November 15, 2022

“Behold, I send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,” says the LORD of hosts. “But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears?” Malachi 3:1-2a

Jesus is soon to return and He wants us to be ready for the glorious climax of earth’s history! How generous the LORD has been in raising up faithful ones to speak truth to receptive ears! While much attention was drawn to the Reformation in Germany, and also in Switzerland, God was at work all over. Thank Him for His divine love and mercy towards you, regardless of your inability to see all that He is doing.

Thirty-three years prior to Martin Luther’s birth in Germany, Jacques Lefevre was born in the small seaport town of Etaples, France in 1455. Born, raised, and educated in Roman Catholicism, he undertook to write a history of the church’s legendary “saints.” Thinking the Bible might assist him in this assignment, he began studying it. His mind was flooded with divine light, and in disgust he turned from his self-imposed task and devoted himself completely to God’s Word. He soon began to teach the precious truths he had discovered. Two inextricably intertwined principles rose like cream to the forefront of his message:

1. Salvation belongs solely to God. “The Sinless One, the Blessing bears the curse, and the cursed is brought into blessing!”

2. Obedience is the duty of man. “Oh, if men would enter into the understanding of this privilege, how purely, chastely, and holily would they live, and how contemptible…would they deem all the glory of this world.”

From the beginning of this world’s creation, the privilege to choose obedience to God was given as a gift from Him. But Satan craftily projects two opposite extremes into the world, one being that obedience is totally unnecessary, while the other extreme paints it as burdensome, unreasonable, and encumbered with added, unbiblical rules. Through Satan’s influence, man has perpetuated both erroneous extremes. Today, make the choice to step onto the path of safety, well-lit by the Word of God.

Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but happy is he who keeps the law. Proverbs 29:18

Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. Matthew 7:13-14

For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. 1 John 5:3