Utah Update

Dear friends,

It was a true delight to spend the last two months at home, fellowshipping with many precious brethren and friends, and I already miss so many of you already. I arrived in Logan, Utah very late on the 9th after a rather hectic day of flying; but I am now settled in and feeling quite well, excited about the work God has before prepared for this place.

Since arriving, the word "community" has been weighing upon my heart. I am seeking to build relationships with the saints here in Cache Valley, to know them and be known by them, so that we can as one body stand together in reaching out to our Mormon neighbors. The churches here are positive about preaching the gospel, but need direction in how to do that. God has given me some ideas to get the Christians united in practical outreach, so please pray for God's will to be done and for these plans to become reality. Utah is in desperate need!

Yesterday I have the privilege of talking for two hours with two Mormon missionaries. Beforehand I was a bit concerned that I wouldn't be as sharp when talking to Mormons having been out of State for three months, but in prayer God gave me such a love for these guys, and I knew I needed to speak with them as if I were in their shoes. Our meeting was a profound blessing. There was zero arguing; nothing but a real and challenging conversation about God's way of salvation ensued, and I could only bless the Lord as I watched the gears turning and the conflict of thought appear vividly across their faces as they saw the gap between Christianity and Mormonism widen. By the end of our time together these two dear guys came to understand the genuine Biblical gospel... though the next step is up to them: they can either suppress this knowledge or submit themselves to God. Please pray for Tyler and Jason, that they would see the seriousness of this choice, and that they would make the right one. Save them Lord!

Also, in my day to day activities, I've been learning the ropes of helping at the bookstore: working the cash register, encouraging people as they come in, etc. While I still have a lot to learn, I am enjoying my part in this all greatly. A certain fantastic opportunity has arisen for Brad and I here in Logan: a few weeks before I arrived in Utah, Brad got a call from a Mormon friend of his who is establishing a new cable television show in the little city of Logan, and he asked if Brad and I would consider doing a weekly Bible discussion show for the channel! This is truly an open door given by God! Not only will our ministry involve literature and preaching, but God has added (at a very convenient time) a television ministry as well. Of course, we are thrilled at the audience this will reach that would otherwise not be reached, and also how excellent a collaboration this will prove with our other activities. Please pray for us, saints, that God gives us wisdom and grace, and that we exalt a clear testimony of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to this area. Praise God!

"I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith." (Revelation 2:13)

Thank you to all those who support and follow this ministry, I sincerely appreciate all your love and encouragement. Thank you for your prayers. May Jesus Christ be glorified, and souls converted unto Him. May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering!

Much love,
Your brother and fellow laborer in Christ,
-Eli

Lay Aside Every Weight

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us." - Hebrews 12:1

The verse before us, Hebrews 12:1, gives the Christian a very practical application for winning the spiritual race that is "set before us", the race of faith which occupies every aspect of our lives. We often have a tendency to overlook key portions of Scripture to our great loss, and in this familiar verse the focus of our attention usually centers upon "the sin that so easily besets us", yet I'm afraid that such a focus has actually "beset" us from the deeper and more practical application of this passage.

Notice the division the Spirit makes between "weight" and "sin": "let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us". Without carefully reading, these two are often blurred together as one, but it should not be so. The Bible is speaking of two very different hindrances that bog us down and prevent us from running in such a way "that ye may obtain." (1 Corinthians 9:24) Most of us are well aware of the meaning of sin and its frustrations, but are we just as aware of this other besetter indicated here by the inspired apostle?


WHAT IS A WEIGHT?

A weight is anything and everything that slows us down from our prescribed run. The expression "every weight" tells us that weights are manifold; there can be many, and they can be diverse.

A weight is not sin. There are many things we do as Christians that hinder our run even though those things in and of themselves are not wrong. The apostle Paul put it this way: "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not." (1 Corinthians 10:23) There are no rules about how you must dress when participating in a race, but simply because it is lawful for you to wear what you will, that certainly does not advocate donning a heavy coat and cumbersome footwear! Such choices, while legal, do nothing but oppress the runner from running to win.

Each of us know the things in our lives that are weighing us down from the race God has called us to. Perhaps you are wearing the heavy coat of an unhealthy friendship, or the burdensome shoes of idle entertainment. Perhaps it is your overzealous work ethic, or your all-too-undisciplined bed habits. Such things drain our physical, mental and spiritual energy. These things, while not sin themselves, keep us from fulfilling the will of God in our lives, and may become gateways that lead us into sin.


THE IMPORTANCE OF LAYING ASIDE EVERY WEIGHT

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses..." Let us learn a lesson from the lives of past saints. For every man or woman who fought the good fight of faith, finishing the race with glory and honor, not one can be found who did not live a life of discipline and devotion to the God who had called them. The late John Bunyan, who himself exemplified this kind of a life, wrote, "Surely Abraham, David, Paul and the rest of the saints of God lost all for this glorious kingdom." We are surrounded by witnesses who laid aside every weight to win that far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Let us too, with them, so run, that we may obtain!

It may be that if we do not obey this command of Scripture to "lay aside every weight", who knows that we may become so burdened and stumble under its heavy load? It is not inconsequential that the Spirit makes mention first of the "weights" before the "sins". Sin does not "so easily beset us" when we are free from the weights that restrict our maneuverability. We must, as David, remove the impediments of restrictive armor before heading out to face Goliath, otherwise we will indeed be quick prey. Oh, for a company of liberated able-bodied Christians!

"And let us run with patience the race that is set before us." The word "patience" tells us that the race itself will be a long and difficult one, requiring the full dedication of every faculty by the runner. Only those runners who, from the very beginning, are resolved to run the race with perseverance will actually cross the finish line. Unlike the foolish builder who starts building his tower without sufficient resources, or a foolish general who goes to war without considering his force of arms, these runners have counted the cost and know what it will take to achieve victory. It will require the laying aside of all those weights that would spoil their race and take their crown.


LOOKING UNTO JESUS

When Jesus faced the lonely cross, He had emptied Himself of every weight that might have kept Him from obeying His Father's will. The life of our Lord Jesus Christ is the perfect example of one who ran the race and won, and He is our forerunner. "Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus." (Hebrews 6:20) This new year, think about some of the 'weights' in your life that you need to lay aside, obey the Father, and run for the prize.

"Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run." (1 Corinthians 9:24-26)

What Hath God Wrought!

This sermon was preached at Abundant Life Christian Center in Meductic, New Brunswick, on December 16, 2007. "What hath God wrought!" is taken from Number 23:23, where Balaam is lifted into prophetic exclamation as he looks upon redeemed Israel. "For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favor unto them." (Psalm 44:3) This message parallels Israel's national salvation with the Christian salvation put forward in Ephesians 2, that salvation is of GOD, and not of man. True thankfulness and devotion to God flows out of an apprehension of all that God has wrought in Christ, and in us. Listen below:

Eli Brayley - What Hath God Wrought!

Audio Fixes

Brothers and sisters, I've cleaned up the audio section on the site by removing some of the dead links and fixing some of the broken ones, so now all the uploaded files are in working order and you are able to listen to everything that is available online. May the Lord use them for the furthering of His Kingdom and glory. Blessings!

Jesus, the Shepherd and Door of His People

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers." - John 10:1-5

In the tenth chapter of the Gospel of John, our Lord Jesus Christ, in His discourse with the Jews, gave the world some of the most wonderful truths contained in a short series of familiar parables. These parables are the famous 'sheep parables' which many of us are well acquainted with, though I think it will be profitable to expound upon them, and write about some of the things God has been revealing to me in these passages.

One of the first mistakes people make in reading this portion of Scripture is that the object of who is being spoken of is often misunderstood. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber." To this it is usually taken as speaking of those who are trying to get to God some other way than Christ; those who attempt to jump over the wall to eternal life instead of going through the rightful door, Jesus Christ. However, this is not so, for the next verse states: "But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep." It is clear that this is not speaking of the sheep trying to get to God, but of the shepherd coming to the sheep, and also of those false prophets (strangers) who attempt to come in and steal the sheep. "He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold..." Jesus is warning the people of false teachers who come to the sheep as thieves and robbers.

What is fascinating in this scenario is the roles that Jesus Christ ascribes to Himself. In verse 7, He declares, "I am the door of the sheep", and in verse 11 and 14, "I am the good shepherd." Christ is BOTH the door to the sheepfold AND the good shepherd who enters in by that way.

The significance of this is that Christ is not only the Way by which we are saved, but He Himself also is the Shepherd that leads us into that Way. He did not merely send prophets to preach about salvation... He Himself came to earth and showed unto men the Way of salvation. He did not point the way, as so many religious teachers do, but He declared to all men, "I AM the Way." The Shepherd Himself is the Door, and His sheep hear His voice, and follow Him through the Door into green pastures. The Lord Jesus Christ is both the Door of salvation, and the Shepherd that leads us through the Door of salvation.

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:7-10)

All that ever came and preached to men some other way to be saved other than by the sacrifice of the Son of God was a thief and a robber, and all that have ever come since Christ, and preach another "door" other than the true Door, seeks not the good of the sheep, but their destruction. Jesus Christ is the everlasting Door whereby men MUST be saved. He is the "Lamb slain from the foundation of the world", and Christ alone is the sole foundation for all those who will inherit eternal life. Let this be known, preacher! Declare it loud and strong! As one who is an overseer to the flock of God (Acts 20:28-31), preach Christ and Him crucified, for if He be lifted up He shall draw all men unto Him. There is no other Name by which men must be saved.

"I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is a hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep." (John 10:11-15)

Christ is the good shepherd, and the good shepherd is defined as "laying his life down for the sheep." "For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45) The Lord Jesus Christ did not come the first time to be served, but to serve, just as the shepherd does not enter the sheepfold to be served by the sheep, but to serve the sheep; to heal their wounds, to feed them milk and grain, and to lead them out into pleasant pastures. It is now, having been redeemed, that we serve the King of kings, just as the flock serves the purpose of the shepherd once they are led forth into the place where he bids them. "I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine."

Now this is the question for the ministers of the flock today: are you a good shepherd, or are you a hireling? "He that is a hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep." The hireling is tending the sheep only for selfish gain, and not because he loves the sheep. The hireling is using the sheep for his own profit, but once there is danger he no longer cares what happens to them. The hireling sees that a sheep is missing from the flock, but is too lazy to go and search for it that he might find it. I am sad to say there are many hirelings overseeing the Church today.

"For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. How think ye? if a man have a hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish." (Matthew 18:11-14)

When God became a man and dwelt among us, it was because He came to seek and to save that which was lost. The whole world was lost, separated from their God, because of sin. "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way..." (Isaiah 53:6a) Through our pride and self-will, each one of us left the safety of the Shepherd and wandered away to seek our own fortune; but we quickly fell victim to the wolves, the jagged ranges and the perilous night. Our loving Shepherd saw that we were missing and came running over the mountaintops and through the valleys in search for the missing sheep. The Scripture tells us how Christ came to give His life a ransom for many... "and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." (Isaiah 53:6b) Bloodied, bruised and beaten, Jesus hung upon the cross bearing our sin in His own body so that the righteous judgment of the Law could pass over us, we who rightly deserved it. Through the death of the Son all men everywhere can be saved from the judgment of sin. But now Christ is alive from the dead! And the Scriptures says that "whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved!" (Romans 10:13) Little lamb, do you not hear Him calling? Call upon your Shepherd! You who are stuck in the thorny thicket, lost and separated from the flock, let your bleating cry sound forth into the night, for the good Shepherd searches for you, and when you call He shall hear you, and He shall swiftly come, and shall lift you onto His shoulders, and shall carry you back to the safety of the Father's sheepfold. Yes! Call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ this very day, and you shall be saved!

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them... And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." (John 10:27-28)