“…remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20:35

Both the sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea receive water from the same source. The Jordan River. The Sea of Galilee is teaming with life. In contrast, the Dead Sea is dead. So, what makes the difference? The answer is simple. The Sea of Galilee has an outlet. The water that flows in on the north end, flows out on the south end. The only way for water to leave the Dead Sea is by evaporation. This leaves behind a high concentration of minerals that deprives all forms of life. The Lord told the disciples, “freely you have received, freely give.” Matt. 10:8. The blessings of grace are known and produce life when they are shared. Shared back to their Provider in forms of worship, prayer, thanksgiving, and praise. Shared with others, in forms of fellowship, giving, encouragement, and intercession. The life-giving water of hoarded blessings will evaporate and leave behind a toxic mix of selfishness and ingratitude. Truly, it is more blessed to give than to receive.                                                                                      ~GE

Position and Possession

We rejoice in the POSITION we have IN Christ before God. Perfectly justified and perfectly righteous in the presence of our Holy God by the life, death, resurrection and ascension of our sovereign Savior and sinless Substitute. This is a precious doctrine we dare not compromise, lest we lose all hope of salvation. In holding to this truth, let us not lose sight of the POSSESSION we have OF Christ. I in them and thou in me that we might be made perfect in one. Christ in you, your hope of glory. We are partakers of His divine nature. We have this treasure in earthen vessels. Oh, what a treasure He is. The Pearl of great price. This exalted position we have IN Christ and our mysterious possession OF Christ must never be divided, lest the former become nothing more than a lifeless doctrine.                                                 ~GE

Cursing the Fig Tree

When the Lord cursed the fruitless fig tree, (Matt. 21:19-20) He told the disciples if they believed they would do the same thing. Clearly, this was an allegory. We don’t go around cursing literal trees for lack of fruit. We do, however, curse the fruitless tree of unbelief and sin in our old man. Constantly mortifying by the Spirit, the deeds of the body. Rom 8:14. Always looking to Christ to be delivered from this body of death. Rom 7:24. Also, we curse the fruitless tree of a works gospel. Making righteous judgments, we discern truth from error and renounce any and all messages of salvation that rob Christ of His glory and sinners of their hope. This is the evidence of true saving faith.                                 ~GE

Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law?

Of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Ron 3:27

The “law of faith” says that true faith, has nothing in itself wherewith to boast, “it is excluded”. The possessor of true faith has been driven to confess, by their faith, that they have nothing in themselves but dependence, weakness, and need. All the credit and glory in faith goes to its object. All the honor in faith goes to the integrity, the trustworthiness, and the good name of the one being trusted. A fearful and dependent child, when trusting its parent, has nothing in itself to glory. All the glory goes to the object of that child’s faith. True faith is not a badge of honor the believer wears to impress men. True faith is the humble cry of a needy sinner looking onto Jesus, who Himself is the author and finisher of it. Heb. 12:2.                                                                                 ~GE

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of faith.

Heb. 12:2a.

Some tell us we need to look back to a profession to have assurance of our salvation. Others tell us we need to look around to our performance to get assurance that we are saved. God tells us to look up. Through the eye of faith, there we will find the glorious person of the Lord Jesus Christ seated at the right hand of the majesty on high interceding for us. Only a Sovereign, Successful Savior can give sinners the hope they need. Lord cause thy face to shine upon us and we shall be saved.                     ~GE

All the poisonous weeds of sin grow from the contaminated soil of unbelief. Unbelief is the sin that doth so easily beset us. A working conscience will be sufficient to convict a man of sinful actions. It takes the Holy Spirit to reprove (convince) a man that all his sin is caused by unbelief. Jn. 16:9. Oh, Lord help thou our unbelief.                                                                                                  ~GE

The fruit OF the spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, weakness, and temperance. Gal 5:22-23

Every believer longs to be known by these things. A tree is known by its fruit. If the fruit of our lives is to be sweet and aromatic, it must be OF the Holy Spirit.  Plastic fruit taped to a tree may fool someone from a distance, but up close it will be seen as fake. Fruit picked from one tree and taped to another will quickly rot, and the scent of it will draw only flies. Beneficial fruit must come from the substance of its own tree. Job said, the root of the matter is in me. Isaiah in likening believers to a tree, said; the Holy Seed shall be the substance thereof. The Lord Jesus said, the branch cannot bare fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can you except you abide in me.  Lord, give us your Spirit and show forth your glory in the fruit that you produce.        ~GE

“…whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.” Pr. 29:25b

Trust! What is it? It is the foundation of all meaningful relationships. Every successful marriage must be based on trust. Without trust, anything else built will eventually fall. Trust, earned through faithfulness, is a beautiful thing that makes us feel safe. Who is more trustworthy than the Lord? He has never, nor will He ever, fail to keep all His promises to all His bride. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised). Heb. 10:22. The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe. Pr. 18:10. Let us trust in the Lord with all our hearts for He is worthy.                                  GE

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Cor 5:17.

No part of the believer’s life goes untouched by the gospel. All things are become new. When Christ reigns in the heart, He makes us not only willing but causes us to rejoice in Him as Lord. The desire for Him to be Lord over every part of our lives is not to the credit of our commitment. It is to the praise of the glory of His grace. Otherwise, we would remain with our fist raised toward heaven crying; We will not have this man reign over us.      ~  GE

Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power.

Ps. 110:3

Lord, make the day of Thy power every day of our lives. Make us willing every day and in every way to follow Thee in The Way. Turn us, oh Lord, and we shall be turned.                                      ~GE

My people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places Is. 32:18.

Why do our religious friends boast in what they are doing for their god? Religion is like material wealth. It is the wannabes that flaunt what they have. Those secure in their wealth have no need to impress others with what they possess. Plus, The Treasure we have is in an earthen vessel, that the excellency of the power may be of God, not of us. 2 Cor. 4:7.                                                       ~GE

“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” Jn 10:10b

To have life “more abundantly” is not to have more in, or more of this life. It is to have more beyond this life. It is to have eternal life.                                                                                                ~GE

“… The Romans shall come and take away both our place and our nation” Jn. 11:48b

This was the reason the Jewish leaders justified their plans to put the Lord Jesus to death. He was a threat to their ‘place’ and their ‘nation’. Their place was their position of power among the people. Their nation was the people from whom they received glory. Nothing has changed. Men still hate Christ because He robs them of their power and their glory. Those who hold to a free-will, works gospel hate Christ for the very same reason. Man’s will is his power and his works are his glory. We’ll not have that man reign over us. To the powerless sinner, we join our voices with that heavenly choir saying; “Thou art worthy oh Lord to receive all glory and honor and power”. Rev. 4:11.                          ~GE

How Do I Know That I Am a Sinner?

The same way I know everything else concerning my salvation. Experience, feelings, reason? No. These things are always subjective and therefore never reliable when it comes to the salvation of my soul. The reason I know for sure that I am a sinner, is because God said so. Saving faith simply believes God. God said, all have sinned and come short of His glory. Whatever pangs of conscience might be associated with the conviction of sin, our final and true source of assurance is always faith. It is the evidence of things not seen.                                                                     ~GE

“When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart

said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.” Ps. 27:8

How often our circumstances tempt us to seek only the hand of God for help. From the air men breathe, to all the provisions of life men enjoy, the hand of God is felt by all everywhere Yet, His face they have not seen. “For after all these things do the Gentiles seek.” Child of God, let us not forget that our Lord’s perfectly measured hand always comes with the glory of his face. Lord, provide what you command. Cause us to seek thy face.                                   ~GE

Original Sin

Typically, the term “original sin” is used to define the state in which all men are born into this world. Before we commit any conscious acts of sin, we have all inherited from our father Adam a fallen sinful nature. Let us take the term, “original sin” all the way back to its ‘origin’. What exactly was the original sin? Disobedience? Yes. Unbelief? Most definitely. But what was the attraction to Satan’s temptation? The forbidden tree was called, “the knowledge of good and evil”. Adam and Eve, before they took of that tree, knew nothing of evil. All they knew was good. They were innocent. In the temptation to ‘be like God’, they would have to have the knowledge of good and evil. With that knowledge there would be a will that would choose good over evil. The lie they believed was, FREE WILL. Satan has not changed his appeal to the pride of man. Free Will is still THE universal lie. All men believe they have the power to choose God (good over evil) whenever they will. Truth is, man’s will is not free. It is in bondage to his fallen sinful nature. He cannot choose God because he WILL NOT choose God. He must be made willing by the new birth. Only then can he come, because only then does he have THE WILL to be saved on the merits of Christ alone.                         ~GE

Uncertain Times

We hear men refer to this world as, “uncertain times”. It is a sad testimony to man’s unbelief that we have to experience trouble before we see our lives in this world as “uncertain”. The Lord tells us not to be; “highminded, nor trust in UNCERTAIN riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy”. 1 Tim 6:17. It is a good thing to be reminded of how uncertain are the riches and comforts of this world. “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is CERTAIN we can carry nothing out.” 1 Tim 6:7. Oh, but what hope we have in those things which ARE certain. The eternal purposes of God are certain. The accomplished work of Christ is certain. The Word of God is certain. All God’s promises are yea and amen in Christ. The irrevocable gift of faith is certain. Life in this world as we know it will always be uncertain to us. That is a good thing if it causes us to rest our hope in the only One who changes not.                                                             ~GE

Longing to See His Face

When our Lord came bodily to this world, He came in the “likeness of sinful flesh” Rom. 8:3. No one looked at His outward appearance and thought He was different from any other mortal man. On the Mount of Transfiguration, the veil of our Lord’s humanity was taken away so that the disciples had to hide their faces from the radiance of His glory. The Lord told Moses, no man can see my face and live. For now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face. It doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; FOR WE SHALL SEE HIM AS HE IS!                                              ~GE

Saving Faith

What do we know about true Saving Faith?

1) Without it no man can please God. Heb. 11:6.

2) It is the gift of God. Eph. 2:8.

3) It comes by hearing the gospel. Rom. 10:17.

4) Believers WALK by faith not by sight. 2 Cor. 5:7.

5) Saving Faith is the opposite of works. Rom. 3:27.

6) Saving Faith is to believe on the person and accomplished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. II Tim. 1:12.

7) Saving Faith is not measured by its size or strength. Saving Faith is measured by its OBJECT. Matt. 17:20.

8) God honors Saving Faith because Saving Faith honors Christ. Matt. 9:28-29.                                                                                ~GE

He said this to prove him: for He Himself

knew what He would do. Jn 6:6.

The Lord always knows what He is going to do. We decide what to do in response to our circumstances. The Lord purposes all circumstances to fulfill his predetermined response. Beginning with the fall, this has always been true in everything. Before Adam sinned, the Lord knew what He would do. The gospel was not God‘s response to the fall. The fall was God’s purpose in fulfilling the gospel. He Himself already knew what he would do. Before there was sin, there was a Savior. Before all our preparations and plans, He Himself knows what he will do. Pr. 16:9. What hope, what comfort, what peace, we have in our Sovereign, Omnipotent and Omniscient God.                                                               ~GE

False Accusations

When the religious accuse us of being lawless, what they are really saying is; “If I believed what you believe, I would be lawless.” They would have nothing to restrain their sin. Being under the law, they know nothing of the constraining love of Christ. 2 Cor. 5:14. Being in the flesh, they know nothing of the power of the Spirit of God. Rom. 8:12-14. Being under the judgment of the law, they know nothing of the law of liberty. James 2:10-12. Their accusations are not based on what they see in the believer’s life, but rather on what they fear in their own lives. But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. 1 Pet. 3:15-16              ~GE

Forgiveness and Trust

Charles Spurgeon once wrote; “Let us go to Calvary to learn how we may be forgiven; and then let us linger there to learn how we may forgive.” Truly, forgiveness is the supernatural result of being forgiven. If we are unable to forgive, it reveals a fatal flaw in our own forgiveness. The forgiven child of God will not, cannot, harbor long a bitter unforgiving spirit. However, forgiveness and trust are two different things. If you have proven yourself to be untrustworthy, do not interpret your brother’s lack of trust as an unforgiving spirit. Through confession and faithfulness, work to earn that trust back. If you are unable to trust someone due to repeated violations of that trust, do not let anyone accuse your rightful mistrust as an unforgiving spirit. Forgiveness is a gift from God. Trust must be earned.                                                            ~GE

Who is Your Surety?

A Surety is one who makes another sure. For the believer, Christ is the only One that can make them sure before God. Also, He is the only One that can speak peace to their hearts as to having a sure hope. Why do our religious friends and family members desperately need to find some common ground with us? Why do they insist on calling us “brother” and expect us to delight with them in their religious activities? The answer is simple. Not having Christ as their Surety, they are looking to men to make them sure.

“He that is surety for a stranger shall smart for it…” Ps. 11:15.~GE

Time and Eternity

We measure time in this world by when something begins, and when something ends. In heaven, time as we know it, will cease to be. Rev. 10:6. If we try to imagine Life without time we are brought very quickly to confess with David; “such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it”. Ps. 139:6. What we do know and rejoice in about heaven, is that the Lord Jesus Himself will be the beginning and the end of all things. Rev. 1:8, 22:13. He will make all things new. Rev. 21:5. In heaven, there will be no sun to measure the day, no moon to measure the month, and no clocks to measure the hour, no calendars, no birthdays. The Lord Jesus Himself will be the only point of reference we will need and the only one we will want. We will measure all things subject to Him.                                                                             ~GE

Faith is not Blind

The definition of “blind faith” is to believe in something without reason, evidence, or argument.  God given saving faith is not blind.

  1. 1. Though the gospel cannot be believed by reason, once revealed by God, it is the most reasonable thing we ever heard.  Nothing else makes sense. It is profoundly reasonable. It is the only message of salvation that explains how God can be just and justify sinners at the same time. It explains, by the sacrifice of Christ, how mercy and truth are met together, how righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

  1. 2. The evidence of God-given faith is clear to the hearts of those who possess it. Those who have been taught of God cannot be untaught by any man. They cannot not believe. They are irresistibly persuaded. God-given faith is the only evidence the believer needs.  For Christ in them is their hope of glory.

  1. 3. The argument for God-given faith could not be more persuasive. It has 66 books of God breathed precious promises and faithful revelations to argue its case against all doubt and dissension. The Bible is a sure word of prophecy as a light that shineth in a dark place.

God-given faith is not blind. Once I was blind, but now I see.  ~GE

Why did Jesus Christ Die?

Contrary to popular opinion, Jesus Christ did not die on the cross to make an offer of salvation, to be accepted or rejected by men. He died to make Himself an offering to His Father for the sins of His people. Heb.9:14. He died to satisfy God’s holy justice and put away the sins of His people by the sacrifice of Himself. Heb.9:26 His Father saw the “travail of His soul and was satisfied” Is.53:11 His resurrection from the dead is proof that He accomplished exactly what He came to do.                                                     ~GE

Most people are far too preoccupied with their life in this world to give any serious attention to the eternal matters of their soul. If they ever have a concern for spiritual things, usually it goes no farther than the benefits it promises for their life here and now. We hear it from the religious hucksters who advertise their god as one that will make your life better. What we need is a God who is able to give us everlasting life. One who is able to save our immortal soul. One who is able to put away our sin and reconcile us to a Holy God. Only One can do that. His name is Jesus. He is The Christ, the Son of the living God. He said of Himself; “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man cometh unto the Father but by me”. Jn 14:6.                                                                                 ~GE

“Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”

Jn. 5:39.

Men go to the Bible, looking for lots of different things. Some are looking for laws to keep and precepts to perform, that they might earn favor with God by their works. Others are looking to increase their knowledge of doctrine, theology, and historical events, that they might have something to boast in with men. Some look for prophecy of end times that they might be able to interpret current events and better control their future. Some even look to prove from the Bible that the earth is flat, (for what reason I don’t know).  Amazingly, what men look for is exactly what they find. Let us look for Christ. He is in the volume of the book. The Bible, from start to finish, is God’s revelation of the glorious person and accomplished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. These are they which testify of me. We will find what we’re looking for. Search the scriptures looking for Christ, for in Him is life eternal.                ~GE

“Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Rom. 6:11.

The Lord did not tell us to control sin. He told us to reckon ourselves to be indeed Dead to it. Reckon it to be so, because it is so. We were crucified with Christ. We were baptized into His death. The body of sin has been destroyed. The only way to keep sin from reigning in our mortal bodies, the only way to not fulfill the lust of the flesh, is to look through the eyes of God given faith to the Lord Jesus. He accomplished the putting of it away. If we try to control it with the law, we will find the law to be the strength of sin. If we look at ourselves, all we see is sin. The Lord told Thomas, blessed are they who have not seen, yet believe. Oh Lord, bless us with the ability to believe that which the eye of flesh cannot see.                                                                                      ~GE

Eyewitness or Hearsay

Hearsay testimony is never admissible in a court of law. Yet, men think it will be sufficient before the highest court of all, when the Judge of all the earth pronounces their eternal destiny. Most of what men know and believe concerning the historical events and the doctrines of the Bible is Hearsay. They learned it all from another man. Yes, God will use the audible voice of a man yet let us never be content with placing the hopes of our salvation on what can be learned from a man. God must speak to the heart, so that we can confess with the blind man; “One thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see.” Hearsay will leave us fulfilling that dreadful testimony of Isaiah; “Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not”. Let us say to those men who preach God’s word; “Sir, we would see Jesus”. And let us ask the Holy Spirit to open the eyes of our understanding, that we might be Eyewitnesses.         ~GE

“Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” Jn 7:24.

Judging righteous judgment is not making judgments about who is saved or who is not saved. It is making judgment concerning Who does the saving. That judgment cannot be made by outward appearances. Scripture alone is our evidence. What sayeth the scriptures? For these are they that testify of the only One who can save, the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us be as the Bereans who, “received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether these things were so.” If what we hear is not true to God’s word, let us judge righteously… that it is another jesus.                                                                                       ~GE

But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass (mirror) the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Cor 3:18.

The way God sees anything, is the way it is. The only way we can see ourselves as God sees us, is to look to Christ. To see Christ is a miracle of grace accomplished by the Holy Spirit in the heart. This is our boldness in the day of judgment: because as He is, so are we in this world. I John 4:17. Oh, to be changed into the same image, from glory to glory. That is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Col. 1:27.                                                                                 ~GE

The gospel is not illogical. Neither can it be understood by logic. The gospel transcends all human wisdom. God has made foolish the wisdom of this world. He has made Christ to be our Wisdom, that no flesh should glory in His presence. The Lord Jesus Himself is the Logos (logic) of God.                                                 ~GE

Men don’t really need to be told what to do. That is already written by God on every man’s heart. What we need is the power to do it. That is only found when the heart is turned by God to Christ.    ~GE

Dogs are Beggars

Dogs are beggars by nature. They are not embarrassed to beg. You can’t offend a dog for begging. The only thing that stops a dog from begging is the threat of punishment. Knowing that there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, God’s dogs are never ashamed of, nor deterred from begging. They happily wait for the next crumb that falls from the Master’s table. Glory to their Master. He doesn’t wait for them to beg long. The truth is, He is more willing to feed them than they are to beg. “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” Jn. 6:37. The Spirit and the Bride say, COME. Rev. 22:17.                     ~GE

“For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.” Mal. 3:6

It has been said, the only thing constant is change. Everything around us is in a constant state of change. More unsettling is that everything about us is ever changing. Like Ruben, Jacob’s first born, do we not find ourselves, “unstable as water”? Always drawn to the path of least resistance, to which we lament with Rebekah, ‘why am I thus’? When it comes to our ever-changing circumstances, are we not tempted with Jacob to think “all these things are against me”? Oh, what hope, what peace, what comfort it is to have a God who never changes. Truly, He is the Rock of Ages cleft for me; let me hide myself in Thee. Our God reigns over the armies of heaven and all the inhabitants of the earth. When the changes of life cause uncertainty in our hearts, let us flee to our God who changes not; and we shall never be consumed.    ~GE

Fear Not

How many times the Lord speaks these words of comfort to His children. Only those who are afraid need to hear the words, “Fear Not”. For those who have no fear of God, the words “Fear Not” are idle words. But for sinners, who find themselves before a Holy God, “Fear Not”, when spoken by God to the heart in love, are words of great comfort. Perfect love casteth out fear. I Jn 4:18. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation (to appease wrath by satisfying justice) for our sins. I Jn. 4:10. When through faith in Christ, we hear the words “Fear Not”, our guilty fears are turned into a holy, loving, reverential fear. That fear is the beginning of wisdom.  ~GE