August 19 - Marks of the True Believer

GracetoYou.org ^ | 2008 | John MacArthur, Grace Community Church

[metmom]

“‘They put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved’” (Matthew 9:17b).

Like new wine poured into fresh wineskins, everything stays spiritually fresh for the true believer. First, he or she leads a life of unquestioning obedience and follows the Lord without conditions or excuses. Not long before His ascension, Jesus told Peter, “‘Follow Me!’ Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them . . . So Peter seeing him said to Jesus, ‘Lord, and what about this man?’ Jesus said to him, ‘If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!’” (John 21:19–22). Christians don’t question Christ’s will or unwisely compare themselves to other believers.

Second, like Matthew who invited sinners to his house to see Jesus, true saints have compassion on the unsaved. They want to see them saved, even though at times that desire gets supplanted by selfish concerns. Because they know “the fear of the Lord, [they] persuade men” (2 Cor. 5:11). The love of Christ will prompt them to witness to others (v. 14).

Finally, if we are truly Christ’s children, we will not follow any sort of legalism or ritualism as the scribes and Pharisees did. We’ll realize soon enough that these are utterly incompatible with the new life in Jesus Christ. It should also be clear to us that what was begun in the Spirit cannot be finished in the flesh (Gal. 3:3). The new wine of salvation and sanctification has no place back in the old wineskins of our life before conversion.

Ask Yourself

Is your life devoid of some of these freedoms? Does your heart often—or perhaps incessantly—cause Christian faith to feel as though it’s just another burden or pressure rather than the pure expression of who you are? What’s standing between you and abundant life?

[metmom]

Studying God’s Word ping

[Ezekiel]

Studying God’s Word ping<<<

“‘They put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved’” (Matthew 9:17b).

New teachings go into new students, and both are preserved. Old students reject new teachings, but if they already know everything, why haven't they graduated and moved on to something productive? The seats need to be opened up for the new kids.

New secrets go into updated security systems, and both are preserved.

The Spirit of Purim is that everything is flipped to the contrary, 180 degrees.

180 degrees = π radians, and "radian" [רדיאן] = 265, which appears within π here:

3.14159265358979323846

Those numbers all have plain significance in this story line, but to focus on the radian that was placed between 59 and 358...

One radian is the angle made at the center of a circle by an arc whose length is equal to the radius of the circle.

1 radian:

57.295779513 degrees

which is a time, times, and the di-vision of times:

Radians as times:

5729 = 1969
5779 = 2019
513 = "according to the time of life" [כעת חיה], the time announced to both Sarah and the Shunammite woman (the time to expect delivery).

The Moon symbolizes the Kingdom of David.

1969 - 2019
59 Productions:

"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

Back to the beginning:

513 = the first 5 letters of the Torah
513 = chesed + emet (lovingkindness + truth)
513 = hashachar (the dawn)
513 = simple life
513 = "Nes Gadol Hayah Sham" (A great miracle happened there.)
513 = send and fetch him (1 Sam 16:11) for we will not sit down (turn around) till he comes here:

For starters.

Five-thirteen. It really *is* the time of life, chai.

And the sign flashed out its warning
In the words that it was forming
And the sign said, "The words of the prophets
Are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls"*

*"EXIT" (the way out, up)

Time of the end [of summer] =

Progress lays a telegraph wire with one hand and carries a school book in the other.

What is the "sound of silence"?

Crickets chirping!

[2nd amendment mama]

Finally, if we are truly Christ’s children, we will not follow any sort of legalism or ritualism as the scribes and Pharisees did. We’ll realize soon enough that these are utterly incompatible with the new life in Jesus Christ.AMEN!!! That says it all.