" WORD of TRUTH Lighthouse "

Friday, May 27, 2016

" For I Am Persuaded "

PERSUADED, ABSOLUTELY ! ! !

Romans 8:38-39 " For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of GOD, which is in CHRIST JESUS our LORD."

One does well to lay to heart one particular word in verse 38: "Persuaded." This word is a heart word. In the Greek text, it is in the perfect tense and signifies, "I have come through a process of persuasion to a settled conclusion."

There is a difference between knowing a truth and being heart-persuaded of it as born out in Romans 14:14: "I know, and am persuaded by the LORD JESUS . . ." To know a Bible truth, one has only to read it. However, to be persuaded of it involves the fact that, first of all, the truth in question touches your own personal safety before GOD and, second, your heart has been so enlightened by the HOLY SPIRIT and you are so won over (persuaded) that confidence, heart-satisfied persuasion, results. Now, Paul says in Romans 8:38, "I am persuaded." Paul had passed through all the terrible things mentioned a few verses earlier. Look at the scars on his body (2nd.Corinthians 12:9; 13:13). Assurance ? He had it ! Confidence ? Listen to his last epistle (2nd.Timothy 4:18). Persuaded ? His mind, conscience, and heart were sublimely committed to what he was about to say.

Many often misquote this verse (v.38), putting it according to natural thought: "neither life nor death." But GOD says, "Neither death, nor life." To the instructed believer, the fear of death is gone (see Hebrews 2:14-15). CHRIST partook of it. But life ! Ah, life is so much more difficult than death - life with its burdens, bitterness, disappointments, uncertainties, often with physical miseries. As Job said, "My soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than my life" (Job 7:15). Just as death cannot separate us from the unchangeable love of GOD in CHRIST, neither can life's circumstances separate us. JED

Your servant in CHRIST,

Julie

Used with permission. www.feasite.org

Friday, May 20, 2016

" Parenting in an Ungodly World "

Daniel 1:8; 3:10-12 " But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. "

" Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image: and whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou has set up. "

As our world grows alarmingly ungodly, we often express concern about the impact of an increasingly depraved society upon our young people. This concern is valid (James 4:4; 1st.John 2:15-17). As we expend energy defensively protecting our children from the evils of our day, we often forget that it is also important to build within them a positive offensive attitude toward the time in history in which the LORD has called them to live. Some of the most dramatic examples in Scripture of dynamic godly youth were birthed in times of spiritual darkness similar to our own.

As a youth, Daniel lived in a spiritually deteriorating world. Though Scripture says nothing of Daniel's parentage, it is obvious that they must have applied the truth of Proverbs 22:6. Those days were treacherous and alarming for families in Judah, yet Daniel not only survived but even excelled in godly virtues. Daniel was probably only thirteen or fourteen years old when ungodly Jehoiachin ascended the throne in Jerusalem. The priests were corrupting the temple, bringing pagan idols into the holy courtyard, and their reprobate minds, in time, caused them literally to turn their backs on the holy place and worship the rising sun (Ezekiel 8). As the WORD of GOD from the prophet Jeremiah was read to the king, he scornfully cut it into pieces and threw GOD's warning into the flames with which he warmed himself. Amazingly, out of those evil days came godly Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. The dark days in which we live should prompt godly parents to defensively protect their children from evil and also to offensively train their youth to rise up as spiritual leaders and examples. JMC

Your servant in CHRIST,

Julie

Used with permission. www.feasite.org

Friday, April 22, 2016

" The TRUTH about the BIBLE "

THE BIBLE IS GOD's WORD

" For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of GOD spake as they were moved by the HOLY GHOST. " 2nd.Peter 1:21

" . . . When ye received the WORD of GOD which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as IT is in TRUTH, the WORD of GOD . . . " 1st.Thessalonians 2:13

" All Scripture is given by inspiration of GOD, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof . . . " 2nd.Timothy 3:16

THE BIBLE IS TRUE

" Sanctify them through THY truth: THY WORD is truth. " John 17:17

" THY WORD is true from the beginning: and every one of THY righteous judgments endureth forever. " Psalm 119:160

" And now, O LORD GOD, THOU art that GOD, and THY WORDs be true, and THOU hast promised this goodness unto THY servant. " 2nd.Samuel 7:28

" And HE that sat upon the throne said, ' Behold, I make all things new.' And HE said unto me, ' Write: for these WORDs are true and faithful.' " Revelation 21:5

The BIBLE IS TIMELY

" This know also, that in the last days, perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent (without self-control), fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady (headstrong), highminded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of GOD; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away . . . " 2nd.Timothy 3:1-5

" According as HIS divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of HIM that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature . . . " 2nd.Peter 1:3-4

THE BIBLE IS ENDURING

" Heaven and earth shall pass away: but MY WORDs shall not pass away. " Luke 21:33

" For ever, O LORD, THY WORD is settled in Heaven. " Psalm 119:89

" The grass withereth, the flower fadeth but the WORD of our GOD shall stand for ever. " Isaiah 40:8

THE BIBLE IS VALUABLE

To the Christian:

" THY WORD is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. " Psalm 119:105

" But whoso keepeth HIS WORD, in him verily is the love of GOD perfected: hereby know we that we are in HIM. " 1st.John 2:5

" THY WORDs were found, and I did eat them; and THY WORD was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by THY name, O LORD GOD of hosts. " Jeremiah 15:16

To the Unbeliever:

" So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the WORD of GOD. " Romans 10:17

" Verily, Verily, I say unto you, he that heareth MY WORD, and believeth on HIM that sent ME, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. " John 5:24

The Bible is GOD's TRUTH. IT reveals man's sinful and lost condition, the righteousness of JESUS CHRIST and Salvation through the shedding of HIS blood on the cross; GOD the SON died for your sins and arose bodily from the grave. GOD wants you to believe HIS TRUTH, the Bible, and to trust HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST, as your only hope of Salvation. JESUS said, " I AM the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE: no man cometh unto the FATHER, but by ME. " John 14:6. Trust CHRIST as your SAVIOR today !

Your servant in CHRIST,

Julie

Used with permission. www.feasite.org

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

" Popularity or Persecution "

Jeremiah 26:8-11 " Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the Priests and the Prophets and all the people took him, saying, Thou shalt surely die. Why has thou prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant ? And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the LORD. When the Princes of Judah heard these things, then they came up from the King's house unto the house of the LORD, and sat down in the entry of the new gate of the LORD's house. Then spake the Priests and the Prophets unto the Princes and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy to die; for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears. "

Those who believe, obey, and faithfully proclaim all of GOD's WORD have never been popular with the world - and never will be. They always have been in the minority. JESUS spoke of this in Matthew 7:14-15, also warning about the false prophets who would come in HIS name. In Matthew 7:21-23, CHRIST prophesied about the craftiness of future miracle workers who would claim the name of JESUS without actually doing HIS will. Many religious prophets, priests, and worshippers existed in Jeremiah's day, but the majority of them would not listen to the WORD of the LORD because it exposed and rebuked their sinful, fleshly desires. Instead, they loved the ecumenical movement of their day with its rich variety of worship forms learned from the surrounding pagans - styles of worship pleasing to the flesh but not to the LORD.

Jeremiah's faithfulness in diminishing not a word from the message GOD had given him did not make him popular; rather, it so angered the religious leaders and people that they all agreed he should be put to death. All were gathered together against Jeremiah in the house of the LORD (vv.8-11). During HIS earthly ministry, JESUS never had a great following of those who were desirous of the truth. The disciples and Apostles were part of a despised minority. None were popular; all were persecuted. But today the increasingly influential new evangelical and charismatic leaders are exalted and praised by the majority of Christendom and even by political leaders. They are popular, not persecuted nor opposed by the world. Why is this ? It could only be because they are disobeying GOD by failing to declare all the counsel of GOD in this evil day. MHR

Your servant in CHRIST,

Julie

Used with permission. www.feasite.org

Thursday, March 3, 2016

" Rebellion Against the LORD "

Jeremiah 28:12-17 " Then the WORD of the LORD came unto Jeremiah the prophet, after that Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke from off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah saying, Go and tell Hananiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Thou has broken the yokes of wood; but thou shalt make for them yokes of iron. For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the GOD of Israel; I have put a yoke of iron upon the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they shall serve him: and I have given him the beasts of the field also. Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The LORD hath not sent thee; but thou makes this people to trust in a lie. Therefore thus saith the LORD; BEHOLD, I will cast thee from off the face of the earth: this year thou shall die, because thou hast taught rebellion against the LORD. So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month. "

Rebelling against the LORD is a terrible sin. To teach rebellion against GOD is even more reprehensible. The false prophet Hananiah was guilty of both sins, and GOD condemned him for causing people to trust in a lie (vv.15-16). Hananiah held a respected place in the hearts of GOD's people, and his message was well received. He claimed to be sent by GOD and to have obtained his message from the LORD, but he lied. He deceived himself, and he certainly deluded others. He told the people, the priests, and the rulers what they wanted to hear, not what GOD wanted them to hear. As a result of his compromise, this so-called prophet of GOD was popular among the people, but he caused the Israelites to trust a lie. He taught rebellion against GOD and needed to be exposed and countered by a faithful, true minister of the LORD.

Once again Jeremiah found himself in a difficult position. He had to face and openly rebuke Hananiah. It was not easy to be a minority voice against the majority in that day, nor is it easy today. As increasing compromise stills the voices of many Pastors and people who formerly cried out against false teachers and apostate churches, the task of faithful watchmen becomes even more difficult but also more important. The question in Psalm 94:16 - "Who will rise up for ME against the evildoers ? or who will stand up for ME against the workers of iniquity ? " - needs to be answered by every believer today: "By GOD's grace, I will. " The theological wolves of our day appear as such innocent looking sheep. Spiritual discernment is needed as never before to separate truth from error. If we allow error, we are, in reality, rebelling against the LORD. MHR

Your servant in CHRIST,

Julie

Used with permission. www.feasite.org

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

" Diminish Not A WORD "

Jeremiah 26:1-7 " In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah King of Judah came this WORD from the LORD, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Stand in the court of the LORD's house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD's house, all the WORDs that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a WORD: If so be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way, that I may repent ME of the evil, which I purpose to do unto them because of the evil of their doings.

And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; If ye will not hearken to ME, to walk in MY law, which I have set before you, to hearken to the words of MY servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you, both rising up early, and sending them, but ye have not hearkened; Then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth. So the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the LORD. "

Many ministers in churches today have a tendency to trim the message of GOD's WORD in order to lessen the possibility of offending their hearers. This proclivity is bolstered by the fact that so many in the congregation desire to hear messages that have been altered in order to emphasize the positive and eliminate the negative. In Jeremiah's day, a similar situation existed, but GOD gave him an extremely specific command. He was to stand in the LORD's house, to speak unto all the people who came to worship , and to "diminish not a WORD" of the message GOD had given him (v.2). Just like today, the prevailing "philosophy of ministry" during Jeremiah's day presupposed (correctly) that people would be disconcerted if the message from GOD was "too negative." Jeremiah's proclamation was a case in point. In a day of false prophets, greedy priests, and counterfeit worship, the people still wanted to hear promises of peace and prosperity, not of GOD's impending judgment. No doubt the people of Israel said to themselves, as many do in the church today, "We came to worship the LORD and to be affirmed in our spiritual walk, not to listen to negative warnings."

In our day, as in Jeremiah's day, we need to "diminish not a WORD" when proclaiming the Gospel and warning about the wolves in sheep's clothing who are deceiving so many. Our words will not be popular, but they will receive GOD's blessing and accomplish HIS purpose (Isaiah 55:11). A tremendous pressure exists today to "diminish" the message. Never fall victim to this cunning ploy by the god of this world (the Devil). In the LORD's strength, let us give "all the counsel of GOD" and "[cease] not to warn" (Acts 20:27-31). MHR

Your servant in CHRIST,

Julie

Used with permission. www.feasite.org

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

" HIS Delight "

Psalm 149:4 " For the LORD taketh pleasure in HIS people: HE will beautify the meek with Salvation. "

What is it that brings you inner delight: the love of family and friends, the beauty of GOD's creation, the work of GOD's SPIRIT in the lives of those for whom you have prayed, the LORD HIMSELF, or a host of other things ? Our lists could probably be almost endless with each new day and every new and pleasant experience. Have you ever stopped for a moment and thought about what brings delight to your Heavenly FATHER ? Does it surprise you to think of GOD as being pleased or delighted ?

The WORD of GOD records some of the specifics of those things that delight our LORD, and it might amaze us to learn that our GOD delights in us. I love the words to Israel in Isaiah: "The LORD delighteth in thee" (Isaiah 62:4). In today's text, two causes are assigned as to why the saints should be excited to praise the LORD and be joyful in their KING: the delight that HE has in HIS saints (the meek) and the gracious designs that HE has toward HIS saints. Is it possible that GOD also delights in our way (Psalm 37:23) ? Adam Clarke suggests that "when [one's] steps are ordered by the LORD, HE delighteth in his way, because it is that into which HIS OWN good SPIRIT has directed him." GOD also loves to hear us pray and takes delight in our prayers, for Solomon, by the SPIRIT of GOD, assures us that "the prayer of the upright is [the LORD's] delight" (Proverbs 15:8).

Finally, Jeremiah informs us that the LORD delights in our personal knowledge of HIM (Jeremiah 9:24). It is this intimate understanding of HIM and HIS will that HE prizes the most, for it is that which enables us to bring HIM glory. Let us, like Paul, make it our goal to please HIM (2nd.Corinthians 5:9). Remember, the LORD delights in HIS people. JED

Your servant in CHRIST,

Julie

Used with permission. www.feasite.org