Be Content

A long while ago I was visiting in a home and one of the children kept crying about something. I heard the mother say, "You are crying for nothing; and if you don't stop, I will give you something to really cry about." Is this not too often true of us, the children of God? We cry, fret, and complain over NOTHING. Oh, I know that our inconveniences, diffi­culties, and troubles do seem to be large at times; but compared to what we are, what we have, and what trials WE COULD HAVE, they are nothing! How quickly I would stop my crying if my Lord, like this mother, should say, "You are crying for nothing; and if you do not stop, I will give you a sorrow, a trial, a heartache to really cry about." What did the Apos­tle Paul say? "I have learned in whatsoever state I am, TO BE CONTENT." Again, "Be content with what you have and avoid covetousness." Lord, teach us to rest in Thee, to wait upon Thee, and to rejoice in Thee!

Pastor Henry T. Mahan (bulletin 1993)

Precious Faith (2 Peter 1:1)

FAITH is that belief and trust which the saints have in the Lord Jesus Christ. Through faith they are both humbled and exalted, brought down and lifted up. Through faith they see the exceeding sinfulness of sin and the pure righteousness of Jesus the Christ. Through faith they are condemned yet justified, guilty yet innocent, naked yet clothed, sorrowful yet “rejoicing with joy unspeakable and full of glory.” No wonder the Bible speaks of faith as “precious faith.”

Pastor Maurice Montgomery

WAITING ON THE LORD

“I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning” (Psalm 130:5-6).

Waiting on the Lord does not imply idleness on the part of the believer. His people are active in the kingdom of God; zealous of good works (Titus 2:14); diligent about their Father's business (Luke 2:49); vigorous in spreading the gospel by whatever means the Lord supplies (Acts 5:41-42). Our God highly disapproves of idleness; "Woe to them that are at ease in Zion" (Amos 6:1).

However, we do wait on Him for direction, open doors, liberty, wisdom, and for results. Here is the source, strength and the sweetness of our waiting, "In His WORD I do hope." His WORD is always successful (Isaiah 55:11); His WORD is always true (Psalm 33:4); His WORD is living (John 1: 14) and powerful (Heb. 4:12). The apostle Paul declared that he labored hard in preaching the WORD, but he waited on the Lord for the results.

Listen to what he said, "I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase" (1 Cor. 3:6). Let us be diligent laborers in the kingdom of God, always striving to preach the WORD, Jesus Christ, but let us be just as diligent to wait on the Lord for the results. His blessings are worth waiting for (1 Cor. 1:30).

OUR GREAT HIGH PRIEST

“For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens” (Hebrews 7:26).

In order for sinners to come unto God, they need to have a High Priest to encourage and enable them to do so. Not only is a High Priest necessary, but he must be one also that meets the demands of a Holy God. The only High Priest fitted and able to minister before God on the behalf of desperately wicked and guilty sinners is the Lord Jesus Christ. None other could put away sin (Heb. 9:26), purchase eternal redemption (Heb. 9:12), produce perfect righteousness for us (Heb. 13:21), and intercede eternally for us (Heb. 7:25). This verse describes the believers glorious Great High Priest.

1). He is HOLY! In His divine nature, for He is God, but also in humanity. He was holy before God and perfectly obeyed His holy Law (Isa. 42:21). Had His nature and character been unholy, He could not have been our High Priest. For unholy sinners, stand in need of a Holy Priest, with a holy sacrifice to stand before a holy God (Heb. 9:24), to make a holy atonement for sin!

2). He is HARMLESS! Without guile in His mouth or malice in His heart. He is holy in His nature and harmless in His life. He went about doing good. He was the Lamb in the midst of wolves; although He was tempted in all points, yet He was without sin (Heb. 4:15). He had no sin! He did no sin! He knew no sin! He was manifested to take away our sin (1 John 3:5).

3). He is UNDEFILED! He was in this evil world, yet not defiled with its guilt nor tainted with its sin. He was unsoiled and uncontaminated from the curse of the fall and the guilt of Adam’s transgression (Rom. 5:12). The only way He is guilty of sin is by imputation (I Peter 3:18; 2 Cor. 5:21).

4). He is SEPARATE FROM SINNERS! He took on Him the likeness of a sinful nature (Rom. 8:3), but not a sinful nature. He was often found in the company of sinners, but no sin found company in Him. He had communion with sinners, but no communion with sin.

5). He is MADE HIGHER THAN THE HEAVENS! He was for a season made lower than the angels (Heb. 2:7), but now, crowned with all glory and honor, seated at the right hand of God (Heb. 1:3). Our Lord has been exalted as our GREAT HIGH PRIEST (Heb. 8:1).