The Lord my God is amazing.
I remember when I was in grade school we studied earth science. It was fascinating because this planet we live on is an incredibly complex system. One of the things that always caught my attention was what is called the hydrologic cycle, also referred to as the water cycle. Since this is a cycle, we don't observe a beginning or an end to it. Here are some of the processes involved:
Evaporation- Because of solar energy, water is transformed from its liquid phase to gas (water vapor). Herein it moves from the ground and bodies of water to the atmosphere.
Condensation- The transformation of water vapor in the atmosphere into water droplets(condensed water vapor) forming clouds or fog.
Precipitation- Condensed water vapor falls to the earth; we generally refer to precipitation as rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
Have you ever wondered why clouds form? Have you ever wondered why if you leave a glass of water out long enough, the water disappears? Have you ever wondered why you can go to Big Bear lake and see lines on the rocks where the water used to be? I mean, did the fish drink it? Have you ever wondered why rain comes down from the sky? I mean scientifically I understand a little how these things occur, but why? Wonder no more of these things, just wonder at God.
Psalm 147:7-8
7 Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God:
8 Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains.
Job 28:26
When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder:
Ecclesiastes 1:7
All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.
Call it what you will...the water cycle...the hydrologic cycle...I call it a miraculous work of God.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Thursday, July 3, 2008
The Job Diet
Job 23:12
Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips;
I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.
The Job diet is simple. This is it; God’s words are more important than the daily food that your body needs. The diet is not based solely upon this single verse in the Bible. I believe that if a Christian applies the principles of the Job diet to their life, then they will consequently lose that extra weight they've accumulated. You might not even need to lose weight, but you still need the Job diet. Food plays such an important role in our practical lives. We plan meetings around food, we plan dates around food, we plan family get-togethers around food, we plan church fellowship around food, and we schedule our daily lives around food. Many, including myself, often wonder when their next meal will be. The morning does not start with a Psalm, it starts with coffee and breakfast. Instead of meditating on their morning devotion, they’re focused on a good snack or a fatty breakfast food. Break time between classes isn’t a time to discuss the things of God, but I time to run to the snack bar. Free time isn’t a space in your day to fill with Bible study, but a time to snack on chips. Lunchtime isn’t a time that we pull our Bibles out at school or work, but a time that we pull our lunch pails out. Men don’t take their wives to preaching meetings to hear the words of God preached on but they take their wives to restaurants. Men don’t buy their wives cards with Scripture, but they buy them chocolates. Women don’t ask to go to revival meetings, they ask for a night out at a fancy restaurant. Something is wrong here.
I’m not proposing that we stop eating and just read our Bibles (though sometimes a special case may call for prayer and fasting), no, we just need to esteem the words of God more than our necessary food. The first thought in the morning must be, “I have to get some of God’s words, or I’ll never be sustained!” And after a sweet time of fellowship with the Owner of all things, you’ll probably remember that you need to grab some breakfast before you head off to start your day. While on the high clouds of meditating on the precious words of God, food will seem insignificant in comparison. Plan Bible studies instead of dinner dates. Before you have lunch, read a Proverb or two. While your spouse gets a snack out, tell him or her of a verse that stuck out to you in your morning devotions. When you wake up for that midnight snack, why don’t you open up to a Gospel and read of one of Jesus’ miracles?
Do not neglect your body's need for the nourishment of food, but do not allow that to be more important to your spiritual health. Peter writes,
1 Peter 2:2-3
As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
In practice, many babies nurse anywhere from 4 times a day to 15 times a day. One medical source recommends that a newborn baby nurse every 1 ½ to 2 ½ hours. That calculation comes out to 9-16 times a day. The point isn't the exact amount of times a baby nurses a day, but I want you to take note of what Peter writes, “as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.” The fact of the matter is that Christians do not receive the nourishment from the words of God that they should. The problem lies not within the words of God, but within the Christian who neglects them. Most Christians eat at least three times a day, and most snack in between those meals. So, on any given day I’d say that we consume food 6-10 times, but at least 3 full course meals. So, what is the Job diet? Have three hardy meals of Bible every day, esteem those meals more than your breakfast/lunch/dinner meals, and replace your snack times with meditation upon the words of God.
Satan knows full well of man’s temptation of food. That is why the tempter came to the Son of God during His miraculous fast and tempted Him with food. Jesus gave the perfect response,
Matthew 4:3-4 (Deuteronomy 8:3, Luke 4:4)
And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
This passage not only teaches that we must esteem the words of God more than our necessary food, but it also affirms the Bible doctrine of preservation. Not only did God inspire the words of Scripture, but He promised to preserve them. If God hadn’t preserved the words of Scripture (not just the ideas or concepts, but His words), it would not be possible that man should live by “every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” We have the very words of God accurately set forth in the English language. God inspired the Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic words of the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:21), and He promised that He would preserve those words (Psalm 12:6-7, Psalm 119:89, Matthew 24:35). Find yourself an accurate translation of the preserved words of God (I recommend the King James Bible), and you will have God's words in English. We must respond by holding His precious words in higher estimation than our necessary food.
Does that sweet tooth often get to you? Instead of a chocolate fix, why not dive into the sweet honey of God’s words;
Psalm 119:103
How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Psalm 19:7-10
7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is
Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips;
I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.
The Job diet is simple. This is it; God’s words are more important than the daily food that your body needs. The diet is not based solely upon this single verse in the Bible. I believe that if a Christian applies the principles of the Job diet to their life, then they will consequently lose that extra weight they've accumulated. You might not even need to lose weight, but you still need the Job diet. Food plays such an important role in our practical lives. We plan meetings around food, we plan dates around food, we plan family get-togethers around food, we plan church fellowship around food, and we schedule our daily lives around food. Many, including myself, often wonder when their next meal will be. The morning does not start with a Psalm, it starts with coffee and breakfast. Instead of meditating on their morning devotion, they’re focused on a good snack or a fatty breakfast food. Break time between classes isn’t a time to discuss the things of God, but I time to run to the snack bar. Free time isn’t a space in your day to fill with Bible study, but a time to snack on chips. Lunchtime isn’t a time that we pull our Bibles out at school or work, but a time that we pull our lunch pails out. Men don’t take their wives to preaching meetings to hear the words of God preached on but they take their wives to restaurants. Men don’t buy their wives cards with Scripture, but they buy them chocolates. Women don’t ask to go to revival meetings, they ask for a night out at a fancy restaurant. Something is wrong here.
I’m not proposing that we stop eating and just read our Bibles (though sometimes a special case may call for prayer and fasting), no, we just need to esteem the words of God more than our necessary food. The first thought in the morning must be, “I have to get some of God’s words, or I’ll never be sustained!” And after a sweet time of fellowship with the Owner of all things, you’ll probably remember that you need to grab some breakfast before you head off to start your day. While on the high clouds of meditating on the precious words of God, food will seem insignificant in comparison. Plan Bible studies instead of dinner dates. Before you have lunch, read a Proverb or two. While your spouse gets a snack out, tell him or her of a verse that stuck out to you in your morning devotions. When you wake up for that midnight snack, why don’t you open up to a Gospel and read of one of Jesus’ miracles?
Do not neglect your body's need for the nourishment of food, but do not allow that to be more important to your spiritual health. Peter writes,
1 Peter 2:2-3
As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
In practice, many babies nurse anywhere from 4 times a day to 15 times a day. One medical source recommends that a newborn baby nurse every 1 ½ to 2 ½ hours. That calculation comes out to 9-16 times a day. The point isn't the exact amount of times a baby nurses a day, but I want you to take note of what Peter writes, “as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.” The fact of the matter is that Christians do not receive the nourishment from the words of God that they should. The problem lies not within the words of God, but within the Christian who neglects them. Most Christians eat at least three times a day, and most snack in between those meals. So, on any given day I’d say that we consume food 6-10 times, but at least 3 full course meals. So, what is the Job diet? Have three hardy meals of Bible every day, esteem those meals more than your breakfast/lunch/dinner meals, and replace your snack times with meditation upon the words of God.
Satan knows full well of man’s temptation of food. That is why the tempter came to the Son of God during His miraculous fast and tempted Him with food. Jesus gave the perfect response,
Matthew 4:3-4 (Deuteronomy 8:3, Luke 4:4)
And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
This passage not only teaches that we must esteem the words of God more than our necessary food, but it also affirms the Bible doctrine of preservation. Not only did God inspire the words of Scripture, but He promised to preserve them. If God hadn’t preserved the words of Scripture (not just the ideas or concepts, but His words), it would not be possible that man should live by “every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” We have the very words of God accurately set forth in the English language. God inspired the Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic words of the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:21), and He promised that He would preserve those words (Psalm 12:6-7, Psalm 119:89, Matthew 24:35). Find yourself an accurate translation of the preserved words of God (I recommend the King James Bible), and you will have God's words in English. We must respond by holding His precious words in higher estimation than our necessary food.
Does that sweet tooth often get to you? Instead of a chocolate fix, why not dive into the sweet honey of God’s words;
Psalm 119:103
How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Psalm 19:7-10
7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is
sure, making wise the simple.
8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Do not allow food to consume your time. Don’t meditate on your last or your next meal, but meditate on the words of Almighty God. Your mouth must pant for God’s words and your nights and days must be consumed by them. When you wake up at two in the morning don’t be comforted by a warm glass of milk, but fulfill the Scriptures by meditating on God’s words.
Psalm 119:131
I opened my mouth, and panted: for I longed for thy commandments.
Psalm 1:2
But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
Joshua 1:8
This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein
8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Do not allow food to consume your time. Don’t meditate on your last or your next meal, but meditate on the words of Almighty God. Your mouth must pant for God’s words and your nights and days must be consumed by them. When you wake up at two in the morning don’t be comforted by a warm glass of milk, but fulfill the Scriptures by meditating on God’s words.
Psalm 119:131
I opened my mouth, and panted: for I longed for thy commandments.
Psalm 1:2
But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
Joshua 1:8
This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein
day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein:
for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
This is not a foreign concept, the Bible is frequently referred to with the picture of physical nourishment like milk and meat. See these references,
Hebrews 5:12-13
For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
For every one that useth milk is unskillfull in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
1 Corinthians 3:1-2
And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as
This is not a foreign concept, the Bible is frequently referred to with the picture of physical nourishment like milk and meat. See these references,
Hebrews 5:12-13
For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
For every one that useth milk is unskillfull in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
1 Corinthians 3:1-2
And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as
unto babes in Christ.
I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
What is our responsibility? We are responsible to esteem the words of God more than our necessary food. Will you commit to the Job diet? Don’t do it to lose weight, but do it “that ye may grow thereby.” I pray that you will be able to join with Job and say, “I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.”
I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
What is our responsibility? We are responsible to esteem the words of God more than our necessary food. Will you commit to the Job diet? Don’t do it to lose weight, but do it “that ye may grow thereby.” I pray that you will be able to join with Job and say, “I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.”
Monday, June 2, 2008
Nuggets in Job
I’m not completely sure what the life of a gold digger is like. I imagine it involves a great amount of sifting. Each nugget is not something that he stumbles upon, but something that he was looking for and was filled with great joy when it was found. That is how my personal devotions are with the Lord. By personal devotions, I mean a quiet time that I set aside at least twice a day to read the Bible and pray. You could call them appointments with God. You cannot have a relationship with someone that doesn’t talk to you, and to whom you do not talk to. So, I talk to God through prayer and He talks to me through His Holy Words in the Bible.
This last week or two I have been in the book of Job. God has been showing me some great nuggets. I am overjoyed when I find them and I think I ought to share them.
The book starts out with letting you know you'll be making a trip into the land of Uz. Not Oz, that's Dorothy. This is about a man named Job, in the land of Uz:
Job 1:1
There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.
We are told that Job is a perfect and upright man, one that feared God, and eschewed evil. Now you may want to say, "God bless you," but I didn't sneeze. The Bible says that Job was a man that eschewed evil. That means that he shunned and avoided evil. Within my generation there is a great dearth of those that would eschew evil. Not only did Job eschew evil, but he was a perfect man. Since the 1600's (the King James Bible was translated from Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic in 1611) this word "perfect" has changed a little in the manner that we use it. Webster's 1828 dictionary informs us that this english word can mean any of the following; "Finished; complete...Fully informed; completely skilled...Complete in moral excellencies." In reference to Job, he was not without flaw, but speaking of his piety, Job was considered to be a complete and well-rounded moral man. He was upright, meaning that he was just man. He was not crooked. If Job entered into a business deal, you wouldn't have to worry that he would "do you wrong."
Most importantly, Job feared God. In this, Job was wise and his great wisdom is reflected later in the book.
Job 28:28
And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
The truth that the fear of God is synonymous with wisdom is not an uncommon theme in the Bible. Here are some more Bible references where wisdom is coupled with the fear of the Lord:
Psalm 111:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth forever.
Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 2:1-5
1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;
2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;
3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;
4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;
5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.
Proverbs 9:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.
I urge you to take heed to the Word of God. Will you be wise? Fear the Lord. Reverence Him. Stop using His Holy name in vain. Realize that the fear of the Lord for a Christian is not so much being afraid that His mighty hand will come crashing down upon you, but a fear that His gentle hand of blessing in this earthen life will be lifted from you. The fear of the Lord for a non-Christian is a fear and terror of God's great wrath against a sinner; to escape this wrath, please see the article titled "The Gospel" from Wednesday, April 23, 2008.
Ecclesiastes 12:13
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Proverbs 3:7
Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
This last week or two I have been in the book of Job. God has been showing me some great nuggets. I am overjoyed when I find them and I think I ought to share them.
The book starts out with letting you know you'll be making a trip into the land of Uz. Not Oz, that's Dorothy. This is about a man named Job, in the land of Uz:
Job 1:1
There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.
We are told that Job is a perfect and upright man, one that feared God, and eschewed evil. Now you may want to say, "God bless you," but I didn't sneeze. The Bible says that Job was a man that eschewed evil. That means that he shunned and avoided evil. Within my generation there is a great dearth of those that would eschew evil. Not only did Job eschew evil, but he was a perfect man. Since the 1600's (the King James Bible was translated from Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic in 1611) this word "perfect" has changed a little in the manner that we use it. Webster's 1828 dictionary informs us that this english word can mean any of the following; "Finished; complete...Fully informed; completely skilled...Complete in moral excellencies." In reference to Job, he was not without flaw, but speaking of his piety, Job was considered to be a complete and well-rounded moral man. He was upright, meaning that he was just man. He was not crooked. If Job entered into a business deal, you wouldn't have to worry that he would "do you wrong."
Most importantly, Job feared God. In this, Job was wise and his great wisdom is reflected later in the book.
Job 28:28
And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
The truth that the fear of God is synonymous with wisdom is not an uncommon theme in the Bible. Here are some more Bible references where wisdom is coupled with the fear of the Lord:
Psalm 111:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth forever.
Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 2:1-5
1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;
2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;
3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;
4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;
5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.
Proverbs 9:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.
I urge you to take heed to the Word of God. Will you be wise? Fear the Lord. Reverence Him. Stop using His Holy name in vain. Realize that the fear of the Lord for a Christian is not so much being afraid that His mighty hand will come crashing down upon you, but a fear that His gentle hand of blessing in this earthen life will be lifted from you. The fear of the Lord for a non-Christian is a fear and terror of God's great wrath against a sinner; to escape this wrath, please see the article titled "The Gospel" from Wednesday, April 23, 2008.
Ecclesiastes 12:13
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Proverbs 3:7
Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
For Such A Time As This
A Jewish man finds himself in Persia as the story would go for multitudes of Jews at this post-exile time. His name is Mordecai. The king of this great empire is Ahasuerus. Ahasuerus gets extremely angry at his wife for her disobedience and decides, at the counsel Memucan a Persian prince, to make an example out of his wife Vishti. He took away her privilege to see the king and her royal estate in order to teach the wives throughout his empire to honor their husbands. Now was the time for King Ahasuerus to choose a new wife in the stead of Vishti, and this is where we find this Jew named Mordecai.
Esther 2:5-7
5 Now in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite;
6 Who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captivity which had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away.
7 And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was fair and beautiful; whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took for his own daughter.
Esther was selected as one of the virgins from whom the king would choose his new wife. After a grueling period of preparing and waiting, the king chose Esther as his new queen:
Esther 2:17
And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.
This is a very unseemly story. Esther is a Jew whose biological parents are dead, who is a foreigner exiled from her land, and yet she still is able to rise to a position of much respect; she is the queen of a massive empire (see Esther 1:1 to see that vastness of Ahasuerus' kingdom). Friend, this is not coincidental. God is in control.
An evil man named Haman is promoted by the king to an office of great confidence. He is a powerful man. Each day as he walked through the gates, the men would all bow and reverence him, but not Mordecai:
Esther 3:2
And all the king's servants, that were in the king's gate, bowed, and reverenced Haman: for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence.
Haman grew furious at Mordecai, so much that he hated Mordecai's people, the Jews:
Esther 3:5-6
5 And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath.
6 And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had showed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai.
Haman petitioned King Ahasuerus for permission to destroy “a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom” (Esther 3:8). He was talking of the Jewish people, God’s people. Ahasuerus permitted the desctruction of this group of people which, as far as the Bible tells us, is unnamed to the king. Ahasuersus endorsed Haman to do this evil deed.
Esther 4:1
When Mordecai perceived all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry;
Mordecai first reacts to this decree with mourning but we soon see that his reaction becomes more aggressive:
Esther 4:8
Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given at Shushan to destroy them, to show it unto Esther, and to declare it unto her, and to charge her that she should go in unto the king, to make supplication unto him, and to make request before him for her people.
Esther responds to her adopted father saying, “All the king's servants, and the people of the king's provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden scepter, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days.” (Esther 4:11).
Esther’s wise father understands that if the God of Israel is big enough to orchestrate situations so that Esther is chosen as queen of this nation then He is also big enough to protect Esther if she enters the king's court. Even more important though, he reminds her of God’s Providence and how this may be the very reason she came into power.
Esther 4:14
For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
The biblical account in Esther shows that God did have her there that the Jews might be delivered from their coming doom. That is how Esther's story finishes, but what about you?
God’s people through the ages have found that they are placed into situations and they don’t know why they’ve been placed into them. Trust in the Lord though. Christian, you never know the whole story of how God is working, and so trust that He is working. You cannot please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6).
This is what God says about the mystery of His way:
Isaiah 55:8-9
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Maybe your parents got divorced so that God could use that experience in your life for you to minister to someone. Maybe you lost a loved one so that you would hit rock bottom and finally turn to God. Maybe you are at a miserable job so that God can use you to tell one person how to be saved.
Two years ago, a man named Samuel Castillo was hundreds of miles away from his home in a city called Santiago. It was not a pleasant set of circumstances that brought him there. He had broken many bones in a motorcycle accident while ministering to people on a southern island in Chile and now he was in Santiago for rehabilitation. When he was in Santiago he met a teenager named Kyle Sheridan. Samuel told Kyle about his burden for the great need in the islands of the south of Chile. God then used Samuel’s words, translated into English by Kyle’s friend Dustin, to touch Kyle’s heart.
Today I am in Chile to see if God wants me to be a missionary to the south. This trip never would have happened if it weren’t for the single providential care of God orchestrating for me to meet Samuel two years ago. Though Brother Samuel was surely discouraged by the storm he was passing through when he came to Santiago for rehabilitation, who knew that God had brought him there “for such a time as this?”
Where are you today?
I ask you because I want you to consider a thought. Maybe you are there for such a time as this.
Esther 2:5-7
5 Now in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite;
6 Who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captivity which had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away.
7 And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was fair and beautiful; whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took for his own daughter.
Esther was selected as one of the virgins from whom the king would choose his new wife. After a grueling period of preparing and waiting, the king chose Esther as his new queen:
Esther 2:17
And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.
This is a very unseemly story. Esther is a Jew whose biological parents are dead, who is a foreigner exiled from her land, and yet she still is able to rise to a position of much respect; she is the queen of a massive empire (see Esther 1:1 to see that vastness of Ahasuerus' kingdom). Friend, this is not coincidental. God is in control.
An evil man named Haman is promoted by the king to an office of great confidence. He is a powerful man. Each day as he walked through the gates, the men would all bow and reverence him, but not Mordecai:
Esther 3:2
And all the king's servants, that were in the king's gate, bowed, and reverenced Haman: for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence.
Haman grew furious at Mordecai, so much that he hated Mordecai's people, the Jews:
Esther 3:5-6
5 And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath.
6 And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had showed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai.
Haman petitioned King Ahasuerus for permission to destroy “a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom” (Esther 3:8). He was talking of the Jewish people, God’s people. Ahasuerus permitted the desctruction of this group of people which, as far as the Bible tells us, is unnamed to the king. Ahasuersus endorsed Haman to do this evil deed.
Esther 4:1
When Mordecai perceived all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry;
Mordecai first reacts to this decree with mourning but we soon see that his reaction becomes more aggressive:
Esther 4:8
Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given at Shushan to destroy them, to show it unto Esther, and to declare it unto her, and to charge her that she should go in unto the king, to make supplication unto him, and to make request before him for her people.
Esther responds to her adopted father saying, “All the king's servants, and the people of the king's provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden scepter, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days.” (Esther 4:11).
Esther’s wise father understands that if the God of Israel is big enough to orchestrate situations so that Esther is chosen as queen of this nation then He is also big enough to protect Esther if she enters the king's court. Even more important though, he reminds her of God’s Providence and how this may be the very reason she came into power.
Esther 4:14
For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
The biblical account in Esther shows that God did have her there that the Jews might be delivered from their coming doom. That is how Esther's story finishes, but what about you?
God’s people through the ages have found that they are placed into situations and they don’t know why they’ve been placed into them. Trust in the Lord though. Christian, you never know the whole story of how God is working, and so trust that He is working. You cannot please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6).
This is what God says about the mystery of His way:
Isaiah 55:8-9
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Maybe your parents got divorced so that God could use that experience in your life for you to minister to someone. Maybe you lost a loved one so that you would hit rock bottom and finally turn to God. Maybe you are at a miserable job so that God can use you to tell one person how to be saved.
Two years ago, a man named Samuel Castillo was hundreds of miles away from his home in a city called Santiago. It was not a pleasant set of circumstances that brought him there. He had broken many bones in a motorcycle accident while ministering to people on a southern island in Chile and now he was in Santiago for rehabilitation. When he was in Santiago he met a teenager named Kyle Sheridan. Samuel told Kyle about his burden for the great need in the islands of the south of Chile. God then used Samuel’s words, translated into English by Kyle’s friend Dustin, to touch Kyle’s heart.
Today I am in Chile to see if God wants me to be a missionary to the south. This trip never would have happened if it weren’t for the single providential care of God orchestrating for me to meet Samuel two years ago. Though Brother Samuel was surely discouraged by the storm he was passing through when he came to Santiago for rehabilitation, who knew that God had brought him there “for such a time as this?”
Where are you today?
I ask you because I want you to consider a thought. Maybe you are there for such a time as this.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Where is your faith?
Luke 8:22-25 (see also Matthew 8:18-27 & Mark 4:35-41)
Now it came to pass on a certain day, that he went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth.
But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy.
And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm.
And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.
There was a storm so raging that these men crossing the lake thought they were going to die. So great a storm that “they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy.”
“Master, master, we perish.” They said.
What a scary thing to be afraid of your circumstances, and to be afraid of the outcome. The disciples in this situation weren’t sure what was going to become of them in this storm. I would be afraid too if my confidence was found in good weather. You know, weather changes constantly, just like the calm weather before the storm in Luke 8:22-25 changed so quickly into a storm.
Jesus asked, “Where is your faith?”
He asked where their faith was because He knew that their faith was not in Him. For if their faith was in Him then they would not have feared because (as evidenced by this miracle) the Lord Jesus Christ is more powerful than the changing weather.
Do you know what is as unstable as weather? Man’s attempts at righteousness. It has been said that there are two religions in this world:
* Do
** Done
1. Men try to do good works to please God and work their way to heaven. Here are some examples of those good works that men try to do thinking they may win God's favor: baptism, giving to the poor, the “sacraments”, church membership, giving money to the church, and many other works.
2. Done. Jesus said, “It is finished.” He was talking about the work of redemption. When Jesus Christ shed His innocent blood on the cross of Calvary, the only work that was necessary for the salvation of man was finished. The Bible makes it very clear that our works cannot save us:
Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Titus 3:5
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us...
This is what God thinks of our righteousness:
Isaiah 64:6
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
If I was trusting in the first religion then I would be afraid. I would be very afraid. The reason why is because the Bible makes it clear that God’s standard is perfection. If a person sins once then they have fallen short of God’s perfect standard. God says we’ve all fallen short:
Romans 3:23
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Actions have consequences. God has established the consequence/the just punishment for our sins:
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death...
Ezekiel 18:4
Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
Revelation 20:14-15
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
The only way for me to go to Heaven is by being completely righteous. I can only do that if the righteousness of Jesus is applied to my account. God made a provision. If the blood of Jesus is applied to your account then you are declared righteous in the eyes of God. The Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins as a substitute (he took on Himself the consequences for our sins) so that we might be made righteous:
2 Corinthians 5:21
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
So here’s the point I hope you’ll understand. If you try to work to get to heaven then your faith is in the wrong place and you will perish. If your faith is in anything other than God, then that is scary. If you want to be saved then you have to put your trust (aka belief, faith) completely in the Lord Jesus Christ and His personal work of shedding His blood for your sins, dying on the cross, being buried, and then raising again the third day. Here is what Jesus said:
John 6:47
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
So I ask you, where is your faith?
(For more Bible verses to understand salvation, see the second article of April '08 titled “The Gospel”)
Now it came to pass on a certain day, that he went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth.
But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy.
And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm.
And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.
There was a storm so raging that these men crossing the lake thought they were going to die. So great a storm that “they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy.”
“Master, master, we perish.” They said.
What a scary thing to be afraid of your circumstances, and to be afraid of the outcome. The disciples in this situation weren’t sure what was going to become of them in this storm. I would be afraid too if my confidence was found in good weather. You know, weather changes constantly, just like the calm weather before the storm in Luke 8:22-25 changed so quickly into a storm.
Jesus asked, “Where is your faith?”
He asked where their faith was because He knew that their faith was not in Him. For if their faith was in Him then they would not have feared because (as evidenced by this miracle) the Lord Jesus Christ is more powerful than the changing weather.
Do you know what is as unstable as weather? Man’s attempts at righteousness. It has been said that there are two religions in this world:
* Do
** Done
1. Men try to do good works to please God and work their way to heaven. Here are some examples of those good works that men try to do thinking they may win God's favor: baptism, giving to the poor, the “sacraments”, church membership, giving money to the church, and many other works.
2. Done. Jesus said, “It is finished.” He was talking about the work of redemption. When Jesus Christ shed His innocent blood on the cross of Calvary, the only work that was necessary for the salvation of man was finished. The Bible makes it very clear that our works cannot save us:
Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Titus 3:5
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us...
This is what God thinks of our righteousness:
Isaiah 64:6
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
If I was trusting in the first religion then I would be afraid. I would be very afraid. The reason why is because the Bible makes it clear that God’s standard is perfection. If a person sins once then they have fallen short of God’s perfect standard. God says we’ve all fallen short:
Romans 3:23
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Actions have consequences. God has established the consequence/the just punishment for our sins:
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death...
Ezekiel 18:4
Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
Revelation 20:14-15
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
The only way for me to go to Heaven is by being completely righteous. I can only do that if the righteousness of Jesus is applied to my account. God made a provision. If the blood of Jesus is applied to your account then you are declared righteous in the eyes of God. The Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins as a substitute (he took on Himself the consequences for our sins) so that we might be made righteous:
2 Corinthians 5:21
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
So here’s the point I hope you’ll understand. If you try to work to get to heaven then your faith is in the wrong place and you will perish. If your faith is in anything other than God, then that is scary. If you want to be saved then you have to put your trust (aka belief, faith) completely in the Lord Jesus Christ and His personal work of shedding His blood for your sins, dying on the cross, being buried, and then raising again the third day. Here is what Jesus said:
John 6:47
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
So I ask you, where is your faith?
(For more Bible verses to understand salvation, see the second article of April '08 titled “The Gospel”)
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
The Miracles of Jesus
John 20:30-31
And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:
But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
Lately I have been studying the miracles of the Lord Jesus Christ. Noah Webster in his dictionary of the English language says a miracle is,
"1. Literally, a wonder or wonderful thing; but appropriately,
2. In theology, an event or effect contrary to the established constitution and course of things, or a deviation from the known laws of nature; a supernatural event. Miracles can be wrought only by Almighty power, as when Christ healed lepers, saying, 'I will, be thou clean," or calmed the tempest, "Peace, be still.'"
The most important question a person could ever ask, and one that every person must ask is, "What must I do to be saved?"
Acts 16:30-31
And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Salvation is by grace through faith
Ephesians 2:8
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Faith comes by the hearing of God's Word
Romans 10:17
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
So, I want to thoroughly study the miracles that I may share them with others and so "ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. "
For my studying of the miracles I produced a chart on Word, but unfortunately the chart won't transfer to a blog. The chart records a harmony of Jesus' miracles; showing which Gospel says what about which miracle. Since I can't copy and paste the chart I will put the miracles in list form.
Read through the small titles I put on the miracles. I'm sure that you've heard of many of them, but if you have a moment, take a Bible and read through some of the references. While you're reading it, remember that these are actual historical events and remember that Jesus literally performed miracles. Wow. The Creator of the universe became flesh (John 1:1-3, Colossians 1:13-17, Hebrews 1:2) and His name is Jesus, Immanuel (God with us). He did miracles that were "contrary to the established constitution and course of things;" the wonders He did deviated "from the known laws of nature," and what we have recorded in the Bible truly are "supernatural event[s]."
Particular Miracles of the Lord Jesus Christ, as Recorded in the Gospels
The Water Made Wine
John 2:1-11
The Nobleman's Son
John 4:46-54
The First Draught (catch/haul) of Fishes
Matthew 4:18-22
Mark 1:16-20
Luke 5:1-11
The Capernaum Demoniac
Mark 1:21-28
Luke 4:31-37
Simon’s Mother-in-law
Matthew 8:14-17
Mark 1:29-34
Luke 4:38-41
A Leper
Matthew 8:2-4
Mark 1:40-45
Luke 5:12-16
The Paralytic
Matthew 9:1-8
Mark 2:1-12
Luke 5:17-26
The Impotent Man
John 5:1-47
The Man With a Withered Hands
Matthew 12:9-14
Mark 3:1-6
Luke 6:6-11
The Centurion’s Servant
Matthew 8:5-13
Luke 7:1-10
The Widow’s Son
Luke 7:11-17
A Blind and Dumb Man
Matthew 12:22-37
Mark 3:19-30
The Stilling of the Storm
Matthew 8:18-27
Mark 4:35-41
Luke 8:22-25
The Gadarene Demoniacs
Matthew 8:28-34
Mark 5:1-20
Luke 8:26-39
The Woman with an Issue of Blood (a hemorrhage)
Matthew 9:18-26
Mark 5:21-43
Luke 8:40-56
Jairus’ Daughter
Matthew 9:18-26
Mark 5:21-43
Luke 8:40-56
Two Blind Men
Matthew 9:27-34
A Dumb Demoniac
Matthew 9:27-34
The Five Thousand Fed
Matthew 14:13-21
Mark 6:30-44
Luke 9:10-17
John 6:1-13
Jesus Walking on the Water
Matthew 14:24-33
Mark 6:47-52
John 6:16-21
The Phoenician Woman’s Daughter
Matthew 15:21-28
Mark 7:24-30
The Deaf and Dumb Man
Matthew 15:29-38
Mark 7:31-8:9
The Four Thousand Fed
Matthew 15:29-38
Mark 7:31-8:9
A Blind Man Healed
Matthew 16:5-12
Mark 8:13-26
The Demoniac Boy
Matthew 17:14-20
Mark 9:14-29
Luke 9:37-43
The Shekel in the Fish’s Mouth
Matthew 17:24-27
The Man Born Blind
John 9:1-41
The Woman with an Infirmity
Luke 13:10-21
The Man with the Dropsy
Luke 14:1-24
The Raising of Lazarus
John 11:1-44
The Ten Lepers
Luke 17:11-37
Blind Bartimaeus and His Companion
Matthew 20:29-34
Mark 10:46-52
Luke 18:35-43
The Fig Tree Cursed
Matthew 21:13-19
Mark 11:12-18
Luke 19:45-48
Malchus’ Ear
Matthew 26:47-56
Mark 14:43-52
Luke 22:47-53
John 18:2-12
The Second Draught (catch/haul) of Fishes
John 21
General Groups of Miracles of the Lord Jesus Christ, as Recorded in the Gospels
Matthew 14:34-36
Mark 6:53-56
Matthew 4:23-25
Mark 1:35-39
Luke 4:42-44
Matthew 9:35-11:1
Mark 6:6-13
Luke 9:1-6
Matthew 8:14-17
Mark 1:29-34
Luke 4:38-41
Matthew 8:2-4
Mark 1:40-45
Luke 5:12-16
Matthew 5:1-2
Luke 6:17-19
Matthew 11:2-19
Luke 7:18-35
John 2:23-3:21
John 4:43-45
John 20:26-31
John 21:25
Acts 16:31
And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. -Paul & Silas
John 6:47
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. -Jesus Christ
And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:
But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
Lately I have been studying the miracles of the Lord Jesus Christ. Noah Webster in his dictionary of the English language says a miracle is,
"1. Literally, a wonder or wonderful thing; but appropriately,
2. In theology, an event or effect contrary to the established constitution and course of things, or a deviation from the known laws of nature; a supernatural event. Miracles can be wrought only by Almighty power, as when Christ healed lepers, saying, 'I will, be thou clean," or calmed the tempest, "Peace, be still.'"
The most important question a person could ever ask, and one that every person must ask is, "What must I do to be saved?"
Acts 16:30-31
And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Salvation is by grace through faith
Ephesians 2:8
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Faith comes by the hearing of God's Word
Romans 10:17
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
So, I want to thoroughly study the miracles that I may share them with others and so "ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. "
For my studying of the miracles I produced a chart on Word, but unfortunately the chart won't transfer to a blog. The chart records a harmony of Jesus' miracles; showing which Gospel says what about which miracle. Since I can't copy and paste the chart I will put the miracles in list form.
Read through the small titles I put on the miracles. I'm sure that you've heard of many of them, but if you have a moment, take a Bible and read through some of the references. While you're reading it, remember that these are actual historical events and remember that Jesus literally performed miracles. Wow. The Creator of the universe became flesh (John 1:1-3, Colossians 1:13-17, Hebrews 1:2) and His name is Jesus, Immanuel (God with us). He did miracles that were "contrary to the established constitution and course of things;" the wonders He did deviated "from the known laws of nature," and what we have recorded in the Bible truly are "supernatural event[s]."
Particular Miracles of the Lord Jesus Christ, as Recorded in the Gospels
The Water Made Wine
John 2:1-11
The Nobleman's Son
John 4:46-54
The First Draught (catch/haul) of Fishes
Matthew 4:18-22
Mark 1:16-20
Luke 5:1-11
The Capernaum Demoniac
Mark 1:21-28
Luke 4:31-37
Simon’s Mother-in-law
Matthew 8:14-17
Mark 1:29-34
Luke 4:38-41
A Leper
Matthew 8:2-4
Mark 1:40-45
Luke 5:12-16
The Paralytic
Matthew 9:1-8
Mark 2:1-12
Luke 5:17-26
The Impotent Man
John 5:1-47
The Man With a Withered Hands
Matthew 12:9-14
Mark 3:1-6
Luke 6:6-11
The Centurion’s Servant
Matthew 8:5-13
Luke 7:1-10
The Widow’s Son
Luke 7:11-17
A Blind and Dumb Man
Matthew 12:22-37
Mark 3:19-30
The Stilling of the Storm
Matthew 8:18-27
Mark 4:35-41
Luke 8:22-25
The Gadarene Demoniacs
Matthew 8:28-34
Mark 5:1-20
Luke 8:26-39
The Woman with an Issue of Blood (a hemorrhage)
Matthew 9:18-26
Mark 5:21-43
Luke 8:40-56
Jairus’ Daughter
Matthew 9:18-26
Mark 5:21-43
Luke 8:40-56
Two Blind Men
Matthew 9:27-34
A Dumb Demoniac
Matthew 9:27-34
The Five Thousand Fed
Matthew 14:13-21
Mark 6:30-44
Luke 9:10-17
John 6:1-13
Jesus Walking on the Water
Matthew 14:24-33
Mark 6:47-52
John 6:16-21
The Phoenician Woman’s Daughter
Matthew 15:21-28
Mark 7:24-30
The Deaf and Dumb Man
Matthew 15:29-38
Mark 7:31-8:9
The Four Thousand Fed
Matthew 15:29-38
Mark 7:31-8:9
A Blind Man Healed
Matthew 16:5-12
Mark 8:13-26
The Demoniac Boy
Matthew 17:14-20
Mark 9:14-29
Luke 9:37-43
The Shekel in the Fish’s Mouth
Matthew 17:24-27
The Man Born Blind
John 9:1-41
The Woman with an Infirmity
Luke 13:10-21
The Man with the Dropsy
Luke 14:1-24
The Raising of Lazarus
John 11:1-44
The Ten Lepers
Luke 17:11-37
Blind Bartimaeus and His Companion
Matthew 20:29-34
Mark 10:46-52
Luke 18:35-43
The Fig Tree Cursed
Matthew 21:13-19
Mark 11:12-18
Luke 19:45-48
Malchus’ Ear
Matthew 26:47-56
Mark 14:43-52
Luke 22:47-53
John 18:2-12
The Second Draught (catch/haul) of Fishes
John 21
General Groups of Miracles of the Lord Jesus Christ, as Recorded in the Gospels
Matthew 14:34-36
Mark 6:53-56
Matthew 4:23-25
Mark 1:35-39
Luke 4:42-44
Matthew 9:35-11:1
Mark 6:6-13
Luke 9:1-6
Matthew 8:14-17
Mark 1:29-34
Luke 4:38-41
Matthew 8:2-4
Mark 1:40-45
Luke 5:12-16
Matthew 5:1-2
Luke 6:17-19
Matthew 11:2-19
Luke 7:18-35
John 2:23-3:21
John 4:43-45
John 20:26-31
John 21:25
Acts 16:31
And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. -Paul & Silas
John 6:47
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. -Jesus Christ
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
The Gospel
Have you heard the Gospel?
The “gospel” literally means a “good message.” Have you heard the good message of God from His Word? Have you heard the bad message? The Gospel is better news if you understand the bad news.
Here’s the bad news:
The Bible says that all men are sinners
Ecclesiastes 7:20
For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
Romans 3:10
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Romans 3:23
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Sin is a transgression against God's law, this is a serious offense
1 John 3:4
Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
You have lied, you have stolen, you have lusted in your heart, and you have hated. This is a small list of sins and yet there is not one person who hasn’t committed one of them; you have disobeyed God.
God, who is holy, righteous, and just, has told us that the punishment for sin is the Lake of Fire
Ezekiel 18:4
Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death...
Revelation 20:14-15
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Revelation 21:8
But the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
You will die and you will face judgment; if you die in your sin then you will receive the just punishment for your sins
Hebrews 9:27
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
This is the bad news. The bad news is that EVERYONE has sinned against God, and that God has said, “the wages of sin is death;” and that “all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death”.
Here’s the Gospel, the good message:
Eternal life is the gift of God
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Notice that the wages of sin is death, however the last half of this verse says that the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. The Gospel is the message of that free gift found in the person of Jesus Christ.
Blood must be shed for sins to be forgiven
In the Old Testament, the blood of animals was shed so that the sins of man could be atoned for (covered, but not removed)
Leviticus 17:11
For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.
We read too in Hebrews 9:22, “...without shedding of blood is no remission.” Remission means pardon. In the Old Testament, they had to continually make these blood sacrifices because the blood of bulls and goats was not sufficient to take their sins away. The blood of Jesus Christ had to be shed for our sins to be taken away.
Hebrews 10:4
For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
Sin truly is a bloody business.
John the Baptist was the “forerunner” for the Lord Jesus Christ; he prepared the way for the personal work of Jesus. Here’s what he said,
John 1:29
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
Similar to the Old Testament sacrifices, the Lord Jesus Christ is the perfect Lamb of God.
Jesus Christ would make the perfect blood sacrifice for man.
Colossians 1:14
In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
1 John 1:7
... the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Ephesians 1:7
In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Revelation 1:5
...washed us from our sins in his own blood,
Acts 20:28
...the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
Ephesians 2:13
But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
1 Peter 1:18-19
Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
Remember, God is holy and righteous but man is unholy, sinful, and unrighteous
Isaiah 6:3
And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
Psalm 145:17
The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.
Ecclesiastes 7:20
For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
Romans 3:10
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
The only way we could ever escape the Lake of Fire (the just punishment for our sins) is to be made completely righteous, and you can’t do that by your own works
Isaiah 64:6
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Titus 3:5
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us...
You have a problem. Your sin is ever present before God who knows all and sees all, and you cannot get rid of it on your merit; my friend, when you die and face the judgment you will be guilty and you will receive the punishment for your sins
Hebrews 9:27
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Jeremiah 2:22
For though thou wash thee with niter, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord GOD.
However, you can be made righteous in the Lord Jesus Christ
2 Corinthians 5:20-21
Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
1 Peter 2:24
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
1 Peter 3:18
For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God...
Jesus Christ shed His blood for you; He died on the cross, was buried, and resurrected the third day
1 Corinthians 15:3-4
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures;
And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures:
The Lord Jesus Christ is your only hope of ever going to Heaven
Matthew 1:21
And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
Acts 4:12
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
1 John 3:5
And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
Matthew 7:14
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
John 14:6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Did you hear the Gospel? The “good message” is this:
Romans 3:23
...the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Even though the Lake of Fire is the just punishment for your sins, Jesus Christ died in your place and He now offers eternal life to all who will come; that is the best news that anyone ever told me.
If you want to receive this gift, here's how you do that:
You can be saved today, and only by faith. Repent. Repent means to turn or change; that means you need to turn in your heart and in your mind from rejecting (disbelief in) the Lord Jesus Christ to trust (belief) in Him alone to be your Savior.
Here’s what the Bible says you have to do:
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:36
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
John 6:47
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
Acts 16:31
And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Act 10:43
To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
Romans 3:24-26
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;
To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
Romans 10:9-10
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 10:13
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
You must pray in faith, believing that Jesus shed His blood for you, was buried, and rose from the dead. Trusting only Jesus, ask God to forgive you of your sins. I echo Paul and Silas in Acts 16:31 when they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved”.
If you prayed and believed on the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, I want to hear about it. Please email me! If you have any questions, I want to try to answer them with the Bible. Here’s my email:
kylepsheridan@aol.com
**Este artículo también existe en español, si usted quiere una copia, por favor envíame un correo electrónico
The “gospel” literally means a “good message.” Have you heard the good message of God from His Word? Have you heard the bad message? The Gospel is better news if you understand the bad news.
Here’s the bad news:
The Bible says that all men are sinners
Ecclesiastes 7:20
For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
Romans 3:10
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Romans 3:23
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Sin is a transgression against God's law, this is a serious offense
1 John 3:4
Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
You have lied, you have stolen, you have lusted in your heart, and you have hated. This is a small list of sins and yet there is not one person who hasn’t committed one of them; you have disobeyed God.
God, who is holy, righteous, and just, has told us that the punishment for sin is the Lake of Fire
Ezekiel 18:4
Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death...
Revelation 20:14-15
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Revelation 21:8
But the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
You will die and you will face judgment; if you die in your sin then you will receive the just punishment for your sins
Hebrews 9:27
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
This is the bad news. The bad news is that EVERYONE has sinned against God, and that God has said, “the wages of sin is death;” and that “all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death”.
Here’s the Gospel, the good message:
Eternal life is the gift of God
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Notice that the wages of sin is death, however the last half of this verse says that the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. The Gospel is the message of that free gift found in the person of Jesus Christ.
Blood must be shed for sins to be forgiven
In the Old Testament, the blood of animals was shed so that the sins of man could be atoned for (covered, but not removed)
Leviticus 17:11
For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.
We read too in Hebrews 9:22, “...without shedding of blood is no remission.” Remission means pardon. In the Old Testament, they had to continually make these blood sacrifices because the blood of bulls and goats was not sufficient to take their sins away. The blood of Jesus Christ had to be shed for our sins to be taken away.
Hebrews 10:4
For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
Sin truly is a bloody business.
John the Baptist was the “forerunner” for the Lord Jesus Christ; he prepared the way for the personal work of Jesus. Here’s what he said,
John 1:29
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
Similar to the Old Testament sacrifices, the Lord Jesus Christ is the perfect Lamb of God.
Jesus Christ would make the perfect blood sacrifice for man.
Colossians 1:14
In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
1 John 1:7
... the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Ephesians 1:7
In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Revelation 1:5
...washed us from our sins in his own blood,
Acts 20:28
...the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
Ephesians 2:13
But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
1 Peter 1:18-19
Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
Remember, God is holy and righteous but man is unholy, sinful, and unrighteous
Isaiah 6:3
And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
Psalm 145:17
The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.
Ecclesiastes 7:20
For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
Romans 3:10
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
The only way we could ever escape the Lake of Fire (the just punishment for our sins) is to be made completely righteous, and you can’t do that by your own works
Isaiah 64:6
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Titus 3:5
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us...
You have a problem. Your sin is ever present before God who knows all and sees all, and you cannot get rid of it on your merit; my friend, when you die and face the judgment you will be guilty and you will receive the punishment for your sins
Hebrews 9:27
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Jeremiah 2:22
For though thou wash thee with niter, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord GOD.
However, you can be made righteous in the Lord Jesus Christ
2 Corinthians 5:20-21
Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
1 Peter 2:24
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
1 Peter 3:18
For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God...
Jesus Christ shed His blood for you; He died on the cross, was buried, and resurrected the third day
1 Corinthians 15:3-4
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures;
And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures:
The Lord Jesus Christ is your only hope of ever going to Heaven
Matthew 1:21
And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
Acts 4:12
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
1 John 3:5
And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
Matthew 7:14
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
John 14:6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Did you hear the Gospel? The “good message” is this:
Romans 3:23
...the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Even though the Lake of Fire is the just punishment for your sins, Jesus Christ died in your place and He now offers eternal life to all who will come; that is the best news that anyone ever told me.
If you want to receive this gift, here's how you do that:
You can be saved today, and only by faith. Repent. Repent means to turn or change; that means you need to turn in your heart and in your mind from rejecting (disbelief in) the Lord Jesus Christ to trust (belief) in Him alone to be your Savior.
Here’s what the Bible says you have to do:
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:36
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
John 6:47
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
Acts 16:31
And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Act 10:43
To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
Romans 3:24-26
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;
To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
Romans 10:9-10
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 10:13
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
You must pray in faith, believing that Jesus shed His blood for you, was buried, and rose from the dead. Trusting only Jesus, ask God to forgive you of your sins. I echo Paul and Silas in Acts 16:31 when they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved”.
If you prayed and believed on the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, I want to hear about it. Please email me! If you have any questions, I want to try to answer them with the Bible. Here’s my email:
kylepsheridan@aol.com
**Este artículo también existe en español, si usted quiere una copia, por favor envíame un correo electrónico
Saturday, April 19, 2008
A blog?
The Word of God is quick and powerful (Hebrews 4:12). The Word of God endures forever (1 Peter 1:23). Pastor Floyd Dorsey once said to me, "When the God of the Universe speaks to you, write it down." I do not claim to have ever heard an audible voice from God, however, He does speak to me everyday as I spend time in the Bible. The Bible says that "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God" (2 Timothy 3:16). The Bible was written by the will of God and not by the will of men (2 Peter 1:21). I have faith that He has preserved those words for us today like He promised (Psalm 12:6-7, Matthew 24:35). So with confidence I can say that God is speaking to me as I read His Word. I started this blog not to begin writing it down because I already do that, but I started this so that I could share what I learn in the Word with those that I love. Often, if not always, I will be recording devotionals in here. If you've received a link, then you know you're someone I love! If you don't receive the link, I probably still love you but need your forgiveness for my forgetfulness.