"...and surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" Matthew 28:20c. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever" Hebrews 13:8. The Lord who never changes also never leaves, ignores or abandons his people. He maintains his sovereignty over history—and of his church—until the END I Corinthians 15:24-28. These promises are "things to tie to".
I remember a preacher at Lincoln Bible Institute using that title for his sermon—which promised much. Then he said next to nothing. I even remember Brother Hargrove later fulminating against the guy who boasted of coming delights and dribbled nonsense. While I'm at it, this story. Brother Mills said he was once asked by a student if "catchy titles" were helpful. And Brother Mills replied, "it depends on what you want to catch." Enough of that. Now this. Jesus Christ differs from the United States. Our country used to be known as a promise-keeper: "as long as it takes." Now we're known as a conditional helper: "as long as it doesn't cost too much or take too long." That's the subject of Part I. When Jesus commanded the disciples to preach everywhere, Matthew 28:18-20, repeating it to the soon-to-be-Spirit-baptized apostles, Acts 1:4, 8, he meant two things. They had but one commission: to preach him everywhere they went. And he would never fail to be their empowering source through the Holy Spirit:
He perseveringly empowered the message he put in jars of clay SO THAT those jars never need fear the task left them without power to lift the load. This is a challenge to preachers to get into God's word, into prayer before God's throne and into their messages before God's people with God's Power. Fini
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