Chronicles of a Watchman by Dr. James P. Norman Jr.

TO BE IN CHRIST – SALT (PART FOUR) Salt speaks of the risen life of Jesus Christ, imparted by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to the redeemed sinner. It is the salt for barrenness! As you have been reconciled to God by his death, you are constantly to be saved by his life. It is only the life of the Lord Jesus, his activity, clothed with you and displayed through you that ultimately will find the approval of God. As a forgiven sinner, you are a member of a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ (I Peter 2:5). It is that Lord Jesus Christ alone who makes your sacrifices acceptable to God. Only what he does in you and through you merits his approval and God can and will accept nothing less! Every oblation of the meat offering shall though season with salt; neither shall you suffer the salt of the covenant of the God to be lacking from the meat offering, with all your offerings you shall offer salt. (Lev 2:13) Under no circ...

TO BE IN CHRIST – THE TREE (PART TWO)   He showed them a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet. He bore our sins “in” his own body on the tree (1 Peter 2:24).   This was the second tree, the place of the second choice.  Adam had repudiated his relationship to God at that first tree, and said “no” to God. He then stepped out of life into death. He stepped out of dependence into independence, so that you and I (at that second tree the place of second choice) can say our “yes” where he said “no”.  We can step back out of death into life!  We will be raised from the dead, out of our self-will and independence, into a childlike dependence which is the obedience of faith.   “I am the Lord that healeth thee”. This is the beginning of our salvation! This is to be reconciled to God by the death of his son.   It is the tree for bitterness, the precious blood of the Lord Jesus that cleanses us from all sin and...

THE BIBLE, YOUR DAILY NEWSPAPER As a bible teacher, I read the bible like it was a daily newspaper of current events. Mark 13:14 Holy Scripture- Great Inspired Tribulation 14: Jesus picked up the inspired apocalyptic language of Daniel’s prophecy. Apparently Jesus pointed to the Roman destruction of the Jewish temple in A.D 10 and beyond that to the second coming, showing scripture is opened to renewed understanding and fulfillment for different generations. God has new things to reveal from his word. Last things, great tribulation-the phrase abomination that causes desolation comes verbatim from Dan. 9:27; 11:31;12:11. Abomination is a term that describes sacrilege such as the profaning of a holy place. Many believe Daniel’s prophecy had immediate reference to the unclean sacrifices in the Jerusalem temple by the Romans in A.D 10 Romans 1:28-32 28-Intellectual Nature- Turning to Abominations Abomination (depraved) normally descr...