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Need2Know
 Posted:
Sat Jul 12, 2008 9:45 pm |
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Some people today have made a hobby out of studying Bible prophecy. While it's a good thing to study, Bible prophecy is not there to simply tantalize or entertain us.
When we study Bible prophecy, and we ought to, it should be for a reason. It should motivate us toward personal godliness and bold evangelism. It should cause us to want to live holy lives.
The Bible tells us that when the prophet Daniel was studying the book of Jeremiah, he realized God's impending judgment was coming upon the nation of Israel. How did that affect him? Daniel said, "Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes" (Daniel 9:3 NKJV).
As Daniel studied prophecy, he was moved personally.
It is worth noting that whenever the subject of the Lord's return comes up in Scripture, there is usually an exhortation or admonition to take action. In James, we find four important principles to follow as we await the Lord's return.
First, we are to be patient. James tells us, "Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain" (James 5:7 NKJV). The word James uses for "patient" does not mean passive resignation, but being expectant, waiting on the Lord.
He cites the example of a farmer who looks for rain. Of course, the farmers of that day did not have the modern irrigation systems that we do. They were completely dependent on the rain to sustain their crops.
In Israel, the early rains would usually come in late October and early November. Anxiously anticipated by the farmer, they would soften the hard soil for plowing. The latter rains would come in late April and May. They were essential to the maturing of the crops.
Now if the farmer was impatient and tried to harvest the seed before it was ready, he could uproot the entire process. So he had to wait. And so do we.
We must understand that God has His own schedule and is not bound by ours. When the time is just right, Jesus Christ will return again to this earth.
Second, we are to establish ourselves. James says, "Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand" (James 5:8 NKJV). Another way to translate this verse is, "Strengthen and make firm your inner life." This word "establish" conveys the thought of strengthening and supporting something so it will stand firm and be immovable. In other words, resolutely establish yourself. Dig your feet in.
God wants believers to be rooted and grounded; yet many are not. They have not taken the time to develop habits of personal Bible study, the discipline of prayer, or even regular church attendance.
But we need to be rooted, because our faith will be challenged. We will face hardship. We are to dig in and resolve to do what God wants us to do.
Third, James tells us to not grumble as we await the Lord's return. "Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned." (James 5:9 NKJV). James is speaking of unjust criticism and nitpicking—biting at each other's heels, so to speak.
As Christians, our numbers are relatively small. Our task is immense. The time is short. We squander our time by grumbling and complaining about each other when we should be closing ranks and marching forward. Don't do that, James says.
Finally, we are to consider Job as an example. "You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful" (James 5:11). Job never lost his faith, regardless of his circumstances.
Maybe you are going through a Job-like time in your life. Know that God will not forget about you in your valley of despair. God has a work that He will complete in your life. He is the author and finisher of our faith (see Hebrews 12:2). God completes what He begins.
So be patient. Establish yourself. Don't grumble. Learn from the example of Job.
The Lord is coming back, but the question is, are you ready? Are you prepared for His return? May we be able to say, like Job, "For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth" (Job 19:25 NKJV).
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 8847
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| Need2Know
Posted:
Sat Jul 12, 2008 10:12 pm |
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The iGod
We live in a storm-tossed world today. Everywhere you turn, it seems there is bad news: global terrorism, a possible recession, violence in our schools, rampant immorality … the list goes on. But when you believe in God, though it may not necessarily change your circumstances, it will change you.
The Bible teaches this simple thing: God exists, and He is the Creator of the universe and of humanity. While I am aware that there are probably more books than ever before written by militant atheists trying to disprove one's belief in God, the fact of the matter is that most Americans still believe there is a God. We are wired that way. God has set "eternity in our hearts" (Ecclesiastes 3:11). In fact, the Bible says, "The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God'" (Psalm 14:1;53:1).
It is worth noting that the Bible does not try to prove the existence of God. It simply says, "In the beginning God …" (Genesis 1:1). We can't go back any further than that. Certain people would like to eliminate God and just say, "In the beginning." Or, they want to remake God in their own image. It was Voltaire who said, "God made man in His own image, and man hastens to return the compliment."
And that is what we largely have today. I don't think we have a generation that does not believe in God as much as I think we have a generation that believes in a god of their own making. We could call this the "iGeneration." It is the generation that has their own god – an iGod, if you will. He is God on demand, God as they want him to be, God as they have fashioned him in their own image.
In Kyoto, Japan, the Thousand Buddha Temple displays 1,001 likenesses of Buddha, each a little different from the others. Presumably, a person could find the Buddha that most resembles himself or herself and then worship it. That is what a lot of people do today when they make statements such as, "I don't believe in a God of judgment," or "My God would never do thus and so …" or "The God I follow is not like that." My suggestion would be to take a good look in the mirror because that is where they will find their god. We may not like or understand everything about him, but God is God, and he is declared in the Bible. That is how we are to know and understand him.
A lot of people want to worship God in their own way, but the Bible shows us a different paradigm: "In the beginning God …" It is not for us to pick and choose what attributes of God we find appealing and then reject the others, as though we are ambling along some celestial buffet. Rather, we are to take God as he is presented in the Bible. It is a package deal: "In the beginning God …"
If we eliminate God, then we have a big problem. In the beginning what? In the beginning a mass of gasses floating in space? That is not much of a beginning. Where did the mass come from? Where did the space come from? Every child eventually gets around to asking where God came from, and there is no easy answer for that question. He has always existed. He has self-existed. He existed from the beginning. God has no beginning, nor does He have an end. The Bible just says, "In the beginning God …" The Bible doesn't tell us when that was. It was just the beginning.
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." If you can believe this opening statement of the Bible, then the rest will be no problem for you at all. If you believe that God created the heavens and Earth, then you will have no problem believing that Jesus was supernaturally conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the virgin. If you believe that God created the heavens and Earth, then you will have no problem believing that a guy named Noah loaded all those animals on board the ark. If you believe that God created the heavens and Earth, then you will not have any problem believing that God can heal and that God can even raise people from the dead.
But who is God? Pharaoh asked that question of Moses (Exodus 5:2). And this is when it gets tough because our finite minds are trying to grasp the infinite. We try to wrap our minds around something that is, in effect, incomprehensible. This does not mean that God cannot be known or cannot be loved or even to some degree, understood. But we never will fully comprehend God. Zophar had it right when he said to Job, "Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?" (Job 11:7).
David said, "Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable" (Psalm 145:3). We must acknowledge that there is a point when we will not understand everything about God. Yet God has revealed many things about himself to us. There are many things we can know about God. And the more we know about God, the more we will love Him and want to worship Him. And that is really what we are here to do. We are here to know, to worship, and to glorify the God who created us. Anything less than that is falling short of our purpose.
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 8847
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| wvgirl
Posted:
Sun Jul 13, 2008 1:07 am |
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N2K Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 10:45 pm
<snip> God wants believers to be rooted and grounded; yet many are not. They have not taken the time to develop habits of personal Bible study, the discipline of prayer, or even regular church attendance
 I have been so guilty of this. I spend more time on RU than I do reading my bible. And my church attendance has been horrible. Seems like I've been searching forever to find where I'm supposed to be. Last Sunday and Wednesday I went to the one I've been wanting to go too. I've always loved hearing the preacher preach. I am looking forward to going in the morning/this morning.
N2K Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 11:12 pm
<snip>And that is really what we are here to do. We are here to know, to worship, and to glorify the God who created us. Anything less than that is falling short of our purpose.
I agree and I am committed to doing better. 
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Joined: 23 Mar 2006
Posts: 3655
Location: Almost Heaven
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| Need2Know
Posted:
Sun Jul 13, 2008 4:02 pm |
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wvg - He promises that if we truly seek Him, we shall find Him and our lives will be indicative of that and will never be the same again. Inner peace and joy comes no other way. There is no greater love than that of The One who gave His life for us and took the full wrath of God the Father's punishment for our sinful and wicked ways, all so that we might experience the life we were meant to live and have a piece of heaven right here on Earth. I want to be able to stand in His presence on that glorious day and have Him say to me "you did well my good and faithful servant."
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 8847
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| Need2Know
Posted:
Sun Jul 13, 2008 4:05 pm |
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July 13, 2008
THE FIRST FIRES OF REVIVAL
For the people had all been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law. -Nehemiah 8:9 (NLT)
There's a pattern that we see throughout the Bible-a pattern of something very powerful happening whenever people turn to the Scriptures. In the passage above, we see that the people of Nehemiah's day (who had wandered away from the Word) were all moved to the point of tears as they heard God's Word being declared to them. The result was a widespread return to God.
We see this pattern repeated in 2 Chronicles 34. The temple of God was in ruins, and as they went to repair it, a copy of the long forgotten law was discovered. When King Josiah read it, he tore his clothes, begged God's mercy, and instituted spiritual reform in the land.
Something similar happened in the book of Acts as the Apostle Peter preached the Word to thousands who had gathered in the streets of Jerusalem. It says that these people, many of whom had a hand in Christ's execution just a few days earlier, were cut to the heart by what they heard. The only response they could summon was, "What do we do now?" What they did was go on to become the first 3,000 converts to Christianity (Acts 2:37-41).
The pattern is undeniable. Something very powerful and something very spiritual happens whenever God's Word is discovered and declared. Sin is identified, conviction sets in, repentance happens, and revival follows. God uses His Word to revive His people.
What an important truth for the Church globally and for the Christian individually! For it's only when the Scriptures are given center stage that the first fires of revival are kindled in the Church collectively and in our hearts personally.
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 8847
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| Need2Know
Posted:
Mon Jul 14, 2008 7:12 am |
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Marks of Maturity
After years of walking with the Lord, the apostle Paul said, "I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection! But I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be" (Philippians 3:12 NLT).
Truly spiritual people will always recognize that there is so much more to learn and so much more in their lives that needs to change.
In contrast, self-deceived people—people who think they are spiritual but really are not—think they know it all, which only shows how little they know. They are like those whom the Book of Revelation describes from the church of Laodicea, claiming to be rich and lacking nothing. But God's assessment was that they were "wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked" (Revelation 3:17 NLT).
So how can we know if we are truly spiritual people? In James 1, we find three things that we as Christians should be actively doing if we are really seeking to live godly lives:
If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. (vv. 26–27 NKJV)
If you are a true Christian, a truly spiritual person, you will:
Control your tongue. The true test of a person's religion is not his ability to speak his mind, but to hold his tongue. That is why the psalmist wrote, "I will watch what I do and not sin in what I say. I will curb my tongue when the ungodly are around me" (Psalm 39:1 NLT).
As Christians, we may pride ourselves on the fact that we don't steal from others or attack other people or commit immoral acts. But we may bring pain worse than a blow to the body by wounding the heart of someone with our words. We can steal someone's good name and their reputation, and that, too, is sin.
Gossip, slander, and backbiting are extremely widespread sins in the church today, so we must seek to control our tongues. If you are a godly person, then you will exercise self-control over what you say.
Care about others. "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble . . ." (James 1:27 NKJV). This phrase "to visit" suggests the idea of caring for or looking after. It is the idea of not just seeing someone in need, but taking action to help meet that need. Jesus said that if you give a drink to strangers or invite them into your home or clothe them or visit them when they are sick or in prison, it is the same as doing it for Him (see Matthew 25:35–40).
Keep yourself unspotted from the world. Have you ever worn an outfit that you didn't want to spill anything on? Doesn't it seem that you always spill on it? If I am wearing jeans and a T-shirt, I don't spill anything. But if I am wearing a suit and will be going to a meeting or maybe giving a little talk, I will always spill on myself. It happens immediately: a big stain somewhere. Even when I cover myself in napkins, inevitably, a big glob will find its way through that one, little, microscopic gap in the napkin. To try and keep oneself unspotted takes effort.
While Scripture says we are "kept by the power of God through faith for salvation" (1 Peter 1:5 NKJV), we are also to keep ourselves pure (see 1 Timothy 5:22). Rather than being a contradiction, this shows us there is God's part and there is our part in keeping ourselves unspotted from the world.
God will keep us. The question is, do we want to be kept?
You see, true spirituality is not measured primarily by what we say, but by what we do. Truly godly people will come humbly to His Word, recognizing their great need for Him and His truths. Truly godly people will control their words. Truly godly people will reach out to those who are hurting and will keep themselves unspotted by the world.
In short, truly godly people will be doers of His Word—not just hearers.
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 8847
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| Need2Know
Posted:
Mon Jul 14, 2008 8:18 am |
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Monday, July 14, 2008
The Ultimate Sign
Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You."
— Matthew 12:38
Would miracles make more people believe? Would unbelievers become believers if they were to see a bona fide miracle?
The scribes and Pharisees' demand for a sign prompted Jesus to give them some of His most solemn and searching words:
"An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. . . . The men of Ninevah will rise in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here." (Matthew 12:39, 41)
Jesus' response seems rather harsh. After all, here were some individuals who were simply asking for a miracle. He had performed many of them. What's one more? Perhaps that miracle could have brought them to faith. Why didn't He grant their request?
The answer is that Jesus always looks at the motives behind what people say and do. He is far more interested in what is going on in our hearts than what is coming out of our mouths.
As He looked in their hearts, no doubt He saw the real reason behind their request: They wanted to destroy Jesus. Matthew 12:14 tells us that the Pharisees "took counsel against Him, how they might destroy Him."
Jesus died on the cross for them and all of humanity, and rose again from the dead, because we all were separated from God by sin. That is the message Jesus essentially was giving to the Pharisees. That is the message He essentially is giving to us.
It is the greatest sign of all. It is the ultimate sign.
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 8847
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| Need2Know
Posted:
Mon Jul 14, 2008 8:21 am |
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Q. I was baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. A relative of mine was baptized in the name of Jesus only. She believes that unless we were baptized in the name of Jesus we are going to hell. She cites Matthew 28:19 to show that the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost are titles, pointing to one person, who has one name, Jesus. I would like a reply from you with relevant scriptures. - G. G., Pembroke Pines
A: This is an issue that a lot of people get worked up and/or confused about so I’m happy to have the opportunity to address it.
While it is true that the term trinity does not appear in Scripture, the truth of that doctrine begins emerging as early as Genesis 1:26 when God refers to making man in our image, signifying a plurality of being. And since God declares Himself to be one and only one (Deut 6:4), He further establishes the basis of the doctrine that God is a compound unity. He is One, yet within His oneness there exists three separate and distinct persons. He simultaneously possesses unity and plurality.
Jesus' instruction on baptism in Matthew 28:19 is actually a powerful expression of this triune nature of God. The unity is witnessed in the fact that the Greek word for "name" used in this verse is singular. The plurality is seen by the fact that Jesus lists three separate persons – the Father, Son, and Spirit, which shows us the three persons who exist within the Godhead. The presumption that these are three separate and distinct titles for Jesus breaks down as we read the rest of the gospels and see that Jesus is separate and distinct from the Father and Spirit. In fact, at Jesus' baptism we see the distinction of the Godhead again when the Father speaks from Heaven, and the Spirit descends on Him like a dove. All three are present and yet separate from one another.
Besides the scriptural support for the trinity, I feel that I should mention the larger flaw in your friend’s thinking. Baptism is not a scriptural prerequisite of salvation, so whether you were baptized in the name of Jesus alone or all three members of the Godhead, or not at all, if you have accepted Christ as your Savior, then you would not be going to hell anyway. The thief on the cross is proof positive of that fact. Jesus told him that he would be with Him in Paradise on that very day because he believed in Jesus, regardless of the fact that extenuating circumstances obviously prevented his baptism.
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 8847
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| Need2Know
Posted:
Tue Jul 15, 2008 6:58 am |
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Tuesday, July 15, 2008
A Matter of the Heart
"And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart."
— Jeremiah 29:13
It is fascinating to note how Jesus dealt with different people. He never dealt with any two individuals in precisely the same way. He would look beyond the outward veneer and see their hearts.
When a person was really seeking and a miracle was in order, Jesus did one. There are numerous miracles He did for hurting and searching people, like blind Bartimaeus, or the woman whose child was sick, or the woman who spent everything on doctors and needed a miracle, or the ten lepers who came to Him, looking for His touch.
But when people came to Jesus with the wrong motives, it was a different story. In fact, on some occasions, He did not even reveal Himself to them. For example, John 2:23 tells us that when Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Passover, many people believed in Him when they saw the signs He did. But it goes on to say, "Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man" (vv. 24–25).
Here were people who believed after they saw Jesus' miracles, but He would not commit Himself to them. That really seems strange, doesn't it?
But let's consider what the word "commit" means. It means, "to entrust someone with something."
Jesus would not entrust these people with His truth. If they were true seekers, Jesus would have revealed Himself to them.
These people who saw His miracles weren't seeking with their whole hearts. They were merely excited about the miracle Jesus had done on that particular day. Therefore, Jesus would not commit Himself to them.
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 8847
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| Need2Know
Posted:
Wed Jul 16, 2008 7:12 am |
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Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Preaching the Cross
For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
— 1 Corinthians 1:22–24
We may look with some envy on first-century believers who seemed to have miracles as part of their daily lives. Certainly, there were dramatic miracles that took place during their time.
We read of great things happening, such as the man at the gate Beautiful who received the ability to walk. Peter was released from prison by an angel. A woman was raised from the dead. We can look back on that time with some fondness and say, "Those were the good old days."
Realistically, though, I think we should recognize that the Book of Acts is a record of what God did over a 30-year period. As we read it, it almost appears as though miracles happened every 12 minutes. But the truth is that it's a record of miracles that took place over a long period of time.
Some Christians may think that if they could perform a sign or miracle for the unbelievers they know, then they would believe. But here is the sign they need to know about: what Jesus accomplished on the cross.
It is the preaching of the cross that will make the difference. "We preach Christ crucified," Paul said. That is our message. That is what we have to say.
Paul said, "For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified" (1 Corinthians 2:2)
Though I believe in miracles and hope to see more in my lifetime, one thing will never change: the simple message we must proclaim.
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 8847
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| Need2Know
Posted:
Wed Jul 16, 2008 11:54 am |
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1 Timothy 1:12-17
The Lord's Grace to Paul
12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. 13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 8847
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| Need2Know
Posted:
Thu Jul 17, 2008 6:58 am |
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Thursday, July 17, 2008
Walking with Wisdom
"Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' "
— Matthew 7:22–23
Today we have people who seek experience for the sake of experience, wanting to have what they think is a touch from God. We have self-proclaimed prophets who give their messages and proclaim their visions, but are rarely held accountable for the outcome.
We must be careful. On one hand, we don't want to limit God through unbelief, because we want Him to do His miracles in our lives. On the other hand, we simply cannot believe everyone and everything.
I believe in miracles. I believe in the supernatural. I believe God can heal. But we cannot seek experience at any cost. Experience must always be subservient to truth. It must always be ordered under what is right.
We cannot say something is true because we have experienced it. Rather, we should know something is true because it is found in Scripture and it verifies our experience.
In the Book of Acts, we never read about a miracle that was announced ahead of time. When God used Peter to heal the man at the gate Beautiful, we don't read that it was advertised beforehand: "Be at the gate Beautiful today. Miracles! Signs! Wonders! Don't miss it!"
They never announced miracles in advance, because their focus was not on miracles. Their focus was on proclaiming the Word of God. They left miracles up to the Holy Spirit.
We must be especially careful in these last days, because not all miracles come from God. Remember, Satan is a great imitator.
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 8847
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| Need2Know
Posted:
Fri Jul 18, 2008 5:54 am |
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Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.
—Daniel 12:3
I heard the other day that the average American will spend 15 years in front of the television during his or her lifetime. Can you imagine 15 years of sitting in front of that box, clicking away? What a waste of life.
On the other hand, the Bible speaks of many rewards in heaven for the person who faithfully serves the Lord during his or her lifetime, and even speaks of crowns that will be given. In fact, I think we might be shocked when the awards are presented in heaven.
We may expect them to go to all the big names that we know. But just imagine if most of the awards were given to someone named Maude Firkenbinder. You hadn't heard about her. She never pastored a church. She never recorded Christian music. She never wrote a book. But she used the gifts that God gave her. Maybe God called her to be a person of prayer. Maybe she labored in obscurity somewhere. But God saw her faithfulness and rewarded her openly.
When you get to heaven, what will you have to show for your life on this earth? Every man will be tried. Every woman will be tried. All of your accomplishments will be evaluated when you stand before Christ.
It is not so much a judgment for sin, but a judgment of time that was spent in a worthless way. Did you have more passion or excitement for your career or for a sport or for your possessions than you had for the things of God?
It will all come to nothing. Wasted hours. Wasted days. Wasted years.
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 8847
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| Need2Know
Posted:
Fri Jul 18, 2008 10:34 pm |
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History's greatest paradox
Throughout Western culture, there is known a day called "Good Friday." Christians commemorate this as the day on which Jesus Christ gave His life as payment for the sins of mankind on a hill outside ancient Jerusalem. The hill was called Golgotha – "the place of the skull."
Jesus was born in a stable in an obscure village named Bethlehem. He grew up in another obscure village known as Nazareth. He never traveled more than about 200 miles from His birthplace. He was not known beyond Nazareth until He began His public career. And that public career only lasted three short years.
His profession, prior to what he called his life calling of saving men from their sin, was a carpenter. During his life, He never ran for public office, yet hundreds of millions have followed Him over two millennia. He never wrote a book, yet hundreds of thousands have been written about Him. He never became the patriarch of a family, yet untold millions consider themselves His children. From the time he began publicly teaching, he never had a house. He was never formally educated, yet He confounded the most brilliant sages of His time. He never commanded an army, yet his teachings have captured the hearts of mankind for more than 2,000 years.
In short, none of the characteristics associated with some of the greatest men of history such as Pharaoh Ramesses II, Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, Cyrus the Great of Persia, Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Napoleon, Fredrick the Great, Charlemagne, etc., are associated with Jesus.
At the end of his earthly life, some believed that He was the long-awaited Messiah that Israel's prophets predicted would come. But the religious leaders of Israel condemned Him as a false prophet and a blasphemer on the grounds that He claimed to be the Son of God, thus making himself equal with God. So Jesus was condemned for claiming to be exactly what the Hebrew prophets predicted the true Messiah would be.
When the religious leaders forced the Roman governor to try him for promoting the overthrow of Roman rule, the governor, Pontius Pilate, officially declared that he found no fault in him.
As He stood before His accusers, even the men that he chose as his apostles deserted him.
At his execution, only his mother, his aunt, a disciple named Mary Magdalene and the Apostle John remained with him till the end.
Humanly speaking, there is nothing about Jesus that explains the fact that, 20 centuries after His birth, He stands as the most influential figure who ever existed in human history.
The one event that changed it all was this. Jesus hurled a challenge at His bitterest enemies that what He claimed and taught would be proven true when He would be raised bodily from the dead on the third day.
His cowering and disillusioned disciples suddenly became bold as lions and fearlessly proclaimed that they were witnesses to the fact that they saw him bodily alive after the third day. More than 500 of Jesus' followers were immediately transformed and never changed their witness to the fact that they saw Him bodily alive and talked and ate with Him. Most of these suffered terrible martyr's deaths. But not one recanted of his witness.
As someone eloquently summed up the paradox of Jesus' life in a poem called "One Solitary Life," "… Twenty centuries have come and gone, and today he is the central figure of the human race. I am well within the mark when I say that all the armies that have ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat, all the Kings that ever reigned – put together – have not affected the life of man on this earth as much as that one, solitary life."
It is an undeniable fact that the calendar by which the civilized world marks the passage of time dates to the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. Even though Jews and Muslims use a different calendar, they still have to deal daily with the BC/AD calendar.
There are many paradoxes about Jesus. But perhaps the greatest is what a Jewish prophet named Isaiah predicted about him 750 years before he was born. Note that all through this prophecy Isaiah uses the pronouns "we" and "us," which could only refer to Isaiah's own people, the Israelites. So the suffering servant here could not be a poetic symbol of Israel as a nation, since the servant dies for Israel.
Isaiah predicted,
Who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,
And as a root out of dry ground.
He has no form or comeliness;
And when we see Him,
There is no beauty that we should desire Him.
He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.
He was taken from prison and from judgment,
And who will declare His generation?
For He was cut off from the land of the living;
For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.
And they made His grave with the wicked –
But with the rich at His death,
Because He had done no violence,
Nor was any deceit in His mouth. [Isaiah 53:1-9 NKJ]
Could any paradox be greater?
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 8847
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| Need2Know
Posted:
Sat Jul 19, 2008 12:07 pm |
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One day, a pastor was teaching a Sunday School class. He asked the class, "Can anyone think of a Bible verse about being married?"
A little boy raised his hand. When the pastor called on him, he said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."
Maybe you have felt that way. Maybe you have bought into the old adage that says, "Marriage is like a three-ring circus: engagement ring, wedding ring, and suffering."
Sadly, flourishing marriages are becoming more and more of an oddity today. But it doesn't have to be that way. Your marriage can be blessed. It can be successful. It can be something wonderful in your life, if you do it God's way.
In Ephesians 5, we find five principles for marriage that, if applied, not only can strengthen your marriage, but also can help it flourish.
Principle one: Turn on the light (see verse 13). When you can't find something, you turn on the light. Let's say that you are driving in your car at night, and you drop something. You reach around for it and still can't find it. So you turn on the light, and there it is. It had been there the whole time, but the light helped you to see things accurately.
The Bible does that for us. Psalm 119:05 says, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (NKJV). We are to bring our marriages into the light of Scripture and recognize that we need to conform to what God says.
The question is not whether the Bible confirms what we want to do, but whether we are conforming to what the Bible says.
Principle two: Wake up (see verse 14). We must recognize that we cannot sleepwalk through life and through marriage. We need to wake up to the fact that the culture in which we live is no friend of marriage and the family. In fact, it wants to redefine those terms.
The culture in which we live is hostile to the commitment between a man and a woman. Let me take it a step further by saying that Satan hates the family. He will do everything in his power to destroy yours. So you need to do everything in your power to protect it.
Principle three: Walk circumspectly (see verse 15 NKJV). The word, "circumspectly," carries the basic meaning of that which is accurate and exact. It is the idea of looking at, examining, or investigating something with great care.
Walk circumspectly and recognize that good marriages don't just happen as a result of mere chance or dumb luck. They are the result of work, commitment, and attention to detail.
Principle four: Redeem the time, because the days are evil (see verse 16). The phrase, "redeem the time," means to make the most of it. The end of your life is not the time to realize that you should have thought more about God and your family. Why wait until then?
Maybe you've been thinking, "I haven't really been the husband that I ought to be," or "I haven't been a good wife," or "I need to spend more time with the kids." Redeem the time, and do what you need to do now. You will never regret it. Take advantage of the opportunities you have today.
Principle five: Be filled with the Spirit -see verse 18-. Anyone who honestly looks at these principles to which God calls us would say, "These are hard. I can't do them." And they would be right. We cannot be what God wants us to be without the help of His Spirit.
What does it mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit? In the original language, it carries the idea of a wind filling a sail. Rowing a boat is a lot of hard work. It is a lot easier when the wind fills your sails and carries you along. In the same way, let the Holy Spirit help you make your marriage work.
I am not saying that you don't need to make an effort. But I am saying that you should let God enable you to be the man or the woman He has called you to be. You need to be filled with the Spirit.
In our own strength, we will utterly fail. It is only as we follow the principles in God's Word, and are filled with and yielding to His Spirit, that we can be the husbands and wives He has called us to be.
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 8847
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| Need2Know
Posted:
Mon Jul 21, 2008 6:49 am |
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Monday, July 21, 2008
Balance
"Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant."
— 1 Corinthians 12:1
Through the years, I have made my periodic trips to the gym to get back in shape. On one such occasion after I joined a local gym, a trainer took me on a tour to show me the various machines and how they worked. (Some of them are a little difficult to figure out these days!)
One thing the trainer mentioned especially caught my attention. He explained that it is important to work out every part of your body so you have a balanced physique. To fail to do so, he said, causes imbalance. A person needs cardiovascular exercise as well as strength training.
As the trainer began to describe the importance of balance and how the entire body needed exercise and needed to be trained for good overall performance, I began to think about the body of Christ. We, too, need overall balance. And in our own personal lives as Christians, the key is balance.
In Romans 12, we find that God has distributed gifts of the Holy Spirit into the lives of believers for the benefit of the whole church. Because of the abuse of some, many have recoiled from these wonderful gifts that God has given. Some have seen the excesses and those who have gone too far in one direction with these gifts, and they think, "I don't want anything to do with that kind of activity."
However, you can go too far in the other direction as well. The gifts of the Spirit are real, and they are available for Christians today. Not only should we be using them in our lives, but we also should be seeking the gift or gifts He has placed in our lives.
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 8847
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Posted:
Tue Jul 22, 2008 6:48 am |
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Tuesday, July 22, 2008
The "Best" Gifts
"Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them. . . . "
— Romans 12:6
What are the best spiritual gifts for a believer to have? It all depends.
If I am having a difficult time sharing my faith with someone, and you come along and have been gifted as an evangelist, then that is the best gift at that particular moment.
But then let's say I am trying to understand the meaning of a particular passage of Scripture, and God has given you the gift of teaching. For you to come along could be a great benefit to me.
Then again, let's say that I am undertaking a complex project, and I need help. What I really need is someone with the gift of helps or administrations.
Or, let's say that I'm lying in a hospital bed, and I'm discouraged. I don't really need a Bible study. I don't need someone to come and help me organize my life. I need someone with the gift of exhortation or encouragement. I need someone to come and help me see that God is still in control of my life.
Each one of these gifts is important, as God has distributed them.
We make a big mistake when we think some gifts are of greater importance than others. They all have their place, and God has given them as He has chosen. Therefore, we need to pray, "Lord, what are my gifts? Help me to discover them. Help me to develop them. Help me to use them."
One day, when you stand before God, you will be held accountable for what He called you to do. And one day, He will reward you for how faithful you were with what He gave you.
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 8847
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Posted:
Tue Jul 22, 2008 12:38 pm |
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The Lord Promising a New Heaven and New Earth
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance…Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (2 Peter 3:9, 13)
Jesus promises to return for His people. "I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also" (John 14:3). Many centuries have come and gone with that promise remaining unfulfilled. Consequently, some are inclined to scoff at this promise. The scriptures have prepared us for this eventuality by giving us another promise. "Knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days...saying, 'Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation' " (2 Peter 3:3-4).
Nevertheless, we who believe God's promises are convinced that He will keep His word and return for us. When He returns, He will fulfill another promise as well: the promise of a new heaven and new earth. "Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells."
Concerning the Lord's delay in His return, two insights are offered here. The first one pertains to God's compassion and patience in allowing more opportunity for people to repent and not perish. "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise…but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." The second insight pertains to God's perspective on time. For our eternal Lord, it is as though He made the promise of His return only a couple of days ago! "But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day" -2 Peter 3:8-.
Yet, some day the Lord will fulfill His promise to return for us. Then, the new, eternal reality will come. "Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells." It is delightful to consider! "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth…And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away' " (Rev 21:1-4).
Dear Lord, I eagerly await Your appearing. I rejoice at the place You have prepared for us—a place of righteousness, joy, and peace. Above all, I anticipate dwelling in Your visible presence forever and ever, Amen!
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 8847
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| Need2Know
Posted:
Wed Jul 23, 2008 7:00 am |
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Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Right Where You Are
"So Elijah went and found Elisha son of Shaphat plowing a field with a team of oxen. . . . Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak across his shoulders and walked away again."
— 1 Kings 19:19
What was Elisha doing when Elijah called him into the Lord's service? Was he walking around saying, "I wonder if God ever will do anything in my life?"
No. He was busy. He was plowing a field.
You will find this pattern throughout Scripture. The people God uses are people who are faithful with what He has put before them. The people God uses in big things are people who are faithful in little things.
A lot of people of think that, one day, they would like to perhaps dedicate their lives to Christian service. They say, "I would like to go to another country and maybe become a missionary."
That is great, but how about serving the Lord where you are right now? Do you think that some mystical thing will happen the moment you step onto foreign soil? Seize the opportunities around you today.
If you want to go to a foreign land where people speak a different language, I know of such a place. The people indigenous to this region are small of stature and hard to understand. They try your patience. They are called kids, and the mission field is called Sunday School.
When we are busy looking for distant opportunities, we might miss the ones that are right in front of us.
Are you serving the Lord right now with what He has called you to do? If so, be faithful in that. Hang in there. Do it well. Do it as unto the Lord. He sees you, and He will one day reward you openly.
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 8847
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| Need2Know
Posted:
Thu Jul 24, 2008 7:21 am |
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As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands. -Psalm 119:143 (NLT)
God gave us our feelings and emotions. They're a gift that enables us to experience life in full color. A wedding, a funeral, a ballet recital . . . what would these events be like without emotions? Nothing close to what they should be.
But as important as our feelings are, they need to be kept in their proper place. They are there to respond to reality, not to determine reality. Oftentimes, our feelings cross this line in our hearts, and we allow the way we feel to shape our perception of truth. For example, if God feels distant, we conclude that He must be distant.
We cannot live like this! Our sense of reality needs to be defined by God's Word, which is the truth according to Jesus (John 17:17). We know this, but how often do our emotions pull on us like a leashed puppy does its master? Here's what we need to do when this happens: stop immediately and recite what the Word says. For example:
God seems distant. But the Bible says that He has promised to never leave me nor forsake me in Hebrews 13:5. I feel abandoned in life. But in John 14:18 Jesus promised that He wouldn't leave me as an orphan. You see how it works. Feelings are wonderful gifts from God, but they pale in comparison to the Bible when it comes to defining reality for our lives.
For feelings come and feelings go
And feelings are deceiving;
My warrant is the Word of God,
Naught else is worth believing.
Though all my heart should feel condemned
For lack of some sweet token
There is One greater than my heart
Whose Word cannot be broken !
I'll trust in God's unchanging Word
Till soul and body sever
For; though all things shall pass away,
His Word shall stand forever !
-Martin Luther
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 8847
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Posted:
Fri Jul 25, 2008 6:06 am |
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Christopher Laurie, son of Pastor Greg Laurie and Cathe Laurie, was called home to be with the Lord on Thursday morning.
Christopher, 33, died in a car crash while driving to Harvest Christian Fellowship, where he had served as the church's art director for the past three years.
In addition to his parents, Christopher is survived by his wife, Brittany, and daughter, Stella, as well as his brother Jonathan. Christopher and his wife are expecting another daughter in November.
More information will be posted at harvest.org as details become available.
My prayers are with the entire Laurie family.
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 8847
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Posted:
Fri Jul 25, 2008 6:09 am |
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THE SURE WORD
Let your hands be strong, you who have been hearing in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets . . . -Zechariah 8:9 (NKJV)
Admittedly, this devotion won't do this topic justice. But in this time, we have the opportunity to look at one of the most miraculous elements of God's Word-prophecy.
When we use the word "prophecy," we're referring to an instance where God spoke to man concerning an event that hadn't happened yet. God's motive for doing this is to give us something that we can point to as proof that it came from Him (Isaiah 42:9).
In other words, prophecy is God's way of saying, "A lot of people are going to claim to represent me out there, but here's how you can be sure that it's really me when I tell you something in advance in my Word." That's why Peter refers to prophecy as the more "sure word of prophecy" (2 Peter 1:19).
Essentially, prophecy is news before it happens. There's nothing else quite like it, and the Scriptures are absolutely filled with it. Some scholars have calculated that nearly one-third of the Bible is prophetic in nature. Others have estimated that there are about 2,500 separate prophecies that forecast future events. And not a single one of them has failed to be fulfilled just as God foretold.
Prophecy is a major thread in the very fabric of God's Word, and no other book ever produced, sacred or secular, contains this prophetic element. The Bible is absolutely unique from all other works in this world that supposedly represent God's truth.
As people of the Word, we can be people of confidence, people of assurance, and people of surety because no matter what happens we always have the sure word of prophecy to direct our future.
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 8847
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| wvgirl
Posted:
Fri Jul 25, 2008 1:36 pm |
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RIP Christopher Laurie 
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Joined: 23 Mar 2006
Posts: 3655
Location: Almost Heaven
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Posted:
Sat Jul 26, 2008 8:53 pm |
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By John Collins, Administrative Pastor, Harvest Christian Fellowship
"Lord, if you had been here . . . "
These are the words of Mary and Martha at the death of their brother Lazarus in John 11.
There, at that moment in time, when death was cruel and vile and heartless, they stood before what seemed an un-broachable valley of darkness. They wrestled with grief, and the grief was unbearable and unbeatable because grief can never be beaten, only experienced.
And so when Jesus came to them, they said it, "Lord, if . . . "
They both said it, at different times, but to His face. We get the sense that they most likely had said it among themselves, too.
"Lord, if . . . if you had only done this or that . . . "
It is the perfectly human response of a heart that is broken because hopes have been dashed and their world shattered. Someone they loved has been taken away. Life as they knew it was now different. They stood on the cliff of that dark valley and peered into the blackness and thought, "Lord, if . . . "
This morning, as I write this, my pastor and his wife stand on that cliff. They are suffering the loss of their eldest son, who was taken from this earth quickly and tragically Thursday. They are battling the unmerciful giant called grief and, like Mary and Martha and every human soul who has waged that battle, they are losing.
It is painful to watch for the end is not near, and with every merciless blow they cry out, "Lord, if . . . "
I have been in that ring before, but only as a young man of 16. My father had died of cancer. The last night of his life, I left the hospital with the words, "I'll be back to watch the World Series game with you tomorrow."
There was no tomorrow. I had missed those precious last hours with him. And I grieved, "Lord, if I had only stayed with him . . . "
"Lord, if . . . " is the cry of every forsaken moment, every unsaid word, every failure to perfectly love the ones we love and now can only remember.
"Lord, if . . . " is how we ask God, "Why?", when we know He won't answer, when we are unsatisfied and frustrated by "seeing through a glass darkly."
"Lord, if . . . " echoes in the darkness and, like all echoes, it returns with no answer. The price of life and love is death and separation. As C.S. Lewis once said, "That's part of the deal."
So where is Jesus? We ask, "Lord, if I must drink this cup of grief, where are you?" To that, we have an answer in Psalms 139:8–12:
"If I go up to heaven, you are there;
if I go down to the place of the dead, you are there.
If I ride the wings of the morning,
if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
even there your hand will guide me,
and your strength will support me.
I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night—
but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
To you the night shines as bright as day.
Darkness and light are both alike to you." (NLT)
For Mary and Martha, the darkness and grief for Lazarus was temporary. Jesus allowed it so that His power over death could be made known at the resurrection of Lazarus.
Jesus was there, orchestrating His plan. Out of the darkness of that tomb came a foreshadowing of his own resurrection, which would give light and hope to all the world now that death was defeated.
Where was Jesus? He was there in the darkness of that tomb. And before raising Lazarus, He was with Mary and Martha, weeping with them!
Where is Jesus? He is forever in the midst of our darkness, in the black caverns of our life. He sees the grieving widow. He sees the grieving father and mother. He sees our pastor and his wife and He visits them in their grief. He knows the pain of the journey.
Isaiah said, "He is a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief" (Isaiah 53:3 NKJV). It is comforting to know that our sorrows are His sorrows and that He knows the aching sense of loss and grief. God never promised to remove our grief, only to give it purpose.
Mary and Martha were united with Jesus in sadness, the grief of loss. And Jesus entered into that grief.
How sweet and comforting to know our God is with us in our moments of desperation. He is the King who bears the full, blunt force of our "Lord, ifs . . . " and then sits next to us with a loving arm around our shoulder and weeps.
It is in these moments with Jesus that we come to know that the darkness only hides His face. One day, when the darkness is gone, His face will be the light of heaven.
My heart breaks for Greg, Cathe, Brittany, and Jonathan. I have come to know Jesus through Greg's faithful teaching of the Word of God. I watch and wince at every blow of grief, but I am confident there are blessings in the buffeting and grateful that Jesus is with them.
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 8847
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| Need2Know
Posted:
Sat Jul 26, 2008 8:59 pm |
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A Faith Based On Fact
In recent years, atheists have produced an onslaught of best-selling books alleging the harmful effects of religion. For Christians, this recent criticism is just the same song, different verse. After all, from the earliest centuries, there have always been those devoted to discrediting Christianity and disproving its tenets. One of the most common claims is that Jesus never rose from the dead. Some have proposed it was a hoax the disciples concocted, while others suggest that the disciples never actually saw His risen body but were just hallucinating.
Yet Luke, who penned Acts and the book bearing his name, offered proof of the Resurrection. Writing to his friend Theophilus, he said, "He [Jesus] also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by [the disciples] during 40 days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God" (Acts 1:3 NKJV). Luke was saying, "Listen to me. I have done primary research on this topic, and I have proof." From the original language, the word Luke used for "seen" could be translated "eyeballed."
Have you ever eyeballed someone? Let me put it another way: Do you have a mother? Then you know what it's like to have someone stare at you. That is what the disciples did – they eyeballed Jesus after his resurrection. After all, here was Jesus, whose crucifixion they had personally witnessed. They had heard the blows of the hammers. They saw the spikes go through His hands and feet. They witnessed the blood and water spilling from His side. They watched as His traumatized, beaten body was taken down from the cross, and they knew that Jesus would never live again, much less walk and talk with them.
But sure enough, here he was, alive. And he appeared not just once or twice – he popped up everywhere. He showed up as Mary lingered at the empty tomb. He walked with the two discouraged disciples on the Emmaus Road. And he appeared to his disciples in the upper room, not once, but twice, because Thomas missed him the first time.
So Jesus came back. He was showing up here. He was showing up there. But was he a man or a phantom? On one occasion, he asked the disciples for some food and then ate it in front of them. So he was in a real body. At the same time, he could appear in a room and then disappear again. In fact, 500 people witnessed his appearance on a single occasion. That is no mass hallucination; it's evidence. And that is what Luke was saying: "I have the proof. We saw Him. We knew it was true. We couldn't deny it was real."
If the Resurrection were a hoax the disciples dreamed up, then certainly one of them would have broken ranks at some point and said, "You know, we made this whole thing up." After all, every one of the apostles died the death of a martyr, except John, who survived an attempted execution (submersion in a pot of boiling oil) and therefore was banished to the island of Patmos. In spite of all their suffering because of their loyalty to Christ, not one of the disciples broke ranks. Why? Because they could not deny what they knew was true.
After witnessing his crucifixion, they saw Jesus alive. They "eyeballed" Him. It transformed their lives, and they had to go out and share this message with others, which we call the "Gospel," meaning, "good news." We may put them on pedestals, but the disciples and the rest of the first-century believers were just ordinary guys and girls. We memorialize them in stained glass, but they were real people, just like you and me. Some were outcasts. Others were uneducated, with a very limited knowledge of the world. They had no money or resources to speak of, and no defined leadership. The list goes on and on. Yet, God used these men and women to change the world. And their story is recorded so that we can see and know that it is true.
Granted, there is an element of faith that we must exercise to believe, but it is faith based on clear facts. Contrary to what its critics say, Christianity is not some feel-good belief system that asks you to check your brains at the door or believe in a misguided fairy tale. It is based on reliable and documented evidence of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ | |
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