Christ arose

(Mat 28:1-7)  In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher. {2} And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. {3} His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: {4} And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. {5} And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. {6} He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. {7} And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.

      In the Easter season of 1874 a Baptist minister by the name of Robert Lowry was so impressed by the passage in Luke 24:6-7 that he found himself sitting at an organ

Prerequisites for unity

Philippians 2:1-2   If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, 2  Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

The church is the same

     Churches have not changed much in 2,000 years – the call to unity in these verses is as needed now as it was then and always will be. In these verses there are four prerequisites for unity.

Consolation in Christ

      The word “consolations” is translated elsewhere as exhortation and means calling near; entreaty; consolation, encouragement; that which affords comfort or refreshment. We are told to come together and encourage one another especially as we see the last days approaching (Heb. 10:25). We are told to exhort one another daily so that we might not become hard hearted (Heb 3:13). Paul says that we are to comfort one another together (1 Thes 5:11) and this would imply that we meet together for fellowship, worship and study of His word. In verse three of the text passage, Paul narrows down the problem of some disunity –

Ezra 7:10  For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.

The heart of mankind

      When Scripture speaks of the hearts it is not meaning that organ in our body that pumps the blood thru the vessels to keep us alive. Just as when speaking of feelings the eastern people speak of the bowels (2 Cor 6:12; Phil 2:1) not the heart. The heart is the center of our being; it keeps us alive by pumping the life-giving blood thru our bodies. Therefore, when you speak of the center or driving force of our lives the heart is used. The command center is the heart and that is used in our language today – heart of the matter, heart of the issue, etc. Since the heart is our command center (Prov 4:23; Matt 12:35; Mk 7:21) Jesus speaks of loving God with all our heart.

Jeremiah tells us that our hearts are very deceitful (Jer 17:9) and only God knows the true state of our heart. The Psalmist seeks God to search him and know him thoroughly (Psa 139:23; 26:2). When Samuel went

Praying with all prayer

Ephesians 6:18   Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Paul tells us in (Eph 6:18) “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”

      What does he mean “praying with all prayer”? Does he mean that we pray with all prayer all the time? Or does all prayer mean to make all our requests at one prayer time setting?

      First, Paul says all prayer and supplication. The word “supplication” literally means need, indigence, want, privation, penury. We do not use most of these words in our common conversation, so they do not shed much light for us. However, looking them up you would find that it is a request, usually for a personal need or desire of your own. Paul ends with “supplication for all saints” so this would indicate that we are to pray for particular needs of other Christians as well as our own.

      Most do not realize that there is more than one type of prayer mentioned in Scripture and that we are to

Prayer thoughts 2 

James 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

The righteous pray

      The words effectual fervent are one word in the Greek and it is where we get our word “energy”. So, when James says the effectual, fervent prayer, it is one that is active and one that works .It is not just saying a prayer, but really praying with vested interest and power (in the Spirit). He also says the “righteous” which indicates our standing before God (1 Jn 1:7) and our present walk in this life. We are righteous in Christ, but we also do works of righteousness. (Psa 34:15). If our prayer avails much, what then shall we pray for? As we look at the epistle of James we see several things.

What to pray for

      We will be a blessing – ask God to help us be a blessing to others especially with our speech (James 3:8, 10; Col 4:6). Solomon tells us some interesting things about the tongue (Prov 18:21; 10:19-21), so when we ask God to help us be a

The pillar and ground of truth

1 Timothy 3:14-15  These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly:
15  But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

Three aspects

     The church has been ordained by God to be the primary instrument through which His work on earth is to be accomplished. Jesus founded the church upon His deity and authority (Matt 16:16-18) and declared that the gates of hell could not prevail against it.  Paul used three phrases to describe three aspects of the church.

The house of God

      In the text Paul uses the phrase house of God to describe an aspect of the church’s function on earth. Jesus used the idea of the tabernacle being a house of prayer (Lu 19:46; Psa 93:5; Isa 56:7) thus indicating that it is the house of God.

      When you used the phrase “house” you think of a family and the human family on earth made up of husband, wife and children is a good illustration for God’s house.

Jesus and Peter

Luke 5:1-11   And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, 2  And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. 3  And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. 4  Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. 5  And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. 6  And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. 7  And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. 8  When Simon Peter saw it, he

The perfections of God

Matthew 5:48   Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Our perfect Creator

      Since God is Creator of the universe, all that He does is right and all He says is truth. The world He created was perfect; the Word of God is perfect, every work He accomplishes is perfect; all the ways He follows are perfect and the will He reveals is perfect.

His perfect world

        In Gen 1:31 it tells us that all that God created was good. We can only imagine what this world was like when it was first created. We can only dream of what Adam and Eve experienced before the fall. It was the perfect place to live – no rotten fruit, death, pain, sorrow or anything of that sort. Now, because of sin, it groans in pain waiting the day when the curse will be lifted and we will once again experience a perfect world (Rev 21:5).

His perfect word

      God’s word is perfect (Psa 19:7) and it is given to us that we may become perfect (2 Ti 3:16). God’s word is much to us (Psa 119:96-100) and we

The power of forgiveness

Acts 26:18  To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

      All too often we either consider forgiveness a mysterious and spiritual transaction that has little to do with our present everyday life or we take it for granted and neglect the principles and/or qualities of it. Forgiveness has a historical setting in our Christian life, where the forgiveness of God through Christ, was granted, but its effects on our daily living it over looked.

Christ has subdued, cleansed and forgotten our sins:

      One, if not the greatest part of forgiveness, is our sins and iniquities being forgotten and cleansed (Mic 7:18-19). Our sins are blotted out from the record that stands against us (Isa 43:25; 44:22; Col 2:14; Psa 51:1, 9). In Micah God says He will subdue our iniquities – subdue means to bring into bondage or as Wesley said in his hymn – “He breaks the power of canceled sin and sets the prisoner free”. Paul relates to this fact

2 Corinthians 5:9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.

Pleasing God

      The phrase “accepted” can also be translated as well pleasing. So, Paul is saying that he labors (performs works) in order to please God. This should be the desire of all Christians – to be pleasing to God. This will make a difference in where we go and what we do.

Help weaker Christians

      In Rom 15:1 Paul tells us that we are to be considerate of those weaker Christians. These may be young or even immature Christians, and we ought to conduct our self in such a manner that we deny our own self in some cases in order to accommodate the weaker believers (Rom 14:1-7; 1 Cor 9:20-22; 1 Thes 5:14). Paul says it in the negative – not pleasing our own self which can take in a wide range of things.

Faith

      We must walk by faith if we would please God. This is not an abstract idea, but refers to walking in obedience to the revealed life in His word (Eph 4:5)

Walking in the Spirit

      This is more than the idea of sanctification,

Perfect peace

Isaiah 26:3  Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

Perfect peace:

      The word for perfect peace in Hebrew is shalom, shalom and is similar to Jesus' verily, verily statements in the New Testament. When God speaks something twice or even when men do this, it is for added emphasis. So, perfect peace is emphasized by the shalom, shalom of the verse. God will keep His children in perfect peace or shalom, shalom when they keep their minds fixed upon Him. There are three places that peace is promised to the believers.

Peace with God:

      Paul says that believers have  "peace" with God through the merits of our faith in Christ (Ro 5:1). We were all sinner (Ro 3:23) and guilty before God. The judgment of God's court was hanging over us (Jn 3:36). We have no defense or defense attorney to plead or intercede for us. We have only the fearful waiting of judgment (Heb 10:31). But since we have put our faith in Christ we are justified –(not guilty) and can have a peaceful relationship with the judgment court of God. The sin question

Luke 2:6-7  And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

      Christmas Day has arrived and I can almost hear the laughter, squeals of delight and expressions of thanks as children and adults alike open presents from one another. Too often we try to enjoy this day through sleepy eyes and worn out bodies – we have exhausted ourselves trying to get ready for this day and in a few minutes it is all over.

      God laid His gift to the world in a manger in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago and that Gift is still thrilling those who find Him today. Some advertisers say their gift is one that keeps on giving, but in reality, it is God’s Gift that keeps on giving. Jesus was a man born to die – die for our sins and those of the world so that “whosoever will” may come and receive the forgiveness of sins and know they are in God’s

Ezekiel 22:30  And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.

People of purity:

      Purity is an aspect of Holiness and Holiness is the primary character of God. God purifies us when we consecrate and dedicate our lives to Him (Rom 12:1-2). But, the Bible also tells us to purify our own lives (1 Tim 5:22; 2 Cor 7:1). Scripture says various things about those that are pure (Isa 52:11;Psa 24:3-4; Matt 5:8). Keeping pure involves every area of our life – personal, interpersonal, business, verbal, thought life, and general living. Paul tells Timothy that there are certain things to purge from our life to be a vessel unto honor for God 2 Tim 2:21. Purity should be a way of life for Christians – it is not for a special class of Christians, all are to be holy, pure.

People of prayer:

      Hudson Taylor said, “Prayer is transacting business with God.” Jonathan Edwards said, “Prayer is storming heaven.” A. C. Dixon said, “When we depend on God, we get what God can

1 Corinthians 3:13  Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.

Our works tried:

      While we journey thru this life we are to be fruitful and work for God (Jn 15:2-5, 7, 8, 16; Eph 2:10; 4:1). Our work is: business, employment; act, deed, thing done; so then our work can be not only our type of employment, but also the deeds that we do for Christ – toward others (Matt 10:42). In Matthew 25 Jesus tells of those who do good to others is equivalent to doing good to Him. The fruit we produce relates to seed, fruit of tree, ones fitted for the kingdom; thus it carries the idea of our sharing of the gospel to others and bringing them into the kingdom (1 Cor 3:6). Paul says that it is God that actually gives the increase or the bringing of souls to faith, but our job is to see to it that the word is sown (Matt 13:3-8; 28:19, 20; Mk 16:15; Lu 24:47, 48).

      Jesus told two parables that

2 Thessalonians 3:3  But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.

Many attributes

      Christ has many wonderful attributes and qualities, not the least of which is faithfulness. He is trustworthy and believable to do all that He has promised to do. He will keep us from the evil one and being overcome by evil (1 Cor 10:13) as we keep our self in His will and way.

      We have all gone astray and into sin and have ignored and forgotten Him, so why would He do this? Why does He care for us so?

He is our Creator

      He has created us and formed with a specific purpose in mind (Isa 43:7) and He does not desire that we live on a lower plain of life. He told Israel He had created and formed tem also (Isa 43:1). God has created man for His glory – and made man in His own image and gave him dominion over the rest of creation. It is sadness to God when any of His created beings goes away from Him and denies Him, so He loves us and because He is our loving Creator,

(1 Th 5:18)  In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Philippians 4:13  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Paul’s postscript

      Paul has just finished his thanks to the Philippians for their gift and proclaimed his independence from situations controlling his life.  He explained that he learned how to be content in all and every situation by the experiences of his past.  Paul then makes the statement of our text, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheth me. It is a statement of triumph and also humility at the same time. It is one of those Christians paradoxical truths to rejoice, to make our boast and yet be humble and lowly. (Gal 6:14 and let every man glory in Christ). We are to boast only in the Lord.

      Paul is not saying that he can do all things by himself, but that he is enabled to do all things through the power of Christ. – I am strong in all things in Christ Who infuses strength into me.

      Paul said he came to the instruction of the previous verses through experience, logical reasoning of his Christian faith, and cultivating a personal and intimate knowledge of Christ. His final explanation is that he