"The Standard"

"The Standard"  

    We were greatly blessed to have our dear friend Larry Voas travel over from Mississippi yesterday to teach in the services we conduct at a local retirement community.  Larry is retired from the insurance industry, and served in the Air Force.  He's a gifted Bible teacher, and we have him over several times to year to deliver messages that always bless those who hear them.

    While introducing Larry during the first service, I mentioned the confidence I have in our friend's devotion to God and the Scriptures.  I always know that Larry will seek to glorify only the Lord Jesus Christ.  He will also center his messages in Biblical truth.  It's a great example to me, and a great light to the congregations.  Indeed, Larry knows that we're merely spinning our wheels if the living Word, the Lord Jesus, and the written Word, the Bible, do not comprise the center and circumference of our attempt to communicate Truth.

   "He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water" (John 7:38).

   We must know the Lord Jesus in Biblical terms, "as the Scripture hath said".  Preachers and teachers are a dime a dozen, and have been since the early days of the New Testament.  "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try (test) the spirits whether they are of God.  For many false prophets are gone out into the world" (I John 4:1).  Harder to come by are those who seek only the glory of the Savior according to the authority of the Scriptures.  Pulpits offer the opportunity for all sorts of banter that may inform, inspire, entertain, and elicit some form of response in the hearer.  This may include mention of Christ and reading of Bible passages.  If, however, the communication does not comprise the Christ-focused "center and circumference" standard of the Bible, the message ultimately has no capacity to truly benefit our hearts.  It ends up only as banter.  "Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life.  And they are they which testify of Me" (John 5:39).

   As usual, Larry brought Biblically-based, Christ-centered messages yesterday, calling us to the future hope we have in Heaven, based upon the work of the Lord Jesus on our behalf.  "The Lord Jesus is what makes Heaven, Heaven" said Larry.  He also strongly affirmed that one must trust in the atoning work of Christ in order to have an assurance of Heaven.  From beginning to end of his messages, the Savior and the Scriptures shined forth as the living and written Word to our hearts.  All the glory belongs to God, as Larry would earnestly remind me.  I wholeheartedly concur, which again provides the reason I so rejoice when our dear friend speaks in our services.  We were blessed again yesterday by the Lord's servant, through whom the Holy Spirit directed our hearts to the Standard of life and truth, and to the only hope of our hearts.  

"Jesus saith unto Him, I am… the life" (John 14:6).

"Thy Word is truth" (John 17:17).

Weekly Memory Verse

   He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.

(Proverbs 11:28)