‘I am doing something in your own day’
38 "Brothers, listen! We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins. 39 Everyone who believes in him is declared right with God—something the law of Moses could never do. 40 Be careful! Don’t let the prophets’ words apply to you. For they said,
41 ‘Look, you mockers,
be amazed and die!
For I am doing something in your own day,
something you wouldn’t believe
even if someone told you about it.’”
Stop sugarcoating the Bible
I generally avoid CNN's "Belief Blog." Most of the articles there make me roll my eyes in despair. But this one is spot on:
"Stop sugarcoating the Bible" by Steven James
I have no real comments beyond the article other than to say that we need to man up (ladies, too) and accept it that the Bible isn't all rainbows and hugs. 2 Timothy talks about how there will come a time when people with "itching ears" that will seek out teachers who tell them what they want to hear. We would do well to take heed of that warning. There are parts of the Bible that are very uncomfortable and discuss events most of us would rather not mention. But it's these parts that make God's amazing grace shine all the brighter.
‘Believe on him whom he hath sent’
28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
Take it to the Lord in prayer
We used to sing this quite regularly in the church I attended as I was growing up. It is one that still comes to mind quite often. I was reminded again of the beginning of the second verse (Have we trials and temptations? / Is there trouble anywhere? / We should never be discouraged / Take it to the Lord in prayer) last night after reading in Mark.
35 And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.
36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.
37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.
38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?
39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?
Encouragement
A little more than two years ago, an online friend was going through some trials. (The exact nature of the situation I'm hesitant to detail for sake of his privacy. But, that's okay, as it isn't really the point of the post here.) When I first heard what he was going through, I was very grieved. It hit "close to home," not because it was something I had gone through, but because it dealt with something God had recently opened my eyes on.
When I heard what he was going through, I sent him an email directing him to some Scripture, showing him what God's Word had to say on the subject and offered prayer and a friendly ear. I did not hear back from him. A few weeks later, I sent another email, checking in and just to see how things were going with the situation. He replied, and from the tone of his email it was evident things were not better. I replied again, offering prayer and a friendly ear should he need one.
A week or so later -- on Christmas Eve, in fact -- I received another reply from him out of the blue saying that he had taken my original email to heart and prayed about it and things had made a huge turnaround.
It was the greatest Christmas present I received that year knowing that God had worked through me to affect his heart and that his situation was on its way to being resolved. Let me be clear in that I take no credit for the change in the situation. I emailed him and prayed, yes, but it was God working not only his heart, but those of the others involved in the situation, too.
And it was God working through me to send him the Scripture he needed to hear at that moment. God used trials in my past in order to lead me to a place where those Scriptures would be very heavy on my heart in order that I would be in a position to then share those with him. Reminding of the oft-quote verse:
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Now, fast forward to the present. I've somewhat lost touch with this friend. We still run into one another here and there in mutual online circles, but not as frequently as we formerly did. As such, his situation from two years ago was far from my mind.
Last night, in response to something completely unrelated that I had said in an online forum, he mentioned the incident and the emails I had sent him and that he was very thankful for not only my friendship, but for the giving him the Scriptures.
It's difficult to describe the feeling, but it was such a blessing to be reminded of that at a time when I needed encouragement, even though I didn't know -- or wouldn't admit to myself -- that I did. Just like God had used my past to put me in a position to help his situation, God then used that very situation to offer me encouragement when I needed it.
I am constantly amazed by the way God works.
‘Narrow is the way’
During what is often called the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said:
13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
After a warning about false prophets and how to identify them, which is important in the context, but I'm skipping it for now, He continues:
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
These verses should cause people everywhere who claim to be Christians to pause and examine their life. Jesus said many who do works "in his name" will be turned away because they are still workers of iniquity -- they are still sinning.
Only people who are doing the will of God will enter Heaven and the will of God is not for you to continue on in sin. People are being deceived and led astray by false prophets and false teachers into thinking they can continue to sin and be saved. This is why the warning about false prophets comes in the middle. It might seem like a random aside, but it is all connected. This is a point made even more clear when you continue on past the verses quoted above.
Possibly, I can post more on that at a later time. The point I want to stress here, though, is that Jesus is giving a very plain, very direct, warning. Many people who claim to know Him... aren't known by Him.
"I never knew you."
It is a chilling thought to think of the people that will hear that someday.
‘Where is the love?’
A friend recently expressed dismay on Facebook about the number of negative postings and remarks seen lately, finally asking "Where is the love?" The simple answer is that, in this world, it has grown cold.
We are living in the end times, folks. When His disciples asked for signs of His second coming and the end, what He told them was:
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.
10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
People tend to focus on wars and earthquakes and run Chicken Little-style proclaiming the end. When, in fact, He says these things are merely the beginning. They ignore the rest, that talks about how the world will be full of hatred and lacking in love. Again, I want to draw your attention to verse 12: "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." He urges them not to be concerned about wars and earthquakes and such. "These things must come to pass, but the end is not yet" (emphasis mine). He gives no such comment about the rest.
Sin is rampant in our society. Turn on your television. Read your newspaper. Look out your front door. You can't help but see it. It has become so ingrained in our society that people are numb to it. They turn a blind-eye to things clearly described as being abominable to God in the name of "rights" and "freedom."
You want freedom? There's only one true freedom and that is in Christ. Freedom from the bondage of being slaves to sin.
Over in 2 Timothy, Paul also described the condition of the world in the end of days:
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
Does this not describe the world in which we live? High-minded... boastful... proud... unholy... blasphemous... The New Living Translation phrases the first portion of verse five as, "They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly." These things describe people sitting in "church" pews around the world!
When asked what the greatest commandment was, Jesus said we are to love God with all our heart, soul and mind, and love our neighbors as ourselves. "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Matthew 22:36-40) Love is key, my friends.
Over in 1 Corinthians 13, it says we can have all the spiritual gifts, but if we don't have love, we don't have anything. We need to love one another. No, it's not easy to love everyone. You'll never do it on your own -- not true holy love, anyway. But with God? With God, it's not just possible to love -- it's impossible not to love.
7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
19 We love him, because he first loved us.
20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
Joy to the world
8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Vast
Discover Magazine has a list of what they call the Top 24 Deep Space Images of 2011.
The distance from Earth to the sun is 93 million miles. This is considered one astronomical unit. There are 63,239.6717 astronomical units in one light year. The galaxies pictured in this photo are roughly 300 million light years from Earth (and nowhere near the farthest galaxies from Earth).
We are but insignificant specs of dust in relation to the vastness of the universe. Yet, we are so precious to Him that the very hairs on our heads are numbered! (Matthew 10:30; Luke 12:7)
That is so amazing that calling it amazing seems woefully insufficient.
Every morning
In Ephesians 2, Paul talks about how, before the new birth, we are dead in our sins. Many places in the Bible, such as 1 Thessalonians 4:13 and John 11:11-12, death is referred to as sleep. If being in sin is death and death is sleep, then it follows that being born again, the new birth, is the morning wake-up. God demonstrates his grace and goodness every time a new believer is "woken up." -- every morning.
22 It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
24 The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
Not only does His faithfulness extend to us every morning. Every demonstration of that faithfulness with a new birth is a "morning!"
Such wonderful layers in the Word of God. I never cease to be amazed by the wonder of it.
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