Understanding the Bible

To understand the Bible, it is essential to grasp the sweep of that history from creation to consummation. It is also crucial to keep in focus the unifying theme of Scripture. The one constant theme unfolding throughout the whole Bible is this: God for His own glory has chosen to create and gather to Himself a group of people to be the subjects of His eternal kingdom, to praise, honour and serve Him forever and through whom He will display His wisdom, power, mercy, grace and glory. To gather His chosen ones, God must redeem them from sin. The Bible reveals God's plan for this redemption from its inception in eternity past to its completion in eternity future. Covenants, promises, and epochs are all secondary to the one continuous plan of redemption.

There is one God. The Bible has one Creator. It is one book. It has one plan of grace, recorded from initiation, through execution, to consummation. From predestination to glorification, the Bible is the story of God redeeming His chosen people for the praise of His glory.

As God's redemptive purposes and plan unfold in Scripture, five recurring motifs are constantly emphasized:

1. the character of God
2. the judgement for sin and disobedience
3. the blessing for faith and obedience
4. the Lord Saviour and sacrifice for sin
5. the coming kingdom and glory

Thanksgivings for the LORD's Salvation

The Psalms
118
Thanksgiving for the LORD's Salvation
1
O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good:

because his mercy endureth for ever. 1 Chr. 16.34 · 2 Chr. 5.13 ; 7.3 · Ezra 3.11 · Ps. 100.5 ; 106.1 ; 107.1 ; 136.1 · Jer. 33.11
2
Let Israel now say,

that his mercy endureth for ever.
3
Let the house of Aaron now say,

that his mercy endureth for ever.
4
Let them now that fear the LORD say,

that his mercy endureth for ever.
5
I called upon the LORD in distress:

the LORD answered me,
and set me in a large place.
6
The LORD is on my side;

I will not fear:
what can man do unto me? Heb. 13.6
7
The LORD taketh my part with them that help me:

therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me.
8
It is better to trust in the LORD

than to put confidence in man.
9
It is better to trust in the LORD

than to put confidence in princes.
10
All nations compassed me about:

but in the name of the LORD will I destroy them.
11
They compassed me about;

yea, they compassed me about:
but in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.
12
They compassed me about like bees;

they are quenched as the fire of thorns:
for in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.
13
Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall:

but the LORD helped me.
14
The LORD is my strength and song,

and is become my salvation. Ex. 15.2 · Is. 12.2
15
The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous:

the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.
16
The right hand of the LORD is exalted:

the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.
17
I shall not die, but live,

and declare the works of the LORD.
18
The LORD hath chastened me sore:

but he hath not given me over unto death.
19
Open to me the gates of righteousness:

I will go into them,
and I will praise the LORD:
20
this gate of the LORD,

into which the righteous shall enter.
21
I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me,

and art become my salvation.
22
The stone which the builders refused

is become the head stone of the corner. Lk. 20.17 · 0.1--0.1 ; 1.1 · 1 Pet. 2.7
23
This is the LORD's doing;

it is marvelous in our eyes. Mt. 21.42 · Mk. 12.10, 11
24
This is the day which the LORD hath made;

we will rejoice and be glad in it.
25
Save now, Mt. 21.9 · Mk. 11.9 · Joh. 12.13 I beseech thee, O LORD:

O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.
26
Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: Mt. 21.9 ; 23.39 · Mk. 11.9 · Lk. 13.35 ; 19.38 · Joh. 12.13

we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD.
27
God is the LORD, which hath showed us light:

bind the sacrifice with cords,
even unto the horns of the altar.
28
Thou art my God, and I will praise thee:

thou art my God, I will exalt thee.
29
O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good:

for his mercy endureth for ever.

What does it mean to Believe?

Faith is not obtained by raising hands, altar calls, or vain repetition of a “sinner’s prayer”. Neither may it obtained by baptism, confirmation, or any other work. If one desires saving faith, let him seek salvation in the Word of God. Let the Word convict him of his sinfulness, and make him tremble at God’s wrath upon that sinfulness. Let the Word convince him of his hopelessness sans Jesus Christ. It is the foolishness of preaching by which true belief is obtained. Let the sinner read God’s Word, meditate on it, and find a church where it is faithfully preached, since “…faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:14-17). “And many more believed because of his word” (John 4:41). And do not be deceived into thinking that one may be saved by mere assent to the truths of this Word, being no better off than the devils who believe, but rather fully entrust your soul to Christ, not relying on your own flesh. We aren’t merely to acknowledge the truth of God's Word, but we are to live “…by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).

FACE TO FACE WITH CHRIST, MY SAVIOR

Grant Tull­ar was help­ing with evan­geli­stic meet­ings in Ru­ther­ford, New Jer­sey. He, along with the pas­tor and his wife, did some vis­it­a­tion Sun­day af­ter­noon. They got back to the pas­tor’s home ra­ther late, and sup­per was rushed. Things were put on the ta­ble quick­ly, and ev­er­y­one was in­vit­ed to make his own snack. One of the items set out was an al­most emp­ty jar of jel­ly. Know­ing how much Tul­lar liked it, the pas­tor and his wife both passed it by. Tul­lar ac­cept­ed their kind­ness with a smile, say­ing, “So, this is all for me, is it?” In­stant­ly, the lit­tle phrase “all for me” gripped his thoughts. He went over to the pi­a­no and com­posed on the spot the now fa­mil­iar tune, along with some words—“All for me the Sav­ior suf­fered, all for me He bled and died…” The pas­tor was thrilled. He asked that the song be taught to the peo­ple in the even­ing ser­vice. Tul­lar de­clined, say­ing he want­ed to work on it a bit more. But that ne­ver hap­pened. The next day, a let­ter ar­rived from a Car­rie Breck. She had writ­ten a po­em, and won­dered if Mr. Tul­lar could set it to mu­sic. To his amaze­ment, the me­ter ex­act­ly fit the tune com­posed the even­ing be­fore. The two have been to­ge­ther ev­er since.

Face to face with Christ, my Savior,

Face to face—what will it be,

When with rapture I behold Him,

Jesus Christ Who died for me?

Refrain

Face to face I shall behold Him,

Far beyond the starry sky;

Face to face in all His glory,

I shall see Him by and by!

Only faintly now I see Him,

With the darkened veil between,

But a blessèd day is coming,

When His glory shall be seen.

Refrain

What rejoicing in His presence,

When are banished grief and pain;

When the crooked ways are straightened,

And the dark things shall be plain.

Refrain

Face to face—oh, blissful moment!

Face to face—to see and know;

Face to face with my Redeemer,

Jesus Christ Who loves me so.

Refrain

Living as Children of Light

So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.

Ephesians 4:17

You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteouness and holiness.

Ephesians 4:20

I pray that I will be the light and salt of this world

May God help me!

我会永远跟着你走。

因你身体完全破碎

摆在我前

为我你失去一切尊荣可言

你如何爱我

怎么爱我

我永远不能释透

让我爱你

要让我爱你

我会永远跟着你走。

Found! :)

Psalm 103

Of David.

¹ Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

² Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-

³ who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,

⁴ who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,

⁵ who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

⁶ The LORD works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.

⁷ He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:

⁸ The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.

⁹ He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;

¹⁰ he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.

¹¹ For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;

¹² as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

¹³ As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;

¹⁴ for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.

¹⁵ As for man, his days are like grass,
he flourishes like a flower of the field;

¹⁶ the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.

¹⁷ But from everlasting to everlasting
the LORD's love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children's children-

¹⁸ with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.

¹⁹ The LORD has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.

²⁰ Praise the LORD, you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
who obey his word.

²¹ Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts,
you his servants who do his will.

²² Praise the LORD, all his works
everywhere in his dominion.
Praise the LORD, O my soul.