Search Results

Mark 7:37 Christianity stands or falls upon the person of Jesus Christ. If He is a fraud, so is the entire faith. (This concept holds true for any religion. If any part of a faith system is found to be untrue or fraudulent, the whole system is called into question. Similarly, any religion based solely on claims and assertions with no evidence to support those claims is without legitimate foundation.) Jesus taught a message which was without equal. He spoke of love, compassion and forgiveness. He told His hearers to be morally upright and to keep their word. He said to take care what we think and say. Everywhere people were astonished at what He taught (Matthew 7:28-29). No man could refute His powerful truths. Jesus lived a life of holiness and compassion. He ministered to all sorts of people: rich and poor, healthy and sick, young and aged, outcasts and the “in” crowd, even the dead! He always told the truth, coveted no person’s property and observed the commandments of the Law. He was able to confidently challenge His detractors at one point whether they could find any sin in His life (John 8:46). In His ministry, Jesus was empowered to perform all sorts of miracles. He healed every manner of disease, walked on water, fed thousands with five barley loaves and a couple of fish, and even raised the dead. Multitudes were witnesses (John 6:14). Finally, He was arrested by fearful and jealous religious leaders of the Jews who brought pressure upon the Roman governor to have Him executed. Pilate agreed to their wishes, and Jesus was crucified. But the tomb would not be His resting place nor death His end, for God raised Him up from the dead. And there were plenty of eye witnesses to the resurrected Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:3-8). The evidence that Jesus is the Son of God is diverse and plentiful. Those who observed His life remarked that He had done all things well (Mark 7:37). To believe in Jesus does not require a leap into the dark but only a look into the empty tomb.

1 Corinthians 13:1-8 If I can speak most eloquently and am able to captivate crowds with marvelous stories and have not love, I am nothing but a wind chime. If I have such great command of the English language so as to present irrefutable arguments and be able to powerfully persuade men yet do not have love, I am a loud, noisy muffler. If I have great insight into biblical prophecies and understand their various interpretations but don’t have love, I am a big, fat zero. If I have faith which is unflinching in the face of great adversities and am able to overcome huge obstacles but lack love, I am worthless. If I am a generous giver and always donate to clothes closets, soup kitchens and every request for help which comes to my attention but am void of love, it does me absolutely no good. If I deny myself all pleasure in life and work tirelessly night and day to spread the gospel even in the most difficult circumstance with threats to my life and limb but am empty of love, it adds nothing to my account. Love is most patient. Whether it’s waiting for you to get ready or for you to arrive, love bides its time. If it’s waiting for you to grow and mature, love will see you through to the end. Love is kindness in action. It does those little things (some big ones, too) which make the day so much more tolerable. A cup of coffee, a friendly word, a surprise gift - love is considerate of you. Love is not jealous when you get that new job or car or house or grandchild or whatever - it rejoices with you! Love doesn’t talk about itself but wants to know about you. Love never acts stupidly or out of character. Love is not out to get whatever it can get; does not “lose it” when things go south; doesn’t keep track of every time it gets hurt. Love finds no joy in any evil, only in what is true and good. Love bears burdens, believes with an open heart, anticipates the best, perseveres through the greatest hardships. Love never quits, never gives up, never is exhausted.

At the dedication of the temple. Solomon gave a powerful benediction. He praised the Lord God for His having kept His promises to Israel, but asked that the Lord continue to be with them. He acknowledged that it was God who would have to “incline” their hearts toward Him to walk in “all His ways” and that He would be the one to “maintain” their cause. But all of this had a purpose which went far beyond the well-being of Israel. That purpose? - “that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; there is no one else.” In other words, it wasn’t about Israel receiving blessings, but about their being a blessing to the world as a witness to the existence and the goodness of the Lord God. The nations around them needed to see not only the blessings that came from serving the Lord, but the kind of people that serving the Lord caused them to be. There is a complementary passage in the New Testament (Matthew 5:13-16) which teaches much the same for the followers of Jesus. In being “the salt of the earth,” Jesus’ disciples give help in difficult times, comfort in the midst of sorrow, relief in the throes of pain, hope when there is despair. In addition, Jesus calls His people “the light of the world.” This would be light for a dark world, one which is lying in the shadows of deceptions and wickedness. It is a world filled with greed, theft, murder, lies, broken promises and crushed lives. It is a world which feeds on itself perpetuating its own ways. In contrast, Christians exhibit a very different way of living. It is a way of trust, truthfulness, loyalty, hard work, kindness, respect, honor, compassion and love. The joy and peace found in Christ’s followers are a “light” to all the world that there is a better way. But that light is a light which is not generated by the Christian himself, but by Someone else. It is the light of Christ, the light of the Holy Spirit which shines through the man or woman of God to bring glory to the Father and witness to the world of a better way to live.

1 Peter 1:22-25 If you would, work with me on this. Get your Bible. I’ll wait. OK. Now just open it up and page through it, and as you do consider that the words on those pages are meant as a message for you from God. There is much that He wants you to know. Within the pages of His book, God tells you about the beginnings of this world and about how you began. He relates the origins of your problem with unbelief and rebellion, and then unfolds the beautiful story of His own efforts to bring you back to Him through His Son Jesus Christ. Throughout the book, we read of the heroic efforts and also the weaknesses and failings of the men and women He called to His work. In all of it the Lord God shines forth in the splendor of His holiness and the beauty of His grace. Some of the words which you are reading in these holy scriptures began to be faithfully copied from generation to generation some 3500 years ago. God has seen to it that His word has been preserved so that even today you can read and know the things which He desires for you to know. God testifies through His own book that the words in it are life and truth, and that if we do not hear and follow them you will forever be lost, your soul forfeit. He affirms that there are no other writings equal to it nor necessary in order to be saved and to live a life pleasing to Him. It is through His word that people are born again, and God’s word will remain forever. Let me ask you this. Have you read God’s book? All of it? Every word? More than once? He wrote it for you! If you don’t read it all, how will you know whether or not you are missing something crucial? How will you know if you are living righteously? If you are saved and in Christ? If you have missed the whole point of life? Now look through your Bible again. Jesus said that by His words all people would be judged (John 12:48). Do you intend to stand before God on the last Day without having read His book?

James 1:16-17 If you were to ask the average person sitting in the pew whether or not they believed in God, the reply would no doubt be something like this: “Of course I do! Why else do you think I’m here?” However, if you were to ask the same person whether God was a part of their daily life, the answer might not be so positive. When a person “goes to church” on Sunday and leaves the Lord out of the rest of the week, he/she is engaging in practical atheism. Practical atheism is a world view in which God is irrelevant to one’s day-to-day affairs. Such belief is demonstrated by the absence of God from one’s daily life. The Lord is never thought about during the course of the day. He is not consulted (prayer, the Word) about courses of action to take nor sought out for strength to do what needs to be done. He is not acknowledged in conversation. God is never thanked for the blessings that come, nor is He praised for the beauties of creation nor the goodness of life. He is, for all practical purposes, non-existent in the routine ebb and flow of life. Practical atheism has no support in Scripture. James reminds us that every good thing comes from God. This would include every blessing which comes on Monday through Saturday: a new day, life itself, sunrise, your morning coffee, your spouse, your children, your job, your health, lunch, supper, your comfortable bed - there is no stopping place! And James precedes his thought with a warning: “Do not be deceived...” To take all of life’s goodness for granted and leave God out of the day is self-deception and an affront to our heavenly Father. To think that we can live even one day without Him is not only being ignorant but also being arrogant. Paul challenged the very “fleshly” church at Corinth (1:4:7), “What do you have that you did not receive?” Of course, the answer to that is nothing! By omitting God from daily living we engage in a subtle form of boasting in which we are saying, “I do not need God.” Beware. “Do not be deceived.”

The journey had taken forty days, but it seemed longer than that. The desert had been harsh, and the sun hot. The climb up the mountain was arduous. But the inner turmoil was the worst. Jezebel had sworn to take his life, and Elijah knew her power over the king. He was also quite aware of her passion for Baal and her hatred of him. Before a great multitude, he had shown her god to be a fraud, and then personally slaughtered four hundred fifty of Baal’s prophets. Jezebel’s hunger for vengeance would be insatiable. Added to all of that was his knowing that all of Israel had forsaken the covenant of the Lord God. From the Jordan to the Great Sea, the people bowed to Baal and kissed him. Being very zealous for the Lord, the prophet was heartbroken over all of this. The cave on Horeb brought welcome relief. It was cool, and quiet. He felt safe there on God’s mountain far away from the long arm of Jezebel’s wrath and the prying eyes of her agents. It was a place to hide out. And rest. Perhaps a place to die. But it was the word of the Lord which most stirred him that evening. “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Take some time and read the rest of the narrative. Elijah offered his reasons for being there, but they all turned into weak excuses as God demonstrated His great power on the mountain. They were indeed the facts surrounding the situation, but where God is concerned, the facts are often not impressive. The Almighty had everything already worked out! After all, He is the LORD God! Elijah had taken his eye off of the Lord and allowed the problems encircling him to get bigger in his heart than God. And so he had run. We have all done the same. And when you run away, God will come to bring you back. He will stand at the entrance to your hiding place and whisper: “What are you doing here?” Pray that you will listen.

John 21:15-19 Lovers are a unique breed. Have you observed two lovers recently? Did you notice how they dote on one another? They search for one another in a crowd. They “devour” each other with their eyes. They hold hands. They hug. They smile at one another. They talk softly together. They enjoy one another’s company. Lovers find opportunities and even make excuses to be together and do things together. Lovers never want to hurt one another and will go to great lengths to avoid anything injurious. They truly care about one another. God (Romans 5:8) and Christians (1 John 5:2-3) are lovers. Yes, I know it’s not in a romantic sense - IT’S IN A DEEPER AND GREATER SPIRITUAL SENSE! Isn’t God’s main concern on the earth the saving of the lost and the building up of His people? Doesn’t God speak to us through His word and by answering prayers? Doesn’t even His Holy Spirit dwell within us? Doesn’t God shower us with every good thing? Does He not chastise those whom He loves? Didn’t our heavenly Father send His only Son to become one of us and to provide a way for all people to have life eternal with Him? Is this not love? Don’t Christians read and study the Word of God to learn more about their God? Don’t disciples talk with God (pray) all the time? Don’t Christians strive hard to avoid sins which hurt their heavenly Father? Aren’t the saints diligent in trying to please the Father in all things? Don’t Christians anticipate the return of their Savior so they can go and be with Him? Is this not love? After His resurrection, Jesus confronted Simon Peter on the shores of Lake Galilee. Peter had denied Jesus three times before His crucifixion, and now Jesus needed to know something. Three times He asks Simon, “Do you love Me?” It would seem that Peter’s sin was not so much a denial of faith as it was a betrayal of love. If Jesus asked you, Do you love Me?, what would you answer?

This past Lord’s day (as I write this), I was battling through some nasty sinus trouble and a bad head cold. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to teach, but the Lord blessed me and provided the strength and health to be able to do so. I’m sure everything wasn’t up to the usual standards, but the Lord was gracious to help us present the lessons. Afterwards, when everyone was filing out there were several who offered “well wishes” that I would get better. “Hope you get better.” “Get well soon.” “Be well.” And other sentiments were expressed which were very kind, and I was thankful that so many were concerned about me as to say something. But as I reflected on all of this, it struck me that not one person said that they would pray for me. (Others with whom I had prior conversation had expressed they would pray for me.) This is not about me and my wanting prayers such as when Paul wrote to the church at Philippi about their supporting him in the gospel (4:17). He wanted them to be fruitful in good works and so increase their “account” before God. We need to be fruitful in every good work. Sentiments are nice, but they are just that - sentiments. What reason would there be why Christians would not offer to pray for another Christian? I would suggest three things. First, we may not be in the habit of praying very much. It’s not what we do. We are too much like the world in just expressing well wishes. “Have a good trip.” “Be safe.” “Have a nice day.” Nice sentiments, but no substance nor power. In the second place, we may not think that prayer will do any good. Now, you say, “But we’re Christians!.” And then I say, “Then why don’t you offer to pray?” Hmmm? Third, to say that we will pray for someone puts us under obligation to keep our word. That means we must remember to pray and then take time to do it. Are we unwilling to do this? These are some of my thoughts. Love to hear from you.

Matthew 14:22-23 Do you wonder about things, and ask questions about the why and how of what happens? I do a lot of that. Recently, one of my previous questions came to mind again when we had to cancel our Sunday assemblies due to weather conditions. We’ve had to do this before, and other congregations have done the same. But here’s my question: If the Lord’s Day assembly around His table is so important, why does God allow bad weather and other circumstances to keep His people from getting together? Ever thought of that? Is it a test? Should we try to make it no matter how severe the weather? Do we jettison the common sense and wisdom which the Lord gave us and sally forth in dangerous conditions? And what is considered “dangerous”? For elderly folks and those who live out on county/township roads and those who don’t own all-wheel drive vehicles and those with infants, etc., the definition is different. So is God unconcerned about the Lord’s Day when the storm howls, or is He perhaps doing something else? I had these thoughts when our Sunday services were cancelled. Shirley and I had our “assembly” at the dining room table. It was very personal, intimate and uplifting. Jesus was there with us. While eating lunch, we watched out the back door as the ice crystals danced in the air reflecting the much-appreciated sun. It was quite a show. And we marveled at the quiet. Hardly anything moving - people, vehicles. God had shut things down. It was time to stop, reflect and be in awe. In our text, we find one of the instances in which Jesus wanted to be alone as well. He sent away the crowds. He compelled His disciples to get in a boat and cross the lake. He went up on the mountain to pray - He and His Father alone. We all need this time with our God alone. Even the very vital Lord’s Day assembly does not provide us time alone with our Lord. When God “shuts everything down,” He is giving us a different worship opportunity. “Be still, and know that I am God.”

Acts 9:36-43 Becoming and then being a Christian starts in the individual person’s heart. There is faith in Christ, the decision to follow Him (repentance) and the submitting to baptism into Christ. What follows is a growing into the image of Jesus, a “putting off” of the old person of sin and a “putting on” of the new person created in righteousness. This new creation begins in the inner person (mind, heart, soul) where knowledge, perceptions, attitudes, desires, etc. all become informed by the word of God, and the individual becomes a Spirit-led person. This inner change is reflected, necessarily, in the words and deeds of the new Christian. The change of heart produces a change in lifestyle. A good husband becomes a better husband. A selfish husband becomes a loving husband. A good wife becomes a better wife. A contentious wife becomes a husband-respecting wife. A lazy person becomes industrious. A thief takes a job: A liar tells the truth. A blame-shifter accepts responsibility. A greedy person becomes a giver. An inward-focused person turns outward. Skills and talents are put into service for the Lord. Tabitha is a great example of this. Scripture says she was a “disciple” who “was abounding with deeds of kindness and charity which she continually did.” We are told that those deeds involved the making of garments of various kinds for those in need. She had made such a great impact upon those in Joppa that when she died the disciples sent to Lydda, where Peter was staying, with the apparent hope that through him God would bring her back to life. Peter came, and God answered Peter’s prayer to give life to her again. Tabitha had become a real disciple of Jesus, employing her gifts for the good of all. And note this well. This was not some organized ministry of the church. This was a Christian woman changed by Christ. She wasn’t waiting for someone to plan some kind of group effort. Her heart was such that she saw needs and did what she could to take care of them. She was truly a disciple.

Proverbs 1:20-33 Solomon wrote: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7). Too often when we consider this saying and the remainder of this chapter, we end up in a discussion of what the “fear of the Lord” is and tend to miss the main thrust of the section. Certainly there are some varying aspects of the word “fear” from holy awe and reverence to downright dread depending upon the circumstances, but what is the main point? It’s this: one’s reverential fear for the Lord God will lead him/her to pursue the knowledge of God and seek His wisdom and instruction in how to live one’s life. Those who have this “fear of the Lord” will do this. Those who don’t are called fools. In our scripture, wisdom is personified and is depicted as moving among the crowds of people who are going about their daily affairs. She cries out throughout the city, calling for people to turn from their “simple-minded” and “naive” ways of thinking to consider her words of counsel. She is like a street preacher who is trying to warn the masses of their need for the wisdom of God and of the calamities which will befall them because they have refused to listen to her. And it seems that very few want to listen to her words. She has a very dire warning for those who refuse her offer of counsel and reproof. She says that when the storms and distress come upon them because of their refusal to follow her counsel, she will just laugh at what is happening to them. It will be like an “I told you so.” The wisdom of God and the counsel of His word will be standing in judgment upon the people whose “complacency” and desire for “their own way” have brought calamities into their lives. How true this is of so many today. Not only do they reject God’s word but God as well! In so doing, they invite all sorts of trouble into their lives. We see this daily. May we ourselves follow Wisdom’s counsel and also be diligent to teach God’s word to others. In so doing we will “live securely” and help others do the same. ><> Jeff

Revelation 21:5 God has never been satisfied with the status quo when it did not meet with His purposes. He has always been the God of change and new things. The creation was something new. Never before had anything existed outside of the godhead. (Here I am speaking of all things that were created. See Col 1:16.) God brought into existence a host of living things, including man, to accomplish His purposes. When the sin of mankind became so great in Noah’s day, God chose to do something new. He destroyed the earth, its creatures and human kind except for Noah and his family who began a new repopulation of an earth which itself had been significantly changed by the catastrophic forces of the great flood. Within a few generations God began to do something new with a man named Abraham. He chose him, blessed him and made promises to him that all peoples of the world would be blessed through his descendant. But the Hebrew people were always in a state of flux. A descent into Egypt with eventual enslavement. A rescue and a covenant with the Lord at Sinai. A settling in the promised land. Judges ruled first; then a king, the first of which was removed. Then a line of kings through David. But their drift away from God was substantial and continuous. Finally, the kingdom of Israel is removed; then Judah goes into captivity. They return. A rebuilt temple. At last, the Christ comes. He brings in a new covenant and a new law of grace. Those who believe in Him are born again and become a new creation. What does all this mean for us His people? We should never be satisfied to meander along in mediocre ministry and “rut religion.” We are to be ever renewed and renewing ourselves through the Holy Spirit to reach new levels of service and the knowledge of God and His Son Jesus Christ. Within the boundaries of holy scripture, let us move forward and upward in 2018 to new ventures and loftier vistas in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.