Milo

August 5

“IS.” (2 Cor. 12:9.)

IT had pleased God to remove my youngest child under circumstances of peculiar trial and pain; and as I had just laid my little one’s body in the churchyard, on return home, I felt it my duty to preach to my people on the meaning of trial.
Finding that this text was in the lesson for the following Sabbath, I chose it as my Master’s message to them and myself; but on trying to prepare the notes, I found that in honesty I could not say that the words were true; and therefore I knelt down and asked God to let His grace be sufficient for me. While I was thus pleading, I opened my eyes and saw a framed illuminated text, which my mother had given me only a few days before, and which I had told my servant to place upon the wall during my absence at the holiday resort where my little one was taken away from us.
I did not notice the words on returning to my house; but as I looked up and wiped my eyes, the words met my gaze, “My grace is sufficient for thee.”
The “is” was picked out in bright green while the “My” and the “thee” were painted in another color.
In one moment the message came straight to my soul, as a rebuke for offering such a prayer as, “Lord, let Thy grace be sufficient for me”; for the answer was almost as an audible voice, “How dare you ask that which is?” God cannot make it any more sufficient than He has made it; get up and believe it, and you will find it true, because the Lord says it in the simplest way: “My grace is (not shall be or may be) sufficient for thee.”
“My,” “is,” and “thee” were from that moment, I hope, indelibly fixed upon my heart; and I (thank God) have been trying to live in the reality of the message from that day forward to the present time.
The lesson that came to me, and which I seek to convey to others, is, Never turn God’s facts into hopes, or prayers, but simply use them as realities, and you will find them powerful as you believe them.—Prebendary H. W. Webb Peploe.

He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase;
To added affliction He addeth His mercies,
To multiplied trials His multiplied peace.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.

His love has no limit, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth and giveth and giveth again.
—Annie Johnson Flint.

5 AUGUST

Fear not

‘After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.’ Genesis 15:1
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Psalm 56:1–13

After these things:
(i) after Abraham’s conduct towards the king of Sodom, proving the disinterestedness of his spirit and the strength of his faith. He would accept nothing, though offered all. He would not tarnish his good action by admitting selfish views, nor be beholden to a king when he was at God’s keeping. Now the Lord shows him that he shall be no loser.
(ii) It seems to intimate that Abraham, though honoured and successful, had intervals of fear. We find it so now and have reason to think it has been so always. Believer, though in the Lord’s strength you have gained many a battle, you know you cannot live by past experiences. Unless the Lord says again, Fear not, your fears will return like an armed man. And what he said to Abraham in a vision, he says to you, Fear not, … for this promise belongs not to Abraham only, but to all who partake of his faith (as Joshua 1:5; Hebrews 13:5–6).
FOR MEDITATION:
When the wounded spirit hears
Pardon, grace, and peace proclaimed,
The voice of JESUS’ blood;
And the sinner called a child;
How the message stops the tears
Then the stubborn heart is tamed,
Which else in vain had flowed:
Renewed, and reconciled.

         Oh! ’twas grace indeed, to spare,
         And save a wretch like me!
         Men or angels could not bear
         What I have offered thee.

SERMON SERIES: GENESIS, NO. 29 [2/5], GENESIS 15:1

Jesus is coming again. It’s in the Bible, John 14:2-3, NKJV. “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

There are signs of Jesus’ second coming. It’s in the Bible, Luke 21:29-31, NKJV. “Then He spoke to them a parable: ‘Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near. So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.’”

What are some signs? It’s in the Bible, Matthew 24:3, NKJV. “As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. ‘Tell us,’ they said, ‘when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?’”

Men posing as Jesus will try to deceive people in the last days. It’s in the Bible, Matthew 24:23-24, NIV. “At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe it. For false Christ’s and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible.”

Second coming signs

There will be wars, though they may seem overwhelming, it is not the end. It’s in the Bible, Matthew 24:6, NKJV. “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.”

Earthquakes and famines, and all the signs are only the contractions of what’s coming. It’s in the Bible,Matthew 24:7-8, NKJV. “There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.”

Are we living in the last days?

Non-Christians will find it hard to believe we are living in the last days of earth’s history. It’s in the Bible, II Peter 3:3-4, TLB. “First, I want to remind you that in the last days there will come scoffers who will do every wrong they can think of, and laugh at the truth. This will be their line of argument: ‘So Jesus promised to come back, did He? Then where is He? He’ll never come! Why, as far back as anyone can remember everything has remained exactly as it was since the first day of creation.’”

The coming of the Antichrist is a sign of the end. It’s in the Bible, I John 2:18, NKJV. “Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.”

What moral conditions will be characteristic of society in the last days? It’s in the Bible, II Timothy 3:1-5, NIV. “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.”

What other signs of the last days does the Bible mention? It’s in the Bible, Luke 21:25-26, NIV. “There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.”

Talk of peace and safety are a sign of the last days. It’s in the Bible, I Thessalonians 5:2-3, NIV. “For you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety,’ destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.”

The gospel will go to the whole world and the end will come. It’s in the Bible, Matthew 24:14, NIV. “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

What are people to do when they see these things taking place? It’s in the Bible, Matthew 24:42-44, TLB. “So be prepared, for you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. Just as a man can prevent trouble from thieves by keeping watch for them, so you can avoid trouble by always being ready for My unannounced return.”

It’s in the Bible, Luke 21: 28, NKJV. “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”

THE WORLD SIGNS

1. An increase of sin and lawlessness and conditions similar to the days of Noah and Lot –- 2 Timothy 3:1-5; Luke 17:26-30; Genesis 6:11.

Are not these signs evident in a very marked degree today? Do not these world signs proclaim the nearness of our Lord’s return?

2. THE CHURCH SIGNS

1. The increase of apostasy –- 2 Thessalonians 2:3; 1 Timothy 4:1;
   2 Timothy 4:3-4.
2. Hypocrisy and much empty profession –- 2 Timothy 3:5.
3. Lukewarmness in the Church –- Matthew 24:12; Revelation 3:14-20.
4. Many who scoff at the Truth –- 2 Peter 3:3-4.
5. False prophets and a great increase in false religions and demonism (the occult) –- Matthew 24:11; 1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Timothy 4:3-4; 2 Thessalonians 2:7-10; 2 Peter 2:1-2.
6. Much persecution of the faithful ones –- Matthew 24:9-10; Mark 13:9-13.
7. Worldwide evangelism –- Mark 13:10.

Do you not agree that these signs are evident in a very marked degree today? Do not these churchsigns proclaim the nearness of our Lord’s return?

3. THE JEWISH SIGNS

Please read Luke 21:29-33. In this scripture our Lord compares the Jewish nation to a fig tree, and He tells us that when the fig tree begins to bud and bear fruit we may be sure that His coming again is near at hand.

The budding of the fig tree is taking place today.

• Over the past 30 years, the Jews have been returning to Israel in fulfilment of many prophecies –- Isaiah 11:11-12; Ezekiel 36:24; 37:21; Jeremiah 23:3-8; 32:37-41; Amos 9:14-15; Luke 21:24. “Jews from all parts of the world have been regathering in the land of Israel. Week by week, month by month, by ship and plane, great throngs of the sons and daughters of Abraham have been arriving at the ports of Israel.”
• There are wonderful industrial, agricultural and cultural developments in Israel, in fulfilment of prophecy -– Isaiah 35:1-10; Jeremiah 30:18-22; 31:7-14; Zechariah 14:9-11; Hosea 3:4-5.

This is a truly significant Jewish sign that proclaims the nearness of our Lord’s return.

As you study and meditate upon the above scripture portions, is it not clear that we are living at the end of the present age and that we are justified in believing that “the Lord’s coming is near”? (James 5:8). This truth is at the same time most glorious and most solemn. It is glorious for all who know Him and who are trusting Him as their Lord and Saviour, but it is terribly solemn for those who do not know Him, who have never turned to Him in repentance and faith. Please conclude this study by looking up Isaiah 55:6-7.

ANSWER

Jesus made many statements recorded in the Gospels that garnered great controversy in His day. He said that He came from heaven (John 3:13), had the authority to forgive sins (Luke 7:48–50), and is the “Lord even of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:28). But perhaps His most surprising assertion was given in response to the Jews in John 8. Amid a heated debate over His identity, Jesus told them, “Before Abraham was born, I am!” (John 8:58). This declaration is especially significant given that the phrase I am was used as a title for God (Exodus 3:14).

When analyzing Jesus’ comment, it is important to notice what Jesus did not say. He did not say that “before Abraham existed, I existed.” Or, “Before Abraham was, I was.” Rather, He declared that before Abraham was even born, “I am.” Before Abraham was (past tense), Jesus is(present tense). Jesus was claiming pre-existence.

When Jesus claimed to exist before Abraham, His hearers “picked up stones to stone him” (John 8:59). They knew immediately that Jesus’ statement was tantamount to claiming equality with God, and the penalty for blasphemy under Jewish law was stoning (Leviticus 24:16). Jesus’ opponents were unsuccessful, however. John records that “Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple” (John 8:59). Later, in John 13:19, Jesus again applies the divine name I AM to Himself: “I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am.” The words echo God’s statements in Exodus 3:14, “God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM’” and in Isaiah 41:4, “Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he.”

One day, “the LORD appeared to Abraham” (Genesis 18:1). Throughout the conversation, the Lord is alternately called a “man” and “the Lord” (verses 2, 13, 16, 17, 22). This is a case of an Old Testament Christophany (a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ). Genesis 18provides further support for Jesus’ claim that He existed before Abraham. Jesus visited Abraham and Sarah in their tent and ate a meal with them.

Yes, the Bible certainly teaches that Jesus existed before Abraham. Jesus was “with God in the beginning” (John 1:2; see also John 1:14; Colossians 1:16–17), and that predates Abraham by quite a while. Jesus claimed to be divine on numerous occasions, and one such claim was that He existed prior to Abraham. Not only did Jesus exist prior to Abraham, but Abraham gave Him honor (Genesis 18:2–5).

As Jesus’ resurrection from the dead made clear, Jesus’ divine claims were true! So Jesus’ use of the name “I am” was not blasphemy as the Pharisees had supposed. Such an identification with Yahweh was entirely appropriate given who Jesus is. He is the “Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (Revelation 22:13). He is “God over all” (Romans 9:5) and “the Savior of the world” (1 John 4:14). He was then and will forever be the great “I AM.”