After He was raised from the dead, Jesus told His disciples to go proclaim the gospel - this good news - to all creation. That Somebody came back from the dead and now promises eternal life to all those who will follow Him is incredibly great news! Why do His followers have so much trouble sharing it?
Jesus said "It is more blessed to give than to receive." In our very materialistic and self-centered world, even Christians have a hard time with this statement. Of course it's true, and we must find the blessedness in learning to give as God has given to us. Not only material possessions are in view, but skills, time, smiles, prayers, et al. And God even offers a special blessing for those who give freely.
Every Christian needs to engage in their own personal Bible reading and study. In order to help us in that pursuit, the Holy Spirit has provided in the word itself some key basics for profitable study. If we use these guidelines, we will keep ourselves from misinterpreting scripture and wandering too far to the right or to the left of the truth of God's word.
Last time, we observed that the devil is the master of lies and deception, opposing the word of truth and making counterfeit Christians. The devil met his match in the Son of God as Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil and provide His people with the weaponry to fight him off. The devil's final end may surprise you.
We all know the phrase "Know your enemy." This is especially true when it comes to knowing our very real adversary the devil. He is a beaten enemy who will do anything to oppose God and His people. We need to know his tactics so we can recognize them and stand against them.
Since the beginning, Adam and Eve have brought the human race into bondage to sin and Satan. Jesus came to set free the captives and those who were oppressed. One example of this is when Jesus healed a woman bent double for eighteen years by a disabling spirit. This demonstrated, again, Jesus power over Satan. We can learn much from this encounter.
In today's world, people have opinions about nearly everything. From sports teams to social issues to politics & religion (of course), we have a position. However, dialogue on those positions seems to quickly turn to arguing or even worse! Paul and Barnabas had a "dust up" over a difference of opinion. How did they resolve it? What does the Bible teach about holding opinions?
The Psalms refresh and inspire us as they keep our hearts focused upon God and all of His mighty works in creation and compassionate dealings with humanity. In Psalm 103, David seems to exhort himself to praise God and "to forget none of His benefits" which he sings about. We should join David to "Bless the Lord, O my soul."
When Jesus was preparing His disciples for His leaving the earth, He said that He was giving them His peace. What was He talking about? Much of the world is not at peace, and there seems to be trouble and even chaos in many places. So many people today seem to be worried, agitated and confused. Is it possible today to have the peace of which Jesus spoke?
Over the years, most of us have enjoyed our sci-fi thrillers about wars in outer space. But all of us humans are actually engaged in a real warfare with enemies which are not flesh and blood. We tend to forget this (if we are even aware) and stay focused on our day to day lives. We need, from time to time, to be reminded of the big picture of what is really happening all around us.
When David committed adultery with Bathsheba and sent her husband to the front lines to die in battle, he needed help in order to deal with his sins and move forward in his life. Today, we need the same things that David did to deal with our sins and renew our relationship with God. But we need to have the right heart, a heart like David's.
Scripture teaches us that Jesus was in agony in the garden when He was facing the cross. Certainly, anticipating the excruciating pains of being crucified would be enough to cause any human being to be deeply troubled. However, when we consider everything that happened with Jesus on the cross, we can see another reason which would cause Him to be in agony.
We all know how a "promo code" or "coupon code" works. Enter the proper code, and you get the deal - free shipping, discount, etc. When it comes to forgiveness of sins and salvation for eternal life, we need a "Promo Code" to get the "deal." We have nothing to offer except our sinful selves. Paul tells us that Christ is our "righteousness and sanctification, and redemption." Only in His Name is there life eternal.
In recent years, masculinity and being a man in general has been looked down upon and ridiculed by many. Men have been blamed for all the trouble in the world. But perhaps it's the world's interpretation of what a man should be that has caused all the trouble? Jesus was a man. He demonstrated to the world what a real man should be. All of us men need to follow His lead.
Perhaps you are a fan of the game of baseball and perhaps not. But if we take some time to consider the game and how it's played, we'll see why life is very much like the game of baseball. You're on a team. It's a long season. Sometimes you get a hit. Sometimes you strikeout. There is more. A lot more.
Through the years, mountains have played a significant part in God's dealings with people. Four of the most important events in Moses' life happened on mountains. These events also mirror our own lives as they reflect the same events which happen to us. These are all happenings which bring us close to God - shall we say "mountain top experiences"?
Since there have been people on the earth, they have sought the answers to these questions of life: Who am I? Where do I belong? What is my purpose? The answers to these questions are found in God's word of life. And the answers are powerful and thrilling! We just need to seek them out, take God at His word, and follow Jesus. Then see where He leads you.
We are all familiar with the childhood chant of "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names can never hurt me." Although this may be true for some, we know that name calling (bullying) has hurt and deeply harmed many young people. Scripture says that "Death and life are in the power of the tongue." Words have meaning and power. Christians need to speak up and use their voices for good.
The narratives in scripture are filled with meaning about God, life and ourselves. We just need to take the time to read them thoroughly. Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well of Sychar is one such narrative. It just overflows with meaning like the living water which Jesus promised would become "a well of water springing up to eternal life" in those who drank of it.
Jesus said that if we loved Him we would keep His commandments. His commandments can be very challenging, especially considering a person's individual weaknesses and history of interaction with the world. What is your most difficult commandment to keep?
God blesses all people though His creation and graciousness. Everyone can enjoy the beauty of our world, tasty food, the love of family and friends, etc. But beyond such blessings, some people are blessed in a multitude of other ways, even carrying over into the next life. And having a "next life" is one of those blessings! Are you one of these people?
Influencers abound these days on social media with podcasts and videos everywhere. Of course, God will never be upstaged and has been the greatest Influencer of all since the beginning, warning Adam and Eve about the forbidden fruit, and counseling Cain about his anger. Jesus came as "the Light of the world." But God has given His people the great honor to be the greatest influencers of the day by being "the salt of the earth" and "the light of the world." Their influencing has eternity in view....
When the Queen of Sheba heard of Solomon's wisdom and the splendor of his court, she had to come and see for herself if it were true. Jesus praised her for her honest perception of all she heard and saw saying that she would rise up in judgment against His own generation who did not believe in Him. We can learn a lot from this queen.
As promised, we want to look at some scriptures in this lesson which especially bring us joy, hope and comfort. We need such words from God to inspire faith and to strengthen our faith in times of trouble and distress. We all have some of these "go to" scriptures which are particularly meaningful to us. Perhaps we'll use one of yours in this message.
God's book contains many of the saddest words and most distressing events which we will ever read about. They can bring tears to your eyes and make one's heart to hurt. Yet, we can learn many great and profound lessons from these very sad words. Let us be careful to do so. (Next week, Lord willing, some of the most joyous and hopeful scriptures!)
Jesus' instructions in Matthew about making disciples (28:18-20), include several uses of the word "all." Some of these speak of an inclusiveness and others of an exclusiveness. We need to correctly understand what Jesus is teaching us and telling us to do. We need to remind ourselves that all means all.
Covenants have been the primary way in which God has dealt with individuals and peoples from early on. Some of these early covenants are still in effect, but some are not. Misunderstanding these differences has led to a lot of confusion in what people believe today and how they try to serve and worship God. In fact, many Christians don't even know what a covenant is!
When Joseph's brothers return to Egypt to buy grain they bring Benjamin, a stipulation by "the man." When Joseph's silver cup is planted in Benjamin's sack and "discovered," Judah steps up to plead for the lad since he had become surety for him to his father Jacob. This is too much for Joseph, and he breaks down in tears as he reveals himself, telling his brothers that God has been behind it all in order to save them during the famine. Since both shepherds and Hebrews were loathsome to Egyptians...
The famine is so severe that Jacob sends his sons to buy grain in Egypt. Joseph recognizes them, but they don't know him. He speaks harshly to them and treats them rather roughly. He accuses them of being spies and finally holds Simeon hostage until they go back to Canaan and return with their younger brother. All of this sparks guilt in the brothers seeing these events coming upon them for what they had done previously to Joseph.
Joseph languished in prison for two years, but when Pharaoh had dreams, the chief cupbearer remembered him. Not only was Joseph able to interpret Pharaoh's dreams, but he was also able to give him a remedy for the coming seven years of devastating famine. All this was by the power of God, of course. Pharaoh was so moved that he elevated Joseph to the second place of power in all of Egypt with all its benefits. Joseph immediately went to work to prepare for the coming seven years of famine....
