Mesa ALC

Faithful To Christ Alone

mesa-admin — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 22:45:34 +0000

Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. (Romans 7:4-6)

We, as God’s children, are to be faithful to Christ alone.

After the law, as a severe schoolmaster, has brought us to Christ, we are to leave the law and be married to Christ. Man is not to be married to Christ and the law, but to Christ alone.

In a natural marriage, we cannot, according to God’s Word, be married to another while the first spouse is yet living. To do so is to commit adultery, as we read, So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law. (Romans 7:3)

This applies also to our spiritual marriage vows. Unsaved man is under the law. Moses, we might say, is the bridegroom. This bridegroom is unmercifully judging, unforgiving, and condemning of our faults and sinful nature, and cannot help us to change.

The law slays man. He becomes dead to the law, hopelessly undone before a holy God. At this point, the law cannot do more. When the death of this bridegroom takes place, man has become a total sinner. Only then can a person enter into a second marriage. The vow of eternal betrothal is declared: “Believe all your sins forgiven in Jesus’ name and blood. Be of good cheer!”

What a completely different marriage this is! The bride has many weaknesses, but the Bridegroom forgives them. He always tells her how much He loves her, and He assures her that her sins and iniquities He will remember no more. . . . I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. (Jeremiah 31:33)

So then, we cannot be married to Christ and the law at the same time. We are either under law or grace. We are either striving to produce perfection by the flesh, which is Ishmael, the son of Agar, the law; or we are, by grace, resting in that new man who is born of promise, Isaac, or Christ in us, the hope of glory.

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? (Romans 6:1-2) Contrary to the belief of the self-righteous Pharisee, grace gives no license to sin. Rather the justified soul is led by the very indwelling presence of God, the Holy Spirit. This Spirit is a constant guide, ever leading God’s children in paths of righteousness.

God judges all sin. Dare any soul go to the day of judgment without the wedding garment of Jesus’ righteousness? It is found in our bridegroom: Christ alone.

Why is there Hell?

mesa-admin — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 18:25:26 +0000

If God is so merciful, why did He make hell? Why are unrepentant sinners condemned? This is a question that has been asked over the years? It is the reason many people give for not believing in God.

We have to consider God’s nature. He is totally righteous. He does no wrong. He can condone no wrong. Therefore, He must make a place and time of punishment for those who do wrong. If He let sin go unpunished, His very being would be compromised.

But He did make a way out for the sinner. God does not want one of His children to go to hell, so He sacrificed His Son in the sinner’s place. He sent His Son to death and hell for us. Therefore, with repentance and faith in Christ’s sacrifice, no one will go to hell. If everyone in the world would believe on the Lord Jesus Christ they would be saved, every one. Wouldn’t that be awesome? It is not God’s choice that people go to hell. It is only with rejection of His grace that anyone is lost. We deserve hell, but we have been given heaven.

Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom (Luke 12:32).

The New Mesa-ALC.org

mesa-admin — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 10:33:48 +0000

After countless hours of preparation and building, the new mesa-alc.org site has been completed. We have taken great care to ensure you have access to the site features that you have always enjoyed as well as adding a few that might be new to you.

Some of the enhancements made to mesa-alc.org include:

an updated and fully expanded sermon browser that allows for you to filter through our sermons based on pastor, text or theme. For complete instructions and help in using the new sermon filter, click here.
a new way to read through our articles as well as the ability to post your favorite articles on facebook, twitter or practically any other social networking site you have membership with.
a newsletter section that allows you to sign up for our periodic newsletter.

We hope these new features provide a better browsing experience for you. We have a few more features we’re currently working on, and hope that you’ll revisit our site often to get the latest news and articles from our church.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to drop us a note using our feedback form.

Thank you, and we hope you enjoy the new mesa-alc.org.

Fellowship in the Early Church

mesa-admin — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 01:38:18 +0000

The Scriptures give a very favorable report of fellowship in the early church. Jesus had numerous meetings with His followers in the forty-day period between His resurrection and ascension. Luke explains in the book of Acts that these various meetings provided infallible proof of the resurrection and gave additional opportunity for the Lord to speak with His disciples of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. Then in preparation for His ascension, Jesus told the disciples not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. They had been baptized with water, but Jesus promised that they would also be baptized with the Holy Ghost.
The disciples were obedient to the Lord’s command. They continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and with Mary, the mother of Jesus, and with His brethren. When the day of promise came, we are told that they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:1-4)
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The Goodness of the Lord

mesa-admin — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 18:14:03 +0000

Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing. (Psalm 107:21-22)

The psalmist recalled the covenant the Lord made with their forefathers, and how the Heavenly Father heard the prayers of the children of Israel when they were in distress. He promised to them the land of Canaan, yet many times his children rebelled. They complained along the way, but God was merciful to them. He provided food and water, He protected them, and, as the psalmist wrote, He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes. (Psalm 105:14)

God helped them in every time of need. He forgave the repentant and destroyed the unrepentant. He remembered his promises and gave them the land He had promised. He said, I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. (Joshua 1:5) He drove out the enemy from before them, and continued to provide for them despite their groaning and complaining.

It seems as though the children of Israel seldom remembered to offer thanks to their Heavenly Father for his blessings. Occasionally they would set up an altar and offer sacrifice and thanksgiving unto Him. The psalmist encourages men to remember what the Heavenly Father has done, and to thank and praise Him for it.

Because of pride, it is not easy for man to offer thanks to God. Man would like to think that he has done this and that by the labors of his own hands, not remembering that it is God who has given us life, understanding, strength, wisdom, and health. It is He who provides for us daily. Without his blessings, we would have absolutely nothing.

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Love Makes Us Servants

mesa-admin — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 23:10:15 +0000

This is what I have often said, that faith makes of us lords, and love makes of us servants. Indeed, by faith we become gods and partakers of the divine nature and name, as is said in Psalms 82:6: I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. But through love we become equal to the poorest. According to faith we are in need of nothing, and have an abundance; according to love we are servants of all. By faith we receive blessings from above, from God; through love we give them out below, to our neighbor, even as Christ in His divinity stood in need of nothing, but in His humanity served everybody who had need of Him. Of this we have spoken often enough, namely, that we also must by faith be born God’s sons and gods, lords and kings, even as Christ is begotten true God of the Father in eternity; and again, come out of ourselves by love and help our neighbors with kind deeds, even as Christ became Man to help us all. And as Christ is not God because He first merited divinity by His works or attained to it through His incarnation, but has it by birth, without any works, even before He became Man; so we also have not merited by works or love sonship with God, so that our sins are forgiven, and death and hell cannot injure us; but without works and before our love, we have received it in the Gospel by grace through faith. And as Christ first became man to serve us after being God from eternity, so we also do good and exercise love to our neighbor, after we have become pious, free from sin, alive, saved, and sons of God by faith.

Martin Luther

Marvel at the Light of the World

mesa-admin — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 22:31:59 +0000

What are those wonderful things spoken concerning Him? They are the things concerning which Simeon had spoken immediately before, when in the temple he took the child Jesus up in his arms, saying: Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. (Luke 2:29-32) At these things, Luke says, they marveled, namely, that this aged and holy man stood there before them in the temple, took the Child in his arms and spoke of Him so exultingly, calling Him the Light of the world, a Savior of all nations, a Glory of all the people of Israel; Simeon himself thinking so highly of Him that he would now fain depart this life after he had seen the Child.

Now it must indeed excite wonder that such things were proclaimed openly by Simeon in that public and sacred place with reference to that poor and insignificant Child, whose mother was so humble and lowly and whose father Joseph was not wealthy. How could such a Child be considered the Savior of all men, the Light of the Gentiles and the Glory and Honor of all Israel? At present, after we have had so many proofs of Christ’s greatness, these words do no longer seem so wonderful; but then, when nothing as yet was known of Jesus, they were indeed marvelous, and this lowly Child was very unlike the great and mighty being portrayed by Simeon. But Joseph and Mary believed it nevertheless, and therefore they marveled. If they had not believed it, the words of Simeon would have appeared to them insignificant, untrue and worthless, and not at all wonderful. Therefore, the fact that they marveled shows that Joseph and Mary possessed a strong and sublime faith.

But some one might say: why then do they marvel at this? Had not the angels told them before that this Child was Christ and the Savior, and had not the shepherds also spoken glorious things concerning Him? It was also very wonderful that the kings or wise men had come from distant lands to worship Him with their offerings. Mary knew well that she had conceived Him of the Holy Spirit, and that wonderful events had attended His birth. Moreover, the angel Gabriel had said that He should be great and be called the Son of the Most High. In short, all the preceding events had been marvelous, up to this time; now nothing wonderful occurs, but only those things are announced and proclaimed concerning Him which have not happened and are not yet seen.