Tag: salvation

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Devotionals

HE WHO SANCTIFIES IS THE CAPTAIN OF SALVATION

October 20, 2020

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

HE WHO SANCTIFIES IS THE CAPTAIN OF SALVATION

“For both He that sanctified and they who are sanctified, are all one: for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren [that is, those who are sanctified by Him].” Heb. 2: 11, KJV.

He that sanctifies is Christ through the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Godhead. That is why we are warned: “Grieve not the Holy Spirit whereby ye are SEALED unto the day of redemption.” Eph. 4:30.

“They who are sanctified’ are His brethren. [Christ never calls the unsanctified as brethren]. The ‘one’ is God. Though Christ is Son in a DIFFERENT sense from us, yet we have One Father. God’s intent is to ‘bring many sons to glory.

Christ is the Captain who leads His men to battle. [He Himself provides them the complete ‘whole armor of God.’]. They follow where He leads, and for this reason ‘He is not ashamed to call them brethren.’ They are proud of their Captain, and He is proud of them. Note how tenderly Christ speaks of His brethren:

“And He stretched forth His hand toward His disciples, and said, ‘Behold My mother and My brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of My Father who is in heaven, the same is My brother, and sister, and mother.’ Matt 12:49,50.

“Jesus sayeth unto her, Touch Me not; for I am not yet ascended to My Father: but go to My brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto My Father, and your Father; and to My God, and your God.’ Luke 9:26, RV.

“Christ is not ashamed of us IF we are not ashamed of Him. But ‘whosoever shall be ashamed of Me and My words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when He cometh in His own glory, and the glory of the Father; and to My God, and your God.’ Luke 9:26, RV.

“Sanctification is here presented not as theory but as a LIFE, that which makes Christ and His brethren ONE! Said Christ, ‘For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they ALSO may be sanctified through the TRUTH.’ John 17: 19. Christ sanctified Himself for a purpose: this purpose He declares to be ‘that they also might be sanctified [not merely ‘justified’ or forgiven]. He sets the example that others [who desire to be numbered among His brethren] maya follow.” (M.L. Andreasen, The Book of Hebrews, pp. 98, 99.

Since Christ is the Captain, are you a bonafide member of His Team? Ponder upon this. Bless all, NMF 

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Devotionals

WE PARTAKE OF THE DIVINE NATURE IMPARTED THRU THE DIVINE POWER OF CHRIST’S HUMAN NATURE AS GOD IN THE FLESH

October 2, 2020

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

WE PARTAKE OF THE DIVINE NATURE IMPARTED THRU THE DIVINE POWER OF CHRIST’S HUMAN NATURE AS GOD IN THE FLESH

“To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our GOD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST. Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord, as His DIVINE POWER has given to us all things that PERTAIN to LIFE and GODLINESS, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us EXCEEDINGLY GREAT AND PRECIOUS PROMISES, that through these you may be PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust [unholy, worldly, carnal desires and the lust of the eye and the flesh’].”

2 Pet. 1:1-4, NKJV.

The Incarnation: “Layon aside His royal robe and kingly crown, Christ clothes His divinity with humanity, that human beings might be RAISED from their degradation [caused by sin], and placed on vantage ground.

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Devotionals

THE HELMET OF SALVATION FOR THE MIND

September 22, 2020

FROM YOUR PASTOR’ S DESK:

THE HELMET OF SALVATION FOR THE MIND

“And the helmet of salvation.”

Eph. 6:17.

All that Goliath carelessly did was to move his heavy helmet, exposing his massive forehead: little David spotted that slight opening, swung his slingshot that he mastered using against wild beasts as he protected his flock. The smooth stone projectile found hit bullseye on Goliath’s forehead and tide of the war turned in victory for Israel’s army against the superior forces of their Philistine enemies. That’s how vulnerable even the strongest man is if his forehead, his mind is unprotected with the helmet of salvation in the daily battlefield of life.

“God bids us fill the mind with great thoughts, pure thoughts. He desires us to MEDITATE on His love and mercy, to STUDY His wonderful work in the great plan of redemption.

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Devotionals

CHRIST’S HUMAN NATURE

September 14, 2020
FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

CHRIST’S HUMAN NATURE

Please find time to prayerfully and unhurriedly read verses 1-18 of Hebrews chapter 2. Here are the first 4 verses(emphasis mine):

“Therefore we must give the MOST EARNEST HEED, to the things we have heard, LEST WE DRIFT AWAY. For if the word spoken through angels, proved steadfast, and every TRANSGRESSION AND DISOBEDIENCE received a just reward, HOW SHALL WE ESCAPE IF WE NEGLECT so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God AlSO bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?”

Heb. 2:1-4, NKJV.

SYNOPSIS OF CHAPTER: “This chapter opens with a warning against INDIFFERENCE. It is the first of many admonition scattered throughout the book, which evince the author’s [apostle Paul] anxiety for the SPIRITUAL WELFARE of his readers. From the nature of the exhortations we learn that, unlike the Corinthians, the DANGERS threatening them were NOT MORAL DELINQUENCY but a GRADUAL DRIFTING AWAY from the things they had heard, COUPLED WITH a lack of desire to apply themselves to a SERIOUS study of the Word.

“The larger part of the chapter is devoted to a discussion of the HUMANITY of Christ. In the first chapter the author brought indisputable proof of the DEITY of Christ. In the second chapter he shows that it is NEEDFUL for Christ to BECOME A MAN IF He is to be a merciful and faithful High Priest.

“How else could He deal gently with the weak and erring? He MUST be TEMPTED IN ALL POINTS LIKE AS WE ARE for it is only by passing through the EXPERIENCE to which [all] men are subject that He can succor [save, deliver, empower] those who are weak!

“This section contains a warning against the SUBTLE SINS of apathy and carelessness. Paul was greatly concerned about the SPIRITUAL condition of the people. There were TROUBLOUS TIMES AHEAD for the church. Persecution would soon break out anew; in a very few years the Roman armies would take the city, the Temple would be destroyed, and the Christians would be compelled to flee for their lives.

“Despite this, THE CHURCH WAS NOT FULLY AWAKE. They were ADRIFT with no anchor. Their condition was critical, and MOST SERIOUS OF ALL, they did not sense their danger!” (Andreasen, The Book of Hebrews, 79, 80).

This is same condition we are facing today! The very signs taking place right now in America and the world are already announcing, in trumpet tones, that we entering the prophesied early time of trouble! Are we adrift or are our hearts and minds firmly anchored in the Rock, Christ Jesus and His Word—“It is Written,” “unto the law and the prophets,” “to the law and the testimony.”  Bless all, NMF 

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Devotionals

THE ENMITY IN GOD’S GRACE

September 2, 2020

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

THE ENMITY IN GOD’S GRACE

The apostle Paul declared: “For I am not ashamed of the GOSPEL of Christ; for it is the POWER unto salvation to everyone that believes…for therein is the righteousness of God revealed” by whom we have received GRACE and apostleship for OBEDIENCE to the faith among all nations, for His name.”  Rom. 1: 16, 17, 5, 6.

“I will put ENMITY between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed, and thou shalt bruise his head.’ Gen. 3:15. The divine sentence pronounced against Satan after the fall of man, was also a prophecy, embracing all ages to the close of time, and FORESHADOWING the great conflict [or controversy] to engage ALL the races of men [not only black or white] who should live upon the earth.”

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Devotionals

CHRIST SUFFERS GOD’S WRATH AGAINST SIN ALONE AT GETHSEMANE

August 19, 2020

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

CHRIST SUFFERS GOD’S WRATH AGAINST SIN ALONE AT GETHSEMANE

“I have trodden the wine press alone, and from the peoples no one was with Me.”

Isa. 63:3, NKJV.

So prophesied the gospel prophet regarding Christ’s superhuman agony at Gethsemane culminating at Golgotha. The Greek ‘Gethsemani is a transliteration of the Aramaic ‘Gath Shemani,’ meaning, ‘oil press.’ It cannot be mere coincidence that this specially appointed place located in the western side of Mount of Olives was called an ‘oil press’ where Christ would fulfill the prophecy that He would ‘trod the winepress alone’ for our salvation.

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Devotionals

GODLY REPENTANCE DELAYED IS PARDON DENIED

June 22, 2020

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

GODLY REPENTANCE DELAYED IS PARDON DENIED

“For godly sorrow produces repentance to salvation, not to be regretted [or repented of]; but the sorrow of the world produces death.” 2 Cor. 9:10, NKJV (See verses 8-11).

Even as ‘justice delayed is justice denied,’ Achan’s deadly sin of covetousness produced a “worldly,” not a godly repentance. This is possibly one of the deadliest combinations of sins. Achan lost both temporal and eternal life!

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FMM

The Battle for the ‘Present Truth’

Image by LoggaWiggler/Pixabay

Friday Morning Manna
June 5, 2020

Nathaniel Fajardo

email:[email protected]

The Battle for the ‘Present Truth’

“Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in present truth.” 2 Peter 1: 12 (see verses 1-11), Authorized Version

Jesus Christ, God Creator in the flesh (John 1: 14; 1 Tim. 3: 16) declared, “I am the way, the truth and the life,” John 14: 6. “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, If you continue (abide) in My Word, you are My disciples indeed, and you shall know truth, and the truth shall set you free.” John 8: 31, 32.

In the plan of salvation the “good news” of the gospel is that Creator of man, condescended in the incarnation to become the Savior of mankind, fallen by sin and hopeless captives of Satan, by delivering, “setting them free” by His life example as a man, “tempted in all points as man is tempted yet without sin,” and by His death on the cross as their substitute and surety from, not in, the power and bondage to sin which is “the transgression of the law (1 John 3: 4). Hence the specific name given Him at His birth, “Thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.” Matt. 1: 21. Notice here that while Jesus died for the sins of the world, He saves His people from their sins! That is the truth.

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