Bread by the Brook
Monthly Publication of Cherith Ministries, Inc. HC 81 Box 30-A1 Lindside, WV 24951
E-Mail: cherithpress@yahoo.com Internet: cherith-bible-inst.org

The “ABC’s” of Salvation

Admit you are a sinner to God and yourself: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

Believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins, and that you cannot save yourself: “He that believeth on the Son hath
everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” (John 3:36)

Confess your sins to God , repent, and ask Him to save you: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,
and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man
believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:9-10)

Let me begin by saying that I am proud to be an American. I must admit that I am not proud of a lot of things that are going on in America. Abortion, Homosexuality, Humanistic attacks on the Bible... the list could go on and on. I am, however, proud of the core values upon which America was established. I am, however, proud of the men and women who have dedicated their lives to defend Biblical principles and the freedom to practice them.
My American heritage is important to me, even though I am suddenly part of that generation who will be forced to remember what America used to be and long for a national return to godliness and decency. I love the Fouth of July with the flags flying in the breeze and the sky luminated by fireworks. I love to think back on the great American heroes I have learned about in history.
As believers, we also have an heritage that runs through Church History. What is Church History? First, we must define the word “history.” History, according to Webster’s New World Dictionary is 1. “an account of what has happened especially in the life of a people, country, etc. 2. all recorded past events 3. the branch of knowledge that deals with the recording, analysis, etc. of past events 4. a known past.”
We get our English word “history” from the Greek word histor which simply means “learned.” However, Greek scholars insist that the meaning should be more carefully defined as “learning as a result of inquiry.” Therefore, David Fisher, in World History For Christian Schools, defines history as “the inquiry into what has happened in the past and why it has happened.” Cairns defines history as “the interpreted record of the socially significant human past, based upon organized data collected by the scientific method from archaeological, literary or living sources.”
Robert W. McLaughlin, in his book The Spiritual Element in History, pictures history as a record of the development of three forms of energy: physical, mental, and spiritual. John H. Stadtlander wrote, “History has to do with what has taken place _ ...In this sense of the word, every action and thought is racing to become history.” He interprets histor as simply “finding out.” As we seek to define history, great care must be taken. We should not be tempted to view history as the story of man in which God is only a part. Man is prone to confine God to “religious history,” but all of history is “His Story.” History is the recorded chronicle of God’s dealings with man from creation until the consummation of all things.
That was rather easy. Now, the hard part _ defining Church History. From our doctrinal studies, we learn that the church is an assembly of people called out of the world’s curse and condemnation into God’s grace and imputed righteousness. This is only possible through faith in the complete and perfect work of Christ. The church is a living organism, or body, made up of believers in Christ. Being a part of this true church is exclusive because “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life” (I John 5:12).
The true church is also confined to a certain period of time know as the Church Age. However, there is much debate over when the Church Age actually began and when it will end. Most Bible scholars in Fundamental circles place the Church Age between the baptism of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost and the rapture of the church preceding the Tribulation Period. However, there are those who place the time of the beginning of the church with John the Baptist, the calling of the disciples, etc. There is equal debate as to when the Church Age will end. Some continue the Church Age into the middle or end of the Tribulation Period.
Because these ideas are often contradictory to other portions of scripture, weak in distinction between the church and the nation of Israel, and usually built upon the ideas of a single man or denomination, we choose to confine the Church Age to the period of time between Pentecost and the imminent Rapture of the Church.
Defining the period of time covered by the Church Age is not the only area of debate. There is also the contention over who is to be included in church history. Various denominations insist on confining the story of the true church to the history of the development of their particular line of thought and heritage. Although the same characters are included in the story, each is defined differently. In other words, one denomination’s hero is another’s villain. This is seen in Roman Catholic and Protestant works on church history. Church History, the Roman Catholic textbook on the history of the church in the early twentieth century, labeled Wycliff, Hus, Jerome, Luther, Calvin, and Knox as heretics and justified the strong actions taken against them and their followers by the “church.”
Protestantism was viewed as an evil attack on God’s “church.” To quote from the textbook: “Therefore the controversy between the Church and the world has been on matters of faith. In the Protestant world, faith is rapidly passing away, to be replaced by indifference or positive hostility to religion. The sects have lost their power, are divided and torn among themselves, their only bond of unity being a common hostility to Catholicity.” The Catholic version of church history places “black hats” on such men as Wycliff and Luther. On the other hand, Protestant books on church history such as The Church Of Our Fathers by Roland H. Bainton view these men as heralds of truth. Wycliff is described as one who “tried to improve things ... to get the regular priests to teach the people out of the Bible”
Luther is seen as one who in the “attempt to follow the Bible gave up many practices of the Roman Catholic Church.” From the standpoint of their own records both Catholics and Protestants present themselves as the true church, but the doctrine and principles of the Bible reveal that both had their faults. Roman Catholic doctrines such as transubstantiation, infant baptism, intercession of Mary, the office of pope, etc. were unfounded in and opposed to the Word of God. The Protestant movement's failure to separate completely from Romanistic teaching and tradition left too many return routes for future generations to come back under Romanistic ideas and practices.
The Baptist view of church history presents another view. Seeing the evil of Romanism and the failure of Protestantism, we Baptists emphasize the idea of being independent of both Catholic and Protestant heritage. However, because we are human, we still seek to associate ourselves with a lineage that connects us directly to the teachings of Christ. Baptists are filled with dignity as they read B. H. Corroll’s The Trail of Blood and for a moment are tempted to see a sign “First Baptist Church” hanging over the door of the new born church in Jerusalem. As the Catholics and the Protestants, we too are prone to limit true church history to the people and ideas that support the “Baptist” cause.
Donald K. Anderson, in his book, The Biblical Distinctives Of Baptists, seeks to look at church history with a more open mind while defending our Baptist heritage. He writes: “Some say there have been Baptist churches all through the years since the time of the apostles, but this is not so either. All through the years there have been groups of people who have sought to maintain Biblical Christianity and have held to some of the things that we Baptist believe today. But these were not Baptists, for they did not hold to all that we believe.”
The truth of the matter is that we can not pin-point the exact day the Catholic Church began any more than we can establish a birthday for Protestantism or the Baptist movement, but we can take the Word of God and test the purity of any person, idea, or practice in church history. That is, of course, if we have the actual facts about these things.
Cairns makes a very important statement: “History as event is absolute and cannot be changed once it happens...” In other words, the way the actual event took place is absolute fact, but the way the event is seen, perceived, and recorded by man is often tainted by bias, preference, etc. This is why the doctrine of the inspiration of Scripture is so important. The Holy Spirit officiated the recording of the events given in the Word of God to keep them free from error.
History, on the other hand, is recorded as viewed by men and women who are capable of misinterpreting what actually took place. We must be careful to make a distinction between “Inspired Church History” which is recorded by God, and “Recorded Church History” as written by men as they saw it. Because men are more apt to believe that which complements their own ideas, men could be apt to view historical events in the same light.
Therefore, should church history only include Baptist History, Catholic History, or Protestant History; or does the story of the wheat also include the tares? Does the story of the true church include the story of the false church? It certainly does. Imagine how hard it would be to write a story on the Confederate Army without mentioning the Union Army, slavery, or the Civil War. These things are essential to the understanding of the Confederate Army. No matter how a person feels about the “Yankees” or “Rebels”of the Civil War, they are both part of the story. Therefore, church history is the record of the conflicts and development of Christendom (all that claims Christ) sifted through the Word of God to determine what is truly Christian. Our most reliable source for analyzing history is the Word of God. It is the only source that we can trust as being without error.

We are now in the fourth division, Administration, and the key verse for Chapters 12 and 13 is; “But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.” (12:11) The ministry is God’s work and He is the One who has the right to use us in the way He sees fit. He gives each person a particular ability to do a particular job. We will never serve God as we ought until we recognize the fact that God is the administrator of His work and we are to operate in and under His order of administration and authority.

Salvation Declares Equality (12:1-20)

1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.
3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

Paul exhorts the Corinthian believers to serve the living God who is able to speak to them and instruct them in His service. The idols which they had served before were dumb, unable to hear and speak. The worship of these idols was built upon ignorance, but not so with God’s administration. When a person becomes saved, the Holy Spirit will lead and guide that one to grow in grace and knowledge. Communication is the vital link in the worship and service of God. If we were to take the communication of prayer and the reading of God’s Word out of our service, we would, as the heathen, have a faith built on ignorance. The Holy Spirit indwells the believer and oversees the communication process. He directs us in prayer (our communication to God: Rom. 8:26-27); and our study of God’s Word (God’s communication to us- I Cor. 2:9-14 & John 16:13-14). So we see that the Holy Spirit guides us as believers into a true understanding of the person of Christ.
No person, who is lead by the Spirit, would ever deny that Jesus is Lord. Instead, the Holy Spirit uses the Lordship of Christ to remind the believer of his responsibility to serve Christ. At the same time, the Spirit prompts the believer to accept his or her proper place in the will of God. The truth will never contradict the Spirit and the Spirit will never contradict the truth, which is Christ. The Spirit, in John 16:13-14, has but one goal in mind and that is to glorify Christ. Notice; “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”

4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.

Although we may have different gifts and offices, we are to use them to the same end which brings glory to the Lord Jesus Christ. While there are diversities of gifts, administrations, and operations, we see “the same Spirit,” “the same Lord,” and “the same God” administrate and control these gifts and abilities. The work of the Trinity is the power of the Father, communicated through the Spirit, to the glory of the Son.

7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

We are given a listing of some of the spiritual gifts. Paul sought to teach the principle that all gifts come by the Spirit, and are spiritual gifts. A spiritual gift is the particular way the Holy Spirit manifests and glorifies Christ through the believer.
Mentioned are miracles, prophecy, discernment, and the speaking and interpreting of tongues. We will briefly define these gifts here, and cover them in more detail later. The word “miracles” is the Greek word (dunamis) meaning power. It is the same word used in Romans 1:16 proclaiming the Gospel as the “power of God unto salvation;” and in II Cor. 8:3 to describe the ability to give “For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves.” The word is also translated power, strength, might, and virtue. To limit the word “miracle” to spectacular demonstrations of God’s power is unfaithful to the Scriptural meaning of the word. Although the word is used to describe supernatural works of God, it also includes various abilities given to men.
Next, we consider the word prophecy which is the Greek word propheteia which simply means “to speak before.” The word “before” gives this gift a two dimensional meaning. There is predictive prophecy which views the word “before” from the standpoint of time; and therefore, refers to foretelling the future.
Then there is proclamation prophecy which views the word “before” from the standpoint of position; and therefore, refers to speaking before an individual or assembly. Although the Word of God is complete in its message concerning future events, there is a predictive aspect of the Gospel message. For example: Those who receive Christ will have eternal life. Therefore the Gospel is both predictive and proclamational. The prophets were given predictions which they proclaimed. Those seeking or claiming new revelation outside the Word of God are false prophets. Then, there is discernment which is the ability to make the distinction between truth and error, especially in teaching. The Greek word actually carries the idea of separation. One having this gift is able to detect the direction of a false movement and separate himself from it. All false movements must begin with an element of truth as bait. The discerner is able to see the violation of Divine principle and steer himself and others away. The church is in need of some discerners today.
Then, of course, the gift of tongues which will be covered in more detail later in the epistle. the Greek word glossa refers to one of two things which are determined by the context. It can either refer to the organ of the mouth or a particular language or dialect. This will be further discussed in Chapter 14. The principle established is: Gifts are given to different individuals by God, administrated by the Sprit to the glory of Christ and not to the glory of the Holy Spirit, the believer, and above all, never to the glory of the gift itself.

12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

The human body is used as an illustration of the body of Christ. Notice that we who are saved are baptized into the body of Christ. This is a spiritual baptism as stated in Romans Chapter 6. When we receive Christ, we are placed into the body of Christ, made up of all believers in the world. In verse 13, we read twice where it says “all . . . into one.”

14 For the body is not one member, but many.
15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?
20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.

Paul tells that the body of Christ, like the human body, is made of many members. Salvation declares equality, and no matter what your particular gift or ability may be, you are of equal importance to the work and body of Christ. Gifts and abilities were given individually to be of benefit to the whole body.

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Rite of Passage
Tunisia, North Africa
October, 1943

The open sea below and the cloud formations caused Rick to think about how big the world was. His mind drifted back to the little West Virginia coal camp that had been his home. Although there was a great time difference, he still imagined that a typical fall day was just beginning in Stokesbury. He could picture each of his neighbors going through their daily routines. Mr. Maynard was just getting in from the graveyard shift at the mines, while Mr. Vaughn was heading up the alley by the creek to begin his day of extracting the beautiful black soft coal from the mines. Down at the company store, Mr. Smith would be sweeping the porch and bringing out the various outside displays. Rick could see him going back into the store and the big screen door thundering shut behind him. It wouldn’t be long until the kids would be leaving their homes like bees and swarming at the school playground. Principal Richmond would ring the bell, and each student would find his or her way to the assigned area in the classroom.
The thoughts of “back home” had a two-fold effect on Rick. He was homesick, but at the same time, he was reminded why he was there in a ball turret on a B-17 bomber flying over the Mediterranean Sea thousands of miles from his friends and family. That coal camp was his natural environment. He fit in there. Now, he was forced to fit into the U. S. Army. That was his only common ground these days. The places and people changed, but Army life seemed to remain pretty much the same.
Then, there was Marjorie, or Marge. She had captured and occupied the most special place in his heart. She was back there in Harlingen, Texas waiting for him. He had undergone training at the Harlingen Army Gunnery School, one of the Nation’s three main Aerial Gunnery Schools for training men who protect bombers with firepower in the air. The official opening of the Harlingen Army Airfield was Christmas Eve 1941, and the gunnery school was organized. Rick underwent the five-week aerial gunnery course there.
He met Marge during an off duty trip to town the first week he was there. She was seventeen, and he was eighteen. In the weeks that followed, they spent every available minute together and communicated by letter and phone as Rick continued his training at various bases throughout the states. There was no denying it. Rick was in love and knew that Marge shared his feelings. Her family also approved. The nickel-plated, pearl handled, 45 Caliber Colt revolver that he carried was a gift from Marge’s father. He was still disappointed that he missed his last chance to see her by a matter of minutes. His plane had landed at Harlingen on a return trip from crew training school in Blythe, California in 1943 just before he left for combat duty. The plane would only be there for a short time, but Rick had received permission to call Marge. After a few minutes conversation, she decided to come and see him at the base. However, his plane left just a few minutes before she got there. That was his last opportunity to see her before coming overseas, but it was not to be.
She wrote him every day, and her letters brought them closer together as the days, weeks, and months passed. There was always something new in each letter, and he would tell her more about himself in his responses. Their correspondence was free from the usual mundane, “How are you? Fine I hope” repetition. They shared their feeling in a way that molded and sustained a strong relationship. Although no date was set in stone, they planned to get married when he returned to the states. All Richard had to do was complete this mission and forty-nine more without getting killed.

continued next issue

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The New River Diary
by J. L. Jones
The New River Diary is a fictitious account of a man's struggle with God, people,
circumstances, and himself based on the Southern West Virginia lifestyle throughout
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Redmond who arrives in the Mountain State in 1910 and soon discovers that
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About the Author
James L. Jones is a Christian writer and ordained minister who has authored many
devotional books and articles. He was born in Beckley, West Virginia in 1950 and
grew up around the New River area. He and his wife Sharon reside at Lindside,
West Virginia where they operate Cherith Ministries, a nonprofit operation.
All proceeds go toward the production of Christian literature.

About the Series
The first book introduces the story and covers the period of time from the Redmond's
trip to America until the closing of the Crawley saw mill in the winter of 1918.

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The third book covers the period of time from the train explosion in 1953 at Hinton
until the Kennedy vs. Nixon presidential campaign in the Fall of 1960.

The final book covers the period of time from the Apollo spacecraft tragedy in
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For twenty years, readers have followed the continuing story of
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Other Booklets Available From Cherith Publications

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The Pathway of Faith & Other Themes
Subjects include: The Pathway of Faith; The Peril of Prosperity; Pride or Repentance; The Chariot of Israel; The Signs of Sainthood. 44 pages

Spiritual Completeness From Concentrate
In I Thessalonians 5:16-22, we discover seven concentrated statements: Rejoice evermore, Pray without ceasing, In every thing give thanks, Quench not the Spirit, Despise not prophesyings, Prove all things; hold fast that which is good, Abstain from all appearance of evil. This booklet gives guidelines on bringing these principles out into our everyday lives. 45 pages

The “C” Word (Finding Out You Have Cancer)
Finding strength and assurance from God’s Word in the midst of a serious medical problem. An excellent booklet for hospital visitation and encouragement to those who have this dreaded disease. Written with a message for the believer or unbeliever. 17 pages

Salvation
Of all the Bible terms for a person coming to God through Christ, the best description is found in the familiar word: “SAVED.” This booklet shows from Scripture what it means to be saved. An excellent booklet for evangelism and new convert assurance. 16 pages

Spiritual Fitness
Physical fitness has become one of America’s leading industries. Although physical fitness is important and should not be overlooked, spiritual fitness should be the believer’s chief concern. From the Book of Ephesians, we learn three aspects of the Christian life: Taking a Seat, Taking Steps, and Taking a Stand. In this booklet, we examine each of these three aspects of the Christian life. 33 pages

New Life Manual
The most important factor in any building process is having a strong foundation. In this booklet, you will find some of the basic first steps in understanding and beginning your Christian Life. This booklet gives a realistic view of the life of the new convert to Christ and guides the new believer into understanding of the blessings and conflicts of the Christian life and directs him/her into obedience concerning baptism and local church responsibility. 29 pages

From the Heart (Volumes 1 - 3)
Practical lessons from the Word of God using everyday experiences. These booklets contain some of the articles written by Sharon Jones which have been a blessing to Bread by the Brook readers for years. Although written from a woman’s standpoint, these booklets contain stories that will be a blessing to both men and women alike. 38 pages each

Eternal Security
100 reasons from Scripture to prove that those who have trusted in Christ for Salvation have eternal life and are saved for both time and eternity. 20 pages

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“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Eph. 2:8-9)

Salvation in the Bible is the term used for being redeemed from the curse of sin. It is being saved from the wrath of God against all sin and sinners. It is a condition of soul that assures you the entrance into Heaven and into the very presence of God.
It is your sins of the past, present and future being placed on Jesus Christ when He died on the cross paying the penalty of all the sins of the people of all ages. It is being placed into the body of Christ and becoming a part of His bride to be raptured out at His second coming and given a new body that is without sin.
It is having an eternal relationship with God as His child that cannot be broken, for it is a gift from God, purely by His grace. It is receiving the indwelling Holy Spirit to guide and comfort you in this life until you are in the very presence of Jesus Christ at His coming.
It is the beginning of a new life in Christ, making you a new creature in Christ, changing the old habits of sinful practices and giving you the desire to please God. It is the implantation of hatred for sin in your soul and a love for the things of God such as the Bible, prayer, and the church He has founded. It is called by Jesus as being “born again.” It is becoming a joint-heir with Christ. It is a personal, one-time experience with God when you instantaneously become a born again child of God.
When you become a child of God, you are not freed from sorrow, testing, temptation to sin, ridicule, and even hardships. However, you now have the indwelling Holy Spirit to guard, guide, keep and comfort in all such problems. You can be victorious over Satan through the power of God given you. Only those born again through the power of the indwelling Spirit can be over comers of trials and temptations. You are clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ and that is an armor that neither Satan or any of his hoards of fallen angels can penetrate.

Salvation is not just having a good feeling, although you cannot pass from death to life without some manifestation of emotion being realized within. Salvation is not joining a church or any other kind of religious organization. It is not turning over a new leaf in life and determining to be better. It is not making a commitment to some religious doctrine. It is not going forward in a religious meeting. It is not quoting a prayer that is prompted by some religious zealot to get people to make a profession of faith.
These kinds of professions mean nothing if you have never recognized in your heart that you are condemned by God as a lost and doomed sinner and are willing to repent and turn to God from a life of sin.
Salvation is not having been sprinkled with water when you were a baby. It is not living a good life and doing more good things than bad things. It is not being kind and benevolent to the less fortunate so God will reserve a seat in Heaven for you. It is not being baptized in a church baptistery or in a creek of moving water. It is not being born into a Christian family. Every man must stand before God for himself.
Salvation is not experiencing some seemingly miraculous happening when you feel close to God. It is not a warm feeling, nor is is a feeling of lightness, exhilaration, chill bumps, or any other of hundreds of counterfeit experiences being propagated as a relationship with God by false religionists. Any experiential phenomenon is the result of your having salvation, but not the criteria of proof that you are saved. This is true because salvation is only by grace through faith in Christ alone. Do not depend on feelings and experiences as the basis for your salvation. You must fully trust God and believe His Word concerning what is necessary for salvation.

As I was reading the newspaper the other day, I came across a notice for an auction. Normally I skip over those ads, but this time I thought I recognized the name of the family who was having the auction. It was the usual type of advertisement with the directions to the auction site, the time and date, and a list of articles for sale. I read through the list, and then I came to the terms for the sale. They wanted cash only, and the ad read: “All purchases final.” Now that tells me in plain and simple language that if you attend this auction and decide to buy something, you must be able to pay right then and there and be prepared to keep whatever you buy. It doesn’t matter if the item has a flaw or two, or even if it’s practically useless; the one who makes the highest bid becomes the new owner.
I remember when my brother and I were children, our parents would take us by our grandmother’s house sometime during the week. We especially liked it when it was a Friday night.
After we visited for a while, Grandma would give my brother and me each a quarter and send us down to the corner store where they held auctions every Friday night. By the time we got there, the big items were gone and they were down to the last of the junk. They would put all the loose things in boxes and close the lids and then start the bidding. I was always afraid to even scratch my nose for fear of bidding too high, so my brother would bid on a box for each of us. We each bought a big box full of junk for only a quarter, and what a real bargain we had! To us it wasn’t junk, but we were just kids, what did we know? Since the purchase was final, we had to make the best of whatever was in the box, but it was ours to do with whatever we wanted. In my box one time was a bundle of flour sacks and a mason jar full of nuts and bolts. I gave the flour sacks to Grandma and the nuts and bolts to my father. My brother laughed at my “misfortune” until I came across a bag full of toy army men. Since I had given away everything else, he thought I should give him the bag of little green soldiers. Well, it was mine to do with whatever I wanted, so I decided to keep them. He first tried to buy them from me, but I wasn’t going to budge.
Then, he begged. It wasn’t long before the begging stopped and the fighting began. All I knew was that he wanted them and that was worth the fight!
It’s funny how a little thing like an advertisement for an auction can bring back such buried memories. While my mind was still on that little phrase, “All Purchases Final,” I saw a parallel developing about another purchase that was made many years ago and just how final it was.
I Peter 1:18-19 says that we “were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, . . . but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” God’s plan of salvation for lost, sinful man is purely by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Christ wants to redeem mankind even with all our flaws and imperfections.
Before I accepted Christ as my Savior, I was dead in trespasses and sin. However, when I received Christ, He took away my sins, and He redeemed me as His own. I am no longer my own, I have been bought with the precious blood of Christ. I can rejoice today that Satan no longer owns me and I have a new Master now. The purchase was final! There is nothing Satan can do to get me back. He cannot buy me back, nor can he beg for my return. I am God’s eternal possession.
He has promised to keep me for eternity, and I can trust in His promise when I read Hebrews 13:5 : “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” This is one of the most well known promises in the Bible. It’s interesting to see that you can read this promise backward and it still means the same thing. “Thee forsake nor thee leave, never will I.”
To most it was a simple ad in the newspaper concerning a local auction, but to me it spoke of good memories in time past, and security in Christ for eternity.

In Matthew 11:28 we have an invitation from the Lord Jesus, “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden,” and with this invitation a promise is given, “...and I will give you rest.” This is one of the great invitations of the Bible.
The world can make promises and many it may keep, but most it will not. The devil, the enemy of God and man, likewise, will make promises to people. He has no intention, of course, of keeping those promises for his work is a deceptive work. He offers men something he cannot provide. His goal is to deceive and drag all the people down to hell that he possibly can.
Politicians can promise and do. There are many who have no intentions of keeping their promises and certainly they promise in order to get votes. They promise people things that they simply cannot produce. Promises, promises, promises.
There is a promise in this text and I ask you to think about the One who is speaking. That One is Christ, the Son of God. The One who is speaking is the One who has authority, power and the ability to do what He has promised. He is the Son of God. He is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we may ask or think.
He is faithful. Other promises are made by people who are not faithful, but He is faithful. All His promises are backed by His love and His power. He is faithful to do what He has promised to do and He is willing. He passes along this all inclusive invitation, “Come unto me,” when the load of sin is heavily upon you and you can’t help yourself. He is willing to take men’s burdens and put away men’s sins and impart salvation and His life to those who want to be saved from their sins. He wants to lift the burdens from men, women, boys and girls that weigh upon them so heavily.
We read in the Bible that “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Some have been carrying the burden of sin and the realization that the wages of sin is the eternal banishment from the presence of God.
This invitation also goes out to those who are convicted of the awfulness of sin. Those who desire to get out from under the burden, have the assurance of the forgiveness of sin and have life eternal.
It goes out to those who tremble at the thought of judgment, for the Bible says, “It is appointed unto man once to die, and after that the judgment.”
I have only ever talked to one man who said that man lives his days and then dies as a dog. Of course he did not believe this, he was trying to excuse himself for his sin. This invitation goes out to people who are awakened by the Holy Spirit and are conscience of the brevity of life and conscience of the fact that man must meet God in judgment and live somewhere forever.
This invitation goes out to those who are in a time of affliction. We all know what it is to be afflicted, to sorrow, to suffer, to be tempted and tried, to have problems that we cannot solve, to have burdens too heavy for us to bear. He says “Come unto me.” Christ is able and willing to help meet that need. He has grace sufficient for every experience.
In Acts 16, we notice the salvation of a very wicked and cruel man. He was a jailer of a Roman prison in Philippi. The apostles had been beaten and placed in jail. As the apostles sang praises unto to God, the power of God was manifested and the doors of the prison were opened. This jailer cried out as he saw the evidence of the judgment of God and he asked the question that all men need to ask, “What must I do to be saved?” The answer to this question lies only in the Bible. The answer he received was very plain and simple.
It was one that has been passed down through the years. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” This does not mean that men can simply believe in His existence. But it does mean to trust Him as the only means of salvation.
“Come unto me” is a very gracious invitation and brings encouragement to mankind. We are to come right now, we have no promise of tomorrow. God’s time is always now. If the Holy Spirit of God is dealing with you please know that “today is the day of salvation.” Harden not your heart.
Who can rest in this invitation? Those who labor and are heavy laden. It is not limited to any class or nationality of people. It is issued to those who are in a condition described by these words “labor and heavy laden.” They carry a load of sin and are under condemnation. They have problems and burdens.
I have been in this work a long time and I have never seen so many people with so many problems and burdens and cares as we have in these last days. They are on the increase and as the age darkens, we come near to the time when Christ will come to take His own out of this world.
He will give it, not sell it. Many people say they are doing the best they can. That is not the way to get saved. You will not find that in the Bible. “The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” If you come to Christ, He will give you the gift of salvation and rest for your soul.
What kind of rest? Rest from the fear of the law. As we measure ourselves by the standards of God’s law, we find that we are condemned.
Also, from the fear of the penalty of sin. Come to Christ with your burdens and sin and He will give you rest of soul.



“Your words have been stout against me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee? Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts. And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered. Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.”
Malachi 3:13-16

As Malachi wrote this next to the last chapter, he is sharing a contrast in these verses; a contrast between those who serve the Lord and those who do not.
He makes a distinction between religious people and those who truly want to serve the Lord, the true believers of God.
The first group is the religious leaders. These are the ones within Judaism who claimed to be religious. They are the ones that Malachi is quoting. We are talking about people who are basically religious, but who are not true believers. They stand in opposition to God. The word “stout” is a familiar one, but in this portion of Scripture it means “opposed to God.” In fact, it is a strong word which actually means “to despise God.” They had adopted ungodly ways for themselves and it had affected the way they related to God. They were strong against the Lord although they claimed to be religious.
What were these people saying? In verse 14, they were saying in essence, “What does it pay us to serve the Lord? We have not received a reward for serving the Lord - we’re not getting anything out of it.”
The same situation exists today that Malachi found with these people. There are “religious” people in the church today simply for what they can get. Their attitude is expressed through their words.
Verse 15 tells that they had a perverted way of thinking as far as the ungodly is concerned. The proud were happy and those who worked wickedness were looked up to. These people, who were supposed to be “religious,” and God-centered people, yet they were looking at the wicked and setting them up as idols. Their values and priorities were centered in the world and in themselves.
Another group is found in verse 16. These are spiritual people. Their thinking is different. Their thoughts are on the Lord. They “esteem” or “prize” the name of the Lord. There are some people who always have a testimony for the Lord.
They talk often about the Lord in their lives. No matter what the circumstances may be, they have a positive attitude toward the working of the Lord. It may not mean that everything is going well, but even as they are going through trials, they see the positive aspect of “all things work together for good to them that love God.” They can see the hand of the Lord working in their daily lives and they have a praise and testimony for what God is doing.
When you visit with some people, they seem to be so appreciative that you came by. While you are there, they tell you what the Lord has done in their lives and how He has met their needs. When you leave, you go home with a blessing. On the other hand, there are some who complain and gripe. You get the idea that there is no way God could ever fulfill all their needs.
There are some who highly esteem the name of the Lord, but there are others who complain all the time because God has not done this or that. What they are simply saying is, “What does it pay to serve the Lord?”
What comes out of your mouth? How do people evaluate you? Do people see a relationship between you and God? Is it evident by your testimony for the Lord?
Verse 16 says, “Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.” Notice that God heard it and wrote it in a book of remembrance. God is writing down what we say about Him. What would God have on the pages concerning you? Would it be page after page of sarcasm and complaining, or would He write that you “prized” His name?