Tuesday, October 17, 2017

GOSPEL NUGGET #527

EX 30:34 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Take for yourself spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, spices with pure frankincense; there shall be an equal part of each. 
EX 30:35 “With it you shall make incense, a perfume, the work of a perfumer, salted, pure, and holy.

The perfume-incense here is a picture of Christ.

The incense was burned perpetually on the golden altar. Every single day, twice daily, the priest would burn the incense. 
The perfume incense here speaks of the Lord’s prayers and intercession for us. 

HEB 7:25 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

You see that? “He always lives to make intercession for them.” They are kept saved because of His perpetual intercession.

HEB 9:24 For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;

Now, the fragrance of the perfume incense represents the Lord Jesus’ perfections and merits that are very fragrant and acceptable to God. We stink and stench. We are totally repulsive to God. But we have Christ, our fragrance before God. Again, Ephesians 5:2 describes Christ and His work on the cross as a sweet-smelling aroma to God.

If you are unsaved, if you still stink and stench before God, I have good news for you. I have God’s holy perfume to offer to you. It’s free and you can put it on by faith in Christ and His work on the cross.

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

GOSPEL NUGGET #526

Php 3:4...If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so
Php 3:5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee;
6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

Unsaved man without the Spirit of God is nothing but flesh. "Flesh" refers to self in its fallen state. If ever there was a man who could be confident about himself with regard to being accepted by God, it would be Paul. Paul has a word to anyone who claims that he has climbed the heights of religious prestige and accomplishment, Paul says: "I more so!" Everyone is only second to Paul in this regard.

If a man could be accepted by God in terms of ancestry Paul had it. Orthodoxy? He got it. Accomplishment? With zeal his hands were full of it. Morality? He had a blameless corner on it. Paul was high up there way above the rest of us.

But he did an accounting of it all, he took up his spiritual ledger, he compared his gains and losses and said: "But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ" (Php 3:7).

Ancestry, orthodoxy, accomplishments and morality relied upon for salvation could never save him. They are losses to the degree in which they drive him away from gaining salvation. All these things that he thought were advantages and gains for him as far as achieving salvation was concerned were nothing but a disadvantage, a "loss," compared to the salvation he can have in Christ by faith.

My friend, if the apostle Paul had to come down the heights of religious privileges and advantages in order to bow down in faith at the feet of Christ for salvation, then how much more us who are way below the ladder? We are nothing but flesh. We could not do anything to save ourselves. The best of men are only men at their best. And it's not enough. Come to Christ!!!






Monday, October 2, 2017

GOSPEL NUGGET #525


Mr 7:21 "...out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
22 "thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.
23 "All these evil things come from within and defile a man."

“Out of the heart of men” comes all kinds of sin and evil. Man has a plague within. It's called the depravity of man. Not all may have committed the sins enumerated here but we all have the potential and capacity to do it.

My friend, if you are still unsaved, realize that you have a desperate heart problem. Religious therapy of praying, kneeling, going to church etcetera won’t do it. Regular exercise of good works won’t do it. It’s that desperate. My friend, you need a heart transplant. Go to Ezekiel 36:26 please:    

“Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

And you can only experience this heart transplant if you come to Christ in faith. Come to Him, trusting in Him and what He did on the cross for your salvation.