Volume No. 2010 Issue No. 30 Date: August 29, 2010

Publication of the BIBLE BAPTIST MINISTRY, 48 Alexie Rd, Hanover Township, PA 18706

Phone: 570.829.5216 pdmikBBM@aol.com pastormiklas@aol.com

 

The English Reformer John Bradford is reported to have said while imprisoned in the Tower of London, watching a prisoner being led away to his execution, “There, but for the grace of God, go I.” Can the grace of God help you and me regardless of the size or impact of our sin? Gratefully and biblically, the answer is a resounding, YES!

 

If anyone was aware of how the grace of God impacts our past, it was John Newton, the infamous slave trader who was gloriously converted to Christ. We know the words to the hymn he wrote, ''Amazing Grace." The title says it all, doesn't it? But you may not be familiar with these words he also wrote, echoing the apostle Paul's theme in I Corinthians 15:10, "I am not what I might be, I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I wish to be, I am not what I hope to be; but I thank God I am not what I once was, and I can say with the great apostle, 'By the grace of God I am what I am."

 

Paul had written to the church at Corinth, “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” Paul meant that the grace of God completely changed Saul of Tarsus from a murderous, religious militant to a humble servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace forgave Paul for being the self-professed chief of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15), a murderer of Christians, and gave him new opportunities as momentous as his offenses had been monstrous.

 

It is no wonder that Paul eventually wrote to the Roman church in Romans 5:20b-21, “…But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: (21) That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.” In other words, it is impossible to commit sins that are greater than God's grace. It was obviously this verse from Romans that inspired Julia H. Johnston when she wrote her hymn, "Grace Greater than All Our Sin." Some of the words are,

 

"Marvelous grace of our loving Lord, grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt.
Grace, grace, God's grace, grace that will pardon and cleanse within.

Grace, grace, God's grace, grace that is greater than all our sin!"

 

The problem with moving forward in life is that the past can't be changed. Even if we know we are forgiven by God and by others, it's hard to forget when we have failed. And that's where the God of grace makes moving forward possible. In fact, the harder we try to forget our sins, the more ingrained in our memory they become. But did you know that God forgets about our sins and failures? That's why it's possible for us to move forward – to move beyond the past, because God treats us as if we had never sinned at all.

 

I want to list some ways that God's grace is manifested when it comes to the mistakes of our past. Please note the kind of language the writers of the Bible used. It was anthropomorphic language. That means they used words that implied human attributes and behavior by God. They pictured God using human characteristics to do with our sin what we are unable to do with it ourselves:

 

He removes sin far, far away from us (Psalm 103:11-12).

He blots out our sins; He covers them as with a cloud (Isaiah 44:22).
He casts our sins into the depths of the sea (Micah 7: 19).

He throws our sins behind His back so they are invisible to Him (Isaiah 38:17).

He forgets our sin; He no longer remembers it (Jeremiah 31:34).

 

You see the "anthropomorphic" part now, I'm sure. God doesn't have a back, but we do. The depths of the sea are immediately present to God, but it's a long way away from us. I don't know if God can put things out of His memory, but I know I wish I could – and I'm glad God treats my sin as if it is totally forgotten. The words and images of the writers make it abundantly clear: The past is over when it comes to God's grace and forgiveness of our sin. Grace is when God gives us something we don't deserve – forgiveness, a fresh start, a clean slate, and renewed hope. But forgiveness also involves mercy – not giving us what we do deserve which would be judgment, wrath, and no more opportunity. God’s grace and mercy are indeed greater than all our sin. Remember God’s grace buries your past and opens the door to a future of hope and blessing – if you will receive His grace in your life today.

 

In His Amazing Grace,

PS: We do not, nor will we charge for the Weekly SERMON, however if these have been a blessing to you and you can help with the COST of this endeavor for the Lord, we appreciate and thank you for your prayers and FINANCIAL SUPPORT. Yes, at times I need to extend my hand in order to give you an opportunity to extend your hand financially to enable this ministry to continue to extend the Word of God to others. For financial accountability we are handling all ministry funds under the Green Street Baptist Chapel of Edwardsville, PA. (Mailing address: Bible Baptist Ministry, 48 Alexie Rd, Hanover Township, PA 18706) Checks made out to them and memo to Bible Baptist Ministry will be tax deductible for you and placed in the account for this ministry.

PPS: In order to access the Weekly SERMON, please click the link to Weekly Sermon Library, where you will be able to choose: Plain Text (TXT), Microsoft Word document (DOC), Rich Text (RTF), Web Page (HTML) or PDF (Portable Document Format), any of the format(s) you desire. After you decide on the appropriate format(s) you may then print a copy of the Weekly SERMON, save it to a file on your computer, or download it and save it to a disk for future use. Your use of this material is meant to be flexible.

 

http://BibleBaptistMinistry.org/../MMX35/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Volume No. 2010 Issue No. 16 Date: May 9, 2010

Publication of the BIBLE BAPTIST MINISTRY, 48 Alexie Rd, Hanover Township, PA 18706

Phone: 570.829.5216 pdmikBBM@aol.com pastormiklas@aol.com

 

In Matthew 22:37-40 we read, “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. (38) This is the first and great commandment. (39) And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. (40) On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

 

In 1 John 2:15-17 we read; “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (16) For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. (17) And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”

 

Now let me start by asking you a fair question. Is there something in this world that you love more than God? I have no doubt some people will pause as they think of the love they have for their spouse, for their parents, for their children. As much as we may love those special people God blesses us with during our brief journey through life, our love for God MUST always be first. This is a truth most people are able to understand and accept.

 

More to the point however, is there some THING in this world that you love more than God? We say we love God. We may say God is first in our life. But is He really? Let me be a bit more specific. Is God first in your life, ahead of your career or even your ministry? Is God first in your life, ahead of your hobbies and special interests? Be careful now, we know what the RIGHT answers to these questions are, but are they the TRUE answers?

 

Even though I know you don't want to, let's go a bit deeper. Does your work or career take priority over God in your normal day to day life? Do you invest as much time each week into God as you do your hobbies and special interests? One of the profound statements Jesus made in Matthew 6:21 was, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Since that is a great measuring stick of where our heart is, how much of your treasure goes to God as opposed to the pleasures of this world?

 

PLEASE do not misunderstand me. I am NOT saying that your career is not important. After all, it was God who gave you the gifts and talents you have to be successful in your career. It was God who opened the doors for you to be where you are, and it is God who gives you favor and blessings each day in your career. I am also NOT saying that your hobbies and special interests are not important. Again, it was God who gave you the desires and passions for the things you enjoy in this life. Nor am I saying you should not use some of the resources God has entrusted to you to enjoy the abundance of this life.

 

What I AM saying is that we have to take inventory of our life from time to time and ensure that we are keeping God first at all times, in all things. We can fall into patterns at times and slowly ease God out of our day-to-day life. Not consciously, but often without even realizing it, we put other things in our life ahead of God. This is a subtle trap of our enemy, Satan. Once God is no longer first in your life; you are wide open to be attacked. This becomes an open door for Satan to enter your life and harm you.

 

After reading this devotional letter, simply take a moment and ask yourself the tough questions in regard to where God fits in your life. Is He first in ALL areas of your life? Don't play games with yourself, since this is for YOUR benefit, not God’s. This is to protect YOU from giving the enemy any room to operate in your life.

 

I pray that you will never forget that God MUST be first in your life, at all times, in all things. We can never allow any person, our career, our hobbies or interests to become more important than God. He has got to be our first priority and our first love at all times. God gives us special people with whom to share this life. He gives us gifts and talents to use in our careers, and it is God who gives us passions and desires for the things we enjoy in this life. We must never fall into the trap of loving the things of this world more than we love God.

 

May the Lord bless you this week as you prayerfully read and meditate on the attached Weekly SERMON, “What Makes a Great Church? – Part II.”

 

In His Amazing Grace,

PS: In order to access the Weekly SERMON, please click the link to Weekly Sermon Library, where you will be able to choose: Plain Text (TXT), Microsoft Word document (DOC), Rich Text (RTF), Web Page (HTML) or PDF (Portable Document Format), any of the format(s) you desire. After you decide on the appropriate format(s) you may then print a copy of the Weekly SERMON, save it to a file on your computer, or download it and save it to a disk for future use. Your use of this material is meant to be flexible.

 

http://BibleBaptistMinistry.org/../MMX19/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Volume No. 2010 Issue No. 13 Date: April 18, 2010

Publication of the BIBLE BAPTIST MINISTRY, 48 Alexie Rd, Hanover Township, PA 18706

Phone: 570.829.5216 pdmikBBM@aol.com pastormiklas@aol.com

 

In John 3:16 we read again that familiar verse "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” It has been said what London, the great metropolis, is to the British Empire, John 3:16 is to the Scriptures. London was the hub of the wheel known to the world as Great Britain. John 3:16 is the hub of the wheel known as God's eternal love which turns this universe. Even those who have not appreciated nor personally appropriated to themselves the provisions of God's love readily recognize that the outstanding characteristic of God is giving.

 

He gave His head … to wear a curse for me. "And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head." (John 19:2)

He gave His cheek … to be smitten for me. "He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him."
(Lamentations 3:30)

He gave His eyes … to shed tears over sin. "And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it." (Luke 19:41)

He gave His tongue … to pray for cruel enemies. "Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34)

He gave His back … to be beaten for sinners. "The plowers plowed upon my back: they made long their furrows." (Psalm 129:3)

He gave His side … to be speared for rebellious unbelievers. "But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water." (John 19:34)

He gave His hands and feet … to be nailed for undeserving sinful mankind. "They pierced my hands and my feet." (Psalm 22:16)

He gave His blood … to redeem hopelessly condemned, corrupt criminals. ''…ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold … But with the precious blood of Christ…" (I Peter. 1:18, 19)

He gave His life … to all believing sinners. "The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ
our Lord." (Romans 6:23)

 

The Old Testament is God's love concealed, and the New Testament is God's love revealed. Every great truth of the Old Testament points toward John 3:16, while every great doctrine of the New Testament emerges from it. What the sun is to our solar system, John 3:16 is in its relation to of the Christian message. In a similar fashion to the way the planets range in their ceaseless rotation around that vast central magnet and flaming quasar we call the sun, the hope of all believers revolves around John 3:16. As the planets receive their illumination from the sun, so do all the distinctive life-giving truths of redemption come from John 3:16.

 

The unspeakable riches of divine grace; the eternal forgiveness of all sins; the propitiation, reconciliation, justification, sanctification and eventual glorification of redeemed humanity are all included in the declaration of John 3:16. The hope of all the ages for all hopeless humanity becomes as bright as a flaming meteor across the inky black skies of fallen mankind when they lay hold of the love of God expressed in this verse. Someone wrote:

 

"For God" gives the source of love.

"So loved" gives the fact of love.

"The world" gives the object of Gods' love.

"He gave" describes the act of His love.

"His only begotten Son" presents the gift of His love.

"That whosoever believeth in him" gives the message of His love.

"Should not perish, but have everlasting life" defines the fruit of God's love.

 

Perhaps John 3:16 could also, with good reason, be compared to a radio broadcasting station. The messages being sent out by God's messenger boys, called ether waves, emitting from His tower of mercy are: "God loves." "God gives." "God saves."

 

May the Lord bless you this week as you prayerfully read and meditate on the attached Weekly SERMON in the series on the Power and Glory in the Church, “Let the Church catch FIRE.”

 

 

In His Amazing Grace,

PS: In order to access the Weekly SERMON, please click the link to Weekly Sermon Library, where you will be able to choose: Plain Text (TXT), Microsoft Word document (DOC), Rich Text (RTF), Web Page (HTML) or PDF (Portable Document Format), any of the format(s) you desire. After you decide on the appropriate format(s) you may then print a copy of the Weekly SERMON, save it to a file on your computer, or download it and save it to a disk for future use. Your use of this material is meant to be flexible.

 

http://BibleBaptistMinistry.org/../MMX16/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Down From His Glory”

For years I have said that I believe the holiest of all nights is Christmas Eve and as such we are here to HONOR and WORSHIP JESUS the Christ of Christmas. Perhaps one of the most profound passages of scripture which summarizes the life of Christ is found in Philippians 2:5-11 where we read, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: (6) Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: (7) But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: (8) And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. (9) Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: (10) That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; (11) And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Here the Apostle Paul presents to us the CRADLE, the CROSS, and the CROWN.

A Son BORN in verses 7-8.

A Saviour CRUCIFIED in verse 8.

A Sovereign CROWNED King of Kings and Lord of Lords in verses 9-11.

From Heaven’s GLORY to a CRADLE

From a CRADLE to the CROSS

From a CROSS to the CROWN in Glory

Would you notice again verse 11 "And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord TO THE GLORY OF GOD THE FATHER.” Years ago I had the privilege of hearing a Christmas Cantata entitled "Down from His Glory." When Jesus came to this earth it was not His DEITY that He laid aside but rather His GLORY. When Jesus rose again and ascended back to Heaven, God gave Him back His GLORY, as we read in I Peter 1:21, "Who by Him do believe in God, who raised Him up from the dead and gave Him GLORY…" When Jesus came DOWN from Glory:

He came down from the ADORATION of Heaven to the ABOMINATIONS of earth.

He came down from the BLESSEDNESS of Heaven to the BRUISES of crucifixion tortures.

He came down from the CORONATIONS of Heaven to the CONDEMNATION of earth.

He came down from the DELIGHTS of Heaven to the DEFAMATIONS of earth.

He came down from the EXCELLENCE of Heaven to the EXECUTION of earth.

He came down from the FAVOR of His Father's face in Heaven to the FURY of Man's face on earth.

He came down from the GLORY place to the GORY place.

He came down from the HALLELUJAHS of Heaven to the HISSES of earth.

He came down from the INTERCESSIONS of Heaven to the INJUSTICES of earth.

He came down from the JOYS of Heaven to the JEERS of the mobs of earth.

He came down from the KINDNESS of Heaven to the KILLING of earth.

He came down from the LOVE of Heaven to the LYING accusations of earth.

He came down from the MAJESTIES of Heaven to the MISERIES of earth.

He came down from the NOTORIETY of Heaven to the NOTHINGNESS of earth.

He came down from the PRAISE of Heaven to the PERSECUTIONS of earth.

He came down from the RICHES of Heaven to the RIDICULES of earth.

He came down from the SONGS of Heaven to the SNEERS of earth.

He came down from the THRONE of Heaven to the TREE of earth.

He came down from the WORSHIP OF ANGELIC HOSTS to the WRATH and WRANGLING of unprincipled men.

The incarnation of Christ, DEITY BEING CONFINED WITHIN THE BODY OF A LITTLE BABY, is the greatest of all mysteries. In I Timothy 3:16 we read, "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh…" That is what took place in the womb of the Virgin Mary when Christ was born. Please follow me in your Bibles:

In Isaiah 7:14 we have the prophecy of the Virgin Birth, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

In Isaiah 9:6-7 we read, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever…” We read that a Child is born, that speaks of His Humanity. We read that a Son is given, that speaks of His Deity.

In Luke 1:30-35 we have the announcement of the Angel to Mary that she would conceive in her womb Jesus not by man but by God, “And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. (31) And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. (32) He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: (33) And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. (34) Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? (35) And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”

How mysterious, how wonderful, how beautiful is the Virgin Birth, the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In the Old Testament man was made in the image of God.

In the New Testament God was made in the image of man.

The incarnation involves two major MIRACLES. When you try to take those MIRACLES out of the Christmas story, you lose it totally.

The FIRST MIRACLE involved God taking upon Himself the full nature of man, yet retaining the fullness of God. The Bible declares that He was as much God as He was Man, and as much man as He was God. Jesus is the God Man.

The SECOND MIRACLE involved a human body being conceived within a mother’s womb without an earthly father. That is exactly how the Birth of Christ occurred. The miracle of the Virgin Birth was not the actual physical birth, but the conception of Christ's earthly body.

There are those who say that the Virgin Birth of Christ is not very important. However, listen carefully to this statement: "If you do not believe in the VIRGIN BIRTH OF CHRIST, He died in vain. Because if He were not God, whose Father was in fact God, He did not have the ability or the right to claim to die for a lost race. So you cannot deny the VIRGIN BIRTH and call yourself a Christian."

All of historic Christianity revolves around the Virgin Birth of Jesus, God the Son.

If He were not Virgin Born, He would not be sinless.

If He were not sinless, He could not have died for our sins on Calvary's cross.

If He had died as a mere human, there would be no resurrection,

If no resurrection, I have no hope of salvation or eternal life.

The virgin Birth of Jesus is vital to our FAITH.

A Christian genealogist said: "I believe in the Virgin Birth of Christ. After 30 years of medical practice, I find the normal birth of an average child a mystery so profound that my human mind can give no adequate explanation for it. Long ago, I came to accept the greater wonder of the incarnation of Jesus Christ purely on the grounds of FAITH."

Another said, To reject the Virgin Birth of Christ is to reject His deity, since they are synonymous. Many admit the DIVINITY of Christ but do not acknowledge His deity. To contend that Christ was not born of a Virgin by the agency of the Holy Spirit is to reject Him as our Mediator at the right hand of God.

Again I read from Philippians 2:5-8, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: (6) Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: (7) But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: (8) And being found in fashion as a man…” Here I want us to focus upon two very vital truths about the Christ of Christmas.

I. His Humanity: Notice again in verse 7, “But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:” In His perfect humanity, this VIRGIN-BORN Babe in Bethlehem's manger was as much man as He was God. In Galatians 4:4 we read, "but when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a women…" Jesus had a human body, soul and spirit.

In Matthew 26:12 speaking of Jesus we read, "For in that she hath poured this ointment on my BODY, she did it for my burial."

In Matthew 26:38 Jesus said in the Garden of Gethsemane, "My SOUL is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death."

In Luke 23:46 at Calvary, as Jesus was dying He said, "Father, into thy hands I commend my SPIRIT."

Just like you in the flesh Jesus is BODY, SOUL, and SPIRIT.

He Prayed as we pray: In Mark 1:35, "And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.”

He was tempted as we are, but He did not yield to sin. In Matthew 4:1 we read, "Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil."

He learned obedience, just as we and our children learn obedience, as we read in Hebrews 5:8, "Though he were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which he suffered."

He grew hungry as we read in Matthew 4:2, "When he had fasted 40 days and 40 nights, he was afterward an hungered."

He knew thirst as He spoke on the cross when He said in John 19:28, "I thirst."

He did become weary and tired after exertion, as we read in John 4:6, "Jesus therefore being wearied with His journey, sat thus on the well."

He wept. Jesus literally shed tears. He showed emotion outside of Lazarus’ tomb. In Luke 19:41 we read, "And when he was come near, he beheld the city and wept over it."

He suffered as we read in I Peter 4:1, "Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourself likewise with the same mind."

He died. This fact adds to His humanity. One day on the cross of Calvary, the scriptures say He actually died physically as we read in I Corinthians 15:3, "I deliver unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures."

My friends, we worship and serve a Saviour who was like we are.

He felt what we feel.

He knew what we know.

He walked where we walk.

Therefore He can be our faithful high priest. WE SERVE AND WORSHIP PERFECT GOD, PERFECT MAN, WRAPPED UP IN ONE PERSON, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.

There is none like Him.

There has never been one like Him.

There shall never be one like Him.

II. HIS DEITY: Again in Philippians 2:6 we read, "Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God," This speaks of Christ's deity. He is God, the second person of the Godhead. Christ is as much man as He was God. The opposite is also true. He was as much God as He was man.

We read in Matthew 2:11 where the Wiseman having found Jesus fell down and WORSHIPED him. They worshipped undiminished deity.

Being DEITY Christ is omnipresent for He said in Matthew 28:20, "Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." Jesus is everywhere at the same time.

Being DEITY Christ is omnipotent for He has all power, as we read in Matthew 28:18, "All power is given unto me in heaven and earth."

Being DEITY Christ is omniscient for He knows everything. He has all wisdom. When Nathaniel was surprised in John 1:48 at how the Lord knew his name, Jesus said, "Before that Philip called thee, when thou was under the fig tree, I saw thee."

Being DEITY Christ forgives sin for this is something only God can do, and Jesus is God. Mark 2:5 tells us, "When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick… Son, they sins be forgiven thee."

Being DEITY Christ saves for who can save a lost sinner but God? Matthew 18:11, "For the son of man is come to save that which was lost."

Being DEITY Christ is without sin for Christ did not sin, period, not one time, II Corinthians 5:21, "He knew no sin."

Being DEITY Christ looked at the multitudes with compassion upon them. He saw the sick and His heart was broken. He looked at the hungry and He fed them.

Being DEITY Christ is meek and gentle, Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”

Being DEITY Christ was the Only Begotten Son of John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” From the moment He arrived in the Bethlehem manger:

          He set His face like a flint toward the Cross.

          He came to this earth to die. Nobody killed Jesus.

He laid His life down willingly that you and I might not go to hell, but that we might ,through Him, have forgiveness of sin and eternal life.

As we think upon the incarnation of Christ, listen to this as a fitting conclusion:

"The God who brought forth a motherless woman (EVE) from the body of a man (Adam), brought forth a fatherless Man (Jesus Christ), from the body of a woman (Mary). There are those who say that it makes no difference whether or not Jesus Christ was Virgin born. But it makes a profound difference whose Son He is. Only a divine birth could provide divine sonship, and only divine sonship could provide a divine Saviour, and only a divine Saviour could achieve and provide salvation for sinful man."

In the past 6,000 years of human history, there have been literally billions of people born into the human family on this planet:

They have spoken hundreds of different languages and dialects.

They have practiced multitudes of religions.

They have developed numerous cultures.

And yet, with the diversity of these literally billions of people who have inhabited this planet, every single human being shares one vital thing in common with all the other billions of human beings. That one thing is THEIR ETERNAL DESTINY IS DETERMINED BY WHAT THEY DO WITH THAT ONE PERSON, who is the perfect man, the perfect God, born 2,000 years ago in a lowly manger in the city of David.

Consciously or unconsciously, the world celebrates His birth at this season of the year. As you celebrate, I would like to ask you the most important questions ever asked. They are found in Matthew 22:42 "What think ye of Christ? whose son is he?" The poet said:

To the ARTIST He is the One, altogether lovely.

To the ARCHITECT He is the Chief Cornerstone.

To the ASTRONOMER He is the Sun of Righteousness.

To the BAKER He is the Bread of Life.

To the BANKER He is the Sure Foundation.

To the CARPENTER He is the Door.

To the DOCTOR He is the Great Physician.

To the EDUCATOR He is the New and Living Way.

To the FARMER He is the Sower and the Lord of the Harvest.

To all who come to Him, He is all you need for an eternity. So as you prepare to leave to engage in all the festivities and all the activities the rest of the evening and all day tomorrow the eternal questions for you are "What think ye of Christ? Whose son is he?"

***********************************************

If God has spoken to your heart after reading the sermon “Down From His Glory” then right now talk to God about what He has spoken to you.

Do you have the assurance that one day you will go to heaven? If you have no assurance that you know Jesus Christ, then I trust you will decide to accept Him as your personal Savior. The Bible tells us in

Acts 16:31, “…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…”

Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

This prayer is here for those who need to ask Jesus to be their personal Savior: “I do want to go to Heaven. I know I am a sinner, and I do believe Jesus Christ died for me. I realize I cannot buy this great salvation, nor can I earn it. Knowing Jesus died on the cross and arose from the grave to pay my sin debt and to purchase my salvation, I do now trust Him as my Savior, and from this moment on I am completely depending on Him for my salvation.”

If you made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior let me know. Please send an e-mail to pdmikBBM@aol.com and I will send you some literature that will help you in your Christian life.

The “Weekly SERMON” was sent as a ministry of Bible Baptist Ministry, 48 Alexie Rd., Hanover Township, PA 18706. Privacy policy: your e-mail address will not be sold, or shared with any third party.

Copy write permission: Because the “Weekly SERMONS” will be reproduced into other formats, PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING: The “Weekly SERMON” in its original form, without any changes, may be copied and re-transmitted by electronic mail, and copies may be printed for individual or ministry purposes, provided that such copying, re-transmission, printing, or other use is not for profit or other commercial purpose.  Any copying, re-transmission, distribution, printing, or other use of the “Weekly SERMON” must set forth in full the heading that is given before each “Weekly SERMON.” Any other request for use, please contact Bible Baptist Ministries at pdmikBBM@aol.com or by phone at 570.829.5216.

“The Glory Due His Name”

Introduction: The Book of Psalms with its 150 chapters is perhaps the most read book of the Bible. Known as the great hymnbook of Israel, the Psalms is not only a book of PRAISE, but at the same time, it is a book of HUMAN EXPERIENCE. This morning, I believe God would have us consider Psalm 29.

“Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength. (2) Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. (3) The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD is upon many waters. (4) The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty. (5) The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon. (6) He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn. (7) The voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire. (8) The voice of the LORD shaketh the wilderness; the LORD shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh. (9) The voice of the LORD maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory. (10) The LORD sitteth upon the flood; yea, the LORD sitteth King for ever. (11) The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.”

Looking at the Psalms collectively, we find that perhaps Psalm 29:2 is the key verse for the entire book. "Give unto the Lord the GLORY due unto His holy name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness."

Psalm 8:1, "O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth, who hast set thy GLORY above the heavens."

Psalms 57:5, "Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens, let thy GLORY be above all the earth."

Psalms 63:1-2, "O God, thou art my God, early will I seek thee, …to see THY POWER and GLORY, as I have seen thee in the sanctuary."

Psalm 148:13, “Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven.”

The glory that rightly belongs to God is “above the earth and heaven.” We cannot humanly comprehend it. If we follow what God says in these verses, ascribing to God the glory due to Him, we shall never be able to exhaust that glory.

The GLORY OF GOD MUST BE IN OUR CHURCHES:

A church may be known for its friendliness, for its warm-hearted people, for its preaching and singing, but the Bible says in Ephesians 3:21, “Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end, Amen.”

What then is the primary purpose of the Church? It is for the "Glory of God." We read, "Unto Him, be glory in the church by Christ Jesus…" The church is the place for God's GLORY.

It is not the place for glorified preachers.

It is not the place for glorified saints.

It is not the place for a glorified past.

It is not the place for glorified buildings.

It is not the place for glorified programs.

The church is meant to be a place for the GLORY OF ALMIGHTY GOD!

Have you ever walked into a church service and literally felt the presence of God?

The singing was permeated by God's presence.

The message was filled with heavenly fire.

Jesus was exalted, and

There was a positive response to the invitation.

When God has so blessed a congregation, and we leave saying, "The Lord's presence was felt, there was glory given to God in that place." that is an example of the Glory of God. Brethren, YOU AND I NEED TO SEE AND FEEL AND UNDERSTAND "the glory of God" ONCE AGAIN. God says, "Glorify Me!"

The GLORY OF GOD MUST BE IN OUR LIVES:

QUESTION: "What is the chief end of man?

ANSWER:      "Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever."

In Isaiah 43:7 we read, “Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him, yea, I have made him. We have been created for “God’s Glory.”

The passage that brings into focus the purpose of our existence is found in I Corinthians 10:31, "Whether, then you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." In I Corinthians 6:19-20 we are confronted with another probing question, "What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" Now notice in verse 20 the reason for asking such a question, "For ye are bought with a price; therefore, GLORIFY GOD in your body and in your spirit which are God's."

There, we have it again. God is concerned that we glorify Him even in our body. Whatever you do with your body, make sure that your physical existence brings glory to God.

Our sole purpose as individuals is to bring Glory to our God.

Our basic reason for existence as a church is "the Glory of God.”

Two more passages need to be brought to our attention:

In Matthew 5:16, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father, who is in heaven."

Romans 15:5-6, "Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one toward another according to Jesus Christ, that ye may with one mind and one mouth GLORIFY GOD, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Let's pause to deepen our understanding of the word "Glory." Glory refers to light, the light of God's presence, which is a brilliant and shinning light from heaven. In Exodus 40:34 we read, "Then a cloud covered the tent (the Tabernacle) of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle." This is referred to as the "Shekinah" glory of God. So awesome was the light that the Hebrews knew God was present.

But when it comes to the goals of our lives or the purpose of the church, we're not talking about either a brilliant light or the distinct representation of glory in earthly or heavenly bodies. So what does it mean for the church or for you or me as a believer to glorify God?

It means, "To magnify, exalt and elevate the Lord our God as we humble ourselves and defer to His wisdom and His authority." Someone has defined "glorifying God" as "making God look good before a godless world."

Again in Psalm 29:1-2 read, “Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.” Did you notice three times the word “give” is used, meaning “to ascribe honor?”

 First: We are to “Give God Glory for His PERSON.”

There was a day when Moses stood before Pharaoh on behalf of the persecuted Hebrews who were surrounded by the gods of Egypt. The Egyptians finally said to Pharaoh, “This thing that is happening is the finger of God. Our gods are not like their God.”

Many years later, the Hebrew people became polytheistic by their worship of many gods. God had them carried away into the Babylonian exile where they were among the many gods of the Babylonians, the Jews had burned into their hearts this fact, “The Lord, He is one God.”

Today we are living in a land called America that has become POLYTHEISTIC. There are many groups claiming their god is the way to life and the after-life. Also today, we are living in a nation that has become PANTHEISTIC, where god is all and all is god. In addition, we have “garden variety” gods as men have been taught that they are all gods.

God’s people need to live so that their lives give glory to the God of the Bible, the living God. The world around us needs to know that there is no god like our God, the God of the Bible.

We believe that God is real.

We believe in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. We believe that God the Holy Spirit is co-equal and co-existent with God the Father and God the Son.

We believe the Creator, Elohim, who spoke this universe into existence lives within each believer. We who are born again have become the temple of the living God.

We believe that no other god is like our God, who made the sun moon, and stars, who opened up the Red Sea and brought the newborn nation of Israel through on dry ground.

The Lord says, “Give Me glory because of Who I am.” In Isaiah 44:6 the prophet cries, “Thus saith the LORD the king of Israel, and the redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.” Then in verse 8 we read, “Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses, Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.”

Second: We are to “Give God Glory for His POWER.”

Returning to Psalm 29 we discover that we should give Him glory for His power, for in verse 3 we read, “The voice of the LORD is upon the waters.” Here under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, David paints a powerful word picture of a storm. If you are familiar with the geography and the topography of the Land of the Bible, you can imagine the storm starting out in the Mediterranean Sea and moving inland.

The psalmist stood in awe as he considered this storm. He saw the power of God in it and said, “When I see God’s power, I know there is glory due to the Lord for His power.”

In verses 3-5 David describes this storm as the VOICE of God, “The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD is upon many waters. (4) The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty. (5) The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon.”

The description continues in verse 6, “He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.” Here he is speaking of the mountains. God said that He makes the mountains skip, move, and quiver like a wild beast. This is the power of God.

The description goes on in verse 7, “The voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire. (8) The voice of the LORD shaketh the wilderness; the LORD shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.” This describes the flash of lightening breaking from the sky. As the raging of the heavens meets the raging of the sea the psalmist said, “I see in all this the majesty and power of God. Glory is due unto our God who can do this.”

The description continues in verse 8-9, “(8) The voice of the LORD shaketh the wilderness; the LORD shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh. (9) The voice of the LORD maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory.”

The storm started out at sea and then moved to the land. As it struck the land, some of the mighty cedars of Lebanon were torn by the voice of God. He moved from the cedars to the mountains making the very mountains quake. He flung the storm down from the north across the land to the south. He roared into the wilderness shaking it to the rock foundation of Petra. From this we can see that “All power belongeth to our God. Amen!!”

Third: We are to “Give God Glory for His PEACE.”

The faithless person does not understand our God who can sweep across the sea, break across the shore, rip down the mighty cedars of Lebanon, shake the mountains, rage across the wilderness and move the foundations of the city and yet be so personal that He can give us peace in our hearts. Our Lord not only gives us peace, but peace in the storm, as we read in Psalm 29:10-11, “The LORD sitteth upon the flood; yea, the LORD sitteth King for ever. (11) The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.”

Hebrews 13:20 declares, “Now the God of peace…”

Isaiah 38:17 proclaimed, “Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.”

In Philippians 4:6-7 we read, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

The Bible says that the peace of God shall guard and protect you. “The peace of God…shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” even in the midst of the storms of life. Psalm 29:11 says, “The LORD will bless his people with peace.”

Allow me to spend the balance of our time impressing upon you the importance of "Glorifying God" in every area of our personal lives. We must realize that "Glorifying God" can be accomplished through every detail of living. When I say every detail I mean in our home, in our marriage, in our church ministry, in every area of our lives. Remember in I Corinthians 10:31 we read, "Whether, then you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." How does this all happen? How does glorifying God occur?

First: By including the Lord God in every aspect of your life. We must keep asking the question:

IS GOD GETTING THE GLORY for the "WHENS" of my life? You name it. When any subject calls for my response, my attitude and answer are to be for His glory.

IS GOD GETTING THE GLORY for the "IFS" of my life? Regardless, if the plans we have arranged succeed, or fail, or must be altered, God must get the glory. Our permanent theme in life is to be: "To God be the glory for the things He hath done."

IS GOD GETTING THE GLORY for the "INS" of my life? Glorifying God must be "IN" every aspect of my life:

In my public or private affairs God must be glorified.

In my relationships God must be glorified.

In my home, in my ministry, in my work God must be glorified.

In my study and preparation God must receive all the glory.

In order to do this, you must take the first tough step. PRIDE and SELFISHNESS, two characteristics demanded by human nature,  must be constantly and consciously put down and every desire must be surrendered to the Lord. You and I must open every closet, every room in our lives, and allow God's glory in. How does this occur?

Second: By refusing to expect or accept any of the glory that belongs to God. Please remember the flesh is very creative and selfish and it doesn't mind getting the glory for spiritual-sounding things or religious acts. In all of us there is that inner struggle with the flesh. It's a battle ground, for sure, to give God and He alone ALL the glory.

At a Bible conference, a musical group sang a song in a most exciting manner evoking loud cheers and applause. People were smiling and saying, "Aren't they good? Wasn't their choreography entertaining?" The group was followed shortly thereafter by a pastor with multiple sclerosis who from his wheelchair said, "No one ever cared for me like Jesus." When he was finished, a holy hush moved over the congregation. There were tears in people's eyes, and they were thinking, "Isn't our God wonderful? Oh, how we ought to love Him more!" No cheers and applause, just worship.

Hear these words, "No man can bear witness to Christ and to himself at the same time. No man can give the impression that he himself is clever and that Christ is mighty to save."

Allow me to repeat that our primary purpose in life and in the church is for "the glory of God.”

The light of God's presence must illuminate your endeavors, or they're done in vain.

The authority of God's power must energize your efforts, or they're doomed to fail.

The significance of God's preeminence must remain paramount in your thoughts, or everything you do becomes a monument to man.

With that in mind, allow me to refer back to previous statements and give you a plan of action.

First: In order to include the Lord God in every aspect of your life you need to meet often and alone with Him in prayer.

Second: In order to refuse to expect or accept any of the glory that belongs to God, you need to openly admit your struggle with pride.

You need to filter everything through the same question: Will this bring glory to God or will it bring glory to me?

In Revelation 4:9-11, a scene unfolds before us. It is the account of the judgment seat of Christ where we shall stand before Jesus Christ and place our crowns at His feet, declaring that He alone is worthy.

“And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, (10) The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, (11) Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”

Notice again in verse 11 John records for us, “Thou art worthy, O LORD, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” The Word of God says for the believer there is coming a day when the redeemed will give God the glory. There is coming a day, reading from Philippians 2:11, where “every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

This morning, ask yourself these questions:

In my life, am I glorifying God?

In my marriage, am I (as a wife or as a husband) glorifying God?

On my job, am I glorying God?

In my ministry at church, am I glorifying God?

You may also ask, “Pastor, just how do I know if I am or if I am not glorifying God? And my answer is this:

If you are doing what you are doing to glorify self, or for pride, or in the flesh, then you are glorifying self not God.

But if you are doing what you are doing in all aspects of life in the power of the Spirit of God and in obedience to the Word of God, then you are glorifying God.

During the next few moments, think about this matter, and determine where in you stand. While you are quiet with the Lord, listen to the words of the Fanny Crosby hymn, “To God be the Glory.”

To God be the glory great things He hath done,

So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,

Who yielded His life, an atonement for sin

And opened the life-gate that all my go in.

O Perfect redemption, the purchase of blood!

To every believer the promise of God;

The vilest offender who truly believes,

that moment from Jesus a pardon receives.

Great things He hath taught us, great things He hath done,

And great our rejoicing thro’ Jesus the Son

But purer and higher and greater will be

Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see.

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, Let the earth hear His voice!

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, Let the people rejoice!

O come to the Father through Jesus the Son,

And give Him the glory – great things He hath done.

***********************************************

If God has spoken to your heart after reading the sermon “The Glory due His Name” then right now talk to God about what He has spoken to you.

Do you have the assurance that one day you will go to heaven? If you have no assurance that you know Jesus Christ, then I trust you will decide to accept Him as your personal Savior. The Bible tells us in

Acts 16:31, “…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…”

Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

This prayer is here for those who need to ask Jesus to be their personal Savior: “I do want to go to Heaven. I know I am a sinner, and I do believe Jesus Christ died for me. I realize I cannot buy this great salvation, nor can I earn it. Knowing Jesus died on the cross and arose from the grave to pay my sin debt and to purchase my salvation, I do now trust Him as my Savior, and from this moment on I am completely depending on Him for my salvation.”

If you made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior let me know? Please send an e-mail to, pdmikBBM@aol.com and I will send you some literature that will help you in your Christian life.

The “Weekly SERMON” was sent as a ministry of Bible Baptist Ministry, 48 Alexie Rd., Hanover Township, PA 18706. Privacy policy: your e-mail address will not be sold, or shared with any third party.

Copy write permission: Because the “Weekly SERMONS” will be reproduced into other formats, PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING: The “Weekly SERMON” in it’s original form, without any changes, may be copied and re-transmitted by electronic mail, and copies may be printed for individual or ministry purposes, provided that such copying, re-transmission, printing, or other use is not for profit or other commercial purpose.  Any copying, re-transmission, distribution, printing, or other use of the “Weekly SERMON” must set forth in full the heading that is given before each “Weekly SERMON.” Any other request for use, please contact Bible Baptist Ministries at pdmikBBM@aol.com or by phone at 570.829.5216.