The Five Solas: A Cry for Truth! (Part 2 of 5)‏

Hello Friends!

Welcome back to part two of The Five Solas: A Cry for Truth!

This week we will investigate the second Sola known as SOLA SCRIPTURA…

The Five Solas: #2 – Sola Scriptura

The inerrant Old and New Testament Scripture – The Holy Bible – is the sole source of written divine revelation, which alone can bind the conscience. The sixty-six books of the Bible alone teaches all that is necessary for our eternal salvation from sin and is the standard by which all Christian behavior must be measured. It is denied that any creed, council or individual may bind a Christian's conscience, that the Holy Spirit speaks independently of – or contrary to – what is set forth in the Bible. Also, personal, subjective spiritual experience can never be a vehicle of revelation outside of the Holy Scripture. All experiences must be tested and validated by the Scriptures!

Scripture alone (Sola Scriptura) is the teaching that Scripture is the Church's – Bride of Christ – only infallible and sufficient rule for deciding issues of faith and practices which involve doctrines. While the Bible does not contain all "general" knowledge, it does contain and is the ONLY source of that which is necessary for eternal salvation of the soul. Indeed, if something is not found in Scripture, it is not binding upon the believer. This view does not deny that any born-again Christian has the authority to teach God's Word. Furthermore, while tradition itself may indeed be valuable, it too must be tested and approved by the higher authority of the Scriptures.

Sola Scriptura:

"does not mean that the Reformers rejected everything that every Christian in earlier ages has said: indeed, they often cited the early Christians as supporters of their own positions. However, they recognized that those earlier believers were not inspired, were not inerrant, and, in fact, quite often made errors in their judgments and beliefs, just as people do today. The only infallible rule of faith, they argued, is found in the pages of Holy Writ." – The Shape of Sola Scriptura, by Keith A. Mathison

In all of this, the role of the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, is critically vital. The Word of God can only be received and obeyed by the power Holy Spirit within the believer.

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work – 2 Timothy 3:16-17

The Roman Catholic position on Sola Scriptura differs from Protestantism. Roman Catholicism teaches that their Bible is inspired and the infallible original manuscripts. Official Catholic doctrine does not believe in Sola Scriptura due to the fact that there is no guide to decipher important theological issues without their Church system. The Roman Catholic Church also teaches that it collected and organized the Holy Scriptures via Tradition and has the Papal Office guiding and helping decipher important scripture verses…

Thank you for reading! Don’t miss next week’s edition as we investigate Sola #3 – SOLA CHRISTUS…

May the Lord Jesus Christ continue to bless you with His perfect love, mercy and grace!

Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!

 

Blessings!

Shane <><

No Sun, Moon or Stars

Do you know what will happen immediately before Jesus returns?

A few weeks ago my sister was admiring the bright sun rays streaming through and around some clouds. She told my 5 year old niece that whenever she sees the bright streams of sun shining like that, it makes her wonder if Jesus is coming back. My niece immediately exclaimed: “No, Mom! Jesus won’t come back until after the sun and moon are darkened and the stars fall from the sky!”

My niece had just been studying Matthew chapter 24 and clearly remembered the following verses! ☺

Matthew 24:29-31         ²⁹ “Immediately after the distress of those days

“‘the sun will be darkened,

and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’

³⁰ “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. ³¹ And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

Jesus will return on the clouds, it will be visible to all (as we read a few weeks ago), and it will be glorious! I wonder if God plans to darken the sun and moon first because believers won’t need created light anymore once we are with the Creator at all times. Maybe it will also be a foretaste of Hell for non-believers. They will exist without the presence of God, His light, and His blessings. No wonder they will be mourning (as in verse 30). They will lament the fact that they previously gave no credence to Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

When Jesus returns, will you be mourning or rejoicing?

What about those around you and me?

Who might God want you and me to share His truths with this week?

Alice

Beyond the Surface

For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.  John 1:17-18

As Christians, we struggle to talk openly about Jesus Christ to nonbelievers.  The question that we tend to fight with is how best do we do this?    Through devotionals, I do my best to promote Him through my writings, but this only supports those who already believe.  If I shout out to the rooftops about what God has done for me, anyone who does not know God would think I might be a little off (some of you might already think that  J).  I understand that if it is what God compelled me to do, seeming a little crazy should not matter.  However, one true way to share Christ with others that tends to never fail is simply by getting to know them.  It is easy from a distance to say someone is following a wrongful and destructive path because that does not require any commitment to our having a relationship with them.  But who truly has the power to change another?  Is it someone who yells from afar ‘repent’ or someone who knows you deep inside and out who says, “This must change?”

Transformative relationships requires a sound relationship with Christ.  Jesus Christ speaks numerous times not only about knowing us (i.e. the shepherd) but also knowing God from the beginning.   Through His relationship with God, He was able to build deep relationships that changed others’ lives.  While we ourselves are certainly not God the Father or Son, we do carry the power of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us.  Through our relationship with Christ, we can share His love, truth, power, and grace to both believers and nonbelievers.  It is through sharing these things that will build a foundation by which any conversation, either faith based or influential, is indeed possible.

God is made known through those who know Him best.  Jesus asked His disciples to follow Him, but did so after giving to others through miracles and acts of kindness and grace.  We are to give of ourselves so as to win others over.  Apostle Paul said, “I became like one not having the law, so as to win those not having the law.” (1 Corinthians 9:21)  He is certainly not condoning lawlessness.  Rather he is saying that because he knows Christ, he can reach out to those without the law in their hearts and connect with them to share the Gospel.  It’s the connection that matters.  Is your relationship with Christ strong enough to reach out to others?  What relationship can you foster toward a mutual understanding of Jesus Christ?  My prayer is that we go beyond the surface to build meaningful relationships with others through Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Tues Devo: Trust comes first

Psalm 37:3-5 “Trust in the Lord and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.”(NASB)

Hello,

Ever feel like things just aren’t moving fast enough? You have a plan – and you want it in place now! But “now” doesn’t happen. Instead, you begin to see days, months, years go by….doubt may set in, or you may just give up on the idea.

But look at the order above. We are not to tell Him our way and then He does it, and then we delight ourselves in Him. But rather, we are to first put our trust in God. Then we are to obey Him and make Him our delight – then we are truly able to commit our way to the Lord. This isn’t about do one thing in order to get another – God is not a vending machine – but this is about understanding what pleases Him, and letting the commitment follow that.

Also notice, there is no timeframe here. God’s timing is perfect – even though we may find it perfectly frustrating. But again, once we have trusted Him and made Him our delight first, we will be able to wait more easily on Him timing

Have a blessed day,

Will Hill

The Five Solas: A Cry for Truth! (Part 1 of 5)‏

Hello Friends!

Welcome to a new 5-part Daily Devotions series titled The Five Solas: A Cry for Truth! 

This series will investigate these often misunderstood beliefs and convictions based on the Bible – The Word of God. Please join us over the next five weeks as we learn more about the specifics of these cries for truth… 

The Five Solas are five Latin phrases (or slogans) that emerged from the Protestant Reformation intended to summarize the Reformers' basic theological principles in contrast to certain teachings of the Roman Catholic Church of the day. "Sola" is Latin meaning "alone" or "only" and the corresponding Sola phrases are:

• Sola Fide - by Faith alone
• Sola Scriptura - by Scripture alone
• Solus Christus - through Christ alone
• Sola Gratia - by Grace alone
• Soli Deo Gloria - glory to God alone

These phrases may be found individually expressed in the various writings of the 16th century Reformers – either explicitly or implicitly – but they are not found presented as a list per se. It is most likely the list of Solas came about later.

Let’s begin our short study with the Sola known as SOLA FIDE…

The Five Solas: #1 - Sola Fide

Justification is by grace alone through faith alone because of Jesus Christ alone. In justification, Jesus Christ's righteousness is imputed to us as the only possible satisfaction of God's perfect justice. Our justification does not rest on any merit to be found in us, nor upon the grounds of an infusion of Jesus Christ's righteousness in us, nor that an institution claiming to be a church that denies or condemns Sola Fide can be recognized as a legitimate church.

By faith alone, from the Latin Sola Fide, is one of the five Solas of the 16th century Protestant Reformation. This was Martin Luther’s cry in reference to our "right-standing" before God. Justification, he declared, is by faith alone, not faith plus anything else. Luther believed this was a critical doctrine and regarded it as the truth by which the church would either stand or fall.

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast – Ephesians 2:8-9

"The doctrine of free justification by faith alone, which became the storm center of so much controversy during the Reformation period, is so often regarded as the heart of the Reformers theology but this is not accurate. The truth is that their thinking was really centered upon the contention of Paul, echoed by Augustine and others, that the sinner’s entire salvation is by free and sovereign grace only, and that the doctrine of justification by faith was important to them because it safeguarded the principle of sovereign grace. The sovereignty of grace found expression in their thinking at a more profound level still in the doctrine of monergistic regeneration." – J.I. Packer

Thank you for reading! Don’t miss next week’s edition as we investigate Sola #2 – SOLA SCRITURA…

May the Lord Jesus Christ continue to bless you with His perfect love, mercy and grace!

Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!

 

Blessings!

Shane <><

Stand

13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Ephesians 6

When reading through my study bible, an interesting point was made about these verses.  The war that is being waged is not a full scale war like we've seen in history.  There are not large battlefields with hundreds or thousands of casualties.  This is an individual war.  We are all footsoldiers, called to stand our ground, and we each fight our own separate battle.

Think about it.  It's not just a struggle for your soul between God and the devil, it's an all out war.  Both sides are putting everything they have into you.  One side wants to make you fall, and the other wants you to stand.  It's simple, really.

We are called to stand our ground.  Then, after we do everything, we're called to stand.  That's it.  Just stand.  We may be exhausted and unable to walk, unable to speak, unable to raise our hands in prayer, but we can remain standing.  God takes care of the rest.  He's there to handle everything else when all we can do is stand.

The last time I sang at church, we sang "Never Once."  While we were singing, I looked out into the congregation and my eyes fell on a mother.  She was standing with her eyes closed and both arms raised straight up in front of her.  I looked down and saw her two children clutching their arms around her waist.  One of them was looking out and had an expression on their face of, "I don't know what to do," but the image and the words struck me.  We are those children.  We may not know what to do, we may be lost and overwhelmed, but God's always there for us and to help us stand.  We can lean on him and he'll know how to provide us what we need and take care of us.

Never once did we ever walk alone

Never once did You leave us on our own

You are faithful, God, You are faithful

Working Through Wickedness

Jesus didn’t promise favor here on earth. In fact, He knew wickedness would increase and prepared His disciples and you and me for it.

Matthew 24:9-14 ⁹ “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. ¹⁰ At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, ¹¹ and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. ¹² Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, ¹³ but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. ¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

This section starts off quite unpleasant, but ends with great promises. Jesus promised eternal salvation to those who stand firm and that the gospel would be made known in all nations.

God is all-powerful. He even works through wickedness to accomplish His purposes. As the disciples and early church were persecuted and killed, they scattered from Jerusalem and “preached the word wherever they went” (Acts 8:4). They began fulfilling God’s purpose to spread the gospel to all nations!

Do you and I let the wickedness around us get us down or shut us up? Or, do we stand firm and allow God to work through us as a result of it? The gospel “will be preached in the whole world” just as Jesus promised. We can watch from the sidelines, freeze in place, or join His mission. Which one are you doing? Which one do you want to do?

True joy and blessings are in store for those who stand firm in their faith and join God’s work, in spite of the increasing wickedness.

Each Day Closer

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.  I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.  Ephesians 1:17-21

I pray that I am an example of a follower of Christ who is both a shining example to other Christians and a flawed person to those who seek Christ.  Why the last part?  Because none of us are perfect, and the last thing I want is to be on a pedestal.  It is far better they find me as someone who they can come to when their life is messy and broken and ask the question, “You’re life is like mine, and yet there is joy in your life.  Why?”  Then I can share the joy God has brought me in spite of my trials, struggles, and failures.  The bottom line is that I just pray my walk of faith continually brings me closer to Christ.  Each day is better than the last.

Our goal as Christians is that we are in a continual state of growth moving ever closer to the image of Jesus Christ.  We so often get caught up in the things we want for our lives.  It can be so hard when we are bombarded with things that interfere with one fundamental need; the need to be closer with a God who loves us so much.  It does not matter either how great we were or how bad we failed yesterday.  Today we can move one step closer to Him.  Whether it be by prayer, action, or word, He is right where He has always been; watching, caring, protecting, and loving us.

No matter where you are in journey of faith, God wants us to know it is going to be alright.  If you feel close to God, have peace knowing you will only continue to grow closer.  If you feel distant, know God is still there sounding a beacon for you to keep walking toward the sound of His voice.  This is the hope of both Paul’s prayer at the beginning of the book of Ephesians and a savior who died so that we could have strength knowing He will neither leave nor forsake us.  How can you grow closer to Christ today?  What from the past must you lay at Christ’s feet to move forward?  My prayer is that we do what is necessary today to move closer to Christ today and beyond.  Amen

Tues Devo: Foundation

Hello,

There are many times where we think about situations that are coming, get our plan in place and feel very confident. But then, confusion sets in. We start to step into the situation and the unplanned is tossed at us. But the unplanned does not always look the same. Sometimes the unplanned are the big obvious bad things – but sometimes they are less straight forward. When satan wants to be more subtle, or throw off suspicion, he will come with a positive unplanned thing. If you are contemplating making some change, he will find a way to entice you to stay as you are. If you are thinking about sticking with something, he will entice you some other opportunity that appears to be ok or better on the surface.

We get ourselves tied up in knots sometimes when we go back and forth in our minds with these situations. We do not always know right away if things which pop-up are from God or not – but we give ourselves the best opportunity to see that quickly if we have started by going through the decision process quietly with God. When we are facing decisions we need to find the time away with God to quietly, without distraction, work through it with Him. This gives us the foundation to go back to when the unplanned things come. That foundation will help us evaluate information – and bring it to the conversation.

I don’t think we ignore the unplanned – I am just saying that we need to spend time with God to go over our decisions that lie in front of us, and understand the direction He is moving us –and any key factors (result, reason etc) that stem from the decision. Without knowing this, we cannot sift through the unplanned things as they come along (and they will!)

Mark 1:35” In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.” (NASB)

While nothing with Jesus was unplanned to Him – He still knew the importance of going away and spending time with the Father.

Have a blessed day, and enjoy your time with God!

Will Hill

The Seven Dispensations: The Great Tribulation Edition

Hello Friends!

In this special closing edition we will consider the Tribulation period as an integral and very important final aspect of our series The Seven Dispensations: Man's Failure & God's Grace.

 

The Holy Scriptures divide time – the entire period from the creation of Adam and Eve in the book of Genesis to the "new heaven and a new earth" promised to all believers in the book of Revelation – into seven unequal periods, usually titled dispensations (see Ephesians 3:2). These periods are also referred to as “ages” (see Ephesians 2:7). They are also referred to as “days” as in "day of the Lord".

This week we will investigate the horrible seven-years of “hell on earth” known in the Scriptures as the as THE GREAT TRIBULATION…

The Great Tribulation

THE GREAT TRIBULATION

Some Bible teachers and scholars number the Great Tribulation period of God's judgment and wrath upon the unbelieving world as one of the Dispensations, while combining the Dispensations of Promise & Law. However, I see the Tribulation as a period of culmination, during which human civilization crumbles under the weight of the combined features of its ages long rejection of God - Sin and rebellion of the heart. The Lord will graciously limit this period to a short 7 years to prevent wicked man's self-destruction.

Summary Principle:

I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive – John 5:43

Opening Event – The man of sin is revealed ~ Antichrist:

But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape – 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3

Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness – 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened – Matthew 24:21-22

Man’s Responsibility, Man's Failure & Man's Tendency

In the Great Tribulation, man's failure comes to awful fruition:

INNOCENCE- Men live the lie of Satan calling evil good & good evil (fall of man Genesis 3:5).
CONSCIENCE- Corrupt unbelieving minds ignore God's Word (see Matthew 24:37-39).
GOVERNMENT- The world unites with the Antichrist to fight against God.
PROMISE- Israel is in the promised land, but remains in unbelief.
LAW- The rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem given over to Antichrist for false worship as God.
GRACE - The apostate false church is ecumenically aligned with the Antichrist.

Closing Event – Judgment:

~ Jesus Christ casts out Satan & his false leaders

Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.” And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh – Revelation 19:11-21

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while – Revelation 20:1-3

Personal Salvation:

~ Even in this terrible time, many find salvation by Grace through Faith in the blood of the Lamb

And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb – Revelation 7:14

Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death – Revelation 12:10-11

Thank you for reading! It is our hope that you now have a better understanding of what the Scriptures refer to as The Great Tribulation.

AN URGENT PLEA FOR THE UNBELIEVER IN JESUS CHRIST:

To our unbelieving friends, I urge you to repent now, before it is too late... 

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith” – Romans 1:16-17

Time is running out. Receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior now before your heart is so hardened, you are unwilling – or unable – to hear His voice. Please take heed to this warning! Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to the Father! These are His Words:

I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me – John 14:6

Without Jesus Christ's substitutionary death on the Cross of Calvary for your iniquities, you will die in your sins and face the Wrath of God at The Great White Throne Judgment. You will then receive your just sentence – a literal, physical and eternal place of torment – a place known in the Bible as Hell. Heaven will NOT be your final destination apart from Jesus Christ! Please heed this warning – time is running out!

If you have any questions about how to become a true follower of Jesus Christ, please contact us here at Daily Devotions, another born again Christian friend or Pastor. Please do not delay... Today is the day of Salvation!

 

May the Lord Jesus Christ continue to bless you with His perfect love, mercy and grace!

Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!

Blessings!

Shane <><