Church Age
But God in His wisdom foreknew all that would take place in Israel, 2000 years ago. In His eternal wisdom, God addressed this rejection before the world was founded – God would set Israel aside for a time and continue His work through the Church.
Easter Reflections - STUDY
A Never-ending Story
God’s amazing grace began in eternity past and will continue into eternity future, and for a few brief seasons, His grace is poured out over the entire human race.
Unfolding Plan
Prophets of old down through centuries continued to magnify revelation of God, while in these last days the Word Himself is disclosed to our understanding. The Word of God - the Lord, Christ Jesus.
May we continue to build and be built, until we all come to unity in the faith. May we be fitly framed together – speaking the truth in love as we grow in grace. May we walk in humility and gentleness, patience and love.
Israel was temporarily set-aside at the cross through her rebellion and apostasy, but God continued to work with a heavenly people, a new creation - the body of Christ.
The Church
God wanted to show forth His glory and grace to the world – through His chosen people, but Israel failed and was set aside for a time – for God must continue all He planned, and the Church has now been raised up to demonstrate the grace and glory of God.
If He did, you would not be free from your self-confidence; you would not learn to fight the good fight of faith and thus obtain the victory which the Master has won; you would not learn to say the Lord Jesus only,' but you would still continue to say Jesus and I.'
Commanding Verse
A few simple words outline the high office and honour bestowed on all believers: CONTINUE in prayer – and WATCH in the same – with THANKSGIVING.
This commanding verse directs us to continue in prayer – to persevere.
3 Aspects of Prayer
1) Continue in Prayer2) Watch in the Same3) With Thanksgiving
am I to come to the point where I question whether, like Job’s wife, I should I advocate: curse God and die.” or continue to encourage: trust God and live…” ?
The Lord may see it needful, for the trial (development) of faith, to seem for a season not to regard our supplications; yet, if we patiently and believingly continue to wait upon Him, it will be manifest in His own time, and way, that we did not call upon Him in vain. -G.M.
Therefore, the knowledge of Christ which will, in time and eternity, be the secret of growth and progress, will continue in heaven, and it will take eternity to exhaust it....
Their life was to be lived in entire dependence upon God and not on self or others. So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him. Colossians 2:6
more is added. For those who take to heart and apply these truths to their lives, there is more, for just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow Him.
Without Limitation
His future blessings are already ours for they rest on Christ’s completed work. His blessings are so sure that they are described as finished and complete – and yet, in the eternal ages, every blessing will continue to be our portion.
When the clouds have gathered and the thunder rolls and the lightning stabs the darkness and the roar of the storm is in our ears, can we keep our eyes and thoughts off the tempest and continue in the quiet and peace of the Father's presence?
This involves a negative attitude toward all doubt of His promises or anything that would raise a doubt; and it also involves a continued refusal to rest upon appearances or feelings, even though these may come in great abundance.
The law has said, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.' None have continued in obedience.
These are obstacles that are strewn in your path, to perfect you in Christ. He who began a good work in you will continue until you are like Him.” Phil.1:6
God’s Promise
The way of the world is in stark opposition to the directive of our Lord and King, but this is a promise that we should both apply in life and continue to pray through.
a plan involving spiritual war that will continue through centuries. A plan that will continue on until all things are consummated in Christ. A plan you and I are part of. A plan to bring forth the eternal fullness of Christ.
And this man after God’s own heart continued: keep watch over the door of my lips – for it is by the words of our mouths that the thoughts of the heart are judged.
There is a wholesome discipline of mind that we ought to cultivate, where word and thought to man and God pour forth the same soothing balm of Gilead – for lips which sing His glorious praises should not require continued sorrow and repeated repentance.
And His high priestly prayer for His disciples continued: I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me, through their word.” John 17:20
Our Father chooses His opportunities to teach us these things, and when He has accomplished this work the special communications of His wisdom and love no longer continue, for He desires we should walk by faith, according to what we know we possess in the Lord Jesus.
And every day of this life is a step forward from the things that were.. to the things that shall be hereafter, For we are confident of this very thing - that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work..
will day by day and step by step continue His perfecting work, in your life and in mine..
Humble Submission
It seems that for a little time at least; the Lord was among the followers of John! He had humbled Himself for many silent years under the authority of His parents, and He seems to have spent some time learning from the ministry of the Baptist. What a wonderful example we have in the silent years of our developing Saviour. Though little is written of His life and learning there are many little clues that demonstrate that the Lord Jesus lived His entire childhood and early adult life in humble submission to those that were in authority – as He waited for God’s timing when He would continue His long, painful..
His Handiwork
Many millions continue to pass through this mortal realm with no thought of God. Few have set their hearts to steadfastly gaze unstintingly upon the Being that is God. Rather He is ignored, blasphemed, scorned, derided, mocked, defied – ridiculed.
He prayed that they would be kept safe from savage wolves who would seek to scatter the flock of God, and he prayed that: He who began a good work in them would continue – until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6
Faith or Self-Merit
Paul explains that because they didn’t continue in the “grace-promise-faith” way, they returned to the old ways rather than remaining in the new way.
Missed Blessings
Great blessings were shut out from His own when He came to them 2000 years ago, but many blessings continue to be shut out to those who simply fail to trust His Word.
Ignorance or misapplication of God’s Word can be very costly, but instructions for godly living can be found within the pages of God’s word, and we would do well to take it to heart and apply it to our lives as the pressures of life continue to mount.
Restrictive Measure
The Law though perfect, had no way to remove the death sentence – so death reigned from Adam’s fall to Moses and continued to rule from the time of Moses to Christ. The Law was God’s perfect tool to direct us to Christ so that we might be justified. But the Law can be equally problematic to the one that has been justified, for if one starts to live a Christian life under the restrictive measure of the Law of Moses or any self-imposed legalistic system, it can only be done by the old sin nature being guided by the lust of the flesh and not the new nature in Christ, that is led by the Spirit of God.
Man’s Logic
If unbelieving saints or disbelieving sinners choose to use their own logic.. they will continue to question the goodness of God in the land of the living- they will continue in their agnosticism and unbelief in the goodness of God.
True God
Most of us have dared, on occasions, to question the goodness of this Good God. Some believers continue to rely on self-logic in their accusations of God’s goodness..
Word of Truth
And through the prophets of old, God continued revealing His glorious Word, until this means of revelation stopped, when His Word was completed.
I have made You known to them, and will continue to make You known in order that the love You have for Me may be in them and that I Myself may be in them. (John 17:26 NIV)
YAHAL – Job was able to proclaim: though He slay me, yet will I TRUST.. (yahal) which refers to lengthy waiting, where no matter what pressures reign down upon us, we are to continue to mix faith with our biblical knowledge of God.
they continued. Most people find that the more things we have to do the less time there is to pray... Oh sirs, was her simple reply, the more I pray the easier it becomes to pray!- and she explained how her heavenly Father was with her in every aspect of life.
Pray for Labourers
We need to pray that God will raise up those to minister to the lost, the hurting and the bereft: pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.” Matt.9:38 We need to follow the lovely example of Jesus – Who Himself needed time to pray: for Jesus would withdraw to a desolate place and pray. He went out to the mountains to pray, and all night He continued in prayer to God.” Luke 5:16
Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. (2 Corinthians 4:10 NLT)
But you, dearly beloved friends, must continue to build your most holy faith for your own benefit.
Furthermore, continue to pray in the power of the Holy SpiritJude 1:20
Teach me, Lord, to pray with those who like Jude have prayed before - but you, dearly beloved friends, must continue to build your most holy faith for your own benefit.
Furthermore, continue to pray in the power of the Holy Spirit Jude 1:20
Never-Failing God
Christ had nowhere to place His head and maybe in a way, I began to understand just a fraction of what that meant. But would I have to follow in His poverty-stricken footsteps even here – as each ‘pushed-on’ door continued to be slammed in my face. My faith was weak and my heart was crying and my courage was far from valiant! And encouraging phone calls came from my mother – that “He would provide…” Inspiring support from one who had also trodden this homeless way before me. Yet I almost despaired that God’s promise included me as well.
Each tiny apartment was withdrawn from my grasp and the search continued.
Familiar Word
How familiar we are with scriptures such as this: the Father has life in Himself. As we read through Scripture we so often glibly read and continue to read, with little thought as to its inner depth and its extraordinary significance..
The gospel of the kingdom was here – how could Jesus say He was going away? And they continued to believe this to be the case for much of the book of Acts.
Fear Not
There are some things that may continue to remain difficult to understand – BUT..
And all of us, with faces uncovered, because we continue to reflect like mirrors the splendor of the Lord, are being transformed into likeness to Him, from one degree of splendor to another, since it comes from the Lord who is the Spirit (2 Cor. 3:18, Wms.).
After the cross, He continued to forward His plans through His body, the Church, but Christ remained and remains the focus of God’s plans and purposes for mankind.
Christ Plea
Righteous Father, though the world does not know You, I know You, and they know that You have sent me. I have made You known to them, and will continue to make You known, in order that the love that You have for Me may be in them – and that I Myself may be in them. Oh, the depth and extent of this love for each one of us, surpasses human imagination.
Mortal Realm
Many millions continue to pass through this mortal realm with no thoughts of God. Few have set their hearts to steadfastly gaze unstintingly upon the Being that is God. Rather He is ignored, blasphemed, scorned, derided, mocked, defied, ridiculed..
Unfolding Revelation
His revelation began to unfold in Eden, as ELOHIM the strong almighty God. His character continued to be revealed as ADONI, my Lord and my Master, but the infinitely incomprehensible, eternal God continued revealing Himself.
They continued proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom – not the gospel of grace.
Pre-Cross Teaching
Peter and the apostles continued the pre-cross teaching of the kingdom to Jews in the Temple, and following the brutal stoning of Stephen, many believers were scattered abroad, travelling far and wide – but preaching the Word to no one except Jews.
A weakness be it bodily or otherwise, is sometimes allowed to continue in order that there may be dependence, and when there is dependence, the weakness becomes a gain; the grit - the trying thing - is superseded by a pearl of great price. -J.B.S.
If there is a great trial in your life today, do not own it as a defeat, but continue, by faith, to claim the victory through Him who is able to make you more than conqueror, and a glorious triumph will soon be apparent.
‘Nipto’ and ‘Louo’
Jesus continued… “He that is WASHED needs not save to WASH his feet but is completely clean.” – note that there are two different Greek words for the word wash – nipto and louo. He that is washed (LOUO) needs only to wash (NIPTO) his feet, to be fully clean. Then Christ concludes, “if I wash thee not thou has no part with Me – no fellowship with Me.”
As we continue to read through Ephesians, we find we are a member of His Body, children of light and light in in the Lord and we are faultless in Him, partakers of His promise, and stones in His building.
His earnest desire was that they continue to obey the Lord Jesus, in thought, word, and deed, and be sprinkled with His cleansing blood.
We are to remember that at the point of our salvation we were declared righteous in God's eyes, through faith, and have a duty to continue in holiness of heart, by standing on the truth of the gospel and allowing our conduct to reflect the character of Christ - through the power of the indwelling Spirit.
And as we continue to purify our heart and soul through living a life of faith, in obedience to Christ's commands, He will pour into our heart that sincere love for the brethren, that only comes through faith in Him - for we can only fervently love one another from the heart as the love of Christ streams into our soul and out to others.
Just as Israel rejected Moses in the beginning, so they continued by reject God's messengers throughout their history, before finally rejecting the King of Glory: Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute?
he continued, Your fathers killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, and you now have become His betrayers and murderers.
But in the meantime, the Church was to be the organism through which God would now continue to carry out His sovereign plans and purposes for the redemption of the world.
This elderly lady was barren, and despite their pleadings to the Lord for a son, their prayers remained unanswered and they continued to be a childless couple.Both Elizabeth and her husband knew that God commanded His people to be fruitful and multiply, but barrenness remained their lot.
As members of Christ's Body, it is by His grace we are saved, through faith in Him, and it is also by grace through faith in Him that we are to continue to live our lives.
Such a securely sealed and secret document could only be opened by the rightfully appointed recipient, and as John continued to watch the scene unfold, he discovered that it contained the full-force of God's outrage and wrath against sin.
Timothy was sent to find out how the believers there were getting along, to establish them in the faith, and give them spiritual support and godly encouragement.Paul rejoiced when Timothy returned with the joyful tidings that they were being established in the faith and well-grounded in the Word, despite the many difficulties and distresses they were facing: May the Lord cause you to increase in your faith and abound in your love for one another and for all people, was Paul's heartfelt prayer for them all, just as we also do for you.Paul continued in prayers and loving intercessions for the saints at Thessalonica, beseeching God the Father Himself and Jesus our Lord to direct and govern their ways.May we be like Paul, and remember to lift up our fellow Christian brothers and sisters in continuous and loving prayer and heartfelt intercessions.
It is as we continue to read chapter 4 that we discover an interval of time had passed since Daniel's three friends had been delivered from the fiery furnace.
He knew that many blessings and benefits follow those who continue earnestly to pray in faith and for those who are vigilant in their worship, praise, and thanksgiving.Paul knew that it is God's will that His blood-bought sons and daughters rejoice in the Lord always, and so he encouraged each one to rejoice continuously, to pray without ceasing, and in everything to give thanks and praise to our Heavenly Saviour.But Paul also knew that prayer is a God-given privilege that has been awarded to every Christian, and those that walk in spirit and truth and pray into the Father's will, are assured that their prayers will be heard and answered, for His greater praise and glory.Paul therefore coveted the intercessions and prayers of these saints in Colossae.
Although He continued to perform many mighty miracles and preach to the large crowds that followed Him, it was a small group of faithful disciples who were the target audience of His parabolic teachings.
Daniel was enabled to understand and interpret King Nebuchadnezzar's dream of a great statue with a golden head, which revealed a big picture of 'the Times of the Gentiles', which began with Judah's exile from Israel and will continue until Christ's second advent.
We are declared righteous by faith in the only begotten Son of God for the forgiveness of our sin and we are to continue to LIVE by grace through faith and not by works of the law.
In that day, Christ will finally deliver up the kingdom of God to the Father which will usher in the eternal kingdom, and which will continue throughout eternity.
As his ministry continued, Zechariah prophesied about the first advent of their Messiah, but from chapter 12 to the end his focus is on the Second Coming of our Lord, where he contrasts God's righteous judgments on Israel with their ultimate rescue, restoration, and blessing.
However, he makes it clear that we should be prepared to offer a clear warning if they continue with their critical attitude, their nonbiblical allegorising of Scripture, or their habitual preoccupation with some irrelevant issue, which only causes disunity.
Jacob needed the strength to continue his journey; he needed courage to meet with his estranged brother; he needed faith to continue on the road to Canaan; he needed wisdom to know what to do.
As a result, we find: The Word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many priests were also becoming obedient to the faith.
And Paul continued his teaching by saying, Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written, 'that You may be justified in Your words, and prevail when You are judged.'
Paul continued by quoting David in Psalm 51, with the words: That You may be justified in Your words, and prevail when You are judged.
And so, Jeremiah continued to speak of the impending doom of the nation and predicted the fall of the city of Jerusalem whilst warning the people of approaching oppression, violence, and the ravaging of their land, due to their unholy ways and spiritual decline.
Now you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, persecutions, and sufferings....continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them.
Let us also continue in the things we have learned from the Bible, and as we do so, let us deepen our relationship with the One Who wrote them.
And among the many instructions toward maturing in our Christian life is the directive: Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit. Indeed, being filled with the Spirit is not a one-off occurrence like our justification, but we are to continue being filled with the Spirit, day by day, throughout our earthy life.
However, it was necessary for Paul to return to Ephesus and so he left Titus to continue the missionary work in Crete, teaching new coverts and appointing leaders in every new church.
Lawlessness is a mystery that is secretly but constantly working within this world and will continue to spread like a cancer until it produces the prophesied man-of-sin - the Antichrist.
No surprise that He poured out the coins of the corrupt money-changers and overturned their table as they continued to exploit the poor people of Israel who simply desired to honour the Lord with their sacrifices and offerings.
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? What the Psalmist recorded 3000 years ago, mirrors the happenings of today, as many continue to ask, Why does the Lord seem to remain silent while the innocents suffer?
And He will continue to BE in the eternity of eternities, long after this present creation has been folded up as a blanket, and a new heaven and a new earth is called into being, for He is the eternal Word of God Who alone boasts unassailable power and incontestable sovereignty.
Do not destroy with your food, him for whom Christ died, was his clear instruction, Do not let what is a good thing for you be spoken of as evil, he continued, for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Paul did not want the liberty some Christians enjoyed to offend a weaker brother or cause them to stumble in their Christian journey.
Apart from a small remnant who have become fellow-members of Christ's Body, together with Gentile believers, the vast majority of Jews continue to reject their Messiah and remain dead in trespasses and sin.
But light is not only given at the time of rebirth, its cleansing power and refining rays continue to shine into the deep recesses and secret corners of our minds, to expose those things that discredit His name, hinder our spiritual progress and disconnect us from our communion with our Heavenly Father.
As we offer our requests to the Lord, may we pray into His will and continue to seek His counsel and guidance in all the decisions and duties of everyday life so that we will finish the challenges in our own life-race to the honour of God's holy name and for our eternal benefit.
And now the Lord Jesus was praying for their continued protection, knowing that His earthly work was almost done and that the time was fast approaching when He was to return to His Father in heaven.
But for those who disbelieve, he continued, THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, HAS BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone. The rejected Nazarene Who was spurned by His own people, despised, hated, unjustly tried, unlawfully condemned to death, and cruelly crucified on a Roman cross between two criminals, was wonderfully raised up from the dead to the glory of the Father and is now seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
And many continue to refuse to believe in Him today.
It is because of this sure hope of the glory of God that Paul can continue with the words: More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident HOPE.
However, his lustful fascination with Philistine women continued throughout his life, and finally, God used the deceitful manipulation of a Philistine prostitute, named Delilah, to engineer the downfall of his chosen servant and to bring him to the point of desperation so that the Lord would be glorified through his life - and death.
Jesus told His disciples shortly before His death: They hated me without a cause, and continued, and if they persecuted Me, they will persecute you also.
They were deeply troubled as Christ continued to urgently unfold many profound truths as to His Person, His Work (on the Cross), and the shocking disclosure of His imminent departure.
Sinners are saved from the penalty of sin by God's grace, once and for all, through trusting in the death, burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ for salvation, but believers must mature in the faith and continue the process of ongoing salvation.
How important it is that believers continue to be sanctified by the resurrected life of Christ Jesus our Lord?
And as we continue to walk through life in the way that Christ walked, we will be growing in spirit, in truth, and in willing submission to His Father in heaven.
For this reason, Israel was to be set aside for a season while God implemented a new dispensation and continued His plan of salvation through Christ's Body - which is the Church.
We are told in Exodus, that Moses named a particular place 'Massah' and 'Meribah' because the Israelites complained and tested the Lord by asking: Is the Lord among us or not? Deuteronomy tells us that God's people continued to provoke the Lord at Taberah, Massah, and Kibroth-hattaavah, with their bitter complaint and unbelief.
It is in this verse, that Paul reminds Timothy of the time he urged him to continue teaching in Ephesus so that he could address this problem of 'bizarre doctrine'.
Did they continue to gaze up into heaven sorrowfully because their Master had been taken from them, or was their intent gazing into the clouds an act of astonished wonderment and reverent worship?
And I'm sure Peter's heart rejoiced as he continued, This is what was said to Him, by the Majestic Glory: 'This is My beloved Son with Whom I am well-pleased.'The recollection of that awesome moment when, together with James and John, he witnessed a glimpse of Christ's coming majesty, must have been etched in Peter's heart and memory until the day of his death.
Although as Christians we have been saved by grace through faith in Christ and made part of the new creation, we continue to live in a fallen, 'earthy' body of flesh and blood and await that day when we will be fully and finally 'adopted' as glorified sons of God - with a new body of flesh and bone..
Until that time the whole of creation will continue to groan and suffer the increasingly intense 'labour pains' of childbirth.
In this brief passage, we see a young man who had learned about the Lord from His mother's knee, and no doubt Hannah continued to pray for her firstborn son whom she had given back to the Lord.
I am sure that Christ offered this glorious prayer of thanksgiving and praise audibly to start teaching his devoted followers, truths that would have to be more fully revealed later, for He continued, All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father.
Some 2000 years later, we continue to be indebted to this short, punchy letter, which exhorts us to be spiritually discerning and increasingly vigilant in these final days of ever-increasing apostasy within Christendom today.
The disciples wanted to continue quizzing Jesus on this matter, for it was evident that they also did not understand how God viewed these important issues..
Just as spiritual gifts were exploited by some in those early days of the Church, there are those today who continue to use their spiritual gifts for their own purposes; for self-gratification, self-exaltation, ungodly manipulation, or to control others.
This little band of builders met with much opposition from their pagan neighbours, foreigners who had moved into the city during Israel's exile and set up an authoritarian, legislative administration, which was determined to depress the morale of Nehemiah and his workers. Nevertheless, because of his wise example, they refused to be intimidated and continued with their important rebuilding project.
Once again, Satan presents himself before the Lord, Who permits this enemy of our soul to continue his evil assault on God's unsuspecting servant.
But this woman was also spiritually naïve, and, like Job and his three friends, she was to gain a deeper insight into the character of God and wonder of His Person as Job's trial continued.
We should have pity for those that hate us because earlier in the passage, we are reminded that those that continue to be entrapped by Satan in this fallen world system do not have the spiritual capacity to know God and the love of God Who sent His Son to die to pay the price for their sin.
As part of Christ's body we are called to continue His work on earth as He lives in our heart by faith - for we are bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh.
Paul's greatest joy would be the spiritual awakening of his people, and yet he knew blindness in part was happening to Israel and would continue until the fulness of the Gentiles had come in.
Proud kings and arrogant people continue to reject the truth, and the same desire for world domination that was exposed in Nebuchadnezzar's heart, thrives in their hearts today.
Their object in infiltrating the church of God was to pervert the grace of our God into an excuse for immorality and greed, fame and fortune - the consequence of which was to disown the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, as their sovereign Saviour and eternal Lord. This underground satanic, movement that started to infiltrate the early church has morphed into an unknown number of disparate cults and demonic teachings, which continue to flood into the churches of today, in increasing numbers.
May we who have made peace with God by believing on His Son as Saviour, continue our Christian journey by walking in spirit and truth, maintaining that blessed fellowship and peaceable communion with God our Father.
Indeed, it is recorded that there were over 60 million slaves in Paul's day, and much attention was given, in Scripture, to the instruction and conduct of slaves, as well as their slave-masters.People often offered themselves as slaves when they fell on hard times, and Paul gave important instructions on how to carry out their duties as unto the Lord, even when their masters were unfair.Although he gave instructions on godly living as a slave, Paul also encouraged those in slavery to secure their freedom whenever possible: If you are able also to become free, rather do that, was His wise advice.Of particular importance, it is to be noted that nowhere in Scripture are members of Christ's Body instructed to engage in the abolishment of slavery or the correction of any other social injustices, in preference to our given ministry to the lost.Jesus said, The poor you will have with you always, and Paul could easily have said, slaves will continue to be with you (however distasteful this is) until Christ's return when He comes to set up His earthly kingdom of peace, prosperity, righteousness, and justice.Although we must certainly stand against the evils of our day, protect those that are weak, help those that are afflicted by social injustices, and show patience towards all men, the preeminent function of the Christian Church is to honour the Lord and tell sinners about Jesus – that He died to pay the price for our sin and rose again so that all who believe on Him will not perish, but have eternal life.We are told to go into all the world and preach the word of truth to a lost and dying humanity.
The truth of God's Word has been tried and tested by a myriad of saints down through the centuries, who not only trusted Him for their salvation, but continued to trust Him through all the circumstances of life, for He has promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us.
None of Mark's readers could continue pleading ignorance about Christ's identity after this unexpected outburst so early in His ministry which stated clearly Who Jesus was.
Once we have believed in Him we are to, believe that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. Having been saved through justifying faith, believers are to continue to trust Him, by believing His Word, living by faith, and diligently seeking His face day by day.
The wrestling match between Jacob and the heavenly Being continued throughout the night and however hard Jacob struggled, he could not defeat his challenger.
God continued for centuries to unveil His name, His character, and His attributes to His people, Israel, who were to discover the Lord to be their Banner, their Healer, their Peace, their Shepherd, their Rock, their Redeemer, and their King, but eventually God gave the greatest revelation of Himself through the Person and work of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Jesus would continue to reveal to His people, Israel, and to His Church in this dispensation, that HE IS WHO HE IS, and that He is everything we will ever need in this life and in the ages to come.
This will continue until we discard this fallen, earthy, mortal frame and are taken to be with the Lord forever: For the mortal must take on immortality and the corruptible must take on the incorruptible.
The Age of Israel ended at the cross when they were set aside for a season, and the Age of the Grace (or the Church Age) began. The Church was born at Pentecost, so that the good news of the gospel of Christ would continue to be shared through a new group of people - the Body of Christ, which is the Church.
However, during the Tribulation Period, He will once again reach a lost world, through the nation of Israel.Once the Church has been raptured, God will continue His plan of salvation through His people, Israel.
And as members of Christ's Body in the post-Cross dispensation of grace, we too should follow the example of this faithful little remnant in Israel who, despite the terrible sufferings they experienced both individually and as a nation, were men and women of faith who continued to trust in the Lord with all their heart and did not lean on their own understanding.
Let us never forget the enormous price that was paid in order for us to be reconciled back to God, and let us continue to boast about God through our Lord Jesus, for He alone is worthy of our honour and praise.
Many like to focus on social changes in the community while denigrating the gospel of Christ, the salvation of the lost, and spiritual maturity, while others continue to teach an equally concerning works-based religion, rather that a grace-based faith which too often promotes the unbiblical teaching called 'replacement theology' - which incorrectly teaches that the Church has replaced Israel.
They confessed, We were hoping He was going to redeem Israel, but continued, and besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened!
Their dejected countenance and the sorrowful tale they told as they walked together, demonstrated that a measure of doubt continued to lurk in their minds, but it WAS the third day!
Both Peter and Paul were apostles of Christ who had been called and chosen by the Lord, but like every one of us, they were also able to slip back into carnality and sin – and like each of us, there were times when they also had to be corrected by another brother in Christ and re-examine their faith to see if they were adhering to the truth of the gospel or being led astray, into legalism.After Paul had been so gloriously saved on the road to Damascus, Peter and the other apostles continued to share the gospel of God around Jerusalem and the local Judean area – predominantly to Jews.
Indeed, the Jerusalem council was formally set up to clarify the fundamentals of the Christian faith.They agreed that Gentile believers could not be expected to adhere to Jewish rules, rites, and regulations, but too often, Jewish converts to Christianity clung fast to their former rituals, even though they knew that it was not the Law that justifies them before God, but faith in Christ.Although these early Jewish believers understood that salvation was by grace alone through faith in Christ alone, many of them, including some of the apostles, continued to cling to the Jewish Sabbath, Jewish sacrifices, the Temple worship, feasts days, and other Jewish observances.Time passed since Paul's first, brief visit to Jerusalem where he had met with Peter and a few Church leaders.
As we continue to read this passage, we find that his song of praise changes into practical instruction on the fear of the Lord and of taking to heart the truth of His Word: Come, you children, listen to me, David declares, and I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
and it was the Triune Godhead Who continued to ask, and who will go for Us? It was the awesome vision of Divinity's glory, in that holiest of all places that met Isaiah's startled eyes, for when he saw the Lord, high and lifted up, in His lofty, heavenly place and seated upon His magnificent throne of grace, Isaiah recognised his own sinfulness and realised he was not worthy to stand in the presence of such holiness.
Over the next two years, a series of Roman trials were held in which Paul was called upon to defend his Christian faith from his Jewish accusers - during which time the plot to kill him continued, unabated.
Their aggression continued to rage against Paul, and they demanded that he be executed.
The person and work of Jesus was testified by God the Father and was validated by the prophesied Messianic signs, wonders, and miracles that He Himself carried out in His life and ministry and which continued into those early years of the fledgling Church.
Despite having rejected the God Who created them, and having refused His gracious offer of salvation by grace through faith in Christ, man has continued on his foolish quest to establish his own form of peace into this world at war.
The heavens and earth, which was created, fashioned, formed and filled by God, was cursed because of man's sin - and the icy fingers of death continue to strangle and suffocate all the good things that God has made.
But as they continued in prayer, they confessed the rebellious-unbelief into which the nation had fallen and acknowledged their disobedience had grieved the Holy Spirit of God.
But man sinned and disqualified himself from his privileged position as God's chosen representative on earth, and the effects of sin continue to reverberate around the universe to this day.
His earnest expectation and hope, was that his message and ministry would not be discredited or put to shame in any way, but that he would be able to continue speaking out the marvellous message of salvation freely, openly, and boldly so that whether he lived or died, the lovely Lord Jesus Christ would be magnified by his imprisonment.
At times, he felt hard-pressed to know whether departing this life to be with Jesus or remaining here to continue his ministry was preferable.
However, Paul concluded that living on in the flesh was more necessary for the sake of his readers at Philippi and that it would also produce fruitful labour for him and so he wrote: Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith.
It also seems that as he penned this verse, Paul began to anticipate his next visit to Philippi and the mutual 'joy in the faith' they would have when they next met, for he continued: That in me you may have abundant cause for exultation and glorying in Christ Jesus, through my coming to you again.
We are commanded to put on a Christlike mind that does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth – by bearing all things, believing all things, hoping all things, and enduring all things.May we be kept from the dark blindness of hatred, and instead, may we continue developing the mind of Christ – for we have the treasure of the indwelling Spirit of Christ within our earthen bodies so that the surpassing greatness of His power within, will be of God and not from ourselves.
Finally, our Lord rebuked these blind leaders of the blind with a prolonged and scathing accusation of their lawlessness, and He issued a terrible warning that judgement awaited them if they continued to refuse to listen to His message.
Because of the influence of these Jewish leaders, the nation of Israel would have to face the destruction of their Temple in AD 70 and continue under God's discipline for a further two thousand years.
BUT although Israel broke covenant with God, the silken thread of His goodness, grace, and comfort continued to be woven into the history of Israel – which would finally produce an amazing tapestry of salvation for every human life who would trust His Word.God in His grace, sent His only begotten Son to pay the enormous price for their sin and the sin of the whole world, and in Isaiah chapter 40, this great prophet of Israel begins to write his beautiful, prophetic words of comfort to God's people which would eventually be manifested in the birth, life, and sacrifice of the incarnate Word of God.
Similarly, the Church is hated of all men, just as Christ was hated without a cause – and like Israel, the Church will continue to be persecuted for the sake of righteousness.
Although Christ’s Millennial reign on earth will be a time of righteous rule, when the wolf will lie down with the lamb, the Lord Jesus will be required to reign with a rod of iron for the inhabitants of His earthly kingdom will continue to be born with a sin nature – until ALL thing are made new.
Indeed, throughout the ages anti-Semitism has continued to rage throughout the world in an ongoing attempt to rid the earth of Jews... in order to thwart God's redemptive plans and purposes.
He is still our Rock of defence and our Strong Tower in these troublesome times, and His precious promises to all His children continue to be 'yes' and 'amen' in Christ Jesus our Lord.
There are names of biblical prophets like Abraham, Moses, Elijah, and Isaiah, that are more highly esteemed and widely recognised than John the Baptist, and yet the Lord Jesus said that among those that are born of women, there is none greater than John.The voice of God’s holy prophecy had been silenced for 400 years, due to Israel’s continued apostasy and refusal to repent... and their punishment for breaking their covenant with the Lord continued under the cruel captivity of the brutish, Roman empire.The three previous kingdoms of Babylon, Persia, and Greece, had risen to world dominance, conquered nations, and been defeated by their enemies, just as Daniel prophesied... and so the intense longing for the promised Messiah of Israel grew stronger with every passing year.Israel longed for the prophesied Seed of the woman to come as the Lion of the tribe of Judah.
As we continue on the journey of life in the strength of Christ, may we resist the devil and stand firm in the faith, knowing that our brethren in other parts of the world are passing through the same sort of difficult experiences - and that both they and us have been promised God's sufficient grace in every situation.
Paul chose king David as his second illustration and used a quote from Psalms to continue his line of reasoning: How blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered.
He warned that continued disobedience would result in the Babylonian captivity - but God's people were unrepentant and continued in their gross apostasy and ungodly idolatry.
But this we do know: God in His mercy has continued to pour out 2000 years of grace upon grace since that day, on a world that deserves His righteous punishment.
He will continue to be faithful and He desires each one of His servants to be faithful in the place that He has placed us and with the work with which we have been entrusted.
Paul begins this chapter appealing to the Thessalonian believers to continue to walk in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord, to grow in grace and to walk in spirit and truth: Finally then, brethren, he writes, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction, as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), and that you excel still more.
Man likes to think that everything is going to continue on as it has in bygone days, but God has purposed that the world, with all it passions and lusts, is passing away and will one day be folded up like a blanket.
We should hold to the things of this world lightly, and yet the main ideology of the natural man is that things will continue on in the same seasonal cycle - that things will continue on as they have always been, from the beginning of the creation.
But it will continue throughout Christ's glorious Millennial kingdom, when peace and prosperity reigns and the earth is filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea.
And today the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost continue their redeeming work of saving the fallen race of man - as the perfect plan of the merciful Father, is executed by the eternal Son - in the power of the omnipotent Holy Ghost.
Each member of the Godhead has their own unique role in the salvation of mankind, and that work of salvation - spirit, soul and body, will continue until there is a new heaven, a new earth and eternal rest for the Creator and His creation alike.
The repetitive call for Israel as a nation to repent of their sins and to turn back to God, had resounded down through the centuries, but the numerous warnings of many prophetic voices continued to go unheeded.
And so we discover that before God finally withdrew His entreaties and warnings to His errant and backslidden nation, He raised up Malachi to proclaim the sentence on those who continued to remain disobedient to the Lord, and a solution for the little remnant who harkened to His voice.
It is a place of everlasting yet just punishment, which will continue throughout eternity for those who do not believe on the only begotten Son of God.
The duties of the day and responsibilities of life will continue to bear down upon this man, but God's servant has learned that those who wait on the Lord will have their strength renewed and their souls refreshed... for the Lord’s righteousness is immeasurable and His salvation lasts throughout all generations.No matter what fears and foes are crouched at his door and irrespective of the arrows that fly by day or the pestilence that lurks in the dusk, the psalmist has placed his lifelong confidence in the righteous Lamb of God to deliver him.
From His youth, he proclaimed God's mighty power and continued to praise the Lord on a daily basis, as he journeyed into old age.
May we continue to grow in grace. May we press on to the high call of God in Christ Jesus. May we be ready to declare the awesome deeds of the Lord to the next generation with hymns of praise, words of wisdom, and a humble heart that reflects the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the sweet fellowship that come from the Holy Spirit.
Having spent six chapters of his letter correcting a wide range of abuses within the church at Corinth, Paul continued by giving apostolic answers to important questions which had been asked about Christian marriage and how it relates to celibacy, divorce, remarriage, and its role in ministry.
It is evident that Paul was not married when he wrote this letter, but whether or not he had previously been married, widowed, divorced, or remained single, is not the issue: But, he continued, I wish that all men were even as I.
His inspired words continue to glorify our Father in heaven as he spoke of Christ's advent and finished work of redemption which was accomplished at Calvary, and will be completed in the future.
We are encouraged to continue to walk in spirit and truth and to live by faith, not by works of the Law: For we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, (legalists or carnal believers) but are those who have faith to the saving of the soul, (spiritual believers).
They became believers by simply trusting in Christ for their justification but once they were saved, they were soon urged by the Judaisers to continue their Christian life in their own strength, by their own effort, through their own merit, by legalistically carrying out fleshly works of the Law which sadly placed them in condemnation.
They had been battling the raging storm throughout the night and they were exhausted, but it continued to lash their little boat well into the early hours of the morning, for we are told that it was the fourth watch of the night when Jesus came to them.
That foundation was laid and completed in the early Church and given for our learning through the completed canon of Scripture - and for two thousand years the Body of Christ has continued to be fitted together and is growing into a holy temple in the Lord - built together into a dwelling of God - in the power of the Spirit.
It was as David reflected on the mighty wisdom of God and the way He protected His forefathers in times gone by, that he could rejoice that God will continue to strengthen His people and to bless them with His perfect peace that passes understanding.
Despite being defeated at the Cross, this wicked accuser of the saints has continued his unrelenting attack on the people of God - not only the Church but in particular, Israel and Judah, for it will only be when that chosen nation of God collectively repents of their sin and cries out, Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord, that Christ can return to earth and finally destroy the works of the evil one.
But because of their continued refusal to repent of their spiritual adultery, the time eventually arrived when they would not only be scattered but would find no pity from God Who brought them out of Egypt.
He went throughout the Galilee teaching, preaching, and healing all that were sick, and continued to authenticate his Person and work to priests and people alike, through His sermons, speeches, actions, and attitudes.
The infinite dimensions and eternal character of God continue to be lifted higher and higher, until we celebrate the never-ending might, majesty, dominion, and power that the Lord commands from every member of His creation.
Israel had failed to heed the past prophetic warnings of earlier prophets, and Joel's appeal for repentance and his warning of coming destruction, is one more demonstration of the nation's continued rebellion against the God of their forefathers, and their refusal to heed His Word and obey the covenant promises they made at Mount Sinai.
And the consequences of their continued rebellion, apostasy, and disobedience, would result in judgement - the coming 'Day of the Lord'.
The continued grace and mercy of God can be seen in His divine appeal to the people of Judah to repent of their sins and return to the Lord - for we read: Even now, declares the LORD, return to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, weeping and mourning.
After the death of Joshua, the people of Israel did not continue to follow the instructions of the Lord in their continued conquest of the Promised Land.
He longs that the people of God are filled to the fullness of Christ and continue to be filled every day of our life with His joy and His peace, as we maintain our trust in Him.
May we continue to trust in His unbreakable Word and live our lives in a manner that honours His holy name.
Let us continue to deepen our knowledge and understanding of the Word of truth... and let us earnestly share a knowledge of that truth with those that are lost in their sins so that others may be snatched from the teeth of the enemy, before that great and terrible Day of the Lord - when seven years of God's wrath will be poured out on a Christ-rejecting world - and then the Day of the Lord will continue for a further 1000 years, during Christ's millennial reign on earth as He rules as King of kings and Lord of lords.
But in the early chapters of the book of Acts, we discover that despite Christ's call to go and make disciples of all nations, the exclusivity of the glad tidings of great joy which were for all people, continued to be offered only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
This evil spirit of Jezebel is not only connected with witchcraft but also has its satanic roots intertwined with the secret mysteries of various clandestine, 'illuminated' societies who continue to undermine the gospel of God to this very day.
It was made clear to Joshua that the unconditional promises given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the conditional covenant Israel made with the Lord, would continue, unbroken, through the generations.
would be their mocking cry, and incorrect assessment, for from the time that our forefathers fell asleep, all things continue as they have been - ever since the creation of the world. This attitude is increasingly evident in the times in which we live, and we should all take heed of Peter's sincere and serious warning.
The last we hear of these born-again believers is that some continued to revert back to the influence of the old sinful nature instead of submitting to the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit in their heart.
Paul wanted these people to wake up and become spiritually aware of the danger they were in, if they continued to live a carnal lifestyle, or failed to trust in God's Word and do His will.
And yet, the verse tells us that as we continue to gaze into His loveliness and drink deeply of His grace, we too will start to be transformed into His glorious likeness, as we pass from one stage of glory to the next.
May we continue to be changed into the image and likeness of our Lord Jesus Christ with every passing day, and show forth His goodness and grace, not only in our lips but in our lives, by giving ourselves up to His praise and glory.
There must be a depth of love between the members of the Trinity at which we can only wonder, for Each loves the Other with a divine love that always has been and will continue to exist forever.
God, in His grace, provides us with sleep, with its rejuvenating, refreshing, revitalising, and restorative qualities which benefit our spirit, soul, and body - but also, when His children are asleep, His gifts and graces continue to flow - from Him to us.
Rather, he encourages us to continue to show forgiveness, love, kindness, and grace towards those that hate and revile us, just as Jesus did when He told is to pray for those that despitefully use us.
Since we have life by means of the Spirit, we are to continue to live our lives by means of the Spirit: For if we have been MADE ALIVE by the Sprit, let us also WALK by the Spirit.
We are being changed from glory to glory as we mature in the faith and grow in grace, for He Who began a good work in us the moment we were saved by grace through faith, will continue to transform our new born-again life in Christ, into the image and likeness of Himself.
This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and a knowledge of God's Son, that we will become mature in the Lord and measure up to the full and complete standard of Christ.
Sadly, today there are some Christian denominations that continue to offer up the Lord Jesus as an ongoing, perpetual, sacrifice each time they celebrate His death on the Cross in their services.
However, if we choose to continue to become a true disciple of the Lord, then under the influence and power of the Holy Spirit, we are to abound in the good works which will flow from our God-given Christian grace.
It is not surprising that every New Testament writer gives serious warnings that heretical teachings and apostate teachers will continue to pervade the Church of Christ.
Sadly, the cycle of sin, servitude, supplication, and salvation would continue... until they disappeared from the good land which the Lord their God had given them.
The little remnant of faithful men and women were well aware that the nation of Israel would have to suffer captivity and be dispersed from their homeland, because of the sin of their fathers and the people's continued apostasy.
Indeed, incredible, satanic deceptions, which distorted the truth of biblical salvation, started to flood into the Church in those early days, and has continued, unabated, into these end times.
Today, men continue to be 'willingly ignorant' that there is a coming judgement in the future, when the nations of the world and those that scoff at the prophesied return of Christ will be judged; a terrible judgement of fire and fury.
He continued to teach His slow-learning followers that only by God's grace is salvation received, and reminded them that entrance into His Kingdom is impossible by man's merit, man's strength, man's abilities, man's wisdom, man's righteousness - yet He taught them that with God all things are possible - with God salvation and entrance into the Kingdom IS possible.
Throughout the centuries, Israel had been called to repent of their sins and turn back to the Lord their God, but sadly the nation continued in its ungodly, apostate way.
He knew He was about to be rejected and crucified, but His plea continued to be towards the lost sheep of the house of Israel whom He would take out of the Jewish sheepfold and join together with His coming Gentile flock so there would be one flock and one Shepherd.
As the chapter progresses, we continue to see a contrast between the way of the wise who desire wisdom and have a teachable spirit and the fool who not only says in his heart there is no God but also identifies his reckless stupidity with foul language, a partiality for wickedness, ill-thought out opinions, and contentious arguments.
No surprise that he continued to rejoice with the words, Now therefore, O LORD God, the word that You have spoken concerning Your servant, David, and his house - confirm it forever and do as You have spoken so that the house of Your servant David be established before You - that Your name may be magnified forever - and so that the nations will say, 'The LORD of hosts is God over Israel.'
David found courage to pray his prayer to the Almighty God Who had proved faithful and true throughout past generations: Now, O Lord GOD, David continued, You are God, and Your words are truth, and You have promised this good thing to Your servant.
Today, as then, men and women are removing themselves from God's grace and placing themselves under God's curse because of false teachers that continue to pervert the truth of the gospel of Christ with this false, legalistic, works-based, meritorious teachings; a 'gospel' that causes dear believers to fall from grace and places them back under the curse of the Law.
Then You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh, the prayer continued: Your signs were against all his servants and all the people of his land.
The amazing signs and wonders that accompanied the Israelite's escape out from Egypt, continued to be a much-discussed topic of fearful wonder to all the surrounding pagan nations.
In His grace, they were given victory over their enemies when they cried out to Him in their distress, and despite their compromise, God's people continue to celebrate the victory Mordecai and Esther were given, as each year they keep the feast of Purim and the book of Esther is included in the canon of Scripture.
Although we continue to rejoice at the wonderful way God saved His people from the enemy who sought to annihilate them, I am sure that the Lord could have used them in a different way to rescue Israel from extinction, without them needing to compromise their faith.
Men were unwilling to come to Jesus for salvation and life eternal during His sojourn on earth, 2000 years ago, And men continue to be unwilling to come to Christ so that they may have life.
All those that are blood-bought children of God and who are walking in fellowship with the Lord Jesus can be said to be walking in the truth of His Word – for those that are born again and living in fellowship with the Lord are those that are living their life in through their new, born-again spirit (their new life in Christ), and not living as carnal believers who continue to live their Christian lives under the influence of the old sin nature.
Not only did Paul long for a door to open so he could continue to spread the gospel far and wide, but he also had to wait for God's timing.
The prayers of the Colossian saints and others continue to be answered, as the gospel continues to spread and the Lord continues to be glorified, every time the letter Paul wrote to the Colossian Church is read and believed.
He wanted to reassure God's children that the Lord had kept His Word despite their many grumblings, and He would continue to keep His Word, through time and into eternity.
They in turn, were to continue to trust His Word and not be afraid or discouraged about the difficult circumstances of life that would certainly loom up in their future.
We can yield to the Holy Spirit doing a work in our new, born again life that we received at rebirth OR we can resist the work that the Holy Spirit desires to do in our new life and continue to live a carnal type of life under the power of the old sin nature (the old life that still fights for supremacy).
It would also enable Peter, the other apostles, and the 70 who were commissioned by Christ, during His ministry, to continue fulfilling the commission they were given, to, heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons.
Had Christ been crowned as the Jewish Messiah and hailed as their conquering hero before dying on the Cross, OR had He been elevated to the heights of a world-renowned philosophical thinker in Gentile regions, He would have remained alone and we would continue to be dead in our sin and without hope in the world.
Jesus first compared Himself to bread by calling Himself the Living Bread, but continued by making the astonishing statement that He came down to earth from heaven.
And then came the moment that Jesus gathered them all together to give them His final important commands, before returning to His Father in heaven and leaving them to continue His important mission of reconciliation to a lost and dying world.
Paul was confident that his reassurances would calm their hearts, still their concerns, and bring peace to their souls, and so he encouraged them to pray for him and for the rest of his ministry team constructively, before reassuring them, We have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing, and will continue to do what we command.
Paul knew that his earlier teachings would soon be re-established now that the false teaching had been identified and corrected, but he also was aware that they would be better equipped to hold fast to the Word of truth and not be tossed about by every wind of false doctrine, if they were to continue to obey his earlier instructions - if they continue to do what he commanded.
Paul understood that these believers would be less likely to be adversely influenced by any heretical teachings that might filter into their midst, if they paid heed to his teachings, obeyed his commands, and continued to carry out the things that he instructed them to do.
It is to participate with Him in the abuse and hatred that He received during His lifetime and which has continued to be poured out on members of His mystical Body, which is the Church, for centuries of time.
And yet, Christ had to continue to point out to these two grieving men, passage after passage in the holy Scriptures to enable them to come to an understanding that the terrible tragedy that had broken their hearts and distressed their minds, had become the greatest triumph that had rescued their souls from eternal separation from their Creator, and returned them into fellowship with their Heavenly Father.
God put His redemptive work through Israel on hold, and in the interim, continued to operate His salvation plan through the Body of Christ, which is the Church.
But to us who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus and who continue to 'be being saved' through the wonderful, sanctification process of the indwelling Holy Spirit conforming us day by day into the likeness of Christ Jesus our Lord, the message of the Cross is the power of God and the wisdom of God - to Whom be all praise and glory for ever and ever amen.
David's prayerful song of thanksgiving and praise to the Lord continued in joyous enthusiasm, as he proclaimed with great jubilation, Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendour, for everything in heaven and earth is Yours.
And he continued, It is the gospel by which we're saved... if you hold fast the WORD which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain (unless you only believed in a partial gospel, or a different gospel - or an incomplete truth.
Progressive sanctification is a lifelong process for the believer, as we continue to grow in grace, mature in the faith, and become gradually conformed into the image and likeness of the lovely Lord Jesus.Positional sanctification happened in the past (the moment we were saved) and progressive sanctification continues in the present, but our full, final, and perfected sanctification will only be completed in the future, when we go to be with the Lord.
The Lord Jesus had just announced that He did not come to destroy the Law but to fulfil both the Law and the prophetic writings and then He continued to explain that not until heaven and earth pass away will the smallest jot or tiniest tittle of the Law pass - for all things had to be accomplished.
It started to be enumerated in Exodus with the 10 commandments, and additional requirements continued to be added..
As the floodgates of apostasy and paganism continue to pour into the lives of believers today and pollute their faith, it is important to remain securely anchored to this important message of clarification from the apostle Paul: the gospel message of salvation which we have received, accepted, welcomed, and appropriated in our hearts.
But then the next words that came from our Savour's lips were shattering, for He continued, Do this, and you will live. DO THIS and you will live! DO THIS and you will inherit eternal life.
How important, therefore, that as an act of will, we seek to lay aside all the seeds of doubt and disbelief and to shake off everything that ensnares and hinders us so that we pursue with constancy the course that God has purposed for us and to continue, with steadfastness, the race that is set before us,
May we continue to grow in grace, day by day, and be ready and willing to share the good news of the glorious gospel of the grace of God in spirit and in truth - in our little corner of God's vineyard - to the glory of God.
No bond-servant of Christ can ever continue to be a man-pleaser, for to do so is to discredit the Lord Who bought them and to trample on the blood of Christ which was shed for us all at Calvary.
Abraham trusted God from the beginning, and his faith was credited to him as righteousness, but the Lord continued to build up his faith over many long years through various trials, temptations, and tests.
When the fullness of Christ's Body has come in and we have received our glorified bodies, we will continue to gossip the gospel and glorify the Lord as we sing of His great wonders and recall His grace towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us and imputed us with His perfect righteousness.
Having spent some considerable time exposing their unacceptable behaviour, Paul continued by laying down some principles and practices for believers and in this verse, he deals with judging between right and wrong and recognising that in this Christian dispensation, all things are lawful for post-Cross Christians although not all things are expedient.
When apostate Israel rejected their Messiah, God needed a different body of believers to continue His work on earth - until the nation of Israel would resume their calling, in the coming 'Time of Jacob's Trouble'.
Following the judgements in Eden, the flood, and the tower of Babel, man continued to rebel against the Lord and delighted to serve and worship the creation rather than the Creator.
May the grace and favour of God continue to rest upon us, and may the beauty of the Lord Jesus be seen in us and through us as we submit to the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit in our life, to His praise and glory.
By the time Peter, the big, brawny, blustery fisherman, was writing his second epistle, we discover he had matured into a modest and unassuming man who continued to express his deep devotion for his divine Master and articulate his immense gratitude for his eternal salvation.
Peter continued to enumerate to others the privileges that are the right of all who trust in Him.
Let us like Jeremiah continue to share the good news of the gospel of grace and to warn others of the corrective hand of our God on our lives and our world.
May we be those that not only trust in Christ for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting, but continue to trust him throughout our Christian life and love Him with a holy love... prepared and willing to take up our cross and follow Him in spirit and in truth - no matter what difficulties and dangers we may face.
May we be willing servants who are quick to confess our sins; faithful to obey His commands; obedient to trust His word, walk in spirit and truth - and day by day continue to look to Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith.
However, as they began to widen their evangelism to include those in Samaria and beyond, they were comforted of the Holy Spirit, and enjoyed a period of stability and calm as the gospel was taught throughout Judea and Galilee and Samaria: So the Church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, the Church continued to increase.
This was a time when the Church expanded and the believers continued to be built up in the fear of the Lord.
God had made it clear that they would be blessed if they honoured the covenant they made with Him, but would be severely judged, through famine and drought, if they continued to disobey His Word.
The people were reminded that their poor harvests and economic decline resulted from their own foolish neglect and that until they did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, He would continue to chasten His people and withhold the dew that watered the earth: I called for a drought on the land and on the mountains, on the grain, on the new wine, on the oil, on what the ground produces, on men, on cattle, and on all the labour of your hands.
And similarly, it has continued to be a great encouragement and testimony for the people of God to identify the fulfilment of these... and numerous other biblical prophecies - many of which culminated in the first coming of Christ Who Himself is the personification and spirit of prophecy.
The nation demonstrated that they were spiritually immature, and as they continued to complain against both Moses and the Lord, we recognise that they did not have a teachable spirit but were proud in their own conceit.
The cries and pleadings of the saints continue to rise up to our Father in heaven as God's 'called out' people persevere in prayer and lift up their voices in anguished cries, as they plead for justice in this evil world.
And just as in the time of David, there are many today who continue to cry out to the Lord to be rescued from wicked men and delivered from evildoers.
Paul knew that tremendous devastation and destruction would be caused in the Body of Christ if the false message these Judaisers were promulgating, was permitted to continue without challenge.
For this reason, the kingdom was postponed and the nation of Israel was set aside, while God continued to carry out His perfect plan of redemption through the Body of Christ.
The Church will continue their ministry of reconciliation, until the day they are taken out of the way, when Israel will once again be used to finish the work God He has prepared for them to do, and finally, they will welcome their Messiah - JESUS, King of kings and Lord of lords.
For about 40 years after Christ's death, the Jewish nation (the Hebrews who rejected the Messiah and crucified the Lord of Glory) continued to participate in all the Jewish rites and rituals in the old covenant.
They continued to make sacrificial offerings through the Levitical priesthood, even though Jesus was the full and final sacrificial offering, cutting the new covenant in His blood.
It is only as we abide in Him and continue to be filled with His Spirit of love, that the very love of God is poured into our heart from His Father-heart of love.
I am no longer in the world, He prayed, for He was returning to the Holy Father in heaven, and yet they themselves are in the world. His faithful followers were to remain in the word and continue the work that Jesus Himself had begun - a ministry of reconciliation.
And so Christ continued to pray: Keep them in Your name.
In this verse, 'faith in the Lord Jesus Christ' pre-supposes 'repentance of sin towards God', but sadly many churches continue to insist there are two steps to salvation: 1) repent and 2) believing, when there are multiple passages that demonstrate that salvation is by GOD's grace, through faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Maybe they were aware that this was the One of Whom it was said: The blind receive sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And so both men cried out and continued to cry, Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us, even though the crowd told them sternly to be quiet.
Malachi was the one who foretold that Elijah the great prophet of Israel would come again, before the great and terrible Day of the Lord, which must start with 7 years of terrible judgement, but will continue for a further thousand years of peace and prosperity.
The good doctor continued his treatise in the book of Acts and in chapter 1, we find Christ's disciples waiting in Jerusalem for the promised Holy Spirit, as Jesus had instructed them.
For most of Christ's earthly ministry, He and His disciples taught the gospel of the kingdom, but because Israel rejected God's anointed King, Christ returned to heaven for a season, while God continued His plan of redemption through the Church.
The old apostle Peter knew that his time on earth was short, but felt it necessary to continue reminding believers of the truths of the Word of God and of the responsibility we all have to become increasingly established in the gospel of Christ..
And although Satan remains forever a defeated enemy in the life of all who trust in His finished work on Calvary, that evil and malicious serpentine enemy, who is called the devil and Satan, will continue his aggressive onslaught against all who have been saved by the blood of the Lamb.
Though a defeated enemy, the wiles and strategies of Satan continue to be employed in the life of all who are God's blood-bought children in order to shipwreck their witness and render their work for the Lord on earth as wood, hay, and stubble: But be of good cheer, the Lord Jesus encouraged His little flock: Take courage for I have overcome the world.
May we continue to live the life of an overcomer during the remaining time we have left of this life.
This Church age will continue until the Son of David, in His abundant grace, reestablishes His work through Israel and they will become the head and not the tail in Christ's Millennial Kingdom.
Having been justified by His blood, we are reminded that today is the day that we should continue to be maturing in the faith and be progressively sanctified.
There would be those that continued to view Him and His parents with disdain, knowing of the scandal that erupted around His surprise 'virgin' birth... and Mary's hasty 'shot-gun' marriage to Joseph!
And as the attributes of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob continued to be revealed to His chosen people, as the years rolled by, so each of God's revealed characteristics, was one more beautiful picture of the coming Messiah - the Mighty God and Prince of Peace, Who would also be the one Who would heal His people Israel, the nation whom Isaiah described as being sick, 'from the crown of their head to the sole of their foot'.
God has so often been portrayed as the faithful Shepherd of His people and in his prayer to the holy One of Israel, Micah is asking the Lord to continue to feed His flock, and to graciously shepherd His chosen people.
The more we delight in the law of the Lord and take time to genuinely meditate upon the pure, written Word of God, the more we will grow in grace and continue to be transformed into the lovely likeness of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ - to Whom be all praise and glory.
The covenant the Lord made was with Himself, and He promised that while the earth remains, seedtime and harvest would never fail, cold and heat would continue their necessary function, summer would follow winter, and winter in turn would blossom into summer.
The LORD was very angry with your fathers, is the important message with which Zechariah opens His prophetic book: God has been very displeased with your fathers, he cries. Return to Me, declares the LORD of hosts, repent of your sin and turn from your evil ways that I may return to you. This was the gracious warning that this man of God delivered Israel, but they continued to disobey.
In our Christian life, we are entreated to continue steadfastly in prayer, to pray continuously, to present our needs before our heavenly Provider, to lift up others to the eternal throne of grace, and to bend our ear to His gentle promptings.
Paul was a man who devoted himself to pray for the saints and to continue steadfastly in prayer.
Devotion to prayer meant to continue steadfastly in prayer by coming to the throne of grace for mercy to find help in times of need.
Here in chapter 4, we are instructed: Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.
As those present saw Christ Jesus hanging on that Roman cross for six long hours, they unknowingly witnessed some of the most precious promises of God being spoken and fulfilled, and they heard seven profound utterances from his lips, the consequences of which will continue to reverberate throughout the eternal ages to come.
God revealed the forgotten dream to Daniel, who not only described it in detail, but gave an in-depth, divinely revealed interpretation which has continued to be played out on the pages of history for many centuries.
False prophets continued to rebuke him, as he faithfully warned of the fast-approaching judgement and destruction of God's people and their land if they refused to repent of their sin.
Finally, as we read in this verse, the owner of the vineyard, had one more to send... a dearly loved son; whom he sent last of all to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' But as we continue to read, we discover that he too was despised and rejected, beaten and scourged, treated with contempt, and killed.
News of Christ's amazing miracles went before Him, and He continued His travels until He came to Nazareth, the village where He grew up as a young boy.
No doubt many of the chairs and tables, oxen-yokes, and wooden bowls Jesus had made, continued to be used in the homes of many of these local residents.
But once again, this is misquoting the verse and a misinterpretation of the biblical text as the word 'continue' or 'repeatedly' does not appear in the original.
It is as we reach chapter 33, that we find the people repenting of their unbelief and Moses on his face before the Lord in the Tent of Meeting, pleading for forgiveness and praying that the Lord would still accompany them and that His Presence would continue to go with them.
It is only when one recognises that God has a different programme for Israel from His agenda for the Christian Church, that many of the controversies which existed in the early Church, and continue to rage today, become clear.
Although there are many today who continue to discredit Paul's ministry and his apostolic calling, we would do well to pay attention to his teaching, for he opens our understanding to many Church age mysteries - including that as the Church, we are members of Christ's Body and have the permanently indwelling Spirit Who provides us with godly power to guide us in our earthly walk.
The gospel of God's grace was made known to the Gentiles through the grace and apostleship that Paul himself received, and it was through his ministry that this good news of the grace of God and peace with Him has continued to be poured out upon all people on earth, during this Church dispensation.
And although many of the commands that were give to the nation of Israel are repeated in the New Testament by God's holy apostles and prophets for the Church, not all continue to be in force during this Christian dispensation.
Man did not comprehend the enormity of what had happened in Bethlehem some thirty years earlier, and throughout His ministry, men continued to misunderstand the Man, His ministry, and His message.
Although the evil principalities of darkness will do all in their power to frustrate its almighty strength, the Light of Christ has already overcome the powers of darkness, and its penetrating rays will continue to invade the dominion of evil, with every soul that confesses Christ as Lord.
Timothy is encouraged to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, to take to heart the many nuggets of wisdom and teaching that he gained from his teacher, Paul, and to pass on this truth to other trustworthy believers who are also strong in the faith so that the good news of Christ Jesus will continue to be spread abroad, throughout the world, to the glory of God.
Nevertheless, he continued to explain: God raised him up and put an end to the agony of death since it was impossible for the eternal Son to be held by it.
He warned that these deceivers could cause serious issues if their deception was not identified and addressed, or if they were allowed to continue down their destructive path.
And this verse gives a little of the limited information we have about Christ's early life, for we read: The Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him.
Physically, the Lord Jesus continued to grow and develop and to become strong, as he passed through childhood to maturity.
Jeremiah faithfully issued many general prophecies of judgement concerning Judah and some very specific consequences of their continued rebellion, but his call to turn from sin and return to the Lord went unheeded and was treated with scoffing contempt by the majority of his countrymen.
as in the time of Paul there were an increasing number of legalistic Jews who continued to argue that Gentiles were outside of God's grace and could not receive His forgiveness without becoming a proselyte..
Oh, at first, they started to rejoice and cried out AMEN, AMEN, but as Ezra continued to read the Scriptures, they started to realise how deeply they had fallen into sin and how far they had wandered away from the truth of God's Word, and both men and women began to mourn and grieve deeply.
However, should such a person continue in their disruptive behaviour, then they should be removed from the church, knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned.
Jesus died for us to pay the price for sin - BUT, He also rose again, so that whether we wake or sleep - whether we continue to live in this mortal realm or cast off this physical 'tent' when we die, we know that we will live together with Christ until the consummation of this Church age when we will be raised in an eternal and incorruptible body - for the rest of time (the Millennial kingdom) and for the eternal ages to come.
He will continue his nefarious rule on earth until Christ, Who defeated this evil enemy at the Cross, returns in power and great glory to finally bring his despotic rule to a close - and return the world to its former beauty and loveliness.
As the Lord Jesus Christ continued His journey towards Jerusalem and the Cross, we discover an increasing opposition to His Messianic claims.
Although the ministry of the 70 was a unique, pre-Cross commission, there are many aspects of their ministry that are relevant for the Body of Christ today, as we... like them, are sent out into the world to continue to share the gospel of Christ with whomsoever we meet.
He died in our place and identified with you and me so intimately that His death became our death - and when He died, we died also: So how can we who died to sin continue to live a sinful life?
Nothing is more glorious than to know that we are forgiven of our sin, redeemed from slavery to sin, and saved from eternal condemnation by God's amazing and super-abounding grace through faith in the redemptive work of Christ: God forbid that we who are dead to sin, should continue to live thereby.
Abram was confronted with a choice: would he remain God's faithful servant, continue to believe His precious promises, and trust Him to be his Shield and great Provider OR would he be tempted with the glittering prizes that had been successfully retrieved from the defeated attackers?
But Christ continued to emphasise... in His actions and attitude, that He was Lord of the Sabbath with divine power to both heal the body and forgive sins.
May God's abundant grace and incomprehensible peace continue to be multiplied towards all His children as we seek to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk in humble submission before Him all the days of our life - in love.
Despite the assurance that we will receive a new, glorified body at the Rapture (the resurrection of Church-age saints), the old sin nature will continue to lust against our new-life-in-Christ during our sojourn on earth, and for the rest of our life it must be kept nailed to the Cross, if we are to maintain close communion with the Lord.
Only God can continue His work of sanctification during our earthly life, and only He can finish the good work He started, when we were declared righteous, by faith – for in no sense can a man make himself perfect - for by works of the flesh will no man living be justified, sanctified, or glorified.
Only He can bring His work to its final conclusion when we will receive our glorified bodies, and only HE can continue the ongoing work of sanctification that brings a baby Christian to spiritual maturity. We are not required to do anything to get saved or remain saved..
Once we have been placed in Christ by grace through faith... and positionally sanctified and set apart unto Him, we are to continue in our day-to-day spiritual battle by participating in a progressing, practical, ongoing sanctification process.
Each one was saying, 'I am of Paul' or 'I of Apollos' or 'I of Peter' or 'I of Christ'. Had this attitude not been quickly corrected by Paul, or had any of these leaders allowed such foolish hero-worship to continue, the Church could have fragmented into many different sects.
He grieved when they were slow of heart to learn, reprimanded them when they fell into sin, corrected them when they were lured into error, rejoiced with them as they grew in grace, and instructed them so they would become increasingly mature in the faith.Paul’s great desire for the saints at Philippi was that they become rooted and grounded in the Word of truth, so that their love for God and their love for one another would continue to grow and multiply.
But he continued by strongly commending these dear believers for the wonderful growth of their faith in God and the abounding love they had for one another, which was being demonstrated in their midst.
And let us thank God that His grace towards His covenant people will continue... until Jesus comes to set up His eternal kingdom on earth in the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Israel - for He longs to be gracious to all His children and waits on high to have compassion on us all.
But how important to recognise that the meaning of this first class conditional clause is: 'IF' - and I know that you will, for then there is no conflict, but rather continued assurance that Christ has accomplished ALL on our behalf. Paul writes: But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation - if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel.
Because Paul is writing this from the standpoint of I know that you will do this because it depends of Christ, not on you - then this little word 'IF' carries with it the understanding I know that you will continue in the faith....
It is the collective Body of Christ that is being called to continue in the faith in this verse: If you (ALL) continue in the faith... And it is Christ Himself who has promised to build His Church and to sustain all members of His Body to the end so that together we will all be found blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The first flickering flame of faith was lit when this weeping man when he remembered God is the eternal Creator and cried out: Long ago You established the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. He continued to proclaim the eternal qualities of God: Even they will perish, but You endure forever; they will wear out like a garment; Like clothing You will change them, and they will be changed. Finally, he rejoiced that God is faithful and unchanging: You are the same, and Your years will not come to an end.
The children of Your servants will continue, and their descendants will be established before You.
But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord and was saved with seven others to continue the human race.
The wickedness of the world continued to corrupt the children of Adam and Noah and infiltrate every city.
The evil in mans' heart continued to gravitate towards wickedness as humanities very soul was flooded with rebellion and their evil plans were translated into ungodly practice.
Strong opposition to the rebuilding of God's Temple came from the pagan governors of Persia, who continued to have authority over the land of Israel which caused the Temple building to be halted - and many years passed by.
But until the Law was given through Moses... over 2000 years later, death continued to reign in the lives of all men - even though man had been given no specific laws to keep or any specific criteria for righteousness.
Before the Law, men had no righteous standard by which to live - but they were still sinners and so death continued to reign in every life - for ALL fall short of God's glory.
However, he does not continue to focus on the advantages of the successful sinner while bemoaning the severe disadvantages of those that are righteous, and keep their hearts pure.
You guide me with Your counsel, he continued, and afterward You will take me up into glory.
And as the time for his departure drew ever closer, Peter wanted to ensure that those who had grown in grace and matured in the faith, were equipped to continue Christ's ministry of reconciliation, and to care for the flock of God - and so he spoke directly to the elders of the Church who had the authority over God's people.
Day by day, let us be those that continue to rejoice in the wonderful gospel of Christ, for the more we open our hearts to Him, the more He will show Himself to us.
All God wanted from His people was that they continued to heed His Word, trust His promises, obey His commands, and walk worthy of the privilege they enjoyed as His covenant nation.
Jesus had just wept over Jerusalem's continued unbelief.
A message that will continue to be taught to a lost and dying world until Jesus comes in the clouds to take us to be with Himself - the gospel that proclaims that Christ died for the sin of the whole world ..that He rose again and is seated at the right hand of the Father, so that whosever believes on HIM will not perish but have everlasting life.
The gospel of grace will continue to be taught until the end of this Church age..
The gospel of the grace of God will continue to be proclaimed until the time of the end about which the Lord Jesus told His disciples on that day when He departed from the Temple and started to tell them what would be the sign of His coming at the end of the age.
And as the unveiling of God's plans and purposes continued to unfold before their eyes, they gained spiritual understanding and developed a deepening awareness of God perfect plans and purposes for humanity.
We can take the easy route in life and compromise the truth of the glorious gospel and indulge in worldly ways and ungodly alliances or we can take the path of purity and righteousness by eschewing all that is evil and bearing the reproach of Christ in our suffering and shame - for how can we continue to be slaves of sin when the Lord Jesus, Who died for us and rose again, has set us free from slavery to sin and broken its suffocating hold on our lives?
It is only as we stand firm in the faith and continue to grow in the knowledge of Christ, that we will be able to stand firm on the truth - for Paul tells us that our stability stems from biblical doctrine and sound teaching.
In his earlier incarceration, the apostle appeared to enjoy a significant amount of freedom when he continued to receive encouragement and support from the believers in Rome, as well as fellow-labourers in Christ, throughout Asia.
As the apostle Peter neared the end of his life, he taught about the coming 'Day of the Lord' and warned the little flock of Christ that in the last days, mocking men would ridicule the truth of Christ's return demonstrating their ignorance of the God's Word, and their foolish assumptions that things are going to continue on ad infinitum.
But as for Your righteous ones, David concluded, as for me, he rejoiced, I will continue beholding Your face in righteousness. As for me, I will be satisfied with Your presence and content when I awake at the resurrection of God’s holy one, for I will be satisfied with Your likeness.
ot only demonstrates a godly character but is also part of God's child-training programme for all believers - so that we may continue to be conformed into the image and likeness of Christ as we depend on Him.
Only then could the nation of Israel fulfil their ministry of being a light to the Gentiles, but they refused and God set Israel aside, for a season, while He continued His work of redemption through the Church.
God knew He would have to continue His work of redemption through the Gentiles from every nation, because of Israel's rejection.
We are told that these three, spiritual fruit of God’s amazing grace will continue and will remain and abide into the eternal state - faith, hope, and love.In this earthly life, faith must remain a high priority.
While faith and hope will certainly continue throughout the eternal ages, for our faith and hope will always be in our heavenly Father, it is love that will increase and multiply when we see Jesus face to face - for we see Him as He is and we shall be like Him.
Their respective purposes will be rewarded with sight - yet we will always maintain faith in our God and hope in our heavenly Father, Who will continue to sustain us into the eternity of eternities - for He upholds everything by the might of His majestic hand.
But love is a gift of God, and love is the primary a fruit of the Spirit that will continue to grow and expand, beyond our wildest imaginings.
The eternal love of God that has been poured into our hearts will continue to increase and multiply - for the love of God is eternal.
And it is by reflecting His love that we are to resemble the Lord – for God is Love and the love of God is broader than the span of our greatest imaginations, and the fondness of our Father towards us goes beyond our wildest dreams.But this life is the first step into an eternity of love with God; the love of God and our love for God, and these three graces of faith, hope and love must of necessity all continue beyond this mortal sphere, for the attributes of God are incomparable in their beauty, His perfections are unlimited in their number, His excellence is everlasting in its duration and splendour is absolute in its span.We, who have been saved by grace are to enter into the glories of the celestial sphere and our understanding and knowledge of God must continue throughout the ages to come.
Jesus was the incarnate Word of God about Whom the Scriptures spoke and to Whom the Jewish Law pointed, and although they were a worthless nation, Jesus graciously asked the Father to give His people more time to repent of their sin and produce the fruit of righteousness: He answered and said to Him, 'Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertiliser,' as He continued to share the good news of the gospel of God and the coming kingdom.
Many long years passed, and the Lord was silent in his love towards this man of God, and Abraham may have thought that this happy state of affairs would continue on - but his life was soon to be shattered by the next communication he received from the Lord, for we discover in the following verses, that God instructed him to, Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.
Abraham believed God and was justified at the start of his journey - Abraham continued to believe God, throughout various tests and trials he underwent - and Abraham grew in grace and in a knowledge of the God in Whom he trusted.
The lost sinner is saved by grace through faith in Christ, but once that man or woman has been redeemed from the kingdom of Satan, and transferred into the kingdom of Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, that believer is expected to continue living his or her life by faith.
And it was the apostle Paul who continued this warning from God: That the wisdom of the wise would pass away, and the discernment of their discerning men would disappear, for when God is removed from His sovereign throne in the hearts and minds of fallen man, the wisdom of wise men perish, and the judgements of sophisticated thinkers is hidden from view.
As righteousness has been credited to us on His behalf, let us live by faith so that all that we do is done by faith and not by our flesh. And just as we were credited with righteousness at salvation, let us continue to live by faith, with thanksgiving for all that He has done for us.
The simple answer is that death must claim the life of all who are physically born in-Adam, and death will continue to claim the life of its victims until the end of the millennial rule of Christ, when all His enemies will be placed under His feet.
His rule will continue until all earthly dominion, which was lost by Adam, is restored to God - and He will make a new heaven and a new earth.
But foundational faith in Christ's sacrificial death needs to continue into a life that is lived by faith, for as we grow in grace and mature in the faith we move from one degree of faith to another measure of faith.
David wanted to know how long the bitter trial and manifold difficulties that were flooding into his life would continue, before the Lord would step in..
Jesus silently permitted the ranting allegation of the many accusational voices to continue spewing out their judgemental criticism on this woman, as they pointed accusingly at a sinner who most certainly deserved to have the punishment of God poured out upon her: For all have sinned, and all fall short of the perfect standard of a holy God.
We can continuously thank God for what He has already done in our lives and make intercession for that which God will continue to do, as the Spirit conforms us into the image and likeness of the Lord Jesus, with every passing day.
We live in a time when false teachers continue to disfigure the Church and blaspheme God with their unscriptural teaching and licentiousness, but their destruction will eventually take place.
The company of travellers arrived in the town of Haran but remained there for about five years because Abraham's father worshipped idols, and the Lord would not allow his servant to continue to Canaan while his father was alive.
The saving faith that brought Abraham out of a pagan land and a godless world, was deepening into an ongoing sanctifying faith where God would continue to prove His faithfulness to his servant; provide for him, protect him from his enemies, make his name great, bless him abundantly, and cause him to be a great blessing to all the families of the earth.
However, Job's continued, proud insistence of his innocence proved to be as a character flaw, which needed to be addressed.
Everything Job identifies in this initial outburst of God's majesty and power, accounts for many truths that have only recently been discovered by modern science, or continue to be areas of scientific study that remain a mystery in the minds of eminent professors and research scientists.
Whether or not Peter is referring to the imminent Rapture of the Church, the Second Coming of Christ at the end of the seven-year Tribulation, or the ushering in of the new heavens and the new earth at the close of His Millennial Kingdom, is almost immaterial - for in these last days, many mockers and scores of scoffers will continue to be content to follow after their own desires and sinful lusts and deny the One who bought them with His own precious blood.
His vivid description of the dazzlingly bright light that stopped him in his tracks at midday, must have piqued their interest: And when we had all fallen to the ground, he continued, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?
As he continued to relate his encounter with the risen, ascended, glorified Christ, and tell the court all that Jesus said, Paul likened himself as an obstinate mule: It is hard for you to kick against the goads, were Christ's chastening words to him.
Because of all the things He had taught them, up to this point, Jesus continued... For this reason, I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on.
Book by book, chapter by chapter, verse by verse, God's perfect plan of redemption and His eternal purposes for mankind continued to unfold, until Jesus came in the likeness of human flesh.
And although our 'fleshly' nature will continue to be in opposition to our new human 'spirit' during our journey through life, we are instructed to yield to the indwelling Holy Spirit of God: For greater is He that is in us that he that is in the world.
Paul then boldly told them God's next instruction to him on the Damascus road, I will continue to rescue you from your people, the Jews, and from the Gentiles, to whom I'm sending you. Paul was standing in Gentile custody and being interrogated by some of the people from who God promised to deliver him.
Secondly, as born-again Christians we must continue to believe in the truth of His Word, to trust in His many precious promises, and to have faith that He hears and answers prayer.
As John explained: They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest that none of them were of us.
However, the continued unbelief of the nation of Israel dictated that the nation was set aside for a season and Joel's end-times prophecy has yet to be fully and finally fulfilled.
But following the Rapture, when all Christians will be taken to be with the Lord, it will be through the nation of Israel that the Lord will once again continue His redemptive plans and purposes.
Paul was convinced that the work that God had started in the believers at Philippi would continue until the day of Christ Jesus, and yet his deep desire for these men and women was that their love for the Lord, and for one another, would overflow in great abundance and that they would keep on growing in knowledge and godly wisdom.
Firstly: All bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour, and slander must be removed from you, along with all malice. It is only after these negative emotions have been dealt with, at the foot of the Cross, that we can continue with Paul's next exhortation: Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ has also forgiven you.
Paul was thankful that these dear men and women had trusted Christ for their Salvation, and he was thrilled that Epaphras, his fellow-labourer in the gospel and beloved bond-servant of Christ, continued to faithfully preach Christ crucified to these believers - unlike so many false teachers that were infiltrating the early Church of Paul's day.
Before God's law was given to Israel, there was no spoken or written law for man to break and yet death continued to reign in the lives of all mankind.
Often he gave thanks for the faith of the saints to whom he was writing and frequently we find Paul interceding for the saints and asking God for their continued well-being and spiritual growth.
Sadly, many Christians who are saved by grace through faith, fail to continue to live their lives by grace through faith and place themselves back under the unattainable, legalistic demands of the Law.
No one can ever be justified in the sight of God through works of the Law, and yet many having started their Christian life by grace through faith and then seek to continue their Christian walk by reverting back to legalism, trying to live by the law instead of living by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone.
We started our Christian life by faith, and we are to continue our Christian walk by faith.
He had arrived at the place when the identity of the flashing light from heaven was revealed: And I said, 'Who are You, Lord?' Paul continued, And the Lord said, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.'
To patience we are to add godliness, so that we can continue towards the ultimate goal that God has for each one of His children, which is brotherly kindness, Christian love, and Christlikeness.
Praise God that despite their continued rejection of their God and King, it is by His by grace that a faithful remnant will one day be restored and God's unconditional covenants to Abraham, David and His people Israel, will eventually be fulfilled.
Elijah had enjoyed his ministry and wanted his own personal 'success' to continue... rather than humbly recognising that God's plans and purposes span from eternity past, into the ages to come.
Paul explains that when we are able to continue to trust God even during those tough times when we are pressed out of measure, tossed about by every possible difficulty and danger and attacked by the enemy of our souls, then our life becomes a sweet aroma to the Lord... such that the spreading of the glorious gospel of Christ becomes the wonderful consequence of a life consecrated to God.
And despite his imprisonment in a Roman jail, it was with the joy of the Lord that Paul was able to write his letter of encouragement to his brothers and sisters in Philippi - exhorting them to unity, humility and continued sacrificial service to the Lord.
As John the revelator continued watching the opening scene of the Great Tribulation, he looked, and saw an ashen green horse... and the one who sat on its back was named Death, and Hades was following after this grim reaper.
But how many believers continue to live the life under a self-imposed condemnation, simply because they do not read God's Word or believe what they read.
It was after his arrival in Canaan that Abram learned the importance of calling on the name of the Lord, through prayers and intercessions - but Abram continued to wait for God's promise of a son to be established and fulfilled.
Abram fell on his face when the Lord spoke and the Lord continued to explain the covenant between them.
While John was outwardly successful, this humble servant of the Lord, continued to point his followers to Christ, proclaiming, He must increase, but I must decrease.
While John continued to proclaim his own baptism of repentance to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, he knew that the baton he had been carrying had been handed to the Lord Jesus.
While he continued to baptise with water unto repentance, John had faithfully prepared the way of the Lord and taught that Jesus would baptise those who believe in Him with the Holy Spirit... while those who would not believe would receive the fiery baptism of judgement.
Even when some of his disciples deserted him to follow Jesus, he did not give up, but continued to carry out the good work that God had prepared for him to do.
Even after the Lord's warning to him, Peter continued full of his own self-confidence proclaiming, Even if everyone else turns against you, I certainly won't.
They were 'overcomers' by faith, who were not only living a victorious Christian life, but continued to enjoy fellowship with the Father and were promised that they would walk with the Lord Jesus, dressed in white garments.
Believers are increasingly being harassed and vilified... and similar outrageous murders and abuses of God's people continue in a frenzy of demonic attacks in many parts of the world today.
May we continue to look to Jesus, trust His Word, and tell forth the glory of His name, as we look for the any-day return of Christ when He comes in the clouds to take us to be with Himself into heavenly places.
The same blood that gushed forth from Calvary's Cross 2000 years ago, and cleansed your heart and mine, will continue to carry out its redeeming work and pour out its cleansing flood on the whole house of Israel: And so all Israel shall be saved, for as a nation they will have cried out in unison, Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord, hosanna in the highest.
Indeed, enmity towards God and rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ has continued unabated, down the corrupt corridors of time to this present day.
Let us continue to share the good news of the gospel of grace with those that are dead in their sins and living under God's condemnation - for who knows if some may be convicted of their need of redemption and turn from their sinful ways and trust in Christ for the salvation of their soul?
From other passages, we understand that the 'end times' or 'last days' started in the times of the disciples with Christ's death, burial, Resurrection, and Ascension, and will continue until His Second Coming to set up His earthly kingdom.
The apostles of the early church and saints throughout the Church age were to continue the work that Christ began to do on earth.
The apostles and certain others had been given the power to do miraculous signs during Christ's earthly life in order to authenticate His Messianic claims and those supernatural gifts continued to function during their lives, but the greater works that the apostles performed were connected with the salvation of the souls of lost men and women.
God is still able to perform the same sort of supernatural miracles today, which continue to authenticate His deity - but the work that we have all been called on to carry out today is to proclaim the good news of the gospel of grace to a lost and dying world - for THIS is the work of God, that you believe in Him Whom He has sent.
But as in the past, evil will continue to be restrained until wickedness reaches saturation point.
During this Church age, it is the prayers of godly Christians... who have the indwelling Holy Spirit and pray into the will of Father in spirit and in truth, that continue to restrain the floodgates of evil from being fully flung open.
May we continue to work the works of God in our lives while there is still time, and warn the lost that the offer of salvation is still available to whosoever will come.
Esau continued along his chosen, compromised pathway of paganism, while Jacob not only cooperated with his scheming mother to steal the blessing from Esau but readily lied to his father.
And it is only by His grace that the believer can access His grace, continue in grace, and grow in grace so that we may have the peace of God which passes all understanding guarding our hearts and minds, as we live in Christ Jesus our Lord and His grace and peace is reflected in us.
However, Paul always brought his focus back to the foundational truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the need to, continue in the things you have learned, and to become firmly convinced of them in your heart, knowing from whom you have learned them.
And Paul knew that Timothy would be one who would continue to carry the flaming torch of truth after his own departure.
No doubt he saw Timothy grow in grace and in a knowledge of the Lord Jesus during their ministry together, but as the time for his parting drew ever closer, Paul was prompted to write to his young co-labourer, exhorting him to continue in the things that he had learned from him..
Let us continue faithfully in the things that we have learned and of which we have become convinced..
The determined purpose of Paul's heart was to exalt his Saviour for the greatest glory of God and to continue to his life's end, declaring the goodness of his gracious Master.
Paul fully expected and hoped that he would remain faithful to his life's end and never be ashamed of his Saviour, but would continue to be as bold for Christ as he had been in the past, trusting that his life would bring honour to Him, whether he lived or died.
Israel started to be dispersed during the Assyrian invasion of Samaria which continued with their exile in Babylon.
The Greek and Roman empires, together with the persecution of the early Church, caused additional displacement of Jews, and the diaspora continued until 1948 when the modern nation of Israel was established.
so that His redemptive plans and purposes continue to be unfolded, until they will, one day, be fully and finally complete - when Christ is ALL in ALL.
The Lord is no respecter of persons, and the eyes of the Lord continue travel to and fro, looking for a man or woman who has a listening ear, a trusting heart, and a willing spirit that is ready to say: Speak Lord, your servant is listening.
And not only in the book of Judges, but throughout Israel's entire history, we see how the people who were left in the land would become an ongoing and increasing thorn in Israel's flesh - indeed, we see this today that the surrounding nations continue to ensnare them and remain a thorn in their flesh.
We have received all that we need to walk worthy of the Lord, and so we are earnestly exhorted to walk in Him, for just as we received Christ Jesus as Lord, we are to continue to live our lives in Him.
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
Timothy would have known about Paul's concern for the Galatian Christians, who had been taught, by false teachers, that they needed to be circumcised to be saved, and that they had to continue keeping the Law, so they did not lose their salvation!
We are to consider Jesus, and all He is, and all He has done for us, in order that we will not grow weary or lose heart, but continue to trust Him in all things and at all times.
The Lord continued to tell her that one of the nations would be stronger than the other, but that the firstborn would be subservient to his younger sibling: The older shall serve the younger,” was God's clear directive in his answer to Rebekah's prayer.
There were many in Paul's day, as there are today, that continue to believe that we are justified by performing good works, by keeping rules, or by performing rituals - but this is not what the Bible teaches.
Every one of us is to put on the whole armour of God so that we may be able to take a stand against every evil assault of the enemy - and continue to stand firm in the faith that God supplied through His eternal Son.
Maybe this is the truth that helps us understand Who God is, what He has done for us, what He is doing, and what He will continue to do, in and through all who believe in the name of the only begotten Son of God... and place their trust in Him.
Although our old, sin nature will continue to lust against our new life in Christ during our sojourn on earth... nevertheless, we must reckon our OLD self dead to the desires of this world and our NEW life alive to God.
As members of Christ's body we too have been given the responsibility to continue Christ's ministry of reconciliation to a world of lost sinners - as directed by God the Father, through the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit - for the praise and glory of His holy name.
We all need to understand that humanity's wickedness and the wiles of Satan will continue to batter the saints of God throughout this world - until Christ comes to set up His kingdom and puts all enemies under His feet.
Despite the earlier decrees to rebuild the Temple and restore the city to some of its former glory, the walls continued to lie in ruins and all work had been suspended.
Indeed, he continued in prayer and fasting for many days as he sought the God of heaven and earth, and laid out the situation before Him.
Ryle continued: 'The judgement on false teachers and those that do not love the Lord is tremendously severe, which is why Paul used the word 'anathema', to label such a person.
Let us pray for the salvation of the people of Israel who continue to remain dead in their sins, and let us praise God that the time is coming when the blindness of their eyes, the resistant deafness of their ears, and the hardness of their hearts will be softened.
The Bible points out that these 'last days' in which we live, began back in the first century and will continue right down until Christ returns - when He comes to set up His millennial kingdom.
May we in like manner fulfil our responsibility to God and our duty towards our fellow man as we look steadfastly to Jesus, study His word, fulfil the ministry that God has given each of us and continue as they did..
Indeed the Lord continued to explain to Solomon: “but if you turn aside and forsake My statutes and My commandments, and go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will uproot them from My land - the land that I have given them.
the Lord questions, Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place? As God's rhetorical questions continue, we glimpse His sovereignty over all creation, from the stars, to the animals, to the weather, to the very residence of light and darkness.
Not only have we been reconciled to God through Christ, but as members of His Body, we have been commissioned to carry out and continue the ministry of reconciliation that Jesus Himself started during His earthly life: For God has reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.
As we trust His Word and rely on the Lord the more we will grow in grace, walk in spirit and truth, and continue to be conformed into the likeness of the lovely Lord Jesus - until it is not I that lives - but the life of Christ that is manifest in this mortal body.
Nevertheless, we continue to be astonished by Israel's long-term ingratitude towards their Saviour, and are ashamed to recognise some similar failings in our own lives, when we have left our first love, erected idols in our own lives, or wandered far from the God of our salvation.
The old sin nature will continue to expose itself throughout our earthly activities and attitudes, which is why we are reminded that we must keep 'self' nailed to the Cross so that we will not fulfil the lusts of the flesh.It is a craving for pleasure and an insatiable desire to gratify one's own bodily appetites, that causes covetousness to become such a serious issue in our lives and which caused James to spend considerable effort and time in identifying its deadly cause and addressing its much-needed cure.
Luke in his Gospel, described all that the Lord Jesus began to do and teach in His earthly ministry and he also put on record, in the book of Acts, all that Jesus continued to do and to teach.
All that Jesus Christ continued to do through His Body, the Church, was recorded in the second letter that Theophilus received from Doctor Luke, in those opening years of the dispensation of grace.
We are instructed to abide in Christ, rest in His love, and submit to the work of the Holy Spirit within our heart so that we too may be part of that glorious cloud of witnesses that are being used by God to continue carrying out the acts of Jesus Christ in our lives - to His praise and glory.
Paul himself experienced many attacks from both Jewish and Gentile opponents and in this letter, he exhorted these believers to remain faithful to the gospel and to continue to grow in grace and mature in the faith.
But Aaron and Hur joined forces with Moses as together they raised high the standard of God, and the armies of Israel continued to battle the Amalekites with swords and spears.
For multiple centuries, God continued to unveil his perfect plan of redemption, as feasts and festivals, together with the shed blood of goats and calves, pointed men to their coming Redeemer Who would save His people from their sin.
Indeed, we are sinners saved by grace, who are going through a beautiful sanctification process, which will continue throughout our entire, earthly walk.
May we be those who run to the throne of grace often, and who remain there as we continue to pour out our prayers to our Heavenly Father, not giving up, but remaining steadfast in our faith.
Satan was defeated at the Cross, but the ripple effects of his evil deeds will continue to reverberate around the globe in which his murderous lies and satanic deceit have weakened the nations, blinded men's eyes, and hardened the hearts of those that are perishing.
And although the enemy will continue to interfere with the unity of the spirit and disrupt our bond of peace... with divisive doctrines and critical attitudes, the Lord's High Priestly prayer, that they may be One, still remains true today.
We are not to continue presenting the members of our body to sin... as instruments of unrighteousness.
We came into our positional union with Christ at salvation when we received His new life within, and we are to continue living for Him by reckoning God's Word to be true and by acting upon it in our individual lives.
All that God has done, all that He is doing, and all He will continue to do in us and for us, is rooted and grounded in Christ - humanity's great Champion.
Did Simon continue to watch the events of that day on Calvary's hill and did he hear Jesus call out, Father forgive them for they know not what they do?
However, the second part of this particular verse, does not continue to describe what happens during that 7-year Tribulation Period - which is sometimes referred to as The time of Jacob's Trouble, but immediately jumps to the very end of Christ's millennial rule on earth over 1000 years later: In which the heavens will pass away with a roar.
From the day they were created, the four living creatures cry holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty, and into the eternal ages to come this great chorus of praise will continue to reverberate throughout the visible and invisible universe, in reverent worship of the Lord God of heaven and earth.
But He has promised that He will continue to build His Church until we all arrive at that final transformation when our mortal bodies will be changed into the likeness of our Saviour's glorious body.
But the riches of God's grace which were given to the Church through Paul, are some of the most staggering truths which could not be conceived of by the human mind, and which continue to be difficult, if not impossible to understand by human reasoning.
May we be ready and willing to witness to a lost world the wonderful works of God so that lost sinners may continue to be reconciled to God and return into fellowship with our Heavenly Father.
Let us be content to work the works of God in the place where He has planted us, submitting to His refining work in our inward parts, as we labour with our Lord as co-worker and fellow-labourer and as we continue to be fitted together as a dwelling-place for His Holy Spirit.
Paul in this verse was reminding the Roman believers of a truth that he had taught them some time before: Since we have all died to sin, how can we continue to keep on sinning?
But the important message that he wanted to relay to Timothy was faithfulness - to faithfully continue to preach the Word, to be ready in season and out of season, to be prepared to reprove, rebuke, exhort, and encourage other believers with great patience and godly instruction.
Paul had given much instruction on Christian living to these believers, but he wanted to ensure that they continued to mature in the faith and that they also controlled their bodily passions.
The Word of God will continue in each of our lives to be living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, as we sojourn in a land that is not our home.
Israel still has a spirit of slumber and are blind, in part, which has continued throughout the entire Church age.
Blindness in part is to continue to the end of the Church age, when all Christians will be removed at the Rapture and at long last, Israel will be reinstated as God's witness on earth, and the gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the world.
Indeed, he planned to continue by pleading to be allowed to work as a hired servant in his father's household so that he would have food on the table and a little place to sleep.
Both unsaved Jews and unsaved Gentiles continue to rely on their own particular criteria, which demands that God must fulfil their peculiar specification and meet their own required conditions if they are to believe God's WORD!
They rejected God the Son in the New Testament and crucified their Anointed King and Heavenly Saviour - and through this Church Age, which Paul calls 'the dispensation of grace', Israel will continue to be scattered across the face of the earth - until the Day of the Lord, when God will bring His chosen nation back to Himself during that first seven years of the Day of the Lord.
The Day of the Lord which begins with God's wrath will continue for 1000 years under the authority of Jesus Christ, Son of God and King of Israel.
But despite the ministry of John the Baptist and Jesus Himself, they continued in their sinful ways.
Because the Nation, as a whole, did not repent of their sin, as warned by past prophets and Christ Himself, Israel was to be set aside for a season and God would continue to spread the good news of salvation through another set of servants - the Church.
Let us now LIVE by grace through faith in Christ and continue to walk in spirit and truth so that in the power of the Holy Spirit we may grow in grace and mature in the faith to the glory of God our Father, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
The Spirit is to convict the unbeliever that continued rebellion against God, based on the lies and deceit of Satan, is futile, for Satan has already been judged at the Cross, as have their own sins, but only those that believe that the sacrificial work of Christ paid the penalty for their sins will escape the wrath of God and His final judgement.
Jesus came to free them from the tyranny of sin and told them that if they continued to follow Him and trust in His Word, they would know the truth and the truth would set them free.
This annual sacrifice continued until the full, final, perfect sacrifice in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ was offered as the atoning sacrifice for the sin of the whole world - that day at Calvary - on that pivotal point in the history of humanity.
My conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart for my kinsmen, according to the flesh. Paul's heart was not only very tender towards his Jewish brethren, but demonstrated incredible concern for his fellow countrymen. His desire was that they come to a knowledge of the truth of the gospel of God, rather than continue to buy into an incorrect understanding of salvation (which is not by keeping the Law, as they said, but by faith in Christ).
Let the one who does wrong, continue to do wrong; and the one who is filthy, continue to be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and the one who is holy, still keep himself holy.
Satanic accusations against the goodness and grace of God are still being whispered into the ears of believers today as we, like Job, continue to be compassed about by many forms of suffering and misfortune, persecution and pain, destitution and danger, heart-aches and affliction, the sword and a martyrs death.
The kingdom of Israel had been divided due to their sin, and yet God in His grace continued to bless His people while warning them to turn from their sin, lest judgement befall them.
However, instead of repenting and doing the works of God, by caring for widows and orphans and following the righteous Law given by Moses, they continued to abuse the poor, indulge in extravagant lifestyles, worship other gods, engage in immorality and unjust slavery, economic exploitation, legal injustices, and self-gratification.
But the nation continued in their ungodly ways.
As Church age believers we are prone to shake our head in disapproval at Israel's continued arrogant apostasy, gross immorality, unjust slavery, economic exploitation, legal injustices, and self-gratification.
When the Lord Jesus ascended into heaven, the Holy Spirit was sent, by the Father, to equip the people of God to continue Christ's work on earth, through His empowerment.
It was as they prepared themselves to embark upon their second ministry trip that the contention between Paul and Barnabas was so sharp, that they departed from one another... and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus, while Paul continued his missionary journey with another evangelist, called Silas.
Paul considered that someone who had abandoned them in an earlier ministry could not be trusted to join their company again and would not consent, while Barnabas refused to continue his ministry with Paul if John Mark was not permitted to accompany them.
Indeed, we see that despite any impetuous decisions or any heated exchanges, both men continued to be used greatly by God, and shared the gospel to a greater number of lost souls throughout Asia... as Paul and Silas journeyed to Syria to strengthen the Churches there, and Barnabas and John Mark set off to take the gospel to Cyprus and beyond.
Having explained to the Jews who had believed in Him: If you abide in My Word, you are truly My disciples, Jesus continued to explain that those who choose to abide in His Word would: Know the truth and the truth will set you free.
However, Daniel's dream, or night-time vision, did not conclude with this evil subjugation of mankind... for as he continued to look intently on this surreal, unveiling of future events, God revealed to Daniel: One like unto a Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven.
As he continued looking intently, Daniel said, Behold!
At the start of this final section of Paul's letter to the believers he loved so dearly at Philippi, and having encouraged them to live for Christ, to be like Christ, to rejoice in Christ, to continue in Christ, and to remember all that Christ has done for them, he finally calls them to stand fast in Christ.
Following these practical instructions will help every believer to live for Christ, to be like Christ, to rejoice in Christ, to continue in Christ, and to remember all that Christ has done for us.
Following Job's traumatic test, Satan continued to roam about the earth, as before, and then another day came when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord and Satan also came among them to present himself.