Christ loves his church. He gave his life for it, and said the gates of hell won’t prevail against it. Jesus himself is the foundation stone of this church. And Scripture tells us his glory and wisdom dwell in it. At Pentecost, he sent his Holy Spirit to establish the church. And he has gifted it with anointed servants — pastors, teachers, apostles, prophets and evangelists — for the purpose of building it up.
"We faint not…but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God" (2 Corinthians 4:1-2). The apostle Paul states that we're called to be a manifestation of the truth. Of course, we know Jesus is this truth. So, what does Paul mean by saying, in essence, that we're to manifest Jesus?
For years the Israelites had longed to be ruled by a human king. And, finally, God allowed it. He told the prophet Samuel to anoint Saul to be ruler over Israel. So the prophet met with Saul, poured a vial of oil over his head, and kissed him. Then he told Saul, "The Lord hath appointed thee to be captain over his inheritance" (1 Samuel 10:1).
If you're serious about your walk with God, then you want to get to know your heavenly father. And so you may study his majesty, his power, his glory. But do you know your Lord's human face?
You may wonder what I mean by this. After all, we know God is spirit and that he's invisible to us. Scripture states plainly, "No man hath seen God at any time..." (John 1:18). So, how can God have a human face?
"I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out [turned out] rather unto the furtherance of the gospel" (Philippians 1:12).
In this verse, Paul tells the Christians in Philippi not to worry about all the things they'd heard had befallen him. And those "things" included great afflictions and infirmities!
I believe Solomon represents the spirit and nature of the modern, last-day Laodicean church. And this church — here in America and throughout the world — is headed for the same ruin Solomon faced!
Scripture tells us:
"And Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and the Lord his God was with him, and magnified him exceedingly...." (2 Chronicles 1:1).
In recent weeks the Holy Spirit has been leading me to pray for a greater understanding of God's love to me. After reading 1 John 4:16, I realized how very little I knew about living and walking in God's love. John wrote in his epistle: "We have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him."
Proclamation of a National Fast Day. August 12, 1861.
Whereas a joint committee of both houses of Congress has waited on the President of the United States and requested him to "recommend a day of public prayer, humiliation, and fasting, to be observed by the people of the United States with religious solemnities, and the offering of fervent supplications to Almighty God for the safety and welfare of these States, his blessings on their arms, and a speedy restoration of peace":
Ask any Christian, "Do you love Jesus?" and he will answer, "Absolutely yes!" But words alone will not stand in the holy light of His Word, for Jesus Himself said two distinct things will reveal our love for Him. If these two evidences are not being revealed in your life, then your love for Jesus is in word alone — not in deed and in truth. These two evidences are: (1) your obedience to Jesus' every command and (2) a manifestation of His presence in your life.
A young Christian wrote these sad words to me recently, "For the last few years I have heard evangelists, pastors and teachers tell their audiences to give up everything for Christ. They set my heart on fire and created in me a desire to reject the world and all it stands for. I was told to put Christ first in all things, to seek His holiness, and to go all the way with Him. So I did it! I went all the way — I gave up everything — I started giving myself to the Word and to diligent prayer. Then the Lord began to reveal Himself to me about the backslidden condition in God's house.
