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December 2025 is now posted.

We will be posting the Glorious Gospel articles individually below. A PDF file (large print) can be downloaded under the Archives tab and printed if desired, as well as past editions.

 Jesus Had to Come

Gordon Crook, Pastor

Grace Assembly, Wichita, Kansas

In December, we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. As we consider His first coming as a baby, I think we need to understand that it was absolutely necessary for Him to come in order to fulfill God’s plan for the redemption of humanity.

From the very beginning, God points to this event, even if not in specific details. We find the first mention of this plan in Genesis 3. “And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” Genesis 3:14-15.

God’s plan has always involved defeating Satan in a complete and final way. I am not claiming to understand the details of how this plan works in terms of God defeating Satan, only that it was God’s plan and He executed it perfectly over a number of centuries. Peter reminds us of this in Acts. “Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.” Acts 2:22-24.

Notice that Jesus was delivered by the foreknowledge of God. Peter also re-iterates this in his letter. “Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,” 1 Peter 1:20. This plan was put in place long before Adam and Eve even existed. Satan had already rebelled against God, and God knew what he would do to His creation, so the plan was already there. 

What is certain, is that Jesus had to come, in the form of a human, for this plan to be complete. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” Philippians 2:5-8.

Jesus would have to live on this earth as a human, without sin, so that He could atone for our sins, and redeem (purchase) us back to God. “For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21. “For such an high priest became us, [who is] holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;” Hebrews 7:26. “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:” 1 Peter 2:22. “And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.” 1 John 3:5.

He would have to be human to be crucified. He was only able to die because He lived in a human body. Fully human even though He was God. God incarnate. “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” 1 Timothy 3:16. “For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you.” 2 Corinthians 13:4. The “weakness” through which He was crucified was His human body, not a failure of His divine nature.

Redeeming us from our sinful condition which is the result of Satan’s deception of Eve and perpetuated by Satan’s working in this world was God’s primary concern. He has always intended for humans to be His family and have close fellowship with Himself. Satan has always had a plan to destroy God’s creation and thwart God’s plan. I am glad to know that God prevailed (there should never have been any doubt about that) and He did it openly. “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” Colossians 2:13-15.

The entirety of Scripture is dedicated to bringing us to this point. So, I will leave you with a few verses to consider.

“Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.” Psalms 130:7-8

“Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;” Psalms 103:4

“The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.” Psalms 34:22

“Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:” Romans 3:24

“For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Romans 8:3-4

“Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” Titus 2:14

 Alpha and Omega

Vicky Moots

Kingman, Kansas

Rev. 22:13: “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.” Alpha and Omega are the first and the last letters of the Greek alphabet. This is Jesus’ speaking. How can someone who has no beginning or ending be the beginning and the end? He is speaking in relationship to time on earth and to His dealings with us in our lives. I would like to discuss what the Scripture has to say regarding some of the ways in which He is the beginning and the end, the first and the last to us.

Genesis 1:1 reveals the very first beginning: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” We know by John 1:1-3 that Jesus, the Word, was involved in that first creative event, for it states, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”

Mankind had a physical beginning because of Jesus who created all things by the Word of His mouth. When we are born into this world, we become a part of that earthly creation. When we are born again, we become a new creation, as Paul declares in II Cor. 5:17: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature [creation]: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.” Christ, therefore, is our new beginning; it is “in Christ” that we become new. And at the same time, He becomes the end of our old life, for “old things are passed away.”

Hebrews 12:2 describes for us another beginning and end which is found in Jesus: “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith…” Our faith begins with Jesus, and He is faithful to bring it to completion. He is the Author and Captain of our faith, and He is faithful to lead us through life all the way to the end when we shall see Him face to face.  At that point, faith will no longer be needed.  He will have brought us by faith to the finish line.

Jesus is always faithful to finish whatever He has started in our life because He is our Alpha and Omega, our Beginning and End. Paul confirms this for us in Phil. 1:6: “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Jesus begins working in our lives through the Holy Spirit after we are born again, to draw us closer to Him, to conform us into His image. We are changed little by little, from glory to glory. He will continue to perform the work in us until our race is finished, when our life on earth is ended or when He returns. Our part is to allow Him to do the work, to let Him be the Alpha and the Omega to us.

Next, let us take a look at I Cor. 1:30, from which we learn that Christ is the beginning of righteousness: “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness…” We have no righteousness of our own outside of Christ. It is only in Christ that we become righteous, as Paul states in Phil. 3:9: “And be found in him [Christ], not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ…” Paul further clarifies this in Rom. 10:4: “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.” The law could only produce self-righteousness through self-works in those who tried to keep it. So, Christ became the end of self-righteousness and the beginning of true righteousness.

Another important way in which Christ in the “First” is related to the resurrection, as we read in I Cor. 15:20: “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.” The term “slept” refers to believers who have died. If Christ is the firstfruits, then that means that there will be more to follow, who will also be resurrected. This is declared by Paul in vv. 22-23: “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive…Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.” Paul sums all of this up in Col. 1:18: “And he [Christ] is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead…” Because of His resurrection, Christ has brought an end to the sting of death for all Christians. Hallelujah!

And last of all, because He is Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, there will one day be no more death, as we read in Rev. 21:4: “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain…”

 The Rose and the Lily

The rose that blooms in Sharon,

   has beauty beyond compare.

And the lily of the valley,

   its fragrance fills the air.

The lovely rose of Sharon,

   is precious in His sight.

Upon the plains and hills,

   its beauty, glory bright.

The plains and hills of our life,

   are times of ease and rest.

He blesses many times the saint,

   before they face a test.

The lily of the valley,

   with beauty He adorns.

Yet that fragile, fragrant lily,

   grows among the thorns.

The valleys of our life,

   are times of pain and stress.

They cause the saint to cry to Him,

   but how those thorns can bless!

In the rose and lily both,

   God sees a beauty rare.

Their fragrance sweetest incense,

   blessings and trials they share.

Debbie Isenbletter
Springfield, Missouri

 SHARING TESTIMONIES

Pastor Gordon Crook 

Right Place/Right Time

On a Wednesday in the middle of October, I received a text from my daugher–in law, Mattea. She had been sick all night and was still not feeling well. I asked her if she wanted me to come take care of my grand daughter, Evelyn. She replied that it would be nice if I was able. 

I had retired from my engineering job in August of this year, and that allowed me to be very available. So, I decided to go watch my grand daughter and allow her to get some rest. 

She went to take a nap and napped for an hour or two. When she came out of the room, she said, “My leg is numb and I can’t feel my hand.” Then she mentioned that her face felt numb. Fearing a stroke, I loaded her and Evelyn in the car and took her to the ER. She was still able to walk, but not very well and her speech was slurring some.

They tended to her in the ER and shortly sent her to another hospital in Wichita via ambulance. They were certain she was having a stroke and wanted better care for her. In Wichita they confirmed that she had a stroke and it had impaired the left side of her body some. Her leg and arm and hand had lost some function. She had “cracked” her neck when she went in to nap, and they said that created a small tear in her artery that precipitated the stroke.

Fortunately, we had reacted pretty quickly in getting her to the ER and they were able to start her on the proper medications right away. This was just the Lord’s doing. It was my choice to go or not go to watch my grand daughter, but God made it possible for me to be there and I know that He put it in my heart to want to go there.

That allowed me to be there when she started noticing the symptoms. Time is of the essence in the case of a stroke. If I had not been there, she might not have been able to get to the ER so quickly. It would have been at least an hour before her husband got home from work. God is so good to put us where He needs us at the time He needs us. The doctors expect her to make a complete recovery. She still has some work to do to improve use of her left hand.

No Trace

We received a call from a lady from our church. She asked for urgent prayer for her husband. He had suddenly become incoherent and she was not sure what it was. We assured her that we would go to prayer immediately, and come out to help her.

Since we knew that it would take us approximately 30 minutes to get to them, we called our son who lives about three minutes from them. He had just returned home from working out of town and he agreed to go see if he could help. 

When we got there, it was clear that something serious was going on with her husband. He seemed to be awake and know that we were there, and even attempt to communicate, but he was not able to speak to us. Then, at times he would seem to kind of drift off and slump over some. We laid hands on him and prayed.

We decided to call 911 and get some EMTs and an ambulance. The first to show up were the fire department EMTs, and they did some checking and felt like he was having a TIA which is like a mini stroke. Shortly thereafter, the ambulance with a couple of EMTs showed up and did some further testing. He was an EMT with 50 years experience and was convinced that he was having a TIA.

By this time, the husband was able to speak a little and was able to answer a couple of the EMT’s questions. He still seemed like he was unsure what was going on. The EMT with our help was able to convince him to let them take him to the hospital to get checked out. 

We again laid hands on him and prayed before they took him. At the ER, we stayed for quite a while that night and the doctor that came in after a while was also convinced that he had a TIA. By this time, he is pretty much back to normal, but did not have any memory of the period of time when we were at his house. 

Over that night and the next day, they did every test they needed, but were unable to find any evidence of anything. It was as if nothing had happened to him. If we were not there to witness it, he would not be able to convince any doctor that something had happened to him. We praise God for His answer to prayers, and for enabling our son to be available to help in quick order. 

 “IF YOU KNOW

WHAT’S GOOD FOR YOU…”

Jack Davis

Ecc. 6:11-12, “Seeing that there be many things that increase vanity, what is man the better? For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? For who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun.” The book of Ecclesiastes gives us the perspective of  man under the sun. Thank God, by faith in Christ Jesus we realize that we have been raised up and seated in the Heavenlies in Him, giving a better point of view.

Have you heard this line? “If you know what’s good for you!!” Most of us in our youth have at one time or other heard these or similar words from our mother, or both parents for that matter. They say this to precede a command or requirement of some sort. “Don’t do that, or you better do this.” Even if they were not specific, we usually knew what they were getting at.

God our Father’s Word teaches both that which is harmful and helpful for us. We are taught how to do well in that which is profitable, beneficial, or expedient. We are enabled to discern the things which increase vanity, and produce substance, so that we don’t spend our days as a shadow. Thank God!

Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil…” I Thess. 5:21-23. 

“For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” Heb. 4:12. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” Heb. 5:14.

Pleasing God, doing His will with a thankful heart is blessedly beneficial, and must not be seen as a dreadful duty, as if it was His pleasure to make us miserable. It is evidently to be rather a delightful devotion. It is God’s pleasure to guide us into the most enjoyable privileges that promote eternal pleasures. Consider Psalm 16:1-11, in this light.

“It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes” Ps. 119:71. “Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word” Ps. 119:67. “I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me” Ps. 119:75. “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way” Ps. 37:23. “But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works” Ps. 73:28. “For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly” Ps. 84:11.

“It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High” Ps. 92:1. “Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely” Ps. 147:1.

From what we should know from the Scripture, and may come to know by experience, it should be very clear to us that it is not good for us to allow the world to influence our thinking Romans 12:1-3,9,21. I John teaches us to not love the world. 

We also come to know that we don’t want our own flesh to control our living. Our fallen nature, that sinful self-life would like to dominate us in selfish living. Trusting the flesh hinders us from recognizing when God sends good – Jer. 17:6.

Therefore knowing these things, we realize that we certainly don’t want Satan, the devil, that god of this world, the prince and power of the air, the ruler of the darkness of this age to influence, dominate, or in any way to affect our daily living.

Whatever we allow to determine our attitude and actions today has great bearing on our tomorrow (eternity). It is bad enough to allow the world, the flesh, and the devil to cheat us out of present blessings and everyday enjoyment, even rich endowment now. But our enemy is not satisfied with stealing from us, now. He uses the world and the flesh profusely to rob us of everything he can for eternity. Then his greater goal is aimed at taking away all the glory he can from God.

God’s children often choose so foolishly, and act so blindly, stupidly, just stumbling, and staggering along into Satan’s harmful traps. We should realize that as He influences the world, that he also intends to influence selfish living from us. We need not be ignorant of his devices. We should well know how he operates. It is well documented throughout the Bible. He doesn’t mind dangling before our eyes, things that are not seemingly so-bad, in order to lead toward that which is worse. He would not resist the “good” so strongly if it would keep us from that which is “better” if he could beat us and God out of the “best.”

Paul and Jesus both speak of the many attractive elements that are intended to keep us from seeking the things that are above and setting our affections there. We must decide if we will yield our members as instruments of righteousness, or unrighteousness. 

It seems that God has allowed the flesh and the world to be at the disposal of our enemy. But we determine personally what influence of control our enemy has on us or exercises on our fallen nature.

 We choose whether or not we bring our thoughts into captivity to the obedience of Christ (II Cor. 10:5); and our bodies into subjection to the life of our Lord and Savior. I Cor. 9:27.

 Romans 8

Continued (Vs. 29-39)

Earlene Davis

V. 29 – As believers we can boast in our family tree, God is our Father and the Son of God is our Brother. It all started in eternity past when God chose a new Creation – Eph. 1:4-5. He predetermined that one day we would be like His Son. Predestination applies only to saved people. No where are we taught that God predestines people to be eternally condemned. People are only condemned because they refuse Christ – Jn. 3:18-21.

V. 30 – To those that responded to His call He justified and He also glorified them – II Thes. 2:13-14. The believer has already been glorified in Christ. Did not Jesus said in prayer to the Father (Jn. 17:21), “the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one.” The revelation of this glory awaits the coming of the Lord. This is marvelous, in God’s foreknowledge the elect, a new creation in Christ were identified in eternity past. He purposed their justification and to be glorified in His Son.  Christ is the head of this New Creation making Him the firstborn among many brethren. Just think, before there were none of us living. God’s sovereign purposes for us are in Christ and they have been fulfilled to Him and are sure to all who believe.

V. 31 – The second question answers the first question. God has put Himself on record in absolute sovereignty in man’s salvation, what can anyone do to hurt us? We read last time V. 28, He is working everything together for our good to fulfill His purposes.

V. 32 – The Father is for us and proved it by giving His Son. If when we were sinners, God gave us His best, now that we are His children, God gives all things to his own. God gave the all things in giving His Son. He was a Gift. II Cor. 9:15, “Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable Gift.” In Christ are all the blessings of His salvation. The love of God is the basis of it all. What can He withhold from His sons. All things are ours in Christ.

V. 33 – God Himself has cleared all charges, for Christ is their Representative and head. In Christ all were provisionally justified. When we believe and receive Christ, we inter into our provision rights. They have been waiting for us and all the New Creation since Christ arose from the dead. Our Christian experience changes from day to day, but justification never changes. God will never take us to court and accuse us. Jesus has already paid the penalty and we are secure in Him.

V. 34 – Christ was raised again for our justification. So to condemn the believer is to condemn Christ. And now, He is our Advocate and pleads our cause before His Father. The Father beholds His Son’s nail-pierced hands and vindicates us. God is satisfied and puts Himself on record as being on our side. Christ alone has the right to condemn and He also is on our side. We have a dual intercession that keeps us secure in Christ. The Spirit intercedes – Vs. 26-27 – and the Son intercedes. As our High Priest, Christ can give us the grace we need to over-come temptations (Heb. 4:15-16). Also as our Advocate, He can forgive our sins and restore our fellowship with God (I Jn. 1:9). He intercedes for each of us, a ministry that assures us that we are secure.

Vs. 35-36 – The Holy  Spirit is the uniting bond between THE Son and sons. Nothing can break this divine unity. The Trinity of God is involved in man’s salvation. It is not a maybe, but a confident “shall” of assurance. Romans chapter 8 begins with “no condemnation” and ends with “no separation.” Mans plans and way are unstable, vacillating. Even when strong willed, his power is limited. But God’s will is changeless. It is perfect from the beginning and by His almighty power, His purposes will be consummated without failure or delay. Those who love God and are led of the Spirit, enters into His plan that embraces all circumstances. God is for us, and there can be no successful opposition from any thing, or any person. For divine wisdom and foreknowledge are behind all things. God will not fail of His purposes. Tribulation is a fierce opposer, but God uses it to refine us from dross. Distress is allowed to draw us closer to the Lord. Persecution tests our love to God. Famine, nakedness, peril and sword only teach us our need and dependence upon God and that our satisfaction and rest is in Him.

V. 36 – Death is the way to life. Jesus went this way, His life was poured out daily in service to His Father and to others. Lk. 9:24, Jesus said, “Whosoever will save his life, shall lose it; but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, shall save it.” A continuous dying, yet that dying is a continuous victory – a gain not a loss. A life poured out for God finds more abundant life. The trials and temptations are a means in a final perfection. God’s ways are awesome, He allows Satan to buffet us, but God uses those instruments to work blessings. His strength being made perfect in our weakness. As we count or reckon with God, they cause thanksgiving from us for His work of grace in us.

V. 37 – The Diaglott renders this, “we do more than overcome.” Who is this more than conqueror? It is the one who reigns over every circumstance. The one who lets Christ, the true overcomer, rule in their live, abanding self-effort and trusting God.

Vs. 38-39 – Paul was persuaded, confident in God’s faithfulness and in His perfect union with Christ. He declares, not one of these nor all of them together, can come between the believer and the love of God, displayed in His love Gift to us in Christ Jesus. Death will not separate us, for to die is to be with Him. Life cannot separate us, for us to live is Christ. Angels, principalities and powers, celestial or terrestrial cannot separate us, they are all subject to Him who is over all. 

At times we may become perplex and dread the future until we remind ourselves that nothing can move us from our place in Christ, THE CONQUEROR. Nothing above or beneath, nothing at all has power to break the union between the believer and the living God. 

The Holy Spirit has put us into Christ and cemented us there. This is a good persuasion and leads us to peace in our hearts and lives. How could there ever be a question as to the eternal security of the believer. May we be persuaded and believe God’s Word. “That neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

 THE EAGLE

As storms approach, lesser fowl head for cover, but the mighty eagle spreads his wings and with a great cry mounts upon the powerful updrafts, soaring to the heights of glory. The eagle soars effortlessly, letting the wind carry him where other fowl beat with frantic wings to stay aloft. In spite of the winds, thunder and lightning the eagle seems to know instinctively where there is safety in the midst of the storm.

Similarly, the eagle-type Christian sees behind the storm, the winds of the Holy Spirit, and rises on wings of faith to rest on God’s carrying power far above harm and destruction. He moves, not by striving, but by restfully abiding. He trusts in the soaring current of God’s love. The Lord Himself bears him up. Just as the eagle knows how to catch the rising of life through his knowledge of the currents, the overcomer in Christ knows his faithful God and experiences triumphant life by trusting and waiting.

When the eagle’s mighty wing feathers become heavy with oil and dirt and his beak and talons become calcified and brittle, he retires to a hiding place in a cave of rock out of reach of predators and experiences a period of renewal. With his great beak he pulls out his mighty wing feathers one by one. He then extracts each claw. Finally, he begins to smash his beak against the rocks, until it, too, is gone. Left defenseless, this peerless, unique bird waits patiently until beak, talons and feathers have regrown, emerging in his renewed condition stronger than before.

As a new creature in Christ, we may experience a renewal as we lay aside the things inconsistent with the life of faith. As we stand before the Lord, stripped of all that would keep us from leaning on Him alone, our strength is renewed.

The eagle is known for his ferocity; yet no member of the bird family is more gentle and attentive to its young. At just the right time, the mother eagle begins to teach her eaglets how to fly. She gathers the eaglet onto her back and spreading her wings, flies high. Suddenly she swoops out from under the eaglet, and as it falls, it gradually learns what its wings are for, until the mother catches it once again on her wings. Sometimes the eaglet learns on the first try, but if not, the process is repeated many times. If the young one is show to learn or cowardly, she returns him to the nest, and begins to tear the nest apart until there is nothing left for the eaglet to cling to. Then she nudges him off the cliff.

Those in Christ, who learn to depend upon a faithful Father, know that underneath are His everlasting arms (arms of eternity), ready to bear us up, support and carry us through all of life’s storms.

Just as this matchless bird has been given eyes that can see from a great distance, and look directly into the sun and not be blinded, the believer, looking by faith from God’s point of view, is given spiritual eyes to see from afar. These enjoy gifts of counsel and insight beyond compare. When others see only problems and turn their eyes to circumstances, the eagle-eyed Christian is enabled to look beyond to the joy set before him, and endure whatever cross must be borne. Oh, yes, they see by the Spirit the very depths of God. These see in His nature the answer to all things.

“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; They shall walk, and not faint” Isaiah 40:31.     

 – Adapted

 Think On These Things

Martha Wainright

Gladstone, Missouri

Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?” – Psalm 139:7.

It is impossible to go away from God. As Christians we know, by faith, and often with emotional conviction, that God will not leave us. But it is another matter to realize that we cannot leave Him. We may even have times of being out of complete harmony with Him, but we cannot leave His Spirit or His presence once the Spirit of Christ has been given to us by the new birth. 

Let’s think about times in our lives when we may have tried to escape the presence of God. Now we don’t usually verbalize it this way nor do we even form those words in our subconsciousness, but if we are to be purely honest, there are times when the humanity in us wants God to leave us alone. Not leave us, just leave us alone. There’s a difference.

David said, “If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me” – Psalm 139:11. In  practical experience, when we surrender ourselves and our will to Jesus Christ as the Head of our life, there is no escaping His handiwork. There are parts of the Lord’s natural handiwork in creation that are breathtakingly beautiful, but that is temporary and the beauty of nature pales in comparison to the working of  God in our own individual life.

“For it is God who worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure” – Philippians 2:13. We need a vision of this truth. When the Lord, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, corrects us and chastens us as Sons of God, it is because He loves us – Hebrews 12:6. And through these times of testing and training we are glorifying God, we are a delight unto Him (Proverbs 29:17). 

But we need a vision of this truth, a divine vision, because “where there is no vision, the people perish.” This is not speaking of losing our eternal life in Christ, that’s impossible. But we can perish in the sense of losing the spiritual sight of our calling and perish in hope. Instead we need “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power” – Ephesians 1:18-19.

Jonah could not escape from God. We don’t know exactly why Jonah did not want to go to Nineveh to cry against it. But Nineveh speaks to us of this whole wicked world and we, especially  we who have a vision of the truth of an overcoming walk, rebel against being in the world. We are not citizens of this world; we are pilgrims and strangers and we feel out of place. There are times we want to escape. But we learn over and over again that our only refuge and hiding place is God himself.

“But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the  presence of the Lord” – Jonah 1:3. Verse 4 begins, “But the Lord…”. There He is. He is there – through our ups and downs and even knows what our reaction will be to theses times before we experience them (Psalm 139:2). He may not “prepare a fish for us, but He will do what it takes to keep us in His will. The message of the grace of God is that we do God’s will by His enabling. “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” – I Corinthians 6:20.

We are not of the world, but we are in it and as Jonah was called by God to cry out against the wickedness of Nineveh so our very presence and witness in the world cries out against the wickedness of this present evil age. This testimony is expelled in many ways – verbal, yes, but also in a tactile (touching) way. Those we rub shoulders with daily are touched by the presence of God through us.

In summary of these thoughts, as comfort, assurance, and instruction, Jesus said, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5). And He meant it. Selah.

 The Encouraging Word

“Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him. God is a refuge for us.” Selah. Psalm 62:8

“My soul (heart), clings to you; your right hand upholds me.” Psalm 63:8

“Neither know we what to do, but our eyes are upon Thee.” II Chron. 20:12

“When thou goest, thy way shall be opened up before thee step by step.” Proverbs 4:12 free translation

“You rule the swelling of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them.” Psalm 89:9

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” Ephesians 1:3

“Surely the righteous will give thanks to your name; the upright will dwell in you presence.” Psalm 140:13

“And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to  God the Father through Him.” Colossians 3:17

Martha Wainright

 Gratitude?

Gordon Crook, Pastor

Grace Assembly, Wichita, Kansas

“Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, . . . And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.” Deuteronomy 8:11-18 (Please read this entire passage)

What is true gratitude? Where does it come from? Why does it matter? 

True gratitude comes from a humility that recognizes that what we have is not of our own accomplishment. Not a single one of us had any hand in our own existence. Only God can give life. When you start here, then you must recognize that everything after that is based on that first fact. I am not capable of accomplishing anything except that God gave me life and further enables me to continue that life. “Who being the brightness of [his] glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, . . .” Hebrews 1:3.

If indeed everything from the beginning of my life is dependent upon God, then would I not have a sincere sense of gratitude? Our old nature inspired by the culture in which we live would have us show some sense of gratitude for the really “good” things that come in our life. However, we then can complain and murmur about the “bad” things that come in our life.

Perhaps this is exactly why Paul reminds us, in Romans 8:28, that all things work together for good to those that belong to God. We often say that we believe this, but the way we know if we believe it is our attitude when things do not go the way we wanted them to. If we truly believe, then we will be grateful even when things go “wrong.”

We also must recognize that we do not, did not, and will not “deserve” any of what God provides for us. Most people will argue that we do deserve certain things. There are certain things that are “human rights” based on humanist thinking. The truth is that there is nothing that we deserve, except for God’s wrath. I know this is not popular, but it is the truth. This makes me extra grateful for a God that loves me and has, through Christ Jesus, provided all that I need even though I do not deserve it.

Where does this kind of gratitude come from? It comes from the New Creation that is in us. The life of Christ that is transforming our heart from a hard stony heart to a heart that is true to God. This transformation is changing our attitudes every day as we yield to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Paul reminds us of the characteristics of the old nature. “For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,” 2 Timothy 3:2. Notice the “unthankful” which in Greek, is the negative form of “grateful.” While this is the natural attitude of human beings, we who have the life of Christ in us, are being changed and should have  different attitude of gratitude.

I was impressed with Jesus, while He lived here on this earth, giving thanks to His Father on several occasions. Luke 10:21, John 11:41, Matthew 15:36, Matthew 26:27 are all examples of this. I think we should recognize that, if Jesus demonstrates an attitude of thankfulness to His Father, we should certainly be following that example.

Why does it matter if we are thankful or not. First of all, what I have already mentioned, that the life of Christ in us will produce this attitude. So, if we say we have Christ, but continue to be unthankful, we are clearly not yielding to that Christ life. This is saddening to our Lord. Remember when Jesus healed in Luke 17:12-19. Only one came back to show gratitude. Jesus questioned as to the other nine. Why did they not turn back to be thankful? Does our attention to ourself and our other interests keep us from expressing our gratitude?

I know that we have a day that we call Thanksgiving, and we all have our own way or tradition for celebrating that. However, maybe we should think about every single day as being a day of thanksgiving. When you wake up in the morning are you thankful for God’s faithfulness? When you eat your meals, are you thankful for God’s provision? Every moment of every day is a great time to express our gratitude to our Father.

 Under the Influence

Vicky Moots

Eph. 5:18: “And be not drunk with wine wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.”  Paul, in this verse, is contrasting two different situations in which a person can be found to be “under the influence.”  To be “under the influence” of something means to be under its control.  The first situation, physical drunkenness, is condemned in the Scripture because it is harmful.  Wine is not condemned, but drunkenness is.  The second situation mentioned by Paul is one that should be desired by every Christian: to be under the influence and control of the Holy Spirit.  I am going to explain this in more detail by first describing the way in which alcohol adversely affects our physical bodies and then compare that to the beneficial spiritual effects of being filled with the Spirit.

Drunkenness affects the entire body, but the most visible outward signs are its effects on the speech, the difficulty walking, and the actions of the person involved.  When a person is physically intoxicated by alcohol, it is usually obvious to those around him because of these signs.  Alcohol affects the brain in different stages.  It is quickly absorbed and reaches the brain within five minutes.  The first thing that happens is a release of dopamine, a feel-good neurotransmitter, that makes you more relaxed and talkative, and can even trigger you to desire more of it.  As you continue drinking, it affects your cerebral cortex which controls your thinking and judgment.  Next, the cerebellum which controls your balance and coordination, is affected resulting in impaired speech and gait.  A person who is intoxicated is under the influence of the alcohol and loses control of all of these functions.  These impairments will continue until the alcohol has been metabolized by the liver, which requires about one hour per ounce.

On the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the 120 believers in the upper room, they all began speaking in other tongues.  When the multitude that was in Jerusalem heard them rejoicing and speaking in tongues, some of them mocked, saying, “…These men are full of new wine” (Acts 2:13).  They assumed that their joyfulness and altered speech was due to intoxication.  However, Peter stood up and declared, in v. 15, “…these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day [9:00 a.m.].” 

But those that mocked that day were partially right.  The 120 believers were all “under the influence” and control of the Holy Spirit.  Just as alcohol controls the tongue, actions and walk of those who are under its influence, so does the Holy Spirit.  However, the results are different.  

The effects of alcohol’s control over a person are exceedingly harmful, but the Holy Spirit’s control is completely the opposite.  He controls our tongue to speak God’s Word.  He controls our walk so that we can walk a straight path instead of stumbling or staggering.  He controls our actions so that they will glorify God rather than bring shame.  The joy of the Holy Spirit is a true joy that lasts.

Unfortunately, many Christians today don’t want to be “under the influence” of the Holy Spirit.  They only want to take a little sip, just a little taste.  They want to remain in control of their lives, their thoughts, their tongues and their actions.

Back in our verse, Eph. 5:18, the word “filled,” regarding the Holy Spirit, is a continuous action verb in the Greek, so it actually means to be “continually filling” with the Spirit.  We are to drink and keep on drinking, so that we remain continually “under the influence.”  It is more than a one-time event.  We need the Holy Spirit’s influence and control every day in our lives for every circumstance.

 HERE AM I

(Jacob)

Joseph down in Egypt said, 

  “Bring my father here. 

God has raised me up this day;

   You have no need to fear.”

Jacob took his journey then,

   Stopped along the way.

He came unto Beersheba

   To worship and to pray.

In the visions of the night,

    Dispelling fear and doubt,

Jacob clearly heard God’s voice,

   And answered with a shout.

“Here am I,” his eager cry,

   Knowing God would hear.

Listening to his Savior’s voice,

  His promises were clear.

I will bring you back again,

    Greater then before.

Jacob trusted in God’s Word,

   He couldn’t ask for more.

Debbie Isenbletter

(Genesis 46:1-5)

SHARING

Praise Report
God’s Faithful Provision

Gordon Crook

I am always amazed at just how faithful God is in His provision for the things we need. My entire life is a testament to God’s faithfulness, even though I have not always been faithful in my life.

We moved out to the country 24 years ago, and when we did, there was a wood burning stove in the house we bought. We had decided we needed to burn firewood as our main source of heat since propane was very expensive. I cannot remember exactly how we acquired the firewood that first year, only that we found some for free.

In the 24 years that we have lived here, we have only had to purchase firewood one year because I was not sure I had enough and was time constrained to try to find some for free. 

One year, several years ago, a very large source of free firewood became available to me within a couple of miles of our house. It was piled up with bulldozers, and we worked very hard for several months to get what we could before they burned the rest in a large pile. That lasted us several years. 

In the interim, I have been able to find several smaller quantities of firewood, but as we approached this winter, I felt like I has going to barely have enough for this winter, and certainly none that was curing for next winter or beyond.

My son Jonathan, called me on a Monday and told me that he had seen a property where they were cutting down trees and had a large sign that said “free firewood.” I went to check on that, and they were clearing a lot of trees, and even cutting the wood to length and stacking it. The quantity was excessive and I decided to start hauling using the pickup truck.

From that Tuesday until the next Monday I hauled 14 truck loads which will give me firewood for several years. I recognize that this is God’s provision for us. The fact that they were cutting the wood to length and stacking it made my job much easier allowing me to take much more than if I had to cut the wood out of a large bulldozed pile. 

I am so grateful for God’s provision. Getting free firewood may seem like a small thing, but it is God’s provision of the small things that reminds me that He is faithful in ALL things. 

This year, He has been faithful to allow me to retire from my Engineering job of 37 years. He was faithful to let me keep that job for such a long time with the same company. His faithfulness just continues day after day and always amazes me. Praise the Lord!!!!

 Praise Report

Oliver Combs was born on November 27, 2018. Oliver is our beloved son born to Kristen and Adam Combes and little brother to Jacob 14 and Charleigh 12. Ollie was a kindergartener at Overbrook attendance center. Ollies joy for life has been in his curiosity, kindness, and unstoppable energy.

In early October 2024 we received life-changing news. After a few days of extreme leg pain, and a visit to our pediatrician led to x-rays, scans and a biopsy that reveled Oliver has osteosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of bone cancer.

We had our faith in God and lots of people praying for Oliver. We had just started building our new house as we were living in our camper on our land. The devil was sure trying our faith. But we knew God is always with us and would see us through.

The tumor was located on his right distal femur. We began navigating the path of treatment and recovery. Despite the challenges, Oliver has faced every step saying, “Jesus has me.” He has showed remarkable courage and strength. Oliver began chemotherapy in October. Praise the Lord our jobs worked with us so one of us could always be in Children’s Mercy with him. Praise the Lord my sister lives 4 miles from the hospital so we could go there and rest. 

The treatment was intense, but praise the Lord the tumor shrunk. The doctors were shocked how fast it shrunk….we know it was God. Ollie bravely endured long sessions of medication, his strength and belief kept us going.

January 15, 2025 Oliver underwent a specialized procedure called rotationplasty, which involved removing the tumor and part of his leg while preserving his mobility. This innovative surgery will allow Oliver to run, jump, and play with the help of a prosthetic. The doctors couldn’t believe how well the bone graph took so fast and how fast the incision with the nerves and blood vessels were healing. We do it was our Lord. God has helped ollie excel in physical therapy, learning to hop using a walker and navigate life with his unstoppable determination.

 After 17 more rounds of chemotherapy Oliver was diagnosed cancer free on June 15th. Praise our holy Lord Jesus Christ. Oliver’s journey is far from over, and the road ahead will requite ongoing therapies and adjustments, the financial burden of medical expenses and travel for treatments, and specialized prosthetics is significant. Oliver’s bright spirit continues to shine through even on his darkest days.

 

We are dealing with insurance issues right now about his physical therapy and he does have to take kindergarten over again because he missed so much. But we know our Lord has his hand in all of it. Thank the Lord for the support our community did on August 9 at the 5K run walk. Thank you everyone for your continued prayers and support. 

October 6 Praise the Lord Ollie got his new leg today. Doctors were surprised how well the bone graft healed.

 A Special Blessing From The Lord

Earlene Davis

I want to share a blessing from the Lord that I received in the form of an e-mail. I was so blessed and encouraged by it, and I believe you will be also. The e-mail came from a man named Paul who lives in Missouri.

Paul said in the e-mail, “I found a couple of copies of your wonderful magazine at a hospital in Lee’s Summit, MO, and was wondering if it is still being printed. If so, how can I get more copies sent my way? Even back issues. I have July and  August 2024. I would like to hear back from you, as I am a 71 year-old disabled man who is caregiver to a wheelchair-bound wife. Good reading material is very welcome in my home.”

I just praise the Lord for blessing me so, and also to know that someone passed along the magazine in faith by leaving it in that hospital. The Lord saw to it that it landed in the hands of just the right person. Paul is now on our mailing list and I am sending him a few past copies that were still left over at church.

 

Just think, I was blessed and Paul was blessed and also the magazines may have been read by others during all those days it was available. I hope more saints when finished with their monthly copy of Glorious Gospel magazine, pass it on to someone or leave it where it is available to others – instead of throwing it away.

 HAPPY PEOPLE

Jack Davis

“HAPPY IS HE THAT HATH THE GOD OF JACOB FOR HIS HELP, WHOSE HOPE IS IN THE LORD HIS GOD.” Ps. 146:5

Is any body happy? What does it take to make a person truly, lastingly happy? One might say, “Oh if I just had this certain thing, or if I could gain that, or if I could accomplish something else.

“HAPPY IS HE”

Wherein Are We Happy? I believe that only God is able to make us come to or realize the greatest possible happiness. Is a happy person one who is satisfied, being blessed with the fulness of favor from God? I believe this is the essence of the Word in the Old Testament.

Jesus when speaking to His disciples, expressed such marvelous love and wisdom. He asked them if they understood what He had just done in washing their feet. Then He said; “if ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.” Jn. 13:17. Knowing God’s will, obeying His Word is indeed a great promoter of real happiness. In Proverbs 3:13,18 we read of the happiness enjoyed in finding and retaining wisdom.

The queen of Sheba was highly impressed when she had seen evidence of King Solomon’s wisdom, glory, and wealth. She exclaimed in amazement, “The half was not told me.” Then she exclaimed, “happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom.” I Kings 10:7-8. What then could we say of our dear Lord? It is stated in Job 5:17, “Happy is the man whom God correcteth…” Are you receptive to such? We are often prone to despise the instrument He uses.

The context of our text begins with, or is introduced by saying, “Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD O my soul. While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.” Ps. 146:1-2. Let praise be the high activity of the spiritually happy. Have you noticed that praise-worship of the Lord and holy happiness work together? They feed off each other. It reaches up to God for His delight. It reaches down to the discouraged to lift expectation for his deliverance. The outreach  of praise enables others to see the joy of the Lord in us, and causes them to desire Him also.

“My soul rejoices.” “Bless the LORD O my soul.” Such expressions show that this praise comes from within the heart. Praise proclaims a positive attitude, an optimistic outlook. This is how we may express a victorious up look accompanied with the increase of faith, hope, and love.

A happy people are those that have good expectation. The Holy Spirit is doing such a marvelous work in the lives of  God’s people today. By making the Word of God a reality to us, we are made a serious, very sincere people. We are made sober and yet sublimely serene. We are most happy when we are satisfied and yet ever seeking His highest and best. Thus we are made a gloriously happy people even in the face of serious suffering. See I Pet. 3:12-19 and 4:12-14.

“HE THAT HATH”

What (who) Do You Have? Those having something belonging to them personally, especially that which they consider most worthy, enjoyable, or beneficial, are usually considered happy. We believe that those things entered into by faith in God’s unerring promises produces such. What have you laid hold of that’s real, lasting, and cheers your heart? What has been given to you that you are appropriating and appreciating as your own? Is there anything that can afford you everlasting happiness? The best we can have is that which has us. We have redemption through His blood, and are glad we belong to Him. “Happy art thou…who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! And thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places.” Deut. 33:29.

Why shouldn’t we be happy enjoying God’s salvation, with Him being the shield of our help, and the sword by which we may excel unto his glory and honour. Who could find greater deliverance, or better protection? We certainly have adversity. We often meet with great difficulty as we press on in the will of God. We never lack the enemies opposition that would try to rob us of the joy of our salvation. The accuser of the brethren is always on the job. But, Glory to  God, with our foot dipped in oil, walking in the Spirit; and our shoes of iron and brass; (strength and judgment) and as our days so shall our strength be. We are thus enabled to trample the enemy under feet taking by faith our God-given high places. Rom. 16:20.

“THE GOD OF JACOB FOR HIS HELP”

By whom are we helped? This Psalm somewhat describes the God that we have for our help in verses six through ten. “Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: Which keepeth truth for ever: Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The LORD looseth the prisoners: The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind: the Lord raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous: The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down. The LORD shall reign for ever, even thy God O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the LORD.”

What a God we have, that has put Himself at the disposal of our faith! Knowing and trusting ourselves unto Him, frees us unto a course of life without covetousness, and produces in us an attitude of contentment founded on what He has spoken in His precious  Word. “For he has said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The LORD is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.” Heb. 13:5-6. Our God has so richly provided for us that there truly need be no complaining in our streets. Ps. 144:14-15.

By way of contrast, verse three and four of our  Psalm 146; indicates the necessity to avoid the course to certain unhappiness. “Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.” Isa. 2:22; gives sound advise, “Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?” consider well the contrast given in Jer. 17:5-7.

Oh yes, many grievous disappointments come our way when we put our hope in human help. These have, does, and will fail us. Misplaced expectations can really get us down, make us despondent and have us talking to ourselves. We do well to encourage ourselves in the Lord.  We might say to our selves “Adjust your focus.” “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.” Ps. 42:5. There is much foolish teaching on self help today, and promoting self confidence. If God helps them that are able to help themselves; What can He do for the helpless? How about, exceeding, abundantly, above, all we ask or think?

“WHOSE HOPE IS IN THE lord”

In whom do you hope? All those who are fully trusting in Him, are to be cheerfully expectant of coming good. He  gladly gives the greatest and the best even to pleasantly, presently anticipate. He cannot fail His promise. He also has given us wonderful examples and instruction in His Word on how to abound in hope. Of course we know that all God our Father has given us to expect is wrapped in the Lord Jesus Christ. The God of hope causes us to abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost, as we simply yieldingly believe. Rom. 15:13.

 Romans 8

Continued (Vs. 14-28)

Earlene Davis

V. 14 – Walk in the Spirit[ of God is proof we are born of God, that we are His sons. Walking in the Spirit also speaks of development into full grown sons. God sent His Spirit to teach us His Word and show us the way to have a victorious life in Christ. We learn to follow the Spirits leading. The Holy Spirit tells us all about our Lord – Jn. 16:13-15, “When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall  not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come, He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said, I, that he shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you.” The more He reveals to us, the more we want to know Him that loves us so. And our love for Him deepens more and more. This is how the believer grows out of baby hood or from being carnal and self-willed.

V. 15 – The law only leads into bondage and fear, but the Spirit has brought us into sonship. By God’s grace He has made us His sons by the death of His Son; and it is His Spirit that conducts us into His  presence without constraint. We come unto our heavenly Father, as His sons. V. 16 – Thank God for this witness, its not just a feeling, but is based on the Word of God. V. 17 – As children of God, we have a great inheritance. It is real and worth seeking. Some will get a greater, fuller reward than others. Some will  have joint-heirship with Christ (If we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified with Him). Not all believers appreciate their inheritance, nor desire it, because of the sacrifice.

V. 18 – When we get a glimpse of glory, the toils of this life seem nothing. II Cor. 4:17, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory (there is no comparison). We look forward to that glorious day. All the glories in store for Christ can be ours, as we follow our guide and overcome the difficulties in the way He leads. The glory shall be revealed IN us. V. 19 – We not only wait for our blessings as sons of God, but for all creation’s deliverance. 

Vs. 20–21 – The whole lower creation of which Adam was made the head, has been in confusion since Adam’s fall. Its unveiling is dependent on the manifestation of the sons of  God. Man’s full redemption will free creation from the bondage of corruption and bring liberty. We have such a meager conception of the marvelous fact that we are the sons of God. We look at each other and we see the veil of the flesh. Just like men did when they looked upon Jesus as he walked among them. They did not see the Lord of glory in that humble guise. We also don’t see the Son of God, the true life as we look on the outward man. All creation is waiting for its true Lord. THE SON, with the sons of God. And all created intelligence in heaven and on earth and under the earth shall bow and marvel at the unveiling of the sons of God. 

 

Vs. 22-23 – All creation groans and moans and sighs. And believers also look forward for deliverance in expectation. Our new man longs for his body of glory, which will have no infirmity. The Lord once gave me a dream of this which I shall never forget. We won’t look old, for He has said, “Behold, I make all things new” – Rev. 21:5. Vs. 24-25 – This statement “we are saved by hope” refers to the body. For we have not come into our redemption rights concerning the body. We are still waiting with patience for that new heavenly body. It is still future. If we already had our glorified bodies as some say, we would not be hoping for them.

We are in a body of limitations and infirmities, and we grown for deliverance and the Spirit like wise groans and prays effectually for the perfect will of God, though there maybe no utterance. We don’t always pray what we should, but the Spirit over-rules and prays and prevails. We get the answer for what we should have asked if we had only known. It is marvelous how God undertakes for us in every way. God searches our hearts and sees the need for which the Spirit is making intercession and God’s will comes to pass. V. 28 – No matter how things appear, the all things are working for our good in answer to the Spirit’s groaning. Yet, this does not apply to every believer. It is true to those that love God and that are called according to His purpose.

Many of God’s people love the world and the flesh more than they love God. So they do not surrender to God nor find their place in His perfect will. The all things are not working for them. Believers that put God first in their lives and yields to Him, do not complain when trials come, for they know and believe Rom. 8:28.

I pet. 4:12-13 , “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as through some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” And V. 19,  “Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.”

To be continued

 Think On These Things

Martha Wainright

Gladstone, Missouri

“The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace” Exodus 14:14.

The children of Israel must have been on cloud nine as we say, when the Lord finally loosed them to go into Canaan. They had witnessed a mighty battle between the Lord and Pharaoh, but the Lord proved victor. He always was, but He allowed Pharaoh to display his power that the power of God might show supremacy.

On and out went the children of Israel, but soon they came up against humanly immoveable barriers. The mountains, the Red Sea and the Egyptians, as Pharaoh had made one last attempt to stop them after contemplating his loss. When God led them out of Egypt He did not take them the short route which would seem the natural thing to do. God leads supernaturally, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD” Isa. 55:8. “God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent (change their minds), when they see war, and they return to Egypt” Ex. 13:17. “But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea” Ex. 13:18.

Exodus, chapter 13, goes on to record that the Lord went before them day and night. Ex. 14 tells us that the Lord instructed them to encamp before Pi-hahiroth, evidently in a wilderness area by the sea. The Lord knew Pharaoh would gloat over the fact that they were entangled and shut in by the wilderness and the sea. And we read that Pharaoh and his multitudinous army pursued them. We can imagine that they were tasting victory with every hoof beat. “and when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them: and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD” Ex. 14:10.

The Lord instructs them, through Moses, to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord; that He would fight for them, and lead them forward when He gave the command. The Lord never left them, going before and behind them. His presence was darkness to the Egyptians, but light to the Israelites. We go on to read that the Lord miraculously parted the waters and the children of Israel walked through on dry ground to the other side. The Egyptians were totally destroyed, but not before they acknowledged that the Lord was fighting for the Israelites. After crossing into  Canaan they were given redemption instructions. They were never to forget that their deliverance was from the by, the Lord.

Think on these things: many of us have taken our place, by faith, in the Heavenlies, symbolized by identifying with Jesus Christ in His death and resurrection. We now have a heavenly calling. Our vision is focused to attain all, that is our’s in Christ Jesus. Nonetheless, in practical experience we oft times have these wilderness experiences. And if, by faith, our heart is right in the sight of God, we can believe that our all-wise, loving, Heavenly Father has led us to this wilderness. We sometimes wonder why we can’t get out of a trial or a circumstance, but “the Lord knows the way we take,” Perhaps what seems to best or shortest way to us might in reality be the most discouraging.  The quickest and easiest, is not always the best.

The Red  Sea and wilderness experience is the way that brings us to our knees crying out to God. Then His grace and power is made known to us and to others. There is no indication that the Israelites knew the Egyptians finally realized that God was fighting for them.  And we do not, buy any means, always know when others realize that God is on our side. (Thank God, lest we become puffed up.) I have heard of Christians saying, “send the trials, send the wilderness experiences and testings.” Lay it on me Lord, as the contemporary phrase implies. All we can say, is God be merciful when we say this, and I suppose most of us have said this in one way or another. But we need to realize and learn, that in God’s will, as we are yielding to Him and being led by the Holy Spirit, we will have these wilderness trials for our good and the glory of God. There is a time for everything. It is during these times that we learn to know the Lord as the Captain of our salvation. Our refuge, deliverer, fortress, etc. He is our all in all.

We get into trouble during our wilderness experiences when we try to fight our own battles. When we do this we usurp the Lord’s authority over us. “The lord will fight for you.” It is during these times that we lost our peace of mind and this opens the door to confusion and doubt. But as the old hymn goes, “Jesus know our every weakness.” He doesn’t leave us when we are weak and vulnerable. He doesn’t stomp us in the ground and berate us Instead, He knows His strength in our behalf. He picks us up, reveals His grace and restores our peace with a peace that passes understanding. The mighty wind of the Holy Spirit parts the waters and Sword (Word) of God destroys the enemy.

We may be hemmed in on all sides by such things as pain, discouragement, disappointment, doubts, battles of unbelief and distress. By these the enemy seeks to overthrow us and gain control. As we continue to trust the Lord we will see His working in us and we will come out victorious. Even if we feel the waters of the trial and think we are going to be defeated, Isa. 43:2 assures us, “When thou passes through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee.” Think on these things.

 Unbelief

Gordon Crook, Pastor

Grace Assembly, Wichita, Kansas

“For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.” Hebrews 4:2

“Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:” Hebrews 4:6

The children of Israel failed to enter the promised land because they only considered their own ability against the giants that lived there. Unbelief keeps us from entering into God’s best. It is not lack of will or strength. God has never asked nor expected us to enter in on our own merit, ability or strength. Entering into God’s promises and blessings has always been by faith. 

Let’s begin by understanding what we mean by faith. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:1, 3, 6.

These three verses help us understand that when we talk about faith, we are talking about believing what God has said. Not just because, but because it is evident that God is who He claims and He has done what He claims. Faith is complete trust in God and His Word.

Unbelief manifests itself in different ways. There are, of course, the atheists that just do not believe that God exists. A clear case of not paying attention to creation which clearly demonstrates the existence of God, as well as His love. For those that have believed and put their trust in Jesus, there is also a possible expression of unbelief. It usually expresses itself as self effort.

Why is self effort an expression of unbelief? Because it presumes that God is not enough. It fails to trust what God has told us about the work that He will do in our lives if we yield to Him. It presumes that there is something we can do in our effort to earn God’s favor or enter into God’s promises.

The Old Testament is full of examples of those that chose to believe God even when it seemed unlikely. Abraham believed that God could honor His promise of a son even when it was humanly impossible. Romans 4:16-25. The three young men in Daniel 3:16-18. And there are many more. These are written for us to understand and believe as we see God demonstrating His power and ability to fulfill His Word.

Then we come to the New Testament and see God fulfilling His promises and prophecies through the coming and life and death of Jesus. There is no lack of evidence of God’s power and faithfulness, only lack of faith to believe and trust Him.

There are several questions that come to mind as I consider this topic of faith versus unbelief. 

· Do you believe that God desires for you the very best?

· Do you believe that God cares about you?

· Do you believe that God knows about your trial, and that He is there to see you through?

· Do you believe that God can change you?

· Do you believe that God will work in your life to make you Christ-like?

· Do you believe that Christ is coming again to take His bride away?

Do you believe that God desires for you the very best?

When I ask this question, I am not just asking if you hear the words and say yes. I am really asking if your actions demonstrate a real trust that God desires the best for you. It is clearly stated in His Word. He does not leave us to imagine or wonder about it. “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:12.

We are God’s children, and He knows how to provide the very best for His children. “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” Matthew 7:11. Jesus reminds us that we don’t even know real giving. We imagine that we know what is good, but our Father truly knows how to give the very best. He gave His Son to redeem us, and He gave us the Holy Spirit to empower us.

Do you believe that God cares about you?

Again, God does not leave us to wonder if this is true. Jesus tells us clearly. “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?” Matthew 6:26. We are God’s special creation. All else in creation is created for our benefit. God uses the things He has created to teach us spiritual lessons. 

Peter also reminds us. We are able to humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand precisely because we know He cares for us. And we know He will do for us the very best. “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7.

If unbelief is expressed in our actions, then conversely, faith is also expressed in our actions. James teaches us this when he says “shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.” God is not looking for those that will say “I believe,” but those that will act on their faith. 

To be continued:

 The Vineyard

Isa. 5:1-2

Vicky Moots

Kingman, Kansas

Isa. 5:1-2: “Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill: And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.”

God is pictured here as a patient Husbandman carefully planting and nurturing a choice vine. His vineyard is fenced, not only to protect it from harm, but also to separate it unto Himself and to show ownership of it. He painstakingly removed all of the stones and all obstacles that might hinder its growth. The vine that He planted was specially chosen by Him and pruned and properly cared for. What love, what care, what patience is manifest through His actions!

Under such ideal conditions, one would expect the vine to flourish and bring forth an abundance of fruit. But instead, to the sorrow of the Husbandman, it brought forth nothing but wild grapes. God had chosen a people, Israel, and planted them in a bountiful land. He separated them unto Himself and protected them in expectation that they would glorify Him and yield much fruit. The result, however, was quite the opposite.

Proverbs 18:10 declares, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it and is safe.” The tower in the vineyard represents the name of the Lord. Israel refused to take shelter in or to find safety in the name of the Lord. Instead, they turned to the gods of the nations around them, and so the only fruit that they could bear was wild grapes. Consequently, God withheld His blessings and protection from them and allowed them to go into captivity.

Although this parable refers to the nation of Israel, it also has a precious personal lesson for us as Christians. As a new creation in Christ, we are a chosen people unto God, as was Israel. He encloses us round about with His love so that we are separated unto Him. Through His Holy Spirit, He patiently cultivates us, removing or breaking up all bitterness and hardness within our hearts. We become rooted and grounded in love as we yield ourselves to the Lord so that we begin to grow and bring forth the peaceable fruits of righteousness. He is faithful to prune us through tests and trials so that we may produce the fruit of the Spirit, as described in Gal. 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance…”

When our enemy, Satan, attacks us and tempts us, we have a Strong Tower to run into: His name is Jesus. Let us find refuge in Him.

But the most important part of this vineyard has not yet been discussed, and that is the winepress. It is a picture of Calvary. The greatest degree of God’s love for us was expressed through the sacrifice of His Son on the cross. The wine represents His blood that was shed for us, as Jesus told His disciples at the last Passover supper. His blood is the basis for our redemption. Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin.

God desired that Israel would be a fruitful vine, and one day that will happen when they accept Christ as their Messiah and apply the blood of the Lamb to their hearts. He also desires that we, as Christians, bring forth fruit that will glorify His name, so let us be faithful to yield to the pruning of the Holy Spirit.

 HERE AM I

(Abraham)

One day God spoke to Abraham, 

   and asked he face a test, 

To offer up unto the Lord,

   that which he loved the best.

Abraham cried out in faith,

   “Behold, here I am.”

His heart was willing to obey,

  whatever was God’s plan.

He didn’t question God that day;

  he didn’t weep or cry.

He took his son, and walked by faith,

   knowing that he would die.

Abraham believed by faith,

   that God would raise his son.

He told the men “they” would return,

   and said, “Thy will be done.”

Isaac saw the wood and knife;

  the lamb was not in sight.   

His father said God would provide;

  he trusted in His might.

When the knife was raised at last,

   a voice called out his name.

And Abraham cried, “Here am I;”

   his faith remained the same.

A sacrifice was made that day;

   the Lord, He did provide.

A man of faith met God’s test,

  a pattern for the Bride.

   Debbie Isenbletter

   Springfield, Missouri

   (Gen. 22:1-13)

 UNSPEAKABLES

Jack Davis

“Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable Gift.” II Cor. 9:15

Thank God! Is it not our sweet privilege to give thanks? Shall we gladly let our appreciation of His person be expressed? Oh, yes, let us tell Him about it. We sense at times that words are not sufficient to express all that we know in our hearts of Him. It is so enjoyable to tell our Father how glad we are to be part of His family, of people that know and honor Him as our true and living God. 

How wise to praise and glorify Him as our loving and giving  Father. He gives to all that totally commit to Him richly all things to enjoy, and supplies all our need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Through a knowledge of him we begin to enter into all that pertains to life and godliness. It is an encouraging realization that in Him we live, move, and have our being.

But before we could begin to enjoy the benefits of God’s unspeakable gift. His beloved Son had to be delivered up to the cross of shame for us all. By bearing all our sin in His body on the tree, He provided that all that believe on Him could be justified from all things.

In order to be able to fully thank Him for His unspeakable giving, there must be faith’s absolute and abundant receiving. That is, an appropriating, laying claim thereof for our own. It seems that it will take eternity just to unfold before our grasp all that has been made available to us in Him. Peter indicates that such believing produces and will bring unspeakable joy – I Peter 1:8.

Paul heard unspeakable words, possibly after being stoned to death on His way to Derbe, which influenced him to glory, boast in, and endure even immeasurable pressure. II Cor. 12:4-5 and II Cor. 1:8.

To each of us in given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ, God’s unspeakable gift (Eph. 4:7). How much of Him do you want? What capacity do you have for Him? It is evident that full thanksgiving submits all of me to Him. “Thanks be unto God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” – I Cor. 15:57. 

 Romans 8

Earlene Davis

The theme of this book of Romans is the GOSPEL, which means GOOD NEWS.  The good news is called “The Gospel of God (Ch. 1:1) – it is the Gospel of His Son, Christ or the Anointed (1:9,16). The Trinity (Father, Son & Holy Spirit) are vitally involved in the Gospel - the teaching of the person and work of Christ on the cross.

 Telling sinners that Christ died for them, is only a little part of the Gospel. As believers we are responsible before God to know His Word. Bibles are very assessable, also God has given the Holy Spirit to guide us into all the truth (Jn. 14:26). Many teach renovating the old nature, which is absolutely unscriptural. 

God’s Word informs us of the end of the “old man,” dead in Christ, and we arose with Him in a new life, the New Creation life. We can reign in life by one Christ Jesus, as we yield to the new life and count the old life dead (Ch. 6). We also learned we are dead to the Law through Christ’s death (Ch. 7) and joined to Another, the Risen Christ. 

Paul experienced no power to obey the law, sin just brought him into condemnation, because the law made sin to abound. Paul came to the end of his legal efforts and despaired of ever keeping the law (7:24) Then he got a glimpse of what the gospel really  meant (V. 25). He saw Jesus Christ not only saved him from past sins, but from the ever present sin. He ceased struggling to obey the law, and was assured that God was able to work in him as he trusted and yielded. 

Ch. 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” The phrase “who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit” is not in the original Greek text. It was added by the translators in error. It is in its proper place at the end of V. 4 where the believers manner of walk is described. Putting it in V. 1 would make our safety in Christ dependant on our walk and not upon the Spirit of God. All in Christ are safe from condemnation and it is plainly taught throughout the epistles. Our security does not depend on our walk, it is our position, “in Christ.” 

V. 2, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” The Holy Spirit was only mentioned once in the previous chapters, but now in Chapter 8 we learn God’s way of delivering us from indwelling sin. The Holy Spirit by His presence and power that sin is overcome. Ch. 6 taught us to reckon ourselves dead and to yield to God and sin shall not have dominion. The Holy Spirit was not named as the power of such victory. But Ch. 8 gives the process of this wonderful deliverance. It is the mighty Holy Spirit who actually frees us from sin’s power, because of Christ’s intercession in our behalf.

I love Romans 8, it is full of the truth of our eternal security. The weary, troubled souls find rest and hope. The chapter begins with “no condemnation” for those in Christ and the chapter ends with “no separation” from Him.

Vs. 1 & 2 does not refer to the guilt of sin, for that was dealt with on the cross. It refers to the power of sin, which must be put down in us by the Spirit of Life. The Holy Spirit’s work in us is called a law because His operation in us is constant as much as sin has been in its operation. The law of the Spirit is stronger than the law of sin in our members. Sin in us will be immediately put down on the single condition of FAITH. If our will is rebellious, we are not able to believe and the Holy Spirit cannot do what He could and would do.

God’s way of deliverance from sin’s power is not by  our struggling, but by the working of the Holy  Spirit in the power of the life of Christ, as we believe. We don’t want sin to rule in us, for sin has no right to rule whatsoever. To know this and believe, is to enter absolute victory over our former master, that practical righteousness may be our experience. 

God conceived this wonderful plan of salvation for  man. He sent His “Son in the likeness of sinful flesh.” On Calvary sin was judged forever (Vs. 3 & 4). We are made to reign over our former taskmaster in the power of the Spirit (what the law was unable to make us do). If we let the Holy Spirit control us (walking as he leads) we will be doing God’s will. 

We are not keeping anything. The Holy Spirit is the keeper. He is walking in us as we yield our members to Him. If we simply walk in Him we are assured we “shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” The Holy Spirit has undertaken the whole matter, but we must surrender to Him. Then the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us, not by us.

In the following verses, Paul gives 2 elements that are entirely separate and distinct (the flesh and the spirit) (Vs. 5 & 6). They do not mix, they are opposite. We are living either minding the flesh or minding the spirit. They are easily recognized (V. 7). We learn God’s attitude toward the flesh (V. 8).

The truth of the 2 natures in the believer is so important to know and understand. Everything is dependant on our faith. By faith we believe we have passed out of the  place of darkness and into the kingdom of life and light. We reckon we are in Christ and he in us.

 Vs. 9 & 10, “In the spirit” refers to our new standing in a New Head, into Christ the spiritual man. The Spirit of Christ tells of our new nature that results from our new birth in Christ, the Last Adam. We were once dead spiritually, but we are alive because Christ’s life dwells in us. There is complete identification with Christ in our spirit, though as to our body we are not yet alive. Our spirit is quickened by the Holy Spirit (that is life and this life can never be touched with death because of righteousness). Death has no power over the New Creation life. When the body dies, our spirit and soul goes to heaven. 

Death claims the body of the believer and the unbeliever, but the believer’s body will be raised after going back to dust. Just as God breathed life into man by the Spirit, even so the believer’s body will be raised from the dust by the Spirit. (V. 11).

I Thess. 4 tells us, “if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so those who sleep in Jesus will God bring forth (the body). “For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout and the dead in Christ shall rise. I Jn. 3, it doeth not appear what we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like Him (having a glorified body like our Lord). By faith we believe what God has said.

Vs. 12-13, We are debtors, but not to the flesh, we owe the flesh nothing. We are in the Spirit realm and the mighty Spirit of God will rule as we yield to God. All depends on our attitude to Him – life or death, referring to our body. The spiritual part of the believer is as eternal as God Himself; though as to his fellowship with God, we can die prematerial. We owe it to God to surrender our bodies to Him and we will enjoy a life of victory in Christ (Ch. 12:1).

Concerning the Spirit of God dwelling in us - it is important to compare scripture with scripture. When we are born of God by receiving Jesus, that new life takes place by the Spirit of God (Jn. 3:5-8). Just like we read, Mary conceived of the Holy Ghost – Mt. 1:20 & Lk. 1:35. When we are saved, we are in a new realm of the spirit (Col. 1:13). Jesus said, the Spirit of Truth dwelleth with you and shall be in you” – Jn. 14:17. The Father giveth the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him (Lk. 11:13). We read in Eph. 1:13, “After that we believe, we were sealed or anointed with the Holy Spirit of promise and Eph. 4:30, “sealed unto the day of redemption.”

To be continued