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)
Friday, September 20, 2013
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
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)
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)
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
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)
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)
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)
Monday, September 16, 2013
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)
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)
Friday, September 13, 2013
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)
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)
Friday, September 6, 2013
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)
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)
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