Devotional for October 2016

by John Carpenter | Oct 11, 2016 | Devotional

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. (2) For men shall be lovers of their own selves – covetous – boasters – proud – blasphemers – disobedient to parents – unthankful – unholy…(5) having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof; from such turn away.”

This text from 2Tim.3 very aptly describes the current state of affairs of our present culture in this nation. It seems that everywhere in our society there is opposition to God and His incarnated eternal savior Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. This, indeed, is a direct cause in the breakdown of the fulfillment of the Biblical description of the family structure (as it is supposed to be). For example, we live in a land where there are laws against Christian prayer and Bible reading in our schools. This, by itself, engenders a general attitude of spiritual indifference as a rule among our students. This, in turn, adversely affects the teaching vocation as a whole. Our educators are diligent to make no positive reference to God, or the Bible, in the course of their teaching.

From 1Jn.2:15-17 we read: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (16) For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life – is not of the Father, but of the world. (17) And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof, but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.”

How is this text relevant? Worldliness is running rampant – not only in our society as a whole, but also in our churches! Worldly ways, means and music has been, and is being, adopted and accepted as an attraction to accomplish and increase church attendance. Hence, our children are being trained to become citizens of this world – instead of heaven [Phil.3:20]. They are being assimilated into a predominantly carnal culture [Ro.12:1-2] Christianity, itself, is being massaged and manipulated to fit in with this fallen world that it is supposed to resist and avoid. Our children are being proselytized into a false carnal “christian” way of living instead of genuinely being evangelized and regenerated by the Holy Spirit in accordance with God’s Word! So called gospel presentations are being performed according to worldly wisdom – and are, therefore, not even able to be effective in producing any real change in a person’s life. This contributes to the misconception that worldliness is acceptable with God – when it is not!

Jesus said from Jn.16:33 : “In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer – I have overcome the world.” In addition, He said from Jn.17:9 “I pray for them. I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me – for they are thine!”

Because of the current course of opposition to God that our culture is on – and the fact that worldliness permeates even the presentation and profession of true Christianity – unfavorable judgment from our sovereign, holy God is being poured out upon our nation as a result. Hence, there is only one course of corrective action that will deliver us; and that is to follow the example of our Lord Jesus Christ in earnestly and effectively praying – in the Spirit — for His good and Godly leadership in every way and at every level of our country’s government.

Jesus also prayed from Jn.17:15 “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil (one).” He then declared from the next two verses: “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them (lit.) in thy truth. Thy Word is truth.” Let us praise His mighty Name!

For Christ’s Glory Only!
-John Carpenter

Devotional for September 2016

by John Carpenter | Sep 20, 2016 | Devotional

Col.2:6-7 descriptively declares: “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord – so walk ye in Him: rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith – as ye have been taught – abounding therein with thanksgiving.”

There is delivered here, for our understanding, a very basic and practical principle of God’s grace that becomes the very character of our walk through this world as a true child of God.

First of all, we can accurately and rightly conclude that our walk – our journey – through the wilderness of this fallen and cursed world is exactly in accordance to the same way in which we received the Lord Jesus Christ into our lives. 2Co.13:5 exhorts us in this manner: “Examine yourselves – whether ye be in the faith! Prove your own selves! Know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates?” It is so important that our perspective opinion in this particular aspect that concerns the reality of our spiritual experience be purged from any and every iniquity or error. For a mistake on this vital point affects the entirety of our Christian life in and through this world. Our Lord, Himself, warns us against walking in a light that is actually darkness. He said, “If, therefore, the light that is in thee – be darkness – how great is that darkness!”[Mt.6:23] Therefore, how did we receive Christ Jesus the Lord? We must not forget that the Word plainly tells us: “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]

Secondly, the same wonderful grace that saved us and gifted us with the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ, continues on by manifesting unto us that we, indeed, have been loved by God and chosen by God and placed by God “in Christ”. Hence, as we have received Christ by God’s grace, even so, by God’s grace, we also walk through this world of trial and trouble in Christ – Praise His Name! Gal.2:16 adamantly declares to us this all important truth: “knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by – the faith of Jesus Christ; even we have believed in Jesus Christ – that we might be justified by – the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law. For by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” So then, from this text we learn that we cannot genuinely have faith in Christ – unless it is by the gift of God – the grace – of the faith of Christ!

Finally, as we walk in our Lord, an amazing thing takes place. We are still in this fallen and cursed world that is literally fraught with toils and struggles of all sorts, and yet, in our walk in our Lord, we grow in grace and knowledge of Him as being our Savior. This is because God has – by His grace — rooted us in His Word (through which the Holy Spirit has caused us to receive Christ Jesus in the first place) and is also, as we walk through this world in Him, building us up in the same. Acts 20:32 reveals what Paul was inspired to tell the Ephesians when he was leaving them: “And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the Word of His grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.”

This rooting and building us up in the Word of God’s grace is exactly what we need to establish us in the faith of Jesus Christ that saves us. And as we walk in our Lord through this world – we walk by faith and not by sight. We walk by the Holy Spirit who seals Jesus Christ to our hearts and our hearts to Jesus Christ as being our sovereign Savior Substitute; which He has been unto us, from eternity, in eternity and for eternity! Again, Praise His Name!

For Christ’s Glory Only!
-John Carpenter