Tag: emphasis

By Paul Alberts

In addition to the ways the Lord used Peter when he lived on this earth, the Lord uses him and other Bible characters to teach us lessons today. There is much to learn from Peter’s life and those of the others – not just about them, but especially about God and His ways.

If we were honest with ourselves, I doubt that any of us would like our lives so widely publicized – considering our own faults and errors in life. When we look at characters such as Peter it is very easy to find reasons to criticize. But I doubt that any of us is really any better. As we see the wonderful qualities of the Lord displayed in His interactions with Peter and others, we should recognize that He is also showing us the same grace. We have much in our own walks with the Lord Jesus Christ to appreciate, giving Him our thanks and praise.

When we see the Lord in His kindness responding to Peter’s downfalls, we should also be challenged as to our own reactions to other people’s mistakes, especially those of fellow believers. And I would be surprised if there were very many of us who do consistently well in displaying the love of the Lord in such circumstances, especially when the person seems to fail repeatedly. Of course we will never in this life be made entirely in His image, but that should not keep us from becoming more and more like our Savior in our reactions and behavior day by day.

I would close with a few words of instruction from the apostle Paul: “Speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine … be temperate, dignified, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance … be reverent in [your] behavior … teaching what is good … in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds … showing all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect. For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men” (Ti. 2:1-11 NASB). “Malign no one … be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men. For we also once were foolish ourselves” (3:2-3).

May the Lord bless you through the articles that follow.

By Paul Alberts

A sellout is someone who totally abandoned – even betrayed – his beliefs, principles and possibly relationships to join or satisfy others associated with a different view. Examples of such individuals are pretty easy to find in the worlds of entertainment, politics and business – usually because they value fame and riches more than almost anything else. So one might wonder, “What does a sellout (related to our February topic) have to do with being a disciple of Christ?”

Think about where we began in life. We had a desire to satisfy ourselves, didn’t we? Even a baby will cry until it gets what will make it “happy.” Moving into childhood and then adulthood we found ourselves having the attitudes and ideas typical of the world in which we live. We were followers – which is the definition of “disciple” – of the world. In this the Bible is quite sharp: “A friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (Jas. 4:4 NASB); “If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 Jn. 2:15); and “The whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 Jn. 5:19).

As this is what we were physically born into, we need to become sellouts ourselves – completely abandoning worldliness for that which is infinitely better. We need to be devoted disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ! The path begins by being born again, spiritually entering into life everlasting. Jesus told Nicodemus, “You must be born again” (Jn. 3:7). Through Paul, God continues, “I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God … Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom. 12:1-2) and “deny ungodliness and worldly desires” (Ti. 2:12). Contrary to the fame and riches found in this world, as followers of Christ we have “the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God” (1 Cor. 2:12).

So, this begs the question: “Are you sold out to Christ – a disciple following Him and Him alone?”

By Paul Alberts

Recently, when I was thinking of the Lord Jesus Christ and the “kingdom,” the first Bible passage that came to my mind was about the Lord Jesus’ entering Jerusalem prior to His death – commonly celebrated today as “Palm Sunday.” The crowds welcomed Him “shouting, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David; Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest!’” (Mt. 21:9 NASB). Just days later we see the same crowds crying out for the Lord to be crucified, showing hatred rather than love and proving that their public recognition of Him as their King (seen in their expression “Son of David”) had no real meaning in their hearts.

This presents a challenge for all of us who have professed faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as we consider the kingdom of God and its significance today. Do we truly live as those who are in God’s kingdom, bowing as loyal and faithful subjects with hearts filled with adoration?

The kingdom is presented in several different ways in Scripture. The two most frequent expressions are “kingdom of God” and “kingdom of heaven.” The Concise Bible Dictionary tells us that “in many respects the two expressions are identical, but the ‘kingdom of heaven’ occurs in the gospel of Matthew only, and stands in contrast to the Messiah on earth. It refers to the rule of that which God has set in heaven, and commenced when Christ went to heaven. It may be illustrated by the lights which God set in the heavens to give light and to rule the earth. The ‘kingdom of God’ is more connected with the moral state established in man.”

“Moral,” we are reminded, is concerned with what is right – the behaviors and beliefs related to what is and is not acceptable according to God’s Word. In other words, the awesome aspects of the kingdom of God are directly connected with what we view as being right and how we behave. They become very practical.

May we take note of the lessons that God gives to us in this month’s articles so we may act and think rightly, bringing honor and glory to our God and King! Let us bow before Him in every way.

By Paul Alberts

In the world of Christianity today there are numerous programs to lead believers of every age to dedicate their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ, or at least to live in certain ways that are according to Scripture. Such things can be a blessing. It is interesting to realize that the “need” for these programs indicates just how little believers today are truly willing to surrender their lives to the Lord.

In the topical indexes of hymnbooks on my desk, there are dozens of titles listed under headings such as “Aspiration,” “Commitment,” “Consecration,” “Dedication,” “Leading,” “Revival,” “Stewardship” and “Service.” Certainly the desire to sing what are typically very stirring hymns is present in those counted among the Christian world. But, is the desire to be truly surrendered to the Lord really there? And if the desire is there, does it follow in practice?

What does it mean to truly live for Christ? I think we can find many examples in Scripture of those who lived in this way – some will be found in the articles that follow.

In our lives we may be able to deceive the people around us by presenting an image of a dedicated Christian. But, can God tell the difference? Of course He can! And He may reveal it to those He chooses, as in the case of Peter’s encounters with Ananias and Sapphira. You can read the whole story in Acts 5, but to jump to the ending: Ananias and Sapphira both died for lying to God.

True commitment can only be made in the power of the Holy Spirit. That tells us that an individual must first put his or her trust in Jesus Christ, having come to Him as a poor, lost sinner, realizing the need of a Savior. Then, we must be willing to let God have control of our lives – every part! If we are going to sing those wonderful songs of dedication and commitment, we really need to mean what we express!

God has placed this challenge before us. He wants us to be entirely for Himself – and what could be better than that? As you read the articles in this month’s magazine, prayerfully consider where you stand in truly surrendering control of your life to Him.

By Paul Alberts

A letter from a young man in jail recently crossed my desk: “I sit in here wondering if anybody on the outside really cares about me. I have nothing anymore. I have lost my dad, sister and best friend.”

Another story that I just read was about a traveling preacher who grew up in a Christian home during the late 1800’s, only 60 miles from where Grace & Truth is now located. His name was Charles Weigle.

The Hymn Of The Week website says: “After returning home from an evangelistic crusade, he found a note left from his wife of many years. She told him that she could no longer handle his preaching lifestyle and being gone from home so much, so she had decided to leave him. He became so sad and despondent that he considered suicide many times because he felt that no one really cared. His faith was later restored and he decided to write a hymn about what he learned during this difficult period in his life.” The hymn is well known: “No One Ever Cared For Me Like Jesus.”

Spiritually, the first Person’s care that we see is that of the Lord Jesus, who died on the cross in our place. Only by believing can we then enter into a relationship with the Father and forever enjoy His care! The Feature articles this month are about the Father’s care. May they encourage your heart!