The Voice

A deputation of priests and Levites were sent from Jerusalem to enquire of John the Baptist as to who he was. They asked, “Art thou Elijah? Are thou that prophet?” Each time John answered, “I am not.”

“Then who are you?” John might have answered, “I am the son of Zacharias, the priest. I am filled with the Spirit from the womb. I am a remarkable man raised up by God and sent to Israel.” But instead he replied, “I am THE VOICE of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord.”

Men who are truly sent of God seek no glory nor acclaim for themselves, but own that they are at best unprofitable servants. When John referred to himself as “The Voice,” he employed the very term the Holy Spirit had used of him 700 years previously (Is. 40:3). A voice is HEARD and not seen; a voice PRAISES and calls for praise (it is not the object of praise).

And there really is no reason to speak of the qualities and talents of the voice which preaches Christ, for the Lord Jesus will endure long after THE VOICE IS SILENT.

Pastor Henry T. Mahan (bulletin 1989)

They Received Not The Love Of The Truth

“Because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

(2 Thessalonians 2:10-12).

For what cause will God bring this awful judgment on a man that God Himself will send that man strong delusion so that he will believe a lie, so that he will spend eternity in hell? The answer is found in the previous verse. “Because they received not the love of the Truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause….” God did not send them strong delusion because of their failure to acknowledge the Truth that the Bible so clearly teaches. But they failed to, “Receive the love of the Truth.” You love the Truth when what the Truth states is your only hope of being saved. For instance, you love election when you see without God electing you, you would never be saved. The same is true with regard to all the truths of salvation. It is not giving assent to the Truth, but receiving the love of the Truth that is the evidence that you have been saved by the Truth you love. Pastor Todd Nibert

IS SALVATION A CHOICE?

Yes, salvation is a choice. Salvation is the choice of God. “For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.” (Romans 9:15-16) God the Father elected a people who He would save by the obedience and sacrifice of His Son. God the Son came in the flesh to willingly suffer and die to put the sin of His people away. God the Holy Spirit moves when and where He will to give life and faith to God’s elect through the preaching of the gospel. Salvation is all by the will (the choosing), the doing, and the application of God.

It is true that God’s elect willingly choose to trust Christ, but only after God gives them a new nature that can only choose to believe on and trust in Christ the Savior. “Salvation is of the Lord!” (Jonah 2:9). Pastor Frank Tate

The Promise Of God To Every Believer

“But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days” (Dan. 12:13).

This promise was given to Daniel in his old age. He was taken captive at a very young age and carried into Babylon (Dan.1:3-4). He served God faithfully for seventy years in captivity. All that Daniel put his hand to the Lord prospered him (Dan.2:48; 5:29; 6:28). Daniel now faces the prospect and reality of dying, but even in this God made him to realize this would be a blessing not a penalty.

Several comforting and calming thoughts are found here for believers.

1). The time of our life on the earth is determined of God, "go thou thy way till the end be." Surely our days are determined of the Lord (Job 14:5). We shall definitely leave this place, but not until our work is finished. Not until God is pleased to take us home (2 Cor. 5:6-9).

2). When a believer departs from this life we enter into rest, "for thou shalt rest," rest from all toil and labor and rest from the weariness of this sinful flesh (Rom. 7:24-25; 2Cor.5:1-2). The Lord told the dying thief that He would be in paradise soon, to enjoy eternal rest for his soul (Luke 23:43). Every believer can say with Paul, "For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: (Phil. 1:23).

3). Our soul will be at rest with the Lord and our body will be asleep in the grave waiting for the glorious resurrection morning, "till the end of days " (Dan. 12:2). Often death is referred to as sleep because of the inactivity of the body (John 11:11). But our soul is never said to sleep, it is ascribed to being at rest in the Lord (Rev.6:9).

4). We shall everyone stand in judgment at the end of days, "and stand in thy lot at the end of the days." The believer’s allotment is to stand in the blessed merit and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ and hear Him say, "Come ye blessed of my Father" (Matt. 25:34; Eph.1:6). The unbeliever will stand in the merit of their unrighteousness and hear Him say, "Depart from me, ye cursed" (Matt. 25:41).