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Turn not aside from the Commandment, to the right hand, or to the left

2/28/2018

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When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me; Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother.
And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this Law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this Law and these Statutes, to do them: (Deut. 17:14-15, 18-19)
     God told Israel that when they chose to step away from a theocracy and set a king over them as the other nations, they were to anoint the man He chose, an Israelite, and not a stranger. The king was not to have multiple wives which would lead him away from God or entangle him in political alliances. Nor was he to increase his army at the expense of the people. He was to have his own copy of the Word of God that he might read it, fear the LORD God, and obey all the statutes and commandments God had given unto Israel.

     God knows the hearts of all men, and knew that Israel would want a king just like all the other nations had. He would later tell them that doing so was a rejection of Him as King, but he allowed it, providing they followed His command to anoint the king which God had selected. The king himself was commanded to have one wife, for multiple wives would lead to trouble at home and politically. The horses of his army were not to be increased by taxation which would be an undue burden upon the people instead of trusting God to defeat their enemies. Most of all, the king was to be obedient to read and heed the Word of God, having his own copy to learn from and follow all the commandments which the Lord God gave to Israel. God would prosper the king who listened and obeyed Him.

     Regardless of our status in society or in church, Christians are to heed the Word of God, rightly divided and studied, and obey it as doers of the Word and not hearers only. We may select earthly leaders but as pilgrims in this world and citizens of the Kingdom we ultimately follow our Lord even as we sojourn here in but not of this world. We submit ourselves to every lawful order of those over us in this life, even as we surrender ourselves daily to our Lord and bear our cross, crucifying the works of the flesh. We pray for our leaders, both political and in the church, that they may serve the people justly, be merciful in their leadership, and fear God. For the lost, we pray and witness that they may repent of their sins and put their faith in Jesus Christ and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary and receive His gift of Salvation. Jesus is our King and calls all who will come unto Himself to be born again by faith through grace until the final Day when He returns to rule and reign on this earth.

     God has sent those who are His and know Him out into this world to reach the lost that they might be saved from sin. He desires that His people strive to be holy and obedient unto Him that we might minister to those around us who are hurting and in need as He provides. We serve others, equipped with the Word of reconciliation and righteousness, rightly divided and fitly spoken, that they may see Christ in us, the hope of Glory. Our God has commanded us to love one another with an unfeigned love, even as He first loved us, and to disciple one another in the Word of God so that we may all grow in grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Our Lord has commissioned those who are His with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to go where He sends us in the power of the Holy Spirit. As we go, we are to proclaim the Good News of forgiveness through repentance and reconciliation with the Father through faith in His Son, that those who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah of God might have life in His Name.

     God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and the knowledge of the Truth. Jesus loves you and wants to establish a covenant relationship with you that is real and personal. Surrender to Him on His terms and He will give you a brand new life of discipleship and fellowship with Him that is abundant and everlasting. God calls you to faith in Christ and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary to pay your sIn debt. He has provided the only way of reconciliation with God, forgiveness from God, and Salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of God who is God the Son, to give you a new life in Christ. Turn away from yourself and your sIn and turn to Him alone for eternal Life, now and always.


In Christ,
Jefferson Sweet
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Do justly and love mercy

2/27/2018

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Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment. Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous. That which is altogether just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. (Deut. 16:18-20)
     The judges and officers of Israel were to be impartial and not swayed by who appeared before them nor what gifts they might provide, but only to judge with righteous judgment the facts presented to them. They were to be absolute arbiters of true justice regardless of the status of either party. God would indeed bless both the land of Israel and the honest judges because of their obedience and faith in Him.

     God desired that those judges and other officers appointed in Israel were to judge fairly and honestly. They were to judge according to the Law with righteous judgment based on facts and not bribes or persuaded by the status of any person. They were to be just and merciful, applying the Law as given. God would bless the land and the judges for their fairness and righteous judgment.

     Our justice system is patterned after this biblical model, but sadly many are not following the principle of blind justice presented by God. Though we cannot expect lost judges to be righteous, for apart from God they cannot, the principle of honest and fair judgment is still an integral part of the justice system, at least in this country. While many judges do well despite the flaws in the system, true righteousness and righteous judgment can only come when people are changed by the new birth which comes from repentance and faith in Jesus Christ and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary. Outside the justice system and courts, Christians are called to righteous judgment of sin, not sinners for they are already judged by God, and fairness in their dealings with others. Judging by appearance, respecting persons, or unrighteous judgment based on gain or bribe is not fitting for one who claims the Name of Christ as He is not a respecter of persons nor can any persuade Him by their gifts or bribes. Christians are called to be like the Law-giver and follow the principles He has laid out in His Word and God will bless His people for their integrity and obedience.

     God has sent those who are His and know Him out into this world to reach the lost that they might be saved from sin. He desires that His people strive to be holy and obedient unto Him that we might minister to those around us who are hurting and in need as He provides. We serve others, equipped with the Word of reconciliation and righteousness, rightly divided and fitly spoken, that they may see Christ in us, the hope of Glory. Our God has commanded us to love one another with an unfeigned love, even as He first loved us, and to disciple one another in the Word of God so that we may all grow in grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Our Lord has commissioned those who are His with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to go where He sends us in the power of the Holy Spirit. As we go, we are to proclaim the Good News of forgiveness through repentance and reconciliation with the Father through faith in His Son, that those who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah of God might have life in His Name.

     God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and the knowledge of the Truth. Jesus loves you and wants to establish a covenant relationship with you that is real and personal. Surrender to Him on His terms and He will give you a brand new life of discipleship and fellowship with Him that is abundant and everlasting. God calls you to faith in Christ and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary to pay your sIn debt. He has provided the only way of reconciliation with God, forgiveness from God, and Salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of God who is God the Son, to give you a new life in Christ. Turn away from yourself and your sIn and turn to Him alone for eternal Life, now and always.


In Christ,
Jefferson Sweet
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The LORD thy God redeemed thee

2/26/2018

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At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release. And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth ought unto his neighbour shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbour, or of his brother; because it is called the LORD'S release. Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again: but that which is thine with thy brother thine hand shall release; Save when there shall be no poor among you; for the LORD shall greatly bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it: Only if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day. (Deut. 15:1-5)
     In addition to letting the land go fallow every seven years, at the end of that year there was to be a release of all debts owed between the Israelites. Foreigners could be retained, but the children of Israel were to be freed from their debts every seventh year that the LORD might bless the nation, not only with eradication of poverty but also in the land. If the people would obey all that God had commanded, God would bless them and the land of Israel.

     Because God had freed them from their bondage in Egypt and exacted back wages owed to them, God determined that His people would be free. The people could not hold a debt over a neighbors head forever but were to release them from their debt every seven years. God could hold them to the vow they made, but the people were to release their kinsman and not to complain about the loss. Foreigners who became indebted to Israelites could be collected and charged with interest, but the Israelites were under special dispensation of grace and freed from their debt to their fellow Israelites.

     Just as Israel was commanded to obey God and release their neighbor, so we are commanded to forgive those who are debted to us, not only in action and sin, but also in obligations. The principle of forgiveness is not that we can go and continue in sin, God forbid, but that we remember that we have been redeemed from the bondage of sin and are now free from its penalty, growing in Christ free from its power, and one day with Christ we will be free from its presence. The law of liberty and the grace we have by faith in Christ and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary gives us freedom, not to sin, but to forgive others as we have been forgiven and to be forgiven as we forgive others. Those in Christ share Jesus and His Gospel with others that they may be born again by faith and set free from the burden of sin by God’s grace.

     God has sent those who are His and know Him out into this world to reach the lost that they might be saved from sin. He desires that His people strive to be holy and obedient unto Him that we might minister to those around us who are hurting and in need as He provides. We serve others, equipped with the Word of reconciliation and righteousness, rightly divided and fitly spoken, that they may see Christ in us, the hope of Glory. Our God has commanded us to love one another with an unfeigned love, even as He first loved us, and to disciple one another in the Word of God so that we may all grow in grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Our Lord has commissioned those who are His with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to go where He sends us in the power of the Holy Spirit. As we go, we are to proclaim the Good News of forgiveness through repentance and reconciliation with the Father through faith in His Son, that those who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah of God might have life in His Name.

     God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and the knowledge of the Truth. Jesus loves you and wants to establish a covenant relationship with you that is real and personal. Surrender to Him on His terms and He will give you a brand new life of discipleship and fellowship with Him that is abundant and everlasting. God calls you to faith in Christ and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary to pay your sIn debt. He has provided the only way of reconciliation with God, forgiveness from God, and Salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of God who is God the Son, to give you a new life in Christ. Turn away from yourself and your sIn and turn to Him alone for eternal Life, now and always.


In Christ,
Jefferson Sweet
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Ye are the children of the LORD your God

2/23/2018

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For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto Himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth. (Deut. 14:2)
     Because God is Holy, Israel was commanded to only eat certain animals and not follow the ways of the nations around them as the nation was to be holy unto the LORD. As God blessed His chosen people, they were to bring the tithe into the storehouse that God through them would bless others who did not have; the Levite who worked in the temple and had no inheritance, the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow.

     God commanded the children of Israel to only eat certain clean animals because of their peculiar status as His people. He chose the nation of Israel, not because they were mighty or great, but to glorify Him and because of the faith of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who is Israel. They were not to follow the unclean ways of the peoples around them, nor eat any animal, especially ones offered to God, but be obedient in only offering in sacrifice and eating that which God had declared clean, because of the righteousness of God. God is Holy and He demands holiness from His people that they might shine as lights in the darkness around them. He also called for the tithe to be brought into the treasury that the Levites would be supported; and the stranger within her gates, the fatherless, and the widow, could receive from the Lord.

     While the prohibition concerning which foods to eat is no longer a strict requirement for God’s people, God still demands holiness and separation of His people. As children of God, Christians are peculiar, set apart from the world and the lost. We cannot be so separate that we never witness or interact, for we are to shine God’s light into this dark, sinful, broken world. We are not to do the things of the world, nor seek its ways, but live the life which Christ has purchased for us by His putting to death the flesh for our sins. When we repented of our sins and received Him by faith in Him and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary we were set free from the Law, not to sin all we want to, but to live in Him a more abundant life of liberty and His righteousness. We follow Him and give cheerfully that His work of the Gospel may continue and His people may be blessed.

     God has sent those who are His and know Him out into this world to reach the lost that they might be saved from sin. He desires that His people strive to be holy and obedient unto Him that we might minister to those around us who are hurting and in need as He provides. We serve others, equipped with the Word of reconciliation and righteousness, rightly divided and fitly spoken, that they may see Christ in us, the hope of Glory. Our God has commanded us to love one another with an unfeigned love, even as He first loved us, and to disciple one another in the Word of God so that we may all grow in grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Our Lord has commissioned those who are His with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to go where He sends us in the power of the Holy Spirit. As we go, we are to proclaim the Good News of forgiveness through repentance and reconciliation with the Father through faith in His Son, that those who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah of God might have life in His Name.

     God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and the knowledge of the Truth. Jesus loves you and wants to establish a covenant relationship with you that is real and personal. Surrender to Him on His terms and He will give you a brand new life of discipleship and fellowship with Him that is abundant and everlasting. God calls you to faith in Christ and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary to pay your sIn debt. He has provided the only way of reconciliation with God, forgiveness from God, and Salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of God who is God the Son, to give you a new life in Christ. Turn away from yourself and your sIn and turn to Him alone for eternal Life, now and always.


In Christ,
Jefferson Sweet

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Do that which is right in the eyes of the LORD thy God

2/22/2018

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If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear Him, and keep His Commandments, and obey His voice, and ye shall serve Him, and cleave unto Him. (Deut. 13:1-4)
     God commanded Israel to be wary and mindful of even prophets and dreamers who mix truth with error. Israel was not to follow those who enticed them to worship other gods, even if their words were proven by signs and wonders which came to pass. God alone was to be worshiped as He alone is God. All other worship is false idolatry which Israel was not to commit or be any part of, but they were to walk in the Word of God and obey His Commands, Statutes, and Judgments. Israel, as God’s people, were to be holy, and walk in His ways, doing His will, and keeping His Word.

     Though their track record was abysmal in actually obeying the Word of the Lord, God had warned Israel of the danger in following after false prophets who verified their false doctrine with signs and wonders. God sought to prove His people, whether they would obey His Word in the face of temptation to worship idols and disobey the Word of the Lord. The new land they would soon enter was full of idolatrous nations that did not serve God and which had committed atrocities in the name of their god. God had judged them and warned Israel not to go after their ways, even if the prophet who enticed them demonstrated power and skill, because his words were evil.

     There are many who mix truth with error, and entice the weak and undiscerning. False prophets will entice, often with powerful signs and some truth, those Christians who are not armed against error with the Truth of God’s Word, to go after other gods and mix the ways of the world with the ways of God. God has called His people to holiness and separation from the world and its ways, that we may be a light in the darkness, shining His Truth against the error spouted by so many, even those who practice signs and wonders, who do not know God or His Word in Spirit and in Truth. For God’s people to reach, teach, and preach, we are to follow God, obey His Word, and be the salt of the earth, God has called us to be. Because of our faith in Him and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary, we are to show and tell of Christ and the repentance the lost need because of their sin, that they might be born again and delivered from the bondage of all their sin.

     God has sent those who are His and know Him out into this world to reach the lost that they might be saved from sin. He desires that His people strive to be holy and obedient unto Him that we might minister to those around us who are hurting and in need as He provides. We serve others, equipped with the Word of reconciliation and righteousness, rightly divided and fitly spoken, that they may see Christ in us, the hope of Glory. Our God has commanded us to love one another with an unfeigned love, even as He first loved us, and to disciple one another in the Word of God so that we may all grow in grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Our Lord has commissioned those who are His with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to go where He sends us in the power of the Holy Spirit. As we go, we are to proclaim the Good News of forgiveness through repentance and reconciliation with the Father through faith in His Son, that those who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah of God might have life in His Name.

     God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and the knowledge of the Truth. Jesus loves you and wants to establish a covenant relationship with you that is real and personal. Surrender to Him on His terms and He will give you a brand new life of discipleship and fellowship with Him that is abundant and everlasting. God calls you to faith in Christ and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary to pay your sIn debt. He has provided the only way of reconciliation with God, forgiveness from God, and Salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of God who is God the Son, to give you a new life in Christ. Turn away from yourself and your sIn and turn to Him alone for eternal Life, now and always.


In Christ,
Jefferson Sweet
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Observe and hear all these words which I command thee

2/21/2018

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When the LORD thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land; Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which He hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods. What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it. (Deut. 12:29-32)
     God warned Israel to take heed and avoid the snare and temptation of the idolatry of the people that Israel was to remove as they took possession of the land. They were not to worship the idols of the Canaanites and the other wicked nations God had judged and condemned for their worship of false gods and idolatrous practices. The most egregious of these was the sacrifice of children by fire. Israel was to obey and worship God and God alone, for He alone is God. He alone is worthy of worship and His Word alone is Truth to be believed and obeyed, not to be diminished or added to, but to be followed and kept as God commanded.

     Moses knew that the people would be tempted by the false worship around them. God spoke this warning unto the Children of Israel that they remember God is God alone and His Word commands worship of Him only. The false worship of idols is the worship of devils and God not only is a jealous God but a righteous God who demands holiness from His people. He had already judged the people of the land for their wickedness and God had commanded Israel to go in and possess the land, but they were not to go after the false worship practices of child sacrifice and prostitution which the idolaters practiced, lest the judgement for sin fall upon them. They were to believe and obey the Commands which God had given and all His Statutes and Judgments without adding to or diminishing one word of that which God had given to them.

     Christians are not to go after the things of the world, nor do as they do. God demands holiness of His people, and in Christ we are called to be different, peculiar, separated from the idolatry and wickedness of those who are not yet in Christ. The Word of God is to be proclaimed everywhere, rightly divided, without diminishing or addition, that we might reach the lost for Christ, teach all nations, and preach all that He has said. We are not to sacrifice our children to the idols of this world but dedicated ourselves and our children to the Lord. God calls everyone everywhere to repent and come to Him on His terms that they might be redeemed from their sin by faith in Him and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary. Though all have been judged guilty before God, God does not wish to destroy the wicked, but that all who have sinned might be born again through repentance and faith by grace.

     God has sent those who are His and know Him out into this world to reach the lost that they might be saved from sin. He desires that His people strive to be holy and obedient unto Him that we might minister to those around us who are hurting and in need as He provides. We serve others, equipped with the Word of reconciliation and righteousness, rightly divided and fitly spoken, that they may see Christ in us, the hope of Glory. Our God has commanded us to love one another with an unfeigned love, even as He first loved us, and to disciple one another in the Word of God so that we may all grow in grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Our Lord has commissioned those who are His with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to go where He sends us in the power of the Holy Spirit. As we go, we are to proclaim the Good News of forgiveness through repentance and reconciliation with the Father through faith in His Son, that those who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah of God might have life in His Name.

     God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and the knowledge of the Truth. Jesus loves you and wants to establish a covenant relationship with you that is real and personal. Surrender to Him on His terms and He will give you a brand new life of discipleship and fellowship with Him that is abundant and everlasting. God calls you to faith in Christ and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary to pay your sIn debt. He has provided the only way of reconciliation with God, forgiveness from God, and Salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of God who is God the Son, to give you a new life in Christ. Turn away from yourself and your sIn and turn to Him alone for eternal Life, now and always.


In Christ,
Jefferson Sweet
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Ye shall diligently keep all these Commandments

2/20/2018

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Therefore shall ye lay up these My words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates: That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth. (Deut. 11:18-21)
     God’s Word is to be internalized and lived out. In order for the children of Israel to prosper in the Promised Land as they conquered and possessed it, they were to reverence the Word of the Lord, keep His commandments and instill them into their descendants. They were to read and hear the Word, hold on to it even as they shared it at every opportunity. The Word of God was to be their foundation and their support, not only in its statutes and judgments, but in its history and wisdom, its poetry and prose, and in its correction and reproof. Those who believed it and obeyed would prosper and those who didn’t would falter and fail.

     God repeated His directive to Israel that His Word was to be kept, guarded and obeyed, by His people. It was to be rightly divided, taken in and followed as their foundation and their guide to life. He had given them His very words and they were to honour Him and His Word in every aspect of their lives in obedience unto Him. God wanted His Word taught to others, both the stranger and the descendants of the children of Israel, that all might know and believe in Him. Israel was promised prosperity through obedience in the land they would soon possess if they kept His Word.

     God is not a genie who gives us what we want when we ask for it, but our Lord and Master who expects repentance, faith, and obedience to His Word. He calls His people to rightly divide the Word of Truth, established faith in Him and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary through its accounts, and obedient living in Him the life we are meant to live through its commands. To the Christian, His commands are not grievous, but joyful and purposeful in directing His people in the work of the Lord. For those who are not in Christ by faith through grace, God’s commands show them their need of Him to be holy and righteous and their need to repent and be born again.

     God has sent those who are His and know Him out into this world to reach the lost that they might be saved from sin. He desires that His people strive to be holy and obedient unto Him that we might minister to those around us who are hurting and in need as He provides. We serve others, equipped with the Word of reconciliation and righteousness, rightly divided and fitly spoken, that they may see Christ in us, the hope of Glory. Our God has commanded us to love one another with an unfeigned love, even as He first loved us, and to disciple one another in the Word of God so that we may all grow in grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Our Lord has commissioned those who are His with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to go where He sends us in the power of the Holy Spirit. As we go, we are to proclaim the Good News of forgiveness through repentance and reconciliation with the Father through faith in His Son, that those who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah of God might have life in His Name.

     God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and the knowledge of the Truth. Jesus loves you and wants to establish a covenant relationship with you that is real and personal. Surrender to Him on His terms and He will give you a brand new life of discipleship and fellowship with Him that is abundant and everlasting. God calls you to faith in Christ and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary to pay your sIn debt. He has provided the only way of reconciliation with God, forgiveness from God, and Salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of God who is God the Son, to give you a new life in Christ. Turn away from yourself and your sIn and turn to Him alone for eternal Life, now and always.


In Christ,
Jefferson Sweet
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Fear the LORD thy God and walk in all His ways

2/16/2018

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Behold, the heaven and the Heaven of heavens is the LORD'S thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is. Only the LORD had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and He chose their seed after them, even you above all people, as it is this day. Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked. For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward:
Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; Him shalt thou serve, and to Him shalt thou cleave, and swear by His Name. He is thy praise, and He is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen. (Deut. 10:14-17, 20-21)
     After rehearsing the receiving of the second set of the tablets of stone which Moses engraved the Ten Commandments upon and the setting apart of the tribe of Levi, Moses admonished the people of their promise to God to keep His commandments. The children of Israel had sworn before God to walk in the ways of God all their days and the next generation was now poised to go in and possess the land which their forefathers had feared entering. God tells them that all His and if they will walk faithfully in all His Statutes, Judgments, and Commandments, He will bless and preserve Israel all their days. God chose the people, not because they were mighty or great, but because He is God alone and above all others.

     God is God alone and worthy to be praised. He is creator of all that is, and all earth, the sea, and the sky to the very Heaven of heavens is His. The mighty creatures in the waters and on the land were made by Him and yet man is the crown of His creation and care. Of all the mighty nations on the earth He chose Israel to show Himself mighty on their behalf, not because of their mighty or power but because He is God and because of Abraham’s faith. God called Israel to walk in all His ways and serve Him as the people of God. The mighty God who made all things and has done wondrous works would continue to preserve, protect, and to provide for Israel as long as they loved Him and kept His Commandments.

     God’s ultimate provision for His creation is the sacrifice of His Son for sin that whosoever will might repent and have eternal life by faith in Jesus Christ and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary. The Son of God who is God the Son put on flesh and became a man that we might put on His righteousness and be born again and that one day all creation might be redeemed from the bondage of sin. Our faith in Christ frees us from the penalty of sin, not to sin more or all we want to, but that we might walk in newness of life the life which He wants us to live in Him. His Spirit frees us from the power of sin that we might glorify Him as we walk in His ways and keep His Commandments, not by ritual or works of the flesh, but following the Spirit of the Law until the Father calls us Home and we are redeemed from the presence of sin.

     God has sent those who are His and know Him out into this world to reach the lost that they might be saved from sin. He desires that His people strive to be holy and obedient unto Him that we might minister to those around us who are hurting and in need as He provides. We serve others, equipped with the Word of reconciliation and righteousness, rightly divided and fitly spoken, that they may see Christ in us, the hope of Glory. Our God has commanded us to love one another with an unfeigned love, even as He first loved us, and to disciple one another in the Word of God so that we may all grow in grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Our Lord has commissioned those who are His with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to go where He sends us in the power of the Holy Spirit. As we go, we are to proclaim the Good News of forgiveness through repentance and reconciliation with the Father through faith in His Son, that those who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah of God might have life in His Name.

     God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and the knowledge of the Truth. Jesus loves you and wants to establish a covenant relationship with you that is real and personal. Surrender to Him on His terms and He will give you a brand new life of discipleship and fellowship with Him that is abundant and everlasting. God calls you to faith in Christ and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary to pay your sIn debt. He has provided the only way of reconciliation with God, forgiveness from God, and Salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of God who is God the Son, to give you a new life in Christ. Turn away from yourself and your sIn and turn to Him alone for eternal Life, now and always.


In Christ,
Jefferson Sweet
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By Thy mighty power and by Thy stretched out arm

2/15/2018

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Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the LORD thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness the LORD hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD doth drive them out from before thee. Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that He may perform the Word which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Understand therefore, that the LORD thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiffnecked people. Remember, and forget not, how thou provokedst the LORD thy God to wrath in the wilderness: from the day that thou didst depart out of the land of Egypt, until ye came unto this place, ye have been rebellious against the LORD. (Deut. 9:4-7)
      Moses reminded Israel of all they had experienced coming out of Egypt, rebelling at Kadesh-Barnea, wandering in the wilderness, and now at the River Jordan about to go in and possess the land which God promised. They were to remember their travels and travails and remember that it was God who brought them through it all, not because of their righteousness or goodness but because of His Word. The children of Israel were not to rely upon themselves or think that they did anything apart from God but rest in Him even as they remembered all His wondrous works and obeyed His Word in the land which God had promised them.

     God is faithful and keeps His promises. No matter how rebellious Israel was or would be, God kept His Word. He has given the land to the descendants of Abraham, He has chosen the descendants of Isaac and Israel, not because of their righteousness or their works, but because of Abraham’s faith. He has chosen all people that put their trust in Him to possess that which He has promised unto them. People often rebel, and Israel rebelled quite often, even to the point of being removed from the land and in captivity for a time, but God has not forsaken them and they will possess all that God has given unto them. Israel often disobeyed and was chastised because of God’s faithfulness and they did come into the land and they will possess it just as God has promised.

      For the Christian today, we are to remember that once saved we have a new life in Christ and His righteousness not our own. We are no longer the person we once were, but are a new creature in Christ, not to sin all we want but to live a life which glorifies God. God has promised salvation to whosoever will come to Him on His terms and repent by faith in Him and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary. He has and will keep His Word to save to the uttermost all those who have received Christ, not by their own works or their righteousness, for we have none, but by faith through grace, grounded in the established and perfect Word of God, which cannot fail and will never pass away. God calls all to receive His righteousness without which no one can be saved.

      While we are here God has sent those of us that know Him out into this world to reach the lost that they might be saved from sin. He desires that His people strive to be holy and obedient unto Him that we might minister to those around us who are hurting and in need as He provides. We serve others, equipped with the Word of reconciliation and righteousness, rightly divided and fitly spoken, that they may see Christ in us, the hope of Glory. Our God has commanded us to love one another with an unfeigned love, even as He first loved us, and to disciple one another in the Word of God so that we may all grow in grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Our Lord has commissioned those who are His with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to go where He sends us in the power of the Holy Spirit. As we go, we are to proclaim the Good News of forgiveness through repentance and reconciliation with the Father through faith in His Son, that those who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah of God might have life in His Name.

       God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and the knowledge of the Truth. Jesus loves you and wants to establish a covenant relationship with you that is real and personal. Surrender to Him on His terms and He will give you a brand new life of discipleship and fellowship with Him that is abundant and everlasting. God calls you to faith in Christ and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary to pay your sIn debt. He has provided the only way of reconciliation with God, forgiveness from God, and Salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of God who is God the Son, to give you a new life in Christ. Turn away from yourself and your sIn and turn to Him alone for eternal Life, now and always.


In Christ,
Jefferson Sweet
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Thou shalt remember the LORD thy God

2/14/2018

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When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD thy God for the good land which He hath given thee. Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping His Commandments, and His Judgments, and His Statutes, which I command thee this day: Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint; (Deut. 8:10-15)
     When the children of Israel came into the Promised Land they were to remember who had preserved them during their wanderings, who had provided for all their needs, and who had protected them from their enemies. They were to remember the LORD in war and in peace, in want and in plenty, and do all that He had commanded, His Statutes and Judgments, lest they forget that it is God who delivered them from Egypt, directed them through the wilderness, and would not drive out their enemies before them if they followed Him.

     The faithful God who delivered Israel from the bondage of Egypt and cared for them all throughout their wanderings in the wilderness is the same God who would go before them in the Promised Land and give them victory if they trusted Him and obeyed His Word. The same God who gave them water in the desert and healed them from the dragons in the wilderness is the same God who had promised them the land and that He would drive out all those who opposed Him from the land. Those that forgot God and went their own way would be destroyed but those who kept His Word, His Commandments, Statutes, and Judgments, would be protected from their enemies, preserved in the land, and the LORD would provide for all their needs.

     God is not our genie to fulfil all our wishes and give us all we want. He is our Heavenly Father who provides for our needs, protects His children, and preserves His people according to His will. That doesn’t mean that all will be rosy and without trouble, for we all experience trouble in this sinful and broken world. When we stumble or stray, He corrects His own that we grow in Him. For the lost, He draws those who do not know Him to Himself that they might repent and put their trust in Him and His finished work on the Cross of Calvary for Salvation. Just as He desired the Israelites to obey and be blessed, God wants His own to obey His Word and do His will in this world, to reach the lost, teach the nations, and preach His Word until all that will come have been born again. He commands everyone everywhere to repent and offers His free gift of eternal life to whosoever will, not so we can continue in sIn but that we may live in Him the life we were meant to live.

      While we are here God has sent those of us that know Him out into this world to reach the lost that they might be saved from sin. He desires that His people strive to be holy and obedient unto Him that we might minister to those around us who are hurting and in need as He provides. We serve others, equipped with the Word of reconciliation and righteousness, rightly divided and fitly spoken, that they may see Christ in us, the hope of Glory. Our God has commanded us to love one another with an unfeigned love, even as He first loved us, and to disciple one another in the Word of God so that we may all grow in grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Our Lord has commissioned those who are His with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to go where He sends us in the power of the Holy Spirit. As we go, we are to proclaim the Good News of forgiveness through repentance and reconciliation with the Father through faith in His Son, that those who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah of God might have life in His Name.

       God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and the knowledge of the Truth. Jesus loves you and wants to establish a covenant relationship with you that is real and personal. Surrender to Him on His terms and He will give you a brand new life of discipleship and fellowship with Him that is abundant and everlasting. God calls you to faith in Christ and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary to pay your sIn debt. He has provided the only way of reconciliation with God, forgiveness from God, and Salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of God who is God the Son, to give you a new life in Christ. Turn away from yourself and your sIn and turn to Him alone for eternal Life, now and always.


In Christ,
Jefferson Sweet
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