Table of Contents

Introduction

Justification

The Church - Part 2

Search the Scriptures

Health Hazard Warning

The Weaver

Questions and Answers

Plans for Tomorrow?

Walk in Wisdom…redeeming the Time

July 2010

Dear Reader,

"Walk in Wisdom… Redeeming the Time." Colossians 4:5

Time is one of life’s most precious commodities. Yet I am afraid we do not give ample considerations to its importance. Much harm can be done in even a few seconds. But remember much good can also be accomplished. A father took his son to the carnival and waited impatiently while the boy rode the merry-go round until his last dime was spent. Then he said "well my boy, you spent all your money traveling, but where did you go?" is this not the experience of many of us !We are not concerned about where the journey of life is taking us, but only in wasting the time pleasantly. To clutter up our lives with common things and leave outside heart’s gate the Lord of live and life itself. How we need to be aware that we are stewards of our time here on earth. How essential to spend time with the Lord in prayers and reading His Word daily, to use our time ,as many have free time in  the summer month, to serve Him and witness for Him.

Have time with the Lord and for the Lord or you will withered.

"Life at its best is short, time flies so very fast, Lord helps us not to waste this day, last it should be our last."

"Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth while the evil days come not… " Ecclessiastes 12:1

Our prayer is that the Lord use this issue of Toward the Mark to help you grow and become Christ like and be established as you read it. Thank you for your e-mails and notes of encouragement.

Please keep praying for the Lord’s blessing on Toward the Mark.

Yours in our soon-coming Lord,

Emil S. Nashed

Please send your questions and comments to:

Toward The Mark

c/o Wayne Christian Assembly

60 Smith Lane

Wayne, NJ 07470-5354

Attention: Emil S. Nashed

www.towardthemark.org

Milk

The truth shall make you free

Justification
Ernie Brown

The subject we have to look at today is one that has bothered thoughtful people for a very long time.

The Book of Job is possibly the oldest book in the Bible. In it, Job twice poses the same question. In chapter 9 verse 2, he asks, "How should man be just with God?" In chapter 25 verse 4, he raises the query, "How can man be justified with God?" It is our job today to find an answer, indeed the answer, to this very question.

It is sometimes suggested that to be justified is to be made "just as if I’d never sinned." At first, this sounds fine. "Wipe the slate clean." "Cancel all the debt." "Clear the decks completely." "Let me have another go." "Let me start again from scratch." Unfortunately, my own personal experience of life is that such an approach would be no good, certainly for me. Knowing myself as I do, I have to say that if I was given a second chance, the opportunity to start again, make a fresh start, I would undoubtedly go twice as far in the wrong direction, at twice the speed, than I did the first time round. No! it would do me no favors at all to be given a second chance, without the power to respond to God’s proffered way of earning the blessing, if such a thing were possible.

There is no doubt that the fundamental concept in justification is that it clears me of every charge that a holy God can righteously lay against me. That is what I would call the negative side of the very positive truth of justification; the righteous dealing with every valid charge that was previously hanging over me. It is a very good start, but it is only a start. It would be a very sad thing indeed if I was content to enjoy the fact of my being cleared of every charge of sin, but did not progress on to the very positive truth that God has, in a very definite way, pronounced me to have a fully righteous standing before Him.

That I have such a standing is without any shadow of doubt. Listen to what the Apostle John has to say in his first epistle, chapter 4 verse 17: "Herein is love with us made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as He is, so are we, in this world." Think about that! The love of God has reached its object when believers on the Lord Jesus Christ are absolutely convinced that they need have no fear in respect of the day of judgment. And why? Because Christ has fully answered to God in respect of every righteous demand that a Holy God can make against sinners. And how do we know that? We have to ask ourselves a vital question.

Where is the Lord Jesus now? In heaven, at the right hand of God. On what basis is He there? We would not dream of questioning the right of Christ to be in heaven now. There is, and can be, no suggestion that there could be any charge that could be laid against the Son of God that could rightly exclude Him from the presence of God. That we can fully and readily understand. But this verse goes further. It says that we have equal title to be in the presence of God as He has. With this difference: He is there, in heaven, because He personally is qualified to be there, because of Who He is. Our right to be there is based upon what He has done on our behalf. Wonder of wonders! Our place in heaven is as secure as Christ’s own place there! As is plainly said, "As He is, so are we in this world." That is, even while we are alive in this life, in this world, we have the full assurance that we are as clear of eternal judgment as Christ Himself is. And none would dare suggest that Christ needs to suffer again for sin. That work will never need to be repeated. Or added to, because He did it perfectly the first time.

The longer I live, the more grateful I am, and ever shall be, that my salvation, my assurance of a place with Christ in heaven, is not dependent in any respect, or to any degree, on anything that I have done, or ever could do. The strength of a chain is governed by the strength of its weakest link. How glad I am, and am entitled to be, that not one link in the chain of salvation is in the least or smallest degree dependent on me or anything I could ever do. This is one of the many things that the truth of justification brings to me. Again, how can this be so? Well, so far I have found nine aspects of this wonderful truth. I will lay them before you one by one. First of all, I will tell you what they are, each of them fully true of those who believe that Jesus died for them, and rose again.

1.     We are justified by God.

2.     We are justified by the grace of God.

3.     We are justified by the precious blood of Christ.

4.     We are justified by the personal bodily resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

5.     We are justified freely from all things that we could not be justified from by the Law of Moses.

6.     We are justified by faith.

7.     We are justified by works.

8.     We are justified in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9.     We are justified in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Let us look at them one by one. In so doing, we shall find out if we belong to the "we" of whom the scriptures speak.

1.   We are justified by God.

It is God against Whom we have sinned. It will be God Who will judge us in the final analysis. So, if we are to be cleared of the righteous charges of which we shall be rightly accused, it must be the same God Who assesses us clear in His Holy sight and pronounces us righteous, or just, according to His own absolute standards. Can it be done? Listen to Romans 3 verse 26: "God is just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus." Secondly, in Romans 8:33, we read, "It is God that justifieth!" How can a righteous God possibly do that, on behalf of those who have clearly sinned against Him in every possible way? We move on to point number 2.

2.   We are justified by the grace of God.

Listen to Romans 3:24 - "being justified freely by His grace." That is, while God is the personal justifier of the saved sinner, He does it by means of His free, unlimited grace. God is the source of the justification. His grace, His rich, unmerited favor, is the channel through which the blessing flows.

3.   We are justified by the precious blood of Christ.

Romans 5 verse 9 says, "being now justified by the blood of Christ." That is, if the righteous claims of a Holy God against us are to be fully met, it can only be so because the price of redemption has been fully paid, by the shedding of the precious blood of Christ, when He offered Himself without spot to God.

4.   We are justified by the personal bodily resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The personal, actual, bodily resurrection of Christ has proved the truth of justification to be beyond dispute. In what way? In this way! Romans 4:25 - "He was delivered for our offences, and was raised for our justification." How can we be sure that the price has been fully paid? How can we be sure that the debt we owe to God because of our sins has been fully discharged? We can be absolutely certain that God is fully satisfied with the work of Christ, because He has raised Him from the dead. There need be no lingering doubt in any of our minds. Nothing remains to be done. The work has been fully accomplished. The debt has been fully discharged. There is nothing to do. Nothing to pay! Christ has completed the work. He has paid the full price, whereby we can be fully assured, because God has raised Him from the dead. The victory has been openly, fully declared.

5.   We are justified freely from all things from which we could not be justified by the Law of Moses.

How much has been gained by the full discharge of the debt we owed to God in respect of the sins we have committed? Acts 13:39 gives the answer, "We have been justified freely from all things from which we could not have been justified by the Law of Moses." The Law of Moses held out blessing on the basis of what the Law-keeper deserved. Far be the thought! Being sinners by nature and by practice, the utmost we could ever deserve in respect of our own performance would be condemnation at the hand of a Holy God. But, what we could never deserve on our own account, God has credited us with. Not because we deserve it, or ever could! No! No! Solely on account of the value to Him of the Person and work of His beloved Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. What a vast panorama of blessing is held out - "all things"’ - but God in His goodness has made it available because of what Christ has done.

Let us pause at this stage. There are two things I want to draw to your attention. First of all, what we have considered so far hasn’t depended in any way on you or me as individuals. Nor has it depended on any particular Christian, or group of Christians, or the vast aggregate of all those who have believed the gospel of their salvation since the Day of Pentecost. It is all of God. It is what we call the sovereign side of the truth of justification; God’s side, if you like. They are matters connected with our salvation and blessing that we could have no part in. We do well never to forget that.

Moving on, then, to man’s responsible side, we find that if we are indeed justified, we are justified by faith. This is point 6 in our study

6.   We are justified by faith.

Romans 5:1 says, "Wherefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Without the sovereign work of God, there would be no blessing to secure or enjoy. But, once it has been established, it is to be enjoyed, by the apprehension of faith. What God has planned, provided, procured, and proved, opening out such a vast panoply of blessing, faith grasps, or possesses, by simple trust. Take that grand acrostic of the word faith. F-A-I-T-H: Forsaking All, I Take Him. That’s the answer. Personal trust in the One Who died for your sins! That is the quality that grasps this wonderful blessing of justification. Faith accepts as a free gift what we could never deserve or achieve by any performance of our own.

And, now to move on to number 7, we come to what to some minds appears to present something of a problem.

7.   We are justified by works.

Scripture certainly affirms that if we are justified at all, we are justified by faith, simple trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith is an essential requisite to the reception of justification. But, equally plainly, we read in James 2:21-24 that justification is by works. Is there a ready solution? Oh! Yes! The secret is declared in Romans 4:2 - "if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory, but not before God." Again in Galatians 3:11 - "no man is justified by law in the sight of God." So, then, we are justified in the sight of God by the value to Him of the work of Christ for God’s glory, and on our behalf. That having been settled, once and for all, before God, we are under a moral obligation to be justified before men on the basis of our works, the lifestyle that men can see. Our works demonstrate the effect of justification in us.

If our faith possesses justification, our works proclaim to men the fact that we are justified.

Listen to how James puts it in chapter 2 of his Epistle, verses 21 to 24:

Was not Abraham our Father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar. Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect. And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness, and he was called the friend of God. Ye see, then, how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way.

So far, so good! But, there are yet at least two more aspects of justification to look at before we are finished our study. Take account of what is said in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10:

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

What a terrible catalogue of sinful living is given in these verses. The most horrific thing about the list is that they are things that we are all capable of doing, if the circumstances are conducive and we lose our grip and control of our desires and actions. As long as we live in this world, the flesh is still in us, and looking for every opportunity to express itself. How can we control these urges we will always have as long as we live in this world? We get here a double answer. But, before we are given the answer, we get the reminder of the change that has taken place since we trusted Christ as our Saviour, and confessed Him as Lord.

Verse 11 says, "And such were some of you." This was no figment of the imagination. These were real matters affecting real people. "And such were some of you." But then, verse 11 goes on to declare the double answer, in two more aspects of justification.

8.   We are justified in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In confessing our sins, and the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ as the only one who could meet our desperate need of salvation, we put ourselves willingly, voluntarily, under the Lordship of Christ. We owned His authority over us. That is the secret. We are righteous in the sight of God because we believe that "Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day, according to the scriptures." Nothing can affect that. We are saved, and saved for ever, because of the value to God of the work of Christ on the Cross of Calvary. But, if we are to live clean lives, well pleasing to God, and witnessing to unbelievers, it is only by continuing to submit to the Lordship of Christ in every aspect of our lives. Can it be done? What power have we to do so? That brings us to number 9.

9.   We are justified in the power of the Holy Spirit.

The only power by which anything can be done for God and in the Name of the Lord Jesus is the power of the Holy Spirit. As with every other spiritual blessing, the Holy Spirit is the only power by which, or rather by Whom, justification can be and is received, known, understood, made good in the soul, and enjoyed.

…

Let us recap. Justification, rightly understood, and spelled out by the Bible, has at least 9 aspects. If we are indeed justified, vindicated before God and men, we are justified:

1.     By God - God PLANNED it.

2.     By grace - Grace PROVIDED it.

3.     By blood - The blood of Christ PROCURED it.

4.     By the resurrection of Christ - The resurrection of Christ PROVES it.

5.     From all things - The whole PANOPLY of blessing secured by it is indescribably vast.

6.     By faith - Our faith POSSESSES it.

7.     By works - Our works PROCLAIM it.

8.     In the Name of the Lord Jesus - He is the PERSONAL POTENTATE of it.

9.     In the power of the Holy Spirit - The Holy Spirit is the POWER of it.

…

Scripture tells us that a three-fold cord is not easily broken. In engineering, we know that each added strand gives extra strength and flexibility. Here we have a nine-fold cord that certainly cannot be broken, at all. Let us commit ourselves to live in the light of what we know to be true. In doing so, we shall demonstrate the enjoyment and thrill of knowing that we are justified before God. This will give us rich incentive to so live that we shall also be fully vindicated, justified, before our fellow men, giving ample evidence that we have put ourselves willingly under the Lordship of Christ, and His authority, and seek to do all things in the power of the Holy Spirit. God grant that it might be so.

Meat

Sanctify them by the truth...

The Church - Part 2
F.A. Hughes

Paul in writing to Timothy speaks of "the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground (or base) of the truth" (1 Tim. 3:15). Again, in the epistle to the Ephesians, we read of "the household of God" and of "an habitation of God through the Spirit" (2:19-22). In the first Scripture Paul was hoping to see Timothy "shortly," but if that was not possible he wrote instructing him how he should "behave…in the house of God, which is the church." It is therefore quite evident that God had found a dwelling place amongst His people on the earth.

A careful consideration of this stupendous fact must impress us with both its blessedness and its challenge. God is love, and the presence of One who in His nature is perfect love must indeed be most blessed: but God is also holy, and as dwelling among His people He does not surrender any feature of His holiness. "Holiness becometh Thine house, O Lord, for ever" (Ps. 93:5).

Throughout Scripture we see that it was God’s desire to enjoy the company of His people, and a reference to some of the chapters in which this desire is expressed will show how carefully the Holy Spirit has guarded the thought of God’s holiness as dwelling amongst His own. In Exodus 25:8 we read, "And let them make Me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them." In the verses immediately preceding we have a collection of things which speak of priestly features. "Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense. Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate." In Exodus 29:44, we read "I will sanctify also both Aaron and his sons, to minister to Me in the priest’s office." Then the next verse adds, "And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God." Would it not suggest that God is looking for such features of holiness to mark those among whom He desired to dwell?

Then in 1 Kings 6:13, He says, "And I will dwell among the children of Israel."The verse preceding indicates the moral condition which God looks for amongst His people, "If thou wilt walk in My statutes, and execute My judgments, and keep My commandments to walk in them." God could not dwell in the midst of a lawless, disobedient people.

In the New Testament Paul exhorts the Corinthian believers to judge and be separate from all that is inconsistent with the nature of God, reminding them that they "are the temple of the living God," adding the gracious promise of God Himself, "I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people" (2 Cor. 6:14-18). It is perhaps good to remember (although this is after the church has been taken to heaven) that when God tabernacles with man in the eternal state, everything contrary to the nature of God will have been removed for ever (see Rev. 21:3-5).

Now the important question arises, how is it possible for such as we, ruined by the fall and sinners by nature and by practice, to be part of that company amongst whom God now dwells? The first reference to God’s habitation is found in Exodus 15. God had appeared to men in earlier times; Enoch and Noah had "walked with God"; Abraham and Isaac had walked before Him (Gen. 48:15), but there had been no company of people with whom God dwelt. The simple, yet profoundly blessed truth is that the people amongst whom God dwells are those whom He has redeemed to Himself. This is plainly seen in a later verse of Exodus 15, "Thou in Thy mercy hast led forth the people which Thou hast redeemed: Thou hast guided them in Thy strength unto Thy holy habitation" (v. 13). They were a people delivered by God from Egypt’s power and bondage, standing before Him on the basis of blood that had been shed; brought safely through the Red Sea, God’s "own people for ever" (1 Chr. 17:22).

If we turn to Ephesians 2 we find the same truth set forth in the most blessed way. The chapter commences with a reference to ourselves in our sinful, dead condition; a state in which we could in no wise be found enjoying the presence of God, nor could we in that condition be responsive to Him. Verse 4 introduces a completely new note - "But God." All depended upon God and upon what He would do to provide a dwelling place for Himself. His "rich mercy," His "great love," the "exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness" have all been operative in this great matter. "We are His workmanship," and we have been "made nigh by the blood of Christ. For He is our peace." The partition between Jew and Gentile has been broken down; we have been reconciled to God and we "have access by one Spirit to the Father." Thus we are brought into the "household of God…builded together (Jew and Gentile) for an habitation of God through the Spirit." What a triumph this is for God - and what value is placed on the work of Christ!

It has ever been the thought of God that His saints, in nearness to Himself, should be responsive to the desires of His own blessed heart. The Psalmist could say, "Thou are holy, Thou that dwellest amid the praises of Israel." From Exodus 19:6, we learn that God desired that all His people should be unto Him "a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation." It was not until breakdown came in that a special tribe was chosen for the priesthood. God has not given up His thoughts, and we read in Peter’s first epistle, chapter 2, that those who "have tasted that the Lord is gracious" are "built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." We have already referred to the "house of God, which is the church of the living God," and those who serve Him in His house are themselves referred to as "living stones." Long ago Hezekiah the king said, "The grave cannot praise Thee, death cannot celebrate Thee; the living, the living, he shall praise Thee." Through infinite mercy we are numbered amongst those who are "alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom. 6:11) and thus form part of that living structure where the living God dwells in the praises of His saints.

This note of praise is continuing, as we see from Hebrews 2:12, "in the Midst of the church I will sing Thy praise." It will continue, for in Revelation 5 the twenty-four elders - "kings and priests" - break out into a note of praise which finds its echo in "every creature." The number twenty-four is interesting and would perhaps link in a moral sense with 1 Chronicles 24 where the priestly service of "the house of the Lord" is seen functioning in its twenty-four courses as under the ordering of David.

Finally, the church is referred to in Timothy as "the pillar and ground (or base) of the truth." Immediately following we have that remarkable 16th verse which brings the precious details of the incarnation before us in so wonderful a way. This surely is the great feature of the truth which is enshrined in the hearts of those who form part of the church today. The revelation of God in Christ, the testimony rendered to Him, the faith which has responded to that testimony, and the knowledge of His present place of exaltation in the glory of God, are cardinal truths which are an integral part of "the faith which was once delivered unto the saints" (Jude 3). The church does not teach these truths; nowhere in Scripture is the church referred to as teaching. She is herself taught by the Holy Spirit of God, and these great truths have been held in faithfulness by loyal hearts throughout the whole of the church’s history here. In days of bitter persecution and martyrdom, in the so-called "dark ages" too, men and women have refused to surrender their faith; many have sealed it with their blood.

We live in days of comparative ease; free from outward persecution, but the call for faithfulness to the principles of God’s house is an urgent as ever. "Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived" (2 Tim. 3:13). From the very ranks of the profession men have arisen "speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them" (Acts 20:30). It is significant that the only other place in the New Testament besides Ephesians 2 in which the same Greek word for "habitation" is used is in Revelation 18:2: "Babylon" that great system of corruption and of challenge to the glory of God "is become the habitation of devils and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hateful bird."

May we, as helped of God, ever recognize the holiness of His house; having our part in the praise of the living God, and holding steadfastly to the truth as it has been revealed in the power of the Spirit of God.

Search the Scriptures

1.     What are the names of the sons of Sennacherib?

2.     What town was Nathanael from?

3.     Who was bitten by a viper on the island of Malta?

(Answers are at the end of this issue)

Exercise

Exercise thyself unto piety

Health Hazard Warning
Dr. D.W.Paterson

Following the April issue of "Toward the Mark" it seems appropriate to warn readers of some serious things today. One of these things, common today, is a disease - we shall call it "Telling Lies." It is a disease which has reached pandemic dimension, yet it is a disease often undiagnosed. It can sometimes be detected even at the earliest age. Psalm 58:3 says, "They go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies." The infant learns early on that a cry quickly brings help. Well, of course, this can be very good. Care and action may be imperative; a missed call can be disastrous. But sometimes it can be discovered that the child just wants company. Then a judicious refusal, a closed door perhaps, will bring sleep to the infant and peace to the household.

But of course there are lies of all dimensions; small, sometimes called "white lies," and larger lies, not only in ordinary conversations, but also invading such areas as business and politics, and also, alas, extending to the Lord’s sphere (i.e., Translations of the Scriptures, preaching and teaching in its various forms.) The word "pseudo" means "false," and it is linked with false apostles, brethren, churches, prophets, teachers and witnesses. To repeat, this disease is very wide-spread today. It is world-wide.

It is important to trace the source from which this evil stream flows. John 8:44 tells us the devil is a liar from the beginning, and the father of it. The first mention of it, in Genesis 3, states that the woman was beguiled, and sin entered the world. In Psalm 116:11 we learn all men are liars. In Titus 1:12 the Cretans are always liars, and sometimes we meet people who find it easier to tell lies than to speak the truth.

But happily (what a relief) we find ONE who can say "I am the truth" (Jn. 14:6) and who can say, speaking of His Father, "Thy word is truth" (Jn. 17:7). "No lie is of the truth (1 Jn. 2:21). We build our faith on the impregnable rock of Holy Scripture, a sure foundation indeed.

The Apostle Paul exhorts us to "speak truth every one with his neighbor" (Eph. 4:25), and in the Armor (Eph. 6:14) the loins are to be girt about with truth. We read in 2 Thessalonians1:10 some have not received the love of the truth. Our security is to receive and be established in the truth. It purifies the soul (1 Pe. 1:22).

Stand fast in Christ, ah yet again,
He teaches all the band.
If human efforts are in vain,
In HIM it is we stand.

This is how victory is to be gained.

Rest

Shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?

The Weaver
Contributed by C.B.

My life is just a weaving,

Between my Lord and me;

I cannot choose the colors

He weaveth steadily.

Often times He weaveth sorrow,

And I in foolish pride,

Forget He sees the UPPER,

And I the underside.

Not till the looms are silent

And the shuttles cease to fly,

Shall God unroll the canvas

And explain the reason why,

The dark threads were as needful

In the Weavers skillful hand,

As the threads of gold and silver

In the pattern he has planned.

He knows - He Loves - He cares

Nothing this truth can dim;

He gives the very best to those

Who leave the choice with Him.

Questions & Answers

Q. What did the Lord Jesus mean when He said, "Mine hour is not yet come" in John 2:4?

Christian

A.   Dear Christian:

The answer to your very important question lies in the right understanding of the expression in verse 1 of our chapter, "the third day".  In John, chapter 1 we have the presentation of the Son of God, Jesus, who was in the beginning, and, as the Word, has come into the world, in flesh, to secure the children of God.  On the first day, after the declaration of John, "Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world", a company is associated with Him, who follow Him and abode with Him (that day).  Then, on the second day (John 1:43), there follows the confession of Jesus as the Son of God and King of Israel, by a godly remnant of Israel (prefigured in Nathanael).

Now in Chapter 2, the third day foreshadows a scene of millennial blessing when the Lord Jesus as Son on Man (1:51) turns the water of purification into wine and brings the joy and gladness at the last for a purified Israel.   This beginning of miracles shows what will be the final result of His work here in this world.

However, "His hour", whether of public suffering, or of glory as Lord of all, "is not yet come".  He had come to His own, and His own received Him not and now He is going about this new business. The display of Him as King in all His glory must wait, the lack of wine at the marriage is the picture of the result of His rejection by Israel.  The disciples, however, are those who believe on Him, are the children of God, and behold this manifestation of His glory, in anticipation of its full display in the coming day, (John1:12, 2:11).

We, today, who are His disciples, may behold His glory with the eye of faith (Hebrews 2:7-9).  His hour of suffering is over, but His hour of displayed glory is still "not come", we look on to it, but even now in our hearts and souls can enjoy the foretaste of it and render to Him the praise and adoration of our hearts.

JAP

Plans for Tomorrow

Yes, the two bones definitely belonged to Mr. Steve Fossett. The proof was in the DNA tests of the two large bones found at the crash site in California.

In early September 2007, Mr. Fossett took off in a single-engine plane and then just disappeared… until now.  Also found nearby were his shoes and driver’s license, which he won’t need anymore.  This wasn’t according to his plans.

Mr. Fossett wasn’t planning on dying that day.  He had survived many adventures.  At age 63 he was a multi-millionaire and had spent much of his time and money setting records in hot-air balloons, airplanes, gliders and sailboats.  He climbed more than four hundred mountain peaks and swam the English Channel.  He was the first person to fly a plane solo around the world without refueling.

But one flight was his last, and he never returned.  His flight into eternity was called an accident.  He didn’t plan on a mountain rushing into his windshield that September day.  No, he was planning his next world record, the land-speed record.  It won’t happen.  His appointment with death interrupted his plans.  Was he prepared for that appointment?  We don’t know.

Not one of us knows what will happen tomorrow.  Are you prepared if a sudden change should interrupt your plans?  What if something unexpected happens and your life suddenly ends?  That’s called "death".  God says, "It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27).

Don’t be a fool with and leave God out of your life.  You will have an appointment with Him someday.  He tells us in Hebrews 9:28 that we can prepare for that appointment: "Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many."  God’s beloved Son died on Calvary’s cross, bearing the judgment for the sins of many people - but not for everyone.  Only those who acknowledge to God that they are sinners and believe that His Son Jesus died for them, bearing the punishment for their sins, are prepared.  If has to be a personal transaction.

What if your plans for today are interrupted?  Are you prepared?  Have you made that personal transaction with God and His Son?

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

Answers to scriptures search!
1.     Adrammelech, Sharezer and Esar-haddon (Isaiah 37:38)

2.     Cana in Galilee (John 21:2)

3.     Paul (Acts 28:1-6)