October, 2019 - The StarLight News Daily On Line Edition - Day 31

Enemies Reconciled To God 

by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam 

“When we were enemies” (Rom.5:10). 

Think of it! God has good news for us even in our willfulness, our enmity against Him! “When we were enemies”, says Paul, “We were reconciled to God by the death of His Son”. 

Here we can almost hear some reader object: “Of all things, don’t charge me with being an enemy of God. I’m a religious person, I go to church regularly, I even give to the church”. Ah, but God does not say that the unsaved are not religious. Perhaps 999 out of 1,000 are religious. The point is that by your ungodly, sinful life, and certainly by rejecting God’s gift of salvation, you have made yourself an enemy of God. You may not be an enemy against the “God” you have conjured up in your own mind, but you are certainly an enemy against God, the God of the Bible. 

But despite all this God still sends His ambassadors out to offer reconciliation to all His enemies everywhere — “by the death of His Son”. Think of it! We who believe are reconciled to God, not by some effort or payment offered by us to placate God, but “by the death of HIS Son”. He bore the enmity as His own creatures mocked Him, spat in His face and nailed Him to a tree. This is grace indeed! And this is not all, for the whole passage reads: 

“For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 

“And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement [Lit., reconciliation]” (Rom.5: 10,11). 

The argument of this passage is that if, as His enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more “being reconciled”, we may be assured that our living Savior will keep us safe. And not only are believers safe in Christ, but all the while we “joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received”, not only help in our helplessness, or the forgiveness of our sins, but “the reconciliation”, by which we are brought nigh to God and experience His love toward us.

Today's Devotional Sponsor...

DAILY SMILE...

Eye Exam 

I was performing a complete physical, including the visual acuity test. I placed the patient twenty feet from the chart and began. "Cover your right eye with your hand." He read the 20/20 line perfectly. 

"Now your left." Again, a flawless read. 

"Now both," I requested. 

There was silence. He couldn't even read the large E on the top line. I turned and discovered that he had done exactly what I had asked. He was standing there with both his eyes covered. I was laughing too hard to finish the exam. 


- From Daily Clean Jokes

October, 2019 - The StarLight News Daily On Line Edition - Day 30

The Teaching Of Self-esteem 

by Pastor Paul M. Sadler 

Scripture Reading: 
     “Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince [refute] the gainsayers.” — Titus 1:9 

Satan never rests in his insatiable desire to corrupt the Word of God. A case in point is the present-day teaching of self-love, self-esteem and self-worth. The influence of this unsound doctrine has nearly permeated every strata of Christendom, including the Grace Movement. Like the beat of a drum, this theme is heard almost constantly from the pulpits of America and frequently appears on the pages of Christian literature. Beware when you hear or read: “It is important to feel good about yourself,” “Learn to love yourself,” “Probe your innermost self to understand why you think and feel as you do,” “God sent His son to die for you because you are of great value.” 

On the surface these phrases may seem commendable, but in reality they are diametrically opposed to the Scriptures. The above has been weighed in the balance and found to be wanting. For example: “The heart [innermost self]is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jer. 17:9). Paul concurred when he said, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh, [old nature or self]) dwelleth no good thing” (Rom. 7:18). 

The old man (self) is at enmity against God. He hates God and the things of God and left to himself he will not seek God. The Scriptures, from beginning to end, speak with a unified voice that the old nature is rotten to the core (See Rom. 3:9-18). 

Consequently, our old man (self) has been crucified with Christ. Paul made reference to this when he wrote to the Galatians, “I am crucified with Christ [i.e. his old man]: nevertheless I live [Paul’s new nature]; yet NOT I [self], but Christ liveth in me.” We are to put off the old nature and put on the new, which is created in holiness and righteousness (Eph. 4:22-24). It is futile to improve one’s self- image, especially since God abhors any attempt to do so. Rather, we are to conform ourselves to the image of His dear Son. Thus, those of the household of faith are to live accordingly: 

“Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let us esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:3-5). 

Self takes great pleasure in acclaim, indulgence, approval and praise. It glories in all these things. But are we not robbing God when self is esteemed more highly than His glory? 

“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have of God, AND YE ARE NOT YOUR OWN? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (I Cor. 6:19,20). 

Shall we permit the “love of one’s self” doctrine to overshadow the love of God in Christ Jesus? God forbid! May God help us to stand against this insidious teaching that essentially robs God of the glory that is rightfully due Him.

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Wishes 

A lead hardware engineer, a lead software engineer, and their project manager are taking a walk outdoors during their lunch break when they come upon an old brass lamp. They pick it up and dust it off. Poof -- out pops a genie. 

"Thank you for releasing me from my lamp-prison. I can grant you 3 wishes. Since there are 3 of you I will grant one wish to each of you. 

"The hardware engineer thinks a moment and says, "I'd like to be sailing a yacht across the Pacific, racing before the wind, with an all-girl crew." 

"It is done," said the Genie, and poof, the hardware engineer disappears. 

The software engineer thinks a moment and says, "I'd like to be riding my Harley with a gang of beautiful women throughout the American Southwest." 

"It is done," said the Genie, and poof, the software engineer disappears. 

The project manager looks at where the other two had been standing and rubs his chin in thought. Then he tells the Genie, "I'd like those two back in the office after lunch." 


- from Thomas E. (via GCFL)

October, 2019 - The StarLight News Daily On Line Edition - Day 29

The Love Of The Truth 

by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam 

In II Thes. 2:10 St. Paul declares that the apostates of the coming age will “perish, because they received not the love of the truth, that they may be saved.” This is something worth considering very seriously. 

God calls this present dispensation “the dispensation of the grace of God” (Eph. 3:2). During this dispensation faithful Christians are proclaiming “the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24). This is the message of God’s grace and love in giving Christ to die for our sins so that we might be saved from its penalty and power. 

All, however, do not believe this glorious message or accept God’s grace in Christ. These, the Apostle declares, will be left behind when our Lord comes, at the close of this dispensation, to receive His own to Himself. Because they rejected the truth, and the love it proclaimed, God will give them up “that they might believe a lie,” and put their faith in Antichrist, “that they all might be damned who believed not the truth” (II Thes. 2:8-12). 

It was infinite love that brought Christ to Calvary to suffer shame and disgrace for our sins, and this love is being proclaimed in this dispensation of grace. But this dispensation may be brought to a close at any time and bring in the day of God’s wrath. How important then to accept God’s love, and trust His Son without delay! 

“Behold, now is the accepted time… Behold now is the day of salvation” (II Cor. 6:2). 

If you do not trust Christ as your Lord and Savior now and you are caught unawares and lost for all eternity, you will never be able to say, “It was because God did not choose to save me.” Whatever all the reasons involved in His electing grace, He does not accept the responsibility for your rejection of Christ. He says that the unsaved will perish “because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” Don’t gamble with the future. Receive God’s gift of salvation now through faith in Christ.

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Man In . . . 

One day Al was driving to the lake for a swim when he noticed a man on the side of the highway dressed all in red. 

“Who are you?” asked Al as he pulled up to the stranger. “I’m the Man in Red and I’m very hungry,” said the man. Reaching into his lunch sack, Al pulled out a sandwich, handed it to the man, then sped off down the road. A few miles later, Al spotted another man, this time dressed all in yellow. 

“What can I do for you?” asked Al. 

“I’m the Man in Yellow and I’m very thirsty.” 

Pulling out a can of soda, Al handed the Coke to the man, then resumed his journey. 

Anxious to get to the lake before sunset, Al put his foot to the pedal and roamed off down the road, only to spot yet another man, dressed all in blue, signaling for Al to stop. “Don’t tell me!” said Al impatiently. “You’re the Man in Blue, right?” 

”That's right!” replied the man. 

”Well, what do you want?” 

”Driver’s license and registration, please.” 


- From Bonnie1552

October, 2019 - The StarLight News Daily On Line Edition - Day 28

God's Power Perfected In Weakness 

by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam 

To Paul was committed the greatest revelation of all time. He was divinely commissioned to proclaim the glorious all-sufficiency of Christ’s redemptive work. He made known God’s offer of salvation by free grace to all who trust in Christ, along with their heavenly position, blessings and prospect in Christ. 

Lest he should become puffed up by the glory of these great truths, God gave him what he called “a thorn in the flesh,” an aggravating physical infirmity of some sort. “For this thing,” he says, “I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me” (II Cor. 12:8). But the Lord knew better than Paul what was good for him: 

“And He said unto me. My grace is sufficient for thee; for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (Ver. 9). 

How right God was! Every Christian knows that with brimming health and “good fortune” comes the tendency to forget our need of Him, while infirmity causes us to lean harder and to pray more, and this is where our spiritual power lies. Every believer should acknowledge this and say with Paul: 

“Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities… for when I am weak, then am I strong” (Vers. 9,10). 

Infirmities of the flesh are common even among God’s choicest saints. What satisfaction there is, then, in resting upon God’s Word: “My grace is sufficient for thee, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”

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Newborn 

I had become a father, and I had no idea what I was doing. As the nurse prepared our newborn son, David, to go home with us, I said, "I can't believe you're so irresponsible as to send this defenseless baby home with us." 

She laughed. "You'll be fine. Besides, he knows how to tell you what he needs." 

- From Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Best Advice I Ever Heard

October, 2019 - The StarLight News Daily On Line Edition - Day 27

Liberty -- How Precious! 

by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam 

We were interested to read, recently, about the man in California who ran short of grazing land for his herd of 13 buffalo. To solve this problem he put them on a barge and took them over to a large island in Lake Berryessa where there was lots of pasture. But what did the buffalo do? They jumped back into the lake, swam to shore and began charging fishermen and chasing automobiles — so enraged were they at being imprisoned on an island! 

After all, neither man nor beast enjoys bondage, though many of us are in fact enslaved. 

Our Lord said in John 8:32: “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” To this the religious leaders replied: “We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest Thou, Ye shall be made free?” But our Lord answered: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin” (Ver. 34). St. Paul says the same thing in Rom. 6:16: 

“Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” 

Sad to say, many sincere religious people think that they can free themselves from sin by putting themselves in bondage to the Law, the Ten Commandments. This never works, for the Law can only condemn the sinner. Rom. 3:19,20 declares that the Law was given “that every mouth may be stopped and that all the world may be brought in guilty before God… for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” Again we have to turn to Christ for salvation and true liberty. He “died for our sins” (I Cor. 15:3) and has “redeemed us from the curse of the law” (Gal. 3:13). 

Having believed this and trusted Christ as Savior, true Christians serve the Lord, not from fear, or to gain favor, but out of sheer love and gratitude. This is true liberty and this service is the only kind that God desires from us. Probably no man ever served the Lord more sincerely or tirelessly than the Apostle Paul. In II Cor. 5:14 he gives us the secret: “The love of Christ constraineth us…”

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Interview 

Herb had spent all afternoon interviewing for a new job. He began filling out all the papers. The human resources manager then questioned him at length about his training and past work experience. Herb then was given a tour of the plant and was introduced to people he would be working with. 

Finally, he was taken to the general manager's office. The manager rose from his chair, shook his hand, and asked him to sit down. 

"You seem to be very qualified," he said, "and we would like you to come work for us. Will you offer a good insurance plan and other benefits. We will pay you $600 a week starting today and then in three months, will raise it to $700 a week. When would you like to start? 

"In three months," Herb replied. 

- Edited from GCFL

October, 2019 - The StarLight News Daily On Line Edition - Day 26

Suppose 

by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam 

Suppose it were true that a person once saved could be lost again. 

Suppose such a person, to gain heaven, would then have to be saved all over again. 

But suppose the person in question never did get saved the second time and, departing this life a lost man, went finally to the lake of fire–after having once been “saved?” 

In what sense, then, was he first saved? From what was he saved? 

Was he saved from the penalty of sin? No, for he did not escape the lake of fire. 

Was he saved from the power of sin? No, for he fell back into sin and died a lost man. 

And most assuredly he was not saved from the presence of sin. None this side of heaven have yet been saved from that. 

From what was he saved then? The answer is: Nothing at all. 

He may have thought he was saved. He may have felt saved. He may have acted as though he were saved. His friends may have thought he was saved. But, in the final analysis, he was saved from nothing. 

Salvation, to be anything more than a mere term, must be everlasting. Any person who has been saved has been eternally saved. No one is saved until he is eternally saved. Anyone who dies in a lost condition never was saved at all. 

Does this mean we must wait until after this life is over to find out? No. We may be saved now and know it. This is evident from such passages as 1 Corinthians 1:18, where the Apostle Paul refers to “us which are saved.”

Today's Devotional Sponsor...

DAILY SMILE...

Employment Test 

"Now this is the verbal part of your employment test," said the interviewer. "Can you tell me what gross aggrandized annuity means?" 

"Certainly," replied the applicant. "It means I don't get the job."? 

- From GCFL

October, 2019 - The StarLight News Daily On Line Edition - Day 25

Is the Word of God Consistent? 

by Pastor Paul M. Sadler 

Inconsistencies are the way of man. Politicians are inconsistent; they often promise one thing and do another, depending on how the political winds are blowing. The testimony of a murderer is often inconsistent with the evidence that is presented. Even medical science is inconsistent with its own declarations. The conventional wisdom years ago was to stay in bed for two weeks after major surgery to heal properly. Today, most patients are required to be up and around the same day. 

I recall the time I was speaking to a young dispensationalist who was convinced that the “two…in the field; the one…taken, and the other left” was clearly the Rapture. I graciously shared with him that he was anticipating revelation. That is, he was taking something he had learned from Paul’s writings and was superimposing it on the Lord’s teaching about His Second Coming. I pointed out to him that his view was inconsistent with the context of Matthew 24. When I inquired who was removed from the earth in the days of Noah, the believer or the unbeliever, he was speechless. 

Unlike man, the Word of God is never inconsistent with itself, even though it may appear to be at times. God is omniscient; therefore, His Word is like a finely woven tapestry from beginning to end. A friend in Christ once wrote to me about an observation he had made from the gospel according to Matthew: 

Here’s one that will probably stump you—it has me! Matthew states that the “blood money” that was used to purchase the potter’s field after Judas hanged himself was in fulfillment of “…that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet” (Matt. 27:8-10). I’ve searched the Book of Jeremiah thoroughly and I am sorry to report, it’s not there. 

He’s right! A few years ago he would have had me over a barrel on this one. But recently, I did some research on this portion and discovered the solution to the problem staring me in the face. Normally, the Gospel writers state, “As it is written…,” such as we have in the case of John the Baptist (Compare Luke 3:4,5 & Isa. 40:3,4). However, Matthew does not say that which was fulfilled was written. Instead, Jeremiah is said to have spoken these words, which the Spirit of God revealed to the apostle by a special revelation. This is another thread of inspiration that is carefully interwoven throughout the Scriptures (II Tim. 3:16; II Pet. 1:21). Indeed, the Book you hold in your hand is the Word of God!

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DAILY SMILE...

Things to Ponder 

*I used to eat a lot of natural foods until I learned that most people die of natural causes. 

*Gardening Rule: When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant. 

*The easiest way to find something lost around the house is to buy a replacement. 

*Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway. 

*There are two kinds of pedestrians: the quick and the dead. 

*Life is sexually transmitted 

*An unbreakable toy is useful for breaking other toys. 

*If quitters never win, and winners never quit, then who is the fool who said, "Quit while you're ahead?" 

*Health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die. 

*The only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth. 

*Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day; teach that person to use the Internet and they won't bother you for weeks. 

*Some people are like Slinkies . . . not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you see one tumble down the stairs. 

*Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing. 

*Have you noticed since everyone has a camcorder these days no one talks about seeing UFOs like they used to? 

*Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again. 

*All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism. 

*Why does a slight tax increase cost you two hundred dollars and a substantial tax cut saves you thirty cents? 

*In the 60's, people took acid to make the world weird. Now the world is weird and people take Prozac to make it normal. 

*Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first. 

*How is it one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire?

October, 2019 - The StarLight News Daily On Line Edition - Day 24

A Good Soldier of Jesus Christ 

by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam 

“Thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier” (II Tim. 2:3,4). 

In the soldier it is courage and self-discipline that are important. It has been well said that the measure of a good soldier is not how much he can “give,” but how much he can “take,” how much he can endure — how much it takes to make him give up. 

It is a sad fact that many of God’s people simply do not want to be soldiers. They are sure that the battle for the truth can be won by “love.” They decline to obey God’s specific order to “fight the good fight of the faith” (I Tim.6:12). Some even find fault with those who do stand as soldiers for Christ and wield the Sword of the Spirit in defense of the truth. 

But if God does not wish us to be soldiers in the fight of the faith, why did He command us to be such in the first place, and why, in Ephesians 6:10-20, does He urge us to “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might,” instructing us to “Put on the whole armour of God,” naming each piece separately, so that not one might be missing? Why does He bid us to “take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God”? 

Does He mean that we should put our sword in the scabbard and go on dress parade, to show what fine soldiers we are? No! We are to wield the Sword of the Spirit, “standing against the wiles of the devil”, and to keep standing until, “having done all,” we are still found “standing.” 

Four times in this passage the word “stand” is used, and God has provided a complete armour so that we may be enabled to stand. 

But there is more. A “good soldier,” says the Apostle, is careful not to “entangle himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier” (Verse 4). 

What a lesson! Should not we, who have been bought with the precious blood of Christ, be “good soldiers” for His sake, single-minded, and disentangled from the affairs of this life?

Today's Devotional Sponsor...

DAILY SMILE...

Tomatoes 

Last summer Jake enjoyed lots of fresh tomatoes from the garden. Then fall hit and frost got to them.  " 

What happened to all the tomatoes?" 

Gale replied, "Well, Jack Frost got them." 

Jake stamped his foot and said, "Doesn't he know he's supposed to share?" 

- From Daily Clean Jokes

October, 2019 - The StarLight News Daily On Line Edition - Day 23

What Was Accomplished At Calvary? 

by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam 

If the Bible makes anything clear, it is the fact that the secret of all God’s good news to men is centered in Calvary. It was because Christ was to die for sin that God could proclaim good news to sinners down through the ages. 

It was not until some time after the crucifixion, however, that “the preaching of the cross” was widely proclaimed as a message by Paul in “the gospel [good news] of the grace of God” (ICor.1:18; Acts 20:24). 

The proclamation of “the gospel of the grace of God” was the natural accompaniment to the revelation of the cross as the secret of God’s good news to man. In this proclamation of His over-abounding grace to sinners, everything centers in the cross. 

According to Paul’s epistles “we have redemption through His [Christ’s] blood” (Eph.1:7), we are “justified by His blood” (Rom.5:9), “reconciled to God by the death of His Son” (Rom.5:10), “made nigh by the blood of Christ” (Eph.2:13), and “made the righteousness of God in Him” because “God hath made Him to be sin for us” (IICor.5:21). 

The “covenant” of the Law was abolished by the cross (Col.2:14), the curse of the Law was removed by the cross (Gal.3:13), the “middle wall of partition” was broken down by the cross (Eph.2:14,15), and believers in Christ are “reconciled to God in one body by the cross” (Eph. 2:16). Little wonder Paul calls this message “the preaching of the cross”! 

To the believers it is thrilling indeed, and how thankful we should be, to see the cross as God’s reply to Satan when, at first glance, it had appeared that the cross was Satan’s greatest triumph.

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DAILY SMILE...

War Stories 

Some men were swapping stories about their war experiences. 

One fellow who had been in the Foreign Legion was saying, "There we were, it was night, the odds were 1,000 to 3. We didn't know what to do."?? 

"Well, what did you do?" another asked. 

"Well, When morning came, we charged and got all three of them!" 

- From GCFL

October, 2019 - The StarLight News Daily On Line Edition - Day 22

Remission of Sins by Pastor Ricky Kurth

“Is the remission of sins the same thing as the forgiveness of sins?”

Bible words can often be defined by the way New Testament writers quote the Old Testament. For instance, we know that the words deliverance and salvation are the same, for when Paul quotes Joel, he changes the word “deliverance” to “saved” (Joel 2:32; Rom. 10:13). In the same way, we know that remission and forgiveness are the same, for in quoting Jeremiah, the writer of Hebrews changes the word “forgive” to “remission” (Jer. 31:34; Heb. 10:17,18).

In addition, we know that God set Christ forth “to be a propitiation… to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past” (Rom. 3:25). That’s not talking about the sins that are past in your life, that’s talking about the remission of the sins of Old Testament saints like Abraham and David. So when we read that Abraham was also “justified” (Rom. 4:1-3), and David was “forgiven” (Rom. 4:7), we have to conclude that the remission of sins is tantamount to justification as well as forgiveness.

Finally, if you look up the word “remit” in a good dictionary, one of the words used to define it is “forgive,” and vice versa.

Today's Devotional Sponsor...

DAILY SMILE...

A Woman's Prayer 

Dear Lord,
I pray for Wisdom to understand my man; Love to forgive him: and Patience for his moods. 

Because Lord, if I pray for strength, I'll beat him to death!
Amen! 

- From Laugh & Lift

October, 2019 - The StarLight News Daily On Line Edition - Day 21

When The Lord Wouldn't Answer by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam

In the various accounts of our Lord’s earthly ministry we find three occasions when He declined to answer those who appealed to Him or questioned Him.

First there is the Gentile woman of Matt. 15:21-28. Her daughter was possessed of a demon and in her trouble she appealed to the Lord to help her, “but He answered her not a word.” Finally, in His grace He did help her, but not until He had taught her the lesson that as a Gentile she had no claim on Him. As Romans 1:28 tells us, the Gentiles had been “given up” because “they did not wish to retain God in their knowledge.” In this connection we Gentiles should read carefully Eph. 2:11,12 and see how utterly without hope we are apart from the grace of God.

Next there was a Jewess, in trouble of a different kind. She had been caught in adultery and was brought to Him for judgment (John 8:1-11). Unlike the Gentile woman, she belonged to the chosen race and possessed God’s holy Law, a distinct advantage — unless you are a lawbreaker. Our Lord, in grace, also helped her, but not until He had demonstrated that the Law is the great leveler of mankind, bringing all in guilty before God (Rom. 3:19).

But finally we find how it was that our Lord could show grace — and do it justly — to sinners, both Jewish and Gentile, for in the third instance we find the Lord Himself in trouble. On trial for His life before the representatives of Hebrew and Roman law, He is accused of all sorts of wicked crimes. But on this occasion too, He declines to answer.

First Caiaphas, the High Priest, asked Him: “Answerest Thou nothing? What is it which these witness against Thee? But Jesus held His peace…” (Matt. 26:62,63).

Next Pilate, the Gentile judge, said: “Hearest Thou not how many things they witness against Thee? And He answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly” (Matt. 27:12-14).

Why did our Lord decline to answer and defend Himself? Because He had come into the world especially to die for man’s sins. Had the sinners of all ages been there to accuse Him of their sins, He would still have remained speechless, for He stood there as man’s representative, so that we sinners might be “justified freely by God’s grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3:24).

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DAILY SMILE...

Wild Pitcher I was sitting behind an enthusiastic mom at my son’s Little League game. Her boy was pitching for the opposing team and she cheered as he threw wild pitch after wild pitch.

The poor kid walked every batter. It was only the first inning and the score was 12–0. Then one batter finally hit the ball.

"Oh no," the mom wailed. "There goes his no-hitter."

- From Daily Clean Jokes 

October, 2019 - The StarLight News Daily On Line Edition - Day 20

How Full Is Your Assurance?
By Pastor Ricky Kurth

“For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them… That their hearts might be comforted… unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding…” (Col. 2:1,2).

There is nothing worse than running low on assurance! During the gas shortage of the ‘70s, I was traveling from Illinois to Minnesota for a fishing trip with my father, when we began to run low on fuel. As we looked for a place to fill up, we were alarmed to find that one gas station after another had posted an “Out of Gas” sign. Suddenly all assurance that we wouldn’t find ourselves stranded along the Interstate was gone!

While the assurance that a full tank of gas can give is a comfortable thing, the assurance of salvation is infinitely and eternally better! No wonder the Apostle Paul was willing to endure “great conflict” for the saints to whom he ministered, that their hearts might be comforted by “the full assurance” that can be ours with a proper “understanding” of how simple faith saves us in the dispensation of grace (Col. 2:1,2).

But as we rightly divide the Word of truth (II Tim. 2:15), we find that to obtain the assurance of salvation, God required more than just faith of the Hebrews. In Hebrews 10:22, for instance, we read:

“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.”

Here we see that in a day when God required water baptism for the remission of sins (Mark 1:4; 16:16; Acts 2:38; I Pet. 3:21), Hebrews could not enjoy “full assurance of faith” unless their bodies were “washed with pure water.” Of course! While men have always been saved by faith, when God required certain works as an expression of that faith, there could be no salvation without a performance of whatever work He required (except when this was impossible, as with the thief on the cross), and no assurance apart from that expression of faith.

We see this again in I John 3:17-19:

“But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?… let us not love in word…but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we… shall assure our hearts before Him.”

Clearly, if John’s readers wanted to assure their hearts, they had to express their faith by sharing “this world’s good” (things like food and clothing) with fellow Hebrews in need of these things. Here it must be remembered that John wrote these words with the coming Great Tribulation in view. (The Hebrew epistles were written to 1st century Hebrews to instruct them as to how to be saved and enjoy the assurance of faith, even amid the terrors of the Tribulation. Had the dispensation of grace not interrupted God’s prophetic program, these people would have lived to see that terrible time. Even after the mystery was introduced, it was thought that the Rapture would take place quickly (as Paul’s use of the word “we” in I Thessalonians 4:15,17 indicates) and that the time of Jacob’s trouble would then come upon them.) After the Beast issues his mark, many Hebrews will find themselves unable to buy this world’s good without it (Rev. 13:17). Thus God has ordained that men seeking salvation in that day must express their faith by helping Hebrews in need (James 2:14-17 cf. Matt. 25:31-46). Under this arrangement, there can be no salvation without these works, and no assurance of salvation apart from these mandatory expressions of faith.

Nor could this brotherly benevolence be a one-time occurrence. Such charity will have to be maintained throughout the duration of the Tribulation, as we see in Hebrews 6:10,11:

“For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love…in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end.”

The words “unto the end” here help us understand the meaning of verses like Matthew 24:13, where Hebrews were told, “He that endureth to the end shall be saved.” In a day when “the love of many shall wax cold” (v. 12), true believers will maintain their love for their brethren by continuing to supply them with this world’s goods all the way to the end of the Tribulation. Of course, this will become increasingly difficult as Daniel’s seventieth week wears on, especially since true believers will themselves be unable to buy food or clothing without taking the mark. No wonder these Hebrews are exhorted to “shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end.” There can be no assurance of salvation in that day without continuing in these necessary expressions of faith.

How then can believers today enjoy “the full assurance” Paul described in our text? Well, notice that Paul speaks of “the full assurance of understanding” (Col. 2:2). To attain the full assurance of salvation today, in the dispensation of grace, God does not ask us to do something, He asks us to understand something. And He doesn’t leave us guessing as to what it is we must understand, for Paul goes on to talk about “the acknowledgment of the mystery” (2:2). The only way to enjoy the full assurance of faith today is to acknowledge that the mystery has introduced an era in which works are no longer required as expressions of faith. There can be no assurance of salvation without an “understanding” and an “acknowledgment” of this dispensational change.

Many suspect that the gas shortage of the ‘70s was man-made, designed to drive up the price of gasoline. While we know nothing of this, we do know that if you are suffering from a shortage of assurance, it is a man-made shortage, caused by men (perhaps wellmeaning men) who taught you God’s Word without rightly dividing it. But we trust that the “understanding” we have shared in this article will enable you to rejoice with us in “all riches of the full assurance of understanding.”

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Sermon
Two elderly, excited Southern women were sitting together in the front pew of church listening to a fiery preacher.

When this preacher condemned the sin of stealing, these two ladies cried out at the tops of their lungs, "Amen, Brother!"

When the preacher condemned the sin of lust, they yelled again, "Preach it, Reverend!"

And when the preacher condemned the sin of lying, they jumped to their feet and screamed, "Right on, Brother! Tell it like it is... Amen!"

But when the preacher condemned the sin of gossip, the two got very quiet. One turned to the other and said, "He's quit preaching and now he's just meddling!”

- From Mikey's Funnies

October, 2019 - The StarLight News Daily On Line Edition - Day 19

On the Brink of Extinction
by Pastor Ricky Kurth

The extinction of the dodo bird has been so well known for such a long time that it has given rise to the expression, “dead as a dodo.” There is, however, another dodo that we fear is also on the verge of extinction:

“Eleazar the son of Dodo…smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the Lord wrought a great victory that day…” (II Sam. 23:9,10).

Eleazar’s name appears here among a list of “the mighty men whom David had” (v. 8), and in smiting the Philistines until “his hand clave unto the sword” and they literally had to pry his fingers from the hilt, this dedicated soldier proved himself mighty indeed! What an inspiration this makes him to those of us who are called upon by God to “endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (II Tim. 2:3)—and that would include all who name the name of Christ. It is the duty of every believer to “put on the whole armour of God” (Eph. 6:11), armor which includes “the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God” (Eph. 6:17). Continue to use it even when someone tells you they don’t believe the Bible is God’s Word. No soldier ever sheathed his sword just because his opponent said he didn’t believe it would cut!

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DAILY SMILE...

Circus Act
A man decides to join the circus. He shows up to demonstrate his skills to the impresario.

"I have the most unusual act," he announces. "I'm sure it will amaze you."

He climbs up to the high wire and jumps off! He flaps his arms wildly, and finally his fall slows and the man begins to fly. He soars upward, turns, and swoops back again. Finally, he stops in mid air and gently lowers himself to the ground.

The impresario says, "Is that all you've got? Bird impressions?"

- From Daily Clean Jokes