Blessed Assurance

Posted on October 12, 2006 by Barbara Harper

I mentioned in my testimony of how the Lord brought me to Himself that I had struggled for long years with the assurance that I was really saved. One person mentioned wanting to hear more about that, so for her and for anyone else who might be wrestling with this or who knows someone who is, I wanted to share how the Lord helped me over the years.

I didn’t think I had lost my salvation. Scripture is pretty clear that once you’re “born again” you don’t get unborn. My trouble was with my end of things.

I think there were a number of reasons for that. I had made a profession when I was 8 or 9 and then wasn’t in church or reading my Bible regularly. Therefore I wasn’t taught or grounded very well. When I did get back into church and began reading my Bible and began to examine whether I was truly saved, I couldn’t remember very well what had actually happened or what I was thinking or feeling or understanding at that time back when I was 8 or 9. Even some who are spiritually well-grounded and taught struggle over that. Then, I tend to be overly analytical.

The devil can use a lack of assurance to trip people up and almost cripple them spiritually, both from a loss of confidence (“How can I tell anyone else how to be saved if I’m not sure if I am?”) and from a preoccupation with these issues instead of going on in the Lord. But it is such an important issue, I didn’t want to brush off doubts as just coming from the devil.

It‘s possible for a well-meaning person to make a false profession for any number of reasons (trusting in something outward like a walk down the aisle or raising the hand or even praying a prayer rather than in the Lord Himself, responding to “positive peer pressure” instead of the Lord’s conviction, not being instructed very well by the person telling them about the Lord, and so on). I’ve heard testimonies of people who thought they were saved for years but then realized they were not. Testimonies like that shook me up and caused me to re-examine my faith and fear that I had missed it somehow. Many aggressive sermons did the same thing. I know the experience of coming home to an empty house or waking up to find my husband not in bed or hearing the Christian radio station unexpectedly go off the air and wondering if the rapture had occurred and I hadn’t gone to heaven. It’s a miserable way to live, let me tell you.

I did seek counsel several times, and it was all very helpful and made me feel settled for a time. But before long the old doubts or some new ones would creep in.

It helped me to learn that others struggled with this, even prominent Christians whose salvation no one else would doubt. Somewhere along the way I discovered John Bunyan’s Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners. I read somewhere that some pastors didn’t want their people reading that book, because if they hadn’t doubted their salvation before, they might after reading it. It’s been so long since I read it that I don’t remember the details, but I was encouraged that someone such as Bunyan struggled with some of the same things.

Here, then, are some of the particular issues I struggled with and how the Lord graciously helped me with them.

1) The “Right” words

If you think of it, we express salvation in many ways: being born again, having our sins forgiven, having our sins put under the blood, being on the straight and narrow road, etc., etc. Sometimes I’d hear a particular phrase and think, “Oh, no! I don’t know if I thought of that when I prayed.” Then I’d pray that particular phrase (i.e., “Dear Lord, please put my sins under the blood”).

What I had to come to realize is that salvation is not a “magic formula” of certain words. The “sinner’s prayer” is a fine thing, but one can be saved without praying those exact lines (look at the thief on the cross beside Christ for one example).

There was one incident that helped me most with this particular issue. To help you fully appreciate it, I need to give you a little bit of background, though it will make a long post even longer. There was a certain program on the local Christian radio station that I enjoyed listening to. Right after that program came a radio preacher that I thought of as “ranting and raving.” When his intro music came on, I’d disgustedly turn the radio off as fast as I could get to it. One day I got convicted that that attitude of disgust was not right toward any Christian, especially a man of God. He was a good man, preached the truth, and had been used by the Lord to bring many to Himself. It was just a matter of not liking his style. But I realized that that style might appeal to someone else who might not be reached by the style of preaching that appealed to me. So, one day when this man’s program came on, I left it on. This preacher was sharing his own testimony, and at some point he said something like, “I told the Lord I didn’t even know what or how to pray….” and then went on to express his desire to be saved, though I can’t remember now how he put it. But that one phrase “clicked” with me and reinforced to me that it is not certain words that save us, it is faith in Christ.

2) “Enough” repentance

Repentance is vital in salvation and many are rightly concerned that in this day of “easy believism” that it’s a forgotten element. I’ve heard repentance defined many times as a change of mind that leads to a change of action. I felt that I had done that, changed from depending on my works to Christ’s finished work on the cross, changed from wanting my way to wanting God’s way. But maybe because as believers we still have a sin nature residing in us, and I still struggled in some areas, I often wondered if I had really repented “enough” to be saved.

My mother-in-law is as much or more of a book lover than I am, and when we visit each other we peruse each other’s shelves for books to read while we’re there. Once when we were visiting my husband’s folks, I found the book Full Assurance by H. A. Ironside on her shelf and picked it up. The whole book was very helpful, but the one part that I felt was the written just for me was in the second part of the book, “Difficulties Which Hinder Full Assurance.” The very first question dealt with was “How may I be sure that I have repented enough?” Here is Ironside’s answer:

Very often the real difficulty arises from a misapprehension of the meaning of repentance. There is no salvation without repentance, but it is important to see exactly what is meant by this term. It should not be confused with penitence, which is sorrow for sin; nor with penance, which is an effort to make some satisfaction for sin; nor yet with reformation, which is turning from sin. Repentance is a change of attitude toward sin, toward self, and toward God. The original word (in the Greek Testament) literally means “a change of mind.” This is not a mere intellectual change of viewpoint, however. but a complete reversal of attitude.

Now test yourself in this way. You once lived in sin and loved it. Do you now desire deliverance from it? You were once self-confident and trusting in your own fancied goodness. Do you now judge yourself as a sinner before God? You once sought to hide from God and rebelled against His authority. Do you now look up to Him, desiring to know Him, and to yield yourself to Him? If you can honestly answer yes to these questions, you have repented. Your attitude is altogether different to what it once was.

You confess you are a sinner, unable to cleanse your own soul, and you are willing to be saved in God’s way. This is repentance. And remember, it is not the amount of repentance that counts: it is the fact that you turn from self to God that puts you in the place where His grace avails through Jesus Christ.

Strictly speaking, not one of us has ever repented enough. None of us has realized the enormity of our guilt as God sees it. But when we judge ourselves and trust the Saviour whom He has provided, we are saved through His merits. As recipients of His lovingkindness, repentance will be deepened and will continue day by day, as we learn more of His infinite worth and our own unworthiness.

3) “Saving” faith

You may be aware of James 2:19, ” Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” Even the devils believe that there is a God, but they are certainly not saved, so something more than a general belief that there is a God is necessary for salvation. At least one difference from the devils’ kind of faith and saving faith is a willingness to turn from our own way and to submit to God. Romans 10:9-10 say, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” It is more than just saying the words “Jesus is Lord,” but it does involve the acknowledgement that He is indeed Lord. I don’t want to get this confused with “Lordship salvation,” and, like repentance, it is something in which we will grow in our awareness of what it means and how it affects out lives. There will be times even after we’re saved that we struggle with wanting our own way. But that initial realization and submission must be there.

I also used to get frightened by these verses from Matthew 7:

21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

It was sobering to realize that there were some who would be surprised at the judgment at God’s rejection of them. I certainly didn’t want to be in that number! But once, when talking to my pastor about these verses, he pointed out that none of these people said, “I realized that I was a sinner and I trusted in Christ and what He did on the cross to pay for my sins.” They all pointed to their own good works, which cannot save anyone. Ephesians 2:8-10 says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

4) “Enough” faith

In a similar vein to the issue of “enough” repentance, I wondered if I had “enough” faith. There were many factors that helped me here, from preaching and Bible reading and counseling. But there was one moment when this issue was essentially solved.

I think this illustration was in one of C. H. Spurgeon’s books. In a journey you come to a place where there is a deep chasm. It’s too far across to jump and too deep and treacherous to crawl down into it and over to the other side. The only way across is a plank that someone laid across the chasm. You can go across in full confidence of the plank’s support, or you an go across haltingly and fearfully. It’s not the largeness or smallness of your faith that got you across — it was the plank. That you had enough faith to trust in it and walk across it was all the faith you needed. So with our salvation, it’s not how great or small our faith is: what matters is Who we are trusting in.

5) 1 John

1 John was “written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God” (I John 5:13). Within the book are several evidences that one is a child of God. None of us is perfect in any of these ways. But a child of God will have some degree of these evidences in his or her life. One time I went through and put a star beside all of these in my Bible:

I John 2:3: And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

I John 2:15: Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

I John 2:29: If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.

I John 3:6-9: Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

(This can be confusing because it sounds like it is saying that a Christian will never sin, but it can’t mean that because in chapter 1:9 we’re promised that if we confess our sin we’ll be forgiven. I am told that these verses are speaking of a continual practice or lifestyle of sin. A true Christian cannot continue on in sin without experiencing God’s chastisement [Hebrews 12:5-8]. See also I John 5:17-18: “All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death. We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.”)

I John 3:14: We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

I John 3:18-19: My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.

I John 3:24: And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

I John 4:13: Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

I John 4:15: Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

I John 5:1: Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.

I John 5:12: He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

6) Not remembering my salvation experience

This is probably most common in those who profess Christ as children, but it’s hard for many people to remember exactly what they said, what they were thinking and understanding, etc., when they were saved. My former pastor, Dr. Mark Minnick, helped me with this by telling me that what is important is what am I trusting in now. He is the first one I heard ask the question, “If you were to stand before God right now and He were to ask you why He should let you into His heaven, what would you say?” It’s not that that is how it will happen, but our response, the first thing that springs to our minds without thinking about it much, reveals what we’re trusting in. If our minds immediately think of good things we’ve done, we’re trusting in our own works which cannot save. But if our answer is that we’re trusting in Christ and what He did on the cross to provide for our salvation, we’re on the right track.

7) Taking the Bible at its word

Many times during these struggles I would have to get out my Bible and go over and over salvation verses like the following and reaffirm my trust and just simply take them at their word:

John 3:16: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 5:24: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

Romans 10:9-10, 13: That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

John 1:12: But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.

I hope this is helpful to anyone else struggling with whether or not they are truly saved, and I invite anyone reading this who is not saved, or isn’t sure, to read more about it here.

Thursday Thirteen: Favorite Jokes

Posted on October 12, 2006 by Barbara Harper

“Mirth is God’s medicine. Everybody ought to bathe in it. Grim care, moroseness, anxiety — all this rust of life ought to be scoured off by the oil of mirth. It is better than emery. Every man ought to rub himself with it. A man without mirth is like a wagon without springs, in which everyone is caused disagreeably to jolt by every pebble over which is runs.”
— Henry Ward Beecher

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.
Proverbs 17:22a

In that vein, I give you 13 favorite jokes collected over the years.

1. A mother mouse and a baby mouse were walking along, when all of a sudden a cat attacks them. The mother mouse shouts, “BARK!” and the cat runs away.

“See?” says the mother mouse to her baby. “Now do you see why it’s so important to learn a foreign language?”

~~~~~

2) A kid and his mom were walking on the sidewalk in Dallas. The kid, being 100% Texan, upon seeing some cowboys, said, “Hey Maw, look at them thar men with them thar bowed laigs.”

She said that if he didn’t start speaking correct English, she was going to send him to a Shakespearean English school.

A little further along, they saw some more cowboys. “Hey maw! Look at them thar men with them thar bowed legs!” he said.

So, true to her word, she sent him off to a Shakespearean English school to learn correct English.

He came home several months later on vacation. As they walked together down the sidewalk, they saw some cowboys. “Hark!” he said, “What manner of men are these who wear their legs in parentheses?”

(I grew up in Texas and never heard any Texans speak quite this way — but I still loved the joke. 🙂 )

~~~~~

3) When Art learned that he was being fired, he went to see the head of human resources. “Since I’ve been with the firm for so long,” he said, “I think I deserve at least a letter of recommendation.”

The human resources director agreed and said he’d have the letter that next day. The following morning, Art found the letter on his desk. It read, “Art worked for our company for eleven years. When he left us, we were very satisfied.”

~~~~~

4) One caller to our answering service gave me his name, number and message and then said, “You know my name. What’s yours?”

“We’re not allowed to give our names,” I replied, “but my operator number is 4136.

Sounding disappointed, he said, “May I call you by your first digit, or would that be too personal?”

~~~~~

5) Young Son: “I heard that in some parts of Africa they don’t know their spouse until they get married. Is it true, Dad?”

Dad: “That happens in every country, son.”

~~~~~

6) Tom had won a toy in a contest. He called his kids together to ask which one should have the present.

“Who is the most obedient?” he asked. “Who never talks back to mother? Who does everything she says?”

Five small voices answered in unison: “Okay, Dad, you get the toy.”

~~~~~

7) One man once said, “I’ll never understand women. I don’t see how they can take boiling hot wax, pour it onto their legs, rip the hair out by the roots, and still be afraid of a spider.”

~~~~~

8 ) We just hired a new consultant at my company. I asked him a question. He replied, “I could tell you, but then I’d have to bill you.”

~~~~~

9) On their 50th wedding anniversary, a couple summed up the reason for their long and happy marriage. The husband said, “I have tried never to be selfish. After all, there is no “I” in the word “marriage.”

The wife said, “For my part, I have never corrected my husband’s spelling.”

~~~~~

10) When Edna’s grandson asked her how old she was, she teasingly replied, “I’m not sure.”

“Look in your underwear, Grandma,” he advised. “Mine says I’m four.”

~~~~~

11) Two buffalo were standing on the range when a passing tourist said, Those are the mangiest, scroungiest, most moth-eaten, miserable beasts I have ever seen”

One of the buffalo turned to the other and said, “You know…I think I just heard a discouraging word.”

~~~~~

12) Peter and Gladys were looking at a new living room suite in the furniture store. Peter said to the salesman, “We really like it, but I don’t think we can afford it.”

The salesman said, “You just make a small down payment, then you don’t make another payment for six months.”

Gladys wheeled around with her hands on her hips and said, “Who told you about us?”

~~~~~

13) I misplaced my dictionary. Now I’m at a loss for words.

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Wordless Wednesday: Baby Brother

Posted on October 11, 2006 by Barbara Harper

This was 13 years ago when Jason was 6 and Jesse was newborn (they are now 19 and 13). I always loved this expression on Jason’s face here, as if he’s thinking, “What do I do now?” There are other pictures of him smiling down at his new baby brother and later pictures of him down on the floor playing with him or talking to him, but at this point it was like he was thinking, “OK, I’ve had enough now.”

You can find more “Wordless Wednesday ” photos or link to your own at 5 Minutes For Mom.

Works For Me Wednesday: Clutter

Posted on October 11, 2006 by Barbara Harper

I thought this anecdote was hilarious. The author is unknown: I don’t even remember where I got this from:

It arose one morning from the bowels of my desk, a formless mass that spread and covered itself over anything I was looking for. “Who are you?” I asked.

“I am Clutter,” the mass answered, “and I am here to confound your life. I am the things you refuse to throw out though you haven’t used them in six years, the miscellaneous papers, phone numbers, business cards, and checks you accumulate and don’t put away. I am the inevitable manifestation of your sloppiness. I am Clutter.”

I grabbed Clutter and moved it from one end of the desk to the other. Clutter chortled, “That’s my favorite pastime. Moving from one end of the desk to the other.” “What do you want?” I asked.

“To frustrate you. I will resist all attempts to remove me, reduce me, or otherwise eliminate me. It’s my purpose to hide whatever important piece of paper you need, whichever phone number you must call.”

“I’m throwing you out,” I stormed. Clutter shook his untidy mass sadly, as in pity.

“Not without looking through me to see if there’s anything you really need,” Clutter answered. “the odds are slim, but you won’t take that chance. And while your sorting through me, I’ll re-form in another pile.”

“But you’ll be smaller, more manageable.”

“Not really. You’ll decide to keep 90% of me, as you always do. And soon, new papers, numbers, documents will gather, making me more obstructive than ever.”

“You won’t ruin my life, Clutter! I’ll start a filing system! I’ll put a bit of you where you belong.”

Clutter gazed at me contemptuously. “The last time you tried that, you created my cousins, Chaos and Disorder. It’ll never work.”

Clutter had me and I knew it. Attempts in the past to file things alphabetically had only created 26 piles of mess instead of one. I was desperate, so I decided to bluff. “I’ll take a time management course,” I threatened.

Clutter quite rightly ignored my remark. I wasn’t dealing with an idiot, after all. “Then I’ll buy a computer and store you on my floppy disks!”

“And within a month your disk-filing system will be in total disarray, plus you’ll have another pile of papers waiting to be entered onto disks. Face it, you can’t win.”

Exasperated, I ran to the closet. “I’m getting some air.” Clutter had been to the closet before me. Shoes were scattered, shirts were unhung, clumps of pants and underwear lay strewn next to towels and a lawn chair. Socks congealed in small piles, looking like the waste product of some nylon-eating monster. Cliff notes from A Tale of Two Cities lay atop the heater.

“Clutter,” I yelled. “You have crippled my productivity for the last time. No longer will I be late, no more will I miss appointments, never again shall I be overwhelmed by your size and withdraw into reading old magazines. I am going out to the store to buy a paper shredder.”

I looked around for a long moment. “Now where did I leave my keys?”

Clutter burped.

—Author Unknown

~~~~~~~~~~
Clutter isn’t quite that formidable to deal with — it just seems like it! 🙂 Whole books have been written about how to deal with clutter, and I haven’t conquered it totally yet, but here are a few things I’ve found to help:

* If I don’t have time to clean out the whole attic or closet or refrigerator or whatever, it helps to break it down into smaller portions. Clean out a box at a time, a shelf at a time, a drawer at a time.

*If you have the space somewhere, it is helpful to have a box or shelf set aside to place things to get rid of as I come to them rather than having to sift through a drawer to get them. Then when the box or shelf is filled, take it to the mission or Salvation Army.

* I do keep sentimental things, but ask myself realistically if I will ever use or look through the items. For instance, I used to keep all my son’s Sunday School papers until I realized that after eighteen years that stack would be daunting. So as we get such papers I try to pick out representative or especially meaningful ones and (wince!) throw away the rest.

* I try not to set something out of place “for just a minute” but rather go ahead and put things back where they belong as I get done with them as much as possible.

* I try to encourage the kids to brings their “stuff” in from the car whenever we get home.

For more tips and helpful hints, visit Rocks In My Dryer.

When no one understands

Posted on October 9, 2006 by Barbara Harper

No, I am not feeling particularly misunderstood just now. 🙂 But I was reading this morning about Hannah in I Samuel 1. Not only was she longing for a child, but her husband had another wife who did have children and who “provoked her sore” and “made her fret.”

(Aren’t you glad we don’t have polygamy these days?! Years ago our pastor said that people sometimes asked him why God didn’t say anything about the patriarchs having more than one wife. He replied, “Does He have to spell it out? Isn’t it obvious from the stories we have recorded that it doesn’t work well?” But I digress….)

Hannah’s husband, instead of understanding and empathizing, said, “Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?”

She was even misunderstood at first by the man of God, who mistook her fervent prayers for drunkenness.

When not only our nearest and dearest but those who are supposed to shepherd us and give us counsel fail us, what can we do?

We can do what Hannah did: pour out our hearts to the only One who can truly understand our heart’s longings and our deepest needs. He understands thoroughly; He cares intimately; He alone has the power and the wisdom and the grace to meet our needs in the best possible time and way.

Though He often does give us human helpers to counsel, encourage, uplift, and empathize, sometimes they fail us. We need not hold it against them: they’re only human, and we even fail others sometimes, so we shouldn’t be surprised when others fail us. And sometimes He takes them away so that we may draw closer to Him.

Some years ago a friend on furlough from the mission field was telling about how her family and their co-workers were not quite on the same wave length. They could work together but just didn’t quite mesh. One morning as she was taking a walk and praying, she was explaining something to God so He could understand where she was coming from, because she was so used to her co-workers not understanding. Suddenly it dawned on her that she didn’t have to do that with Him. It was such a blessed relief and a joy to be fully understood.

It makes me think of the song “No One Understands Like Jesus.”

Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising,
thou understandest my thought afar off.
Psalm 139:2

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched
with the feeling of our infirmities;
but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace,
that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:15-16

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt: Sleeping

Posted on October 7, 2006 by Barbara Harper

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The Claims of Christ

Posted on October 5, 2006 by Barbara Harper

Some years back I read that someone said that Jesus Christ never claimed to be God. I was astounded that anyone would say or think that. Sure, He never stood on a mountaintop and said, “I am God” in those exact words. But He did proclaim His Deity. The next time I read through the New Testament, I put a “C” (for “claim” next to every verse I found where Christ claimed something about Himself. Here’s what I found:

1) When the devil tempted Him to throw Himself off the pinacle of the temple if He was the Son of God, Jesus answered, “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” I think He was referring not only to the situation of doing something foolish and expecting God to intervene, but I think He was also referring to Himself as God who should not be tempted. (Matthew 4:5-7)

2) He claimed the authority and the ability to forgive sins.

Matthew 9:6: But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.

3) He claimed to be greater than the temple.

Matthew 12:6: But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.

4) He claimed to be greater than Jonah.

Matthew 12:41: The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.

5) He claimed to be greater than Solomon.

Matthew 12:42: The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

6) He confirmed that Peter’s proclamation of Him as the Christ, the Son of God, was revealed to Peter by the Father.

Matthew 16:15: He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

7) He claimed to be the Lord of the Sabbath (in response to the Pharisees fussing about his activities on the Sabbath).

Mark 2:29: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

8 ) He proclaimed His purpose in coming was to give Himself a ransom.

Mark 10:45: For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

9) He claimed to be the Christ.*

Mark 14: 61 But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?

62 And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

63 Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses?

10) He claimed to be the One whom Moses, the prophets, and the Psalms foretold and the One in whose name repentance and remission of sins should be preached.

Luke 24: 44-47: And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

11) He claimed to be in heaven even while He was speaking to someone on earth, indicating omnipresence.

John 3:13: And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

12) He claimed that whoever believed in Him would not perish but have everlasting life.

John 3:14-16: And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up. That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

(Also John 6:47; 10:28-29)

13) He claimed to give “living water.”

John 4:10, 13-14: Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water….Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

John 7:37-39: In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

14) He claimed to be the Messiah.*

John 4: 25-26: The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.

15) He claimed to be the Son of God many times over: here are two examples:

John 5: 17 But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.
18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

(The reaction He got indicates they understood what He meant in claiming to be the Son of God.)

John 9: 35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?

36 He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?

37 And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.

38 And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.

(See also John 10:36)

16) He claimed that whoever heard His word and believed on Him that sent Him would not come into condemnation, but would pass from death unto life.

John 5:24: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

17) He claimed that the Scriptures testified of Him.

John 5:39: Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

18 ) He claimed to be the bread of life.

John 6:35: And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

John 6:48: I am that bread of life.

John 6:51: I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

19) He claimed He would raise up those who believe on Him at the last day.

John 6:39-40: And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

20) He claimed to be the light of the world.

John 8:12: Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

(Also John 9:5)

21) He claimed to be from above and not of this world.

John 8:23: And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.

22) He claimed that if whoever does not believe in Him would die in their sins.

John 8: 24: I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

23) He claimed to be not only before Abraham but to be the “I am” who spoke to Moses (Exodus 3:13-14):

John 8:58: Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

(The reaction to this statement shows they knew exactly what He meant [though they did not accept it] and to me this statement is one of the strongest proofs of Christ’s deity.)

24) He claimed to be the door of the sheep.

John 10: 7-9: Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

25) He claimed He came that we might have life, and have it more abundantly.

John 10:10: The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

26) He claimed He is the good shepherd.

John 10: 11, 14: I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

27) He claimed to be one with the Father.

John 10:30: I and my Father are one.

28 ) He foretold His betrayal so that when it happened they would know who He was.

John 13:18-19: I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me. Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he.

29) He claimed to be the true vine without Whom we can do nothing.

John 15: 1, 5-6: I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

30) He claimed that we have peace in Him and that He had overcome the world.

John 16: 33: These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

31) He claimed that eternal life is knowing the Father and Himself.

John 17:3: And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

*For an explanation of what is meant by the terms “Messiah” or “Christ,” please read this and put the word “Messiah” in the search box. I couldn’t get the link to work that went straight to the definition.

Well, I think that adds up, don’t you? If I have overlooked any, please let me know in your comments. Some of these make more sense and have greater meaning in context. There are other things that attest to Christ’s Deity: the fulfillment of prophecy (something I did at the same time as this study was to also put a “P” in the margin beside every verse in the gospels and the first few chapters of Acts which spoke of some prophecy being fulfilled), His works, the testimony of others, the testimony of the Father (“This is my beloved Son in Whom I am well-pleased.” )

I hope and pray that any of you who have not recognized Him as Lord and Saviour would believe on Him even today, and I hope that this helps to strengthen the faith of believers.

Thursday Thirteen: Features I want in my next house

Posted on October 5, 2006 by Barbara Harper

I haven’t been terribly happy with our house since we bought it — I hope that doesn’t sound terribly discontent. We were rushed the weekend we were house-hunting and just didn’t see or realize some of the problems with this one. At the time it was the only one with the room we were looking for, so it won out over houses that I liked better. And circumstances haven’t been conducive to buying a different home yet. But when we do, these are features I’d like:

1. Some distance between neighbors. I really don’t like these new subdivisions that are so close together that it looks like you could borrow a cup of sugar from each other’s kitchen windows without ever leaving your house. Our subdivision is 30+ years old and not quite that crowded, but houses are close enough that it’s awkward to me. From my kitchen window I cam see right into the family room of the house behind us, where someone’s easy chair sits whose occupant looks like he’s looking back into my window. I put a sun-catcher right at that spot, which helps. But I’d rather have a different view and not feel self-conscious there on my patio when the neighbors driveway is right there a few feet away.

2. At least 2 full bathrooms. We have 1 1/2 right now, which works out ok most of the time. But an extra shower would be helpful.

3. Our last two homes have been split-levels, and I’d prefer next time to have just one level. I could live with a two-story, though, where I didn’t have to go up and down stairs just to use a restroom or bring groceries in.

4. Speaking of groceries, I’d love to have the kitchen right next to the driveway or garage door. Right now I have to cart groceries in across two rooms and up seven steps. It gets exhausting after hiking across Super Wal-Mart.

5. A pantry. I sorely miss the one from our old house. Our kitchen is seriously short of storage space.

6. A more efficiently laid-out kitchen.

7. Some larger or more open area for when company comes. Our house now is small compartments of rooms. so when family comes to visit or we have anyone over, it’s crowded.

8. A craft/sewing room where I can put all of my ‘stuff” where it’s accessible and where I can leave projects-in-progress out and shut the door so I don’t feel like there’s a mess in the living area or bedroom. I’d also like to put a day bed in there and have it double as a guest room.

9. I’d love to have an office for my husband, if he’d like one, so that he’d have a place for his technical books and microscopes and a quiet space when he’s working from home.

10. A ‘mudroom” or little space when you first come in from outside to take off jackets and shoes, hang up wet jackets to dry, etc., without that being a corner of a living area.

11. A garage (preferably) or carport.

12. A fence around the back yard.

13. I’m not sure about this one, but I’ve thought about a screen-in porch area in the back where you can go out when the weather’s nice but not be bothered by bugs (the South is very buggy) and even maybe have a ceiling fan. But — that’s iffy. I’m not outdoors much as it is.

Bonus: At one time we wanted a log cabin, but now I am leaning more toward something Victorian or very Southern-looking with white columns.

Now — I know I should be content with such things as I have (and I try. 🙂 ). And I know that in many parts of the world, what I have now would be considered luxurious. I try to keep it in perspective. But…..if we ever do buy another house, these are some of the things I’d look for.

(House graphic courtesy of Graphic Garden.)

For more Thursday Thirteen fun, click here.

Wordless Wednesday: “Helping” with laundry

Posted on October 4, 2006 by Barbara Harper

For more Wordless Wednesday entries, go to 5 Minutes For Mom.

Works For Me Wednesday: Cleaning drip pans and rings

Posted on October 4, 2006 by Barbara Harper

Drip pans and rings from the stove used to be cheap enough that I tossed them out when they got covered with hard, caked-on grunge. But then they went up in price, so I wasn’t comfortable doing that as often. Yet it took a lot of scrubbing even make a dent, and getting them thoroughly clean seemed impossible. Then I came across this tip in the Frugal Living section of About.com: Dissolve about a 1/4 cup of baking soda in a large pot of warm water. Add the drip pans ands rings and boil for a few minutes. Let it all cool and then scrub the drip pans. I was amazed at how well it works.

I also started sprinkling baking powder on pans that are hard to get clean and scrubbing with a sponge that has an abrasive side. Works great and doesn’t have the fumes and irritants to my hands that other cleaners have.

Visit Rocks In My Dryer for more real live workable tips from real live people who have tried them. 🙂