Growing in Grace

“And He (Jesus) said unto them (His disciples), Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. And they departed into a desert place by ship privately.

“And the people saw them departing … and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto Him. And Jesus … was moved with compassion toward them” (Mark 6:31-34).

The Lord Jesus had just heard that Herod had beheaded John the Baptist. As our verses tell us, He and His disciples were also weary, for there had been so many people coming and going that they had not had time even to eat! The Lord Jesus told His disciples that they were going to a desert place for a rest.

But the people saw them leave in a ship, and being rather thoughtless, they ran around the Sea of Galilee, and were waiting for the Lord Jesus and His disciples when they arrived on the other side. How would you have reacted if that had happened to you? I hate to think of what I would have said! Those people were thinking only of themselves! But the Lord Jesus felt sorry for them, and instead of “telling them off,” He began to teach them. In another scripture it says that He healed their sick (Matthew 14:14). Then later, when it was time for them to go home, the Lord Jesus did not want to send them away hungry. He took five loaves and two fishes, and multiplied them so that they fed about five thousand men. There was even food left over! Only then did He send the people away. There is no record that either the Lord Jesus or His disciples got any rest that day.

This story is a good example for us. The Lord Jesus was a real man, and like you and me, He needed rest. But He did not come into this world to take a rest; He came to do the Father’s will. When He saw people who needed healing and teaching, He took the time to do it instead of resting.

God has left us here in this world to serve Him, and to represent Him to the people here. Sometimes they are thoughtless and may want us to do things for them when we are tired. At times like these we need to ask the Lord if these requests are something He wants us to do. Then the Lord will give us the strength to do it, and give us the right attitude too. Our rest will be in heaven, not down here.

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Growing in Grace Blog by Bible Truth Publishers

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14).

“Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division” (Luke 12:51).

When the Lord Jesus was born in the manger in Bethlehem, we read in our first verse that the angels came and told the shepherds, who were out keeping watch over their flocks at night. Then suddenly the angels spoke, telling everyone that this occasion meant glory to God, and peace on earth. What a wonderful message this was! Men had been fighting ever since sin entered this world. How nice it would be to have peace on earth!

Yet we find later on in the same gospel of Luke that the Lord Jesus warned people that He had not come to give peace on earth, but rather division. What had happened? Why could He not give peace on earth? Had the angels really said something that the Lord Jesus was not ready to do?

The answer is that the Lord Jesus came into the world as the rightful King of Israel. If He had been accepted by the nation of Israel, He would have set up His kingdom and reigned over this world. But people, especially the Jewish nation, did not want the Lord Jesus. They eventually said, “We will not have this man to reign over us” (Luke 19:14). They wanted to get rid of the Lord Jesus, because He reminded them that they were sinners and needed a Savior.

But thankfully some people did believe on the Lord Jesus, and this produced the division that the Lord Jesus speaks of in our second verse today. Ever since the Lord Jesus has come into this world, it has been divided between those who are saved and those who are lost. As the Lord Jesus pointed out, sometimes even families are split on this most important decision.

The world today continues to be divided on the Lord Jesus. Some do not want Him, and do not want to be reminded that they need a Savior. Others who know Him as Savior love Him, and love to hear about Him. To which group do you belong?

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Growing in Grace Blog by Bible Truth Publishers

“But the very hairs of your head are all numbered” (Matthew 10:30).

Do you know how many hairs there are on your head? It would be quite a big job to count them all, yet this verse tells us that the Lord knows how many are on each of our heads. If you are interested, then I can tell you approximately how many hairs you have, and it actually depends on your hair color. People with blond hair usually have the most; they can have up to 150,000 hairs on their scalps. Others with darker hair probably have close to 100,000, or maybe even 110,000. People with red hair have the fewest, perhaps about 90,000. Of course all these numbers can vary, depending on the size of your head. Also, as we get older, we tend to lose some of our hair, as it gets thinner. Some people, especially men, frequently go bald, and then their “hair count” goes down considerably. But what an amazing fact it is that the Lord actually keeps track of all this!

The Lord does this to show us how much He cares for us, and how much He loves us. But more important than our hair count, is the fact that He knows everything about us, even what we are thinking. When the Lord Jesus was on earth, he sometimes answered people according to their thoughts, for he knew exactly what was going through their minds. When He answered them this way, it ought to have shown them clearly that He was God, although He became a man too. But sad to say, most people did not believe on Him.

However, for us who know the Lord Jesus, it should give us real peace to know that He knows all about us, and cares for us. It is a great comfort to know that someone who knows everything about us is also looking after us!

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Growing in Grace Blog by Bible Truth Publishers

“For our conversation (citizenship) is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20).

Probably most of those who are reading this have crossed an international border. If you live in Canada or the United States and wish to cross over the border between them, you may be asked, “Citizenship?” You will also have to show your passport to prove your citizenship. If you are traveling among the so-called Schengen group of countries in Europe, you may cross borders between them without showing your passport, once you have entered one of them. Still other countries require more than simply a passport; they require a special permit called a visa, which often must be obtained before you leave home.

Do we realize that the Bible tells us that we are also citizens of heaven? We may be citizens of different countries in this world, but if we know the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are all heavenly citizens. We are waiting for the Lord Jesus to come and take us there, and He may come at any moment.

Some years ago, a woman came to our door with some literature, asking us if we would like to live on a beautiful earth where everything went well, where animals were never mean or savage, and where life was always peaceful. Since she had a Bible in her hand, I asked her to turn to today’s verse and read it. I told her that this was my future, and that I was not looking for a paradise on earth. She looked blank for a moment, then turned and walked away. I doubt that she even knew the Lord Jesus as her Savior.

If we are really citizens of heaven, it should make a big difference in our lives down here. We should be, as Peter says in his epistle, “strangers and pilgrims” (1 Peter 2:11) in this world. A stranger is not at home, but a pilgrim is going home. When I visit India, I am a “stranger” there. It is not my home. When I leave there and head towards Canada, I could be called a “pilgrim” in Germany or other countries that I just pass through, because I am on my way home. Do our lives show that we are strangers and pilgrims?

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Growing in Grace Blog by Bible Truth Publishers

“But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

The believers in Philippi were not wealthy like the Corinthians. They were relatively poor, and in writing to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul refers to “their deep poverty.” Yet they had apparently collected a large amount of money and sent it to Paul, who was in prison in Rome at this time. Paul appreciated this very much, as he was in need of help, but he knew that they had really given more than they could afford to give. It was not the first time they had sent money to Paul, for he reminds them that when he was in Thessalonica, they had sent help to him twice (Philippians 4:16). It had been a real sacrifice for them, but Paul assures them that the Lord would supply all their need “according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

There is a difference in someone’s supplying our need out of his riches, and supplying our need according to his riches. If a wealthy man helped us “out of” his riches, he might give us enough to meet our need. But if he helped us “according to” his riches, he would give much more than we needed. I remember a young couple who received many wedding gifts, some from average people, and some from rich people. In particular, two rich people each gave them a gift. One gave a very small gift, smaller even than most of the average people gave; he gave “out of” his riches. But the other gave a large gift, larger than almost anybody else. He gave “according to” his riches.

God does not promise to give us everything we want, for it might not be good for us. But He loves to give, and when we use our money for the Lord, He often gives back “according to” His riches. The Apostle Paul was sure that the Lord would do this for the Philippians who had been so generous with him when he was in prison.

This verse has been a wonderful encouragement to many people who were in need and did not know what to do. But the Lord knows our need and has promised to supply it. He keeps His promise!

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Growing in Grace Blog by Bible Truth Publishers

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Philippians 4:8).

During our day at school or at work, we may have to think about many things. We have to do our schoolwork well, and we have to do our work well. But what do we think about when our minds are free? Some people think about how hard their life is. Others think about the wrong things that have been done to them. Others get angry because they think the world is very unfair. Sometimes angry people think of ways they can “get even” with those who have insulted them or done some kind of harm to them.

Here the Apostle Paul tells the Philippians that they are to think of good things — things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report. In the world today, we often hear things that are not true, for telling lies has become rather common. We also hear a lot of things that are not pure, for the natural heart of man is not pure, and what flows out of our sinful hearts is very impure. We may also hear things that, although they are true, are not “of good report.” This means that some of the wrong things done in this world do not need to be spread all over for everyone to hear. The Bible says, “It is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret” (Ephesians 5:12). Even if they are true, we can defile our minds by speaking and thinking about evil things.

We do not have to think about every kind of thing that comes into our minds. Our minds can be controlled, and we can push wrong thoughts out. In Romans 12:2, we are told, “Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Since we have a new life in Christ, we can renew our minds by turning them to think about better things. It is like hitting the “refresh” button on your computer! It is important to make the effort to do that!

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Growing in Grace Blog by Bible Truth Publishers

“I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep for that day the deposit I have entrusted to Him” (2 Timothy 1:12 JND).

“Keep, by the Holy Spirit which dwells in us, the good deposit entrusted” (2 Timothy 1:14 JND).

Probably at least some of you have a bank account, and are able to deposit money into it from time to time. It is a safe place in which to keep your money, and then you can go and take it out later, if you need it to buy things. You expect the bank to keep it safely for you, so that no one can steal it.

Here in our verses today we have two deposits — one which we give to the Lord to keep, and one which He gives us to keep. When we live for the Lord, and honor Him in our lives, then we are depositing things to our “heavenly account.” They are the things for which the Lord will be able to give us a reward in a coming day. They are things that we do for Him. No one can ever steal that deposit, and the Apostle Paul, who wrote these verses to Timothy, was confident that the Lord would keep that deposit for him.

But then the Lord gives you and me a deposit to keep. When we learn things from the Word of God about the Lord Jesus and learn the truth that He has given us, then this is part of our deposit. The Holy Spirit teaches us these things, and we are to hold onto them. But we can hold onto them only if we practice them in our lives. It is not enough to know them in our heads; we must live by them. If we do not practice those things, then we easily lose them. Sad to say, some Christians give up the things they have learned from the Bible, because it makes their life easier in this world. But then they will lose part of their reward, for part of that deposit will not be there anymore. How important it is to hold onto what the Lord has taught us, and to use it in our lives!

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Growing in Grace Blog by Bible Truth Publishers

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

About 500 years ago, during a period of time called “the Reformation,” an old man who lived in Europe lay dying at home. For over 1000 years, this world had lost the knowledge that the Lord Jesus had finished the work on the cross to put away our sins. Most men and women lived in “darkness” and fear. In those days, the precious truth of the gospel was just being brought back to us, through men like Martin Luther, William Farel, John Knox, and others. The dying man was quite peaceful, for He knew the Lord Jesus as His Savior. But his family who were gathered around him did not have the same assurance, for they were accustomed to being afraid to die. Finally one of them said, “Father, what are you going to do, if you get to the gate of heaven, and God will not let you in?” The old man smiled, and simply said, “If God will not let me into heaven, He will have to put His own Son outside first.”

At first the family were horrified, for they had never heard such a thing before. But the old man was right! The believer in the Lord Jesus is “in Christ,” and this means that he or she is just as fit for heaven as the Lord Jesus Himself. If the Lord Jesus has a right to be in heaven, then we do too, for we are seen as being in Him.

This is a most wonderful truth, and it was given specially to the apostle Paul by the Lord Jesus, after He rose from the dead and went back to heaven. This means that if we are truly saved, you and I can never lose our salvation. We can have perfect peace about the future, for if the Lord Jesus is up there in heaven, we will be there with Him someday soon!

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Growing in Grace Blog by Bible Truth Publishers

“In Him [the Lord Jesus] is no sin” (1 John 3:5).

“Christ … who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth” (1 Peter 2:21-22).

“For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Here we have three verses, telling us that there was no sin in the Lord Jesus, that He did no sin, and that He knew no sin. Yet it also says that He was “made sin” for us. What does this mean?

The Lord Jesus was absolutely sinless. Not only did He never commit sin, but He did not have a sinful nature. That is why John says, “In Him is no sin.” He could not sin, for He did not have the capacity to do so. A sinful thought never entered His heart. If this had not been true, He could not have been the One to bear our sins.

However, when He was on the cross and bore the sins of those who would believe, He was “made sin,” as we read in 2 Corinthians 5:21. This means that God took our sins and laid them on the Lord Jesus, so that during those three hours of darkness on the cross, God treated Him as if He were the sinner. Those sins were on Him, and then He suffered the punishment from God for those sins. It was this prospect that made the Lord Jesus sweat “great drops of blood” in the Garden of Gethsemane, for as a sinless Man, He hated sin. Yet He was made sin for us, and God had to forsake Him because of this.

Perhaps we can illustrate it this way. Suppose my son had a friend who had gotten his clothes filthy dirty, and we did not want him to come into our home like that. But suppose my son said, “Change clothes with me, and then you may go in wearing my clean clothes.” But then my son would have to wear his friend’s filthy clothes, and could not come into the house. That is what the Lord Jesus has done for us. But of course the Lord Jesus did not remain with sin on Him. He bore all the judgment, and then died. When He cried out, “It is finished,” those sins were all gone, never to be seen again.

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Growing in Grace Blog by Bible Truth Publishers

“So Moses the servant of the Lord died … and Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated” (Deuteronomy 34:5, 7).

We could say many more things about Moses, for his was a long and interesting life. However, we want to leave room to speak about other people, so let us pass on to see how he died. We read here that he was 120 years old, yet his eyes were not dim, and he still had the strength he had when he was younger. At that age he was able to climb up to the top of Mt. Nebo (it is about 800 meters high, which is over 2600 feet) and view the whole land of Canaan. If you read the description of what he was able to see, it seems that the Lord allowed him to see about 100 miles both north and south. This is amazing! In order to see that far, you would normally have to be in a plane, about 30,000 feet above the earth, which is about 9,000 meters.

Then, on the top of that mountain, he died, and the Lord buried him. No one knows where he is buried except the Lord, but we know that he appeared on the mount of transfiguration in the New Testament, along with the prophet Elijah. You can read about this in Matthew 17.

Probably none of us will live to be 120 years old, and when we get older, we tend to lose the good eyesight we had when we were young. Most of us wear glasses by the time we are middle aged. Also we get weaker, and find it harder to run fast, do hard physical work, or climb up steep hills. But the Lord is able to give us the strength to do whatever He wants us to do.

Although he was only 55 years old, the well-known gospel preacher George Whitefield was not well. He had a wonderful gift from God in being able to speak loudly. He could preach to crowds of 30,000 in the open air, and everyone could hear him, even though there was no loudspeaker or microphone! He preached for the last time in an open field near Newburyport, Massachusetts, U.S.A., in the year 1770. Apparently he preached a powerful sermon, and died the next day. The Lord gave him the strength for that last sermon. He will give you and me the strength to do His will, whatever our age.

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Growing in Grace Blog by Bible Truth Publishers