Our Incredible Hope

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[Janet Easson Martin]

In the sermon excerpts below, “The Incredible Hope” by Ray Stedman gives us the brilliant light of the hope that Easter represents. (Emphasis is mine.)


Woman, why are you weeping?" they asked her. In the early light of dawn they seemed to be looking not at her, but at someone behind her. Turning, she saw a man standing there whom she took to be the gardener, who asked her the same question, "Woman, why are you weeping?"

… But Mary was just like us! Have you ever found yourself in a distressing circumstance, when the sky seemed to come crashing down on you, and Christian that you are, you immediately forgot all the promises of God? You felt sorry for yourself, you became anxious and upset. I have. We so quickly forget the promises of God.

Martin Luther once spent three days in a black depression over something that had gone wrong. On the third day his wife came downstairs dressed in mourning clothes. "Who's dead?" he asked her. "God," she replied. Luther rebuked her, saying, "What do you mean, God is dead? God cannot die." "Well," she replied, "the way you've been acting I was sure He had!"

Many of us have been caught in that trap. This is also what had happened to Mary. …


The Incredible Hope
https://www.raystedman.org/new-testament/john/the-incredible-hope

[Janet Easson Martin]

The Good News Can Never Be Less Than Good News

This Bible teacher of women brings the amazing relevance of Galatians to light. She introduces the main point of the book in this video teaching clip along with the imperative fact that we must stand alone on the pure & simple gospel. Any addition or remolding of it making it any less good news than it truly is -is DISTORTION. In other words, if we can be “better” Christian’s by following some additional pattern other than Christlikeness through the activity of His Spirit in our lives, we begin turning away from Christ to a deceptive dependence on legalism. Thinking if we do this or that we are superior to other believers, and slip away from grace.  

Here is the link:



Now That Faith Has Come - A Study of Galatians

https://youtu.be/W7U3iBHph38

[Janet Easson Martin]

This message by Paul Tripp also seems to communicate what Galatians is warning about getting away from the simplicity and purity of the Gospel; which is crucial to the work and fruit of the Holy Spirit in us.


The greatest danger of the Gospel has always been and continues to be a counterfeit gospel. It’s a gospel that doesn't actually need Christ. And what's dangerous about this is its subtlety, that it exists with the same language; it exists in the same location; it exists amongst committed religious people.
. . .
This struggle is not just the struggle of the pulpit; it's not just the struggle of the seminary classroom; it is literally a day by day battle in our hearts because the true Gospel of complete and total reliance upon Jesus Christ is always replaced by one thing: a gospel of self-congratulatory self-righteousness.
. . .
(Paul Tripp quoting Phil Ryken below)

Martin Luther rightly warned that there is a clear and present danger that the devil may take away from us the pure doctrine of faith and may substitute it for the doctrines (now hear this) of works and human traditions. The Good News of the cross and resurrection must be preached, believed, and lived; otherwise it will be lost. The Church's greatest danger is not the anti-gospel outside the church; it is the counterfeit gospel inside the church.

The Judaizers did not walk around the city in Antioch wearing T-shirts that said, “Hug me, I'm a false apostle.” What made them so dangerous was that they knew how to talk the way that Christians talk; they used all the right terminology; they talked about how they got saved; they told people to trust in Christ; they presented the Gospel, only they did not have the Gospel after all. We should expect, therefore, that the most serious threat to the one true Gospel is something that is also called the gospel. The most dangerous teachers are the ones who preach a different Christ, but can still call him, “Jesus.”

Link to the full message:  The Gospel of the Pharisees - Paul Tripp
https://assets.speakcdn.com/assets/1804/9_transcript_mark_the_gospel_of_the_pharisees.pdf


Though this message seems to capture some of the intent of Galatians, I don’t believe Galatians supports the notion that those who get caught up in a false gospel (of Legalism) after genuinely accepting Christ loose their eternal life. The scriptural passages about “Turning away from total dependence upon Christ” and “falling away from Grace” do not teach that one’s eternal salvation is severed or retracted. Instead they teach that the believer has been duped into following a system of rules for relying on one’s own righteousness with God; and as a result is no longer relying upon the mercy and grace of God for acceptance and spiritual activity. He becomes a prideful “Pharisee.”

GCx was a sea of prideful Pharisees.

But, I will add that it seems rather likely the one at the top deceitfully “preaching” these requirements did not know the real Jesus because of his vast and dark unchristian attitudes and behaviors.

[Janet Easson Martin]

“we’ve been given an inferior message—that God loves me “when” I change (“moralism”). What that does is put it back on you. You’re back to “navel gazing” and you never succeed at that level.

You are never holy enough, pure enough, refined enough, or loving enough.

Whereas, when you fall into God’s mercy, when you fall into God’s great generosity, you find, seemingly from nowhere, this capacity to change.

No one is more surprised than you are. You know it is a gift.”


It is the moralist and the legalist who must make salvation something other than the love of God in Christ Jesus. Our convention and churches are filled with moralists who try to convince sinner they must do something to get God to love them. The love of God for sinners arises from His heart like an artesian spring…

Otherwise, you become you fall into the spiritual quicksand of moralism and legalism.



Link to full page on Wade Burleson’s site:
https://www.wadeburleson.org/2010/05/moralism-and-legalism-are-not-true.html?m=1



I have found what these authors are saying to be so true in my experience of God’s ‘scandalous’ gospel of grace. The entirety of our sin being blotted out and atoned for moment by moment through Jesus’ continual sprinkling us with his blood is not proclaimed near enough. It is our entrance into the supernatural - God’s Grace.

[Janet Easson Martin]

A vastly overlooked part of who we are is in The Blood.


…Oo
It's never been about performance
Perfection or striving for acceptance
Let me tell you
It's only by the Blood

It's never been about deserving or earning
It's a gift that's freely given
Let me tell you
It's only by the Blood

Does anybody want to be holy
Righteous
Purified and spotless
Let me tell you
It's only by the Blood

Does anybody want to be worthy
Forgiven
Justified, really living
Let me tell you
It's only by the Blood

Hallelujah, hallelujah…


The Blood - Bethel Music - Jen Johnson, feat. Mitch Wong

https://youtu.be/4DtiMf1xoLM

[Janet Easson Martin]

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness …

On Christ the solid rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand

When darkness hides His lovely face
I rest on His unchanging grace
In every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil …

Dressed in His righteousness alone
Faultless to stand before the throne …

The Solid Rock - Reawaken Hyms

https://youtu.be/WoPcyr2oYhg

[Janet Easson Martin]

Just had to put the link to this podcast up on this site because it is SOOO UPBEAT and empowering!! I’m usually late to the party, so it doesn’t surprise me that I didn’t even know her podcast existed. This is by NO MEANS a SLUGGISH and rough-start project. Candace and her co-hort, Bianca, jump right in to lively conversation that seems refreshingly genuine and relatable. Not sure if it’s just for women? This was the first one I ever watched and am excited to view others they have done in the near future. If I’m in need of a pick-up I just may watch here.

My favorite part is that they don’t look or sound like monotone mealymouthed and sometimes depressing GCx women most of us used to know (and be)!!!

You go, Candace!

Candace Cameron Bure - The Podcast
“You Are Able And Capable” Season 4, Episode 11

https://youtu.be/Dk8u8BMSQTk?si=XG4-GUNlXZvM6pHW

[Janet Easson Martin]

Today I was happily surprised to find a documentary from Lee Strobel titled, “The Case for Heaven” (2022) on Prime. As likely others can relate I have had a number of close relatives pass away in the last year or so. A friend even gave me a good book on heaven just a month ago. I believe God wants us to be confident in the knowledge of heaven for ourselves and to share with others as we are led.

[Janet Easson Martin]

James and Betty Robison who host the Life Today Show are some of the most gracious Christian hosts in the TV industry as they present a broad spectrum of real Christianity amongst authors, speakers, and leaders for all kinds of viewers. They are also some of the most real and transparent Christian TV hosts. This particular episode below is with the author of “A Place Called Heaven,” a book, someone recently gave me. Then, my beloved aunt, who cherished Jesus’ Presence, passed away a week later. One of the things he shares is that heaven is not going to be one long church service. I sigh when people imply that’s all we’ll do is sing praises as in an eternal worship church service.

From my reading of the Bible, we will be quite busy and worship service will be one of the things we will do. Perhaps it is taken too strictly as the primary activity rather than “making melody in our hearts to the Lord” (which the Bible teaches) as we pursue all kinds of activities.

Another thing that he discusses that is very encouraging is that the true gifts we have been given will not cease at our passing, but be used in heaven along with the wonderful and unique things God has given us in our personalities.


Life in heaven will be anything but boring! Perhaps, if we could vividly see all that we have to look forward to, we may make our exit quite prematurely.

This interview with Dr. Jeffries gives a taste of what his book reveals about heaven.




The Realities of Heaven - Dr. Robert Jeffries - Life Today Show

https://www.lightsource.com/ministry/life-today/dr-robert-jeffress-the-realities-of-heaven-618578.html

[Janet Easson Martin]

In case you haven’t seen, here is the video that went viral following the Super Bowl. Wow!

“He Saves Us” - Jamie Bambrick - Twitter

https://x.com/j_bambrick/status/1757419713825517684?s=20