Absolutely Wonderful!

J.A. Matteson

So splendid and beyond the reach of our imagination is the reality of heaven, to which we may stumble in grasping the delightful intent of biblical revelation in describing our part in it. "...and His bond-servants will serve Him" (Rev. 22:3). We may error in our understanding of what the Spirit is getting at in interpreting heavenly disclosures like this. It is not as though God is lacking anything in His person whereby our worship is necessary to complete Him. Nor is our service to be associated with work grudgingly performed. Rather in heaven the slow laborious process of our sanctification in Jesus Christ begun on earth is complete, glorification is our new eternal state. On earth saints groan within themselves over sin. Our worship and service are polluted by sin that continues to hinder our devotion to Jesus Christ. Now, consider your grandest moments in the Spirit, those so called mountain top experiences that enraptured your soul with inexpressible joy. Those moments were in time and restricted by your mortal limitation to grasp and fully experience the totality of who Jesus Christ is. Had He revealed the fulness of His divinity to you in the flesh you would have died (Ex. 33:21-23). Even Peter, James, and John only got a glimpse of Jesus' holiness on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt. 17:1-3). In heaven you will see Him as He is, face to face, and your capacity to experience the eternal will be realized by your new eternal nature as a glorified child of the Almighty. To serve Jesus Christ in heaven is God's gift to the saints, a mountain top experience eternal in its duration, eternal in its content, and without bounds in its satisfaction. For this reason the apostle observed that no one can even imagine how absolutely wonderful heaven is (1 Cor. 2:9). What we can be assured of is that human language fails to give adequate expression to its delightful reality. To serve the LORD in heaven is what the saints were created for, and in which they will receive their absolute contentment for eternity as the spotless bride of the Lamb of God, who ransomed her by His own blood. In the new year keep a watchful upward eye on heaven, for your Redeemer has promised that He comes quickly.

Copyright © 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("…the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8).

The Grandeur of His Person

J.A. Matteson

The greatest robber of joy is a practical denial of God's sovereignty in the present. "Hallelujah! For the LORD our God, the Almighty reigns" (Rev. 19:6). We keep waiting for God to do the miraculous, the extraordinary, when in every moment His divine presence holds all things together by the power of His word. Each sunrise, beat of the heart, breath, birth, all providences direct the eyes of the soul to the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the beginning and end of all things, seen and unseen. We live and move and have our being in Him, and as a goldfish in a bowl of water the familiarity of His providential care is such that we can easily overlook the miraculous and extraordinary in our daily experience. God drove home this point for Job who lost sight of His reign. Can you create the beauty of the sunrise? Can you comprehend the eagle riding the currents of wind beside majestic cliffs of basalt, or the salmon returning to spawn and die at the location of its birth? These are unseen testimonies of His reign over the natural world. His reign in the spiritual sphere is witnessed through the power of His word in transformed lives, uttering His praises and giving glory to God. At the present time satan holds the world under the power of his deceit. But his doom is sure, for in the fullness of time Jesus Christ will return and finally throw down opposition to His reign. By His power in the present order of all things we are confident, with absolute assurance, He will bring to pass that which He promised in the future. The dawning of the reality of God's reign in the past, present, and future is the saints joy. If joy is evasive to you this day, perhaps the supreme reign of Jesus Christ in and through all things has been obscured by the fog of the cares of this world. Take a moment to lift up the eyes of your heart and consider Him who was and is and is to come. The grandeur of His person and promises will again fill your heart with joy to overflowing.

Copyright © 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("…the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8).

Singularly Devoted

J.A. Matteson

God is continually speaking, but am I listening? Do I even care to listen, or am I satisfied to hear alone, not accepting His word by applying that which He speaks? "Hear now what the LORD is saying..." (Micah 6:1). Israel's stubbornness in the sin of idolatry had been repeatedly denounced by the prophets, the people heard the LORD's warning, but they did not listen and so corrective judgement visited them. The Spirits aim is to confront our will, unearthing for our observation and consideration persistent pockets of rebellion to His revealed will. The benevolence of the LORD is persistent in breaking through to our conscience level until justifications cease, endless explanations expire, and we humbly agree with God about that which He is speaking to us. As long as we persist in justification we are not prepared to listen, sin remains our master and in time we reap that which we sew. But you were not redeemed by the precious blood of Christ to be a walking contradiction, Jesus Christ is your Master, you have died to sin, you have been crucified with Christ and are now seated with Him in heavenly places. To be singularly devoted to Christ is joy and peace, to be double minded is sorrow, mental confusion, and spiritual atrophy. Hear and listen to what the Spirit is saying, make it your aim to walk by faith, applying His word regardless of perceived dangers for doing so. He will never abandon His children, to trust and obey is the gateway to genuine contentment and joy along your pilgrims journey.

Copyright © 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("…the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8).

True Peace

J.A. Matteson

To utter "Peace on earth" each December with the intent of the cessation of hostility among people and nations is naive and misdirected. "This One will be our peace...." (Micah 5:5). We instinctively survey the landscape of human experience in sin, its misery, strife, war, injustice, and rightfully long for a renewed order. The world is not at peace because it is at war with its Maker. Only in Jesus Christ is there true peace. Men cannot be at peace with each other unless they are first at peace with God through Jesus Christ. As saints we can hype ourselves up every December, singing songs of peace on earth and engage in all manner of charitable good deeds for those in need. But the glimmer does not last, the songs quickly fade, and once again the dire vexing misery of humanity returns. Our calling as saints is to perpetually direct those around us to the Prince of Peace, wherein they may find true and lasting peace. But until Jesus Christ returns to firmly and conclusively establish His kingdom on earth, making His enemies His footstool, the age old spiritual enmity between Isaac and Ishmael will continue. The earth will not know peace, but the heirs of the King of kings will walk in peace with Him who ransomed them from the wrath to come. In the present order peace on earth is extended to those with whom the LORD is well pleased, to those who have placed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ to save them from their sin. Until He comes the world will continue in strife and misery, yet during that time the saints of God are filled with joy, love, faith, and peace, for these qualities resonate within them as a result of the gift given to them, His Spirit.

Copyright © 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("…the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8).

Compassion for the Lost

J.A. Matteson

Compassion for the lost is a hallmark of God's character, and the LORD will deal firmly with His servants lacking compassion until it is deeply infused in them. "So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of the LORD" (Jonah 3:3). Jonah needed an attitude adjustment toward the lost of Nineveh, so the LORD set in motion adverse providences to tutor His servant in compassion in response to his hard hearted disobedience. A saint who lacks compassion for the lost is deficient in his understanding of the enormity of God's compassion toward him. Watch out, be on your guard against attitudes of condescension towards people not like you, sinners whom you feel are not worthy of God's compassion, individuals or groups of people whom you have written off, who have made unwise life choices. At some point the LORD will deal firmly with you through adverse providences until He brings you around to seeing your own depravity as He sees it. As the Lord Jesus Christ noted, he who has been forgiven little loves little, and he who has been forgiven much loves much (Lk. 7:47). It is the LORD's intent that saints perceive the vastness of their own iniquity and the extreme lengths He went to in order to show them compassion. If we lack compassion toward vile lost sinners it is because we have lost sight of our own spiritual poverty. And unless we bring our callous heart before the LORD in confession He will engineer unpleasant providences that will hit hard, circumstances we might otherwise avoid in order to bring us to our knees, so that we become useful to Him in reaching all souls for Jesus Christ.

Copyright © 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("…the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8).

The Wisdom of God

J.A. Matteson

Reason has nothing to do with conversion. No man has ever come to Jesus Christ by a sober evaluation of the facts. "Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?" (1 Cor. 1:20). The wisdom of the world denies the person and work of Jesus Christ because by the worlds economy He is not reasonable. Additionally, the wisdom of the world delights in reasoned debate, the weighing of evidence, the methodical consideration of counter points of view; that approach determines the merits of any proposition under consideration (Acts 17:18). By reasoned debate saints can subtly betray the power of the Gospel when they rely on the process itself rather than on God. The apostles engaged in reasoned debate, but understood it was not their eloquence or logic, but the power of the Spirit in the Gospel presented that convicted and converted souls (Acts 17:2, 18:19). When you conclude a presentation of Jesus Christ and your hearer does not confess Jesus as LORD, and if you walk away thinking, "I should have said such and such," you were relying on your methods, your debating skills and not the power of God. If God had been working in your hearers heart you could have made the feeblest presentation and your hearer would have joyfully accepted your testimony. The astonishing thing about Gods wisdom is that it obliterates any claim of merit, be it by the evangelist who leads the debate or the convert who participates. The unadulterated Gospel is presented and a hearer believes it, that is the wisdom of God: that faith justifies sinners. You can debate for days the facts of the incarnation, persuade for hours the evidence for the resurrection, plead with all your might that your hearer just stop being stubborn and accept your claims. But unless the wisdom of God is operative in the heart of the hearer, you are preaching to a walking corpse that cannot hear, see, or respond to spiritual things (1 Cor. 2:14). But to the called your message is the wisdom of God unto eternal life, for they hear and believe to the saving of the soul (1 Jn. 5:1). And when their lips confess Christ and the fruit of repentance is manifest in their lives, discerning saints understand it was not their reasoned debating skills in presenting Jesus Christ, nor the openness of the hearer that were responsible for new birth, but it was the wisdom of God revealed through the power of the Gospel, bring forth life, calling forth those whom the Father has given to His Son (Jn 5:21).

Copyright © 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("…the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8).

When the Struggle is Over

J.A. Matteson

Pay close attention to your response to providences that strike you as unpleasant or not right, for in them the LORD is revealing more of Himself to you. "...For the ways of the LORD are right, and the righteous will walk in them…." (Hos. 14:9). If He were to inform you of the entirety of His plan for your sanctification it would be overwhelming. What He is after is a placid trust in His ways which are always right, these are the providences He employs as the means to His desired end, your sanctification. Some providences come as a short blast and quickly pass, others being more prolonged, sometimes for days, weeks and years, depending on what the good pleasure of the LORD's will is in them relative to what He is seeking to accomplish in us, and our response to them in how quickly we learn their lessons. In the hands of the potter a lump of clay does not protest when an instrument is used to smooth off rough edges. Neither are pilgrims to pull back in protest when providences cut at the root of sin, self-reliance. Every providence, pleasant and unpleasant, is from the LORD. Forget about the idea of haphazard events impacting your life, that is what the pagans believe. When the unpleasant providence intersects your path the LORD first desires that you understand it is His way to further your sanctification. And coming from that LORD it is right. Maturity occurs when the struggle is over, when knee jerk reactions of doubt, anger, and fear are replaced with trust, joy, and courage. Upon His death sentence Jesus stood quietly entrusting Himself to Him who judges rightly. In prison Paul and Silas entrusted themselves to the LORD, singing joyously. Daniel and his companions entrusted themselves to the LORD knowing that in death or life He would deliver them from the peril confronting them in the fiery furnace. So listen carefully to your hearts response when contrary providences greet you along your way. Wisdom understands that through them the LORD is working out something beautiful in you for your good and His glory.

Copyright © 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("…the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8).

Ministry by Rote

J.A. Matteson

As a pilgrims journey progresses he is met with providences engineered to further sanctification. The pathway becomes difficult, emotional wounds received by others may become cumulative if not delt with, being internalized rather than laid at the foot of the cross. The failure to behold the mercy of God in them hardens the soul, giving root to spiritual cynicism where former ministerial delights become mere acts of religious obligation. "...I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead " (Rev. 3:1). Watch out for subtle changes in attitude and motives. Closely evaluate the inner chambers of your thought life. It is quite possible to continue on in ministry by rote long after the delights of ministry have died. The LORD sees it first because He knows your heart and cannot be deceived. You notice it second when the grace of God alerts you to it. The last to see it, if at all, are those around you. Take an inventory of your motives of ministry before the LORD. Ask Him if it is love for your neighbor or cold duty that compels you in your deeds of ministry. Then be prepared to make adjustments immediately to whatever the LORD reveals to you. A fresh vitality and zest will return to you as you continue along your journey.

Copyright © 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("…the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8).

The Dew is Off the Rose

J.A. Matteson

Nearly imperceptible is the cooling of passion, until some jarring event occurs, awakening the soul to its poverty. "...I have this against you, that you have left your first love. (Rev. 2:4). Recall the former days filled with eager wonder and excitement. No call to service was extreme and no amount of personal study, teaching and preaching could completely satisfy the hunger and thirst for more. Of high priority was the fellowship of the saints, their exhortation and encouragement persistently sought. But the dew is off the rose and the former passions have yielded to a mundane routine devoid of fire and enthusiasm. Battles have been fought and won, deeper and deeper faith has extended downward, its roots are strong and firmly established. Yet something is amiss, exuberant passion has ebbed, and the joy that captivated your heart has faded. Memory is a gift of God and serves many purposes. An honest accounting of what was and what is can redirect the hearts of saints to the former things of devotion. Love experienced finds expression. Blow upon the embers, stoke the coals of yearning, place dry wood upon the fire of sanctification. The path is familiar, retrace the steps, engage in the former things that enraptured your heart for the Lover of your soul. Forsake all others, return to Him in jubilant abandon and the former things will be fresh, new, and absolutely delightful.

Copyright © 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("…the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8).

The Superlative Petition

J.A. Matteson

Endless are the prayers and petitions saints might pose to the Father during their lifetime. The superlative petition is that they may be fully conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. "This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us" (1 Jn. 5:14). All other spiritual concerns are enveloped within our sanctification, being made Christlike in intent, thought, and action; this is God's explicit will for His children (1 Thess. 4:3). Upon making this petition every providence is understood as the LORD's means to further our request according to His will. What joy and sense of anticipation is the daily experience of saints so walking in the Spirit. Jesus Christ was so in tune with His Father that all that He thought and did was in perfect harmony with the will of His Father. Never did He speak a word or perform for an action contrary to the will of His Father. In the sanctification process the LORD will increasingly transform your motives, thoughts, and actions to reflect His will. And to the extend He conforms you to the image of His Son, instinctively you will increasingly be making prayers and petitions that are Christo-centric rather than ego-centric. And God is faithful along this line to finish in you that which He has begun (Phil. 1:6).

Copyright © 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("…the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8).

Principle of Conscience

J.A. Matteson

Growth in sanctification requires that our mind be engaged with our spirit. "But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself..." (Dan. 1:8). How easy it is to consider ourselves spiritual in the sense of advancing in grace and yet repeatedly fall into a pit when temptation arrives. Providence tested Daniel and he saw the kings choice food and wine for what they were, direct violations of conscience. Daniel lived by the principle of conscience, and that is a volitional habit. We can congratulate ourselves in faithfully advancing in our knowledge of Christ and His kingdom, but how about the application of the truth we confess? At some point reality demands that we translate the theoretical into the practical; that is, sanctification requires us to make up our mind to respond to a particular providence in a manner consistent with conscience . As a single man how will you respond when providence puts before you a desirable woman ready, willing, and able to share her intimate affections with you? Have you made up your mind? Consider Joseph who when seduced by Potiphar's wife fled (Gen. 39:1-20). When providence threatens reprisal over your witness to Christ how will you respond, have you made up your mind? Consider Peter's course of action as he applied the principle of conscience while threatened to refrain from preaching Christ (Acts 5:28-30). Living by the principle of conscience, engaging the mind with the spirit, is fundimental to spiritual growth in grace.

Copyright © 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("…the word of our God stands forever." Isa.40:8).

Fidelity to the Cross

J.A. Matteson

In order to maintain fidelity to the cross of Jesus Christ we are well served to note what it is the world hates about Him. "Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you" (1Jn. 3:13). Certainly it is not good deeds to our neighbor that the world objects to, and the saints are called to love their neighbor. Rather, it is the exclusivity of Jesus Christ that the world hates. It is His claim to be the way, the truth, and the life. It is the church's adherence to and proclamation of the Bible as the inspired, inerrant, and authoritative word of God that the world hates, and with all the force of hell it battles to extinguish. The desire to be accepted and liked is a part of our human nature. So many churches have strayed from the truth, calculating that if they can get the world to like them they will want to be like them, Christian. They then set out to reach their community by means of a social gospel of good works and intentionally water down or omit hard exegetical preaching and teaching, not wanting to offend. But the message of the cross is offensive! The result too often are pews filled with unregenerate souls, many of whom have been baptized and hold church membership. The words of Christ strike a hard blow of indictment at the delusional seeker sensitive church growth model, when Christ returns will He find faith upon the earth? (Lk. 18:8). Pursuing a social gospel is no gospel at all, it does not save. The power of the cross, expounded through the preaching of the word is God's means of conversion (Heb. 4:12). To deny the cross in exchange for a social gospel is to deny the faith, as it infers God is a liar, and that is dangerous territory. Purpose to be pleasing to God by adhering to the cross of Christ, expect opposition by the world. It is eternally better to be pleasing to God than to be a friend of the world.

Copyright © 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("…the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8).

The Life Manifested

J.A. Matteson

Too often saints feel burdened to be omniscient theologians when conversing with lost souls about Jesus Christ. Fear of rejection often restrains them from obedience to the Great Commission. This is Satan's preferred line of attack, to strike at the heart of our sin nature, pride. "...and the life was manifested...." (1 Jn. 1:3). Remember the simplicity of the Commission, God is not seeking theologians but obedient children who merely share their personal life changing encounter with the Life manifested to them. It is your testimony and no one can deny it any more than they can deny how you may feel about a rainy day or ham and eggs. The Samaritan woman at the well hurried to town to share her life changing encounter with the Life manifested (Jn. 4:28). Phillip shared his transformational encounter with Christ to Nathanael, imploring him to check out his story for himself, leading him to see Jesus (Jn. 1:45-47). The eternal Life was physically manifested in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. Now the Life is manifested by His Spirit. Those with ears to hear respond with gladness to His appearing to them. As the old hymn declares, "He touched me, yes He touched me, and oh the joy that floods my soul; something happened and now I know, He touched me and made me whole." That is the age old testimony of the saints. The Life was manifested to you, He touched you, and you have not been the same. The realization of the simplicity of the Great Commission unleashes joy in the shadow of the love of Christ, and His perfect love casts out all fear.

Copyright © 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("…the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8).

Compelled by the Spirit

J.A. Matteson

Never do saints err more than when they attempt to advise the LORD in spiritual matters by devising their own means to His kingdom ends. In so doing they generally put their hand to the wrong thing in the wrong time and in the wrong way. The Lord is working out His redemptive purposes all around you. When He chooses to include you in what He is doing you will know. "The hand of the LORD was upon me, and He brought me out...." (Ezk. 37:1). The apostle Paul was constrained by the love of Christ to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, "Woe is me if I do not preach" (1 Cor. 9:16). Peter was compelled by the Spirit to travel to the house of Cornelius to preach Christ crucified (Acts 10:20). John the Baptist was led by the Spirit into the wilderness and throngs flocked to hear of the baptism of repentance from dead works (Mk. 1:4). The LORD chose to establish a nation of His own possession and called Abram out from Ur of the Chaldeans (Gen. 12:1). When your God assignment comes it will be unmistakable. His hand will be upon you and you will be constrained to a particular course of action. As with Nehemiah the shrill threatening voices of Sanballat and Tobiah will not deter you from the LORD's call (Neh. 2:19). The duty of saints is to remain pliable and willing to obey the LORD in whatever He may call you to. Be prayerful, humble, ready and seeking. His plans always come in the fullness of His time and not yours.

Copyright © 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("…the word of our God stands forever…." Isa. 40:8).

The Gift Within

J.A. Matteson

When a person is born again they have bestowed within them the fullness of sanctification. It is up to saints to realize that which is theirs as heirs of Jesus Christ by reverently working out the gift within them in the daily experience of living. "His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness...." (2 Pet. 1:3). The zeitgeist of contemporary western Christianity doubts the apostle at this point. God has given His children everything necessary for them to grow in grace; the power of His Spirit to know and understand Him; the power of His word through the Scriptures to exhort and correct; the power of His church to extend the good news to the farthest reaches of the planet; the power of fellow pilgrims to comfort and protect our sensibilities when suffering and temptation threaten to diminish us. It is foolishness to be beholden to anything or anyone other than Jesus Christ for life and godly living. All of the books and seminars in the world, intended for good, can ever replace the simplicity of coming directly to Jesus Christ and being taught by Him. We cannot expect others to do that work for us, we must take the initiative to come to Him and grow in Him. The saints of old had neither seminars or books, yet they grew in grace. The same power for godly living that they knew is yours today in Jesus Christ and the power of His word. The grace of God accepts us as we are, but the grace of God does not leave us as we are.

Copyright © 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("…the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8).

Beware of an Attitude of Entitlement

J.A. Matteson

Beware of an attitude of entitlement that temps you to sin while suffering an injustice. "And if it is with difficulty the righteous is saved...." (1 Pet. 4:18). Satan knew the entitlements due Jesus Christ as the Son of God, tempting Him three times to illegitimately lay claim to what was His in order to bypass the ordained suffering as the Lamb of God prescribed by His Father. Faith is continually tested and refined in the furnace of external affliction and internal temptation. The pilgrims way is narrow and difficult. Along your journey there are countless temptations to overcome, a multitude of sinful passions to mortify, many sufferings to endure and difficulties to rise above. Faithfulness requires constant vigilance. As saints we must become aware of the voice of demonic temptation in our heads. We feel ill treated, abused, wronged in some way. It is in that setting Satan tempts us with a sense of entitlement to alleviate our suffering or to unjustly claim our entitlement, "I'm justified to feel this way after what he did to me!" This is the intersection where the pilgrims pathway becomes extremely difficult, increasingly narrow and steep. And then those around you chime in as Satan's instruments of unrighteousness further tempting you to claim that to which you feel entitled. Pray, beloved, pray fervently that the grace of God will uphold you to know the right and choose it. Apart from God's grace you will give way to temptation. By God 's grace nothing will be impossible for you, daily mortifying the flesh with its inclination to wickedness, working out your salvation with reverence and thankfulness. The victory is yours in Christ Jesus and in Him alone. Behold the cross and do not divert your attention from it and Christ will uphold you in your suffering.

Copyright © 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("…the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8).

Presuming Upon Tomorrow

J.A. Matteson

Beware of the presumption of future time and events where you confidently picture yourself doing such and such, without first submitting your desires to God. "Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow…." (Jas. 4:14).
On the one hand we quickly confess the doctrine of God's sovereignty, but in our routine experience we deny it through our presumption of actually being here tomorrow and, additionally, we confidently assume particular tasks will be accomplished. All such presumption is brazen arrogance before the LORD who governs the times and seasons of our lives. Delightful before the LORD is a contrite submission to His providential hand. The aim for saints is to walk in the Spirit with childlike wonder of His providential dealings with us. Never consider your circumstances and lot as odd, but see in them divine graces intended to further your sanctification. Yesterday is history and tomorrow belongs to God, you have no claim on it. The LORD's will determines your participation in tomorrow, or not. Rejoice, therefore, in today and give thanks for His many blessings given to you. And regardless of what today holds recognize His sovereignty over your brief tenancy on the earth, submit to it, and in so doing avoid the sin of presuming upon tomorrow and what you plan to accomplish in it.

Copyright © 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("…the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8).

Honorable Speech

Forget about your exhilarating private devotional times and your wondrous thoughts about the majesty and glory of God, for by these you may deceive yourself as to the true state of your soul. The actual barometer of spiritual health is how we speak of other people, those who we find our selves at odds with. "With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God" (Jas. 3:9). Consistency in honorable speech is the Spirits fruit within, and apart from grace inconsistency characterizes our speech. Examine your speech toward the Lord and your adversary, are they similar or a contradiction? If you find inconsistency pray that the Lord root it out until the words of your mouth and the meditations of your heart are consistent in offering honorable speech to both God and those made in His image.

Copyright © 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("…the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8).

The Disobedience of Doubt

J.A. Matteson

As a saint it is vital that you settle in your mind God's love toward you. Otherwise when trouble comes you will sin through the disobedience of doubt. "'The LORD is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I have hope in Him'"(Jer. 3:24). The Lord Jesus Christ promised that in this world you will have trouble, so why are you repeatedly surprised when it knocks on your door? Forget the notion that life is predictable or that you are able to direct outcomes and circumstances. Beware of the exasperation that mutters, "What do you want from me?" This is the will of God for you, your sanctification (1 Thess. 4:3). Trouble comes at times because of our sin, at other times due to the sin of those around us, and in other occasions not due to sin but in connection to God's refining purposes of good. As a saint you are the LORD's and He is yours, your inheritance as a child of God. When trouble comes look to Him as your hope, rejecting the wisdom of the world to look elsewhere. All who place their trust in Him will never be disappointed. He is the pearl of great price and He has given you the most precious gift there is, Himself.

Copyright © 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("…the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8).

In Grave Peril

J.A. Matteson

To spurn God's free gift of forgiveness in Christ invokes His eternal wrath. "For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins" (Heb. 10:26). Saints sin, and yet they have an Advocate, the Lord Jesus Christ, who intercedes for them when they confess their sin. In view here is the sin of unbelief, not the daily stumbling of imperfect souls grieved by sin. To confess Christ and later retract that confession places the soul in grave peril. There is nowhere else to turn for pardon, the old covenant sacrificial system being abolished in Christ; the fearful assurance of damnation is sealed. Who are these souls to which the writer refers? They are those of the false circumcision, not having received the washing of the word and the Spirit of promise, impostors, tears among the wheat of God's harvest. For a little while they spring forth, appearing radiant, but when difficulty and persecution come in response to the word and the name of Christ they fall away, preferring the praise of men over God. Saints are of the true circumcision, that of the heart, recipients of grace resulting in regeneration. These persevere in the face of persecution to the saving of the soul, refusing to deny Him who did not deny them. And He who promised is faithful, completing in them what He promised. With great joy saints rest assured that the same power that awakened them to Christ is able to keep them in Christ. They have ceased from working, finding and enjoying their rest in Him now and for eternity.

Copyright © Immutable Word Ministries 2013 ("…the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8).

Behold the Cross

J.A. Matteson

When we come to Jesus we come to the cross. For in the cross the fearsome wrath and overflowing grace of God are revealed. It is imperative that we behold His passion and suffering, that we remain there, intensely staring at His bloodied body until the full force of His atoning sacrifice is felt. "He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death.... (Heb. 9:15). We will not live for Christ until we behold the awfulness of the cross and look upon the marque above His head and see our name inscribed. When we allow the terror of the cross to penetrate our heart, grace awakens us to the love of God extended through it. And our love returned to Him empowers us to obediently endure suffering for His names sake, knowing that our Redeemer lives and that our eternal inheritance in Christ is secure. If we will die for Christ, let us also live for Him.

Copyright (c) Immutable Word Ministries 2013, (...for the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8).

Choosing Obedience

J.A. Matteson

How we perceive suffering determines our response to it and our progress in sanctification. "Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered" (Heb. 5:8). Unless the test comes righteous virtues remain academic, and God's aim is to make the intellectual intensely practical. The Lord calls disciples to pray for their enemies, to return good for evil. It is in the midst of rejection and persecution that the command is codified in our thinking and behavior. Suffering is our tutor unto righteousness, infusing our faith into tangible good works. The Lord declared that His disciples would be known by their fruit, grace softens the redeemed soul undergoing suffering, making it increasingly pliable to the hands of the Potter. The apostle Paul observed that he had learned to be content in all things; the process of suffering he experienced is no different for you. Every godly virtue displayed in a mans life is learned in the furnace of suffering. It is in the heat of suffering your will affirms its love for Christ, choosing obedience over disobedience. The Lord moves you from grace to grace and from faith to faith through suffering, culminating in the transformation of your outlook whereby God's perspective becomes yours. When at first in the midst of suffering you obeyed hesitantly, you now joyfully endure the trial with great patience, knowing that your Father is conforming you more and more into the image of His Son.

Copyright © 2013, Immutable Word Ministries ("…the word of our God stands forever" Isa. 40:8).

Faith in the Hearer

J.A. Matteson

A symbiotic effect between a hearer of the word and the word itself governs the redemptive work of God. "For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard" (Heb. 4:2). The word preached is not mixed with faith subsequent to its declaration, so as to contemplate its truth and give ascent to it, implying that faith resides within all and may be switched on and off as a light switch. What does the apostle say? Namely, that faith in the hearer supersedes the word heard; it is there in some, latent, ready to be released by the hearing of the living word. How do we account for this? Grace accounts for the possession of latent faith that positively responds to the word, being the gift of regeneration. You heard the word and instantly you were refreshed by it, encouraged in it, filled with hope through it. Apart from the latent gift the word falls on deaf ears and is unprofitable. Rejoice, brethren, that the word you heard was united with faith, and give thanks to the Lord most high from whom it was given.

Copyright © 2013, Immutable Word Ministries ("…for the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8).

Proclaim it Faithfully

J.A. Matteson

Characteristic of sin is its intense, and at times violent, inclination to self-preservation. "When Jeremiah finished speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak to all the people, the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him, saying, 'You must die!'" (Jer. 26:8). There is one judge and lawgiver, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not the Christians place to pass judgement, leave that to God. It is enough to faithfully proclaim His excellent word preserved in Scripture. In it the Holy Spirit applies to individual hearts what is needed. Resist your inclination to presume what people need, your judgement will generally be in error, for all you can do is draw conclusions from outward appearances, it is the LORD who examines the heart. Scripture us a gift of the LORD to His people while a tool of condemnation to those who do not believe. It is sufficient to prepare God's people for every good work. As it is taught and preached some will hear it and embrace it. Others will seem unphased by it. Still others will be outwardly incensed by it, angered that the inward condition of their heart has been exposed. It is not your place to obsess over how Scripture is received; it is your duty to proclaim it faithfully and boldly with conviction and love. Commit the message of the LORD and your welfare into His hands as a good and faithful servant. And in all your preaching and teaching keep a watchful eye on the blessed hope of His immanent return.

Copyright (c) 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8)

Oh What Joy!

J.A. Matteson

There are endless enterprises competing for your allegiance during your brief time on earth; only one has eternal consequences. "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith" (2 Tim. 4:7). Drafted into the LORD's army your calling is praiseworthy, its end righteous. Daily engaged in spiritual warfare through the ministry of the word you have trained well and grown in endurance, completing your training course of sanctification set by God. By grace, your life has reflected admirable fidelity in preserving the faith once for all delivered to the saints, unwavering in the defense of sound doctrine through which souls are ransomed. Now, just over the horizon, is the finish line of your course. Oh what joy and satisfaction is in store for you as your finish line approaches, knowing that in all things the Lord, your righteous judge, has faithfully completed in you all that He promised, enabling you to stand in season and out of season for His glory. Oh death where is your victory? Oh sin where is your sting? Blessed is the death of the saints of the LORD and beautiful is their life testimony.

Copyright (c) 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8)

Truth is Singular

J.A. Matteson

The word of life is living and active, procuring God's intended purposes within those foreknown to Him. "Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you" (2 Tim. 1:14). In speaking to Pontius Pilot, Jesus Christ stated that He had come to bear witness to the truth, and all who are of the truth hear and follow Him. Truth is singular, not plural. The wisdom of the world persuades men to be open minded, to keep their options open, lest they offend someone with dogmatic propositional truth. Jesus Christ was unwavering in His sober declaration of the truth; indeed, being the incarnation of Truth. Inasmuch as souls are on the line and the only means by which they may be snatched from the fire is through the truth of the gospel, it is imperative that ambassadors resist the temptation of political correctness, by adding to or deleting from its essence. Let God be God, He will accomplish His purposes in those who hear the gospel. So guard it you must with all that is within you. But praise be to God that in your striving to keep it the Spirit of Truth within you enables you to keep it. To Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, to preserve you blameless on that Day, be the power, honor, dominion and authority, now and forever more.

Copyright (c) 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8)

Peace as a River

J.A. Matteson

Idolatry knows many faces, and a man lacking understanding endears himself to his endowments while feigning ignorance of Him who gave them. "Thus says the LORD, 'Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast on his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,' declares the LORD" (Jer. 9:23f). The LORD protects His children from the evil one, provides for their sustenance, contends with any who seek them harm, extends benevolent mercy to all who revere His name, exercises justice by metering out a measured recompense toward instigators of wickedness, advances righteousness providentially in the affairs of men, and is intensely jealous for the singular affections of His people. Fidelity of heart before the LORD knows safety, security, sanctification. For who can contend against the LORD of Hosts and prevail? Are not the very endowments in which you trust gifts from His merciful hand? Indeed! You have lifted the skirt and in seduction been led away in darkness to engage in what is unseemly. In arrogance and ignorance you entrust yourself to the might of your position, the treasury of your wealth, the cunning of your instincts. Surely the justice and righteousness of the LORD will visit you as a tornado, and as chaff obliterating the idols of your affection. Seek the LORD while He may be found. Repent of your adulteries and delight in the knowledge of Him who calls you by name. Safety and security are within the gates of His courts, peace as a river flows to all who place their hope and trust in Him.

Copyright (c) 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8)

Delight in Correction

J.A. Matteson

Blessed is the soul that hungers and thirsts after the word of the LORD, for he shall be satisfied, and his branch will yield the fruit of righteousness. Woe to the soul that is cold to the word of truth, for he walks in a precarious way where destruction is around the bend. "Behold, the word of the LORD has become a reproach to them; they have no delight in it" (Jer. 6:10b). Delight in correction, aspire to His judgements, dwell in the courts of His majesty. Pursue the illuminated way, eschew the path of darkness. Consider the depth of deceit within and slay the idol of pride. Come to the everlasting water of life, rejoice in its healing, proclaim its abundance to a desert land, to a people stumbling in darkness. Beware of so called messengers of God unwilling to proclaim the full counsel of the LORD, who dip and dive in its exposition to their own ruin and that of their hearers. Delight in the mercies of the word and it's hard sayings. Humble yourself before your God and He will lift you up. Humility of heart is as elegant perfume before the LORD, hardness of heart and deaf ears as that of rotting flesh.

Copyright (c) 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8)

God's Choice of You

J.A. Matteson

Divine purpose defines your existence and what may appear arbitrary is intentional. "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations" (Jer. 1:5). Consider your calling, brethren, and Him who knows you eternally. To "know" is to choose, set apart, sanctify. Divine intentionality guides providences which on the surface may appear random, disconnected. Inasmuch as God's choice of you occurred in eternity your life had no bearing in His choice of you. He is the Potter and you a are a lump of clay. To "consecrate" is to direct to a specific calling. To "appoint" is to ordain. As one known by God your life is rich in purpose. The age in which you were born, your lineage, the geographical local of your entrance into the world were all determined. Soberly discerning your God given endowments is fundamental to being a good steward and it is also the pathway to the highest joy. Consider, therefore, who the Lord made you to be in light of strengthens, inclinations, satisfaction, and effectiveness. As these come into alignment you are walking in the way He has intended for His purpose and glory.

Copyright (c) 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8)

The Evangelistic Imperative

J.A. Matteson

It is good news that God saves sinners and that the word of truth is to be broadcast to all races and tongues, to all ranks within them. "This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim. 2:4-5). Far from a theological plea espousing universalism the apostle highlights that which is an abomination to the Jews; viz., salvation is available to the Gentiles. Even heathen kings are entitled to hear of the mercies of God in Jesus Christ. The LORD's revealed intent of the recipients of salvation is expressed, the identity of individuals within larger groups is confined to His secret will. In the day of Noah the LORD took no pleasure in the extermination of the wicked, neither will He when He returns to earth calling forth His bride while inflicting wrath upon those hardened in unbelief. What can be said of these things? Today is the day of salvation. Let all who hear of the mercies of the LORD through the gospel turn to Christ in faith. None are excluded from God's invitation, it is His will that all know of it, highlighting the evangelistic imperative of Jesus Christ. To all who have ears to hear, let them hear.

Copyright (c) 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8)

The Heavenly Echo

J.A. Matteson

In the final analysis you are alone in the world, all around you is temporal, including those near and dear to you. "May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ" (2 Thess. 3:5). In a mechanized world rife with chatter and noise of every variety your heart can easily become disquieted, the peace of God becoming an academic ideal rather than a daily experience. A heavy melancholy unexpectedly washes over you, and you are not sure of its source as all appears well in your circumstances. What is this strange inward sense of unsettledness and whence does it come? It comes from God and is His gift to His children. Slow down, look upon Christ, ask the Lord to allow you to perceive the spiritual reality of your present surroundings, marvel in the moment of your journey. Yesterday is history and tomorrow a mere possibility. Today, this day, now, grace directs your heart upward to the heavenly call in Christ Jesus. Do you sense it, that ache within you for what is transcendent, eternal? Can you identify that unsettled feeling of melancholy that something here on earth is missing? Within your heart is the earnest of your salvation, the Spirit of Christ, directing your heart upward, higher and higher, to the heavenly echo, to a city not built with hands, to a dwelling place fashioned by the love of God. The heavenly echo gently calls to you constantly, but the noise of the world can muffle it. You notice it in the gentle wind through the leaves in autumn, the starry host as brilliant diamonds laid against the black velvet of night, the bright glimmer of light upon the water, an eagle soaring upon the updraft of mountain currents, the endearing warm familiar smile of family and friends. For all creation unceasingly speaks forth in proclaiming the glory of the LORD. Be quiet, listen for it, in an instant your heart is calmed in Christ, safe and secure. You realize you are indeed alone in the world, that all may be taken away at any time. Oddly enough, it is well with your soul, because the love of Christ given you endures forever and you shall forever be with the Lord. In a moment, in a very short while, time will give way to eternity, where eye has not seen nor heart imagined all that God has prepared for those who love Him. Rejoice, beloved, for your Savior is gently calling, He will return for you soon. Give thanks in all things and at all times, rejoice in the love of Christ, marvel that eternity has no end, neither does the love of Christ toward you.

Copyright (c) 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8)

The Arm of the LORD Revealed

J.A. Matteson

Evangelism wrongly interpreted is a wearisome task, yet correctly understood a joyful endeavor. "Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?" (Isa. 53:1). Apart from grace the mission of the saints is futile, guaranteed to fail. Weariness is experienced by ambassadors who err in understanding God's sovereignty in redemption. They measure success by favorable responses to their plea that souls be reconciled to God through Christ. The prophet soberly discerned that apart from the power of the Spirit giving the deaf ears to hear (the arm of the LORD revealed) none would accept the message. As rain from heaven accomplishes its purpose of bringing forth and sustaining life, so too the gospel accomplishes its purpose of bringing forth life to those in darkness, whose names are written in the Lambs book of life from eternity. You know not who they are, no external identifiable mark is given among them so as to draw your attention. Only after the the gospel is presented does it become apparent to whom the arm of the LORD has been revealed, for they believe in Jesus Christ to the salvation of their souls, the word of grace having accomplished its purpose. To this end the Apostle Paul confidently persevered in an otherwise impossible mission, joyfully proclaiming, "...I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory" (2 Tim. 2:10).

Copyright (c) 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8)

Sanctification

J.A. Matteson

To know the right and to do it is your duty in Christ Jesus. "For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is you abstain from... (1 Thess. 4:3). Meditations of the heart align with the correlation of the will in response to the revealed word of correction. Let the word of God inform your mind and inclinations toward holiness, forsaking all that is opposed to the righteousness of Christ. Resist the temptation as you go along to measure your progress in Christ by the possession of and employment of His gifts. You teach others, but do you teach yourself? You confront blatant sin in your brother yet subtly justify immorality in your own heart. The measure of the LORD of progress in grace is the fruit of His Spirit; viz., love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Gal. 5:22-23). Beseech the LORD daily to reveal anything in you hindering His Spirit from manifesting more fruit and you will be fulfilling the LORD's will of sanctification, your progress in grace being evident to all, to the praise and glory of His name.

Copyright (c) 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8)

Skillfully Crafted

J.A. Matteson

In wisdom and power the LORD brought you into being. As God is infinite, so are the unlimited expressions of His image through humanity. Each individual is thoughtfully and skillfully crafted to His satisfaction and for His glory. It is an affront to the LORD and sinful to call into question His wisdom and power in what He has created. “Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker. An earthenware vessel among the vessels of earth! Will the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you doing?’ Or the thing you are making say, ‘He has no hands’?" (Isa. 45:9). You look around and see others have been bestowed with a higher intellectual capacity and so covet what is not yours. Looking into the mirror you inspect the form the LORD was pleased to create and are displeased, desiring that of another. Participating in athletics you grudgingly acknowledge a superior ability of teammates and rivals, dissatisfied with the limits of your abilities. All such thinking is covetous and violates the tenth commandment. Dissatisfaction of this sort illustrates a lack of appreciation for who and what the LORD created you to be. Are you wiser than He? Is your power greater than His? Are your motives purer than His? In and through your being He is well pleased to express His image, a unique representation of His glory. Rejoice, therefore, in the work of His hands, as this is well pleasing to Him. Appreciate the unique attributes the LORD has given you to His glory and you will with satisfaction and wonder will cry out with David, "I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well" (Ps. 139:14).

Copyright (c) 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8)

The Joy in the Journey

J.A. Matteson

A particular providence intersects your experience and with joy you discern the hand of God in you good fortune. Be careful that you do not allow past providences to codify in your thinking future ones as the LORD typically operates in your life uniquely. "Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things of the past" (Isa. 43:18). Markers of the past are worthy of remembrance as they strengthen faith. Yet they are not necessarily indicative of what God may do tomorrow. Be careful not to idolize the past providence; rather, worship the God of the providence. Moses had one burning bush experience and Joshua one Jericho, and yet the LORD continued His work in their midst. The key is to be watchful. Persist in your expectation of God's personal dealings but abandon your notion that the past will light the way in your present circumstances. If you insist in history repeating itself you may miss the providence in the present. The joy in the journey exceeds merely recognizing how the LORD may choose to act, but in awe beholding the reality that He acts for good in our lives at all. The LORD is eternal and unlimited are the ways in which He may choose to operate in your life. Always be seeking and asking, "Lord, what have we here?", all such dependence is pleasing in His sight.

Copyright (c) 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8)

A Supernatural Event

J.A. Matteson

The revealed word is clear, yet some persist in contentious debates about it, brashly and ignorantly denying the truth of God's effectual call to His elect. "knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you; for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit with full conviction" (1 Thess. 1:4-5). There can be no conversion without conviction by the Spirit because in the natural realm conviction of soul is impossible to the spiritually dead. Conviction implies there is life, and spiritual life is not possible apart from regeneration. Regeneration is a supernatural event and finds its initiative and power in God. The gospel is preached to two men, one man experiences conviction leading to conversion and the other is unphazed. To account for this the humanist insists both men came under conviction by the Spirit, one man chose wisely by confessing Christ and the other chose foolishly by denying Him. But that assessment contradicts the apostle and grossly distorts the grace of God but defining it as something one merits through volitional choices. The gospel of grace, according to the apostle, is that God's elect are eternally loved by Him, and in the fullness of time He regenerates their dead spirits, effectually calling them to salvation, convicting them through the gospel; to the elect the Spirit brings conviction of sin leading to conversion, to the reprobate the Spirit passes over them, not bringing the power of conviction. Some might protest, "That's not fair!" It certainly is not equal. Is there injustice with God? Absolutely not! What can be said of these things? One man receives grace while the other receives justice. Neither man receives injustice. The children of God love Him because He first loved them and called them to salvation. Where is boasting? It is eliminated. To the praise of His glorious name.

Copyright (c) 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8)

Rooted in Christ

J.A. Matteson

As a citizen of the kingdom of heaven your orientation towards a matter is rooted in Christ. "Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth" (Col. 3:2). In every occasion it is the kingdom of God and His righteousness that informs your impulses and decision making. The apostle is not being mystical but practical in his exhortation. Direct your heart toward the principles of kingdom life governed by the character of Christ and your mind will be rightly focused. The inward and outward fruit of the Spirit will be evident both to you and those observing your confession as to your progress in Christ: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control. These stand in stark relief against the things of the earth such as power, position, pride, pettiness, immorality, sensuality, perversion, rudeness, selfishness, greed, materialism, idolatry, deceit and the like. Attitudes and behaviors flow from that which fills the heart. When Christ is the meditation of the heart the fruit of the Spirit buds plentifully His righteousness. To not focus on Christ is to give sway to the things of the earth yielding its bitter fruit.

Copyright (c) 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8)

By Grace Through Faith

J.A. Matteson

When communicating the gospel take care so as not to unduly burden souls with artificial prescriptions of confession to satisfy your insecurities as an Ambassador for Christ. "and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith" (Phil. 3:9). You have spent sufficient time explaining Law and Gospel. When probed for comprehension your hearer expresses understanding and belief in your message. Rejoice with them at that point, beloved, for their confession of faith in Christ is evidence of their regeneration and conversion by grace. The common tendency at this point by many evangelicals is to pull them along a prescribed liturgy through directed questions and declarative answers as though that process saves them. God has already saved them which is why they believe the gospel you shared. Their righteousness before God is given them by grace through faith and not by fabricated rhetorical outlines conceived by men. Your task as Christ's ambassador at this point is to help them to understand with all the saints that their faith comes by grace and is the instrumental cause of their salvation, but it is Christ alone who is the efficient cause of it.

Copyright (c) 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8)

Faith and Suffering

J.A. Matteson

Suffering for Christ's sake is the destiny of every believer; its form, duration, and intensity being ordained by God according to His purposes. "For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake" (Phil. 1:29). The fruit of suffering is perseverance. In a fallen world that suppresses the truth of God in unrighteousness suffering is unrelenting and unavoidable to saints walking in the Spirit. Therefore, do not consider your suffering for Christ unusual, as though it is directed at you in response to some defect in your witness, it is your lot, and an indication that the fragrance of Christ is upon you. You cannot suffer for Christ apart from believing in Him, and you cannot believe in Him save by grace. Faith and suffering are two sides of the same coin of redemption on grace. Knowing that it is by grace you believe and suffer for the name of Christ, rejoice, for your suffering validates your adoption as a true child of God.

Copyright (c) 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8)

Intercession for the Saints

J.A.Matteson

The manor and frequency of our intercession for the saints reflects our maturity in understanding spiritual realities. "be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints" (Eph. 6:18). Abiding branches are fused with life flowing graces, a Spirit directed burden for the saints being foundational. It is impossible to be abiding in Christ, producing much fruit, yet not continually be burdened for the welfare of the saints, as it is the Spirit who directs the heart of His people in accordance to the will of God. You may consider yourself spiritually mature, yet if your heart is cold or indifferent to the plight of the saints near and far, something is out of kilter. We may convince ourselves that our abiding is intimate, but the burden of our heart, evidenced by the fruit of our prayer life, reveals the true nature of our abiding. To abide closely with Christ is to have the mind of Christ, and the affections of Christ are continually directed to the mission and well being of the saints. When the Spirit quickens your heart to a deficit area in your abiding, such as intercessory prayer for the saints, be prompt to listen and obey. As you intercede for brethren you may not personally know, rejoice, for they in turn are interceding for you, that in all things and through all things Christ may reign supreme, and that the love of Christ, through His body, may proclaim the riches of His grace to those who walk darkness, that they may hear with their ears and see with their eyes the beauty and majesty of the cross, and the Lamb who was slain and now is seated at the right hand of the Father, highly exalted, enthroned above every authority and principality, to the praise of His wonderful name.

Copyright (c) 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8)

Consider Your Associations

J.A. Matteson

Pilgrims are in the world but not of the world, so the associations they keep ought to foster behaviors pleasing to the LORD. "And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit" (Eph. 5:18). Is your regular chosen environment since coming to Christ one that has as it's central focus the glory of God? Heathen gentile practices in Ephesus paid homage to Dionysus, the god of wine. Through excessive consumption it was believed the deity entered the body inspiring ecstatic utterances, frenzied dancing and music. Bad company corrupts good morals. Consider your associations and the company you keep. Are you representing the light of Christ or are you being drawn into behaviors for which you are ashamed? Separation from the influences of darkness is wisdom, especially when you are weak in the faith and vulnerable to peer pressure to conform. Rather, surround yourself with associations by which you might grow in grace by embracing environments that exalt the Lord Jesus Christ through thanksgiving, applying the Word, and the joyful singing spiritual songs of praise.

Copyright (c) 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8)

No Accommodation in the Gospel

J.A. Matteson

Numerous are the opining boasts of men without understanding and deadly is the outcome for the simple who persist in trusting them. "Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience" (Eph. 5:6). To each generation is given so called authorities of cultural norms, sentinels of the status quo, respected purveyors of antithetical propositions to the word of God. Their boasts are tantalizing, seducing unregenerate minds through self-justificational propositions that appeal directly to the flesh. Religious pluralism, moral relativism, and humanism reign supreme in the present day as alternative explanations and expressions for human existence, purpose, and behavior. These stand juxtaposed to the Christ who dared to proclaim that He came to bear witness to the truth, and that all who are of the truth hear and follow Him. In each generation the pure gospel is deemed by society a scandal, for it collides forcefully with satanic delusions. The tension between the gospel and the world system is constant so that the saints in every generation may know how closely their profession and lives align with it based upon the backlash they experience. Beware when the whole world speaks well of you! There is no accommodation in the gospel, no adding to or deleting from its essential elements so as to make it more desirable--relevant--to the whims of unregenerate souls. To the contrary, by the wisdom of God, it is precisely through the foolishness of the message of the cross that genuine conversion takes place. The power of conversion is in the gospel once for all delivered to the saints. Proclaim the apostolic gospel, and no other, as it alone is the only means through which sinners can be saved.

Copyright (c) 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8)

The Delight of the LORD

J.A. Matteson

Peace and security are certain possessions of the saints. "Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; for the LORD God is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation" (Isa. 12:2). He who delivered you eternally from spiritual death and wrath will sovereignly establish your steps according to the good pleasure of His will to the praise of His glory. Contemplate the Lord's dealings with you, discern His providences. Oh the variety of means and manifold occasions He has delivered you from trouble prior to and subsequent to your conversion. He who is able to save from that which is unseen, how much easier is it for Him to deliver from what is seen. The delight of the LORD is the heart that trusts Him, the soul who's meditation and song is the faithfulness of our God. Many are the devises and relentless are the arrows of the evil one directed at the faith of the sheep. By grace they are not afraid, for the Shepherd of their souls shields them, and the staff of His salvation is powerful in His hand against the adversary. Sing a song of praise to the Lord, let your lips utter a new song of deliverance to your Redeemer, for the Lord Christ Jesus is always powerfully and tenderly near.

Copyright (c) 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8)

The Love of Christ

J.A. Matteson

Reason and intellectual inquiry utterly fail to uncover the mystery of the love of God through Christ toward His people, "and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God" (Eph. 3:19). By grace is this love received and comprehended, and exceedingly personal is its application by the Spirit. When by grace a sinner's understanding is illumined to the gospel of peace everything else becomes incidental. Time and eternity are laid bare in the midst of the reality of earthly suffering as a mere trifle in the context of the redemptive glory to be revealed. The love of Christ personally experienced through the gospel compels His servants to persevere in the face of unrelenting opposition, for they know, not in theory, but in truth what is the exceeding wealth of His glory towards all who believe through the foolishness of the preaching of the gospel. Eternal in origin, limitless in power, boundless in scope, beyond measure is the love of Christ toward His people. From grace to grace and faith to faith the love of Christ and the joy He gives sprouts forth in their hearts with increasing abundance to the glory of the Father. If this love is foreign to you Jesus bids you to come to Him today.

Copyright (c) 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8)

Hidden in Christ

J.A. Matteson

Beloved, in your dealings with people as Christ's ambassador, consider how you speak of those whom you have influenced for Christ. "But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ..." (Gal. 6:14). The object of your boasting reveals much about your understanding of the cross of Christ. What is the nature of your boast with those whom you have impacted? Consider the object of the apostles boast, it was in the completed work of Jesus Christ on the cross on behalf of His people. He understood that as Christ was lifted up He would draw all people to Himself, Gentile as well as Jew, that the message of the cross was not exclusive, but freely offered to all with ears to hear, and that by the keeping of the Law no one would be saved. To boast in the cross of Christ is to credit His work alone for all that is praiseworthy in the person who confesses Jesus as Lord, for apart from the work of the Spirit no one can confess Him as Lord. Their conversion and sanctification is the mark of grace in them, the evidence that they are children of promise, that the unseen circumcision of the heart by the Spirit has occurred, that by their confession and possession of genuine faith they have been sealed for the day of redemption. They need not conform to outward cultural norms, be they societal or denominational, to be validated as genuine heirs of grace, for their validation is hidden in Christ and evidenced by their progress in Him according to His Spirt who works mightily in them. It is in this finished work of Christ on the cross, with its effectual power by the Spirit in all who believe, that we greatly rejoice! Therefore, beware of burdening any brother or sister in Christ with dictates established by men which are antithetical to the grace of God. It is for freedom that Christ has set you free, do not be bound again by fabricated yokes of men.

Copyright (c) 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8)

By the Power of Christ

J.A. Matteson

Conversion is not without behavioral transformation, and its fruit is sourced in Christ Jesus who died for your justification and was raised that you might walk in newness of life. "Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires" (Gal. 5:24). When you were converted to Christ you could no longer continue in your former state of iniquity, for you became a new creation in Christ Jesus. And this transformation was not of your doing, but by divine initiative you are redeemed. As a leopard cannot change his spots, neither can an unregenerate man fundamentally alter his sinful nature, for he does not even desire to do so. When you responded to the call of Christ you slowly became aware that your former base desires had been replaced with a desire for holiness. Whereas before your conversion you delighted in satisfying the cravings of the sinful nature, you now are deeply grieved by those things which formerly brought you great satisfaction. Striving daily to mortify the flesh with its sinful desires is both the assurance of adoption and burden of kingdom life. Christ satisfied on the cross your sin debt and by grace His Spirit is operative within you, incrementally conforming you to His image. Painfully slow at times is the noticeable transformation of sanctification to the child of God, who is always mindful of sinful inclinations and distressed by them; rejoice in this for it bears witness that you belong to Christ. And lest you become discouraged beyond measure, recall that the battle has been won, being settled at Calvary. And the life that you now live in the flesh you live by the power of God to the glory of God. He who called you is faithful and will bring to completion that which He started in you. To the praise of His glorious name.

Copyright (c) 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8)

Christ Alone

J.A. Matteson

The most splendid awakening in a mans heart is the realization that he has been crucified with Christ, that he has been made right before God, not by merit, but by grace through faith. "I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly" (Gal. 2:21). And a stumbling block indeed is the gospel of grace to the unregenerate mind. For if man lacks an understanding of God's plan of justification heaven will be closed to him. Should a man be trusting to any degree in anything or anyone other than in Christ alone, he does not yet understand the gospel, and if he does not understand the gospel he is still in his sin. The miracle of conversion is in the work of the Spirit, wherein the joyful dawning of justification occurs, not on the basis of the Law, but on account of Christ alone through the instrumentality of faith alone. As a flash of lightening the redeemed understand they are justified, for they believe, and that not of themselves, but through the Spirit they discern that the work of Christ and the faith to believe, is the gift of God. And in this they greatly rejoice giving all the praise and glory for their salvation to God alone.

Copyright (c) 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8)

The Wisdom of God

J.A. Matteson

The content and effect of the message of the cross upon the heart testify to its origin and truth. "For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man" (Gal. 1:11). Your base inclination is to esteem that which is dazzling; the cross is unsettling. Your base desire is for affirmation; the cross condemns. Christ informs you that that which you presumed to be true is false, and that which the world declares as false is true. Through the gospel the wisdom of God is revealed, brilliantly setting forth the inverse relationship between grace and the depraved wisdom of men. The gospel of Christ is antithetical to the wisdom of man and left to themselves men of corrupt mind would categorically reject it. But when grace illumines the heart to the majesty of Christ all else gets turned upside down. And a man would die a thousand deaths before denying the truth revealed in him. Intensely personal is the call of God, and no two mens accounts are identical. Yet the effect of grace is identical in that the work of the Spirit brings forth life from that which was dead, faith from unbelief, bearing witness to your spirit that you are a legitimate child of God. So offensive is the message of cross that its origin from heaven is obvious for those enlightened by it. Sinners would never devise something so hideous to the desires of their fallen nature.

Copyright (c) 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8)

To Know Contentment

J.A. Matteson

Many are the schemes of men under the sun, yet abruptly are they terminated. "Moreover, man does not know his time..." (Eccles. 9:12). For a season the hand of Providence is pleasurable and all is right in the world. The course of the day begins as any other, a delightful vestige from the plight that plagues other men. Your relationships are peaceful, satisfying, fulfilling. The physical aches and pains endured by the masses are foreign to you as good health defines your daily experience. Pleasurable comforts surround you and your heart is denied nothing which the eye deems desireable. You consider not the morrow as your yesterday's suggest to you a continuation of blissful living. Your storehouse is full, life is good; but you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ. Grazing in green pastures the steer is satisfied with plentiful grass and streams of cool refreshing water, ignorantly unaware that tomorrow morning it will be led away to the slaughter house. Men living under the sun are as cattle, fattened up for the day of their death. Stupid is the man whose heart is satisfied with worldly delights but who is not right with God. In an instant the hand of Providence pivots and he is mortally captured in the trap of presumptive arrogance, the delight of life under the sun immediately evaporates as a flashing vapor on the searing hot desert floor. Blessed is the man who knows the LORD and whose delight is in Him. For in his eyes each day is a gift and he finds contentment in the wisdom of Providence, be it pleasurable or painful. And this is a gift from God, to him in whose soul He is well pleased, to know contentment in the hand of Providence, whatever his lot in life may be.

Copyright (c) 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8)

The Call of Conversion

J.A. Matteson

God deals with our individual temperament in order align our wills to His purpose. "And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank" (Acts 9:9). Saul was a man of action, on the move. God stopped him cold, temporarily removing physical sight while giving spiritual sight to become the instrument of God's choosing to the Gentiles. In an instant Saul's world was turned upside down, his entire worldview shattered. It is a humbling experience to realize that what you were certain of was in fact wrong! Repentance, reconciliation, and realignment to God's perspective and calling enraptured Saul's heart. The clarity and majesty of what he saw spiritually over three days radically transformed the passion and content of his message going forward, dumbfounding those who knew him. An intensely personal encounter is the call of conversion. And most are unable to adequately express the totality of the experience, accept to boldly proclaim that I once was blind, but now I see, I once was deaf, but now I hear! Acceptance or opposition bear no influence upon the messenger of Christ, for his delight is in the comforting presence of His savior, and His approval alone he seeks, He who saved his soul from death.

Copyright (c) 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8)

Make Up Your Mind Now

J.A. Matteson

Decide now whether you believe obedience is better than sacrifice. "But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself..." (Dan. 1:8). Providence will lay in your lap a stark choice, and unless you determine before the thing happens to pursue obedience you will be carried away by it. Do not fool yourself into thinking that on the fly you will make the right choice, for the heart is deceitful; Peter learned that lesson when the rooster crowed. Make up your mind now while in the safety of the calm waters of the harbor; for once at sea the waves will toss you about every which way. The test comes suddenly and there you find yourself in an instant on the ropes. To obey may likely mean danger and rejection by men, but approval by God. To disobey delivers the appearance of relief, but soon will yield the bitter fruit of acquiescence. Let the bedrock of a Christ centered life of principle inform your decision making. Then suddenly when providence delivers the test, like Daniel, you will find approval with God.

Copyright (c) 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8)

The Precipice of Danger

J.A. Matteson

The only consideration in a matter for Christ was obeying His Father, pleasing Him. "I do not receive glory from men" (John 5:41). Are you still calculating whether men will approve of your kingdom approach to a matter? If so you are not right with Christ. Calculating approval and praise by men without regard to the kingdom of Christ reveals spiritual immaturity; the grip of pride has not been broken. Let Christ bring you to the precipice of danger in your situation where following Him appears suicidal. Seek His glory and approval rather than that of men and He will exalt you. Kingdom life is counter intuitive to the ways of the world: the first shall be last and the last shall be first; if you want to be great be servant to all; when wronged bless and do not curse; forgive and you will be forgiven; give to those unable to repay you; choose the obscure seat rather than one of prominence; prefer the praise of Christ and be weary of the same by men who may turn and tear you to pieces. Align your thinking and doing to bring glory to Christ. For it is in Him that you live and move and have your being, all else is a temporal castle of sand that the waves of providence may quickly wash away.

Copyright (c) 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8)

Seek a Desert Place

J.A. Matteson

If your outgo exceeds your intake your upkeep will become your downfall. "But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray" (Luke 5:16). The daily demands of kingdom life will spiritually deplete you, seek therefore a desert place to get recalibrated with the Spirit of Christ. Jesus was unique in having both human and Devine natures. The Devine nature enjoyed unbroken fellowship with the Godhead while His human nature experienced the wearying burdens of ministry. Are you feeling God is distant, go to a desert place where you can be alone with your Lord and He will refresh you. Have you been agitated and distressed over a circumstance? Enjoy fellowship with Jesus in the wilderness to gain heavens perspective. Are you confused, indecisive, unsure of which path to take? Jesus bids you to come to Him to a quiet place. Streams of living water await you and you will find rest for your soul. If the Christ required time in the wilderness to be alone with His Father for restoration and direction, how much more do His joint heirs?

Copyright (c) 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8)

The Righteousness of God

J.A. Matteson

Non-negotiable, irrevocable, unsurpassed in wisdom, perfect in beauty, unrestrained in power, the righteousness of God is magnificently revealed from heaven in Jesus Christ, who, vicariously bore the sins of many, inputting His righteousness through His perfect obedience to the Law upon all who call on His name, trusting in Him alone for their justification before God. "For being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God" (Rom. 10:3). Arrogance, pride, ignorance and folly overtake men of corrupt mind who vainly attempt to diminish the righteousness of God by establishing their own, and this they commit to their own fitting destruction, for the LORD does not suffer fools who in their own eyes purpose to defame the name and holiness of Almighty God. And into this judgment they were appointed that the glory of the heavenly revelation of the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ might be established, being highly exalted above all the wisdom of man. Blessed are the eyes that see, the ears that hear, and the soul that yearns to be clothed with the righteousness of Christ, for he will be invited to sit at the table of the wedding feast of the Lamb as a bride who has made herself ready for her groom.

Copyright (c) 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8)

The Broad Road

J.A. Matteson

Be on guard against and flee from a gospel void of a demand for repentance. "They keep saying to those who despise Me, 'The LORD has said, You will have peace' and for everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart, they say, 'Calamity will not come upon you'" (Jer. 23:17). That which requires little supplies little. Justification is a free gift but it will cost you everything. There is a great evil in the land, false shepherds espousing a gospel of a broad road, a wide gate, an easy path that soothes sin rather than slaying it. Many fools believe their feel good delusions over the exacting clarity of the word of Christ, and their faith is in an idol, a deity of their own imagination, one which does not save. The Lord Jesus Christ stated, "Blessed are the poor in spirit", a sense spiritual bankruptcy and desperation characterizes the redeemed who, upon hearing the indictment of the message of the cross are convicted of sin, righteousness and judgement. The gospel of Jesus Christ does not reform the sinner, it slays him. And the life which he henceforth lives he lives by the power of God to the glory of God. Blessed are the shepherds who proclaim the pure milk of the word, and blessed are the ears which hear it and are saved by it.

Copyright (c) 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8)

Search Out the Word

J.A. Matteson

That which God decrees as good is good; and that which He decrees as evil is evil, and both immutably so. "Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven" (Ps. 119:89). Many are the declarations of men which aim to redefine good and evil, to blur the line of the holy and profane in order to suppress the God given conscience of right and wrong. Statues may be passed on earth, social mores may change from one generation to the next, but in heaven God's decrees are constant whereby good is good and evil is evil. In seeking the good ignore the latest polls, disregard the popular personalities, beware of the pervasive media. Rather, hunger for and search out the word of God in the Bible where good and evil before Him are clearly delineated. Blessed are those who take their cue on good and evil from the word of the LORD, their path will be firmly established, and in Him they will never be disappointed.

Copyright (c) 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8)

When the Tempest Arrives

J.A. Matteson

When it arrives and the form it takes you do not know. But it's inevitable presence in a fallen world is certain and preparation for it softens its blow. "In the day of my trouble I shall call upon You, for You will answer me" (Ps. 86:7). It is good in the storm to call upon the name of the LORD. It is better to call upon Him in times of peace so that when the tempest arrives unexpectedly your heart will not be unnecessarily distressed. Measure your response to evil inflicted upon you, consider its impact, then reflect upon Your level of abiding while seas are calm. The closer the branch abides in the vine when winds are calm the easier it bends when they blow with force. In Christ pilgrims can do all things, apart from Him they can do nothing.

Copyright (c) 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8)

That He Might Be Glorified

J.A. Matteson

The point of the matter revealed to you is always redemptive for the glory of God, never is it for self-engrandizement. "However, there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries" (Dan. 2:28). Wisdom, discernment and insight reside with God and to whom He desires to bestow them for His good pleasure according to His purposes. What was in the beginning will be in the end, and knowledge of the Holy One is by grace and not by straining. The hearts of His servants are directed to Him, and the tenor of their petitions are redemptive that He might be glorified among the sons of men as the only true and living God. Ask, receive, give thanks and proclaim confidently. Marvel at the work of the LORD on high in your midst, praise His name from the rising of the sun to its setting. Magnify the Lord Jesus Christ as His Spirit works in and through you as sons and daughters of light, bringing glad tidings of peace to those who dwell in darkness. Rejoice in His loving kindness, sing praises to His compassion. Exalt the God of heaven, serve the Lamb of God joyfully and expectantly.

Copyright (c) 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8)

Grace vs. Merit

J.A. Matteson

Work is ordained by God and is good. The relationship between effort exerted and an anticipated payoff is well established in our daily experience. But turned on its head is the meritorious correlation between salvation and effort, causing many to stumble. "Behold, as for the proud one, his soul is not right within him; but the righteous will live by his faith" (Hab. 2:4). What is the status and source of faith? Does it find its origin with God, and thereby is it the divine means to the divine end of reconciliation? Or in the final analysis does justification depend on fallen sinners who, spiritually blind, deaf, and dead muster sufficient effort to take hold of the offer of grace and are, therefore, saved? The issue is larger than merely that over the debate of faith vs. works. Rather, the underlying biblical premise is that of grace vs. merit. Grace is the basis of salvation and faith the means by which justification is accomplished. Faith to be unmeritorious, by necessity, finds its source in grace, being inextricably fused to and eternally purposed in the perfect will of God. If this were not so, as the semi-pelagians assert, then faith originates within fallen sinners and justification is meritorious, whereby in the final analysis sinners save themselves. This construct, in essence, is no different than New Testament Judaism; for to rely on oneself for faith is, practically, no different than to rely on oneself for works. But praise be to God who created from nothing the heavenly host and who calls to Himself a people for His own possession, creating justifying faith within them where none existed. To God alone be the glory.

Copyright (c) 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8)

Practical Atheism

J.A. Matteson

Beware of confusing giftedness as the prime causation of events deemed favorable. The nuanced distinction and relationship between effort and divine sovereignty is essential to avoiding the trap of practical atheism. "But they will be held guilty, whose strength is their god" (Hab. 1:11). Results and fruit may be outwardly perceived as indistinguishable, yet one is spiritual and the other carnal. Awareness and acknowledgement of the source of strength is wisdom, and by abiding in the vine the branch produces fruit to the glory of the Father, through the redemption of His Son, in the power of the Spirit. Apart from the vine the branch produces nothing of eternal value, deluding itself in its temporal accomplishments as a result of strength and giftedness. And the greater the grace of giftedness the greater the potential correlation of self-idolatry. In all things pleasant give glory to God. In every accomplishment praise the Lord Jesus Christ who gives you the strength to prosper. Diligence is good and right, but the favorable outcome is due to grace and not the gift, and to distinguish the difference preserves a soul from experiencing many sorrows.

Copyright (c) 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8)

A Heart of Wisdom

J.A. Matteson

The deceitfulness of sin is arrogance and the pride of life ends in destruction. "'Terror, pit and snare are coming upon you, O inhabitant of Moab," declares the LORD" (Jer. 48:43). Woe to the one who exalts himself in his deluded mind above the LORD of heaven and earth, concluding in his mind his position is of his own doing and that he is secure in his person. Wrath, once released, is as a tumult of water in a breached dam, pouring forth in destruction until fully exhausted; there is no escape. Men of corrupt mind continue in their courses of wickedness, and they erroneously conclude the LORD does not see or is impotent. In a moment justice springs forth and righteousness exerts herself, silencing foolish lips, causing the mighty to tremble. Long-suffering is the LORD Almighty and great is His compassion. Grant, O LORD, your people a heart of wisdom to be and to do all that is pleasing in your sight, to confess You before men as the only God of heaven and earth, and to whom every person must give an account. Blessed is the name of the LORD, exalted is the Lord Jesus Christ, who was and is and is to come.

Copyright (c) 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8)

The Word of Correction

J.A. Matteson

Sin hardens the heart to righteousness, distorting the word of deliverance as evil, impugning the motives of ambassadors of peace, resulting in self destruction. "When Jeremiah finished speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak to all the people, the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him, saying, 'You must die!'" (Jer. 26:8). The LORD disciplines His people when they persist on the path of sin. Long-suffering and merciful His correction is always redemptive. His jealous love for His people recoils when their hearts are drawn to another as a husband's wrath is stirred toward a wayward wife. Blessed are tender hearts who receive the word of correction with humility and gladness. For theirs is the kingdom and inheritance dedicated to the saints for time and eternity. Stumble they may, but the grace of the LORD is able to make them stand, and stand they will, to His praise and glory.

Copyright (c) 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8)

The Grace of Spiritual Discernment

J.A. Matteson

Knowing apart from doing is worthless, and wisdom rejected brings many sorrows. "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves" (Matt. 7:15). Pretense disguises insincerity and is known by its affect. Worship attendance, tithing, baptism, knowledge of scripture and ministry outwardly adorn the inner orientation of the sheep answering the call of the Great Shepherd. Love toward the Lord Jesus Christ and obedience is the source of their adornment. Sheep love the brethren, seeking their welfare, considering and acting upon their needs. Wolves love self and their desire for preeminence produces a markedly different affect upon the sheep. The disconnect between the wolves profession and reality is stark as its affect is clearly experienced by the sheep as bitter unprofitable humanism. Cloaked in spiritual adornment they are as clouds without rain, lukewarm water that neither refreshes or heals. Blessed is the the Good Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ, who protects His sheep through the grace of spiritual discernment to distinguish truth from error and sheep from wolves.

Copyright (c) 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8)

Supreme in Order

J.A. Matteson

The order and emphasis of things sought is fundamental to citizenship in the kingdom of Christ. "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you" (Matt. 6:33). Supreme in order is Jesus Christ and the kingdom He reigns over. Discipleship inherently acknowledges a master which implies dependence. Sin at its core seeks independence which is antithetical to kingdom life. Pilgrims are on mission with Christ in the world and without notice must be ready to respond immediately to His directives to go here and there in accordance to His providential dealings. Forget about second guessing the thing and instead obey. The Laborer is worthy of his wages so the LORD will ensure that obedience is met with the necessities He already knows you need. Jesus demands that your trust of provision be in Him, not yourself. As you obey and go look for provisional providences as they are His tangible expression of His love towards you.

Copyright (c) 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8)

Come to the Prince of Peace

J.A. Matteson

In pursuing rest it is essential that the object of our hope have the ability to deliver on that which we seek. "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28). The soul is restless, burdened by sin. In whom or in what will refuge be sought? Many are the counselors of darkness, employing worldly approaches to rest for that which is by nature spiritual. And unending are the spiritualists that deny the Son, blinded by conceit, unable to behold Him who dwells in unapproachable light. The invitation is set, the call is broadcast to a people who stumble in darkness. Many are the paths of reason, varied are the ways of the intelligentsia and each ends in destruction. Blessed are those who hear the call and come to the Prince of Peace, Christ Jesus. In Him rest is given and in Him they will never be disappointed.

Copyright (c) 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8)