The Missed Opportunity Restored
God is a God of new beginnings. These are seen by those who truly seek Him, in His way. The call of the needy heart that God should have mercy on him, is the first step in coming to God, to receive from Him that which is necessary to have a new beginning. To a great extent, forgiveness from all sin is the first thing God does. But then, He puts the believer on the path of restoration, renewal, refreshment, and revival, liivng again by the very life of the Spirit, for the glory of God, according to the will of God.+
The Blessedness Of Being Redeemed
How can one measure the blessedness of being redeemed? To what extent does being redeemed a living, and eternal influence upon the believer? What is the magnitude of the blessing of God IN CHRIST? Can it be measured? The call of those who have been commissioned, ordained, and sent to preach the gospel, consists not only of the message by one can come to Christ, but the teaching of the riches that are in Christ, received by faith, on this earth, to be fully realized in heaven.
The Authoritative Word Of God
The word of God possesses an attribute that distinguishes from all the words of man. It is authority, not only the right to exercise a supreme force or power to accomplish His will, but the deliberate choice to do so. God is sovereign, and He will do that which is according to His will, regardless of men, all men, and all nations. Perhaps nowhere is this seen more clearly than in Paul' writings where he declares that "every knee will bow" before the Lord Jesus Christ, and acknowledge that He IS Lord.
The All-Encompassing Story Of Redemption
The true story of the redemption by the Lord Jesus Christ of sinful, but believing man, is one that surpasses in scope and dimension every feeble concept of man to grasp. Why? First of all, it is eternal. It is also Divine. And thirdly, it is perfect, wholly distinguished by the holy character, design, and accomplishment of God. Only Christ could have taken the sins of the entire world, and carried them to Calvary. And only He could have risen from the dead, to confirm His victory over death, the certain result of sin.
The Act And The Attitude Of Faith
It is one thing to believe God, to have faith in God. It is another to trust Him specifically, taking a position of faith, and maintain that position until one sees the answer. This is true faith revealed in prayer.
The Absolute Fundamental Of Faith
Faith is essential in the life of the believer, for it is God's ordained way of knowing Him. Why? Since it is a gift to the one who would trust God for salvation, it is the means of receiving from God that which He desires to give in salvation, forgiveness from sins, and a new life in Christ. No man can touch the glory of God concerning faith, nor the response of God according to it. His is the sole and wondrous glory.
When God's Time Comes
When speaking of the sovereignty of God, we must understand that in that sovereignty, God has established times, even specific times and periods when He works in a specific and special way. Often, in order for man to know that He is God, He will declare an historical event, which will be realized in a specific way at a specific time. Only God could orchestrate such an even when hundreds, if not thousands, of years would pass between the declaration of the event, and its realization.
The Overwhelming Awe Of God
One of the major problems of faith is the concepts that man has concerning who God is. Apart from His declared identity as Creator, Redeemer, Christ the Savior and Lord, there is the vastness of His eternal character, and power, and His willingness to communicate all things good to sinful man, that he might first be saved, and then to receive Life by the Spirit of God.
John's Vision Of Heaven
Why does God give us a vision of heaven through the writings of John the Apostle, Ezekiel, Isaiah, and Daniel, and others? It is to give us perspective, heavenly, eternal perspective. Our physical existence on this earth is couched in the context of heaven. It is as we seek those things above, trusting God for them, that Christ works in wondrous ways, certainly beyond what we can ask or think.
Christ's Peace The Confirmation Of God
That which God gives to confirm His working, or direction, in the life of the believer is His peace. That peace is not man-made, but a fruit of the Spirit of God. If we trust Him for His peace, He will certainly give it if we are in the will of God, walking by faith.