And can it be that I should gain
An int’rest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain—
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

Refrain:
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

He left His Father’s throne above,
So free, so infinite His grace;
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race;
‘Tis mercy all, immense and free;
For, O my God, it found out me. [Refrain]

Long my imprisoned spirit lay
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quick’ning ray,
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free;
I rose, went forth and followed Thee. [Refrain]

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him is mine!
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own. [Refrain]

Charles Wesley, pub.1738 – copyright status is Public Domain. Courtesy of Timeless Truths Publications – Copyright © 2002-2020 Free Online Library.

He (Abraham) staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what he (God) had promised, he (God) was able also to perform.

“Faith is a firm persuasion or conviction brought about by hearing the word of God.”

And therefore it was imputed to him (Abraham) for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

Imputed – “credited to his account.”

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Romans 4:20 – 5:2

Justified – “declared righteous”.

Faith – “A firm persuasion or conviction from hearing God’s word”.

Peace – as opposed to being at war with God.

Through Christ – “Neither is there salvation in any other…”

Access – Faith is the gang plank used to board the ship of grace.

Grace – “God’s help or enabling”.

Rejoice – having been justified (declared righteous) – WHAT JOY!

Hope – Confident assurance……that God will be glorified.

And he (Abraham) believed in the Lord; and He (God) counted it to him for righteousness. Genesis 15:6

Are you fully persuaded?

...let the word of Christ dwell (take up its life) in you richly…

Definitions from W.E. Vines Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words – Copyright 1984, 1996, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, TN.

“The Hebrew word leb means heart; mind; midst.  Leb and its synonym lebab appear 860 times in the Old Testament.”*

“Heart is first used of man in Gen. 6:5; And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.  In Gen. 6:6 leb is used of God: And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.”*

“The seat of desire, inclination, or will can be indicated by heart.  Pharoah’s heart is hardened (Ex 1:16): whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it (Ex 35:5); I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all mine heart.”*

“The heart may be the seat of conscience and moral character.  How does one respond to the revelation of God and of the world around him?  Job answers: …my heart shall not reproach me as long as I live (27:6).  On the contrary, David’s heart smote him (II Sam 24:10).  Hezekiah walked with a perfect heart.  Only the man with clean hands and a pure heart (Ps24:4) can stand in God’s presence.”*

“Leb may refer to the seat of rebellion and pride.  God said: …for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth (Gen 8:21). The heart is deceitful above all things, who can know it?(Jer 17:9)”*

“God controls the heart.  Because of his natural heart, man’s only hope is the promise of God: A new heart also will I give you…and will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh (Ezek. 36:26).  So the sinner prays: Create in me a clean heart, O God (Ps 51:10).”*

“The heart stands for the inner being of man, the man himself.  As such, it is the fountain of all he does (Prov 4:4).  All his thoughts, desires, words, and actions flow from deep within him.  Yet a man cannot understand his own heart (Jer 17:9). But God will cut away (circumcise) the heart of His people, so that they will love and obey Him with their whole being (Deut 30:6).”*

*W.E. Vines Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, Heart –  pg 108 & 109, Copyright 1984, 1996, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, TN.

Only God can change a heart.  It is His work.

Mom didn’t drive, so on occasion Dad would have to take her somewhere. When that happened and we were left alone, it was like “the rules are suspended!” I don’t recall doing anything really delinquent while they were gone, but a lot of rules were broken while they were out. Mom had rules for living in her house. She was a cleaner. No she didn’t work outside the home. She just constantly cleaned and did laundry but to be fair she had six kids.

There was an occasion where three of my siblings were left at home alone and a fight broke out between the younger two. The disagreement resulted in some pushing and shoving and one of the two landed on the coffee table. This particular coffee table had a single pedestal under it with four legs curving out from the bottom of the pedestal. You can imagine the results.

We never really had anything nice, but what we had was well taken care of. This was not going to be good.

The two younger siblings were busy trying to glue the coffee table back together when the sound of the car door shutting came from outside. Mom and Dad were home…….and no one was ready.

I wonder what you and I will be doing when the Lord returns?

And when he (Jesus) had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. Acts 1:9-11

The faithful in Christ Jesus are those who live as though the Word of God is true.

…let the word of Christ dwell (take up its life) in you richly…

“The days of creation were ordinary days in length. We must understand that these days were actual days, contrary to the opinion of the holy fathers. Whenever we observed that the opinions of the fathers disagree with Scripture, we reverently bear with them and acknowledge them to be our elders. Nevertheless, we do not depart from the authority of Scripture for their sake.” Martin Luther

Love is not about feelings. Love is about making right choices. Love is not about feeling warm and fuzzy. It is about obedience. Love is not about physical desire. Love is about choosing the highest good for the one loved.*

…let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…

*From the blog article ”Are You Thinking Biblically or Culturally?” dated June 11, 2016.

The kingdom of heaven is at hand. What should we do?

In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, and saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Matt 3:1&2

From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Matthew 4:17

There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Luke 13:1-5

Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. Acts 17:29-31

The kingdom of heaven is at hand. What should we do?

Repent: Change your mind. Turn from sin and turn unto God. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.

After I left home at the age of nineteen, one of the sweet memories of home was the fragrance of blooming lilacs on a spring breeze. We had a row of lilacs down through the middle of our back yard and every spring they gave off a fragrance that you could not forget.

After we pass through their midst what do others remember about you and I? Is it the fragrance of Christ?

Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.

To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.

II Corinthians 2:14-17 NKJV

...let the word of Christ dwell (take up its life) in you richly…

But whereunto shall I (Jesus) liken this generation?

It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.

Then began he (Jesus) to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.

And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.

At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight. All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Matthew 11:16-30

…let the word of Christ dwell (take up its life) in you richly…