"Once, At Once, Once For All"

"'Behold, I have come to do your will'....And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering the body of Jesus Christ once for all....When Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God....For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified....'I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.'" (From Hebrews 10, ESV)

I think our Holy Spirit wants us to know that when we speak of "the finished work of Jesus Christ," it means just that, "It is finished," and, "It is finished...once for all," and, "I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more."

The Greek phrase translated, "once for all," can also mean, "once, at once."  It is accurate Biblical Theology to say that Jesus saved you and me, "at once."  When our Lord Jesus Christ cried, "It is finished," from His Cross, it was finished.  As the hymn declares, "'Tis done, the great transaction's done; I am my Lord's, and He is mine."  When Jesus cried out, "It is finished," we can say, "at once," our salvation was secured, done, "at once," and, "once for all."

Our text tells us that what Jesus did at the Cross, was the will of the Godhead, "and by that will," you and I now are, "faultless to stand before His throne."  Consider our text, and when the enemy comes with his usual condemnation, just remind him and yourself, "It was God's will to bring me into His Family, to save me from sin, "at once, once, once for all."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I cannot thank You enough for, "so great a salvation."  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

Praying In Good Company

"I am feeble and severely broken; I groan because of the turmoil of my heart." (Psalm 38:8)

43 years ago, this prayer became a prayer "theme" of my life-------- but so did our Lord Jesus Christ, in a way I had never known Him. 

David had no concern that this prayer might get out, that people might know this great shepherd/warrior/king had weaknesses, had sin, even sicknesses.  No wonder it is said of David, "he had God's heart."  There is no "cover up" in Jesus Christ, and for those who follow Him.  This is one of the reasons so many hated Jesus, especially those whose whole lives were intent on keeping their true selves from being exposed.  Consider Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane, His words from the Cross, His, "Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say?  'Father, save me from this hour'?  But for this purpose I came to this hour."  When your heart cries out from the depths in deep longing, my friend, you are in very good company.  I have said before that when I was a young person I had difficulty relating to many of the Psalms.  Then as years went by, when death came to our family and sorrow overwhelmed me, the Psalms became my most treasured prayer book, Jesus, "Bread of Life," feeding and sustaining me. 

When I was a teenager, there was a girl in our youth group who, after an older man in our church prayed, said, "I don't like it when he prays like that."  He had confessed and bemoaned his own sin.  She, however, was young, too unwilling to see any of that in her own life.  Youth is like that, isn't it, "No faults in me, no situations I can't overcome."  Today the popular approach to youth is to teach them they are so wonderful, special, can do "anything if you put your mind to it, reach the heights, unstoppable.  I read of a 5'1", 101 lb. girl who worked nights at a gas station/convienient store.  Her mother expressed great concern for her safety.  She told her mother, "Don't worry; I can handle anybody."  Not long after her bravado statement, the girl was abducted and murdered. 

The "spiritual" among us never pray in the spirit of Psalm 38.  Bravado is their theme also.  Leaders have an image to protect, mentors and those who are admired by others must keep that spiritual-giant image.  David had no such illusion.  When he encountered his own weaknesses, his own sin, he owned it.  Many of his recorded prayers are prayers which we can all pray at times in our lives.  I see the suffering of humanity, the struggles of those whom I know, my own increasing frailty, and found myself praying Psalm 38 with an unusual earnestness today.  There are so many more such "relevant" prayers in the Bible.

Father, in Jesus' Name, What can I pray, but that which You have given me to pray?  Amen.

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* A Must Read at: www.jerusalemberlinwashington,blogspot.com
* I am preaching in the CCE meeting this coming Sunday, May 12
* We now have 21 who will be with us for the North Korea Briefing on May 20

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

The Bible Truth on "Curses and Blessings"

"Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments.., blessed shall you be....But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe all His commandments"-------------  (From Deuteronomy 28)

My main modus operandi for the APF devotionals is to share with you what I encounter in my daily Bible reading schedule; today's text is such.  This approach to Bible reading/ study prevents "picking and choosing" what I want to hear and what I want to pass on.  The agenda of Jesus Christ in His Words is as Paul states to the Philippians, according to the Phillip's paraphrase, "It doesn't bore me to repeat a piece of advice like this, and if you follow it you will find it a great safeguard to your souls."  I can think of no better way to describe the great life-impartation of the, "God-Breathed," Words. 

Deuteronomy 28 contains some of the most wonderful promises in Scripture------------- and some of the most fearful.  14 verses are committed to "blessings;" 54 verses are committed to "curses."  Why such a seeming disproportionate emphasis?  Could it be that the Father wanted the world to know just what Jesus took, "in His Own Body on the Tree," for sinful, disobedient humanity?  Could it be that He wanted man to know just how despicable and utterly destructive to humanity is the curse of sin, ripping apart families, hatred among ethnic groups, wars and commensurate famine?  Could it be that while the sufferings of this present age are not worthy to be compared to the glory to come, the suffering and eternal damnation which sin brings is the same?!

The bible declares of the Living Triune, "God is love."  Everything God says, all His commands, his everything is, "God is love."  When people forget this or try to interpret God's action among men and nations in their own reasoning, they will write off the Bible and the Lord God revealed in Jesus Christ as some evil, vindictive, uncaring god.  When we see God as the Bible says, "in the face of Jesus Christ," that is not the "god" we see.  We see Him Who is "The Eternal One," God of creation, redemption, forgiveness, Eternal life, God Who in Jesus Christ, "redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us," God Who in Jesus Christ goes out of His "way" to raise a widow's only son.  All the curses in the 54 verses of Deuteronomy 28, Jesus, "redeemed us," from.  But do not listen to those who say that means no matter what a person does, his choices, his disobedience even as a "believer" does not have "curse consequences."  My sin was nailed to the Cross, but my disobedience will reap "curse consequences."

Our mandate is to walk in the redemption, "from the curse of the law," in Jesus Christ, and, to walk in the obedience reward of Deuteronomy 28:1-14.  The curse warnings are for the good of humanity, not the destruction; disobedience brings that.  The Good News of Jesus Christ in His Shed Blood, Death, and Resurrection is that man does not have to live Deuteronomy 28:15-68!

Father, in Jesus' Name, help me to walk in the fear and joy of Your Words.  Amen.
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I posted an article about motherhood around the globe at:
www.jerusalemberlinwashington.blogspot.com

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2