Johnson Goldwater
Johnson or Goldwater, democrats or republicans, liberals, moderates, or conservatives; with whom lies the salvation of our beloved country? Demos say stick with LBJ. GOPers say let's have Goldwater. Most everyone in our country is pinning his hopes on one of these two men and the party they represent.
May I interject a "sour" note? I don't want to be a wet blanket, but facts are facts. The truth is there is NO SALVATION IN EITHER OF THESE MEN. Nor their parties. They are mere mortals at best.
There is One, however, who can save our country. His name will not appear on the ballot. In fact He is not too popular in our country anymore. The Supreme Court has banned His Book from our public schools. His name is rarely ever mentioned on our public platforms. He gets "honorable mention" in some of our churches occasionally, but His name usually gets the hush hush treatment for fear of offending His enemies.
Our country has virtually exiled Him from our shores like its early counterpart the Gadarenes who "when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts." This in spite of the fact that He is the only hope of salvation -- whether national or individual.
The Bible states simply: "Salvation belongeth unto the Lord."
At His birth God said, "And thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save . . . " He shall save His people. He shall save them from their sins. He shall save all who come unto God by Him. He shall save them to the uttermost. "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved," is the Bible promise. "Neither is there salvation in any other," is its warning, "for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
You name it. Is it under heaven and among men? In it there is no salvation. Whether the name is Democrat or Republican, Liberal, Moderate, or Conservative; whether it is America, the United Nations, the OAS, or NATO, there is no salvation in it -- "there is none other name . . . whereby we must be saved."
What am I trying to say, that we shouldn't vote? No, by all means cast your ballot on November 3rd. But before you do, cast a higher and more meaningful vote for the Man Christ Jesus. Make Him your choice. We cannot go wrong by placing our future in His hands. We can trust the Man who died for us.
Then as we go about performing our daily duties, including our civic duties, we can keep our sights above this earthly scene and fixed on JESUS who loved us and gave Himself for us and in whom alone is salvation.
Sincerely,
Art Gordon, Editor
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"All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." -- John 6:37
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OUR FATHER . . .
THY WILL BE DONE
Jesus taught His disciples to pray: "Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven . . . " (Matthew 6:9,10).
This prayer is repeated every Lord's Day by a multitude of worshipers around the world. But how many really want God's will to be done in earth as it is in heaven?
In heaven God's will is done perfectly. But what of earth? It is done imperfectly, if at all. In our churches we pray, "THY will be done," and then go out to practice, "MY will be done."
What is God's will for us earthlings? He has unmistakably revealed His will in the Bible. We cannot here discuss all of it, so let's look at one specific thing with which most are familiar.
The Golden Rule. -- "And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise" (Luke 6:31). This sounds good and is piously quoted by many, but very seldom practiced. In practice it comes out like this: "As men do to you, do ye also to them likewise."
If they punch us in the nose, we punch them back. If they snub us, we snub them. But God's will is that we treat them, not like they treat us, but, as we would like them to treat us. We want to be treated kindly, but whether we are or not, God wills that we do so to them.
Most of us know God's will on any given subject, but to do it is the problem. James exhorts: "Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only" (1:22). "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them," says Jesus, "I will liken him unto a wise man" (Matthew 7:24).
Only once in the long history of mankind has the will of God been done "in earth as it is in heaven." that was when God visited His people in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. He could say, "I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me" (John 6:38). "My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work" (John 4:34).
"By the which will we are sanctified (set apart unto God) through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all . . . (Who) . . . offered one sacrifice for sins . . . " (Hebrews 10:9-12).
Christ came to do the Father's will. The Father's will was that He offer Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. On the cross He did just that. God's will for Christ vitally involved us. He died for our sins, rose for our justification, lives to make intercession for us.
Likewise, God's will for us vitally involves Christ. "For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; who WILL have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth" (I Timothy 2:3,4). "I am the truth," declared Jesus. Thus it is the will of God that we come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
God's will for Christ was that He come to rescue us from sin and its consequences. God's will for us is to come to Christ to be rescued from sin and its consequences.
Have you done the will of God in this respect? "This is the Father's will . . . that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may (surely) have everlasting life." (John 6:39,40).
"Our Father . . . thy will be done in earth (and in me), as it is in heaven."
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"I JESUS"
By H. D'Arcy Champney
"The Spirit and the Bride say, Come" (Revelation 22:17). "Even so, come, Lord Jesus" (22:20).
This beautiful demand for Christ to come is owing to the sweet way in which He presents Himself at the close of this book: "I JESUS have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches" (22:16).
Even in glory He still retains His beautiful human name of JESUS!
It was the name given to Him when He became man and was born into this world -- the Babe of Bethlehem.
It was the same whereby He was known in His blessed service here amongst men when He preached in Galilee and healed all who came to Him.
He bore this name on Calvary's cross when He died for sinners.
And when He rose from the dead in triumph and glory, His disciples identified Him as the same Jesus who had so loved them and blessed them when here in human life, the life He laid down for us.
He has risen to die no more, in a new and eternal condition of manhood, man forever, and still, blessed be God! with the same precious human name -- JESUS!
Yes, when He ascended to the right hand of God and sent down the Holy Ghost, the testimony of the Holy Ghost through the apostles was, "THIS JESUS hath God raised up whereof we all are witnesses," and "Got hath made THAT SAME JESUS whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ."
Then in His last word to us, through His beloved disciple John, He speaks of Himself as: "I JESUS."
It means -- Jehovah the Saviour. The faithful and merciful Jehovah, the God of the Old Testament saints has become Man, and thus has come near to us, yea, nearer than any man, near enough to die for us, to save us and to bless us as no one else could do.
There is no name attracts a child like the name of JESUS, and to the most aged Christian there is no name so sweet as JESUS.
'Tis just the name of Jesus wins a child,
And bears him on all through the desert wild;
The aged lisp that name with dying breath,
And prove its sweetness in the hour of death.
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WHATSOEVER HE SAITH UNTO YOU
(John 2:5)
Is it some strange request that now is thine?
Like filling up an empty water jar?
Remember water turneth into wine
When He doth breathe upon it, His breaths are
More powerful than the strongest wind. Then do
The thing He asks and trust; be not afraid
Of ridicule; He'll turn all darts from you;
He is your shield; you need not be dismayed.
Or does He call you unto Mount Moriah
To offer up what seems to you most dear?
Go forth and build the sacrificial fire;
Bind tight your sacrifice, and do not fear.
He always giveth back a hundredfold,
And adds Himself, more precious far than gold.
-- Cosa Elizabeth Reynolds
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UNTO THE IRON GATE
(Acts 12:10)
The iron prison gate is closed and barred
Upon the servant of the Lord. I beat
Upon the bars. It is no use; the guard
Of pain keeps watch and brings me to defeat.
I turn me back, my hands with knocking bruised,
To seek some other exit. Thus I creep
From place to place, but growing more confused.
Till weary of the search, I fall asleep --
Just resting in the Lord. Ah, what a bliss!
Awaiting His own time for my release;
Not needing any other hope than this:
Who trusts the Lord is kept in perfect peace.
He has His angel yet for him who waits,
With power and strength to open iron gates.
-- Cosa Elizabeth Reynolds
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OUR FATHER . . .
GIVE US OUR DAILY BREAD
"After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread" (Matthew 6:9-11).
Jesus would have His followers recognize that their daily sustenance comes from God. He teaches them to ask for this daily supply. God does supply all our need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Our asking honors Him by recognizing the true source of supply. He delights to give to them that ask. "Ask and ye shall receive."
Our petition for daily needs implies that we are rightly related to God. We approach Him as a son approaches his father. God is our Father, "we are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." As earthly parents delight to give to their children, so "much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him."
A lesson from the birds. "Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Therefore take no thought (don't worry), saying, What shall we eat? For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things."
This does not imply we are not to work for a living. Work is ordained of God. "If any would not work, neither should he eat." But it teaches us not to worry about such things. "Be careful (full of anxious care) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God" (Philippians 4:6).
Of course there are always those who spend all their time and energy and attention working for the material things of life. If it is wrong for us not to recognize our dependence upon God for daily things, it is equally wrong to place too much emphasis on "things."
"Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."
Man is more than physical. He is also soul and spirit. This part of man, though invisible, is nevertheless very real, and a vital part of man. It too needs sustenance. The spirit needs food as well as the body. Spiritual food. Daily.
Jesus points out a precious truth as recorded in John 6. "My Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. The bread of God is HE which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world . . . I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst."
JESUS is the spiritual food for our inner man. He completely satisfies the hungry soul for time and eternity.
Does not this truth make our prayer even more meaningful? "Our Father . . . give us this day our daily Bread."
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"I JESUS"
By H. D'Arcy Champney
How sweetly do those words "I Jesus," thrill
The hearts of all, O Lord, who love thee still!
What joy to find in Thee no sign of change,
Though toward Thyself we've oft' been cold and strange!
Thou art the same as when Thou wast on earth;
Jesus, Thy Name, announced before Thy birth;
No other Name was ever loved so well,
Yet all its meaning who could fully tell?
O, sacred Vessel of all heaven's love!
Filled full with grace for us from God above!
No one but Thee our griefs and sorrows bore,
Nor tears like Thine were ever shed before!
Thy Name must live! whatever names may die,
It must fill all the earth as heaven on high!
Jesus! Thy Name by all shall yet be known,
All kings and nations shall Thy greatness own!
Thou livest, Jesus, and all grace is there,
That with such beauty shone in Thee down here!
No trait is lost, each beauteous grace is found,
All brought thro' death to resurrection ground!
Thy risen word was -- "Handle me and see!
'Tis I myself"; there is no change in Thee;
In Thy blest Person Thou art still the Same,
But death has had to own the Victor's Name!
Oh! joy of joys, we have Thee, Jesus, still!
How many weary hearts Thy Name doth thrill!
'Tis what Thou art -- Thine own, Thy wondrous worth,
That holds Thy people as when here on earth.
'Tis just the Name of Jesus wins a child,
And bears him on all through the desert wild.
The aged lisp that Name with dying breath,
And prove its sweetness in the hour of death!
We are not poor, O Lord, for we have Thee!
And now we're waiting just Thy face to see!
In this cold world, how cheering is Thy love!
"I Jesus" means no change in Thee above!
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THE INCOMPARABLE CHRIST
By A. Fraser Naismith
GREATER THAN THE TEMPLE
Matthew 12:6
In The Greatness of His Glory
THE CAREFUL READER of Holy Scripture must have observed that the temple of Jehovah was a structure surpassing most if not all other buildings in majesty and glory. It can truly be described as massive, monumental and magnificent -- a building in which the great God of the universe deigned to dwell.
In the opening words of Matthew 24 the disciples drew the attention of the Lord to the temple buildings as they scanned them from Olivet's heights. The words from the lips of Christ in reply to the remarks of the disciples were ominous.
He declared "there shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down." The temple was a true expression of dignity and glory so far as the outward appearance was concerned; but it was also the meeting place between God and man.
The context of Matthew 12 indicates that the disciples had been plucking ears of corn on the sabbath day and this provoked the anger of the Pharisees who forthwith complained to the Lord. The answer which He gave must have staggered the religious zealots.
He alluded to the occasion in which David and his followers ate the shew-bread which was an exclusively priestly food. Then He continued to adjust their thinking by reminding them that on the sabbath days the priests profaned the sabbath in the temple activities and yet they were blameless.
To consummate the rebuke to those theologians He affirmed HIS majesty and glory by stating "The Son of Man is LORD even of the sabbath day."
Here was One who was Greater than the Temple in the Greatness of His Glory.
The glory of the temple was about to fade both materially and typically, as indicated by the Lord in Matthew 23:38 -- "your house is left unto you desolate!"
Centuries have passed, and the majesty and glory of that building have long since vanished; but here is One whose glory shall never fade: it shall outshine forever that of the temple.
HIS glory shall know no decline -- "it shineth more and more unto meridian."
Glory was HIS from eternity as indicated in the prayer of John 17 verse 5: "the glory I had with thee before the world was."
In time HIS glory was diffused as affirmed in John 1:14: "we beheld his glory . . . "
His glory shall be displayed throughout eternal ages as John 17:24 attests -- "that they may behold my glory."
Truly the contrast is unique and we are enabled to apprehend and appreciate the significance of His words in Matthew 12:6: "in this place is one greater than the temple."
THE GREATEST CONTRAST is not in that which is materialistic in character but in the fact that the temple was where God dwelt in the midst of His people in the economy that has passed. And it was where, in the Holiest of All, the sprinkled blood on the gold of the mercy-seat and before the mercy-seat met the eye of God, enabling Him to cover the guilt of the nation for twelve months and to give acceptance to the people.
The High Priest, on the day of atonement, entered the Holiest of All alone and not without blood which he offered for himself and for the errors of the people. He was the representative of the whole nation.
Our Lord Jesus Christ is greater than the temple, for He is the meeting place between God and man and He has entered into the holy place having obtained eternal redemption for us.
We are favoured to approach the presence of a holy God as encouraged in Hebrews 10:22; "Let us draw near . . . " The new and living way has been opened up and as purged worshippers we enter into His presence there to present the sacrifice of praise continually.
The repetition of the sacrifices of old indicated there was no inherent value in the animal sacrifices presented. Hebrews 10:4 assures us "It is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins."
Such sacrifices of old were finger-posts down the vista of time to the one sacrifice in which there is value and virtue: for HIS sacrifice has satisfied every claim of divine justice and its value may be appreciated by the believing sinner.
In Hebrews 10:11 we are reminded that "every priest standeth daily ministering, and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: but THIS MAN, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God."
The shadow has been displaced by the Substance.
I need no earthly altar,
I need no earthly priest,
I need no earthly fasting,
I need no earthly feast.
I need no earthly temple,
I need no sabbath day;
As the substance of the good things came,
The shadows passed away.
The earthly Sabbath passed away.
A shadow at the best,
The substance came in One who said,
"Come unto Me and rest."
THERE IS A BUILDING TODAY which is not visible to the human eye, as indicated by both Paul and Peter. Paul stated in Ephesians 2:20-22 that we are "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit."
Peter in I Peter 2:5 reminds those to whom he wrote that "Ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ."
We have a superlative Christ! He is incomparable! May the reader be given a fuller apprehension of this blessed One, and a deeper appreciation of Him Who is Greater than the Temple in the Greatness of His Glory.
GREATER THAN JONAH
Matthew 12:41
In The Magnificence of His Message
THE READER, no doubt, is familiar with the story of Jonah as outlined in the prophecy which bears his name. Many and varied have been the attacks made by the sceptic on this inspired record: but the fact that our Lord Jesus authenticated it is sufficient reason for the believer accepting without reserve the facts divinely presented.
It is not our desire to lay emphasis on the indiscretions and defections of any servant of the Lord, but rather to place against the darkened background of the prophet's history the perfect life of the Lord's flawless servant, our Lord Jesus Christ.
While there are some things which we may compare in the life of Jonah with some things in the life of Christ there are numerous contrasts which when examined enable us to appreciate the perfection of the One whom God, by the pen of Isaiah, designates "My servant."
Jonah was a servant of the Lord, and our Lord Jesus Christ took the place of servitude that He might in perfection do the will of Him that sent Him and finish the work He came into this scene to perform. The claim of our Lord is "I do always those things that please him (the Father)." "I came . . . not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me." Even towards the close of His earthly pathway Christ could say "Not my will, but thine, be done."
Jonah was a disobedient servant, electing to pursue a course contrary to the mind and will of God; a course which well nigh brought him to ruin, but for the mercy of God.
Christ "became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. There never was any spirit of rebellion in the life and walk of our glorious Lord! When we review the service enacted for God His Father we rejoice as He states "I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do." How many can truthfully say this at the time of their earthly pilgrimage? At the best we are unprofitable servants!
There was a moment in the experience of Jonah when he discovered and confessed "Salvation is of the Lord." In Christ we have the Lord of salvation.
Peter affirmed this in Acts 4:12 saying "Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
Christ Himself attested the great truth that "The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which is lost." Now "God hath made that same Jesus . . . both Lord and Christ."
THE GREATEST CONTRAST in examining the life of Jonah and Christ lies in the character of the message each servant was commissioned to declare.
Jonah was commanded to "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come before me." On receipt of such a message Jonah determined to run away from God. The message may not have sounded very palatable to the prophet Jonah, but his responsibility was to obey, and carry out the divine instructions.
It may not seem popular to be the bearer of sad tidings. Ahimaaz was the bearer of no tidings. Cushi was a bearer of sad tidings (2 Samuel 18:22-32). A man of Benjamin was the bearer of bad tidings (1 Samuel 4:12-22). Christ came with glad tidings.
In Hebrews 2:3 we are informed that the great salvation "which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord" was confirmed unto us by them that heard. The message of salvation had been declared by our Lord and those who heard it continued to herald it -- God's Glad Tidings to men.
Salvation is a blessing for those who are lost. Concerning this salvation the prophets have searched diligently. Associated with the Glad Tidings are two great foundation truths, viz., "the sufferings of Christ, and the glories that should follow."
This salvation about which Christ spoke while here upon earth has its initial experience in the soul of the believer; it has its progressive experience in the life of the saint; it will have its consummation in the ultimate glory to which the Captain of our Salvation is bringing many sons (Hebrews 2:10).
What a wonderful message is this "great salvation!" It stands in marked contrast to the communication conveyed to Jonah and from which he recoiled and fled.
Another important contrast is in the fact that though Jonah was a prophet, in Christ there is the Prophet alluded to by Moses almost fifteen hundred years prior to His advent when he said "The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me: unto him ye shall harken."
Peter in Acts 3:22 confirms this prophecy's fulfillment in Christ, and Stephen in Acts 7:37 attests the application of the inspired words of Moses as relating wholly to the Lord Jesus Christ. He was the Prophet foretold by prophet and seer: One who has revealed through parable and exposition the future for those who love the Lord and for those who decline His mercy.
TO SUMMARIZE it should be noted that Jonah was a servant: CHRIST was the perfect Servant of the Lord. Jonah was disobedient: CHRIST became obedient unto death, and learned obedience by the things which He suffered. Jonah ran away from God: CHRIST lived in daily communion with His Father.
Jonah learned that "Salvation is of the Lord": CHRIST is the Lord of Salvation. Jonah had a message for that great city Nineveh: CHRIST came with a message for "the little city" alluded to by the wise man Solomon (Ecclesiastes 9:14); in point of fact He came, and through His wisdom delivered the city, for none could have ever conceived such a plan as that divinely wrought whereby salvation could be the enjoyed portion of the sinner who will believe and accept God's provision through the sacrifice of Calvary.
Jonah was a prophet whose spasmodic experiences reveal much of his self-will: CHRIST was the Prophet alluded to by Moses so long before, of whom it truly was said "Never man spake like this Man."
The Lord Jesus Christ replying to the demand of the scribes and Pharisees who had asked that they might see a sign stated emphatically, "An evil and an adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah." Then He alluded to the three days and three nights during which Jonah was in the whale's belly as a sign that "The Son of Man shall be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."
Enlarging on this the Lord Jesus made mention of Nineveh and indicated that the men there would rise in judgment with this generation and condemn it; because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and "Behold a greater than Jonas is here."
Christ not only presented the truth in its most blessed aspect -- salvation -- but He oft-times warned of the wrath to come. If men repented at the preaching of Jonah surely they ought to give attention to the warnings of the Lord Jesus Christ. But "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief."
The message in its magnificence has been heralded by Christ and we have caught the fire of such glad tidings. We cease not to make them known in this the day of opportunity. What a response to Jonah's message! May there be a great response to the greatest of all messages, that joys untold, never to pass away, may be the portion of all who come under the sound of such a magnificent message.
(From "Things Concerning Himself.")
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