September 2022 "Dearly Beloved" Articles
Dearly Beloved 09/30/22 "Learning From Jesus Christ's Example"
Learning From Jesus Christ’s Example
Dearly beloved of God, God is Spirit, and no man has seen Him at any time. The only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared Him.
The Lord Jesus Christ declared the Father by the words He spoke, and by the works he did at His Father’s direction.
John 3:34
For He [Jesus Christ] Whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto Him.
Most critical Greek texts omit the third use of the word “God,” or they note that it is doubtful. If it is omitted, the verse would read: “For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for the Spirit does not give [ellipsis: the words of God] by measure unto him.”
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Dearly Beloved 09/29/22 "Faith as a Grain of Mustard Seed"
Faith as a Grain of Mustard Seed
Dearly beloved of God, the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” The Lord Jesus Christ said, “If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed you might say to this sycamine tree, ‘Be plucked up by the root, and be planted in the sea, and it should obey you.’”
The mustard tree in eastern lands is different from our mustard plants. The seed is so tiny that if you get one in your eye you would hardly notice its presence. The seed was about the size of the head of a pin.
This tiny seed produced a tree, unlike our mustard seeds that produce a bush.
The sycamine tree is a sycamore tree about the size of our apple or plum trees. It has an extensive root system that spreads far, deep, and wide. Some of the roots are the size of a man’s arm, and others are hair like. The people of the east say that it is impossible to remove all of its roots.
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Dearly Beloved 09/25/22 "His Timely Help"
His Timely Help
Dearly beloved of God, God our Father promises that He will help us, so we ought to go to Him. He is the Almighty One, not us. Our sufficiency comes from Him.
God our Father says: “Be careful [anxious or distracted] for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts, and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Why be full of anxiety, or worry? God is willing to help.
“And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask any thing according to His will, He hears us, and if we know that He hears us whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.” Take Him at His Word.
He exhorts us to have confidence in Him. He is able and willing to help us.
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Dearly Beloved 09/23/22 "Full of Joy"
Full of Joy
Dearly beloved of God, God is our Father, and we are His beloved children. God truly does love us. We can love Him because He first loved us.
God sent His Son Jesus Christ to accomplish the good pleasure of His will. Everything Christ accomplished was His Father’s will, His idea, His plan. Jesus Christ accomplished the purpose of the ages that His Father purposed in him.
God made it available for anyone to be a child in His household by confessing Jesus as Lord and believing that God resurrected him from the dead. At that moment they are saved by the grace of God, and born again of the spirit from God.
Christ was the firstborn of many brothers and sisters. He made our sonship relationship with God as our Father possible.
God our Father not only wants us to be His children, He wants us to have fellowship with Him, so that our joy may be full. He wants us to abide in Him.
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Dearly Beloved 09/20/22 "God is Our Sufficiency"
God IS Our Sufficiency
Dearly beloved of God, “God is able to make all grace abound toward you: that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.”
God our Father is able to make all grace abound toward you… that you always… having all sufficiency… in all things… may abound to every good work.
Philippians 4:19 says: “But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” God promises that He will supply…all our need…according to His riches in glory…by Christ Jesus.
How many needs does He say He will supply? “…all our need.”
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Dearly Beloved 09/17/22 "The Glory News"
The Glory News
Dearly beloved of God, there is not much good news in the world these days, but there is fantastic news from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. It is glory news from the heavenly realm! Extra, extra, read all about it!
God’s great love is the motivation for all He has done for us in Christ, and all He will do in the future. Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God, and we are!
God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
If anyone confesses Jesus as Lord and believes that God raised him from the dead they will be saved. At that moment we are born of the spirit from God, and we have eternal life.
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Dearly Beloved 09/15/22 "What Manner of Love"
God’s Love For Us
Dearly beloved of God, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” God is love; just think of the great love He has for you.
I John 3:1 provides us with insight into God’s love for us. “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God….”
The word “Behold” is a figure of speech that marks the importance of what follows the same as an asterisk does (*--- *). “’Behold’ is not a mere interjection, but is really a verb, telling us actually to look and see, and observe and note attentively.” [Figures of Speech Used in the Bible by Dr. Bullinger.]
*BEHOLD* WHAT MANNER OF LOVE THE FATHER HAS GIVEN US THAT WE SHOULD BE CALLED THE CHILDREN OF GOD, and most Greek texts then have the words “kai esmen,” which mean, “AND WE ARE.” In the next verse we are addressed as beloved. "Beloved, now are we the sons of God….” God speaks of His love for us in a very emphatic way.
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Dearly Beloved 09/14/22 "God's Help is Available"
God’s Help is Available
Dearly beloved of God, God and His Son the Lord Jesus Christ are the powerful ones, not us. We walk by believing God. The right way of believing comes by hearing, by hearing the Word of God.
The Word of God is God-breathed, and it is profitable. We need every Word of God.
When we read what is addressed to us as God’s children, we are reading what God our Father is saying to us. When we read what was written to others we can learn from it as well because it is God speaking.
The Lord Jesus Christ said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” The Word of God was most definitely his reference for learning.
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Dearly Beloved 09/12/22 "Be Strong in the Grace that is in Christ Jesus"
Be Strong in the Grace that is in Christ Jesus
Dearly Beloved of God, God our Father gave the Apostle Paul the revelation of the gospel of God concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. He led him, directed his path, gave him information, and backed him with signs, miracles, and wonders so that all Asia heard the Word of God concerning Christ by his ministry in two years and three months. Not only that; you were also able to hear that gospel because he obeyed God.
In spite of this, all Asia turned away from Paul before he died. They rejected the revelation of the mystery concerning Christ that he taught. All forsook him, but the Lord stood with him, and strengthened him so that the preaching of the gospel of God concerning Jesus Christ might be fully known.
The people did not reject the Apostle Paul, they rejected God who sent him with the gospel. Paul was carrying out the will of God as he spoke the gospel of God concerning Christ, the gospel of the grace of God.
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Dearly Beloved 09/10/22 "God Our Father is For Us"
God Our Father is For Us
Dearly beloved of God, "the eyes of the LORD are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers."
I John 5:14, 15
And this is the confidence that we have in Him [God our Father,] that if we ask any thing according to His will, He hears us; and if we know that He hear us whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.
God says, “’I shall never ever leave you and I shall never ever, ever forsake you,” so that we are confident to say: “The Lord is my helper. I shall not be afraid. What will man do to me?’”
The LORD is at hand; He is near. He is present. He is accessible, and He will help us. What more does He have to say to convince us that He is absolutely for us?
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Dearly Beloved 09/09/22 "Tic Toc, Tic Toc"
Tic Toc, Tic Toc
Dearly beloved of God, the Word of God informs us that these are the last days before the Lord Jesus Christ returns. His coming for the members of his body, his dearly beloved brethren, draws nearer with each sunrise. He will come to save us from the wrath to come, redeem, and deliver us from death, and this evil age. The hope of salvation will become a reality for the Church when he comes.
The Lord Jesus Christ has already paid the price for our deliverance, and today we enjoy many of the benefits that he made available; we have the totality of the new spirit nature, with all the rights, privileges, and ability of the birth from above. When the Lord comes we will enjoy the complete reality of that for which we hope.
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Dearly Beloved 09/05/22 "It is Unmistakable"
It is Unmistakable
Dearly beloved of God, Jesus Christ was the Son of God. He was the firstborn of many brethren. God marked Jesus Christ as His Son in a remarkable way so that no one can mistake it.
Galatians 4:4 Working Translation
However, when the fulness of time was came, God sent His Son, who came from a woman, who came under the law, so that he might redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive the sonship [making us sons].
God said of His Son Jesus Christ, “You are My Son; today have I begotten you,” [Psalm 2:7]. God also said, “I will be a Father to him and he will be a Son to Me.” [II Samuel 7:14]. These verses are both quoted in Hebrews 1:5.
Psalm 2:7 is also quoted in Acts 13:33 WT: “that God has fulfilled the same to us, their children, in that He resurrected Jesus, even as it is written in the second psalm: ‘You are My Son: today have I begotten you.’”
Acts 13:33 shows that Psalm 2:7 is speaking of His intention to resurrect His Son from the dead. God determined beforehand that he would raise His Son Jesus Christ from the dead.
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Dearly Beloved 09/03/22 "Please, Speak to me Father"
Please, Speak to me Father
Dearly beloved of God, we all need to have God our Father speak to us. There are times when we are faced with overwhelming odds, and there seems to be no way out. We need for God our Father to speak to us so we know what to do. The Father knows best.
Speak to me Father, and comfort my soul. God our Father answers, “Cast all your cares upon Me for I care for you.”
The psalmist said, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous,” but God the Father said, “I will deliver you out of them all.” God spoke to him and said, “Then they cried unto Me in their trouble, and I saved them from their distress.”
Speak to me Father. He said, “The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek Me shall not lack any good thing.”
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Dearly Beloved 09/02/22 "Great Profit is Available"
Great Profit is Available
Dearly beloved of God, “Where there is no knowledge of God the people wander aimlessly.” This is as true today as the day it was first written.
All scripture came from the mouth of God and it is profitable. It carries great profit, and it fully equips us for whatever may arise in life. Jesus Christ said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”
God revealed His Word so that we can know Him. He wants us to respond to what He says with believing. Without believing it is impossible to please Him. He is a rewarder of those who believe Him.