A Man Called of God

By Ronald Bartanen     “By faith Abraham, when he was called obeyed; and he went out” (Hebrews 11:8). No Old Testament person is more significant than faithful Abraham, a man honored by the adherents to the world’s three most prominent religions”” Christian, Jewish and Islam.     He is the one Old Testament saint most often referred to in the New Testament. Paul spoke of him as “the father of all them that believe who walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham” (Romans 4:11-12). Verses 17 and 18 thus speak of him as “a father of many nations.” He was truly a man called of God, who was willing to step out in faith and obey God.     Among the promises God gave to Abraham was, “In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 22:18). That promised seed or descendant is Jesus (Galatians 3:16). Only in Christ do we obtain the blessing conferred upon this man of faith. When called by the gospel of Christ (2 Thess. 2:14), would you show the same type of faith exhibited by Abraham to obey that call

- Ronald Bartanen is a retired minister who for many years served the Lord's church in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee. After the passing of his beloved wife, Doris, Ron has relocated from Illinois to Florida where he is near family. He may be contacted at: ron33dor@yahoo.com

Grace Has Appeared

By Ronald Bartanen
“The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world, looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:11-13).    To a world enveloped in spiritual darkness grace appeared for all to see two thousand years ago.  That grace was embodied in Christ, the prophesied “Sun of righteousness” that would “arise with healing in His wings” (Malachi 4:2).  Malachi’s promise for His appearing was “to them that look for Him.”  There were those in Judea, at the coming of Christ, who “looked for redemption in Jerusalem” (Luke 3:8).  They were those who were spiritually awake, even in the world of darkness, knowledgeable of the messianic prophecies of His coming, awaiting the rising “Sun of righteousness.”  The world had the natural law, with some inherent knowledge of right and wrong, and the Jews were further blessed with God’s Law through Moses, but law only exposed the fact that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).  What was needed was grace—the unmerited favor of God, secured for man by Christ, As Malachi said, He would arise “with healing in His wings.”  His righteousness would be imputed to the unrighteous through His sacrifice at Calvary.  The apostle Paul spoke of his grace: “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God” (Rom. 3:24-25).  The full realization of this righteousness came as penitent believers were “buried with him by baptism into death: that as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:3-4).     The word grace speaks of the unmerited favor of God, as bestowed through Christ alone.  The most unworthy among us, has access to the worthiness of Christ, the sinless Son of God.  There is no quality even in the best of men and women that would lay claim to heaven.  In Rom. 3:19 Paul declared “all the world” to be “guilty before God”.  Before the bar of justice, all stand condemned if it were not for the grace of God through Christ. This grace “appeared.”  It was not man’s doing, but God’s.  The grace appeared in God sending Christ His Son to be man’s redeemer.  “The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” (John 1:17).     Paul, in writing to Titus, reminded him that not only did grace appear in the coming of Christ, but also that the redeemed can look again with expectation for “the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ.”  He who came once will come again.  That is the believer’s “blessed hope.”  As iniquity abounds and the love of many waxes cold (Matt. 24:12),,Christ’s true followers shall, by His grace, “endure unto the end (v. 13),” looking for His glorious appearing.”  The fruit of this faith is the denial in our lives of “ungodliness and worldly lusts,” as the passage in Titus indicates.  The appearing of the grace of God establishes not only a new relationship with God, but also a new life, characterized by the words “soberly, righteously and godly.”  In this spiritually darkened world of ungodliness, are you looking for and preparing for His appearing—the second arising of “the Sun of righteousness”? 

- Ronald Bartanen is a retired minister who for many years served the Lord's church in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee. After the passing of his beloved wife, Doris, Ron has relocated from Illinois to Florida where he is near family. He may be contacted at: ron33dor@yahoo.com

The Road into Love and Patience

By Ron Bartanen “The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 3:5)     Have you ever found yourself in unfamiliar territory, unsure of what road to turn on to get to your desired destination? If so, join the crowd.  While it is disturbing to be in such a predicament, it is tragic to be spiritually confused, uncertain of what lies ahead.  This can be the plight even of Christians who have begun the journey on the Christian Way, as indicated by Paul in writing to the believers in Thessalonica whom he has commended for their “faith and patience” while enduring persecution (1:4).       While Paul is obviously not denying their love for God, or their patient endurance, yet he saw the need to desire for them divine direction into both.  Were they not already in the love of God and patience? Yes, and no.  To illustrate, a man may take a plane from London to New York City, and may phone his family, informing them that he is now in the United States.  However, as a Midwesterner I would say he needs to leave NYC, and go on into the United States because there’s a lot more to see than what NYC can offer.  When we come in to the love of God, we do not stop our journey.  It’s then just begun.     How extensive is the love of God? One of our songs expresses it in these words: “The love of God is greater far,/Than tongue or pen can ever tell:/It goes beyond the highest star,/And reaches to the lowest hell.:”  In the storms of life, God would direct us into the sanctuary of His love.     Likewise, the “patient waiting for Christ” does not end when one rises from the waters of baptism.  We do not sit down, gazing into the clouds as we await His return for us.  Jesus warns His followers to not be found sleeping at His coming (Matt. 24:36), but faithful in watching and praying, even as tribulation in the world worsens, saying, “Watch ye, therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man” (Luke 21:36).      The road into the love of God and the patient waiting for Christ will not end until that day we stand in His presence.  Are you letting Him lead you into His love and steadfast patience?

- Ronald Bartanen is a retired minister who for many years served the Lord's church in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee. After the passing of his beloved wife, Doris, Ron has relocated from Illinois to Florida where he is near family. He may be contacted at: ron33dor@yahoo.com

I Shall Not Want

By Ron Bartanen     The twenty third Psalm is more than a funeral recitation! In beautiful poetic symbolism David thrills our hearts with this psalm of life. All of life finds its perfect fulfillment in the love of the Shepherd of the sheep. But, while David certainly sang this psalm from personal experience, the grand significance of the Shepherd Psalm awaited the personal appearance of the Good Shepherd. With love for His sheep He would give His life in their behalf and gather them into one fold (John 10:1-16). With what infinite care the beneficent Shepherd sees to the needs of each Sheep! The feeblest among the flock are known of “that great Shepherd of the sheep”, and they know Him and hear His voice (John 10:3, 4, 14).     “The LORD is my shepherd: I shall not want.” To the world, this may be great poetry, but the significance is lost. We live in a wanting society. “I want…” is quickly formed in a young child’s vocabulary. From cradle to cemetery a man’s history is composed of his wants and his efforts to fulfill these desires. He wants life’s physical necessities: security, love, recognition, appreciation, pleasure and as many luxuries as he can afford. Millions of dollars are spent annually to encourage us to want.  Every form of mass communication has been utilized to bombard us with word-signals designed to whet our obsession for getting things. The “have-nots” are convinced that the abundant life has passed them by unless they are able to get what others have, by whatever means they can. The “haves” are not content with what they have, but mortgage their future to obtain more.     But what of the sheep? They are to be the Shepherd’s “want-not” society, uninfluenced by the cravings of the godless culture in which they live (Rom. 12:2).  How tragic that this is so seldom the case. The Apostle Paul, who himself had fed upon the green pastures and learned therein “to be content” (Phil. 4:11) gives the assurance that “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (v. 19). Our “needs” may not be as numerous as we might imagine. Could we be content if they were narrowed down to the category of “food and raiment” (1 Tim. 6:8)? Would we equate as “great gain” godliness with these necessities (v. 6)? The world’s mad quest for things and more things is inappropriate for the sheep under the watchful, loving care of the Shepherd, who, having given Himself for us, would also “freely give us all things” (Rom. 8:38). His was no empty campaign promise when He assured us, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt. 6:33).      Do not think, however, that the Good Shepherd sets a meager table for His sheep.  One spoke of himself “as having nothing and yet “possessing all things” (2 Cor. 6:10b).  He feeds us in lush pastures on higher hills. Would we learn that to truly feast in the kingdom of God will woo our hearts from the weedy pastures in the wilderness. A story is told of a poor country preacher who accepted an invitation to visit a friend in downtown New York City. One afternoon was spent in window shopping with his friend along the avenue, surveying the fashionable elegance on display.  Later, in his room, he was overheard praying, “Lord, I thank Thee I didn’t want a thing I saw!”     “The LORD is my shepherd”—His green pastures are sufficient.  “I shall not want” any other.

- Ronald Bartanen is a retired minister who for many years served the Lord's church in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee. After the passing of his beloved wife, Doris, Ron has relocated from Illinois to Florida where he is near family. He may be contacted at: ron33dor@yahoo.com

The Most Influential Person

By Ron Bartanen    Through The course of history there have been many who have affected civilization both for the good and the bad.  But, without question, the One who has had the greatest positive influence has been Jesus Christ.  A few years ago a poll was taken by the cable TV network, A&E, of numerous politicians, scholars and theologians, asking them to name the 100 most influential people.  As reported, Johann Gutenberg was deemed the most influential person of the past 1000 years.  Society was changed forever by his invention of the moveable-type printing press in the fifteenth century.  Others who have dramatically impacted history would have to credit Gutenberg for enabling them to do so.    It is interesting to note Gutenberg’s primary motivation in producing this revolutionary invention. While others have used it for other purposes, his main objective was to be able to make the word of God and the gospel of Christ available to all.  Note the following quotations from Gutenberg:    “God suffers in the multitude of souls whom His holy word cannot reach.  Religious truth is imprisoned in a small number of manuscript books, which confine, instead of spreading, the public treasure.  Let us break the seal which seals up holy things, and give wings to truth, in order that she may go and win every soul that comes into this world, by her word, no longer written at great expense by a hand easily translated but multiplied like the wind by an untiring machine.”    “Yes, it is a press, certainly, but a press from which shall soon flow in inexhaustible streams, the most abundant and most marvelous liquor that has ever flowed to relieve the thirst of men! Through it, God will spread His word.  A spring of pure truth shall flow from it; like a new star it shall scatter the darkness of ignorance, and cause a light heretofore unknown to shine amongst men.”    The first book to come off his printing press was a three-volume Latin version of the Bible, completed in 1455.  What a debt of gratitude we owe to the Lord for using this humble man in Mainz, Germany in this manner.

-Ronald Bartanen is a retired minister who for many years served the Lord's church in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee. After the passing of his beloved wife, Doris, Ron has relocated from Illinois to Florida where he is near family. He may be contacted at: ron33dor@yahoo.com