Living By Faith In the Face Of Opposistion

For we know that if our earthly house,

this tent, is destroyed, we have

a building from God, a house

not made with hands,

eternal in the heavens.

For in this we groan, earnestly desiring

to be clothed with our habitation

which is from heaven, if indeed,

having been clothed, we shall

not to be found naked.  For we who

are in this tent groan, being burdened,

not because we want to be unclothed,

but further clothed, that mortality

may be swallowed up by life.

2 Corinthians 5: 1 -- 4

            It is most important that when we read the Word of God to understand what the writers were writing to people of their day and use expressions that they would understand or even used in their daily lives.  We may not use those same expressions and if are not careful will put our concepts to those words which may not be in accordance with what the writer was actually saying.  The expressions that Paul uses are in reference to the Jewish ideas and doctrines for the word "to be clothed," signifies to be surrounded, covered, or invested with anything; and the word "House" often signifies a case or clothing: an example would be "the House of the face," that is a veil.  Metaphorically, there is an attribute to the garments of the soul, both, in this, and the other world, and they are saying that the design of God in creating man into this world is that they may get themselves a garment by the study of the law and good works.  Things are not so different for us for we also must study the law of God and the good works that He has assigned His children to exercise. The guarantee is that by this garment of the soul, the meaning is for us to become the image of God, or being made holy.  Adam and Eve had lost that and we today are deprived, therefore it is good to say that we are naked, unclothed, or unveiled.  The question that we should ask ourselves is: are we willing to be a people set apart from this body, that is, be separate from people that are in contradiction to the law of God?  Or, are we a people that are set apart from, the ecclesia, from this world and the community of this world, that is, following that which is formed by the spirits, and by Satan itself?

            Take the time to consider this most important fact and whether or not you actually believe it to be true and factual: is your expectation as a believer in Jesus Christ that of eternal happiness after death?  Do you just hope for this to occur, or do you really believe it?  Are you so assured by your faith that there is a happier life after this life ends?  By the grace of God you can have the greatest of hope and that hope should find its foundation in God's interest in giving everlasting blessedness that you will receive in the unseen world.  We have the words of Jesus as recorded by the apostle John: "Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?’"  (John 11 -- 40).  Is this not true that when you venture out into your life, that life of faith, there will come upon you something in your common sense circumstances that contradict your faith?  Often it is a flat contradiction but common sense is not faith, and faith is not common sense.  Why?  These stand in relation to the natural and the spiritual.  Again a question: can you venture out in life and trust Jesus Christ when your common sense is trying to tell you not to trust Him?  Can you be heroic and follow the statements of Jesus Christ even though your common sense is shouting to you that it is all a lie?  How often it is easy for us to simply say "I believe God can do it;" but have you really ventured down into this demon possessed valley, this life with its culture that is in total opposition and in contradiction to God.  Are you able to laugh at this because of your faith that is the mount -- of -- transfiguration that has enveloped your belief?  We study God's Word that we find some clarity and then we come across something that contradicts it for instance we say that we believe that God will supply all our needs, but when you actually run dry, have no outlet, when you enter into this trial of your faith will you sink back to something lower?  Faith must be tested!  Adam and Eve were tested by a simple test not to eat the fruit of a certain tree when God had provided everything that they ever needed. God has not changed, He provided everything we need in this life. If we're not careful our faith can be turned into a personal possession outside of the Word of God or by the test of our faith, we can actually take personal possession of this faith given to you by God freely.  The question again is: what is your faith up again just now?  This task will prove that your faith is right, or this test will kill your faith.  How can we go through any test that comes into our line?  Believe steadfastly on Him and then anything that you come up against your faith will develop your free.  Remember this the last test of our faith is: death.  Faith is absolute trust in God, a trust that is never dreaming that He will not stand by us.

"Am I a God near at hand,"

            says the LORD,

"And not a God afar off?

            Can anyone hide himself

in secret places, so I shall not see him?"

            Says the LORD; do I not fill heaven

and earth?"  Says the LORD.

                        Jeremiah 23: 23 -- 24

God’s Word is like fire in our souls

Richard L. Crumb

Looking At Eternal Things

Therefore we do not lose heart.

Even though our outward man is perishing,

yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment,

he is working for us a far more exceeding

and eternal weight of glory.  While we do not look

at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.

For the things which are seen are temporary,

but the things which are not seen our eternal.

2 Corinthians 4: 16 -- 18

Therefore, for this word speaks of what was said previously, that which is antecedent to what it is about to be said, and that is that even though trials and persecution come we live by faith.  If you are losing heart due to your circumstances that it is questionable that you have absolute faith in God and you have more faith in what you can or cannot do about your circumstances.  Once again, all of humanity is going to die: it is not whether or not: it is when and how.  The outward man is perishing.  This is a fact!  For an Authentic Christian your inward man renewed day by day.  How then is it that our inward man be renewed day by day?  We answer is so simple but so often avoided, and that is by our faith that has its foundation in our prayer life and in our study of God’s Word.  Then we are to put into our daily activities of practice of what we learn in God's Word.  We began a good work that God has called us to perform and even then we find that there is more work that must be done and that we are to carry it forward.  The sinful man, the wicked man, find a end their lives things grow worse every day.  In this life we come to believe that the afflictions that come against us are not light, and yet by faith we can see that they are lying for we compare those afflictions with what God has told us and that is that our internal and eternal life is with Him: "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.  But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna (the translators often use the word hell here, but that is not the Greek word Hades, it is the Greek word Gehenna)" (Matthew 10: 28).  Take a moment here for some understanding because we often use the word hell in place of the actual Greek word Gehenna, so we look at Scripture to give us understanding: "Then death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire.  This is the second death.  And anyone not found in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire" (Revelation 20: 14 -- 15).  All the afflictions, trials, and persecutions, that at times seen heavy and long, grieve us and are tedious, by faith they are to be perceived as light in short, only for a moment.  And this is true for this life is only but a moment and eternity.  This moment will pass but eternity is eternal, no end!  It is eternal for the sinner, and it is eternal for God's children.  If you are one of God's children and living the authentic Christian life we do not look at the things which are seen, those things that are in our world, our culture.  These things that you see now are going to pass away!  These things are temporal!  Our faith, and by our faith we understand that we have a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.  In this Scripture with his Greek word that we translate as "weight" is being used metaphorically and describes the future state of believers as an eternal weight of glory.  What God has given to His children is beyond the ability for any human language to describe.  We are insufficient to fully understand all that our God has given us and is sustaining us by His power and glory.  In the light of our trifling afflictions and difficulties, we can grow in our faith and in the grace of God.

            Jesus gave us some very important theological words: "Then Jesus said to them, ‘A little while longer the light is with you.  Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walk in darkness does not know where he is going.  While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.’ These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them" (John 12:35 -- 36).  Christians have been given the light of Jesus by means of his inspired word.  We are to walk in that light and if we do not how great is the darkness that we may even consider to be light would in all actuality it is a walking in darkness for the light that you think you have is not the light of Jesus.  There is a need to continually to bring the truth out into actuality; to work it out in every domain, and if you do not do very like to have me come to be for you a curse.  How often do we fall back upon our past experiences and then we sort of have a smug satisfaction; but, are you working that out in your practical life?  If you say that you were sanctified: show in your life!  Beware of any belief that makes you self-indulgent; it came from the pit, no matter how beautiful it may sound.  What do we fall back upon some sort of theological doctrine which in many cases is not wrong, rather it is a matter of indifference, but our theology, that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ must work itself out in the most practical relationships.  She just told us that our righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees.  It is not that Scribes and Pharisees were not righteous; what Jesus is telling us is that our righteousness must exceed their righteousness.  Why?  Because they added so much to what they consider to make a person righteous wind of the fact it was only matters of indifference, and not doctrinally sound according to what God has taught them in the Old Testament.  Here is a fact: you must be more moral than the most moral person you know.  He made all about the doctrine of sanctification, but is it actually working out in the practical issues of your life?  Every bit of your life, physical, moral and spiritual, is to be judged by the standard of the atonement.  Yes, this will take courage, but we do not look at the things seen, we look at that which is unseen.  We keep our eyes on that which is eternal.

I have heard of You by the

            hearing of the ear,

got now my eyes sees You.

            Therefore I up for myself,

and repent in dust and ashes.

                        Job 42:5 -- 6

Jesus has restored you: praise God!

Richard L. Crumb

Manifesting Jesus Chrsit Under Trial

We are hard-pressed on every side,

yet not crushed; we are perplexed,

but not in despair; persecuted,

but not forsaken; struck down,

but not destroyed -- always carrying

about in the body the dying

of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus

also may be manifested in our body.

2 Corinthians 4: 8 -- 10

            We must not forget history so that we can understand the words of Paul in context.  Claudius, otherwise known as Tiberius Claudius Nero Germanicus, (41 -- 54) and then followed by the infamous Nero (54 -- 68) the question of deification had created a serious crisis in the East among the Jews a question that began (37 -- 41) with Caligula and particularly at Alexandria in (38) where there came to be a large-scale violent fighting by the Jews against the Greek majority, the Grecian inhabitants of the inhabitants who rejected the Jews claim to a full citizenship of the city whereby there was a forced entry into synagogues and set up of statues of the Emperor. Localized persecution extended from the Jews to the Christians who all lower once considered just a sect of the Jews had now become a sect all of their own and in opposition to the Emperor and emperor worship.  Nero as reported by Tacitus describes how Nero began to appear before a Roman spectators.  And due to this testimony tacitus went on to describe how the Emperor instituted Youth Games that was attended by every sort of immorality in which he himself performed.  These aberrations while not affecting the sound government of the Empire as a whole fed violence among Christians who would not submit to emperor worship.  Rome was taken a turn for the worse and we all know about this crucial event called the Great Fire (64).  Nero tried to pin the blame upon the city's small Christian community who were regarded as a dissident group of Jews and burned many of them alive, it was at this time the history of speech of the martyrdom of St. Peter and St. Paul.  Paul faced death wherever he went he had to undergo trials and persecutions and this would be true of Christians who were trying to perform their Christian faith in the face of opposition that was often violent.  So, when Paul said that they were hard-pressed, and all those who traveled with him did not become crushed due to the opposition and persecution.  Yes, Paul was perplexed: under any trial and persecution that you may undergo may also perplexed you, but as Paul said he was not forsaken.  Even though been struck down, he was not destroyed.  Can this be said of you?  Paul was persecuted but he knew that he was never forsaken, and this very fact is also true for you when you are persecuted.  That which gave Paul peace and a was the fact that Jesus Christ held a priority for his life, not just Jesus Christ but the dying Jesus Christ upon a cross and that the life of Jesus was manifested in his life.  Is this true of you are you finding peace in all things seem to be going against you is Jesus Christ being carried about by you in your life?  Let's face this fact: we all are going to die; it is not whether or not, it is when and how.  We are often uncertain what will occur or happen to us, what will become of us, but we do not despair even in the face of the greatest perplexity these knowing that God is able to support and to deliver, and in Him we always place our trust and hope.  Our enemy, Satan and his hordes and what they throw against is a great measure of prevail and when this occurs so often our spirits began to falter and fail, even with all this we are not destroyed.  We have the support of God for He has given His Holy Spirit to all of His children. Now here is the question for us: "For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.  So in death is working in us, but life in you; (2 Corinthians 4: 11 -- 12): is this true of you that you are living even if you are delivered unto death for Jesus sake and is Jesus being manifested in your flesh?  Whatever the burdensome troubles for all Christian believers may be, they have no reason, we have no reason, to faint.  This will require faith that is the operation of the Holy Spirit, it is the same Spirit that the saints of old believed and suffer such great things and were able to do it because of their faith and God.  This grace and faith is an effectual anecdote against a poisonous things being thrown at Christians those things that are troubled times.  The question again for us is will we allow this faith in the Holy Spirit to give us a to bear up under any of the infirmities and persecution, trials, that may come your way?  How is it possible?  The same as it was for Paul: "And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, ‘I believed and therefore I spoke (Psalm 11 6:10; 2 Peter 1: 1) we believe also am therefore we speak, knowing that He will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present this with you.  For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, many cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God" (2 Corinthians 4: 13 -- 15).  This may seem hard but the sufferings of Christians and the preaching of God's Word come our conversations come are intended for the good of God's people and the glory of God.  If we are not in this category then we are bringing upon God disdain.  Therefore, make it your duty, your priority, for your life to do it exactly that: be a manifestation of Jesus Christ on earth.

Before I add a closing verse, I had to leave to do work that I did not expect to take all day today therefore this blog took a little longer and I missed one day but it is now you are free to read into peruse and consider and to look at God's Word for the truth that I have attempted to give to you.

The fruit of the righteous

            is a tree of life.

And he who wins souls

is wise.

            Proverbs 11: 30

God is not hidden from you

Richard L. Crumb

LIving As A Friend To Our True Friend Jesus Christ

For we do not preach ourselves,

but Christ Jesus the Lord,

and ourselves your bondservants

for Jesus' sake.  For it is the God

who commanded light to shine the light

 out of darkness, who has shone

in our hearts to give the light

of knowledge of the glory of God

in the face of Jesus Christ.  But we have

this treasure in earthen vessels,

that the excellence of the power

may be of God and not of us.

2 Corinthians 4: 5 -- 7

            Paul, as well as the other apostles, had integrity in regards to their service for the Lord Jesus Christ and not to have their service pointing to themselves, rather they pointed to Jesus Christ.  Self was not what mattered or was the end of their preaching for they did not set forth their own notions or their own private opinions.  How far have some of the churches claiming to be Christian have fallen from the truth and the examples set forth by the apostles of Jesus Christ.  We find pastors and church leaders preaching their own opinions, their own ideologies, that which has come to be their theology, their passions, and their prejudices, rather than preach the will of God.  Paul did not seek to advance his own secular interest.  Paul pointed in this letter that he preached Jesus Christ the Lord, and this shown by the very fact that he called himself their bondservants for the sake of Jesus Christ.  Christians are to be Authentic in their preaching and they are daily activities in this life that requires that authentic Christians be bondservants for the sake of Jesus Christ and not for their own glory or sake.  How does one be a bondservants?  Valentines Day, and even Mothers Day, find men rushing about to buy special gifts or flowers, even candies, purchasing cards that have wonderful loving poetic sayings on them telling of their love for their special friend and spouse.  Jesus outlined friendship: "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.  You all are My friends if you do what ever I command you.  No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you" (John 15 12 -- 15).  Think upon this fact: Jesus Christ calls you friend.  This means  that you are a friend of God and you will receive the blessings of God and we can only expect God's blessing if we are doing His will by following His commandments.  Bondservants are such because they have decided by their will to be servants of another and in this case it is to be a servant, or bondservant of Jesus Christ and we gladly do this because we are His friends and He is our friend and has not left us destitute from the truth.  Paul reminds the Corinthians that God commanded light to shine out of darkness, furthermore God has commanded light to shine in the hearts of His children and that light teaches us of the glory of God.  Paul says that it is in the "face" of Jesus and this simply means the person of Jesus Himself.  This means to be in the very presence of Jesus.  This is possible because we have been given this treasure even while we are still in this earthen vessel.  That treasure is the excellence of the power of God in us; therefore, we are not to say it is anything of us for it is not.  All the power that you have to be an authentic Christian is given to you by God, through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ.  As bondservants, and as friend of Jesus who is the ultimate Friend, even as we would do for the one(s) we love and called friends,we employ self surrender, a self sacrifice even though it may be a difficult thing to do.  We are not to simply say "I must devote myself to God," if this is your attitude has no sense of servitude that has joy.  As Authentic Christians we must abandon ourselves and allow the Holy Spirit to give us the ability the joy of Jesus Christ.  We look to Jesus Christ as our final end and live a life of self sacrifice for our friend.  This is not the same friend that we may have on this earth: this friend gives eternal life and all that is required is that we follow and live His commandments.  The life we live following the example of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the life of self sacrifice and this is not burdensome for we delight to do His will.  Do not let your natural affinities hinder you, you to walk in love and allow the excellence of the glory of God to be the power in your lives.  Love for God is not sentimental!  For an authentic Christian true love as God loves is the most practical thing.  The friendship we have is based on the new life that has been created in us and has no affinity with our old life.  The affinity that we have is with and only in the life of God.  We are to be absolutely devoted to God and to His Son the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior and allow the Holy Spirit to empower us with the excellent power of God.  By this we are able to proclaim the Gospel to anyone and everyone who may come in contact with us and to show this in our every day activities.  We are to be obedient and leave all the consequences to God.  Everything our life, our doctrines, are to be centered in Jesus Christ.  We are to be ready to do His good will.  God could have chosen to send His angels to preach the gospel, this He did not do for He has sent you, a humble person, a weaker vessel, and He chose you to do will and by this; shall His power be shown, and that He may be glorified.  We are the objects of enjoyment to God and God uses us in this for our own advantage.  Praise God!

Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem!

            Praise your God, O Zion!

For He has strengthened the bars

            of your gates; He has

Blessed be your children within you.

            He makes peace in your borders,

and fills you with the finest wheat.

                        Psalm 147: 12 -- 14

God has sent to you His word

Richard L. Crumb

Removing Satan's Veil Against The Gospel

But even if our gospel is veiled,

it is veiled to those who are perishing,

whose minds the god of this age has blinded,

who do not believe, lest the light of the Gospel

of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God,

should shine on them.

2 Corinthians 4: 3 -- 4

            How can it be that the Gospel veiled to some and not others?  Do not those who are veiled hear the Gospel?  Yes!  Is the problem with the Gospel?  Is the problem with those who were preaching the gospel?  No!  The Gospel, for some, hidden and has proven ineffectual to some who hear it.  The Gospel has no fault in this matter because the Gospel simply is the truth of God and the revelation of God of Who He is and how we are to live for Him.  The problem lies, first, and foremost, with those who have heard the Gospel and have rejected the Gospel.  Why did they reject the Gospel?  The god of this world has blinded their minds and they are under the influence and power of Satan.  Satan is not a being that covers this world for he is simply a created being, an individual spirit.  We must not forget that when Satan fell from the glory he had with him many other angels who fell with him and by them, they are able to have great influence all over the world.  How is it possible for a spirit creature to have such influence upon a human being that is fleshly and not spirit?  This is an important question; one that must be answered so that we who hear the word of God and that word is not veiled to us understand how to flee from the devil: "Therefore submit to God.  Resist the devil and he will flee from you" (James: 7).  As Christians we are to submit and the Greek word used is imperative and in the passive form, in other words you are directed by command to place yourself or to arrange yourself under the influence of God.  You are to be subordinated and brought under a state of influence of God and this means to render obedience; that is to be submissive.  Furthermore as a Christian hearing the word of God and no longer under the veil of Satan's influence you are to resist the devil.  And this word is also an imperative a directive and that direction is to become in opposition, to oppose, and to stand out against, and in this case the devil and his demons who are veiling the minds of men.  How do we do this: "Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.  Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double -minded" (James 4:8)?  Due to the fall of man and this by the sin of Adam all men are sinners from their conception to their death.  Due to this original sin that has infected mankind, and that infection has darkened their understanding of God, they do not, and often will not, due to the error that grows within them, and the prejudice that they hold to, they cannot behold the light of the glorious gospel of Christ.  Spirit speaks to spirit!  All Satan has to do is to influence with by his false words to our spirit that is already sinful.  The Gospel of Christ is designed so that we can discover God and by this we renew our mind, our exercise of the faith that God will give to His children.  How do we discover the Gospel of Christ: "So then they come by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17).  Satan has but one design and that design is to keep people from hearing the word of God and even for some who have heard the word of God so that they are blinded by the tempter and reject the word of God.  Satan is in opposition to the Gospel to us from a personal and the redeeming acceptance of the  sacrifice on the cross by Jesus keeping men from the Gospel and even sets them against it.  What we have done in this blog is to trace the rejection of the Gospel to its proper cause: Satan, and our unwillingness to hear the Gospel and apply it in our lives.  Only the Holy Spirit can speak to your spirit and give you the faith freely that which you cannot earn or obtain without Him.  Jesus Christ is the very image of God, God's representation and the manifestation of God in the flesh.  The image of God demonstrates His relationship with God the Father and due to this fact Jesus Christ who is the very image of God even though came to earth incarnate, that is in the flesh, He is still suitable to bear the responsibility.  This He came to accomplish and that is to restore to fallen man, who had lost their desire to be associated with God, can now return and be restored by the divine grace of God, that part of the image of God that they had from their creation, restored and now represent Him.  They are restored to that relationship to God.  If this is true of you than you are also restored to a right relationship with God.  This then is where those imperatives for us are both commands and a directive, that we are to subject ourselves, and to resist ourselves against Satan and his demons.  When no longer do the things that this world does, and dress like the world, nor speak like the world, we become law abiding citizen, holding the justice of God first and foremost.  This means driving according to the speed laws, and obeying other laws.  Within the democracy of the United States, if we disagree with the law we have the right to oppose it and to aid in its change, to be restored, or reform or completely rejected the law, by a new law.  Until then we are obliged as Christians who hold to the justice of God for which the government is also to hold too, and be just according to God's law.  We are not to be blinded by the god of this world, we are to be the manifestation of the image of Jesus Christ who is the image of God and we become His image also.  As we grow in sanctification the image of the invisible God through Jesus Christ this is expressed in our lives to the world.  An awesome responsibility, one that may raise fear in your hearts, but do not be afraid for we have the power of God within us, the Holy Spirit.  Live today as an Authentic Christian: God will bless your efforts.  You now have the greatest blessing they God can give to you and that is eternal life secured.  Praise God!

Oh, give thanks to the LORD,

            for He is good!

For His mercy endures forever.

            Let the redeemed of the LORD

say so, whom He has redeemed

            from the hand of the enemy.

                                    Psalm 107: 1 -- 2

Today spend time in God's Word

Richard L. Crumb

Living As Fellow-laborers Of God

Therefore, since we have this ministry,

as we have received mercy,

we do not lose heart.

But we have renounced

the hidden things of shame,

not walking in craftiness

nor handling the Word of God deceitfully,

but by manifestation of the truth

commending ourselves to every man's conscience

in the sight of God.

2 Corinthians 4: 1 -- 2

            Paul, the other apostles, our pastors, and other church leaders, evangelists, missionaries, and teachers of God's Word are our fellow -- labourers.  All Christians are entrusted with the ministry of the Gospel.  God gives mercy to His children, to those who do not faint in their work, or draw back from the work of the Gospel due to some difficulties encountered.  By being a fellow-worker of God then, you have received great mercy and grace and it is rightly so that you are called a saint.  And as a faithful fellow --laborer you have heard the call of God and are doing what He has instructed you to do.  Due to this call of God to be a fellow-worker we do not lose heart, rather we denounce those things that would bring shame upon us.  We renounce anyone or anything that would cause us to be crafty or handling the Word of God deceitfully.  As co-workers and fellow-workers with God we are to manifest the truth and by this we can commend ourselves to the consciences to anyone in the sight of God.  First things first!  We have an example in the Bible that teaches us much about our God and what He requires of us.  This familiar story about the rich man (Luke 18:22 -- 23) is about this man who heard what Jesus Christ said and determined it to be a harsh word.  Have you ever heard Jesus Christ say a hard word?  If not, then there is a question as to whether or not you have heard anything from our Savior.  The problem is so often that when Jesus speaks we simply don't listen to that which He has said, we don't want to hear it so we don't, and this because that which Jesus said is amazingly hard.  This young man came to Jesus and wanted to follow Him and before this would be allowed even though this young man was a faithful Jewish believer Jesus pointed out that he lacked something: "So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, ‘You still lack one thing.  Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come -- follow me’" (Luke 18 -- 22).  Have you ever heard such a harsh word spoken to you by Jesus Christ when you are reading his word and the Holy Spirit opens the word to teach you what you need to do to follow Him?  When this man, and possibly you, heard the requirements of Jesus did this: "But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich" (Luke 18:23).  What is the most telling is that Jesus never pleaded, and never cajoled, and never entrapped, He simply spoke those words and then left it alone.  It is not that this man did not understand the words of Jesus, he did and he sidestepped what it meant, and it broke his heart.  This rich young ruler left sorrowfully and not defiantly, he was thoroughly discouraged.  Maybe your desire is to be rich, to be famous, to have possessions, a large home, fancy clothes, and want people to see you as successful.  As some have fallen prey to as leaders of the church, as well as others in the church, to be successful as the world seen successful they are willing to be crafty and handle the Word of God deceitfully.  They are not manifestly demonstrating the truth of God.  So often when we read the Word of God we only read those very soft words about the love of Jesus and our need to be philanthropic and this sounds so good, so Christian this seems as though we are being devoted to Jesus Christ.  Is that true?  Or is it that you are holding fast to your devotion and your devotion is to what you are doing rather than having an enthusiastic devotion for what Jesus Christ is asked of you.  As with the rich young ruler who departed in sorrow and discouragement, Jesus Christ has met you on that point.  Sell all that you have, this does not necessarily mean to sell your home or your clothes are anything else, deeper than that is this: undress yourself morally before God of everything that might be a possession until you are a mere conscious human being, for your consciousness is on God, and then give God that.  The battle we fight is right at this point, this is the battle line, and that battle is the domain of your will before God.  Are you devoted to your idea of what Jesus wants than to Jesus Himself?  If this is true, then you are most likely to have sorrow produced in you when you hear His hard sayings.  If you do not have the disposition of Jesus Christ, you will not hear what He has said and then often we allow other words from other people to soften our stance before God, therefore beware of allowing anything to soften His hard sayings.  Are you willing to be destitute?  That is, to be destitute of any sense that you are destitute?  Discouragement is disenchanted self-love, and your self- love may be the love of your devotion to Jesus, rather than have love of Him.  God means us to live a fully-orbed life in Christ Jesus.  Never allow anything to divide your life in Christ so that you do not remain in him because you have not faced that which is dividing up your life in Christ.  Do not dispute with God, the real with God, and come unto Him: (Matthew 9:28).

He who dwells in this secret place

            of the Most High shall abide

under the shadow of the Almighty.

            I will say of the LORD,

"He is my refuge and my fortress;

            my God, in Him I will trust."

                        Psalm 91: 1 -- 2

God is at your side: do not be afraid

Richard L. Crumb

Using Proper Interpretation

Therefore, since we have such hope,

we use great boldness of speech --  unlike Moses,

who put a veil over his face so that the children

of Israel could not look steadily at the end

of what was passing away. 

But their minds were blinded.  For until this day

the same veil remains unlifted in the reading

of the Old Testament, because of veil

is taken away in Christ.  But even to this day,

when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart.

Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord,

the veil is taken away.

2 Corinthians 3: 12 -- 16

            When we undertake the project of a Bible study, whether it be with a group, or individually, we depend upon the interpretation of Scripture and this requires, discovery, and eascertaining of the meaning, and to be successful in this effort we must depend upon God's aid.  We must discover the meaning and to do this we must turn our attention to both to things and to signs.  This is important and necessary to know what things we ought to teach Christian people, and also the signs of these things, that is, when the knowledge of these things is to be sought.  To do this of course and I have attempted to accomplish this, and that is to talk about the historical times in which the Bible was written.  Who was the Caesars or rulers of Rome who was the power influence of the world.  The world in which the Jewish people and Christians live, and other events that was occurring and the necessity for the reason why it a writer of the Bible would be inspired by the Holy Spirit to write those words as they did.  Two things are most important on which all interpretation of Scripture depends: the mode of ascertaining the proper meaning, and this is by looking at history, and doing word studies, and understanding the difference between things and signs, their use and how they are to be applied.  Also the mode of making known the meaning when it is ascertained.  This is where many Christians have gone astray for they have attempted to make things to be signs when they are not, and to make signs to be as though they were things.  When we are to instruct, our instruction is either about things or about signs; but things are learned by means of signs.  Paul speaks of the veil of Moses, a thing, a thing that had use; first to shadow over the glowing glory that Moses had from being in association with God when the 10 Commandments were written.  The Israelites then required the veil worn by those who were reading from the Old Testament.  What is meant by the words that the Israelites could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away? The thing, the veil, was also a sign, and by placing the thing, and requiring it worn, by the readers of the Old Testament they were saying that this thing was a sign that they were the people of God and the law of God that they help to would last forever.  They could not see that the words of God that said something new was to occur and that the old would pass away and be placed by that which was new for they had placed a sign in a higher priority of understanding than the actual words of God: "For the LORD has poured out on you the spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes namely, the prophets; and He has covered your heads, namely, the seers" (Isaiah 29: 10). This because they were not using the proper mode of ascertaining what God had actually said and required, therefore, they were then making this thing a sign and teaching from their understanding through improper mode of ascertaining.  So what was Paul talking about, and how could this have some sort of meaning?  It seems as though within the Jewish synagogues that this requirement to wear a veil still existed for they had latched on to this sign, or thing and required that this law that they developed would not pass away.  Paul is teaching that it is passing away and in fact had passed away for it was taken away when Jesus Christ died upon the cross.  We as Christians live under God's dispensation through Jesus Christ and His death upon the cross whereby the old law, not the 10 Commandments, but the old law established by the Jewish leaders had been removed, taken away so that when a person now turns to the Lord that veil that is covering the heart that does not believe or know God, or improperly knows God, they can turn to the Lord: "Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.  But we all come with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Corinthians 3: 17 -- 18).  It is the duty of all Christians, especially as ministers of the Gospel to use great plainness, meaning is to be clear in your speech.  The things of God that are revealed to us in the New Testament are revealed and not in types in shadows, and that requires that we set the Gospel truth and the grace of the Gospel in the clearest of light.  The law was veiled under types in shadows, but the Gospel is veiled and not held to many ceremonies except that which is baptism and the Lord's supper. We are all called to believe, to love, to obey, the great precepts of the  Bible, and they are to be delivered as clearly as possible.  The whole doctrine of Jesus Christ crucified, which is the doctrine of the Bible, is made, to us, plain as any human language can make it.  There are those who would make signs were signs don't exist for those signs do not have any thing on which those signs are established.  The desire is to enjoy the signs and if we set ourselves to enjoy those which we ought to use, that is things, then we are hindered in our course, and ofttimes led away from it; so that, getting entangled in the love of  gratifications, we've been altogether turned back from, the persuit of the real and proper object of enjoyment.  By placing signs in high priority there is the loss of liberty through Jesus Christ.

Depart!  Depart!  Go out from there,

            touch no unclean thing;

go out from the midst of her,

            Be clean,

you who bear the vessels all the LORD.

                        Isaiah 53: 11

Consider the word of the Lord

Richard L. Crumb

The Excellency Of Our Savior And God

But if the ministry of death,

written and engraved on stones,

was glorious, so that the children of Israel

could not look steadily at the face of Moses

because of the glory of his countenance,

which glory was passing away,

how will the ministry of the Spirit

not be more glorious?  For if the ministry

 of condemnation had glory, the ministry

of righteousness exceeds much more glory.

2 Corinthians 3:7 -- 9

            In the last blog I spoke about the sufficiency we have in Jesus Christ that we are not lacking in anything, therefore, we are able to live in this world and by the power of the Holy Spirit that makes us sufficient we do not need to sin.  We are still sinners and have the defect of original sin that makes up our fleshly nature; but with the coming of Jesus Christ, the Messiah promised from the beginning of time for man, we have a New Covenant, one that is different from the old covenant.  How is it different?  Moses came down from the mountain holding on to two stones that God had written His law upon that was to direct the people of Israel how to live.  This law was one of condemnation for if one did not keep this law then they were condemned, therefore the Old Testament dispensation was a ministration of death.  Keep the law, and live!  Don't keep the law, and die!  Was the law so hard to keep because it imposed upon the people that which was difficult? It is difficult unless a person keeps their eyes on God and not upon themselves, and if one build their lives with a relationship to God then keeping the law is not difficult, albeit hard due to our flesh.  With the coming of Jesus Christ's and His dying upon the cross, the Israelite law that was established secondary to the written law by God, the 10 Commandments, passed away, but the 10 Commandments remain, and we are also to keep the 10 Commandments and by those Commandments sin is outlined for us, therefore we are not insufficient.  The people of Israel, when Moses came down from the mountain, and due to the glory that shone from him because of his close association to God, the Israelites could not look upon Moses, the glory that shone.  If Moses and the law was considered glorious and the Israelites could not look upon him and the law, how much more glorious is the ministry of the Spirit: "For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels.  For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious" (2 Corinthians 3: 10 -- 11).  The law given by God in Israel, a law that would show to them what is sinful, and what is sin, and considered glorious how much more glorious is a ministry of righteousness.  Jesus Christ, while here upon this earth was not considered glorious by many people and yet, Jesus Christ excels above the 10 Commandments for by the New Covenant established by Him a comment that establishes righteousness, a covenant of righteousness that does not pass away, while the old covenant passes away.  Jesus Christ who established and maintains the new covenant by means of His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension into heaven whereby He eternally makes intercession for the children of God remains, then this is a glorious everlasting glory that excels above all other glory.  By all of this the righteousness of God by faith is revealed, and this revelation establishes for us that the just shall live by faith, and reveals to us God's grace and mercy through His Son Jesus Christ for we can now obtain remission of our sins and have eternal life.  This is the gospel! We are to take this to the world.  The gospel exceeds in glory and eclipses the glory of any legal dispensation.  As Christians we are to learn the value of faithful ministry of the gospel.  The outstanding characteristic of a Christian is when we are frank before God and if this is done then we are the mirror manifesting God and His Son for other lives.  We have something that the world and never had before; the Holy Spirit given to every child of God and by this the children of God are filled with the Spirit and are transformed.  You know when you have beheld the glory of God, this glory of our Lord for you feel this in your inner spirit and due to this you are and can be the mirror of our Lord's own character.  Beware of anything that would sully this mirror and often this clouding of this mirror comes with the feeling that what is occurring is a good thing, but this is not the best.  We as children of God, who have the excelling glory that excels all other glory of the world should be driving us to be totally consecrated to keep our lives open to God.  Everything else, work, clothes, food, everything on earth -- letting go, and hold onto that one thing.  When we are rushing about towards other things then there is a tendency to obscure your concentration on God.  God has not put a veil so that you cannot see His glory, His will, as Moses needed veiling, no, we behold Him and we keep our lives absolutely spiritual all through every circumstance.  We let other things come and go as they may come even when other people criticize us, but we never allow anything to obscure this glorious life that excels above all glory, a life that is with Jesus Christ and God.  Keep your relationship and God fresh and alive by abiding in Him.  The discipline in your Christian life is to learn how to keep beholding our Lord, His glory.

Though the fig tree may not blossom,

            nor fruit be on the vines;

though the labor of the olive may fail,

            and the fields yield no food;

though the flock may be cut off from the fold,   

            and there'd be no herd in the stalls -- --

yet I will rejoice in the LORD,

            I will joy in the God of my salvation.

                                    Habakkuk 3: 17 -- 18

Rejoice in the glory of God

Richard L. Crumb