Fwd: Gems From My Reading - 4809

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Subject: Fwd: Gems From My Reading - 4809
From: Norman Hiebert <njhiebert@sympatico.ca>
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"Be of good cheer."

 "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against

the wiles of the devil."

(Ephesians 6:1"

 

The Cowbird

There are a goodly number of cowbirds that visit our bird feeder. 

They are basically black (the males, that is) with a bronze, rather iridescent head. 

They tend to be bullies with the other birds, but here is the most interesting fact about them:

The females don't build nests - they lay their eggs in other bird's nests. 

The other bird, then sits on her eggs - plus the impostor egg(s), and,

Eventually they hatch.

The young cowbird is usually larger that the others, 

which leads to the demise of some of the other birds.

There is more about that issue that we could add and discuss, 

but for our purposes today let's draw a parallel to our reality.

Our verse today mentions the schemes of the devil. 

Other ways of translating that would be, "deceit" or "trickery." 

We are not ignorant of the devil's trickery, yet, if we're not careful we can fall prey to it.

Like the cowbird egg, Satan will "lay" a thought in our minds, and if we "incubate" it, 

it will bring harm when it hatches into an action. 

When we recognize a thought that we know will lead us astray, 

here's what the Scriptures encourage us to do:

"Bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:5).

Dear friend, (I speak first and foremost to myself), when those thoughts come, 

I must not "sit on them and warm them." 

They are enemy thoughts; they are harmful thoughts; they are not Godly thoughts; 

They will bring a destructive result to my soul and to my fellowship with my God.

When you or I recognize such thoughts, let's capture them, confess them to Christ as sinful, 

and then let Him focus our attention on wholesome, God-honoring things. 

We want that bad egg out of our nest!

(H.G - F.P.)

N.J. Hiebert - 4809 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Westcott: New Birth

But in the same Word of God we discover that the known possession of eternal life is the accompaniment of receiving testimony as to Christ. New birth is God's sovereign act, and nowhere does Scripture say, He that believeth shall be born again. To say this would be to take the new birth out of the place in which God has set it, and to make faith in the Gospel antecedent to the new birth. The new birth is an operation in which God is first; for no one can be a co-operator in his own birth. The old Adam does not produce faith, or else those that are in the flesh could please God. It is when sovereign power has broken into our dark night and implanted a new principle of being never there before, that our awakenings and longings, our grief over sin, our breathings after God, can be met, and met only, in Christ. Hence in John 3, where this subject is treated, the Lord Himself when speaking of new birth speaks not of faith. It is only when He presents Himself as lifted up, the Subject of testimony, that He speaks of faith in Himself and eternal life. Nothing of this was presented in the Old Testament as a present blessing. For the Old Testament saint, born again as he undoubtedly was, eternal life was only a promise, and a promise connected with blessing on earth. This blessing, and even the full forgiveness of sins, was to be connected with the fulfilment of the promise of the Messiah. The fear of death was still there, no one was in a position at that time to say that he had eternal life. It is the coming of Christ that has brought life and incorruptibility to light through the Gospel.
It is in the Gospel of John that the present possession of eternal life is so much referred to. And Christ's rejection on earth being anticipatively considered from the very first chapter, eternal life is presented as being secured for God and for the believer in the person of the Son. Hence the oft-repeated statement, "He that believeth . . . hath everlasting life;" and, "He that seeth the Son and believeth upon Him hath everlasting life." The Son was here as the gift of God's love, and in order that the purpose of God for man might be brought to pass. But in order that the love of God might be fully revealed and the whole sentence of death on the first and guilty order of man be carried out and thus annulled for men, He laid down His life as Man after the flesh; then rose again after a new order to which death can never attach, in which He can share with His brethren both His position as a Man before God, and as a Son with His Father (John 20). Let it be remembered that according to the Gospel itself, its own testimony, "these are written that ye may believe that JESUS is the Christ, the Son of God, and, that believing ye may have life in His name." The possession of life (and the known possession of it) flows from faith in testimony.

New Birth

A Letter on New Birth and Eternal Life.

Learn Well...

Wednesday, May 9



“Thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, long-suffering, charity, patience” (2 Tim. 3:10).



Notice that Paul mentions his “doctrine” before he speaks of his “manner of life.” In fact, his “manner of life” came as a result of his “doctrine,” that which he believed. Let none of us make the foolish and unscriptural statement, so often heard, that it matters not what we believe, as long as we live right. The fact is that we cannot live right unless we believe right, and we cannot believe right unless we indoctrinate ourselves with the Word of God. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” Before the Word of God reproves, corrects and instructs us, we must know its doctrine—we must know what it teaches. “God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.” So “give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine,” being “rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving,” and “hold fast the form of sound words.”



Taught from God’s Word by His Spirit,

The truth that has made me free,

From sin’s dominion and power,

That praise unto Him might be.



References: 2 Tim. 3:16-17; Rom. 6:17-18; 1 Tim. 4:13; Col. 2:7; 2 Tim. 1:13.

May 9, 1970








May 9, 1970

 

Our Times are in Thy hand

Little Flock Hymn Book #209 by W.F. Lloyd