Last week we looked at New Year’s resolutions and saw that there is nothing wrong with them, but they should focus on the spiritual first before we resolve to do the physical resolutions. Each of us are able to keep New Year’s resolutions if we have Jesus Christ at the center of them. It is only through His influence and guidance that we can accomplish anything worthy in God’s eyes. That is because Jesus Christ is suppose to be our foundation and it is on Him alone that we can truly solidly stand. A short man wanted to drive a nail in a wall to carry a big picture. He stood on a chair, but it was not high enough. His wife set out a small box and, balancing himself precariously, he began to give the nail hesitating taps with the hammer. His wife said, “Why don’t you give a brave blow or two, and settle it?”

He replied, “How can a man give a brave blow or two when he is standing on a foundation like this?”

That settles the question of certainty or uncertainty. It depends upon the foundation upon which the person is standing. The Hebrew prophets never sounded a note of uncertainty, for God Almighty was their Foundation, and they knew that He stood behind their “Thus saith the Lord.”

Every believer should be able to speak with surety about Jesus Christ because they know Him and know who He is. The more time we spend with Him, the better we will know Him. And He must be the foundation of our faith. If we replace Him with any other foundation, we will no longer stand on sure, holy ground.

Matthew 21:42-44 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the Scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes? (43) Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. (44) And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

In Matthew 21, Christ calls Himself the measuring stone, or, as it is translated in our Bibles, the cornerstone. He is quoting Psalm 118:22 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. The cornerstone, in the minds of most Americans, is the stone that tells that a building was erected at a certain time, when a certain person was mayor, and so on. It is merely an exaltation of man. But when the Bible refers to a cornerstone, it refers to the first stone laid for the foundation. The builders would get a stone from the quarry and chisel it carefully to get as near a right angle as possible. They would measure the placement of all the other stones against that cornerstone, that first measuring stone. It was the standard by which all the walls of the building were determined.

When Jesus Christ is called the cornerstone, God is saying, “I measure everything by Jesus Christ.”

Because it is God’s standards that He measures everything by Jesus Christ and that Jesus Christ is the foundation of the believer’s faith, that people should heed the warning Jesus Christ gave in Matthew 21:44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. It would be better to be on the sure foundation of Jesus Christ rather than under the foundation. Turn to 1 Peter 2.

1Peter 2:1-8 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, (2) As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: (3) If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. (4) To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, (5) Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. (6) Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. (7) Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, (8) And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

Jesus Christ is the Rock of all believer’s foundations. People try to replace Him with other things, but they are like shifting sand and will not hold the person up in the long run. The foundation will shift and the person will sink or fall over. Think about the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa. The tower was built over a time frame of 177 years and is seven stories tall with a bell tower. After two floors were built, it began to shift in the ground and tilt. The name of the city, Pisa, means “marshy ground” which explains part of the problem. The other problem is that the foundation of the Tower is only about ten feet deep. As they continued to build the Tower, they began to build the walls on the side that was leaning taller to compensate for the lean. If the Tower were made to stand up straight now, it would appear curved. The builders constructed the Tower on a poor foundation and the results are obvious. The top floor of the Tower leans over almost thirteen feet from where it would be if it stood straight.

Likewise, in a person’s life, if the foundation is not Jesus Christ the person will eventually topple over into sin. Why? Because they do not have the right foundation. Jesus Christ is the solid rock on which we are to stand. Look again at verses 6 and 7 in 1 Peter: Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. (7) Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,. The person that trusts on Jesus Christ as their foundation will not be confounded. That word “confounded” is interesting: today people define the word to mean “confused or perplexed” but Webster’s Dictionary of 1858 states: “To mingle and blend different things, so that their forms or natures cannot be distinguished; to mix in a mass or crowd, so that individuals cannot be distinguished. To throw into disorder. To mix or blend, so as to occasion a mistake of one thing for another.” Think about that for a moment: Peter wrote, under Holy Spirit inspiration: Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. When Jesus Christ is the foundation, believers will not be confounded. That means than that the believer will not be confused: remember the definition from Webster’s Dictionary: “To mingle and blend different things, so that their forms or natures cannot be distinguished; to mix in a mass or crowd, so that individuals cannot be distinguished.” When a person has made Jesus Christ their foundation, when a person has made Jesus Christ their corner stone, then they will NOT be confused with other people! One person should be able to look at a believer in Jesus Christ and see that there is something different about the believer through their words and actions. It should be difficult to mix up a believer from a non-believer. He or she that believes in Jesus Christ should be distinguishable from the rest of the world! “We are not to be isolated but insulated,” said Vance Havner, “moving in the midst of evil but untouched by it.” Separation is contact with contamination. Jesus was “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners” (Heb. 7:26), yet He was “a friend of tax publicans and sinners” (Luke 7:34). All believers must be careful about what their words and actions say about Jesus Christ to non-believers. Look at verse 8.

1 Peter 2:8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

Jesus Christ, as the Rock, is the foundation for the believer, but for the non-believer, Jesus Christ is the stone that trips people and offends people. Why? Consider when you are walking across a field, especially one you are familiar with, when you suddenly trip over something unexpected. For the next few moments you are confused and confounded, because you did not expect to trip. That is exactly what Jesus Christ does to the lost, the non-believer: they are comfortable in their own little world until Jesus Christ trips them up through His Word. They stagger at His Word and cannot regain their balance because Jesus Christ is a large rock to stumble over. And think about this Christmas season we just finished celebrating: people have celebrated Christmas and, at the same time, have rejected Jesus Christ! The Apostle John wrote: John 1:10-11 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. (11) He came unto his own, and his own received him not. Can you imagine celebrating someone’s birthday and not inviting the one whose birthday you are celebrating? But that is exactly what is happening in the world today. Go back to Hebrews 10.

Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

Note that the writer of Hebrews tells believers to hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering. That means believers are to grab on and not let go and it also means that the faith is something tangible – someone we CAN grab onto. Remember from last week, it is not the amount of our faith that is first important, no, what IS important is WHO we have our faith in: Jesus Christ. We can sit down in the same chair everyday for year and feel confident that that chair will not break. But if we sit down in that chair every day for twenty years, we probably should not have the same amount of faith in that chair. Plus the chair will not look as good as it did twenty years earlier because of wear and tear. However, Jesus Christ can be trusted everyday forever and He can always be the only object of faith and always looks better the longer we know Him. Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.

Jesus Christ is the only solid foundation that believers can always trust and believe in. Believers can hold fast onto Him and not waver or have any doubts while doing it. If we would always keep our eyes on Him, then we would not waver or lean. When you have a little child, you teach them to carry their dinner plate with both hands. Why? Because using both hands makes the plate more stable and food is less likely to fall off. But what happens as the child grows older? They want to start using one hand because they believe they are older now and can carry the plate that way. They have faith in their ability, but what happens? At some point the plate tips and loses food, because they were not really ready to carry the plate with one hand. Believers in Jesus Christ are the same way, we grab onto Him in faith with both hands, but then, after a while, we slowly start to let go and our grip loosens and what happens? We have begun to waver. We are no longer holding fast onto the object of our faith and have replaced Him with a different object: ourselves. And we are a poor foundation to build upon. Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

Jesus Christ is faithful and true to His promises – it is us that waver and doubt. Hebrews 13:5b, 6 …for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. Because Jesus Christ is the foundation, believers should hold fast onto Him. He is faithful and will never forsake His children. He is the Good Shepherd that will go after that one lamb that has gone astray. Believers should never doubt Him, but when we do, we must realize that we have taken our eyes off of Him and realize that we are no longer holding fast to Him. When we have done that and come to our senses, then we must repent and ask God for forgiveness. It is humbling, to be sure, but we must repent and hold fast to Jesus Christ again. Charles Spurgeon wrote this about doubt: There are many who cannot believe in Jesus because they have a besetting sin that they cannot give up. There is the bottom of most men’s doubts. They would not doubt if they did not sin. If they could have their sins and be believers, they would be believers fast enough. But there is that company that must be given up, that company which, instead of sanctifying the soul, depraves it. Salvation is by faith. Damnation comes by doubt. Of all of God’s creations, only one doubts. Do you see the animals ever doubt? No, man does doubt, but when man holds fast to Jesus Christ, he never needs to doubt.

Let me meet you on the mountain, Lord,
Just once.
You wouldn’t have to burn a whole bush.
Just a few smoking branches
And I would surely be …your Moses.

Let me meet you on the water, Lord,
Just once.
It wouldn’t have to be on White Rock Lake.
Just on a puddle after the annual Dallas rain
And I would surely be…your Peter.

Let me meet you on the road, Lord,
Just once.
You wouldn’t have to blind me on North Central Expressway.
Just a few bright lights on the way to chapel
And I would surely be…your Paul.

Let me meet you, Lord,
Just once.
Anywhere. Anytime.
Just meeting you in the Word is so hard sometimes
Must I always be…your Thomas? – Norman Shirk

Today is the first day of the new year, what will we do with this new year? People choose January to be the month to make resolutions and decide to make changes in their lives. Diets are started, smoking is stopped, and other resolutions are made. And I agree that resolutions should be made and, when made, they should be kept. Those that are children of God should take care of their bodies because they are the temples of God. The Apostle Paul is quite explicit in his warning in 1Corinthians 3:16-17 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? (17) If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. God is holy and He expects His temple to be holy. If we do not keep His temple holy, God will destroy it. Believers are to be sanctified and set apart to God and if believers choose to go in directions that do not glorify God, He will at first chastise the believer. If the chastisement fails and the believer does not respond, then God will take further action. As we make resolutions for the new year, let us keep in mind God and His Son, Jesus Christ. Why? Because Jesus Christ is coming soon as we are promised in Hebrews 10:37 For yet, a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. We have just finished celebrating His first advent here on earth and Jesus Christ has not made His return yet because it is not time yet. God has His own timetable and Jesus Christ has not tarried – He WILL return when God says that it is time.

In the meantime, there is nothing wrong with making resolutions, but let be sure to make spiritual resolutions as well as physical resolutions. Frances Havergal wrote the following as a poem in her New Years greeting cards and then it was turned into a hymn.

1) Another year is dawning, dear Father, let it be
In working or in waiting, another year with Thee.
Another year of progress, another year of praise,
Another year of proving Thy presence all the days.

2) Another year of mercies, of faithfulness and grace,
Another year of gladness in the shining of Thy face;
Another year of leaning upon Thy loving breast;
Another year of trusting, of quiet, happy rest.

3) Another year of service, of witness for Thy love,
Another year of training for holier work above.
Another year is dawning, dear Father, let it be
On earth, or else in Heaven, another year for Thee. (Frances Havergal)

Hebrews 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,

Believers can boldly go before the throne of God – this verse is not speaking of pride or arrogance, believers must humbly go to God, but assured that God has kept His promises in the past and will keep them in the future. But why can believers boldly enter into the holiest? Because of what was written previously in chapter 10 and truly the whole Book of Hebrews. But for today, go back to verse 14.

Hebrews 10:14-18 For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. (15) Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, (16) This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; (17) And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. (18) Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

For by one offering…ONE offering was all that Jesus Christ had to offer for the remission of sin. ONE offering was all that Jesus Christ had to offer to perfect or to consecrate or to set apart those that believe on Him. ONE offering was all that Jesus Christ had to offer for the salvation of those that trust in Him and have repented of their sin. Multiple offerings are not necessary anymore. When the Tabernacle or the Temple was in place and before the first advent of Jesus Christ, then sins were only remitted through the sacrifice of animals and the sins were only temporarily taken care. The shedding of the blood of bulls and goats was necessary for payment of sin, but they were not the perfect sacrifice that Jesus Christ was and is and forever will be. The bulls and goats that were sacrificed had to be unblemished but they were still not the perfect sacrifice. If they were, then Jesus Christ would not needed to be sacrificed on the cross of Calvary. Only ONE offering was necessary when Jesus Christ gave His life on the cross, because, as God, Jesus Christ was and is and forever will be the only perfect sacrifice. That is why believers in Jesus Christ do not need to perform animal sacrifices today, because HE was the ONE offering – no more are needed. Look at verses 17 and 18:

Hebrews 10:17, 18 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. (18) Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

What a blessed thought for believers in Jesus Christ: when we have confessed our sins and repented of them to God, then He will not remember our sins anymore. Believers are not under the Law, they are under God’s grace, because the Law that was given to Moses never saved anyone. The Law was given so the Israelites and the Gentiles could see their desperate need for the Messiah. The Law only brings death in the end because trying to solely keep the Law will bring the person under the judgment and wrath of God. Nobody was ever able to keep the Law other than Jesus Christ and nobody will ever be able to keep the Law. It is Jesus Christ that gives life because He was willing to die for my sins and the sins of everyone else in the world past, present and future. And because of His sacrifice, as the Bible says in verse 18, there is no more need for offerings for sin. And that is why believers are to be LIVING sacrifices for God, in obedience to God, in the service of God.

Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

That gives us an inkling why believers can boldly enter into the holiest and go before God – because as the Bible says in verse 19: Hebrews 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, – believers can only go there because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ – AND ONLY by the blood of Jesus Christ – there is no other way to Heaven. There is no other way to go before God but by His Son, Jesus Christ. We have been studying the Tabernacle for Sunday School and just as there was only one entrance into the Tabernacle, there is only one way to God – through Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 10:19, 20 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, (20) By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;

We just finished celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, but it was not His birth that saved anyone. The Bible does not tell us that we may boldly enter the holiest by the life of Jesus Christ, believer enter by the blood of Jesus Christ – because of His death, believers have a new and living way. Believers have been made sacred because of His sacrifice. The veil of the Temple was torn at the moment of Jesus Christ’s death on the cross, showing people that everyone may enter the presence of God. This was only possible because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. In verse 20, the Greek word “new” means “recently slain.” What does that mean for us today? That through His sacrifice on the cross, Jesus Christ has opened up a new and living way to God. Animal sacrifices are no longer needed, Jesus Christ was the only sacrifice needed. And He only had to be sacrificed once.

Hebrews 10:21, 22 And having a high priest over the house of God; (22) Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

The blessing in all of this is that Jesus Christ was not only the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world through His sacrifice, but He is also the High Priest who performs the sacrifice because He gave up His life on the cross. Note in verse 22 the invitation that is given, but to whom is it given to? The word “us” is used here implying born again believers in Jesus Christ, but I believe that verse can be applied to those coming to Jesus Christ for salvation as well. The writer of the Book of Hebrews is pointing to the priests of the Old Testament in verses 21 and 22and how they needed to be washed before serving God in the Tabernacle or the Temple. When they were dedicated to the service of the priesthood for God, they were washed with water (Exodus 40:12), and they were set apart for the service of God. Not just anyone could serve in the Tabernacle, just those that were set apart by God to serve. Today, all believers are set apart by God and are priests unto God. As the Apostle Peter wrote: 1Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: Believers are a peculiar people, people set apart and have been washed with pure water. But that water is not two parts Hydrogen and one part Oxygen, but the washing by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Note in Hebrews 10:22 that the Bible says in full assurance of faith. That statement has nothing to do with the amount of faith any of us have. Think about this: if any of us had faith the size of a mustard seed, we could move mountains (Matthew 17:20) or tell a sycamore tree to plant itself in the ocean (Luke 17:6). in full assurance of faith has nothing to do with the amount of my faith – instead, it has everything to do with the object of my faith, Jesus Christ. We can place our faith in some person here on earth, but we will be disappointed in them at some point. We can place our faith in something, like entertainment, sports, school, drugs, alcohol, or intellect but they will all disappoint in the end. True faith is based on Jesus Christ, not myself, because I will ultimately disappoint in the end too. True faith means that you have truly received Jesus Christ as your Saviour. True faith trusts in Him alone.

D. L. Moody once said, “A rule I have had for years is to treat the Lord Jesus Christ as a personal friend. When I go away from home I bid my wife and children goodbye; I bid my friends and acquaintances goodbye, but I never heard of a poor backslider going down on his knees and saying, ‘I have been near you for ten years; your service has become tedious and monotonous; I have come to bid you farewell. Goodbye, Lord Jesus Christ.’I never heard of one doing this. I will tell you how they go: they just run away!”

As we make resolutions this year, let us not only resolve to take care of the physical, let us also resolve to focus on the spiritual, with Jesus Christ as the focus. I am going to close today with the resolutions that Jonathan Edwards wrote back in the 1700′s.

Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758), from the Works of Jonathan Edwards, Vol. 1

Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God’s help, I do humble entreat Him, by His grace, to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to His will, for Christ’s sake. [I will] remember to read over these Resolutions once a week.

Resolved, That I will do whatsoever I think to be most to the glory of God, and my own good, profit, and pleasure, in the whole of my duration; without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriads of ages hence. Resolved, to do whatever I think to be my duty, and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general.

Resolved, Never to lose one moment of time, but to improve it in the most profitable way I possibly can.

Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.

Resolved, Never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do if it were the last hour of my life.

Resolved, Never to do anything out of revenge.

Resolved, Never to speak evil of any one, so that it shall tend to his dishonour, more or less, upon no account except for some real good.

Resolved, To study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly, and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive, myself to grow in the knowledge of the same.

Resolved, Never to count that a prayer, nor to let that pass as a prayer, nor that as a petition of a prayer, which is so made, that I cannot hope that God will answer it; nor that as a confession which I cannot hope God will accept.

Resolved, To ask myself, at the end of every day, week, month, and year, wherein I could possibly, in any respect, have done better.

Resolved, Never to give over, nor in the least to slacken, my fight with my corruptions, however unsuccessful I may be.

Resolved, After afflictions, to inquire, what I am the better for them; what good I have got by them, and what I might have got by them.

Resolved, Always to do that which I shall wish I had done when I see others do it. Let there be something of benevolence in all that I speak.

The title for today’s message is “Fear Not.” There are four “fear nots” that appear in the chapters of the Bible that center around the birth of Jesus Christ. Each of the “fear nots” are uttered by an angel and were a source of comfort to those being spoken to. And truly what does any believer have to fear when they realize that God is with them? What can any man do to us that God cannot deliver us from? God is able to deliver believers from anything and what a blessed thought that is! 2Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

The only fear that any believer should have is the fear of God as the Bible says in Proverb 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. The proper fear of the Lord is what helps believers to respect Him and revere Him and follow Him. Other than the fear of the Lord, the believer in Jesus Christ should “fear not” because of Jesus Christ and His promises to every believer. As it is written in the Book of Hebrews: Hebrews 13:5-6 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. (6) So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. We all need to remember that declaration by Jesus Christ that He will never forsake His children and He will never leave them. People can abuse believers verbally or physically, but Jesus Christ is always there for the believer. He does not give believers a spirit of fear, believers do it to themselves because they do not trust God enough. If the Lord is my helper, then what can any man do to me? If God keeps all of His promises and He has promised to never forsake me, then why do I not trust Him more?

Pastor James Brown wrote: There is no situation I can get into that God cannot get me out. Some years ago when I was learning to fly, my instructor told me to put the plane into a steep and extended dive. I was totally unprepared for what was about to happen. After a brief time the engine stalled, and the plane began to plunge out-of-control. It soon became evident that the instructor was not going to help me at all. After a few seconds, which seemed like eternity, my mind began to function again. I quickly corrected the situation.

Immediately I turned to the instructor and began to vent my fearful frustrations on him. He very calmly said to me, “There is no position you can get this airplane into that I cannot get you out of. If you want to learn to fly, go up there and do it again.” At that moment God seemed to be saying to me, “Remember this. As you serve Me, there is no situation you can get yourself into that I cannot get you out of. If you trust me, you will be all right.”  That lesson has been proven true in my ministry many times over the years.

An unknown author wrote this about Jesus Christ:

Trust Him when dark doubts assail thee, – Trust Him when thy strength is small,

Trust Him when to simply trust Him – Seems the hardest thing of all.

Trust Him, He is ever faithful, – Trust Him, for his will is best,

Trust Him, for the heart of Jesus – Is the only place of rest.

The first “fear not” is found in Luke 1. Luke 1:13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.

This “fear not” is about unanswered prayer and the fear that God has not heard our prayers. God hears His children when they pray to Him. However, believers may not be properly praying to God or praying for something that is good for them. James wrote: James 4:2-4 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. (3) Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. (4) Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

When we pray we need to pray about our concerns and our needs, but we should also examine ourselves and our motivations behind our prayer. Even though I may be praying for someone else, am I really praying for something for me? For example: Do I pray for someone to get saved because I think that it may make my life easier? We should examine our motivations and be honest with ourselves about the things we pray for and why we pray for them. What a wonderful promise Jesus Christ gives us in John 14: John 14:13-14 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. (14) If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. But when we are praying in the name of Jesus Christ, make sure it is worthy of His Name.

In Luke chapter 1, Zacharias and his wife, Elizabeth, were older people and had been praying for a child for quite some time. God chose to wait before blessing them, for reasons of His own, but the birth of John the Baptist was an event that glorified God. The implication in the Bible seems to be that Zacharias and Elizabeth were past the normal child-bearing years, when means this answered prayer brought all the more glory to God. God still answers prayers, it may not be in the way we expect or when we expect, but God is in control and knows what is best for us.

The next “Fear Not” was spoken to Mary. Luke 1:30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. Luke 1:35-37 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. (36) And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. (37) For with God nothing shall be impossible. This “fear not” is of the humanly impossible. What is impossible for man, is not impossible for God. The miracles recorded in the Bible all happened because of God. After all, He is the Creator of all things, so He should be able to do anything He wishes. If He wants to make a day run extra long to help the Israelites in battle, then He can choose to do that. If He wants Abraham and Sarah to have a baby at their advanced years, then He can choose to do that. If He wants Zacharias and Elizabeth to have a baby, then He can choose to do that. And if God determines that Mary, as a virgin, will give birth to Jesus Christ, then He can choose to do that.

J. Vernon McGee wrote: There is nothing impossible with God when He has determined to do it,But He will not necessarily do the impossible we ask of Him. Many people use this verse as a cliché to cover up the fact that they want their own selfish desires. Anything God determines to do He can accomplish, because there is nothing impossible with God. But that does not mean He will do everything Believers want Him to do, because somethings are not included in His plan.

The next “fear not” is found in Matthew chapter 1. Matthew 1:18-20 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. (19) Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. (20) But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife; for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. Matthew 1:24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, This “fear not” is of immediate obedience – we never fear to be immediately obedient to God. If God has directed us to do something, then we should do it, without question, and when He tells us to do it. Joseph was within his rights under the Law to put Mary away for being with child, but he chose to obey God instead. Mary was chosen by God to bear the baby Jesus, but remember that Joseph was also chosen by God. Joseph was a just man and sensitive to the situation he found himself in. Before the angel of the Lord appeared to him, Joseph could have had Mary stoned to death. In verse 20, we see that Joseph was level-headed, taking the time to think things through rather than simply reacting to the situation. Joseph was able to immediately obey God, because he knew God and knew he could trust Him. Joseph spent time God was sensitive to His calling and direction.

When we get in the car, I always make Aubrey and Linda have put on their seat belts. Not because it is the law of the land and I fear getting a ticket, but because I want them to be safe. They obey because they know I have their best interests at heart.

We should obey God because we love Him. We obey because He has done so much for us and we have done so little for Him. We obey because love is never content to accept but must always give. Jesus said, John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. We then come to realize that our disobedience not only breaks the laws of God, it also breaks the heart of God. Psalm 78:40 tells us: How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert! We should obey God because we should know that He has own best interests at heart.

Such obedience is far fuller, richer, and freer than can ever come from a legal motivation. Imagine a woman who is a nurse and a mother. She may work at a hospital all day caring for the sick. When she has worked eight hours, she goes home. Upon arriving home, she finds her child is seriously ill. She will then give her child the same care she gives the hospital patients. However, when she has cared for her child for eight hours, she will not quit. She gives care no one can buy. The difference is the motivation.

“What is your major motivation? Seek to know God better, and you will find yourself obeying out of love. It will become ‘richer, fuller, deeper’ and will become ‘sweeter as the years go by.’”

The last “fear not” is found in Luke chapter 2. Luke 2:8-11 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. (9) And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. (10) And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. (11) For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. This “fear not” is about salvation. The salvation that can only come from Jesus Christ. Those shepherds were in the field with their sheep when suddenly the angel of the Lord appeared and the glory of God shone all around them. What a magnificent sight that must have been for the shepherds! To see the heavenly host and hear them praising God was a sight that believers look forward to seeing in Heaven, and these shepherds were blessed to experience it here on Earth.

The Saviour is born! The Messiah has arrived! The angels told the shepherds to fear not and come and see the Christ! Today is the day of His birth! Do we remember that? Do we remember what the meaning of this holiday season is? Two women who were having lunch in an elegant hotel were approached by a mutual friend who asked the occasion for the meal. One lady replied, “We are celebrating the birth of my baby boy.” “But where is he?” inquired the friend. “Oh,” said the mother, “you didn’t think I’d bring him, did you?” What a picture of the way the world treats Jesus at Christmas. People would rather think about Santa Claus than think about Jesus Christ. People celebrate His birthday, but do not invite Him to the party! Contrast that with how the shepherds reacted: they ran to Bethlehem to see the Christ child and then they went out and told others about Jesus Christ.

Luke 2:17-20 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. (18) And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. (19) But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. (20) And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

It is very easy to get caught up in everything else this holiday season, but believers should never forget who this season is about and be ready to let others know about salvation through Jesus Christ, the greatest gift of all!

By Andrew Skoog

John Newton.

We have been looking at the role of death and life in the life of the Christian. And death is important for the believer in Jesus Christ: the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ on the cross and the death of self in order to better follow and love God. Believers are to set aside their desires in order to follow God’s desires and commandments. This means that believers are to mortify their members in order to accomplish God’s will in their lives. And believers are to mortify the deeds of the body in order to follow God.

Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (2) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Romans 12:1, 2 are very well known verses and let us compare something about them with Romans 6:13.

Romans 6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

The word that is translated as “present” in Romans 12:1 and the word that is translated as “yield” in Romans 6:13 is the same Greek word. And the idea is the same in both verses: as believers in Jesus Christ we are to present ourselves before God and we are to yield before God. One day, believers will stand before Jesus Christ at the Judgment Seat and our works will be tried in fire as to our obedience to Christ.

1Corinthians 3:12-15 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; (13) Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. (14) If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. (15) If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

But remember, we are to present ourselves to God everyday as a living sacrifice to Him. The idea here is that we are to yield to Him – let our will go in order to follow His good, acceptable, and perfect Will. Consider how a sacrifice was made during the Old Testament: a man would come to the Brazen Altar and present a bullock or a lamb to the priest for sacrifice on the altar. The animal would be slain and placed on the altar for burning. The sacrifice of the animal would temporarily atone for the man’s sins. The man had to present the animal to God and he yielded the animal to God – it became God’s to use as God wished, not how man wanted. God wanted the sacrifices performed as a sweet savor to Him. God had no need for the animals, what He wanted was man’s obedience to Him. God wants us to yield ourselves to Him and present ourselves to Him on a daily basis. I repeat the quote by Francis Schaeffer that I read last week. We are to live by faith now as though we were now dead, as though we have already died. We are to live now by faith as though we have now already been raised from the dead [Francis Schaeffer]. It means: That in our thoughts and lives now we are to live as though we had already died, been to Heaven, and come back again as risen [Francis Schaeffer].

That requires, as Paul stated in Romans 12, that we do not conform to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds to the things of God. That can only happen when we yield ourselves to God and not to sin. Yielding ourselves to sin will not renew our minds or bring us closer to God. Romans 6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. When believers go back to the things of the old man, they are yielding to unrighteousness. When believers go back to the things of the old nature, they are yielding to sin. Once sin is yielded to, it is hard to get back under control. Charles Spurgeon wrote: An officer in India had tamed a leopard. From the time when it was a kitten he had brought it up, till it went about the house like a cat, and everybody played with it. But he was sitting in his chair one day asleep, and the leopard licked his hand. But as he licked, the skin was broken, and the taste of blood came to the leopard. It rushed forth to kill, and was no more at ease till it reached the jungle. That leopard, though tamed, was a leopard still. So a man, sobered by moral motives but unchanged in heart, is a fallen man still, and the taste of blood, I mean the taste of sin, will soon reveal the tiger in him.

As believers, we have to choose to whom or what we are going to yield to – to whom or what are we going to present ourselves to? The old man or to God? Paul wrote:Romans 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. Someone wrote about this verse: One of the best men I ever knew said, at eighty years of age, “I find the old man is not dead yet.” Our old man is crucified, but he is long at dying. He is not dead when we think he is. You may live to be very old, but you will have need still to watch against the carnal nature, which remains even in the regenerate [Spurgeon]. As believers in Jesus Christ we must yield ourselves to Him and not to sin.

And our yielding or presenting to God is to be heartfelt and sincere. God does not want us to be hypocritical with Him or anyone else. Going through the motions may fool everybody here on earth, but God knows the thoughts and intents of the heart. And what are your actions or inactions saying to others around you? What are your actions or inactions saying about what is important to you? And what are your actions or inactions saying to God about what is important to you? Turn to Isaiah 66.

Isaiah 66:1-4 Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? (2) For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. (3) He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog’s neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine’s blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations. (4) I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spoke, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.

God wants us to be good stewards of what He has given us, but remember, the earth is His footstool. The earth is not as important to Him compared to His children. The Lord asks, where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? The earthly temple could not contain God. Solomon declared: 1Kings 8:27 But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have built? God does not need an earthly home, for He is far beyond that. So where is at least some of His dwelling place today? In the blood bought, born again believer in Jesus Christ.

1Corinthians 3:16-17 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? (17) If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

2Corinthians 6:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Every believer is the temple of God, so shouldn’t we act that way? In 1 Corinthians 3:17, Paul wrote that the temple of God is holy, so shouldn’t we be holy? Believers are the temple of the living God, so believers should act that way! There should be a difference in our lives and we should behave that way! D.L. Moody said: A holy life will make the deepest impression. Lighthouses blow no horns, they just shine.

Isaiah 66:2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

God is looking to use men and women that realize who they are before the all holy God. God wants men and women that are contrite or broken hearted about their sin and the sin of others. God wants men and women that tremble at the Word of God and have the proper fear and respect of Him. God wants men and women that are obedient to Him, not out of obligation, but out of love for Him.

Isaiah 66:3 He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog’s neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine’s blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations.

This verse really stuck out to me this week. God wants our sacrifices to be true. If we are presenting ourselves as living sacrifices to Him, then our sacrifices to Him must be true, not hypocritical. Our sacrifices must be done His way, not our own way. Look at again at what the LORD said in verse 2: Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations. The Israelites were performing the sacrifices that God had asked for, but they also offered up sacrifices to other gods as well. And when they did sacrifice to the LORD, they chose to do them their own way, not God’s way. Sadly, they were not truly presenting themselves as a living sacrifice to God and they were not yielded to God like they should have been. They were half-heartedly serving God because they were also serving idols and false gods. Half-heartedness consists of serving God in such a way as not to offend the devil. And we do the same today. Are you delighting in what God would call an abomination? Is your heart set on following God and loving Him with all of your heart and soul? Or is your delight in things that are not godly? Or is your time spent in forsaking time with God for other delights? Some people can talk Christianity by the yard, but they cannot walk it by the inch. Look at what God said He would do to those that act as in verse 3:

Isaiah 66:4 I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spoke, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.

God called for them, but they were so busy with their false sacrifices and false living, that they did not hear. God called, but they did not answer. They chosen to yield themselves to unrighteousness and present themselves to sin rather than to God, so when He came calling, they were not able to answer. Why? Because they were busy doing evil before God’s eyes and chose to do that which God takes no delight in. Note whose standard God is using: His Standard! Too many of us justify our actions, or our words, or our thoughts and use our own standards and pretend they are God’s standards. God has His Own Standards and they are written down in His Book so there can be no mistaking them! Believers must follow His standards, not our own standards. Sin is sin and you hate sin just insofar as you love Christ. Relevation 3 has a similar passage to Isaiah 66:4.

Revelation 3:19-20 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. (20) Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

This is not a salvation verse – this is Jesus Christ speaking to believers. Are we listening for Him? Are we looking for His knock? Are we following Him the way He wants us to follow Him?

Romans 6:22-23 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. (23) For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The wages of sin have never been reduced and when believers regularly remember what our sin cost, then believers will look to regularly follow God.
Sin, when viewed by scripture light,

Is a horrid, hateful sight;
But when seen in Satan’s glass,
Then it wears a pleasing face.