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Volume 2, No. 5
May 1990
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There's something unique about a gate's invitation. It may swing wide to welcome you with
open arms into its once-hidden green pastures, or creak a warning to alarm you of some
distant danger. The Scripture is alive with stories about gates, but three in the New
Testament stand out for their admonition which bodes ill for men who ignore their counsel.
Men pride themselves on their wisdom (what they know), their power (what they can do), and
their riches (what they have). In John 5, we read of a man by the sheep gate with an
infirmity for 38 years, knowing what was necessary for healing, but crying that "he
had no man." His wisdom did nothing to save him. Then the one Man alone who could
help stepped in and interceded to restore his health. In Luke 7, we see two processions
meet nigh to the gate of the city of Nain -- the one led by a prisoner of death, the only
son of his mother, a widow, and the other led by the Prisonkeeper, Who could say, "I
have the keys of hell and of death!" That son could do nothing whatsoever to help his
mother -- all had been snatched away by death, and she was left alone to ponder her
future. But the Prisonkeeper looked on that widow's face, had compassion, and turned the
keys in the lock to set the prisoner free, all nigh to the gate of the city. And finally,
in Luke 16, we read of one more gate, to a rich man's house. Laying at that gate was a
certain poor beggar named Lazarus, probably viewed every day by that rich man as he
entered his home. The Scripture tells us the rich man fared sumptuously every day,
rejoicing in what he had. But the day came when death called, and he was in torments, and
that poor beggar reposed in Abraham's bosom, comforted for eternity.
A haughty spirit (pride) comes before a fall, the Scripture says. Men rejoice in what they
know, what they can do, and what they have. But these gates teach us, as James says, that
"all such rejoicing is evil." The Bible tells of One Who, "that He might
sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered without the gate." And that same One
entreats us to "enter in at the narrow gate; for wide is the gate, and broad is the
way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be who go in that way; because narrow is
the gate, and hard is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find
it." The Lord speaks of the gates of hell (plural), but when it comes to the way to
heaven, He says "I am the way!" Hell will do all it can to attract any way but
God's way, and it is our prayer that if you still are clinging to your own wisdom, power,
or riches, you'll let go, turn from those gates of alarm, and enter that gate of
invitation that leads to life eternal. "I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he
shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture." And then "let us go
forth, therefore, unto Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. For here we have no
continuing city, but we seek one to come."
David Van Ryn
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***Guilty of Fraud?***
April the 15th has come and gone and by now those of you who are living in the U.S. should
have filed your tax returns. The Lord Jesus does not permit any Christian to defraud the
government of even one cent that belongs to it, as you will remember His famous
instructions: "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the
things that are God's." (Matt. 22:21)
Therefore we must believe that fraud is a doubly serious charge, because it is not only a
sin against man's law, but also against God's! In 1 Peter 2:13, the Scriptures direct us
to submit ourselves to every institution of man - and the IRS is one of those
institutions. Those who think this is not important are in for a giant surprise when they
reach the Judgment Seat of Christ, because it is clearly spelled out in His Word:
"Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's."
And yet how much more serious is SPIRITUAL fraud! "Will a man rob God?" comes
the question from Malachi 3:8, and the answer - though almost unbelievable - comes from
God Himself. He publishes His complaint that He has indeed been robbed by men - SPIRITUAL
FRAUD! It is a sin that is frequently committed by many if not all of us, hardly ever
confessed, and even less repented of and forsaken. But God's law stands - as clear as His
command regarding Caesar. He says: "Render...unto God the things that are
God's." Do you do this?
Think it over - what is God's? What belongs to Him so that we should render it unto Him?
How should we render it unto Him so as to not be guilty of robbing Him as those in
Malachi's day? Here are just a few of the things that the Bible says are God's, that you
and I should make sure above all else that we render unto Him. But the list is
purposefully left incomplete, so that you can study your own Bible and add to the list, of
course realizing that beneath every point you should explain HOW you are going to render
that to God in day-to-day living:
1. The Earth & All Things In It. (Ps. 24:1);
2. The Inhabitants Of Earth (Ps. 24:1);
3. Your Body (1 Cor. 6:19-20; Rom. 12:1-2);
4. Your Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19-20);
5. Your Children (Ps. 127:3-4);
6. Your Possessions (1 Cor. 4:7);
7. Your Gifts/Abilities
(1 Cor. 12:7,11,18);
8. The Church (Acts 20:28, 1 Cor. 3:9).
Such things are God's and should be rendered unto Him and not unto others. To do otherwise
is to commit spiritual fraud and sin against the Lord. April 15th has nothing to do with
it - we must render such things unto God each day of life that He graciously gives us -
for life itself is from Him.
Carl Knott
Huesca, Spain
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***What Saith the Scripture?***
The question posed above is answered in Romans 4:3: "Abraham believed God, and it was
counted unto him for righteousness." When you read further, it becomes clear from
verse 5 that the "it" of verse 3 referred to the faith of Abraham. God made a
promise to Abraham, recorded in Genesis 15, that He would give him a son, and descendants
that would be as innumerable as the stars of heaven, and Romans 4 tells us of Abraham's
faith in that promise.
Genesis 21 records that Abraham's faith in God was rewarded when God visited Sarah as He
said, and the Lord did unto Sarah as He had spoken; for Sarah conceived and bare Abraham a
son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. God's promise to
Abraham in verse 12 was that, "in Isaac shall thy seed be called."
There is a wonderful sequel to this story entitled, "Jehovah-Jireh," recorded in
Genesis 22. Here we look down the corridors of history and listen as God commands Abraham
to slay the appointed heir, the promised heir Isaac, on an altar as a burnt-offering to
Him. Can you just picture old Abraham scratching his head, so to speak, at the seemingly
contradictory words of the Lord, "In Isaac shall thy seed be called," but also
"Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land
of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I will
tell thee of?"
The Spirit of God would not have us miss out on the secret of Abraham's faith, so He
spells it out to us all in plain language in Hebrews 11:17-19. "By faith Abraham,
when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his
only begotten son; of whom it was said, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.' Accounting
that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in
a figure."
Now the wonder of this story is the fact that no human being had ever witnessed
resurrection from the dead prior to this test of Abraham. He is commended in Hebrews 11
for his tremendous leap into the unknown, a leap of faith based solely on what God had
said. Abraham's faith did not falter because he believed God; therefore, he reasoned that
God would have to raise Isaac from the dead to fulfill His promise. We see today that
Abraham's faith allowed him to foresee the wonderful, miraculous honor of resurrection
that God would, hundreds of years later, bestow upon His only Son Jesus whom He loved.
Truly, Abraham's faith allowed him to "see the place afar off" -- Jehovah-jireh,
the place of God's Lamb, the place we know as Mount Calvary.
Still today, we hear those words of Christ, "Blessed are they who have not seen, and
yet have believed." Dear Christian, the tests of faith will come. Will you, too, give
glory to God by simply believing what He has said, even though you have never seen? He has
promised wonderful things to His children. Let us exercise our hearts to lay hold on the
Word of God in the midst of the storms of life so that we do not hear His voice saying to
us, "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"
Brent Van Ryn
Sterling, Virginia
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***The Process of Patience***
What power would there be in man to love God if we left out of our teaching His love to us
first? Not much! Simply because love God-ward is based only on the foundation of prior
Divine love to us-ward (1 Jn. 4:19; Rom. 5:8). In the same way, the human need of waiting
patiently for the Lord lies not so much with us as it does in our own response to the
truth of God's commitment to us and His patience in waiting for us! (Rom. 8:28-32)
Herein lies marvelous beauty. It is seen in the process. God could have willed it for me
to be instantly glorified and it would have been so. But He delights in that process which
requires and reveals His total commitment and patience to me while He waits to make it so.
What human glory is there in a feeble creature hanging on until his faithful, omnipotent,
and omniscient Creator moves in perfect timing and in a perfect way which cannot fail? But
to see an infinitely mighty, perfect, holy, and faithful God stoop to wait patiently for
me to come around from my fears, doubts, and unbelief, never giving up on me, and
ultimately fulfilling His perfect work and purpose concerning me -- it is there we behold
and experience such holy patience of waiting towards us.
Let's consider the example God left us of His patience in waiting in 1 Pet. 3:20. There we
read that "God waited" while Noah prepared the ark. You see, God also chose not
to exempt Noah from the process --120 years of it in this case. And we find that God was
in it through all that time (the process takes time though its reward is eternal), all
that work, and all that waiting, even though it involved just one man's life (Noah), and
only "few, that is, eight souls were saved." God wasn't measuring the quality of
His commitment or purposes by numbers, time, or lack of hardships!
Isn't that wonderful? And encouraging? So the next time you're frustrated at how long it's
taking you to do "better", or you've become discouraged, or those thoughts and
feelings of insignificance are chastening you -- REMEMBER! -- God's not necessarily in a
hurry, His end purpose for you will not fail, and He won't forsake you in the process,
because He's committed to patiently wait for you -- yes, YOU! (Ps. 138:7-8)
So then, what should our response be? What's the simple and practical application? Be
Faithful! In light of Who He is and His most holy commitment to us, let's be faithful! (1
Cor. 15:58) Think of Job's determination right in the middle of his most impossible
moments during the process: "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him."
With the awesomeness of God's commitment in view, wouldn't it have been tragic for Noah to
pursue an alternative to God's way, in search of a "better" way? Under pressure
from peers because of the lack of a visible manifestation of God's blessing, or from a
lack of converts (numbers), or even from a relentless assault from his own flesh
suggesting a more logical course? The same applies to us today. We need not be moved from
His appointed way which will undoubtedly result in His appointed ends, especially because
of the pressure from those who have erred in opting for an alternative, and who, not
satisfied in their own error, now seek to move us away from gathering unto our Lord Jesus
Christ, in His appointed way. Our confidence is in Him Who does not fail. Maranatha!
Henry Sardina
Union, Missouri
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Volume 2, No. 6
June 1990
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"But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's
judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not
hereby justified: but He that judgeth me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the
time, until the Lord come, Who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and
will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of
God." (1 Cor. 4:3-5)
The Apostle Paul makes it very plain. We are not good judges. It is not important what
others think about me, nor is my opinion of myself accurate. The only safe ground we can
stand on is, "What does the Lord think about me?"
Some may still be lost in their sins. They may think they are good enough to get to
heaven, or they may think that by working at it they will make it. But it doesn't matter
what you or I think -- what matters is what God says. Nothing more, nothing less.
We, as believers in our Lord Jesus, may be more interested in what others think about us,
or what we think of ourselves, than what God thinks. Yet, it is only when we know what God
thinks that our thinking will be set straight.
Paul says that one day every mouth will be stopped and the whole world will become guilty
before God. And our mouths should be stopped, for out of the abundance of our sinful
hearts the mouth speaketh. We need to shut up and listen.
Paul says in our passage that he knows nothing by himself. It is only as God speaks to us
that we will gain any understanding about ourselves or others. I am so thankful that the
very One who could have condemned me to a lost eternity has in His gracious love made a
way of escape. He died and rose again, that I might die to myself and all my foolish
notions and live unto Him. He will one day bring out in the open the hidden things, and
will make manifest the counsels of our hearts - the motives, thoughts and intents. The
Word of God will also accomplish this in our lives today. (Heb. 4:12)
Wonder of wonders, these guilty hell-deserving sinners will one day have praise of God. I
don't understand it, but I believe it. "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's
elect? It is God Who justifies." Every blood-bought child of God has been proclaimed
by the Judge of all the earth - NOT GUILTY!!
May the Lord help us to seek His judgment on our lives, whether saved or lost. If you have
not yet trusted the Lord Jesus as your Saviour, do so today. And for those of us who know
Him, may we seek to honor Him Who alone is worthy.
Keith Van Ryn
Atlanta, Georgia
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***A Sovereign Act***
"When God forgives He forgets" is a statement often quoted in Gospel meetings,
but is this really so? Forgetfulness is a human failure, and the more we age, the more we
realize the many things we inadvertently forget to do! But God faileth not, and is not
unrighteous to forget. The promise is, "Their sins and their iniquities will I
remember no more." (Heb. 8:12) It is a sovereign act toward all who exercise
"repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." We rejoice in
the things God remembers: His covenant (Ex. 2:24); His mercy (Ps. 98:3); His holy promises
(Ps. 105:42); and even the sparrow (Lk. 12:6).
Zechariah means "He whom Jehovah remembers," and the prophecy tells of God's
loving care and kind remembrance of His people in spite of their failure and departure. In
wrath, He remembered mercy (Hab. 3:2). God says in effect, "I have remembered you in
your deep need. Will you remember Me?" Today we have this great privilege, especially
each Lord's Day, when, in beautiful simplicity, we obey the gracious request of the Savior
to partake of the symbols, the bread and the wine, at the Lord's Supper. "This do in
remembrance of Me." Joseph, after interpreting the butler's dream in prison, said to
him, "Have me in remembrance when it is well with thee." Yet did not the chief
butler remember Joseph, but forgot him.
There are many who have received more than a message of life, but eternal life itself, and
yet have not obeyed the loving request of the One they love. "If ye love Me, keep My
commandments," and the proof of our love to Christ is seen in obedience to His Word.
How good it would be if such would confess their forgetfulness and say with the butler,
"I do remember my faults this day," and gather with the Lord's people to enjoy
this great privilege.
Bernard Fell
Solihull, England
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***A Divine Contrast***
"He was numbered with the transgressors. (He is) separate from sinners" (Isa.
53:12; Heb. 7:26).
In death, we read that the Lord Jesus Christ was numbered with the transgressors, for
Scripture records that "with Him they crucified two thieves, the one on His right
hand, and the other on His left." To the common onlooker, He was just another
wrongdoer receiving the due reward for His deeds. Yet, really, He was the sinless One
bearing the sins of many.
In life, He received sinners and ate with them. No wonder, then, that as "He was
numbered with the transgressors," He could turn to one of them who acknowledged Him
as Lord and King and say, "Today shalt thou be with Me in paradise." Yes, He was
numbered with the transgressors. Even His grave was with the wicked. Yet in marked
contrast, He Who was holy, harmless, and undefiled in life and death was:
In resurrection, "separate from sinners," for the Holy One was not permitted to
see corruption. Our sinful bodies are subject to corruption and decay. "But now is
Christ risen from the dead and become the firstfruits of them that slept." Death
could not keep this prey. "Sin, when it is finished, brings forth death," but He
Who knew no sin, after being made sin for us, said, "It is finished!" and rose
back to life. No corruption -- He is and ever will be "separate from sinners,"
for He ascended to glory, and, wonder of wonders, one day we'll be there! For we that are
Christ's at His coming, sinners saved by grace, shall be changed, corruption putting on
incorruption, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Hallelujah, what a Savior!
Malcolm Skelton
Pembroke Pines, Florida
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***The Judgment He Executeth***
In Ps. 9:16, we read, "The Lord is known by the judgment which He executeth: the
wicked is snared in the work of his own hands." An obvious example of this judgment
is recorded in the Book of Esther where wicked Haman is hung on the same gallows he had
constructed for Mordecai's demise. King Ahasuerus' angry command, in response to Haman's
treachery, echoed the voice of the Almighty when he said, "Hang him thereon."
Let us consider aspects of God's plan of salvation in Christ that deal with the judgment
of the wicked one, Satan himself, as they relate to our text's truth.
1. The scene of Satan's treachery and the consequent fall of man was a garden. Likewise,
Jn. 19:41 records: "Now in the place where He (Christ) was crucified there was a
garden...."
2. The victim of Satan's artful deceit was the woman. Yet God in His matchless grace
declares, at the very scene of the crime, that the Seed of the woman would bruise the
serpent's head (Gen. 3:15). Listen to the majestic words of justice being executed by the
King in Gal. 4:4,5: "But when the fullness 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."
3. The object chosen for the temptation was the fruit of a tree. Similarly, in Jn. 12:24
the Lord said, "Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth
alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." (See 1 Pet. 2:24)
4. The method of deceit used was to cast doubt on the word and goodness of God. "Hath
God said...?" and "God doth know...ye shall be as gods...." The wonderful
story of the gospel is that God hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, for the
Word became flesh and dwelt among us. And God's desire is that we be just like His Son.
"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be
called the sons of God."
5. Sin and death entered into the world by the disobedience of one man, Adam; sin and
death were put away by the obedience of one man, Christ. (See Rom. 5:12, 19)
6. Satan used a familiar friend and companion (Eve) of Adam's to betray him (Adam was not
deceived - he knew what he was doing, See 1 Tim. 2:14); a familiar friend and companion of
Christ's, Judas Iscariot, was used to betray Him. And Christ was not deceived, "For
He knew who should betray Him." (Jn. 13:11) How striking to read in Matt. 27:5 that
Judas departed from the temple and went and hanged himself -- "the wicked is snared
in the work of his own hands." Judas died before the Lord he betrayed.
7. Satan, a murderer from the beginning (Jn. 8:44), moved that sinful mob before Pilate to
demand Barabbas, a thief and a murderer, be released and Christ be crucified. Yet in that
very act of the murder of the sinless Son of God, he condemned himself to destruction, for
Heb. 2:14 records of Christ, "that through death He might destroy him that had the
power of death, that is, the devil."
8. Satan's first lie to Eve was, "Ye shall not surely die." Strikingly, when the
Lord told His disciples of His impending death in Jerusalem at the hands of His enemies,
Peter's words echoed that first deceit, "Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be
unto thee." The Lord, recognizing the evil one at work again, replied, "Get thee
behind Me, Satan: thou art an offence unto Me: for thou savorest not the things that be of
God, but those that be of men."
Solemnly, we listen to the cries of the dying Savior on the cross of Calvary, yet the
darkness is lifted when at the ninth hour we hear the cry of the Lord, "It is
finished." The mighty victory won that day by our Lord over Satan awaits the final
judgment when the Judge of all the earth shall speak concerning His work on the cross and
say with purity of justice, "Hang him thereon." We shall sing in the ages to
come the Song of David, Ps. 19:9, "The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous
altogether."
Brent Van Ryn
Sterling, Virginia
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***Elijah's Despondency***
How amazing to read 1 Kings 19:1-7 and see the turn of events in the life of this great
man of prayer and faith; and yet, how much like each of us. We, too, let others bother or
intimidate us (vs. 2). James would remind us that "if any is afflicted, let him
pray" (Jas. 5:13). Elijah began to flee when "he saw" (vs. 3). Doesn't that
remind us of Peter who took his eyes off the Lord and began to flounder beneath the waves.
We, too, shall experience that same unsettling feeling if we look at the situation and
circumstances instead of the Lord. Then we read in verse 4 that "he requested for
himself" - in other words, he had a totally improper perspective of his situation.
When you and I let self step to the forefront, we're headed for defeat and disappointment.
How much better if he had prayed, "Not my will, but Thine be done."
Elijah was right on one point, however. At the end of verse four we hear him say, "I
am not better than my fathers." We must often be reminded that "by the grace of
God I am what I am." We certainly are not any better than the person next to
us...we've just been recipients of the grace and mercy of a loving God. God gives His best
to those who leave the choice with him! How often we must echo the words of Rom. 8:26,
"We know not what to pray for as we ought." The Psalmist said in 61:2, "I
cry unto thee when my heart is overwhelmed."
Then, to top it off, Elijah fell asleep on the job - don't we do the same? "It is now
high time to awake out of sleep." Notice, too, that God didn't shorten the journey
(even if it was too great for him), but He did bring Elijah's strength up to withstand the
journey. We can enjoy that same provision today, in spite of failure on our part,
unbelief, doubt, question, the arduous journey of life, etc. Our Great God is able to
guide and provide all along the way. PRAISE HIS NAME! He is faithful!
Bill Gustafson
Waynesboro,Georgia
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