T12:51:00.003-06:002020-04-03T12:53:20.650-06:00LIFE FOR LIFE by Ed Cardwell<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Would you be willing to accept that there is
a Higher Justice than the Supreme Court of our nation? Or higher than any
authority that the United Nations could create? If not, perhaps it might be
because you feel more confident in a judge who can be swayed by argument,
persuaded by influence, even bribed. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</span><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">In a global crisis of Biblical proportion,
such as exists now, the underlying question remains: Why? Why are we fretting
about the total collapse of the world’s society, and who can we blame for it? </span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The fatality rate from this virus is
frightening. Can we ask, “Is not life precious?” If not, why would we fear
death and dying? Those who are alive think life is precious. Life is a gift. It
is a gift from the Almighty. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Our national leaders have bowed to the altar
of political expediency, and the industry that murders the unborn has been
allowed to move the yardstick further and further down the road toward the
diluvial type response from the Creator of all that is in the world, who also
is the final Arbiter in human affairs. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">What if the Judge of the Universe has
decreed at this point – ENOUGH!!! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">So, there have been X number of deaths in
the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region>
and X number of total deaths in the world today, primarily due to the
coronavirus epidemic. How does that compare with 75,000,000 deaths at the hands
of abortion doctors in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region>
since 1972 and billions of deaths at the hands of abortionists worldwide. The
numbers are staggering.<sup>1</sup></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Does the Supreme Judge and Creator of Life
execute judgment upon nations for their evil against His creation? Yes, He
does. Will He bring this nation to its knees for its continued and expanding
effort to deny precious life to the unborn. Yes, He will – in His time! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">What is a relatively very small number of
deaths due to the coronavirus compared to the number of deaths by abortionists?
There IS NO comparison.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Should everyone suffer because of a few
politicians and a few abortion doctors? Are the people of this nation complicit
in the industry that murders children, born and unborn? Yes, we are, and we all
will suffer. We continue in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region>
to choose (elect) powerful legislators who bow to the altar of infanticide,
and, yes, we are all culpable – to a greater or lesser degree. We even export
our abortion propaganda and medical and technical expertise in addition to
abortion funding to other nations around the world. It has become politically
correct to support the abortion industry, whether directly, by a tacit
agreement, or by indifference.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Maybe judgment has begun. There has been
apparently no other way to gain our attention. But there is a remedy. As the
ancient prophets told the people of God, repentance is long overdue, and by
admitting our sin and failure, and by calling on the mercy of God and asking
for forgiveness, who knows? Maybe God will relent. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">If not, how does LIFE FOR LIFE sound as an
act of divine justice on an amoral and hedonistic citizenry? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">“I tremble for my country when I reflect
that God is just; that his justice cannot sleep forever.”<sup>2</sup></span><br />
<sup><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></sup>
<sup><span style="font-family: Arial;">1</span></sup><span style="font-family: Arial;"> https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/induced-abortion-worldwide </span><br />
<sup><span style="font-family: Arial;">2</span></sup><span style="font-family: Arial;"> Thomas Jefferson </span><br />
<br />
Ron Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10685550197231995860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130385652843452496.post-36023849493835600312019-09-07T14:32:00.000-06:002020-02-21T13:26:36.609-07:00Second Amendment Follies<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Second
Amendment to the United States Constitution states the following: “<span style="background: white;">A well
regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep
and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">This
amendment is part of the Bill of Rights, which consists of the first ten
amendments. <span style="color: #222222;">These amendments add to the
Constitution specific guarantees of personal freedoms and </span></span>rights<span style="background: white; color: #222222;"> and place clear limitations on the government's power.</span></span><span style="background: white;"></span></div>
<br />
<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">While
almost all citizens appreciate most of the rights granted in the Bill of
Rights, a disturbing number do not like the Second Amendment and would get rid
of it if they could. In the processes, they twist reality into a convoluted
mess of arguments against it. Some of their nonsensical arguments are listed
below:</span></span><br />
<br />
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Since the amendment
contains the word ‘militia,’ it applies only to members of the military.”
This argument is patently absurd on its face, as are almost all of the
anti-Second Amendment arguments. The reality is that our founding fathers
preferred militias to a standing army. We cannot use 21<sup>st</sup></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
century definitions to define what things were in colonial America.
When the Constitution was written, a militia was made up of volunteers who
came to fight, bringing their own arms and ammunition. Our founders knew
better than to try and disarm the populace. Otherwise, there could be no
militia</span></span></li>
<li style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">“The ‘right of the people to keep and bear arms’ is a
collective right rather than an individual right.” This argument falls flat
when it is pointed out that it is a right of “the people,” not just of the
government. </span>In the 2008 case <a href="http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/07-290.ZS.html"><em><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">District of Columbia v. Heller</span></em></a>, the Supreme Court held
that the "Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a
firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that arm for
traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home." It
should also be pointed out that if part of the Bill of Rights does not grant
individual rights, then consistent interpretation would mean such is true of
the entire Bill of Rights. There would be howls of protest and who knows what
else should such an idea be embraced by politicians.</span></li>
<li style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Since
our rights are granted to us by our government, that same government has the
right to take those rights away.” This argument fails miserably, and our
founders recognized the fact that rights are not granted by government but by
our Creator and are then to be secured by government. The Declaration states, “<span style="background: white;">We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men
are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain
unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
— That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving
their just powers from the consent of the governed,,,” Our rights come from
God, not from government. One of those rights is life, and we have the right to
protect our lives and those of our loved ones, without interference from
government.</span></span></li>
<li style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“The
Second Amendment only applies to muzzle-loading muskets and rifles, not to
‘assault rifles.’” The absurdity of this argument is almost too obvious to need
pointing out. Muzzle-loading muskets and rifles were the “assault weapons” of
that day. Today, any weapon the anti-gun people want to ban gets referred to as
an “assault weapon.” They need to at least know what they are talking about,
but that may be asking too much. By the logic of this argument, the freedom of
the press would only include primitive printing presses or quill pens and
parchment. It certainly would not include computers with word processing
programs, and it would in no way include television, radio, email, social
media, or the Internet as a whole. Looking at the entire Bill of Rights through
this lens certainly makes this argument about the Second Amendment look like
the foolish drivel it is.</span></li>
<li style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Semi-automatic
rifles are not needed by civilians, because they have nothing to do with
hunting.” The answer to that is that the Second Amendment likewise has nothing
to do with hunting. Without the Second Amendment, none of the other parts of
the Bill of Rights could exist. Experience told our founders that we would
never have had a chance to gain our independence from Britain without
an armed populace.</span></li>
<li style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“The
Second Amendment is obsolete and no longer needed.” This implies that somehow
people have changed for the better with time. It denies that there is a need to
be alert and ready for attacks from those who would destroy life and limb and
make slaves of others. The reality is that things are not getting better and
“more civilized.” Instead, things continue to get worse, just as predicted in
the Bible. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“<span style="background: white; color: black;">But evil men and impostors will proceed </span><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">from bad</span><span style="background: white; color: black;"> to worse, deceiving and being deceived” </span></i><span style="background: white; color: black;">(2 Timothy 3:13, NASB).<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>This Scripture is talking specifically
about those who would pervert God’s truth and deceive others into believing
falsehood, but it also certainly describes the state of the world today.</span></span></li>
<li style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; color: black;">“Since Jesus was a pacifist, we should disarm
ourselves and follow His example.” This statement is totally wrong, because
Jesus was not and is not a pacifist. He came the first time to provide
salvation by His grace because of the great love of God toward guilty sinners.
This does not negate the fact that He will come back in power and great glory
to bring judgment to unbelievers. He said, </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">“Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not
come to bring peace, but a sword”</span></i><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> (Matthew 10:34, NASB). It is
interesting that He said to His disciples<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">,
“But now, whoever has a money belt is to take it along, likewise also a bag,
and whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one”</i> (Luke 22:36,
NASB). He also spoke of home defense. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“</i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #001320;">When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own
house, his possessions are undisturbed”</span></i><span style="background: white; color: #001320;"> (Luke 11:21, NASB). <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“</i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: black;">Or how can
anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first
binds the strong </span></i><i><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">man</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: black;">? And then he
will plunder his house”</span></i><span style="background: white; color: black;"> (Matthew 12:29, NASB).</span></span></li>
<li style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; color: black;"><span style="background: white; color: black;">“‘Common sense’ and ‘reasonable’ gun-control laws will
prevent shootings.” The big problem here is that “common sense” and
“reasonable” are, in many cases, buzz words for finding a way around the <span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; orphans: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Second
Amendment by infringing on the right to keep (possess) and bear (carry) arms.
Disarming potential victims does not create fewer victims, but more of them. If
a bully is menacing children on a playground, it would certainly do no good to
tie the hands of all the potential victims behind their backs and then hope
that would deter the bully. Such thinking is totally absurd, but it is common
among those who believe in “gun-control.” They will put up signs that say,
“gun-free zone” and expect those signs to deter criminals. If that kind of
thing worked, it would be beneficial to put up signs that say “crime-free zone”
all over the country and signs along the border that say “no trespassing.” Such
would be</span></span><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> <span style="background: #F8F8F8;">naiveté</span><span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; orphans: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
of the highest order.</span></span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Much more could be
said, but the fact of the matter is that guns are not the problem in our
society today. The problem is sin in the heart of mankind, and the only real answer to the problem is the
Gospel of Jesus Christ and its power to redeem sinners. The Gospel is <i>“... <span style="color: black;">that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,</span><span style="background: white; color: black;"> </span><span style="color: black;">and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third
day according to the Scriptures” </span></i>(1 Corinthians 15:3-4, NASB).
Sinners need a Savior, and the Lord Jesus Christ is the only one who can redeem
us. Those who ignore that fact will continue to experience the meaninglessness
and frustration of living, without answers, in this world full of evil. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“<span style="color: black;">Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ,</span><span style="background: white; color: black;"> </span><span style="color: black;">who gave Himself for our sins so that
He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God
and Father,</span><span style="background: white; color: black;"> </span><span style="color: black;">to whom be the glory forevermore”</span></i> (Galatians 1:3-5, NASB).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Other articles on
this topic are found <a href="http://buffalonoise.blogspot.com/search/label/Second%20Amendment" target="_blank">here</a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /></span>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span>Ron Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10685550197231995860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130385652843452496.post-89968331821092415552019-03-02T17:09:00.000-07:002019-03-02T17:09:52.382-07:00A Brief Lesson From Jonah<span style="color: #1d2129; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We
started a brief study in the book of Jonah last night in our small group. It is
interesting that when the supernatural storm started, the sailors tried to save
themselves by human effort. That was the natural thing for them to do.
"The Lord hurled a great wind on the sea and there was a great storm on
the sea so that the ship was about to break up. Then the sailors became afraid
and every man cried to his god, and they threw the cargo which was in the ship
into the sea to lighten it for them..." (Jonah 1:4-5, NASB). Even after
Jonah told them their only hope was to throw him overboard, they still
continued their human efforts to save themselves. "However, the men rowed
desperately to return to land but they could not, for the sea was becoming even
stormier against them" (Jonah 1:13, NASB).</span></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This
same situation exists today. Just as the ship was in grave danger, sinners are
in grave danger without the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. Even though it
is human nature to try very hard to overcome that danger, as Jonah said,
"Salvation is from the Lord" (Jonah 2:9, NASB). No amount of human
effort can succeed in saving a soul. Only the Lord can do that.</span></span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span>Ron Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10685550197231995860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130385652843452496.post-36862928590893394722019-02-13T16:47:00.000-07:002019-02-13T16:47:11.243-07:00But My Good Outweighs My Bad<span style="font-family: Arial; margin: 0px;">Imagine someone accused of
murder standing before a judge and saying, “But your honor, I admit killing one
person, but look at the billions of people in the world that I didn’t kill.
Obviously, my good outweighs my bad.” That individual would not have even a
snowball’s chance on the sun of being acquitted. However, he would have an
infinitely better chance than those who rely on their “good” to outweigh their
“bad” when it comes to standing before a holy God.</span><br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; margin: 0px;">God’s standard is His own
perfect righteousness, and anything less than perfection is insufficient to
allow anyone into God’s heaven. Clearly, not one of us can come even close to
perfection, and by His standard, no one can truthfully say, “My good outweighs
my bad.” Only those who are by faith clothed in the righteousness of the
crucified and risen Son of God will be admitted. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; margin: 0px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; margin: 0px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">He made Him
who knew no sin <span style="margin: 0px;">to be</span> sin on
our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him”</span></i><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"> (2 Corinthians 5:21, NASB).<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“For as through the one man’s
disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the
One the many will be made righteous”</i> (Romans 5:19, NASB).</span></span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Ron Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10685550197231995860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130385652843452496.post-76050635412697723052019-01-29T18:03:00.000-07:002019-01-29T18:10:14.700-07:00Truth vs. Emotionalism<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">Much of the conflict we see today is
between emotionalism and truth. Often, emotionalism is perceived to be winning,
but in reality, truth always has and always will come out on top in the end.
That's because truth is that which is consistent with reality, and no amount of
wishful thinking, warm and fuzzy feelings, false hope, or emotionalism can ever
change reality.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">No one is helped when truth and reality
are denied and replaced with "feel good" ideas. Paul asked, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">"...have I become your enemy by telling
you the truth?" </i>(Galatians 4:16, NASB). Jesus Himself IS truth (John
14:6). Only He can set us free. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">"...you
will know the truth, and the truth will make you free"</i> (John 8:32,
NASB). This truth is to be spoken in love, and it cannot be loving to withhold
the message of Christ. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">"... speaking
the truth in love..."</i> (Ephesians 4:15, NASB).</span></span></div>
Ron Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10685550197231995860noreply@blogger.com0