Believershome Blog

“they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth”

I grew up a citizen of the US, lived in its culture for 20 years before experience life as a foreigner for several months, in Costa Rica, and one year in Saudi Arabia. At age 31, with my bride at my side, we journeyed to Poland, and have spent ten years in a foreign land. Though it has been ten years, there are constant reminders that Poland is not our home. Yet neither is America. Though citizens of the US, after years abroad, returning often brings heaps of culture shock. We fall now in that sub category of feeling trapped between two or more cultures, able to comfortably move within their borders, but not feeling at home in them. Each trip back is like stepping into a culture that seems more and more unfamiliar. The places, the talk, the mindset, the value system, the goals all seem strange. Why is that? Because it is no longer home. It is simply a place, though once familiar, now a place to pass through. Though once considered a fair place to settle, now considered a passing dream.

A pilgrim is one who journeys in foreign lands. Where, then, is home? It is where Christ dwells. He dwells in heaven above and that is our final home. But he also dwells in the heart of those who love him. While walking the pilgrim journey, Christ will be my home. And one day, he will bring me to his eternal home.

“So then ye are no more strangers and sojourners, but ye are fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19)

“ Thy statutes have been my songs In the house of my pilgrimage.” (Psalm 119:54)

“And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty years: few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.” (Genesis 47:9)

MAS

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I live in your heart

I’ve been there from the start

I hold you down and keep you back

In all your relations you experience lack

You cannot control me and when you try to

Someone will notice and thence I grow inside you

I make you ugly but you don’t know it

You try to hide me but you always “blow it”

You think you are beautiful,

Others think you are wonderful

Those close to you will always know better

They know you well down to the letter

They see you at your worst times

The world looks and thinks “all is fine”

I shine best in your quick emotional comments

I show myself to others at unguarded moments

I thrive under stress

It’s during arguments when I am at my best

I break loose from your every social inhibition

I work best when you think I won’t get recognition

You try to keep me under cover

But I cling to your heart like a lifetime lover

I was birthed by the negativism which fills your mind

I feed on negative thoughts of every kind

It’s here where I grow

I grow so great that I begin to show

“For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he…”

Soon enough you won’t know who is you and who is me

I travel from your mind down to your heart

Then journey northward till from your lips I depart

“For out of the heart proceeds evil thoughts…”

When others are nice I remain mean, high-wrought

“…of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks”

It is your life, you precious life that I seek

Like a thief I rob you of happiness

I am opposed to and the opposite of godliness

Bitter is the sap that I leak

As out of the reservoir of your negative thoughts I speak

Like a wild horse put under restraint

I twist and I shove until I manifest my complaint

When you feel hurt, cheated, used or misunderstood

I tell you, “It’s okay…you really are good!”

I give you the power to retaliate

Sometimes I am condemning because I think confrontation is great

I am adversarial, vengeful and punishing

Rejecting dear ones, the pain of my sting inflicting

Often shy, but manifest in stressful situations

I break loose your social inhibitions

When I finally come out I reveal you,

Who you really are inside

By now you’ve probably guessed my name:

I am PRIDE.

“By pride, cometh only contention” (Proverbs 13:10)

TAS

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“Lord, we would ne’er forget Thy love, Who hast redeemed us by Thy blood;
And now, as our High Priest above dost intercede for us with God.
Lord, we would not forget the pain, the blood-like sweat, the shameful tree,
The wrath Thy soul did once sustain, from sin and death to set us free.
We would remember we are one with ev’ry saint that loves Thy name;
United to Thee on the throne, our life, our hope, our Lord the same.”

 This song just had me in tears tonight as I nursed my baby to sleep. 

I’ve been just longing to meet Him lately.  I am a visual person and I’ve always wanted to be able to see Jesus with my physical eyes.  I want to touch Him.  I wish that I lived when He was first on earth.  I eagerly wait for His return.  Don’t you just miss Him?  I miss Him so much. 

“(Moses) choosing rather to be ill-treated with the people of God than to enjoy sin’s fleeting pleasure. He regarded abuse suffered for Christ to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for his eyes were fixed on the reward. By faith he left Egypt without fearing the king’s anger, for he persevered as though he could see the one who is invisible.” Hebrews 11:26-27 (NET translation)

“You have not seen him, but you love him. You do not see him now but you believe in him, and so you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy,” I Peter 1:8 (NET Bible)

Living overseas far from family I know something of what it means to long to see someone whom I love.  I know what it means to miss people.  I want to see Jesus face to face.  I know that when it does happen it won’t feel like it’s been so long but tonight as I am bound by physical time I must perservere; wait patiently. 

Oh grip of time how you hold me tight. 

I would leap into eternity if it weren’t for you this very night. 

Spiritual realm how near you seem yet so far away at the same time. 

If I could escape time’s clutches I would flee to Him who has made me for I am His and He is mine. 

But He has asked me to wait and I shall. 

And as I wait for Him I will plow. 

He has given me work to do while I wait. 

Isn’t He great! 

He understands my longing and He meets my needs. 

I hear His voice: “Don’t stand there looking up to Heaven go plant some seeds!”

TAS

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“Therefore let us also, seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising shame, and hath sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  For consider him that hath endured such gainsaying of sinners against himself, that ye wax not weary, fainting in your souls.” 

Weight.  Sin.  Weariness.  These are the things, the obstacles that prevent a believer from making progress in the Christian life, and from finishing well.  There are things that weigh the pilgrim down.  A weight is not always sinful. But it does hinder spiritual progress.

Materialism, which so engulfs society today, can be a weight. Entertainment, and the pursuit of pleasure, the belief that a Christian deserves to live in comfort can also be weight, and prevent the pilgrim from making spiritual progress. 

There are sins that trouble a pilgrim, stunting growth or causing a believer to stop moving forward.  Satan loves to remind us of past sins.  We have difficulty believing that God has forgiven and forgotten them.  Though God has forgotten, yet we cannot forget, and the weight of past sins prevents us from making progress.

There is also a weariness.  The pilgrim life can be a lonely life.  We serve the Lord in the capacities the Lord has given to us, but the work can be discouraging, the fruit so small, the way so weary.

So often times there is a tendency of wanting to simply give up, drop out, and not finish well.  The author of Hebrews is writing to such pilgrims.  In Hebrews 11 he records a list of men and women who had weights, particular sin and were weary, but who finished well.  Through the centuries of time they lived and served God in their day.  And they rise up as witnesses to us today, that despite of weights, sins and weariness, they pressed on and finished well.

What is the key?  How did they do it? What is the message they leave for us in our generation today?  Hebrews 1:3 holds the key:  “consider him”.  Think of Christ.  Meditate on him.  Keep the eye on him.  Learn of him. Walk with him.  Enjoy his presence by reading of him in Scripture and living with him as a constant companion by your side. 

Moses did just that.  In Hebrews 11:23-27 we read of Moses that his eye was fixed on the reward, and he endured as though he could see the one who is invisible.  He kept his eye on Christ.  He did not consider his suffering, nor his circumstances.  He did not dwell with the critics and those that mocked and sought to distract him from making progress.  He kept his eye on Christ, and through faith, saw him.

 Is there a weight or a sin that is preventing us from seeing him?  Are we weary and heavy burdened, carrying in the journey a load of care?  The key to finishing well is to strip our lives of the weight that burdens, the sins we remember, the weariness of the journey and to keep our eyes focused on Christ, the reward, the prize, the goal.  MAS

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“Concerning which salvation the prophets sought and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:  searching what time or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did point unto, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glories that should follow them.”

The prophets not only were the instruments of God to predict the coming of the Messiah, they were also students of their own prophecies.  They searched diligently, carefully investigating each prophecy in order to understand more. 

This type of diligent search does not characterize many in Christendom today.  In popular Christian culture, the written Word of God has been replaced with emotionalism, whether in the form of building relationships, experiential sentimentalism or  the seeing of visions and the dreaming of dreams.

But the diligent study of Scripture is the characteristic of those who are godly, and throughout the global village which we have become, there are those who, like the prophets of old, spend their time, not in the pursuit of pleasure, or something new, but in the pursuit of God as he has revealed himself in Holy Scripture. MAS

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“The beginning of wisdom is to fear the Lord, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

What do we know? 

From Nature, we know of his power, design, detail, complexity. 

From History we know of his holiness in that he has been largely unknown, living apart from sinful men.  History does not answer the question of why evil has been allowed to go unabated.  It simply teaches us that God has and remains in a realm completely apart from sin, and allows evil to abound unabated for reasons history cannot explain.  History thus teaches us that due to sin, God is a mystery, filling his creatures with questions of why He is and what he is like.

From Conscience we know that God is, and that he rewards those who diligently seek him.   

From Holy Scripture, God’s Word, written through generations of time by men inspired by the Holy Spirit, we know his character, his heart, his will, his work, his purposes and his grace.  These are just the beginnings of what the written Word of God reveals to us.  At times men and women of a proud and arrogant spirit, claim new knowledge of the Holy One, apart from the written Word of God, new revelation which not only draws mankind away from Holy Scripture, but also confuses many and darkens the pathway that leads to life. 

Knowledge of the Holy One brings understanding.  That knowledge is found in Holy Scripture.  To know him is life eternal (John 17:3). To know him is to know the way and the truth (John 14:6).  In a world which worships many gods, ranging from sport and entertainment figures to deities and spirits followed blindly for cultural, traditional or ignorant reasons, the eternal God has left of trail of evidence for the seeking man to consider, and the diligent man to find.  The way to knowledge of the Holy One is found in his written Word.  It brings conviction, repentance, forgiveness, salvation, regeneration and sanctification.  It brings peace to the mind and joy to the heart.  MAS

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 “Enter through the narrow gate, because the gate is wide and the way is spacious that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. But the gate is narrow and the way is difficult that leads to life, and there are few who find it.^” 

In this passage, the Lord Jesus speaks about a gate and a way.  There are two mistakes often made by those in Christian circles.  The first mistake is to enter the gate and forget to follow the way.  The second mistake is to follow the way without entering through the gate. 

The Lord Jesus speaks about a gate.  In John 10:9 he says, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”  There can be no salvation without first entering through the right gate.  The gospel points us to the gate.  It tells us that if we wish to be rid of the burden of sin, if we wish to flee from the wrath to come, if we as sinful creatures wish to enter God’s holy presence, then we must first go through the gate; that is, we must first come to the cross and see the Lord Jesus who died in our place.  We must come to the one who was dead and see that he is alive again, forevermore (Revelation 1:18).  It is he who gives life, and not another.  We must enter through him, trust him as our personal Savior, come out of sin and into Christ.

And there is a way.  What is this way?  Jesus said “I am the way….no one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).  Thus the way is found in following Him.  It is a mistake to think that entrance through the gate secures one so that he/she does not have to follow the way, but rather can do whatever he/she wants. No, we must and need to follow Him, not in our own strength, but in the strength given to us through a relationship with Christ which starts the moment we enter through the gate.  Proverbs 16:5 tells us that “there is a way that seems right to a man, but the ends thereof are the ways of death.”  We dare not follow any other way than the way of the Lord Jesus.  He is leading us on the pathway that leads out of sin; it is the pathway that leads to holiness; the pathway that leads to home. 

There is a gate and there is a way.  Some enter the gate, but refuse to follow the way; others try to follow the way without first coming through the gate.  The true believer enters through the narrow gate that is marked by the shameful cross, where the Lord Jesus shed his blood to make atonement for sin.  It is not the gate of the law nor is it the gate of good works. It is the gate of humility that takes us to the cross and on to the Lord Jesus, who died and rose that we might live.

The true believer knows the way.  And if ever there is a moment of doubt, a moment of despair, when we cry out like Thomas of old, “Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way” (John 14:5) we hear the comforting and reassuring words of the Savior, “I am the way..” (John 14:6).  He is the gate, and he is the way.  There is no other entrance, and no other way.  MAS

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“We walk by faith, not by sight” 

The Christian life is a pilgrim’s life.  A Christian is a pilgrim, a stranger, a traveler passing through this world.  As the Christian walks through life, he finds strength in his relationship with the Lord.  “The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).  How can we find strength for the pilgrim journey?  We find it in our relationship with Christ.  With a Bible in our hands and Christ in our hearts, we walk. 

Where have you walked today?  Each day we can walk along the highways and byways of men and enjoy the sights, sounds, joys and experiences of the world; or we can walk along the highway of faith.  With an open Bible shining light on the pathway (Psalm 119:105), we trod the steps other pilgrims have trod before us.  

Where have you walked today?  Some days I trace the paths that Abraham trod, and walk in the mountains of Genesis 22.  Other days I walk in the valley where an unnamed father was left broken over the condition of his son (Luke 9:38). And all days I enjoy the presence of the Lord who meets each weary pilgrim to give them strength. 

Where have you walked today? MAS

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“That they may be one…That they… may be one… That they may be one… That they may be… one” (John 17:11,21, 22,23)  

In his High Priestly prayer, the Lord Jesus prayed for his own, shortly before he went to the cross.  Four times we read in his prayer of his desire is to see the unity of believers.  In Ephesians 4:13, Paul reveals that there are workers among God’s people whose work bring unity to the body of Christ.  There are of course, also people whose work brings disunity. 

We live in a generation that is ever merging closer together.  There are political unions, workers unions, religious unions, business mergers.  There is a great desire to come together.   In our generation there is a great ecumenical movement.  But this movement takes two forms. 

The first we can call a political ecumenical movement.  This is a movement which works towards catholicity and a visible, united Church.  It calls on denominations and parachurch organizations who call themselves Christian to come together,  to recognize one another as being unified and to show that unity in practical ways.  The basis of this unity is not doctrine, for doctrine divides and thus cannot unite the church to be one.  Rather, the basis of unity is on external or organizational unity.  This movement therefore cannot be biblical, for its roots lie in man, man’s councils and man’s documents, and not in God’s Word. 

The second, we can call a biblical ecumenical movement.  This is a call for true believers to recognize that the body of Christ knows no man-made denominational barriers, nor man-made parachurch organizations.  Unity can never come from man’s documents, councils and contracts that tie organizations together. Nor can it come from being under an organizational banner.  Instead, unity is based on a common bond of regenerating life in Christ, devotion to Him, and is outwardly expressed in the common communion we share as believers remembering Him in breaking of bread.  The ties that bind are stronger than any man-secured document can ever be.

In John 10:27, Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”  Here is the test of unity.  First, there is the hearing of the Lord’s voice.  We hear his voice in the written Word of God which reveals to us the true nature of man and the salvation of God;  we respond to the gospel call and are regenerated, born anew into the family of God.  Second, there is the desire to follow the Lord Jesus Christ.  Devotion to Him is characteristic of all who are united to Christ through regeneration. 

Now there are many in Christendom who would immediately reject this test.  Then there are others who at first seem to meet the requirements of this test, yet in time, will be exposed as deceivers, devoted to others or other things, and not to Christ.  MAS

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“Whatever thing I command you, that shall you observe to do: you shall not add thereto, nor diminish from it.  If there arise in the midst of you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and he give you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spoke to you, saying, Let us go after other gods, which you have not known, and let us serve them; you shall not listen to the words of that prophet, or to that dreamer of dreams: for Yahweh your God proves you, to know whether you love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul.  You shall walk after Yahweh your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and you shall serve him, and cleave to him.” 

This passage teaches that a person who does miracles or speaks a prophecy that comes true, or interprets a dream is not always from God.  How then can we know for sure what is from God?  The written Word of God is the only sure guide.  We are to live according to the Word of God (Matthew 4:4), not according to the word of men, not according to the words of a supposed prophet, an interpreter of dreams nor a miracle worker.  Today there are many self proclaimed prophets and apostles claiming to be the voice of God.  The only sure path is to follow the written Word of God.  Many are not doing this today.  Many are listening and following a spiritual guide, listening to the voice of men and abandoning the written Word of God.  In doing so, they are not taking heed to the warnings of Scripture. 

Is it possible for unregenerate men and women to do signs and wonders?  The answer is yes.  The magicians of Egypt performed signs and wonders, and others do it today (see 2 Timothy 3:8). 

In our generation we must follow the written Word of God (Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1; Psalm 119:11; 1 Timothy 4:13).  MAS

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The sunflower is a very beautiful flower by nature. A believer is made beautiful by the redeeming power of Christ. A wife is made beautiful by her adoration and reverence to her husband. Anyone who has visited my home and has spent some time in my kitchen knows that I love Sunflowers. The sunflower is my favorite flower. It wouldn’t take long to find that out about me. It is as useful as it is beautiful.

Sunflowers produce seeds that are nutritious, and from these seeds oil is produced. I once read that Native Americans long ago used parts of the sunflower plant to treat rattlesnake bites, and sunflower meal to make bread. I also read that sunflowers were even used near Chernobyl to extract radio-nuclides cesium 137 and strontium 90 from contaminated ponds following the catastrophic nuclear reactor accident there.

Though these qualities are quite admirable there is an even deeper reason why I love to surround myself with sunflowers. Flowers have been given meanings and the meaning of the short stemmed sunflower is adoration. The meaning of the long stemmed sunflower is reverence. Adoration and reverence is what every believer should have for the Redeemer of their souls. But, that’s not all. Every wife should hold great volumes of adoration and reverence for her husband as we read in God’s Word, “…Wives must be reverent…” (I Timothy 3:11).

A simple nature study of the sunflower would teach it’s observer that it constantly keeps it’s “face” toward the sun. It will follow the sun as it moves across the sky in the course of a day. If you were to test this out daily for seven days you would find that it’s true. Without fail the sunflower faces the sun. In a sense, the sunflower teaches us to look to the Son and to keep our eyes fixed on Him. Peter anxiously hopped out of the boat to walk towards Jesus and was successful until the moment he took his eyes off the Son (Matthew 14: 28-31). In the home a wife is to look toward her head (husband) and orient her life around him (Genesis 2:18). A wife is created to be her husband’s helpmeet. She should be filled with adoration for him, “that they may teach the young women…to love their husbands…” (Titus 2:4-5).

Sadly this often is not the case. Many wives are filled with bitterness rather than tenderness toward their husbands. This is so because they allow their thoughts to go astray. They mull over every little supposed offense until anger replaces joy, and belittling replaces adoration. What a shame!

But see the contrast taught by the sunflower.  How beautiful is a field of sunflowers all facing in the same direction, toward the Sun. Likewise how beautiful it is when the Bride of Christ, full of adoration for Him, reverences Him. Even more, how glorious when in our homes, we model this mystery for the world by being wives who reverence our husbands.

That is what I learn from the sunflower.  As I gaze upon its beauty, I am encouraged to follow its example and fix my eyes on the Son and let Him fill my heart with adoration and reverence for my husband whom He has given to me.   TAS

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The Lord of this Psalm is none other than Jehovah, the One who does not change, who is the eternal King of Kings, the  creator and Author of all, the Savior, who saves people from their sins.

This Lord is a Shepherd.  But what does it mean to have the Lord as a Shepherd?  To enjoy the Lord as a Shepherd, one must first know him as Savior.  Those who know him as Savior have heard his voice calling, and have entered into his sheepfold and now know the Lord not only as Savior, but also as Shepherd.

David writes in Psalm 23 that the man who owns Christ as his Shepherd is a man who shall not want.  The human being is a marvelous being, but also one with needs.  There is the need for salvation, and the Lord has provided for that need.  There is a need for guidance, and again, so long as the sheep remain close to his side, the Lord has promised to be our guide.   There is a need to grow, to mature as a Christian and to do so, the Lord has provided the Scriptures as spiritual food whereby in which we can grow.  Because of failings within there is need for his grace and his forgiveness.  Because the pilgrim path can be a lonely path, there is need for a companion and a friend.  All these needs the Lord provides.  So long as we follow his voice, he supplies all our needs along the pilgrim journey of life.  As a Shepherd, he cares and sustains us until we are safely home. 

While the Lord promises this blessing, not all enjoy it.  Sheep often wander looking for pastures they feel are greener, more enjoyable.  We feel it best while the Shepherd knows it is not.  Often in our times we work hard to obtain or to provide the family with every new or fashionable item that can add to their comforts and status.  And we do so apart from the Shepherd. We overspend, living life above the means we have, and live on credit.  Then the sheep ask the Shepherd to bless and provide.  A loving Shepherd will do no such thing.  He does not provide our wants; he supplies are need.  And if we wander from his side to pastures we feel are healthier and greener without the Shepherd’s guidance, then we do so without his blessing, care and provisions.  Does that mean he ceases to care for us?  By no means.  In love, he disciplines and teaches us not to wander from his side. 

To those who stay near him, they know no lack of supply from the storehouses of the Shepherd’s resources (Philippians 4:19). If the sheep have the Shepherd, then the sheep have all they need.  How blest to know Him, to be able to say, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want”.  MAS

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Though rulers plot and slander me, your servant meditates on your statutes (Psalm 119:23)

What is a man to do when others plot his ruin? When others wish for his downfall or act in a way that will discourage him or even cause him to give up? What is a man to do when others malign, misunderstand or even reject him and wound him?

We hear often today of soldiers wounded or killed by “friendly fire”. Often it is accidental. But in the battles of the Lord it is unfortunate that the Lord’s people often are found battling each other for personal gain, having their interests above the Lord’s. There are plots, there is slander and there are wounds.

King David of old knew them. In Psalm 119 he directs us to the place of refuge, the Word of God. Each day we are to allow the Lord to wash our feet by the reading of the Word of God. Each day we are to feed on the Word of God which is our spiritual food. Each day we are to put on the armor of God and take up the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. But most of all, each day we are to meditate on Word of God. In them we find our source of joy, for in them we find Christ, the dearest treasure of the heart.

In a world full of slanders and plots, what is the servant of God to do? He is to meditate on God’s Word and keep his eye on Christ, the Master, Teacher, Shepherd and Friend and continue to walk with Him. MAS

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Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. (John 17:17)

Before the Lord Jesus went to the cross, he prayed for those who would believe in him.  And in his high priestly prayer, he prays that we would be sanctified, holy.  How is it possible to be holy, to live up to God’s standards, to keep his commandments?  We learn from the Word of God that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).  We learn that all our righteousness is as filthy rags in God’s eyes (Isaiah 64:6).  We learn that the Adamic nature is a fallen, sinful nature (Romans 5:12; Psalm 51:5; Ephesians 2:3).  Is it possible to be holy?  The Scriptures teach that it is possible, not through our own righteousness or goodness, not in the flesh; it is made possible by the blood of Jesus Christ (1 John 1:7).  In John 17, the Lord Jesus prays that those who were given to him (John 17:9, 11, 24) would be sanctified.  And the sanctifying agent is the Word of God.  It acts as a cleansing agent (Psalm 119:11).  D. L. Moody said in regards to the Word of God, that “either Sin will keep you from this Book, or this Book will keep you from sin”. Of course it is not the book that sanctifies. But the Scriptures do point us to the one sanctifies, and that is Christ (Hebrews 2:9-11; 13:12).  He is both the Savior and Sanctifier. That is why we focus on Christ.  We do not focus on our ourselves or on our experiences.  We do not focus on traditions or creeds.  The apostle Paul wrote “We are complete in him” (Colossians 2:10).  He is all we need. MAS

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“But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever…With one sacrifice, then, he has made perfect forever those who are purified from sin.”

Forever. What a wonder gospel! What wonderful news the writer of the Hebrews through the Holy Spirit reveals to us! Not only does Christ, the great High Priest offer up one sacrifice for sins, but that sacrifice is said to be effective forever, for all time.

Its effect does not wear out through time, does not weaken through trial. It needs no help from the flesh, no further instruction from the law, nor further help from man (Hebrews 10:11).

At the cross when Christ offered himself up as the one and only sacrifice for sin, he paid in full the price that needed to be paid. Nothing more is needed to be added. The work was completed and it was completed for all time.

Not only is this sacrifice effective, but also it is sufficient to purify and make holy the sinner forever, for all time. The law could never achieve this possibility (Hebrews 10:1,14). There is no adding to a perfect sacrifice. No need to bring in the arm of the flesh or the deeds of the law.

On that finished sacrificial work we are saved and on that finished sacrificial work, we are forever purified from sin. MAS

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In our world it is hard to find people who remain faithful. Many relationships are ruined because of unfaithfulness. “A faithful man who can find?” (Proverbs 20:6).

The Word of God teaches that God is faithful. It is part of his character (Isaiah 49:7; 1 Corinthians 1:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:24). What are some of the ways in which God is faithful?

First, God is faithful in forgiving sins (1 John 1:9). When the angel Gabriel announced the birth of the Lord Jesus, the message was that he would save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). When we confess ourselves as sinners and look to him as our only Savior, he forgives us. He removes our sins as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12), puts our sins behind his back (Isaiah 38:17), buries them in the deepest part of the sea (Micah 7:19) and remembers them no more (Hebrews 8:12). And when the believer confesses sin, he remains faithful and forgives, cleansing us from all unrighteousness.

Secondly, God is faithful in keeping promises (I Kings 8:20; Psalm 132:11; Hebrews 10:23). So many are the promises of God! There is the promise of eternal forgiveness (Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14); the promise of eternal salvation (Hebrews 5:9); the promise to keep those who belong to him (John 17); the promise of an eternal relationship (John 14:16); the promise of an eternal home (John 14) and eternal rest (Matthew 11:28; Hebrews 4:9; Revelation 14:13). There is the promise of eternal joy (Matthew 25:21,23; Galatians 5:22) and the promise of eternal glory (2 Timothy 2:10; 1 Peter 5:10). A believer stands and leans heavily on the promises of God!

But even more, the faithfulness of God is revealed in what the Word of God teaches of the Son of God, the Savior of the world. We are encouraged to put our trust in him, not just as a Savior, but also as a Shepherd, Leader, and Guide. Why trust him? Because he is faithful and he will be faithful to the very end. What are some of the ways in which we find the Lord Jesus to be faithful?

First, he can be described as a faithful servant. God spoke through the prophet Isaiah and said, “Behold my Servant” (Isaiah 42:1). It is the great privilege of mankind to have the opportunity to behold him, consider him and gaze at the wonder of who Christ is. And when we behold him, we see him as a servant (Mark 10:45). He came to serve the Father by doing the Father’s will. He came to serve man by performing the work of salvation. He humbled himself, became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross (Philippians 2:8).

Second, he can be described as a faithful friend. He is a friend of sinners (Matthew 11:19). He demonstrated his friendship, his love for sinners in that even before the sinner repented, he died to save him. All who come to him find him to be a friend who will not cast them out (John 6:37). Those who come under the shadow of his friendship find him to be not just a friend, but a faithful friend, one who will never leave them nor forsake them (Hebrews 13:5).

He is thus a friend to the saint. He is unlike any other friend I have known. He is a friend who sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24). Friends made in this world are often just an outward show. The relationships do not run deep. The friendship exists for the benefits that can be derived and dies when the hard times come. The Lord Jesus is not this type of friend. For 35 years I have known his friendship. And in that time I have known the deep and blessed joy that he never leaves me and never forsakes me (Hebrews 13:5). He is a friend who never gives up on me. He does discipline me; but I have learned the meaning of Proverbs 27:6, that “Faithful are the wounds of a friend.” In our friendship I have learned of his grace and have learned that when the burdens of life grow heavy, the grace of the Lord Jesus grows in measure. He is a friend who fills my mind with the treasures of Christ and fills my heart with a song. He walks with me daily by my side and talks to me through the written Word of God. He provides companionship in this pilgrim journey, gives purpose and meaning to life. As a Shepherd and Guide, he provides a foundation for living. He is a loveable friend.

Third, he can be described as a faithful lover. “Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end” (John 13:1). This verse tells us of the love of God, who in times past demonstrated his love to Israel, to his own. In the brief history of time, and even in my own history, God remained true to his character, and he loved. God’s Word is full of stories describing the love of God for sinners in this world. But beyond that is his love for his own. In the past, he loved me, and in the present, he continues to love. Daily his shepherding care leads us and guides us through the pilgrimage journey of life. And when does his love cease? Is there weariness in loving? Can it be that because of our unfaithfulness, there is a limit, and end to his love, a moment when he will cease loving his own? “He loved them to the end.” This is unconditional love. This is Christ’s love. This is faithful love.

Fourth, he can be described as a faithful High Priest. The letter of Hebrews teaches about the High Priestly ministry of Christ. If there is a wonderful Savior, then there is a reason to live. And Christ is a wonderful Savior. One way in which he is wonderful is in his ministry as the High Priest (Hebrews 8:6). Oh it is wonderful to know a dear servant, friend and lover. In the same way it is wonderful to know a great High Priest. But no matter how great a person is, it is oft true in life, that a person eventually dies and the ministry so richly enjoyed is over and gone. The letter of Hebrews describes the Lord Jesus as a wonderful High Priest, and tells us that he remains a priest forever (Hebrews 5:6). This means his priestly ministry will never die, will know no end.

Why is he so wonderful as the High Priest? He is wonderful because he came from heaven to become a man to take away sin (Hebrews 10:5). He is wonderful because he had something to offer (His blood) to God for us (Hebrews 8:3; 9:12.14, 28; 10:11-12). He is wonderful because he understands our weaknesses and trials (Hebrews 2:17). He is wonderful because he serves from heaven and not from a temple made with hands (Hebrews 9:11; 8:2; 9:24). He is wonderful because he understand what it is like to be tempted and thus can help us when we are tempted (Hebrews 2:18). He is wonderful because he has suffered and can thus help us in our weakness (Hebrews 4:15). He is wonderful because he can save, and save completely those who come to him (Hebrews 7:25). He is wonderful because he prays for us (Hebrews 7:25).

Fifth, he can be described as being faithful in all generations. Each generation passes and a new generation comes. Each generation must rediscover for themselves the treasure of Christ as found in His Word. Each new generation has to live in a world that continues its moral decline, and in which following Christ becomes more and more difficult. Yet God is faithful in each generation (Psalm 119:90; 146:6). There will always be those who will refuse to bow to the god of this world, those who remain true to Christ and to whom Christ remains faithful (1 Kings 19:18).

“It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23). MAS

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“…forgetting those things  which are behind, and reaching forth for those things which are before…”

Life goes by very fast.  The past is over and cannot be changed.  But the present is with us and the future is before us, and God is in us.  Forget what is behind; forget the plans and dreams that can no longer be realized;  forget the missed opportunities and the mistakes.  God has plans for us.  Reach up for them;  press on for His goals;  look ahead and see Christ;  look ahead and see life–real life, eternal life.  “No good thing will He withhold from them who walk uprightly.  O Lord of Hosts, blessed is the man that trusts in thee.”  (Psalm 84:11-12).      MAS

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“You crown the year with your goodness, and your paths drip with abundance”

Years are assessed for their value. We trace our steps back upon the close of yet another season. There were good times…the difficult moments as well. Yet when we trust in God, His goodness is a crown on the year. We thank Him for each wonderful moment…we recall the words of the apostle when we reflect on those difficult moments…”All things work together for good to those who love God” (Rom 8:28). For the person whose eyes are on Him, the crown of God’s goodness is that He is using life’s trials to conform us into His image. God is good. And He crowns the year with His goodness. “Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life.” MAS

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John the Baptist:
“And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God” (Luke 1:16)

Of John it was said that he would turn many to the Lord. That was the purpose of his life. It was also the fruit and result of a life given to God.
Is this the purpose of our lives? Will that be the fruit and result of our ministry? Will it be said of us that we turned many to the Lord?
We are to have a purpose in life…to turn many to the Lord.

Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God:
“I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news…The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth” (Luke 1:19,26)

The angel, Gabriel was a servant. As a servant, he waited in God’s presence and did the will of God. The angel was God’s messenger to announce good tidings of great joy. And this is our privilege, to stand in the presence of God, to fellowship with him and enjoy his holiness and his presence, and to do his will. He sends believers as servants into the world to preach the gospel, that there is a Savior who will save people from their sins.
We are to stand in the presence of God as servants.

The Lord Jesus:
“You shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end…the child to be born will be called holy – the Son of God” (Luke 1:31-33, 35).
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior…He will save his people from their sins…they shall call his name Immanuel…a ruler who will shepherd…Israel” (Luke 2:11: Matthew 1:21,23; 2:6).

He is at the center of the Church, the center of the gospel, the center of Christianity. And Christmas is all about Christ. Who is he? He is Son, King, Holy One, God, Savior, Shepherd.

Mary, the blessed mother of our Lord:
“And Mary said to the angel, how will this be, since I am a virgin?…For nothing will be impossible with God…Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word…my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior” (Luke 1:34,37, 38, 46).

One of the great tenets of the Christian faith is the virgin birth of Christ. Many try to erase this truth to do away with the deity of Christ. Some say he was just a mere mortal, a man who grew to be great in the sight of God and man. But he is more than that. He is the eternal Son of God who came to do what was impossible for man…to pay for sin in such a way as to satisfy the claims of a holy God.

Mary took God at his word. The angel announces and Mary bows to the will of God and proclaims him as her Savior.

Many miss this wonderful truth. He is not just a Savior in a general sense. He is not just the only Savior of mankind, but for Mary, he was a personal Savior. And many more have claimed him thus, to be more than a Savior, but a personal Savior,“My Savior”

Wise men seek Him:
“ Where is he…? For we…have come to worship him…and they offered him gifts” (Matthew 2:2, 11)

The first question in the Old Testament was a question God spoke: “Adam, where are you?” (Genesis 3:9). It was the call of a holy God to sinful man.

The first question in the New Testament was a question man spoke: “Where is he?” In his sorrows Job cried out “Oh that I knew where I might find him”(Job 23:3). For centuries the godly longed for his coming. But many had given up hope. His coming seemed delayed, taking long, and many lost hope that he would ever come. But he came, and the long night of hopelessness gave way to the dawn of the rising Son.

Wise men still seek him. Wise men know the dreadfulness of sin and the loveliness of Christ. They see he is not slow concerning his promises and know he is coming again.

In seeking him they come…from all corners of the globe, from many nations and many tribes, to worship Christ.

We worship Him as Son, King, Holy One, God, Savior, Shepherd. We are to look for him…spend time with him each precious moment we have, and bring him gifts. What gifts does he want? Our hearts (Proverbs 23:26); our minds (Matthew 22:37; Romans 12:2); our bodies (Romans 12:1); our all. MAS

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One favorite memory of childhood was when my mother gathered her seven children around the piano each cold, December night to sing the carols and songs of Christmas. Growing up, we were a singing family, often singing in churches, and listening to our father preach the Word of God.

One song we sang often at Christmas was “O Holy Night”. This Christmas carol was originally written in French by Placide Cappeau de Roquemaure in 1847 and translated into English by John Sullivan Dwight (1812-1893).

I have seen a few varieties in the words to this hymn and some versus which I am not sure if they were added by another poet or was part of the original.

But when we sang the old carol, it was with a verse and chorus added by my mother:

Carole Moren Swaim

She also made a slight change in the third verse. Often as I go through life, it is these words added by my mother which come to my mind. The carol, as we sang it, is produced here:

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“Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them is like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the flood came, and the winds beat against that house, but it did not collapse because it had been founded on rock.” (Matthew 7:24-25)

If you are going to build a house, you need a plan. What resources do you have to build? Where do you want to build? What material will be used to lay the foundation? What style of house do you want? No wise person would think about building without a blue print to guide them.

If you are going to build a life, you need a plan. What resources do you have at your disposal? Where do you want to live your life? What will be the foundation of that life? No wise person would think of building without a plan. With a plan, a person can gather the resources needed for an education, a good job, a good spouse and a happy family.

If we are going to build a marriage and family, we need a plan. What resources do we have at our disposal? Where do we want to live our lives? What will be the foundation of the marriage and family? If we are going to build a family, we need a plan for our home (Matthew 7:24-25).

Jesus Christ is to be the foundation of the home. Submission must be to the Head who is the Lord Jesus Christ. The Word of God is to be the guide book. Prayer is to be the habit of daily living. The family altar is to be set up. The education of the children is to be centered on Christ and His Word. The meetings are to have priority in the life of the family. The Lord’s Work is to be supported. Conferences are to be attended and the home opened to the Lord’s people and teachers. The home is to be a reflection of Christ, not a reflection of the world.

Teach children the Bible, how to pray, how to worship. Vital in the believer’s home is the Holy Bible. In society today, the TV is often the gathering center, the family altar, the place where time is sacrificed for the pursuit of entertainment. But the written Word of God should be the gathering center, the family altar, the place where time is sacrificed for the pursuit of knowing God. TV brings the world into the home. The Bible brings Christ into the home. When the world comes in, spiritual things go out. The two cannot mix.

The occupants within the home are to find God’s Word to be a treasure before the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the Word (Mark 4:18-19) MAS

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“Unless the Lord builds the House, they labor in vain who build it” (Psalm 127:1)

If you were to ask me what is important in establishing a home, I would answer first with conviction as to what is not a home for me.

It’s not my home…the glittering lights of Hollywood; the illustrious sounds of music; the never ending lust for power in business and the meaningless pursuit of materialism…these do not make a home for me.

My home is where Christ dwells and His Word is the rule of life; where the occupants submit to Him in all things. Christ is to be our companion; The Bible is to be our TV.

As we live and work day by day, Christ is to dwell in our minds and shape our thoughts; Christ is to dwell in our hearts and shape our behavior. Christ is to be first and central in our minds and hearts. When He is given that place, when He is everything to us, we become like Him in our attitudes, behavior and deeds.

The believer’s home is a Christ-centered home; a place where the Word of God is honored, read and known. “Teach them to your children and speak of them as you sit in your house, as you walk along the road as you lie down, and as you get up”. (Deuteronomy 11:19 NET Bible) MAS

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Galatians 2:20 “…Christ lives in me…”

People need to see Christ in us. When we live close to Christ and enjoy Him in our personal walk, when we are in His Word and live a godly life, people will see Christ in us without us ever having to speak a word. When we live according to God’s Word, people notice we are not living like those who are part of the world’s system. They see we are separate as the Lord Jesus was. He was in the world, but not of the world. From time to time, people will ask what is different about us. They see something but they cannot always understand what it is. Then it becomes an occasion to tell others that our relationship with Christ is what has made all the difference.

I love to muse on the words of an old hymn: “once far from God and dead in sin, no light my heart could see; then in God’s Word the light I found; now Christ, lives in me.”

People often know and can soon learn that a person is married or in a relationship with someone because of the way they behave. In the same way, we are in a relationship with Jesus Christ and in time, people should see we belong to Him by our behavior. MAS

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Based on The Prophecy of Ezekiel, chapter 15 and The Gospel of John, chapter 15

Deep in the forest of Christianville there lived a tall old oak tree and a very old grape vine. The boughs of both reached out to great extents. The people of Christianville found both to be of great value. The great tall oak was most praised for its shade and admired by children for the hours of climbing fun it offered. The grape vine however also received its share of praise. The grapes gathered from this particular vine were used to produce the finest of wines that were imported to other villages and towns. The grape vine was most humbled by the fact that his fruit was used as a symbol of profound importance on Sunday’s in the village churches. The oak provided homes for animals and the vine provided food for them.

One day the town’s local lumber yard eyed the tall oak tree and agreed that it was time to cut her down. She was getting old and must be uprooted in order to provide space for younger sapling to be planted in her place. Though all the town’s folk were upset about the idea of the honored tree no longer standing, they eventually gave their consent. As the oak was being hacked down the grape vine began to inquire of the woodsmen of what use is it to take the life of Mrs. Oak. The woodsmen began to fill Mr. Vine in on the uses for solid oak wood. “This tall oak tree will give us enough wood to make plenty kitchen tables and chairs. Perhaps we will have enough wood for doors and stair cases for several homes, said the woodsmen!” Mr. Vine began to reevaluate his own life. He decided that he too would like to be used in making furniture. He thought that he would get more appreciation if brought indoors. A table is quite practical. The family whose house I reside in would need me every day, thought the grapevine! The longer he thought about it, the more the idea appealed to him. Yes, he resolved to give himself over to the fate of an ax. After all he did come to dislike the yearly pruning he underwent. The village gardener would always say that it was for his own good that he be pruned. The gardener would inform Mr.Vine that the pruning process is what aids him in producing more and more fruit each year. Yet, knowing that the pruning process is very painful Mr.Vine did not heed the words of the gardener.

The grape vine did not expect that his request to be turned into furniture or even something of aesthetic value like a picture frame or display shelf, to be rejected. Mr. Vine even had the idea of becoming more of a stable fixture in the church as a small pew for children rather than wine that is drunk and gone forever. He thought it a grander destiny to be the table upon which the wine would be placed upon, a more supportive purpose. No, he was not pleased to hear that the woodsmen did not see any benefit in chopping him down. Feeling rather rejected and mocked he convinced a young boy to do the job. It was a most sad day for a lifeless vine can no longer bare forth fruit. Mr.Vines days of fruit bearing came to an end. Worst of all he learned that dried vine wood is no good for making anything, not even a peg for hanging a coat! You see vine wood becomes very brittle once dried.

Maybe you are like Mr.Vine. Maybe you are feeling as though you could be used of the Lord in a better way in another place or ministry. The purpose of a vine is to produce fruit not furniture. Though the pruning process is painful and there is no escaping it, fruit is promised. What is the fruit we are to bear as Christians? We are to bare fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness and self control. Wouldn’t you like more love in your life? How about more Joy and Peace! Abide in the vine and God will see to it that you are used for his glory. (Tami Ann Swaim)

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“Is it right for you to live in richly paneled houses (luxurious, well built houses) while my temple is in ruins?…think carefully about what you are doing.” (NET Version)

In Haggai’s day, the Lord’s people cared more for their own houses than for the house of the Lord. They lived in well-built, luxurious homes, while the Lord’s house was in ruins.  And the reason? The Lord’s people were busy working on their own houses (1:9).

In our day, the Lord is building his church. And there is much work to be done.  He sends his people to the fields to labor for the Lord.  Yet many labor for themselves.  In many places the Lord’s work suffers from persecution, division, poverty, apathy and wolves.  Much could be done but the Lord’s people do not care. Their eyes are on earthly things; they have their “things” to attend to.

Haggai’s message was a message from the Lord: “think carefully about what you are doing.” MAS

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“Be sober and alert.  Your enemy the devil, like a roaring lion, is on the prowl looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)

Who is the devil? He is the father of lies (John 8:44), a twister of truth, a well disguised deceiver (Revelation 12:9). He is the god of this world, its system of values and philosophical head (2 Corinthians 4:4).  He is the enemy of the church and the enemy of Christ (Matthew 13:39). As such, he is the enemy of the child of God, opposing all those who declare loyalty to the Lord Jesus (Revelation 2:10).  He is the master of the flesh (Romans 7:25 and Romans 8:7).  As God teaches the believer how to live in the spirit, so the devil teaches those under his influence, how to live in the flesh (Romans 8:5).  He gets people to believe that life is all about the flesh:  the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life.  He is the great tempter (Matthew 4:3).  He thrusts before all that which the flesh desires, that which the eyes long for and that which the intellect can find in which to boast.  He is a person on a mission.  His mission is to roam about seeking whom he can devour, whom he can steal away.

He is the head and the tail, the founder and builder of counterfeit Christianity (Matthew 13:25-39).  He leads the hosts of modern day ’super apostles’ and false teachers, luring all who will follow into his wordly system.  The bait he uses to ensnare the wandering sheep is a watered down, more gentler Christianity, freed from the doctrines of guilt, responsibility, repentance and regeneration.

The believer thus faces three enemies:  the world and its alluring attractions, the flesh and its enticing desires and the devil with his ensnaring deceptions.  Defeating the enemy  cannot be done without putting on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:11-18). MAS 06.23.07

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“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatever a man plants, that shall he also reap. For he that sows to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that sows to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” (Galatians 5:7-9) 

When we feed the flesh (sow to the flesh), we produce a more fleshly life.  When we feed the spirit (sow to the spirit) we produce a more spiritual life.

What does it mean to feed the flesh?  It means watching TV and films.  It means listening to music that is filled with fleshly themes that influences the mind, heart and flesh.  It means standing in the counsel of the unglodly (Psalm 1).  It means dressing like the world, living for the world, conforming to its system and values.  It means looking for worldly acceptance, seeking positions and power which feeds the flesh.  It means feeding on the desires of the flesh.  It means living in sin and not pleasing God.  “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, indeed it cannot, and those that are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:7-8).

What does it mean to feed the spirit?  It means reading God’s Word.  It means listening to God’s people talk about Christ.  It means feeding on Christ.  We are to daily fill our lives with Christ and not the world.  The more we do this, the more we grow in the grace and knowledge of Him.  To feed the Spirit means feeding on the Word of God and not on our experiences.  We allow the Word of God to shape us and guide us, not our experiences.  In physical life there is bread.  In the spiritual life there is bread.  Jesus is the bread of life. Jesus tells us that life is not about satisfying the flesh (Matthew 4:4 and Luke 4:4). It isn’t life, unless it is ruled by the Word of God.  The more we feed on Christ, the more we are like Him.  MAS 06.22.07

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“You adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Who ever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” (James 4:4) 

What does it mean to be a friend of the world?  It means to walk according to the philosophies of this world (Eph 2:2). It means talking about the world and listening to the voices of the world.  It means finding your joy in the world (1 John 4:5).  Being a friend of the world means being like the world (Rom 12:2), not being separated, set apart for Christ (2 Cor 6:17). It means being satisfied and happy with life in this world, a friend of a system of values that opposes God.  It means not doing the Lord’s work because you love this world (2 Tim 4:10; 1 John 2:15-17).  It means being corrupt and full of lust (2 Pet 1:4).  It means living a life that is not godly (2 Pet 2:5) and being satisfied living with sinful people (1 John 5:19). It means being a slave to the world, its system and values.  When one works so much in order to gain the world, and finds no time for family or the Lord it indicates friendship with the world.  A person cannot be spiritual if the majority of a his/her time and life is not focused on the things of the Lord.

What does it mean to be a friend of Christ?  It means not loving the world (1 John 2:15-17).  As a result, it means the world will hate and persecute you (1 John 3:13; Gal 6:14; 1 Pet 5:9).  It means to be holy, not defiled, separate from sinners, as Christ was in this world (Heb 7:26; John 17:14). It means to live soberly, righteously, godly (Tit 2:12).  It means to have a testimony that is so filled with light, that it condemns the world (Heb 11:7). It means to be clean in this world (James 1:27).  It means having an ear that listens to his voice (John 10).  It means knowing the enemy and not being deceived by the enemy’s voice (1 John 4:1; 2 John 1:7).  It means to boast in the cross (Gal 6: