September 2018 "Dearly Beloved" Articles
Dearly Beloved 9/30/18 "It's a Choice"
It’s a Choice
Dearly beloved of God, we live in this evil world, but we are not of it; we are in Christ.
Being in Christ we are redeemed, justified, sanctified, reconciled to God – He is our Heavenly Father now, and we are His children.
We have been delivered from the power of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of God’s beloved Son. In Christ, we have the forgiveness of sins and there is no more condemnation to us from God.
Read more ...Dearly Beloved 9/29/18 "Let's Talk Governments"
Let's Talk Governments
Dearly beloved of God, there have been many forms of government since the forming of the nations. There have been theocracies, monarchies, tribal, totalitarian, statist governments, republics, and various mixtures of these.
Every one of these forms of government have failed at one time or another. For example, Israel rebelled against God and followed other gods ending their theocracy.
They wanted a king like all the other nations, so God gave them one; the kings forsook God. They divided the country into the ten northern tribes, which was called Israel, and the southern two tribes called Judah.
Read more ...Dearly Beloved 9/28/18 "Time to Get Dressed"
Time to Get Dressed
Dearly beloved, be strong in the Lord and the strength of his ability. We must put on the whole armor of God so that we are able to stand against the strategies of the devil because we are not wrestling with flesh and blood but against the spirits of wickedness in the heavenly realm.
The illustration of putting on the armor of God all deals with words with which we are to clothe ourselves; to believe them.
We are instructed to gird ourselves with the truth, the truth of God’s Word.
We are to clothe ourselves with who we are in Christ; the righteousness of God.
We are to have our feet prepared so that we can run with the gospel of peace.
We are to take up the shield of believing as God instructs us as to the measure of what we are to believe. By doing so we will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the wicked one.
Read more ...Dearly Beloved 9/27/18 "What is the Truth?"
What is the Truth?
Dearly beloved of the Lord Jesus Christ and God the Father, today one group after the other whether religious, political, or social purport to want to know the truth. They say that if we know the truth about this or that, that it will change everything, yet so little seems to change.
God says that His Word is truth. When people walk in the truth of God’s Word it truly does make a difference; it does change everything.
The truth of God’s Word reveals Jesus Christ as the way, the truth, and the life. It reveals that he is the only begotten Son of God and our Lord and Savior. God’s justness is truth and He reveals that those who confess Jesus as Lord and believe that God raised him from the dead shall be saved.
Read more ...Dearly Beloved 9/25/18 "Fear Not!"
Fear Not!
Fear not dearly beloved, our Father is the One True and Living God. He is always with us and in us in every situation we face. We are never alone.
The world conforms to fear; the fear of dying, the fear of disease, the fear of loss, the fear of failure, the fear of uncertainty, of the future, of the unknown, of the odds against us, and on and on. Fear is an enemy.
God’s message to us is always, “Fear not!” God is for us, not against us. Who can be against us that is greater than our God and our Lord?
The Almighty God says we are more than conquerors. He always causes us to triumph in Christ Jesus. His divine favor is sufficient for us in whatever situation we may find ourselves because He tabernacles over us when we are weak.
Fear not; only believe. Our Father has dealt us the measure of what to believe; the gospel of God concerning His Son that He raised from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Read more ...Dearly Beloved 9/23/18 "The Purpose of His Calling"
The Purpose of His Calling
Dearly beloved, God our Father called us to obtain the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. It will take Him the ages to come to display the exceeding riches of His grace in kindness to us in Christ. When He shows us the path of life there will be fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore.
We are truly highly favored and dearly beloved by our Father. Who could have come up with the plan of redemption that He determined in the Christ? It far surpasses anything that we could ask or think.
Read more ...Dearly Beloved 9/19/18 "He is Faithful That Called You"
He is Faithful That Called You
Dearly beloved of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, called saints, you are a child of God; His heirs and joint heirs with Christ. He is faithful that called you. What a way to start the day!
We have been delivered from this evil age! We are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus our Lord. We are highly favored by our Heavenly Father in the Beloved One and His grace is sufficient for us regardless of the situations with which we are confronted. He is always present to deliver us; nothing is too hard for Him.
We have access to Him by the spirit of sonship and His throne of grace is open to us so that we may find help in our times of need. You are not alone, dearly beloved. Go to Him boldly and confidently as He requests.
Read more ...Dearly Beloved 9/18/18 "Proof, Proof, and More Proof"
Proof, Proof, and More Proof
Dearly beloved, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the basis for salvation. If he did not die and God did not raise him from the dead according to the scriptures, there is no salvation available to anyone.
Without his death and resurrection there is no hope of eternal life. If he did die and God did raise him from the dead we have the certain hope that the Lord Jesus Christ will raise us up by Jesus, also.
Over five hundred witnesses attest to Jesus’ being raised from the dead. He appeared for forty days to chosen witnesses after God raised him the dead.
Read more ...Dearly Beloved 9/16/18 "What Should We Call It?"
What Should We Call It?
Dearly beloved, on the way home today I was noticing all the different church names. I never saw one that said the Church of Christ Jesus the Lord.
After God raised His Son from the dead, and He made that same Jesus that they crucified, both Lord and Christ.
God wants the Church to know the exceeding greatness of His power to us who believe.
“That power is according to the working of the strength of His ability, which He energized in the Christ when He raised him from the dead and caused him to sit at His right side in the heavenly realm far above every ruler and authority and power and lordship, even every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the coming age. He put all things in subjection under his feet and made him head over al things in the Church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all things in all people, even you who had been dead in your trespasses and sins.” Ephesians 1:19- 2:1 Working Translation, Rev. Walter Cummins
Read more ...Dearly Beloved 9/14/18 "The Believing of Jesus Christ"
The Believing of Jesus Christ
We are dearly beloved of God, His highly favored holy ones, saints. We are born of His spirit, children of God, His heirs, and His inheritance.
Our Father planned, purposed, and willed that Jesus Christ would redeem us and present us to Him justified, righteous, sanctified, and glorified. This was done by Jesus Christ’s believing; and by his work, not by ours.
We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus upon the basis of his good works so that we may walk in his accomplishments. God, our Father determined that we would be complete in Christ, filled to the full with all he accomplished. In fact beloved brethren, our standing before God is in Christ. He presented us to the Father as holy and without blame. In Christ we are certainly highly favored!
Read more ...Dearly Beloved 9/13/18 "The Gospel of the Grace of God"
The Gospel of the Grace of God
Dearly beloved of God, the only way we can understand the will of God concerning us is to know the revelation knowledge of the Word of God revealed to us for our believing.
God’s relationship with Israel began in Abraham. Later on God made the old covenant of the law with Israel, to which they agreed. This covenant was a mutual agreement between God and the nation of Israel. He agreed to be their God and they would be His people if they would keep the terms of the covenant. They agreed to keep the law that He gave them and if you read the Old Testament you see that they did not.
In fact, Israel walked so far away from God that He promised to make a new covenant with them. The new covenant concerned the spirit. The Lord Jesus Christ was sent to Israel to fulfill the old covenant and to make the new one available to Israel.
Read more ...Dearly Beloved 9/11/18 "What is Christianity?"
What is Christianity?
Dearly beloved, Christianity is about being born of the spirit of God. God became our Father and we became His children because He gave us the seed of His holy spirit. Without the new birth there is no Christianity.
The Lord Jesus Christ said, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” He said, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”
The Lord Jesus Christ gave his life and God raised him from the dead to fulfill the promise of the Father so that anyone who believes on him could receive it.
Read more ...Dearly Beloved 9/10/18 "Why Division?"
Why Division?
Dearly beloved, the church is one body in Christ and Christ is the head of that body. Why then is there division among God’s people?
The answer is given in Genesis 3 onward. The old serpent, the devil is behind it.
He is the one who slandered God and caused rebellion among the angels. He was behind the seduction of Eve in the garden getting her to consider his lies. He was the one that turned God’s people against Him by convincing them they needed a king like the nations, instead of listening to Him.
Read more ...Dearly Beloved 9/8/18 "Run the Race with Patience"
Run the Race with Patience
Dearly beloved of God, our Father gave us the spirit of wisdom and revelation so that our hearts may be enlightened, and we can know His purposes in Christ. One of the things He wants us to know is the hope of His calling.
What is the hope of His calling? He called us to acquire the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ according to II Thessalonians 2: 14. Our Father planned and purposed this for us in Christ Jesus our Lord by the good pleasure of His will.
The good pleasure of His will is for us to enjoy the ages to come as His children and heirs, and joint heirs with Christ; as members of his body, filled with all in all of us.
Read more ...Dearly Beloved 9/7/18 "Certainty and Joy"
Certainty and Joy
Dearly beloved, it is thrilling to know that Christ is coming to gather us up in glory. What began in grace will be continued in the ages to come in glory.
Fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore await us. There will be no more death, sickness, pain, sorrow; there will be nothing that causes us tears. All that the adversary has stolen from us will be returned to us and so much more.
We will enjoy glorious new bodies like Christ's glorious body, healed minds, and eternal life. We will no longer have the presence of sin in those bodies. Oh how I long for that day!
Read more ...Dearly Beloved 9/5/18 "It is Glory Just to Walk with Him"
It is Glory Just to Walk with Him
Dearly beloved of God, it’s a glory to walk with Him. After all our Father did for us in Christ, the least we can do is live for him as dead men raised to life; it’s only reasonable.
What He did for us in Christ is so far past all we could ever ask or think, but it is now our reality in Christ and it always will be.
Our response should be to believe the measure our Father has dealt us to believe and simply walk in it with love; the love that Christ walked in when he gave himself for us. We ought to walk in love, walk as children of light, and walk accurately, understanding the will of God.
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