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Teaching Series on Covenant
Go to mcmtffr.org to
listen to all of the teaching from the series.
The Character
of Covenants 5/3/20
Finding
God's Purpose in His Covenants 5/17/20
The Covenant
of Creation, Part 1 5/24/20
The Covenant
of Creation, Part 2 5/31/20
The Covenant
of Creation, Part 3 6/7/20
To understand Covenant is to understand God’s Way of Relationship.
In Part Three of the teaching sermons dealing with
the Covenant of Creation, we examine the role of obedience. Perfect,
personal, perpetual obedience is the required response to God as Creator by virtue of the Creator/creature relationship
alone. Adam was unique. He was given a test consisting of one negative ordering: don’t eat the forbidden fruit!
Would Adam willingly choose obedience for the sake of obedience alone? Would he believe the wisdom of God as to
what is good and what is evil? Would he pass a specific test such that for himself and his posterity he would merit
LIFE?
Radical obedience provides the key to blessing under the covenant of creation. But Adam rejected the Wisdom of
God and obeyed another word. That plunged humanity into the estate of sin and misery. Find out more and Romans
5 will make a lot more sense.
Remember to bless the LORD, to exalt Him, to desire Him, to glorify Him, to praise Him, and to thank Him. It is
what the LORD wants now.
The Spirit of the Lord would say to the churches: Hold
fast to that which you have been given. Hold to the promises for I am a faithful God. Hold fast to that which is
good. Hold fast to the confession of your hope. Hold fast to the confidence of that hope.
I am the God of great surprises. I am separating, sanctifying, sifting, and sorting. I am the Chief Shepherd. I
know My sheep and they know My Voice. Do not fear, for I am the LORD. I am raising up a Holy Bride. I am a God
of order and I am ordering things aright for Mine. Repent and follow the Christ. I am bringing to Mine love, power,
and a sound mind. Be renewed in the spirit of your mind. I am your safety, your safe place—wherever you are, I
am with you to prevail.
Come unto Me you burdened and anxious ones. In Me is Life. I AM.
So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will
come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. Revelation 3:3
Dr. Mary Craig
The
Covenant of Grace Begins in Genesis 6/14/20
Genesis is the book of beginnings. It is in Genesis that we find the beginning of the grace the Creator
God will provide when Adam, the Federal Head of the human race, willingly chooses to believe another wisdom and
reject the wisdom of God in a radical disobedience of cosmic treason against his Creator. Yes, in the book of beginnings,
we find that in His wrath, God remembers mercy. God gives in the midst of judgment a promise, the first promise
of a Deliverer, a Savior. Hold on to this prophetic word, for it will surely happen; it has happened in the Person
of Jesus Christ and it will happen in full with the Consummation of the Covenant.
In this sermon we look at the Covenant of Commencement: Adam. We are not only seeing God’s heart, but also gaining
insight into His nature and ways.. God’s way of relationship is covenant. As we become convicted, convinced, converted,
and corrected by the Holy Spirit, we feel the fierceness of the love of God that will not let us go. We experience
a faithfulness of a Living God who also will do what is necessary and sufficient so that what God has said will
surely come to pass.
Hath God said? Yes, God told Adam that in the day that he ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil he
would surely die. God spoke and meant and means what He says. Satan perverts the truth; today we would call it
“spinning” the truth. But it will be, by the amazing grace of the Almighty: “I will be your God, and you will be
My people.”
Know, reckon, yield,
Dr. Mary Craig
Noah:
The Covenant of Preservation Part 1 6/21/20
The message attached is next in our series, “Covenant:
God’s Way of Relationship.” We are moving along
in Genesis and have come to “Noah: The Covenant of Preservation, Part
1.”
Since Jesus spoke of the time of His coming again in judgment relative to “the days of Noah,” this message helps
us, I believe, better understand the mind and heart of God, that in His wrath He remembers mercy.
I hope this message will spark interest in Noah as a person and also in God who initiates the covenants unilaterally
as a bond in blood sovereignly administered. This is Part One of the Covenant of Preservation.
With what we are seeing in the news or living out firsthand, Noah can “teach us a thing or two.” He lived in the
midst of evil, yet he found grace in the eyes of the LORD. He remained faithful and held to the positive and let
the wisdom of the Word of God inform his decisions, including what God said as He judged the earth and its inhabitants.
He obeyed God when it seemed really ridiculous, since it had never rained yet on the earth and He was told to build
an ark exactly to God’s specifications. He believed in something, the Living God, the Creator, someone greater
than himself. He trusted the Source and Supplier of all Life and Blessing and found comfort in the Words God gave
him and in his relationship with the LORD. God demonstrated His faithfulness.
God’s assignment for Noah gave him a mission, a purpose, and meaning. He would be responsible for building that
ark, believing that the surely coming judgment of God would mean destruction to masses of people and animals and
creeping things and birds, but he and his family would, by God’s grace, be spared, along with selected animals
and creeping things and birds. His mission involved caring for himself, for his own family, and for God’s good
creation according as God said. Noah kept a positive attitude and stayed strong in the grace of God by the preservation
power of God. People likely mocked, scorned, and laughed, but Noah kept his focus with whole-hearted obedience
to the LORD.
We persevere because God preserves. Be encouraged and recognize that as we support one another through prayer and
words of wisdom, encouragement, and comfort, we are supported in the process.
Grace is not deserved and cannot be earned. It is the gift of God, and not of works. Noah wasn’t perfect; he fell
short as have we all. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. God declared Noah righteous. God spared a remnant
in His loving-kindness and mercy, and hit, as it were, the “restart” button. Find out more…and be blessed.
Mary Craig, D. Min
Noah:
The Covenant of Preservation Part 2 6/28/20
Abram:
The Covenant of Promise Part 1 7/5/20
We have reached the point in our series “Covenant: God’s
Way of Relationship” where we will begin to consider the
beginnings of the Covenant of Promise made to Abram, who became Abraham. God’s
covenants have stipulations, but His covenants are unilateral: no negotiating. The promises He makes will indeed
be fulfilled.
God doesn’t suggest. Instead, God solemnly charged Abram, “Get out of your country, and from your kindred, and
from your father’s house, unto a land that I will show you: and I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless
you, and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing: and I will bless them that bless you, and curse him
that curses you: and in you shall all families of the earth be blessed.” (Genesis 12:1-3)
This is just the beginning of our adventure into Abram/Abraham’s life. In the New Testament, Paul will say to the
Galatians:
16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And
to thy seed, which is Christ.17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ,
the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none
effect.18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
Galatians 3:16-18 KJV
Strengthen the foundation of your faith. The foundation
of the Lord stands sure. May we have wisdom to understand this grace in which we live. See attached.
Mary Craig, D. Min.
The
Faith of Abraham: The Covenant of Promise Part 2
7/19/20
Abraham:
The Covenant of Promise Part 3 7/26/20
As Christians, we have that “blessed hope” in Jesus Christ
and do not need to live our lives in anxiety. We believe God is sovereign and see Him working in our lives and
in the lives of others every day. We know that He hears the prayers of true believers and that He is good, holy,
pure, true, and wise—infinitely and eternally. Paul the Apostle gives us in Philippians 4 the antidote to anxiety:
rejoice in the Lord always; pray properly, think properly, and live properly. Philippians 4:9 says, “The things
which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.”
The God of peace was with Abraham as he grew in
faith believing in the promises the Covenant Lord gave him.
God cut the covenant he made with Abraham, guaranteeing that all would happen as God said. God made a “maledictory
oath” to reassure Abraham. The result was that Abraham was kept by the power of God as he obeyed the stipulations
of the Covenant.
Find out more in our series “Covenant: God’s Way of Relationship” with this week focusing on “Abraham: The Covenant
of Promise, Part Four.” (Next Sunday.) Salvation is by promise, not by law-keeping, not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to God’s mercy. God saves us; we do not save ourselves.
Abraham was not perfect, though Paul tells us in Romans that Abraham did not waver in his faith. Abraham had his
faults and his times of trying to figure out how God’s promises could come about. His was not a steady state of
perfect obedience, but by Genesis 22 we read remarkable things about Abraham. Check it out.
Jesus Christ fulfilled all righteousness with a perfect, personal, perpetual obedience in our behalf. He is Just
and True, the perfect Mediator between God (the Living God) and man/humanity. All glory to Him as we move ahead
in amazement at the grace and mercy of the Lord.
May the Holy Spirit open blind eyes, bearing witness to the truth, that we might understand, perceive, and comprehend
with our minds and receive with our hearts all that He has for us.
Dr. Mary Craig
Abraham:
The Covenant of Promise Part 4 8/2/20
I am so thankful to the Lord that many of you are doing
further study on the unilateral Covenants of God. Covenant is God’s way of relationship with His creation as Creator
and as Redeemer.
The Covenant God made with Abraham has such great
significance that we are on Part Four. In it we
examine the relationship between promise and obedience, how that in a unilateral, no negotiation, unconditional
covenant, God assumes to Himself the full responsibility for seeing that every promise of the covenant shall be
realized. Abraham had obligations, stipulations, but God solemnly commits Himself as Almighty God that though death
may be necessary, the promises of the covenant shall be fulfilled.
So many of us have times when our faith “runs out the bottom of their feet” (if we’re honest about it). No one
is righteous, not one of us. The more we log in to “if it has to be, it’s up to me,” the more we can find ourselves
very discouraged, beating ourselves up, wondering about our faith, losing hope, questioning…
God assured Abraham. He assures us that His faith, His faithfulness will bring all that He has promised to pass.
In this message, we look at the blessings of Abraham, blessings given by promise. We discover and consider important
truths connected to the blessing of God.
Be encouraged. Jesus is the Promised One. The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of the Father, is the
Promise of the Father.
Mary Craig, D. Min.
. . .
Abraham:
The Covenant of Promise Part 5 8/9/20
This past Sunday, as part of our sermon series “Covenant:
God’s Way of Relationship,” I gave Part Four of “Abraham: The Covenant of Promise.” Someone had questions about my saying that we need “to get from here to there,”
speaking of that time when we physically die and go to our appointed destiny. We don't always know when the LORD
will call us out of this world to Himself. The message attached speaks to The Promise and to the importance of
having the right kind of faith, the faith that saves, the faith that is by grace . Many today presume; but we can
and must know with full confidence and assurance. The audio has more than the written version.
Some time ago, our cat Marmee, so elderly and wasting away from a suspected cancer, had to be euthanized. Jim and
I were with her at the vet. When we walked out of the room, the Lord said to me, "This is why you preach this
Gospel." It is appointed unto man once to die and after that the judgment.
Bishop Arnold knew Jesus Christ to be that One whose he is and whom he served. He served the LORD to the end. He
preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ. His was not presumption, but a living faith in a living God. Jesus said, “And
this is eternal life, that they may know You, the Only True God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” John 17:3.
Bishop Arnold lives and will live eternally in the fullness of the Presence of the Lord.
I hope you read this message attached (Abraham:
The Covenant of Promise Part Five) and/or listen
to the audio. May you be touched by the grace of God, by the Holy Spirit, and may He fill the desires of His heart
for you.
Mary Craig, D. Min.
Moses:
The Covenant of Law Part 1 8/16/20
So many people presume that getting into heaven on our
own merits, like there’s a big balance scale somewhere, means that if we do the best we can, basically don’t murder
anyone (yet Paul conspired to the killing of many Christians), and are basically “good” people, that “we’re in.”
Is that correct? Or is there another basis on which “we’re in”?
We need to know, and it is a pressing urgency right now, the basis on which a person is accepted by the Only True
and Living God, who is Infinite, Eternal, and Sovereign. We need to know for ourselves and so that we have an answer
for everyone who asks us about the Blessed Hope that is within every true believer. What would we say to the True
God were we to die and find ourselves before Him asking us why He should let us into His Heaven? What is required?
How can we know with assurance that our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life?
We CAN know for sure, and as we ask the Holy Spirit to help us understand with our minds and receive with our hearts
what He is saying to us in His Word, He will respond.
When it comes to Moses and the Covenant of Law,
the topic seems to bring up a lot of questions. So, the plan is to spend several weeks looking at this covenant
from this way and that.
One of our MCM Board Members sent me something by John
Piper. Here’s a quote:
“…there are two different ways to require obedience.
"One is this: salvation by law-keeping requires obedience
— indeed, perfect obedience — as the basis of our salvation. That’s never going to happen. If we want to try to
be saved by law-keeping, Galatians 5:3 says to have at it, and you’ve got to keep the whole law, and it isn’t going
to happen. So, salvation by law-keeping is a dead-end street. By the law comes death.
"The other is that salvation by faith also requires
obedience, but not as the basis of our salvation, but as the evidence and confirmation of it."
A right understanding of all this sets so many people
free, and this is my purpose, that the Living God would open our eyes, our understanding, and set us free to be
the people God made us and intended us to be.
Remember to bless the LORD, delight in Him, rejoice in
the Lord always, and extol Him for He is El Elyon, the Most High God.
Mary Craig, D. Min.
Moses:
The Covenant of Law Part 2 8/23/20
We are continuing in our series “Covenant: God’s Way of
Relationship.” The attached sermon teaching notes are from our tele-service August 23, 2020, “Moses: The Covenant of Law Part Two.” In this message we cover the mercy of God
in the covenant given to Moses. The Mosaic covenant
was given to a redeemed people, a people brought out of bondage in Egypt to be God’s demonstration people. The
Law is good, spiritual, holy. However, the Law cannot give LIFE. Only the Holy Spirit gives life. It is the Law
of the Spirit of Life that sets one free from the law of sin and death. We trace the grace in the Covenant of Law.
May the impact of the mercy of God touch your life in
such a way as to bring you closer to the Living God and His desires for you. May the Covenant-Lord be blessed and
thanked for His mercy that is new every morning and which endures forever,
Dr. Mary Craig
We’re moving along in our series “Covenant: God’s Way of Relationship.”
Attached is the message from Sunday’s Tele-service August 30, 2020, “Moses: The Covenant of Law Part Three” by
Dr. Mary Craig.
In this message we look more at the sacrifices in the Old Covenant worship system and how they are fulfilled in
the once-for-all-time sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
For the amazing grace of redemption, we bless and praise the One, True God and Jesus Christ Whom He has sent.
Mary Craig, D. Min.
Moses:
The Covenant of Law Part 3 8/30/20
The word
I received about 2020 from the Holy Spirit was that this would
be a year of surprises, some even great surprises. And so it has been. The signing of the Abraham Accords September
15, 2020, was one of those great surprises.
We have been talking about the Covenants. Covenant is God’s way of relationship. It is the vehicle through which
He relates with people. In the message given September 13, 2020, we spoke about “Essentials of the Covenant of
Grace.” (See attached.) In it I reviewed the covenants about which
we have talked, starting with the Covenant of Works up through the Covenant of the Law which God made with Moses,
[finishing up last Sunday with "Moses: The Covenant of Law Part Three"]
With all that is going on here in the USA and around the world, it is timely. We need to know the One True God
as a Covenant-keeping God, faithful and righteous, just and true.
So my hope is that you will pray for the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation to reveal to you Jesus Christ, the Consummation
of the Covenant, as we review and press forward in our knowledge. We “trace the grace.” We are laying a strong
foundation which will both sustain and strengthen us for the days ahead.
Come to the waters and drink, for I give you rivers
in the desert as I lead you through dry places. I am the Light guiding you through deep darkness. I am He who was
and who is and who is to come. I am LORD and Savior, Source and Sustainer, Sovereign and True, the Faithful Witness
who bears witness to the Truth. I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and all who come to Me in truth will know
the Truth and the True and Living God. I give to those who believe in Me, Life, eternal Life. Come. Repent, or
perish.
Mary Craig, D. Min.
Essentials
of the Covenant of Grace 9/13/20
David:
The Covenant of the Kingdom Part 1 9/20/20
With the Davidic covenant we come to the climax of the revelation of
the covenant of grace in the OT. In this covenant God formally
establishes how He shall rule among His people. The kingdom arrives. God had revealed Himself already as Lord of
the covenant, but now He openly situates His throne in a single locality. He will reign from Mt. Zion in Jerusalem.
The kingdom has come and the king has come. With David the ark comes to Jerusalem in triumph. God associates His
kingship with the throne of David, rejecting the tribe of Ephraim and delighting in designating the tribe of Judah
and the house of David as His chosen instrument for rule (Psalm 78.60-72). In the covenant with David, God formalizes
the bond by which God’s kingdom will come among His people.
There is an interconnection between David’s throne and God’s Throne. David’s throne was considered as coordinate
with God’s throne. (1 Chronicles 29.22) Jesus the Christ, the anointed One of Israel is seated at God’s right hand.
His present reign fulfills the OT anticipations and so where the King is, so is His throne. Acts 2.30-36. Hebrews
12.22-24 tells us that believers in Christ are now come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem. The significant
Jerusalem is no longer the “present” Jerusalem, but the Jerusalem above. Galatians 4.25, 26. It is from this Jerusalem
above that life in God’s kingdom begins. Christ’s throne in heaven at God’s right hand is David’s throne in the
Jerusalem above. From there He rules the whole world in righteousness.
So as we begin looking at The Covenant of the Kingdom, trace the grace and trace the Throne.
In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and riches and wisdom and
strength and honor and glory and blessing!” And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth
and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor
and glory and power forever and ever! Revelation 5:12, 13.
Sing “Hallelujah to the Lamb.”
Dr. Mary Craig
David:
The Covenant of the Kingdom Part 2 9/27/20
Every war has weapons. Ours are spiritual. God has given
His children spiritual weapons as they wage war against the world, the flesh, and the devil in their personal lives.
In this regard, we are told in scripture to look to the examples of those who have preceded us in the faith. One
such person from whom we can learn is David.
We have been looking at the Covenant God made with David.
He understood covenant early on in his life. The Living God was with him. David was chosen by God and anointed.
The Spirit of the Lord came upon and prospered David from that day forward (and turned aside from Saul). He learned
to submit to authority. He fought Goliath. David learned obedience; he found favor in Saul’s eyes and ministered
to Saul. In spite of attempts on his life, David went on to become the anointed king of Judah and then king over
all of Israel. He was armed with the weapons of spiritual warfare. And he was a covenant man.
Be encouraged as you read the message attached
("David: The Covenant of the Kingdom Part Two").
Be strengthened. Be strong in the LORD and in the power of His might. Do not fear. Be anxious for nothing. Let
your requests be made known to God with thanksgiving. Our God reigns.
Mary Craig, D. Min.
The
Sure Mercies of David in the Covenant of the Kingdom (Part 3)
10/4/20
We continue in our teaching sermon series, “Covenant:
God’s Way of Relationship.” This message is: “The Sure Mercies of David in the Covenant of the Kingdom.”
God establishes a covenant with David in which He identifies
with His people. He reinforces the Immanuel principle, being with David. He connects "house" as both
dynasty and dwelling-place, promising a perpetual dynasty of David. He makes two pivotal promises, one concerning
the line of David and the other concerning appointing a place for God's people and the locality of Jerusalem. He
then establishes a father-son relationship: "I will be your God and you will be My son." This relationship
culminates in Christ, the son of David, the son of God. (Psalm 2, Romans 1.3, 4, Hebrews 1.5) And then God does
something wonderful.
God establishes the sure mercies of David. After David's death, God will set up his seed, his descendants, after
him, establishing his throne and kingdom forever. How can this be? Who will sit on the throne forever and forever
and on what basis?
In this message we look at the depth of the love
of God manifesting in such grace and mercy that we can hardly take it in. We consider God’s gracious extension
of the sure mercies of David to all who thirst in Isaiah 55. If
someone asks you whether or not the gospel is in the Old Testament, here is your answer.
May the sure mercies of David and God’s call to Life be established in your heart, and may the Holy Spirit touch
the very core of your being with the truth of His Word,
Mary Craig, D. Min.
David:
The Covenant of the Kingdom Part 4 10/11/20
In this message attached we look at kings in general and
David in particular. All monarchs, whether godly or ungodly, owe their exaltation to God who “puts down one, and
sets up another,” who “raises up the poor out of the dust, that he may set him among princes.” (Psalm 74:7)
What did the word “king” mean to the ancient world? What character traits were the kings to exhibit? What was it
about David that made him “a man after God’s own heart?”
“David: The Covenant of the Kingdom, Part 4” in
Dr. Mary Craig’s series “Covenant: God’s Way of Relationship”
In the battle of kings, true prophets of God spoke truth to power, not to cater to the whims and wishes of kings,
but to speak for the Living God. As we look at the kingly anointing on David, we see the importance of who we are
in Christ in spiritual warfare. David was anointed at age 11; God was with him. He had two more anointings before
becoming king over all of Israel. He went from being a shepherd to an earthly sovereign and servant of the Most
High God, Yahweh. Jesus was born a king yet He is the Good Shepherd, the Chief Shepherd, and the Great Shepherd.
Jesus came as suffering servant, the Messiah. He lived, was buried, died, and rose again the third day to sit at
the right hand of the Almighty, King of kings Lord of lords, God the Son, Son of God, Sovereign Savior.
Our spiritual history is one of Covenant, of the Creator’s desire to have a people, to whom He says, “And I will
be your God, and you will be My people.”
Hosea 2:23
And I will sow her as My own in the land, and I will have compassion on 'No Compassion.' I will say to those called
'Not My People,' 'You are My people,' and they will say, 'You are my God.'"
May you take comfort in the God of all Comfort,
Dr. Mary Craig
God's
Covenental Faithfulness Part 1 10/25/20
God is faithful, but some want a little proof that once
God makes a binding oath, His decree cannot be violated and is irrevocable. We have looked at 2 Samuel 7, the foundation
of the Davidic covenant and of the entire monarchy in Israel. Now we will see a pattern develop when we trace the
history of the Word of God among the kings of Israel. Slight variations may occur, but we will look at the pattern
overall, and we can marvel together at the faithfulness of the Covenant Lord.
Listen to the Bible study series “Covenant: God’s Way
of Relationship” by Dr. Mary Craig, “God’s Covenantal Faithfulness Part One.”
Do not fear. Hold on. Carry on.
May you be blessed with the protection of the LORD whose banner over you is love.
Dr. Mary Craig
God's
Covenental Faithfulness Part 2 11/1/20
These are trying times, for sure. But are we counting
it all joy? Let’s all pray that we keep trusting in our Covenant Lord and His faithfulness. Certain events are
just a parentheses (__________) in our lives. We will get through them as we continue to hope in the Living God
with a Christ-given unshakeable faith and abiding trust that the Judge of all the earth does right.
Trust, in my mind, is a little different from faith. Faith has an object. We are to have faith in Christ; but we
are also to believe in Jesus Christ, believe Him, and believe what He believes. We have our belief systems. The
Bible speaks of “the faith.” Trust, to me, seems to lead me to the Person of Christ. I trust in Christ as a Person,
knowing who He is and what He has done in my behalf and what He is willing to do. One thing of which I am convinced
from walking with the Holy Spirit since 1972 is that God is faithful, and He also will do it. What do you think?
My message attached deals with God’s Covenantal Faithfulness. Have you ever heard of the “Curse of Jeconiah”? Satan
most likely took delight in that. But God, faithful to His Covenant, worked a miracle. What was that miracle? This
message gives the narrative. Hopefully, you will gain appreciation for all those “begats” we tend to skip over
and you will be encouraged and strengthened to carry on, trust, believe, and keep the faith.
Here’s a good word from Paul writing under the superintending influence of the Holy Spirit in 1 Thessalonians 5:14-24:
Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly,
comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone,
but always pursue that which is good, both for yourselves and for all. Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. [Keep
the communication lines open with the Living God.] In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ
Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies [forth-telling]. Test all things; hold fast
what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely;
and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who
calls you is faithful, who also will do it. 1 Thessalonians 5:14-24.
By the way, no battle is over until the enemy is soundly
defeated, sentenced, and penalties paid in full. Combat between opposing armed forces depends more on disciplined
troops than on size of armed forces. This is why when Christians pray, and God hears our prayers, we have the advantage
of the Armies of the Heavenly Host sent out only by the Living God to do His will.
How are battles won? According to Wikipedia, “A victory in the battle is achieved when one of the opposing sides
forces the other to abandon its mission and surrender its forces, routs the other (i.e., forces it to retreat or
renders it militarily ineffective for further combat operations) or annihilates the latter, resulting in their
deaths or capture.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle For us, the war has been won; Christ has the victory. We have
our battles to win as we learn to overcome in His Name, by His grace, and for His glory.
Standing in Christ, seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
Mary Craig, D. Min.
God's
Covenent Names of God Part 1 11/15/20
God's
Covenent Names of God Part 2 11/22/20
We have been looking at “The Covenant Names of God” in
our Series “Covenant: God’s Way of Relationship.” Attached are two messages, Part One and Part Two, on these names.
These are not the only names of God; there are hundreds. We are to call upon God's Name in our troubles; He is
the One who Saves. Eternal life comes through belief in the Lord Jesus Christ, in all He is and in all He has done
to accomplish fully and completely our relationship with the Father. That means that Jesus Christ is the Way (the
only way), the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father but by/through Him.
It is to Jehovah names of God that we will look to grasp who God is in covenant with His people. God is the self-existing
one who always was, always is, and always will be, I AM THAT I AM. Jehovah is a name of covenant relationship as
God placed His people in a distinct moral relationship with Himself. Jehovah is God entering into history in His
redemptive relationship with the Elect. In the covenant names of God we find strength and assurance and a treasure
trove for our faith.
May you be blessed with all that the Living God has for
you in Jesus Christ,
Mary Craig, D. Min.
Jesus
Christ: The Covenant of Consumation Part 1 12/13/20
For God to achieve His ultimate purpose to redeem a people
for Himself, something better and more effective had to be in the plan. It was. God does not fail. He will not
be thwarted; He will be glorified. He does that in and through His Son.
In the message attached, we consider "Jesus Christ, The Covenant of Consummation Part One" from our series
"Covenant: God's Way of Relationship" with Dr. Mary Craig.
"For unto us a Child is born; unto us a Son is given."
Mary Craig, D. Min.
Jesus
Christ: The Covenant of Consumation Part 2 12/27/20
As we close out 2020, a year of surprises, some great
surprises, we also finish our series “Covenant: God’s Way of Relationship.”
The new covenant in Christ reflects a new dimension in God’s redemptive working, the establishment of something
superior accomplished by a superior Mediator.
The concept of newness implies a break with the past but does not imply that it stands in absolute contradiction
to previous covenants. There is a continuity. In the new covenant the Blood of Jesus removes sin in the framework
of God’s just administration of the world. In the new covenant the actual and true replaces the type and shadow.
All things are better.
Be encouraged as you hear many, many of the benefits of the new covenant in Christ. We look into all this and more
in this message.
As this COVID year of 2020 comes to a close, remember the Friend we have in Jesus. Remember the LORD and bless
His holy Name. Bless Him and exalt Him, for Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords, ruler over all.
Happy New Year,
Mary Craig, D. Min.
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