Scripture Treasures

Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness ~ Genesis 15:6   Adam C lar ke says this verse in the Old Testament is one of the most important messages as it is the doctrine of justification by faith. The Apostle Paul talked much about this doctrine, as we are saved by the shed blood, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. Here Abram believed in what God said, and trusted in the promise made to him, and so it did come about. Abram, as you or I, can not ever do anything to merit God’s saving grace. We cannot pray our way into grace, act our way into grace, love our way into grace, for all we do falls far short of God’s expectations. There is only one way into God’s grace and that is through belief. As God had made a covenant with Abram, so that covenant has been made to us through Jesus Christ. However, Abram had to act, just as we have to act, and he had to be obedient. This is the key, for belief in Christ is always followed by obedience. He calls us to

The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation ~ Psalm 118:14 We keep hearing over and over the words, “we are living in an unprecedented times,” and so we are. The majority of the news we read and hear is filled with the uncertainty of COVID-19 – who will come down with it, why is one city, province, country, nation, so different in the amount of cases of illness and deaths than another? When will they find the treatment, the cure for this? When will it end? We are all filled with questions and for the time, there are no answers. But, we want them, and soon. Human nature is always human nature. We want to control, we want to be sure, we want to know where we are going and what is ahead of us at each turn. But life has never been like that; it is just in times of great stress we demand to know, to be assured, so that we can then relax. Here is the only thing I know we are and can be sure of – the Almighty God. When all crashes around me, God is still the sam

In accordance with your great love, forgive the sin of these people, just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now ~Numbers 14:19 Moses was a man of intercession for his people, the ones he led from Egypt on toward the promised land. We, as Christ followers, intercede now for the sins of the land in which we live and for the mercy of God to rain down upon us. Moses knew that God’s love was greater than the sins committed, but he does not go on and on in prayer. It is but a simple prayer asking only that God do what God does best – forgive. God is not only a loving and forgiving God, but He is a patient God, longing always for His children to come back to Him, just as the prodigal son returned to his home after leaving and running away. We are all prodigals until we repent and turn around toward home. But, the moment we decide that our way is not the right way, that it is just not working for us, the Lord God is there at the entrance to Home, with His ar

Remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins ~ James 5:20 It may be a grand and noble thing to turn a backslider back to the Lord, that I do not argue, for if we can be an encourager in another’s life so that they see the Gospel Truth of Jesus Christ, and once more dedicate their lives to Him, praise be to His name! To be an instrument in God’s saving grace is a great honour, and one to which we as Christians long for as we look around at the lost lives of those we love. We know that it is not of ourselves that we bring that one back to God, but that it is His Holy Spirit working in us and through us to speak into that person’s life. We ourselves know the grace we have received from the sins we had committed, and the freedom that brings to our lives. To know that we had a hand in bringing that grace to someone else is worth more than all the material possession we could ever expect! To cheat the d

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord ~ Acts 3:19 The acknowledgement is that the person spoken to has been convinced Jesus is the Messiah. It is not until that recognition comes to an individual that Jesus can be seen as what He is – the Saviour of the world. Once our heart opens up to that message and truth, then our minds can be changed and altered, and our hearts become sorry for how we have sinned against God. Before COVID-19, many thought we were living in difficult times, some thought the end times were here and soon Christ would return. Those days of a few months ago, with all the violence and wars, and world catastrophes taking place seem far away now, as we all fight a common battle – a deadly virus. It has become the sin of our world, yet it is the surface product, not the underlying product. Mankind still finds ways to cheat others for profit, or to hoard unnecessarily, or to cough and snee

The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him ~ Daniel 9:9 Our God is merciful, it is His nature to be so. It is so much His nature that He delights in mercy and in forgiveness. If a child makes a mistake and then comes to admit it to you, whether they have been caught or not, do they come knowing that you, as their loving parent, will forgive them? Of course, they will, if you are a loving parent! So, Father God is our parent, and through Jesus Christ we receive His pardon. There would be no point of us coming before Him and confessing our sins, our weaknesses, if we were not supported by the confidence that God would pardon us! If we did not have this confidence, we would be like those who believe that God is a hardened, stern God that expects ritual and continued penance. This is not the Christian God, for through Jesus Christ we have the incarnated example of who God is and how He loves. Through the stories of old, Daniel being one exa

For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins ~ Matthew 6:14, 15 Someone recently said to me, “It’s not easy for any of us to forgive.” We certainly here have the mandate to forgive, for if we don’t, God will not forgive us! It is very clear! We have to forgive our brother or sister in the Lord, or we will deal with the consequences of being shut out of heaven. So, if we have been hurt, and I am sure we have all been, how do we forgive?   Why should we let that person “off the hook” so to speak! So, let’s look first at what forgiveness is. In the wronged person, it is the deliberate, conscious decision to release…hmmm, I think I want to stop there. To release, to let go, to open the hand and drop, or open the heart and feel different! Is that then the stem of unforgiveness, that we hang on, hold tight, grasp with strength? But what is it w

Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity ~ Joel 2:13 In the Old Testament especially, when a person was grieving in remorse, either personally or for the community, they would pour ashes over themselves and tear their clothing in response. But, just as washing the outside of the cup does not clean the inside, neither does tearing the clothes display the inner heart. A penitent heart is called a “broken heart” or a “contrite heart”, and this is the offering God wants to see from us. This is because when we come to the Lord in this way, we pour out all that is diseased within us, expelling our wayward thoughts and feelings, and those mental images which go against what God has deemed as holy. It is only through true repentance we come into the grace of Jesus Christ and are then saved from our sins. Joel states that if we return to our God, He

“Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence ~ Hosea 6:1, 2 Israel at this time had abandoned God and so found God had abandoned them, so they sought to return to where He alone could be found, His temple. They had finally come to the realization they were weak, fickle, weary and unfaithful. Instead of worshipping the God of Creation, they had found idols and allies to claim as god. Do they in their ancient time, not resemble us in our present time? How far has this world fallen away from God, taken up idols and allies and so find we are spiritually weak and fickle, weary and unfaithful. I do not write to proclaim God has caused the virus we now deal with in the way the ancient Israelite’s state, “he has injured us”. I do not believe in a God that will pour down a virus of death upon His cr

One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,  to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple ~ Psalm 27:4 Worship Him, those of you whom have been awakened by His Spirit. Come as you are and join with others spiritually today, to worship the God of creation. In these days our physical presence cannot come together, but our spiritual beings most certainly can. This psalmist wanted to enter into the sanctuary of the Lord with His people, to come into God’s house. We cannot literally do this with what is happening in our world right now, but we can worship God from our homes, for God is with us wherever we are if our heart is joined with His. Today is our sabbath, our day of worship, and we too have the opportunity to bring all our longings down to one: to praise the Lord. The psalmist’s great desire is to live as a permanent resident in the Lord’s house, to enjoy His Divine presence and His

Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the Lord, who makes you holy ~ Leviticus 20:8 Jesus said to give unto Caesar what belonged to him, and to God what belonged to him. Now, Jesus was referring to paying taxes at this time, not directly to following government laws, but there are possible interpretations here. All of society has laws, whether they are written, or subliminal, and Caesar represents the government or, larger society. A criminal gang has laws, even though they strive to live against the law of the government and society. Within their group there are behaviour’s allowed as well as those which are not, and you had best not fall into the second group or you will get your due. Our Government has laws, and if we do not follow them, we may find ourselves incarcerated and in the prison system. The laws of God are much easier to follow, and they are given to us, not to hinder our relationships or our place in society, but actually to enhance them. Following God’s laws, or

Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land ~ Psalm 37:8, 9 These are fearful times for many people as we all try to make sense of the news on the media, the frenzy of some people who are hoarding supplies, and the spread of COVID-19 around the world. This disease is the evil which needs to be destroyed, and I am confident that though it does not look as though that will happen soon, it will happen, and life will return to what we call “normal.” Our fretting, or worrying, will not help us or the situation. When we become anxious our emotions are overrun and we become passionate, and then we react to people and the world so to try to satisfy our needs and to make an attempt to return life to as it was. When we live in this way, we are taking the cause out of God’s hands, attempting instead for us to fix the problem. God is in control! God will move and in

So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter ~ 2 Thessalonians 2:15 We are living in a time of both temptation and of suffering as we see the rise of COVID-19. The temptation is to not self-isolate, maybe more so for the young, as social distancing is a struggle for them. Young people enjoy gathering in common places, so for them to be told they must refrain from all their friends is very difficult. But for their social world, for their parents and grandparents to stay safe, this is what they, like us, must do. I also see this as a time to draw close to the Lord. It is a time when we must slow our pace down, spend quiet time alone or with our family, and not go about being busy, jumping from project to project. It is not a time to panic, for God is in control, for this we are taught. Our tradition puts our hope in Jesus Christ as the Scriptures grant us His knowledge. Christ is the central tr

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth ~ 3 John 1:4 Pilate asked Jesus, “What is truth?” He asked in scorn, and in disbelief that truth could not really be discovered; it is a question which has been asked by many since him, down to our day. We search for truth in others, but it is not there. We search for truth in leaders, but they are not always wise. We search for truth within ourselves, but even we lie to ourselves at times, so truth is not found there either. There is only one place where truth can be found, and that is in God, for only God is pure Truth. God reveals to us, those who are Christ followers, those things which are spiritual and eternal. We study the scriptures and we find in Christ the truth of how to live with each other, and how to love each other. We find truth about worshipping God from hearts that are pure before Him, instead of from hearts that are full of self or the world. We find truth about compassion, and mercy

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and the one who is wise saves lives. If the righteous receive their due on earth, how much more the ungodly and the sinner! ~ Proverbs 11:30, 31 The fruit of the righteous person are their prayers, the works God’s people do for mankind because God lives in them, and by living a life that exemplifies God. Paul wrote more extensively in Galatians 5 about the fruit of the Spirit, for the Spirit is life and salvation, not only to the one who is filled with the Spirit, but spirit-filled people bring life to others. If then, a Spirit-filled person suffers for the faults they create, how much more so will those who do not follow God suffer? These are strange times we are living in now. The COVID-19 virus is spreading, places of business are shutting down, people are being told to not congregate together. This virus will affect the righteous and the non-righteous alike. We are all to be wise, to avoid needless contact so to stop the spread

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers ~ Psalm 1:1 God made every person for happiness. We were all meant to live a blessed life, without trial and tribulation, without poverty and stress, without ill health and death. I am sure there are more than a few of us who would like to go back and have a chat with Adam and Eve to really let them know what would transpire after their decision to eat of the forbidden fruit. But, they probably still would not listen. As it is now, evil has entered our world, including the evil of sickness. We are still blessed by God, for His desire is to bless us, but our blessings have changed from those of the Garden. Every person feels a desire to be happy, but here there are three characters, each exceeding the other in sinfulness. Our three characters walk, then stand, then sit. The first has his unwise counsel, the second has his way, and the third takes hi

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ ~ 2 Corinthians 4:6 In the beginning, Genesis 1:3, God brought light into the world through His simple command. Paul, then, is returning the listener to that thought so as to substantiate his reasoning behind preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He does not preach himself, but the One who created “light out of darkness” in the world, and also, from Paul’s view, in the heart. Those therefore, who know the Redeemer, have been illuminated to the divine glory of Jesus, and they share what they know with others. The image of light in the Bible is the symbol of knowledge, purity, and truth. Opposing this is darkness which represents ignorance, error, sin and hopelessness; none of which are portrayals of God. What this shows us as Christians is that our minds, because Christ shines in us, are enlightened. We perc

“‘“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace”’ ~ Numbers 6:24-26 There are three forms of blessing in these few short verses, and they can minister to us on any occasion. The Lord always wants to bless His people, and He wants to do so through both the temporary and the spiritual. Some have likened this verse to be the blessings granted to us through the Trinity; the Father by adopting, justifying, and pardoning grace. The Son blesses with redeeming grace and as we come through Him to the Father, we are the gifts of His grace. The Spirit blesses us with regeneration and sanctification, grants us faith, comfort, the spirit of adoption, and He seals us into God’s family until the day of redemption. However one interprets this blessing, the truth is we as Christian disciples long for the blessing of God. We separate ourselves from the world’s tastes and desires, and we devote ou

“I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and have been saved from my enemies ~ 2 Samuel 22:4 “I will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised So shall I be saved from my enemies, oh yeah I will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised So shall I be saved from my enemies The Lord liveth and blessed be the Rock And let the God of my salvation be exalted The Lord liveth and blessed be the Rock And let the God of my salvation be exalted I will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised So shall I be saved from my enemies” ~ (Michael O’Shields) I just had to sing that little song in my head as I read the scripture this morning. The Lord is our Refuge, at all times. In our world right now, the coronavirus is our enemy, and we are living in a world full of panic and fear. People are stocking up on bathroom tissues, the stock market is struggling, events are closing astronomically. On top of all that, today is Friday, the 13 th . It is a day

But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves ~ Malachi 4:2 In both the Old Testament and the New, God is seen as light, or as a “sun and shield” as written in Psalm 84:11. Jesus is referred to as the “light of all mankind” in the first chapter of John. Each morning, we look to the sun in our solar system to rise and bring light to our world, here the “sun of righteousness” is the Lord Jesus. It is He that will rise up with healing in His rays. For those who revere His name, for those who are searching and looking for redemption, Jesus is the name and the answer. Jesus was a promise to the people of Malachi’s day, though they did not know His name. He was to bring to them light, righteousness, healing, protection, an increase of grace, and ultimately, He would bring joy in the Holy Spirit. Christ is our encouragement. Without Christ, we are in the dark, we are lost until the Gospe

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth ~ Genesis 1:26 God has given the human kind something extraordinary. It is found in the body and the soul of the human being. First, we are above all other animal species, we reign at the top. We therefore have a great responsibility toward the care of the lesser animal species. We have seen, and do see how we neglect to care properly for the animal kingdom. We litter and pollute and expand into their world, thereby annihilating species. Whales and other sea life have stomachs filled with plastics, whole oceans of plastics fill our waterways. Our dominion is a poor example of what God had intended for the dignity of mankind in relation to our care. Second, as our dominion over the animals has to do with our body, so being made in God's

Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given ~ John 1:16 A couple of verses earlier (14), John has said Jesus is “full of grace and truth.” It is of that which we, as disciples have received. What this means is that we have received from Him the truth of how His mercy and grace brings to us the plan of salvation, for us to then preach the Good News gospel, and to live lives of holiness as we model Him who gave His life to save us. We no longer live under the law; we have instead received abounding mercy as our sins have been washed away in Jesus Christ. We have favour now, instead of punishment, we have been pardoned of our past. Jesus is our living bread, our fountain of spring water, living now within us. This is the grace of Christ. If grace is lacking in your life, if spiritual supplies are failing within you, check the channel. That is what is sometimes at fault, and not the stream. God’s supply is vast and there is no exhaustion to His gr

So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ ~ Ephesians 3:17, 18 Paul is speaking not only to individuals, but to the church at Ephesus, calling them to be a body and a home in which the Spirit of God may dwell. He is plain in that there can be no indwelling without Christ, and no indwelling of Christ unless by faith. So, he prays that they might have that faith in Christ. This is how we remain in His love and presence. There must be a foundation which is strong and sure. Paul’s metaphor of being rooted leads one to look to nature, to the trees. Their roots run deep into the ground; this is how they grow. We are to be rooted in the love of Christ; this is how we grow into the likeness of Jesus and then are filled with His goodness. Remember the words of John 3:16 – “For God so loved the

Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them ~ Daniel 10:12 Daniel was extremely devoted to prayer. Three times a day he would get on his knees and speak to God. I recently heard this comment about Daniel and his prayers, and though I am not quoting it exact, the essence was that Daniel was not only devoted, but that he never fell asleep during his prayers. When we are on our knees, sleep does not come! Now, that may sound like a bit of jesting, but the truth is, when on our knees in prayer we show a devotion not found while praying in an easy chair, for being on our knees is very uncomfortable! God now replies to Daniel, telling him his devotions are accepted and his prayers are heard. At this point in Daniel’s life, he had spent three weeks in prayer, in fasting, in inquiring of God through his own affliction to fin

The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way ~ Psalm 25:9 The terminology in 21 st c. for the word “meek” means if you are meek you are weak. Actually, it meant that before Christianity as well. The opposite meaning is actually true. It takes strength to be the humble, the teachable, the prayerful, and the gentle of spirit. It is these people though, who are willing to learn and grow. A proud person thinks they already know enough, and they have no respect for others, nor can they learn for there is a block in the mind and heart. But, what does it mean, “will he (meaning God) guide in judgment”? This does not mean God judges them by administering justice to see if they are “doing what is right”, but that God will guide them in truth, in Christian duty, in the right way to live, or to make a decision in life. Through the blood and sacrifice of Jesus we have the Holy Spirit indwelling us which guides us in the way to live, and in truth, and in our Chris

The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death ~ Proverbs 14:27 The Hebrew language calls the fountain of life “mekor chaiyim, the vein of lives”. It is an allusion to the great aorta which carries the blood from the heart to the extremities of the body (Adam Clarke). Without our blood pulsing through our body death is imminent. It is our life-source, our healing agent, and it needs replenishing. Every three months we have a new life-blood flowing through our body system, keeping us in health. So the fear of the Lord is our replenishing agent. He is called a fountain for a reason, for He is continuous, inexhaustible, and pure. He is the source of life, the well of living water. Jesus said to the woman at the well that he was living water and if any would drink from him they would never thirst, and even more so, that those who drank from him that water would become a spring welling up to eternal life (John 4:14). For us to be turned from th

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land ~ 2 Chronicles 7:14 Oh, that our land would do this and repent before God! Oh, that our world would do this! We are so far from God in this land. I was listening to a Christian radio show yesterday as I drove to the office. The speaker was talking about how he had heard a woman speak about how the trees and the forests had taught her about God. He said that years ago people would have thought she was hearing voices and she had need of mental health care, but in this day and age it is called spirituality. People are “spiritual”, something I think Oprah Winfrey brought into the limelight of society’s way of not recognizing God as outside of the self, but inside. The only god that is inside self is self. If we want God, we have to look beyond and upward. God is only inside when

You save the humble, but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them low ~ 2 Samuel 22:28 In my ladies Bible study yesterday, this very subject came up, that is, pride and humility. We all looked for people in our life we could hold up as people of example for humility and it was interesting to note who these people were. None were the famous, or the elite of society, but these people had made a difference in the lives of the women around my living room. Throughout the Old Testament and the New, God cares for those who have been at the blunt of unmerited wrong. Those who have suffered persecution he looks to deliver. We cannot prescribe how that deliverance may come, but we are sure God’s eyes roam the earth to see and then to act. As His eyes see the humble, so he sees those who are haughty and proud, those who lord it over others and flatter themselves. Pride is a dangerous station to take up. It separates us from God and from others. Pride declares self-importance and self-in

Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few ~ Ecclesiastes 5:2 The hardest muscle to train is the tongue. Too often we utter words carelessly, and that my friends, is our problem. We speak whatever comes into our heart and mind without first thinking about how it sounds or how it will be taken to heart by another. If this is so with people, how much more should we take care to speak as we come before the Lord God. We must be aware of what we profess before Him, that it is from our heart, and not flippant utterings. If we make a vow before the Lord, be careful that you will fulfill that vow. If we are uttering our prayers up to God, have all reverence as we speak to God. We are after all, human, and disturbances and quandaries will surround us in life, but if in the midst of these situations we throw out words without thinking, without wisdom, without clarity, our rev

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves ~ Philippians 2:3 How often this rule is violated. How often do Christian’s try to out-best each other, to see who is the greatest? How often is the secret aim to outdo others? This verse is a command which forbids us to do anything out of strife. We are not to gain advantage over others by physical strength, or superiority, or schemes planned by rivalry. What we are to do is always be truthful and glorify God. Our angry passions are not to rule us, and we are not to boast in our talent, courage or zeal. Our vanity is our downfall. If we are out to honour ourselves and to attract attention to win praise, we are out of line. We are not the main object, nor should we ever be. Selfishness is not to be our motive. Instead, we are to live modestly and with humble attitudes. This means we estimate ourselves according to truth and be willing to take the place we ought to, which is that

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people ~ Titus 2:11 There is yet to be a time when all people are saved, yet, God has established a way of salvation that is large enough to bring salvation to all people. Why so many are unsaved is a mystery, and it is one we are not meant to understand. We do know that if all people would accept the grace of God, salvation would be theirs, and God’s free love and favour would reign in their hearts. Unfortunately, all people do not have the faith, nor hope, nor love, nor any of the graces and fruit of the Holy Spirit. Salvation is only the beginning of what God offers to His people. Once salvation takes place in the heart a transformation occurs which brings blessings innumerable. Salvation brings the Good News into the heart, for where there was separation there is now unification with Father God as his newly adopted child. Where there was once sin and condemnation there is now redemption and reconciliation. Where