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

Grace to Keep Going 

by Dr. Charles Stanley

7  And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. 8  And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; 9  And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. 10  Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 11  But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they. Acts 15:7-11 KJV

As believers, we readily attribute our salvation to God’s grace, but what does “this grace in which we stand” mean to us now (Rom. 5:2)? How does it work out in everyday life, especially when we’re going through periods of trial or suffering? 

The Lord’s grace releases His supernatural power within us so we can endure life’s hardships with a godly attitude. In fact, we’ll even be able to rejoice in what He is doing in us through the adversity. Grace builds our confidence in the sovereign Lord. Nothing looks hopeless when we focus on Him instead of on our problems. 

We discover the assurance of God’s sustaining presence as He walks with us every step of the way. Because we’ve experienced His care for us, we are able to show empathy and love to others facing hard times. 

During fiery trials, grace works to transform our character so that others can see Jesus reflected in us. Difficulties in life are unavoidable. So we need a daily dose of God’s grace if we are to walk through trials with confidence that there is great reward on the other side. If we rely on our own strength, however, obstacles will appear insurmountable, leaving us discouraged and ready to give up. 

Too often believers rely on Christ for their salvation but then try to go solo. If God’s grace was needed to save us, then logic says we would also need it for the rest of our days. Only through a continuous infusion of His sustaining power can we live a victorious Christian life. 

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

He Loves to Be with the Ones He Loves 

by Max Lucado 

Holiday travel. It isn’t easy. Then why do we do it? Why cram the trunks and endure the airports? You know the answer. We love to be with the ones we love. 

The four-year-old running up the sidewalk into the arms of Grandpa. 

The cup of coffee with Mom before the rest of the house awakes. 

That moment when, for a moment, everyone is quiet as we hold hands around the table and thank God for family and friends and pumpkin pie. 

We love to be with the ones we love. 

May I remind you? So does God. He loves to be with the ones he loves. How else do you explain what he did? Between him and us there was a distance—a great span. And he couldn’t bear it. He couldn’t stand it. So he did something about it. 

Before coming to the earth, “Christ himself was like God in every-thing.… But he gave up his place with God and made himself nothing. He was born to be a man and became like a servant” (Phil. 2:6–7 NCV). 

Why? Why did Jesus travel so far? 

I was asking myself that question when I spotted the squirrels outside my window. A family of black-tailed squirrels has made its home amid the roots of the tree north of my office. We’ve been neighbors for three years now. They watch me peck the keyboard. I watch them store their nuts and climb the trunk. We’re mutually amused. I could watch them all day. Sometimes I do. 

But I’ve never considered becoming one of them. The squirrel world holds no appeal to me. Who wants to sleep next to a hairy rodent with beady eyes? (No comments from you wives who feel you already do.) Give up the Rocky Mountains, bass fishing, weddings, and laughter for a hole in the ground and a diet of dirty nuts? Count me out. 

But count Jesus in. What a world he left. Our classiest mansion would be a tree trunk to him. Earth’s finest cuisine would be walnuts on heaven’s table. And the idea of becoming a squirrel with claws and tiny teeth and a furry tail? It’s nothing compared to God becoming a one-celled embryo and entering the womb of Mary. 

But he did. The God of the universe kicked against the wall of a womb, was born into the poverty of a peasant, and spent his first night in the feed trough of a cow. “The Word became flesh and lived among us” (John 1:14 NRSV). The God of the universe left the glory of heaven and moved into the neighborhood. Our neighborhood! Who could have imagined he would do such a thing. 

Why? He loves to be with the ones he loves. 

From Next Door Savior Copyright (W Publishing Group, 2003) Max Lucado

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

Why Being Thankful Is a Powerful Way to Live Free 

By Debbie McDaniel 

The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart exults, And with my song I shall thank Him.” Psalms 28:7 

We have so much to be grateful for in this life, every single day. But reality is that sometimes constant life demands, battles, and worries give more room to defeat than to a heart of thanks. Or we forget, in the midst of busyness and pressures, just to pause and give thanks for all that God has done and continues to do in our lives. 

Sometimes it really is a sacrifice to offer praise and thanks. We may not feel like it. We’re struggling. We’re weary. Or maybe, we feel like He let us down. We think God seems distant, like he’s far away, or doesn’t really care about what’s troubling us. Painful life blows and losses might have recently sent us spiraling. 

But here’s what can make a lasting difference. We have a choice, every day, to give him thanks. And with a heart of thanksgiving, we realize that no matter what we face, God doesn’t just work to change our situations and help us through our problems. He does more. He changes our hearts. His power, through hearts of gratitude and focused minds on Him, releases the grip our struggles have over us. We’re strengthened by His peace, refueled by His joy. 

No matter what our current situation, or the struggles we may be facing, here’s what choosing to be thankful does: 

• It gets our eyes off ourselves, and helps us to focus back on God. 
• It reminds us we’re not in control, but that we serve a Mighty God who is. It keeps us in a place of humility and dependency on Him, as we recognize how much we need Him. 
• It helps us to recognize we have so much to be thankful for, even all the little things, which often we may forget to thank Him for. It takes our attention off our problems and helps us instead to reflect on the goodness of His many blessings. 
• It reminds us that God is the Giver of all good gifts. We were never intended to be fully self-sufficient in this life. A grateful heart reminds us that ultimately God is our Provider, that all blessings and gifts are graciously given to us by His hand. 

Here are just a few more truths to remember about thankfulness: 

• A heart of gratitude leaves no room for complaining. For it is impossible to be truly thankful and filled with negativity and ungratefulness at the same time. 
• It makes the enemy flee. The forces of darkness can’t stand to be around hearts that give thanks and honor to God. Our praise and thanksgiving will make them flee. 
• It opens the door for continued blessings. It invites His presence. God loves to give good gifts to His children. He delights in our thankfulness and pours out His Spirit and favor over those who give honor and gratitude to Him. 

Intersecting Faith & Life: 
Maybe you’re in a hard place right now. Maybe you feel like God has left you on your own, to fend for yourself, or the battle seems too hard. Maybe there’s never enough money left at the end of the month and you can’t figure out how to make things work. No matter what, in it all, be assured that God is with you and He cares. Choose a heart of gratefulness today. Make a list of all that God has blessed and filled your life with, that it’s been easy to take for gra
nted at times. Trust He knows what concerns you and is at work even now, to bring you through this uncertain season. Thank Him for providing all you need.

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

Fools for Christ 

By Ryan Duncan 

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. – 1 Corinthians 1:27 

I was leaving the grocery store and had just started my car, when I was approached by a man pushing a stroller. I assumed he was going to ask for directions, but it turned out that couldn't have been further from the truth. 

"Hey man, I really need some help. My daughter and I just got evicted from our apartment." He proceeded to rattle off his story as I listened uncomfortably. He had contacted Social Services but they wouldn’t be able to help him until tomorrow. His wife had left when things got tough. He was afraid of losing his daughter. He'd found a cheap motel to stay in, but he still needed seventeen dollars to pay for the room. 

Now, several things began to buzz through my head as he talked. The first was how I didn't trust a thing he was saying. In Asia, I'd seen female beggars use their children to garner sympathy from passing strangers. In South America, older men would hold Bibles or crosses, not because they were Christians but because it encouraged people to give more generously. Everything about his story felt rehearsed, staged, right down to the toddler in his stroller. 

The second thing was that the man had said he needed $17, which was the exact amount I had in my wallet. I had been hoping to use that money to grab a lunch out or maybe see a movie, but could I really justify being so selfish if this guy really needed it? I considered giving him a few bucks just to make him go away, but withholding the rest didn't seem any better than giving him nothing. It felt like I was trapped between two choices, would I be stupid or heartless? Eventually, I considered what Christ would have me do, and handed over the money along with my best wishes. 

I don't know what became of that man. Maybe he was telling the truth, maybe he was lying, and to be honest I don’t really care. God has called us to love, and you cannot love others if you are afraid of looking foolish. Remember what the Bible says in the book of Matthew: 

"'You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.’” – Matthew 5:38-42 

Intersecting Faith and Life: 
Consider this: Love is like dancing, you'll never do it well if you're afraid of how you look.

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

A Prayer for When You Grieve a Loved One in Heaven 

By Lisa Appelo 

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” - Revelation 21:4 

I stooped to give my 7-year-old a goodnight hug and pray with him. He’d made a pallet on the carpet in my bedroom, something he often did after Dan, my husband, died. 

By day, he played like all the other little boys in neighborhood. You’d never know he was carrying a heavy blanket of grief. 

On this night, I listened as Matt prayed. He thanked God for the good day and prayed for kids all over the world that needed help. And then he closed with this: 

Tell my dad I said hello. 

A thousand knives went through my heart. 

Those words held pain but they also held connection. 

Dan on that side of heaven, us on this side. Him in the presence of God, us still walking it out in faith. Him face to face with God, us still veiled from full glory. 

Heaven had always seemed far off in time and space. It was a sure thing but a someday thing, so distant from the busy days of our life raising kids and paying bills. And then it wasn’t. Death had brought pain but it also brought connection. I wish I could say I felt that connection to heaven before, but Dan’s death made it immediate and palpable. Like we had a deposit, waiting for us just after we met Jesus. Because when you love someone in heaven, you carry part of heaven in your heart. It was in church that I could most easily picture Dan in heaven. Caught up with the words and music of worship, I imagined him just the other side of eternity. Us in our pew, him in the true tabernacle. All eyes on Christ. All of us worshiping. All of us part of one body. The body of Christ is more than my congregation. It’s more than the believers in the next city over and next continent over. The body of Christ includes believers right now in the presence of God. As we worship God here, we’re joining the chorus of believers worshiping in heaven. As we serve God here, we’re joining the band of believers serving in heaven. As we praise God here, we’re joining the multitude of believers praising in heaven. 

The seen and the unseen. The groaning and the freed. 

Those whose life is Christ and those whose death is gain. 

Yes, Lord Jesus. Tell him we said hello. 

A Prayer for When You Grieve a Loved One in Heaven 

Lord, my heart is feels like a thousand knives are running through it. I am weary, spent, and just so sad. Please, help me! Hear my prayers. Hold me and my family up. Give us strength. Be present. Be persistent in your love. Carry us through this heartache. Sustain us. Bring us joy and hope. In Your Name I pray, Amen. 

Editor’s Note: This devotional was taken in part from Lisa Appelo’s When We Grieve a Loved One in Heaven. You can read her piece in full here. 

https://www.ibelieve.com/blogs/lisa-appelo/when-we-grieve-a-loved-one-in-heaven.html

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

I Think Also That I Have the Spirit of God

by Pastor Ricky Kurth

“What is your take on 1 Corinthians 7:40, where Paul says, ‘I think also that I have the Spirit of God’?”

The vast majority of things Paul taught in his epistles were things he himself had been taught by direct revelation of the Lord. However, he occasionally wrote things that the Lord had not revealed to him, such as:

“Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment…” (1 Cor. 7:25).

The Corinthians had evidently asked Paul about something concerning which he had received no revelations, so he gave his own personal opinion. Of course, his opinion was molded by his understanding of all that God had revealed to him, so it would have been a very sound opinion. But when he then wrote it in an epistle that became part of God’s Word, that removed all doubt that his personal conviction expressed God’s will.

You see, it was the job of the prophets to identify which epistles were canonical (1 Cor. 14:37). Paul mentions some epistles that they did not include in the Scriptures (1 Cor. 5:9; Col. 4:16), but when they did include 1 Corinthians, that tells us Paul did have the Spirit when he wrote it, and that his own personal “judgment” was also the judgment of God.

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

Looking For the Loophole

by Pastor Ricky Kurth

To many people, it just doesn’t seem right that God would punish someone in hell for all eternity, and so they look for loopholes in the Bible’s clear teaching about eternal damnation (Rev. 14:11, etc.). They mean well, but they remind us of what the Lord said about the rich man in hell, who pleaded that Lazarus be sent to warn his five brothers, “lest they also come into this place of torment” (Luke 16:28). It is often argued from this that this man had repented, and only a God who was a monster would refuse to release him. As we compare Scripture with Scripture, however, we believe otherwise, especially when we compare the torments of hell to the torments of the Tribulation.

There are many ways to show that the Tribulation will be a time of hell on earth, but perhaps the simplest is found when we read that “in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it” (Rev. 9:6). What a picture of hell! You would think that everyone on the receiving end of the unfathomable torments of that day would repent in the hope that God would relent and spare them further torment. Yet despite the fact that men will be “scorched with great heat” (Rev. 16:9), in John’s vision, they “blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not… of their deeds” (vv. 9,11).

In light of all this, we feel the rich man’s request to warn his five brothers was not an indication of any repentance on his part—far from it. Like many incarcerated men, he was looking for a loophole in the prosecution’s case against him. You see, if Lazarus was sent from the dead to warn his brothers, he could argue that he never benefited from such a supernatural warning, making his conviction unjust.

Add it all up, and a more accurate picture of hell appears. Hell is not filled with cries of repentance to which God turns an unfeeling deaf ear. Like the description of the Tribulation we just read, the air is rather filled with the sound of blasphemy, voiced by men who are eternally convinced that God is wrong and they do not belong there.

Fortunately, dear reader, you do not have to go there. Just admit that God is right, that you are sinner (Rom. 3:23) who deserves to die an eternal death for your sins (Rom. 6:23; Rev. 20:14), but that Christ died for your sins so that you don’t have to (I Cor. 15:1-4). “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).

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

The Conflict Between the Old and New Natures

by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam

Concerning the conflict continually going on between the old and new natures in the believer, St. Paul says:

“For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would” (Gal. 5:17).

Regarding this conflict in his own personal experience, he writes:

“For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.

“For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

“But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members” (Rom. 7:19,22,23).

It has been taught by some that we need not experience this continual strife between the old nature and the new. They say: “Get out of the 7th of Romans into the 8th.”

We would remind such that the Apostle Paul wrote Romans 7 and Romans 8 at the same sitting; that in the original language the letter goes right on without interruption — without even a chapter division.

Thus the same apostle who exclaims: “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1) refers in the same letter, only a few sentences before, and in the present tense, to “the law of sin which is in my members,” and freely acknowledges the present operation of that law in his members, as we have seen above.

How then shall we get out of the 7th of Romans into the 8th? Paul experienced both at the same time, and so do we, for while we are free from the condemnation of sin, sin itself nevertheless continues to work within us, and we must constantly “mortify the deeds of the body” (Rom. 8:13).

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

A True Veteran 

by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam 

Before you have placed your trust in Christ as your Lord and Savior, there is nothing whatever you can do to please God or to gain acceptance with Him. John 3:35 declares that “the Father loves the Son” and cares what you think about Him and do with Him. This is why Verse 36 goes on to say: 

“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.” 

But once you have received Christ as your Savior and Lord there is much you can do to please God. You can witness to His saving grace, you can please Him by living a godly life, you can work for Him, you can sacrifice of your means to further His cause, and yes, you can fight for Him. “Fight for Him” you say? Yes indeed, for this world system, our Adamic natures and Satan and his hosts, are all antagonistic toward the Christ who died for our sins. Satan’s forces, especially, work behind the scenes to “blind the minds of them that believe not” (II Cor. 4:4). These fallen angels, we read, are “the rulers of the darkness of this world” (iEph. 6:12). 

This is why God urges His children to be “strong in the Lord,” putting on “the whole armor of God,” so as to meet and defeat these evil forces (Vers. 10,11). This is why He puts a sword (“the Word of God”) into our hands and bids us “stand… stand… stand!” (Vers. 11-14). 

Ah, but a great veteran, who waged many battles in making Christ known to the lost, gives us an inkling of the thrill that goes with being “a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” In his last words, just before his execution, the Apostle Paul declared triumphantly: “I have fought a good fight!” (II Tim. 4:7). It was indeed “a good fight” in which he had been engaged, a fight to bring light and salvation and blessing to benighted souls. And the reward: 

“Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown” (Ver. 8).

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DAILY SMILE...

I'm 82 Years Old too

An aged man John was so weary and tired. He was walking in a park. He saw another man sitting on a bench and he sat next to him. 

John: I am 82. I am so tired. Even tired of my life. My children don’t care about me. My wife is dead. No meaning in life. I don’t enjoy food any more. My hands are shaking. I forget everything within a few minutes. I see that you are also of my age. How do you feel, tell me.” 

Other man, I am Len. I am also 82 and I feel like a baby. John: You are 82 and feel like a baby? Explain to me. 

Len: Yes I am 82 and I feel like a baby. I have no teeth, I can’t speak properly. When I walk I fall. I can’t see properly. And I think I wet my pants. I feel like a baby. 


- From PG Vargis

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

Was Paul Saved Under the Kingdom Program? 

by Pastor Ricky Kurth 

WELL, “Was Paul saved under the kingdom program?” 

No, Paul was “a blasphemer” (I Tim. 1:13) who, as a strict, Law-abiding Pharisee (Acts 26:5), would never blaspheme the Father, but was among those who blasphemed the Spirit when they stoned Stephen (Acts 7:51-8:1). This rendered him ineligible for salvation under the kingdom program, for the Lord had warned, “him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven” (Luke 12:10). 

How then could God save Saul? Well, remember that the Lord had warned, “whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come” (Matt. 12:32). The nation of Israel blasphemed the Spirit in the world that the Lord spoke of as “this world” when they rejected Stephen, a man filled with the Spirit (Acts 7:55). “The world to come” is defined in Hebrews 2:5 as the kingdom, the “world” which God will “put in subjection” under Christ, where people will fully know “the powers of the world to come” (Heb. 6:5) that they only tasted at Pentecost. 

Since blasphemy against the Spirit was unforgivable in both those worlds, we know Saul was saved under the program of a whole new world, the dispensation of grace, “this world” in which we live (Eph. 1:21), “this present world” in which we are to walk and please God (Titus 2:12).

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DAILY SMILE...

Term Paper 

Kids have a greater need for speed than classroom computers can deliver. 

Impatient to turn in his term paper, one restless student kept clicking the "Print" command. 

The printer started to churn out copy after copy of the kid’s ten-page report. 

The topic? 

"Save Our Trees." 


- From Mikey’s Funnies

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

To Hear Father Speak 

by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam 

“The voice of Thy thunder was in the heaven: the lightnings lightened the world: the earth trembled and shook” (Psalm 77:18). 

Fortunately dad was a builder, for with a family of ten, and missionaries and Bible teachers so often entertained as guests, it took a large home to accommodate us all. 

Not only did we have a large home; it was also the highest house in the city of Paterson, New Jersey, with its rear, second-floor porch affording a commanding view of the city and its surroundings. 

This porch came into its most memorable use during thunderstorms.  Often when such storms gathered dad would say to mother and us children: 

“Let’s go out and hear Father speak.” 

Never will we forget those impressive occasions! From our “grandstand” seats we watched many a dramatic electrical storm and were thrilled to “hear Father speak” in the rolling thunder as His clouds poured out their rain on the city below. 

By taking us out to see such “shows” — God’s shows — dad accomplished two purposes. He helped to rid us of the excessive fear of electrical storms that unnerve so many people, and he gave us a small glimpse of the infinite greatness of our great God.

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DAILY SMILE...

Car Accident 

As my five year old son and I were headed to McDonald's one day, we passed a car accident. Usually when we see something terrible like that, we say a prayer for those who might be hurt, so I pointed and said to my son, "We should pray." 

From the back seat I heard his earnest request: "Please, God, don't let those cars block the entrance to McDonald's." 


- From ArcaMax Jokes

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

What Is a Church? 

by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam 

It is strange but true that most people — even the great majority of religious people — do not know what a church is. Ask the average man what a church is, and he’s apt to reply: “Well, anybody knows that! A church is a building where people go to worship God.” But this is not correct. The word translated church, in our Bibles, simply means assembly. A church is not a building, but the assembly that meets in the building. Technically, a church is not even a religious gathering, for the same word is used in Acts 19:32 of a riotous mob which had assembled at Ephesus, and this verse says that this assembly was confused and that “the greater part knew not wherefore they were come together.” Perhaps this could apply to many a church today, but the point is that a church is not a building but an assembly of people. 

The church of which the Bible has most to say is “the Church of God, which He hath purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28), and St. Paul calls the church of this present dispensation, “the Body of Christ,” or “the Church which is His Body” (I Cor. 12:27; Eph. 1:22,23). 

Men cannot join this Church by water baptism or any other religious rite, but only by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. With regard to believers in Christ St. Paul declares: “By one Spirit are we all baptized into one Body” (I Cor. 12:13). And in Rom. 12:5 the Apostle says that “ye, being many, are one body in Christ.” 

Many sincere people have had their names on local church rolls for many years before learning this great truth — that the true Church of God is not a building, but the assembly of those who trust in Christ as their Savior. Doubtless, people in and out of many of the religious organizations we call churches belong to this one great Bible Church, while others, with all their religious profession, do not. The question is: Have we sincerely trusted in Christ as the Savior who died for our sins?

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DAILY SMILE...

Haircut 

At the barbershop recently, a father came in with his two sons, about 10 and 12 years of age. He got both boys settled into barber chairs and then proceeded to tell the barbers how he wanted their hair cut. 

The younger boy didn't pay much attention. But the older boy turned to his barber and said, "Make me look good for the girls, not for my dad!" 


- From  p g vargis

November, 2019 - The StarLight News Daily On Line Edition - Day 18

Our Great Commission 

by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam 

Much is said of the “great commission” which our Lord gave to His apostles just before His ascension. We wonder whether our readers have ever examined the various records of this commission carefully. 

This “great commission” does not say one word about “the preaching of the cross” or “the gospel of the grace of God”. The “gospel” which they were sent to preach was very evidently the same “gospel” they had been preaching — the Gospel of the Kingdom — only they could now declare, as Peter did at Pentecost, that the King had risen from the dead and would still some day occupy the throne of David. 

The “great commission” demanded faith and baptism for the remission of sins (Mark 16:15,16); it included the power to heal the sick and work miracles (16:17,18), but it did not include the glad message that “Christ died for our sins” (ICor.15:1-3). At Pentecost, when Peter began to carry out this commission, he rather blamed his hearers for the death of Christ and when, convicted of their sins, they asked: “What shall we do?” he did not say: “Believe on Christ who died for your sins.” He rather commanded them to “repent and be baptized every one…for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38). 

But after Christ and His Kingdom were again rejected, God interrupted the prophetic program and sent Paul forth to proclaim “the preaching of the cross” and “the gospel of the grace of God”. In II Corinthians 5: 14-21 this apostle proclaims “the love of Christ” who “died for all” and instructs us as to our“great commission”: 

“And all things are of [provided by] God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, AND HATH GIVEN TO US THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION; 

“To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself… AND HATH COMMITTED UNTO US THE WORD OF RECONCILIATION” (II Cor.5:18,19).

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DAILY SMILE...

Sleeping 

Years ago, when my grandson Ricardo was five years old, he came to visit with me. He saw a tree in my neighborhood that had lost all its leaves during fall and early winter. 

“That tree is DEAD!” little Ricardo said, with conviction. “No, honey,” I assured him. “The tree is sleeping. It will wake up soon and show us it’s new growth.” 

Unconvinced, he crossed his little arms and said, “That tree is NOT sleeping. But you can pretend if you want to." 


- From Mary M.

November, 2019 - The StarLight News Daily On Line Edition - Day 17

Christ Died for Our Sins and...

by Pastor Kevin Sadler

      

William Sangster was a stalwart, Bible-believing minister “who helped guide Londoners through the horrors of the bombings of London in World War II. Sangster developed a disease that progressively paralyzed his body, and eventually his vocal chords. On the Easter morning just before he died, he managed to scribble a short note to his daughter. The note read: “How terrible to wake up on Easter and have no voice to shout, ‘He is Risen!’ However, it is far worse to have a voice and not want to shout, ‘He is Risen!’” 3

We rejoice in Christ’s resurrection and the life we have in Him. However, it is troubling to find that there are teachings out there that say that all you need to believe to be saved is that Christ died for your sins. Some say that faith in Christ’s resurrection isn’t necessary to be saved because our salvation is based solely on Christ’s payment for our sins at the Cross, and they’ll intentionally leave out the Resurrection. However, this is not Pauline. The gospel of the grace of God includes the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul stresses in his letters the importance of believing that Christ is risen from the dead. Note the following verses:

“And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness…But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead” (Rom. 4:22,24).

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Rom. 10:9).

“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Cor. 15:3,4).

“And that He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again” (2 Cor. 5:15).

“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him” (1 Thes. 4:14).

Unbelievers must trust that Christ is risen in order to be saved, so believers need to stress Christ’s death and resurrection when they share the gospel of grace. When Paul writes about our spiritual baptism with Christ, we are not only identified with His death, but also His burial and resurrection (Rom. 6:3,4). According to Colossians 2:10, we “are complete in Him,” because we have been identified with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection (Col. 2:11,12) the moment we believed in His death, burial, and resurrection.

Christ died for our sins and… He rose again the third day. Don’t leave out the resurrection! It’s crucial to our faith and salvation. We have God’s Word on it. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:17, “If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain [empty]; ye are yet in your sins.” But because “Christ is risen from the dead,” those “in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:20,22). That should cause us to want to shout for joy!

“Jesus our Lord…was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification” (Rom. 4:24,25).

Today's Devotional Sponsor...

DAILY SMILE...

Who Did It? 

80 years back, in a small town in the US lived a family 
(Mr and Mrs Chris Miller with 7 children) on a farm. They had their outhouse (toilet of those days) by the creek. 

One day Mr Miller was furious. He called and all the 7 children out and asked them to stand in line. He said, “Tell me, who pushed the outhouse into the creek?” 

No one said a word. Then every one said – Not me, not me. Mr Miller preached. “Do you know that in this family we tell only the truth? Let me tell you the story of George Washington. One day his father gave him and axe. George wanted to test how sharp the axe is. So he cut the cherry tree in his court yard. The father called all the children to the backyard and asked who cut the cherry tree.. All the children were frightened because that cherry tree was the pride of the father and years of hard work. But George raised his hand and said, “I did it Dad.” The Dad was happy that the boy said the truth though he knew that he could be punished for his foolish act. So you must tell the truth irrespective of the consequences. Now tell me who pushed the outhouse into the creek?” 

Little Ben raised his hand and said, “Dad I did it.” 

Dad started to spank the son furiously. 

Ben yelled, “Wait a minute. You said that George Washington's father was happy when George said the truth.” 

Father, “That is true. But when little George cut the cherry tree down, his father was not sitting on the tree.” 


- From PG Vargis

November, 2019 - The StarLight News Daily On Line Edition - Day 16

Sealed in the Pit

by Pastor Kevin Sadler

(An excerpt from Revelation Volume 4, available in late 2018.)

“And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season” (Rev. 20:1-3).

Satan will be seized and bound with “a great chain” by an angel, and then he will be hurled into the center of the earth and shut up in the pit. We are to take a literal interpretation of the Bible unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. That’s how God intended His Word to be understood and interpreted. When the Bible is not taken literally, our understanding of the Word is left to the opinions and imaginations of fallible mankind….

After the Savior’s death on the cross, a seal was placed on the stone at the entrance of Christ’s tomb. Matthew 27:66 tells us, “So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.” On resurrection morning though, the seal was broken and the stone was rolled away, because Christ had conquered the grave. That seal could never have kept Him in that tomb. He is “the Resurrection, and the Life” (John 11:25). He is the “Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending…which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty” (Rev. 1:8).

A “seal” will be set upon the devil when he is shut in the bottomless pit. He is powerless to break that seal, demonstrating that he is a created being. If Satan could break this seal, he absolutely would. He will have 1000 years to try to break it, but he will fail.

This contrast shows that we who believe and are on the Lord’s side are on the side of power, victory, and hope. Those who are outside of Christ are on the side of weakness, defeat, and hopelessness. By faith in Christ alone, the unbelieving can be rescued and “delivered…from the power [authority] of darkness, and…translated…into the kingdom of His dear Son” (Col. 1:13).

The seal placed upon Satan ensures that he will no longer deceive the nations during the 1000 years of Christ’s earthly kingdom. As we read in Revelation 20:3: “and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more.” Isaiah 14:12 says that he “weaken[s] the nations,” and he does this by his deceptions. Satan will be sealed in his prison, giving blessed relief to the earth and its inhabitants by his absence. He is the one “which deceiveth the whole world” (Rev. 12:9). With Satan locked up, the whole world will be set free from his deceits and wiles.

After the 1000-year phase of Christ’s earthly kingdom is “fulfilled… he must be loosed a little season.” Satan will not be rehabilitated during his 1000-year sentence. God reveals to us that Satan’s nature will not change even after 10 centuries of confinement. He will remain proud, defiant, and at enmity against God. His hatred of God will only burn hotter after the 1000 years. By Satan being released, God also reveals that mankind doesn’t change either. After 1000 years, we see how susceptible mankind will still be to Satan’s deceptions and methods, as the number who are deceived and follow him will be “as the sand of the sea” (Rev. 20:8).

The loosing of Satan for a short time is part of God’s sovereign plan: “he must be loosed” (v. 3). Everything God does is good and righteous and has a purpose. Mankind has a free will and, at the close of the Millennium, just prior to the eternal state, God gives the inhabitants of Christ’s earthly kingdom one last opportunity to believe in Christ or reject Him. After 1000 years of peace and righteousness, with the world as it should be, will they “have this Man to reign over” them (Luke 19:14)? The answer from the unbelieving world will be a resounding “No!”

Many think that the world can be fixed through politics and human government. If we just get this political ruler or that political ruler in office, then everything will be all right. It’s a gross understatement to call that wishful thinking. Even when the perfect Ruler reigns over the world for 1000 years, the world will still choose evil. Even if the world were all that it could be, people would still reject Christ. It all stems from the heart of mankind and shows that “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jer. 17:9).

Christ can change the heart. For us under grace, when we trust in Christ, believing that He died for our sins, was buried, and rose again (1 Cor. 15:3,4), God creates a new nature in us (2 Cor. 5:17). By this “inward man” being “renewed day by day” (2 Cor. 4:16) through the Word of God and the Holy Spirit, Christ can transform our hearts and lives (Rom. 12:1,2).

Today's Devotional Sponsor...

DAILY SMILE...

Clown Before going on vacation, I went to a tanning salon. I was under the lights a bit long and the protective shades I wore left a big white circle around each eye. Gazing at myself in the mirror the next day, I thought, "Man, I look like a clown."

I had almost convinced myself that I was overreacting until I got in line at the grocery store. I felt a tug at my shirt and looked down to see a toddler staring up at me. He asked, "Are you giving out balloons?"

- From Clean Laughs