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)

Last issue, we began our brief survey through the seven dispensations and follow as God’s clock of time progresses toward eternity. The Dispensation of Human Government and the Dispensation of Promise were reviewed.

The Dispensation of Law

From the Dispensation of Promise, we move to the Dispensation of Law which extended from the Exodus until Christ died on the cross. A period of about 1490 years. During this dispensation, God gave the law to His people Israel with the responsibility to obey and keep it. “Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine” (Ex. 19:5) It was during this period, the people of Israel become God’s nation to whom over 600 detailed social, moral, and civil commandments were given.
With the law as their standard, Israel conquered the land of promise and grew into a strong and mighty nation. However, their failure to keep God’s commandments resulted in the nation being divided, plundered and ultimately carried off into captivity. Assyria captured Israel in 722 bc and Babylon captured Judah in 586 bc (II Kings 17:7-23).
When the Kingdom of Babylon fell in 536 BC., Jewish remnants under the leadership of Nehemiah and Ezra began to return to Jerusalem. The Medo-Persian and Greek Empires would rise and fall before Pompey would enter the temple at Jerusalem in 63 BC. to bring the Jews under Roman dominance. However, the stage was being set for the greatest manifestation of God’s mercy and grace when He would send His Son, Jesus Christ, to keep and fulfill the law. “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons” (Gal. 4:4-5).
Israel had “failed to keep the law, and the only One who did keep the law was rejected and crucified by them.”

The Dispensation of Grace

Following the Dispensation of Law comes the Dispensation of Grace which includes the present period of time in which we live. It began with the crucifixion of Christ at Calvary and will last until the Rapture of the Church. We do not know how much longer the Dispensation of Grace will last because the Rapture of the Church could occur at any moment. This dispensation is also known as the Church Age because of the activity of the Holy Spirit in calling out an assembly of believers from all races and classes as the Bride of Christ and Temple of the Living God.
The responsibility given during this dispensation is to repent of sin and receive the Resurrected Christ as Savior. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
“But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life” (Rom. 5:15-18).
Today, we are witnessing man’s response to the Gospel. Some reject Christ, and some receive Christ. “He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:11-12).
God will save anyone who will turn from sin and trust Christ as his personal Savior. “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (II Pet. 3:9).
The Dispensation of Grace will end when the church is caught up to meet Christ in the air. “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words” (I Thes. 4:13-18).

The Kingdom Dispensation

The final dispensation known as the Kingdom Dispensation is still future, and will last from the Revelation of Christ to the Great White Throne Judgment. A period of 1,000 years. Because the duration is 1,00 years, this dispensation is referred to as the Millennial Kingdom, or simply the Millennium. After the Rapture of the Church, there is a 7 year period of time known as the Tribulation period. Each Raptured saint will appear at the judgment seat of Christ to determine the quality of his service to Christ during his life on earth.
With the church gone, the Antichrist will establish a worldwide religious, political, commercial empire. During this seven year period, God will issue three series of plagues upon this evil Antichrist system.
Some scholars consider the 7 year Tribulation Period as a separate dispensation which they call the Dispensation of Judgment. Others view it as part of the Dispensation of Grace. In this study, we will view the seven year tribulation as a period of transition linking the Dispensation of Grace and the Kingdom Dispensation.
At the close of the Tribulation Period, Christ will return to the earth; destroy the armies of Anti-christ; gather and judge the nations; and establish His thousand year reign here on earth. During this period, Satan will be bound and the saints of God will live, reign and, judge with Christ. The responsibility of mankind will be obedience to Jesus Christ the King.
At the close of this thousand year period, Satan will be released to stir up one final rebellion against God, Christ, and the saints. This final revolt will be stopped when God sends fire from heaven to consume the rebels. “And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them” (Rev. 20:7-9).
After the close of the Millennial Kingdom, the lost of every generation of the human family will be raised and judged by Christ at the Great White Throne Judgment. “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death” (Rev. 20:11-14).
In mercy, God will provide a new heaven and new earth for those who have trusted both the promise and provision of Christ in every dispensation. “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea” (Rev. 21:1). With the New heaven and the new earth, we find not only the end of the Dispensation of the Kingdom, but also the end of time.

Conclusion

In every dispensation, there is given a special responsibility. However, as already stated, These responsibilities remain in force as each new dispensation is introduced. The combined responsibility to obey God, with a pure conscience, with self control, according to the promises of the Word of God through the law is beyond man’s ability. But as the dispensations reveal man’s sin and inability to please God, these periods of time also reveal God’s plan of salvation and the ability of Christ to meet God’s standard and fulfill every demand through His death for our sins and His bodily resurrection.
What responsibility is given to us who are privileged to live during this present dispensation of Grace? Our responsibility can only be realized when we view time from it’s relationship to man. As far as you and I are concerned, Time can only mean one thing- opportunity. While we have time, we have certain opportunities. First, and foremost, time offers the opportunity to receive Christ and be saved. His perfect work of redemption only applies to those who have received him as their personal Savior.
In his Second letter to the Corinthians, Paul declared the danger of putting off salvation until a later time. “For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (II Cor. 6:2).
Time also provides the opportunity for service. Many who have trusted Christ as Savior, have become lax or indifferent in their personal service to Him. Concerning our natural life, King Solomon wrote, “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest” (Eccles. 9:10).
Time also offers the opportunity for believers to examine their hearts and confess their sins. We must remember... that which we think is hidden here in time will be openly exposed when we stand before Christ. “Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (II Cor. 5:9-10).
When our time is expired, our opportunities will be gone forever. The Apostle James reminds us that our time here on earth is precious. “Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” (James 4:13-14).

The Resurrection (Chapter 15)

The Chronology of the Resurrection
(Verses 23-28)

23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are
Christ’s at his coming.
24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all
authority and power.
25 For he must reign, till he hath put all
enemies under his feet.
26 The last enemy that shall be
destroyed is death.
27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did
put all things under him.
28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
In verses 23 through 28, we find the chronology of the resurrection. The Bible teaches of two resurrections; the resurrection of the righteous, and the resurrection of the lost (Rev. 20:6-15). This is speaking of the first resurrection of the righteous, which happens in various stages or phases. First, Christ; next the firstfruits, and then those who are Christ’s at His return. Christ will present the redeemed of every dispensation to God in perfection. Regardless in which phase a saint is resurrected, whether at the rapture or the revelation, in the end, he will be with Christ to God’s glory. Why argue over who will be first and who will be last, rather rejoice in the fact that we will be raised. By application, the exhortation here given to the local church prompts us to cease from arguing over God’s divine order. Whether it be husband and wife, or church and church leadership, we are to rejoice that God’s grace gave us a part in His wonderful work.

The Challenge of the Resurrection
(Verses 29-34)

29 Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?
30 And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?
31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
32 If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink;
for to morrow we die.
33 Be not deceived: evil communications
corrupt good manners.
34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.
In verses 29 through 34, we see the challenge of the resurrection. In verse 29, Paul mentions the baptism for the dead. All true water baptism is for the dead. A believer is baptized for the dead, and the dead person he was baptized for was himself. Baptism shows the men and women of the world that our old man of sin has died with Christ, but when we come up out of the water, we show that we are baptized for the living, our new creature, created in Christ Jesus.
If there was no spiritual or physical resurrection, we would have to remain under the water to give a true picture of what happened spiritually. Paul also states the truth of the resurrection gave him courage to face danger for Christ. Paul gives a strong challenge. If this dead body is going to be raised different from which it was buried, should not our spiritual man be raised different than our old man of sin? The new creature in Christ will be just as different from the old man of sin, as the glorified body will be from these vile, sickly, earthly bodies.

The Characteristics of the Resurrection
(Verses 35-50)

Verses 35 through 50 give us the characteristics of the resurrected body. Verses 35 through 41 tell us it will be a real, distinct body. It will also be our body. We will be who we are for all eternity. God made us distinct individuals and we will be ourselves throughout eternity. You can tell a grain of wheat from a kernel of corn, a fish from a bird, the sun from the moon, and you will be able to tell us apart even when we are glorified. The resurrected body will be an incorruptible body, which means it will be free from sin and all the effects of sin. In verse 43 we see that it will be a glorious body. We will be in the image of Christ’s body, and everything that God planned for us to be had it not been for the limitations of sin. We will find power there that we have never had in this earthly body. In verses 44 through 50, notice it will be a spiritual body. The body that we now live in is earthly, made after the first Adam, and suffers all the mortal shortcomings brought on by Adam’s sin. The resurrected body will be after the second Adam - Christ, and will be free from corruption and fitted to dwell in the very presence and true fellowship of God the Father. Continued Next Issue

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Striking From the Pit
Foggia, Italy
January, 1943

Foggia was located in South Eastern Italy and got its name from the many grain storage pits in the area. The word Foggia comes from a Latin word meaning “pit.” First settled in the tenth century, the city grew from being occupied by a small group of peasants to becoming a major railway hub linking Northern and Southern Italy in the early 1900’s. The area had metamorphosed through three significant stages- wet, dry, wet. At first, a disease-ridden marshland, it was dried and made inhabitable by Robert Guiscard during the 11th century. Years later, the area then began to suffer from a lack of water. This was corrected during the early 20th century by the construction of an aqueduct to supply and control the water resources in the area.
Because of these agricultural changes, Foggia had experienced political, cultural, and economic ups and downs through the years. Count Henry of Monte Sant’ Angelo, William II, Frederick II, and Alfonso V had adorned it with palaces, cathedrals, and stadiums. During the early 20th century, Foggia seemed to be at the peak of economical growth. As so many other areas, the blue skies of peace and prosper were darkened by a common enemy- war.
Foggia was of prime military concern because of the airfield complex constructed by the Italian Royal Air Force just before the war broke out. These airfields, all within a twenty-five mile radius, were well built with hard surfaced runways and multiple building structures. With the allied bombing of Rome and the invasion of Sicily, Italy, a friend of Germany, signed an armistice with the Allied Forces on September 8, 1943. With Italy out of the war, the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) immediately took over the airfield complex around Foggia. Over the years, Foggia had managed to survive four massive earthquakes, one of which destroyed a third of the city.
Now, the ground shook under the force of manmade tremors. Since most of the enemy supplies came down through Italy by rail, the railway points in Rome, Naples, and Foggia were prime targets. On August 19, U.S. and British heavy bombers struck Foggia. They struck railroad lines, nearby factories; and wrecked electric substations. More than two hundred P-38s and B-17s returned on August 25 to strafe and bomb the Foggia airfield. In October of 1943, the British Eighth Army seized the airfield complex.
After the United States Corps of Engineers repaired the complex, the Fifteenth Air Force began bomber missions from Foggia. Along with the paved runways, other grass and planked runways were constructed. This made the Foggia airfield complex capable of launching bomber missions to areas inaccessible from England. Foggia, for the time being, would be young Rick’s home away from home. continued next issue

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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) Our Most Popular Booklet
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

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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 Pastor’s Favorite
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) Women’s Favorite
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

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The King James Bible

For over 300 years, the King James Version of the Bible has been the Bible of the English speaking people. It is the most printed book in the history of the world, and the most influential book ever published. Not only is it the greatest work of English literature, it is also accurate and true to every doctrine and moral principle of the inspired Word of God. The influence of the King James Bible on America cannot be overlooked in any true accessment of the major events in the nation’s history. Follow the steps from the Old and New Testament Manuscripts to the King James Bible and see the importance of the King James Bible in the history and moral condition of our nation. (Viewing Time: 23 minutes)

The Season of the Tares

Beginning with the Parable of the Wheat and Tares in Matthew Chapter Thirteen, this DVD presentation reviews the history and growth of Gnosticism. Having invaded and altered the kingdoms, cultures and religions of the world, the seeds of Gnosticism were sown as tares among Christianity during the first century A.D. The old teachings of Gnosticism can be found in all of the cults and movements that pervert the doctrines of Scripture and deceive the masses. Today, Gnosticism has surfaced once again to challenge the inspired message of the Word of God. The First Epistle of John was written to expose the false teaching of Gnosticism and enforce the truth of the wonderful Gospel of Christ. Examples showing the relevance of John’s First Epistle are pointed out. (Viewing Time: 36 minutes)

God’s Division of Time

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” “No matter what may be the equipment of the Christian, no matter what intellectual, moral, or spiritual endowment he may have, unless he understands dispensational truth he will never fully lay hold of Bible Doctrine...” I. M. Haldeman. In Biblical studies, a dispensation is commonly defined as “a period of time during which man is tested in respect of obedience to some specific revelation of the will of God,” or “a period of time in which God deals with man in a particular way concerning sin and responsibility.” The Seven Dispensations are reviewed in this presentation. (Viewing Time: 32 minutes)

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We’ve been looking at the parent’s responsibility to help their children develop a right attitude toward the Word of God. Frankly, your spiritual responsibilities toward your children far outweigh any of the other responsibilities that your have. The best thing you can do for your children involves leading them to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and then to find God's will for their lives and to do it. Everything else is important as it helps you reach these goals.
Teaching them manners is part of their Christian testimony.
Teaching them to cook or to work on a car prepares them to serve the Lord in various ways.
Teaching them to read and to do well in their classes at school is essential if they are to serve the Lord well. Teaching them to carry responsibilities prepares them to carry spiritual responsibilities.
I could go on but this should be enough. You have a spiritual responsibility to your children. And developing a right attitude toward the Bible is part of that spiritual responsibility. I've pointed out that your children need to read their Bibles, they need to study them, they need to memorize verses that will help them be more consistent and effective Christians, and they need to learn to meditate on Scripture.
I'd like to emphasize one more important relationship to the Bible that your children need to have. They need to obey the Bible. We have far too many professing Christians that say one thing but do another. Nearly every Christian believes in soul winning, but very few Christians try to win souls. Most Christians say that they believe in prayer, but very few Christians spend much time praying. Our churches are filled with Christians who say that they believe in giving to support God's work, but studies show that only three percent of professing Christians title their income. Your children need to learn to obey God's Word.
The late Dr. Bob Ketcham said that “all that God wants from anybody is obedience. You may have a thousand talents and you may have all the education in the world . . . but you can have all of this and if you are not obedient, you are not going to get very much out of life for Christ.”
Evangelist Ken Lynch pointed out that “It is impossible to say the word 'No' and the word 'Lord' in the same breath! 'Lord' means He is your master. 'Master' means I am His servant. A servant does not have the privilege of saying, 'No,' to his master!” A. W. Tozer said, “The true follower of Christ will not ask, 'If I embrace this truth, what will it cost me?' Rather he will say, 'This is truth. God help me to walk in it, let come what may!”
Look at this logically. Do you expect your children to obey you? Of course you do. You expect them to obey you because they are your children. And God expects the same obedience from His children. You can help them obey by making God's standards the standards of your home. As you guide them, they'll develop the right responses to the various situations in life. Necessarily, this means that your standards need to be God's standards. You need to be yielded to the Word of God, because you want to please the Lord in every area of life. As you practice biblical standards, you guide your children to adopt those same standards for themselves.
Alexander MacLaren, an early twentieth century British preacher, said, “The meaning of being a Christian is that in response for the gift of a whole Christ I give my whole self to Him.”
It's up to you to help your children give themselves in obedience to God's standards set forth in His Word.

The old calendar for 2009 is down and the new calendar for 2010 has taken its place. It was interesting to look at the old calendar as a reminder of what our schedule was like this past year. Most appointments were kept, and others had to be moved or rescheduled to a later date. Then, I noticed there were some unexpected circumstances that came up that we hadn’t planned for, but needed to be worked into our schedule. I’ve heard it said that it is fine to make plans, just allow God to change them if He sees best.
I enjoyed looking at each month and remembering how busy we were. At times we didn’t think we could keep up with such a demanding schedule, and often we wondered how we would be able to get everything accomplished. I know that through the last year, without God’s help and guidance, we would have failed for sure. It was reassuring to look back and see how God led us through the difficult times and guided us when things looked foggy and unknown. Many times we had to walk by faith and trust His leading, and now looking back, we can see God’s wonderful guiding hand upon our lives. He also gave us days of joy and refreshment and led us into times of relaxation.
The old calendar is scribbled on and full of past activities, while the pages of the new calendar are fresh and clean. There are a few weeks already filled in, and we are excited to see how God will fill up the rest. We can face the New Year with the same confidence that God will guide us as He has done in the past. We may not know where the months ahead will take us, but we do know with Whom we will be going.
God has not shown us everything from January to December, but we can follow Him as He leads us. I like to think of it as driving a car a night. As we drive, our headlights do not provide a clear , direct beam of light from one town to the next, making every inch of the road visible. Instead, they shine about 20 feet in front of us and we follow in the light that is given. We don’t know what is ahead of us, and circumstances and events can change quickly, but God knows everything from the beginning to the end.
That is why we need a constant, reliable Guide who never changes and will lead us in the right way. I have claimed Psalm 31:3 to be the prevailing verse over our new calendar. “For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me.”
With each new day, I know there will be paths to choose from. Many will seem good, but sin has a way of making them appealing and interesting.
Satan will try to put snares in our way to tempt us to turn from the paths of safety and go down his path of despair. He may even try to convince us that certain paths are too hard and too uncomfortable, maybe even too embarrassing Knowing this, how important it is to trust our Guide every day.
God has given us His Word to be a guide for our steps. There, He clearly gives us instructions in the way we should go. We also have the leadership of the Holy Spirit and the promise that He will teach us and guide us into all truth.
As time passes in this new year, the pages will flip on the calendar and the weeks will turn into months. We have just begun this journey through 2010, but God is already working before us. You see, God does not “work for” us, instead He works “before” us. We have not gone this way before, and it is reassuring to know we have a dependable and trustworthy Guide.
He knows every step and the dangers that we will face. In my own life, I have seen times when I want to run ahead of God and fill my calendar with all sorts of activities , and He patiently slows me down. Then, other times, when I lag behind, He gives me strength for each new day.
I’ve hung up many fresh calendars through the years and then taken them down to be replaced by yet another new calendar. God has guided me through each of those calendar years from when I was much, much younger to my present, not-so-young stage of life. With the putting away of every old calendar, I have had the opportunity to see God’s unfailing hand. It has also revealed the many times I have failed Him and not allowed Him to have control in my life.
As our schedule begins to fill up on the calendar, I look forward to seeing what God has prepared for us. I also look forward to God preparing me through His leadership and guidance to face the New Year!

“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, throughly furnished unto all good works.” II Timothy 3:16

What a wonderful heritage Timothy had that from his early childhood he had been taught the Holy Scriptures. Paul did not commend him because he lived in the best neighborhood, or that he attended the best school, but that his mother and grandmother taught him the sacred Scriptures from his youth. It was the Scripture that would “make him wise unto salvation.” He could have had all the other items and yet die and to to hell. His folks had made the most important item the most important.
Paul reminds us how important the Scriptures are in the life of believers. They are “inspired” of God. This word means “God breathed.” Here is a definition of inspiration that describes this process: “God superintending the human authors of the Bible so that they composed and recorded without error, not only their words, but in essences the Word of God.” So, we have an infallible, inerrant rule for faith and practice. This infallible Word from God is intended to do four things.
First, it is to establish Doctrine or what we believe. If it were not for this Book, I would not know what to believe. It is a revelation of God to man, and what God wants us to believe about Himself and His works. I do not form my doctrine and then go to the Scriptures to try and prove them as so many of the false religions and cults do. I take my beliefs from the Scriptures as they are revealed to us. All our beliefs are to be checked against the Scriptures and if they do not measure up, then they are wrong. This is what happened during the Reformation. The leaders of this revival of truth were able to take the doctrine of the Catholic Church and measure them against the Scriptures. They realized that the doctrine and teachings were false.
The second purpose of Scripture is for Reproof, or for teaching us how to get right. Another word for “reproof” is “conviction.” It will convict you of your sin and show you your need to get right with God. We read in Romans 3:20 that “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law if the knowledge of sin.”
We like to measure ourselves by ourselves and we can always find someone who is more sinful than we are, but when we measure ourselves by the Word of God, we find that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” The Scriptures tell us that we need to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved.
The third purpose is for Correction, or how to do right. Even though we get saved, we still have this old Adamic nature and we are prone to go astray. The Scriptures will correct our failures and show us the proper path to take. Plus, the Holy Spirit is there to help us make the right choices and do the right thing.
The last thing that the Scriptures will do is give us Instruction in Righteousness, or teach us the right things to say and do from a godly viewpoint. Mankind has his wisdom, but it’s from the god of this world and his wisdom is not of God. God’s wisdom is from above and man’s wisdom is from below.
God says that if someone does you wrong, “turn the other cheek,” but the wisdom of man says that we need to get even for the way they did us. The Scriptures will tell you the right way and encourage you to “walk therein.” By walking in the truth, we can overcome the “old man” and do those things that are pleasing to the Lord. God desires holiness in us, and this will happen as we apply the Word to our hearts and actions.
The end product is a “perfect” or mature man in the Lord. If these Scriptures are so important, should we not spend more time in them instead of spending time in front of the television or some sporting event? Should we not try to please God more than we please men?

What a wonderful truth that we are now living in the Church Age. We have been planted into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit and have the unique privilege of the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Israel, though chosen of God as a holy nation, had national promises. They could be individually saved by faith, as Abraham was, but did not have the Holy Spirit living within to guide and convict.
God did, however, give them prophets to warn them of coming judgments. Jonah was one of those prophets. It is unique that all of the recorded prophecy of Jonah was directed to a Gentile city. Therefore, the way God dealt with Jonah is of particular interest to us as we read and study the book.
So, instead of studying the book verse by verse as we normally would, we are going to be looking for principles, types and illustrations that will affect our lives and walk with the Lord.

Lesson #1: God Will Not Tolerate Sin

America had better understand this soon. Even though Nineveh was a Gentile city and knew very little or nothing about the God of Israel, God was not ignorant of their wickedness.
We live in a country that in times gone by recognized God and respected the moral laws of God. Though there are still many God-fearing people in our country, the majority of the citizens of this great country could care less about God's rules of righteousness.
America has become a money-loving, materialistic, pleasure-mad, and sex-oriented society. It is unnecessary for me to write many paragraphs describing the political, economic, social, and religious evils of America. It is all so prevalent and open to the eyes of those who have intelligence enough to see it.
God remains the same; He has not changed and He will not change. Hebrews 13:8: "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever." He is no respecter of persons. This being true, the judgment of God's wrath is sure to fall on our great country.
Bible-believing preachers are crying at the top of their voices and pleading with broken hearts for America to repent of her sins and return to God. Their efforts are, for the most part, totally ignored and in many cases ridiculed.
After reading how God dealt with Jonah we are convinced that God would have us continue our mission instead of run from it as Jonah did. Those preachers who have watered down their message and refuse to preach the hell-fire and damnation of God's wrath on sin will someday have to face Christ with shame.
The only restraining force holding back the judgment of God on this wicked world is the fact that God still has his "seven thousand" who have not bowed their knee to Baal. The faithful saints of God who still hold to the fundamentals of the faith and have a spiritual responsibility to your children. And developing a right attitude toward the Bible is part of that spiritual responsibility. I've pointed out that your children need to read their Bibles, they need to study them, they need to memorize verses that will help them be more consistent and effective Christians, and they need to learn to meditate on Scripture.
I'd like to emphasize one more important relationship to the Bible that your children need to have. They need to obey the Bible. We have far too many professing Christians that say one thing but do another. Nearly every Christian believes in soul winning, but very few Christians try to win souls. Most Christians say that they believe in prayer, but very few Christians spend much time praying. Our churches are filled with Christians who say that they believe in giving to support God's work, but studies show that only three percent of professing Christians title their income. Your children need to learn to obey God's Word.
The late Dr. Bob Ketcham said that “all that God wants from anybody is obedience. You may have a thousand talents and you may have all the education in the world . . . but you can have all of this and if you are not obedient, you are not going to get very much out of life for Christ.”
Evangelist Ken Lynch pointed out that “It is impossible to say the word 'No' and the word 'Lord' in the same breath! 'Lord' means He is your master. 'Master' means I am His servant. A servant does not have the privilege of saying, 'No,' to his master!” A. W. Tozer said, “The true follower of Christ will not ask, 'If I embrace this truth, what will it cost me?' Rather he will say, 'This is truth. God help me to walk in it, let come what may!”
Look at this logically. Do you expect your children to obey you? Of course you do. You expect them to obey you because they are your children. And God expects the same obedience from His children. You can help them obey by making God's standards the standards of your home. As you guide them, they'll develop the right responses to the various situations in life. Necessarily, this means that your standards need to be God's standards. You need to be yielded to the Word of God, because you want to please the Lord in every area of life. As you practice biblical standards, you guide your children to adopt those same standards for themselves.
Alexander MacLaren, an early twentieth century British preacher, said, “The meaning of being a Christian is that in response for the gift of a whole Christ I give my whole self to Him.”
It's up to you to help your children give themselves in obedience to God's standards set forth in His Word.
Continued Next Month