John 20:19-31
Many people have various scars on their bodies, perhaps from surgeries or maybe an accident. I have several. On my left arm I have a large scar from when I shattered that arm in several places two years ago and needed surgery to repair it. I have a scar on my right wrist, a scar from a burn, and a scar from a deep cut on my leg. When you look at your scars you are reminded of what occurred to make them. Those scars can “speak” to you, telling what you have been through. In today’s study from the Gospel of John we will look at some very special scars that we should always keep in our memory.
As our Scripture passage opens, Jesus comes and appears to the disciples that first evening after His resurrection (vs. 19-20). In order to reassure them that they were not seeing a ghost, Jesus shows them His hands and side, those scars where the nails had been driven through, and where the centurion's spear had been thrust. They saw and believed that He truly had risen, just as the women had reported.
There was one of the disciples missing that evening, the Apostle Thomas. Perhaps he was afraid to be in a group with the others since the Jewish religious leaders were threatening them, or maybe he just wanted to be alone with his grief. Whatever his reason, Thomas was not there when Jesus appeared to the others that Resurrection Day evening. Later that week when the ten disciples told Thomas of Jesus’ appearance to them, he scoffed, telling them that he would not believe unless he stuck his fingers into those scars (vs. 24-25). Perhaps Thomas had watched the crucifixion from a distance, seeing when those scars were made on the Savior’s body. Obviously those scars were important to him, marring the body of the Teacher he had loved, and now was dead. The next Sunday evening Thomas was with the disciples when they were gathered together, and Jesus appeared to them again. Calling Thomas over, Jesus showed him His scars, offering him the chance to look and touch them, and gently chiding him for his unbelief (vs. 26-27).
The various scars I have on my body, and those you might have too, are permanent in this life. They don’t fade away. They won’t wash away. They are there until I die. In heaven, in the glorified body all believers will have, those scars will be gone. The scars that Jesus has, though, are permanent for eternity. Even in His glorified and heavenly Body, those scars remain. They show for all eternity the price that was paid for our salvation. Jesus’ scars prove Him to be the Messiah. They tell the story of our salvation. It is a story of pain, caused by our sin and endured for love of us.
As Isaiah the prophet said, we are engraved into the palms of God’s hands (Isaiah 49:16). When God looks at those scars on His hands, He sees your name and my name in there. He loves each one of us so much that He died for us, receiving those scars for love of you and me.
Both Thomas and the disciples had trouble believing others' testimonies of the resurrection. The women, particularly Mary Magdalene, had returned giving testimony of Jesus’ resurrection, and the ten had been slow to believe until Jesus appeared. Then Thomas wouldn’t believe their testimony, either. Jesus told us that those who do not need visual evidence of God and His power are especially blessed (vs. 29). Trusting God means looking beyond what we can see. When we are faced with uncertainty, do we trust in God’s unseen sovereignty and care for us? Will we believe, even if we cannot see right now? Even when we don’t see God at work in our situation we need to still trust Him.
We have all the proof we need in the Word of God. Let’s take up our Bible, believe what is written there, and seek the Lord in faith.
Friday, April 24, 2020
Wednesday, April 22, 2020
Using Our Trials For Good
I Peter 1:3-9
Have you ever had someone tell you that they have both good news, and then some not-so-good news for you? We all like the good news. Give us that! They can keep the not-so-good news to themselves, we are thinking. Good news that we have an inheritance is always received with joy. Especially an inheritance that is safe and secure. The news that we have to go through some heavy trials, some very difficult times is not something we want to hear. This is the news that the Apostle Peter gives as he starts his epistle message today. However, as Peter looks at it, and as he teaches us, it all can be good news for believers. Let’s look and see what the Word of God can teach us.
As Peter opens his letter to fellow believers, he shares with us some good news. One piece of good news is that because Jesus rose from the dead and is alive, we have a living hope (vs. 3). All that God has promised to those who trust in Him is guaranteed. Those promises are not something that can be lost, so our hope can be sure and steadfast. Jesus’ resurrection guarantees that God will honor all of His promises. The reason God provided us with so glorious a salvation is because He is a merciful God. That is also good news, because we need His mercy since we are sinners. Once we have taken Jesus as our Savior, we have the hope of eternal life. We can have confident optimism in all God has promised us. This knowledge, and that He is always with us, should keep us going, even in the worst of times.
We have a new life that begins when we are saved. Our hope is guaranteed by Jesus’ resurrection. We also have an inheritance that is incorruptible (vs. 4-5). It cannot be destroyed or tainted, and it lasts forever, which is more good news for us. It is kept secure in heaven, guaranteed by God. Ft. Knox, where the U.S. stores its gold reserves, is one of the safest, most secure places on earth. Yet as safe as that is, our inheritance kept in heaven, is far more secure. God is keeping our inheritance for us. He has supreme power, omniscient, omnipotent, and sovereign. He will keep both our inheritance and us secure. This inheritance will not pass away or decay, nor is it polluted or tainted with evil. God has guaranteed this for us, and we can have confidence in Him based on the indestructible truth of God’s Word.
One thing that can be discouraging for believers, despite knowing that we have an inheritance waiting for us in heaven, is the many trials we go through while here in this life (vs. 6). The Bible makes it clear that troubles are inevitable for God’s children. As His followers, we can expect difficulty. Peter encourages us to look past all of our troubles, and on to our eternal inheritance. Whatever trials we have to endure in this life, our souls cannot be harmed if we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior. We know we will receive the promised rewards. For this we can greatly rejoice, despite any trials or problems we go through.
Our trials can show just how genuine our faith is. It is genuine if we come through the trial still trusting God (vs. 7). How would we know that we can trust God if we’ve never experienced a situation where only He could help us? Trials allow our faith to be refined by fire, just like gold. God uses everything that touches our lives for our good and His glory.
Let’s lift our eyes to God instead of focusing on our troubles. If our hope is only in this life, we will have despair. God has ensured that our tribulations accomplish His purposes. He is sovereign over every adversity. God uses trials to strengthen our faith. Going through suffering, and yet remaining true to Christ gives a testimony to others about salvation and the Lord Jesus. Going through our trials clinging closely to Jesus will make our faith stronger. God can turn what may seem like bad news into something positive for us.
Have you ever had someone tell you that they have both good news, and then some not-so-good news for you? We all like the good news. Give us that! They can keep the not-so-good news to themselves, we are thinking. Good news that we have an inheritance is always received with joy. Especially an inheritance that is safe and secure. The news that we have to go through some heavy trials, some very difficult times is not something we want to hear. This is the news that the Apostle Peter gives as he starts his epistle message today. However, as Peter looks at it, and as he teaches us, it all can be good news for believers. Let’s look and see what the Word of God can teach us.
As Peter opens his letter to fellow believers, he shares with us some good news. One piece of good news is that because Jesus rose from the dead and is alive, we have a living hope (vs. 3). All that God has promised to those who trust in Him is guaranteed. Those promises are not something that can be lost, so our hope can be sure and steadfast. Jesus’ resurrection guarantees that God will honor all of His promises. The reason God provided us with so glorious a salvation is because He is a merciful God. That is also good news, because we need His mercy since we are sinners. Once we have taken Jesus as our Savior, we have the hope of eternal life. We can have confident optimism in all God has promised us. This knowledge, and that He is always with us, should keep us going, even in the worst of times.
We have a new life that begins when we are saved. Our hope is guaranteed by Jesus’ resurrection. We also have an inheritance that is incorruptible (vs. 4-5). It cannot be destroyed or tainted, and it lasts forever, which is more good news for us. It is kept secure in heaven, guaranteed by God. Ft. Knox, where the U.S. stores its gold reserves, is one of the safest, most secure places on earth. Yet as safe as that is, our inheritance kept in heaven, is far more secure. God is keeping our inheritance for us. He has supreme power, omniscient, omnipotent, and sovereign. He will keep both our inheritance and us secure. This inheritance will not pass away or decay, nor is it polluted or tainted with evil. God has guaranteed this for us, and we can have confidence in Him based on the indestructible truth of God’s Word.
One thing that can be discouraging for believers, despite knowing that we have an inheritance waiting for us in heaven, is the many trials we go through while here in this life (vs. 6). The Bible makes it clear that troubles are inevitable for God’s children. As His followers, we can expect difficulty. Peter encourages us to look past all of our troubles, and on to our eternal inheritance. Whatever trials we have to endure in this life, our souls cannot be harmed if we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior. We know we will receive the promised rewards. For this we can greatly rejoice, despite any trials or problems we go through.
Our trials can show just how genuine our faith is. It is genuine if we come through the trial still trusting God (vs. 7). How would we know that we can trust God if we’ve never experienced a situation where only He could help us? Trials allow our faith to be refined by fire, just like gold. God uses everything that touches our lives for our good and His glory.
Let’s lift our eyes to God instead of focusing on our troubles. If our hope is only in this life, we will have despair. God has ensured that our tribulations accomplish His purposes. He is sovereign over every adversity. God uses trials to strengthen our faith. Going through suffering, and yet remaining true to Christ gives a testimony to others about salvation and the Lord Jesus. Going through our trials clinging closely to Jesus will make our faith stronger. God can turn what may seem like bad news into something positive for us.
Monday, April 20, 2020
To Know And Love God
Psalm 111
Do you remember falling in love with someone? One thing that a person in love does is try and find out all they can about that one they love. They want to know about where their loved one lives, all about their job, their likes and dislikes. They want to know what foods they enjoy, their taste in music, hobbies, etc. It is almost as if the one is studying the person they love. The same should hold true for those who have accepted the Lord Jesus as their Savior, as our psalm reading for this week tells us. Let’s look into this short psalm and see what it can teach us.
The psalmist begins by proclaiming his praise of the Lord, saying that he will praise the Lord with his whole heart (vs. 1). This isn’t just a small love, or little praise, but one with the whole heart. This is reminiscent of what Jesus said in Matthew 22:37-38. We are to love and praise God with all of our heart, completely, totally, and fully devoted.
When we love someone deeply we often tell others all the many things that we love about our loved one. We will tell them that he or she did this or that wonderful thing for us. We tell others how smart we think our loved one is, how talented they are, what wonderful wavy hair they have, what beautiful blue eyes, etc. Our psalmist spends most of this psalm telling many of the things about God that he loves (vs. 2-9). He begins saying how those who love God, and find pleasure in Him, will study all He has done. They will try to find out all they can about Him, and spend time in learning and studying all of His works (vs. 2). This is done by reading and studying the Scriptures
God’s works are mentioned five times throughout these verses. First, the psalmist tells us that all God does is honorable, glorious, and righteous (vs. 3). The things He does are not evil, wicked, or harmful to us. That would be the realm of the devil, not God. He is gracious to us, and full of compassion (vs. 4). He reminds us that God provides for our needs, giving us food, and remembers all of His promises to us (vs. 5). All He does is done in truth and justice, and His work will last forever (vs. 7-8).
The psalmist saves the mention of God’s greatest work for last, and that is the redemption of mankind (vs. 9). Scripture provides for us a solution for this great need, that of rescue from sin and eternal separation from God. He has an eternal plan for rescuing us from our sin and allowing us to enjoy fellowship with Him. That was accomplished by the shed Blood of His only begotten son, Jesus Christ. Jesus paid the price to free us from slavery to sin. He gave His life as a perfect sacrifice. Now all believers can freely approach God through prayer, and have Him in their lives through the Holy Spirit.
The final verse of this brief psalm tells us how we can obtain wisdom (vs. 10). Everyone wants to have wisdom, and not go through life bumbling around, making mistakes, and amounting to nothing. The only way to become truly wise is to fear God - to show Him due reverence and worship (Proverbs 1:7). It is not through life experiences or academic knowledge. Our true wisdom depends upon our relationship with God. If we do not acknowledge God as the source of wisdom, our ability to make wise decisions will be faulty. We will make mistakes and foolish choices. The more we obey God, the more insight and understanding He will give us. The more we know His Word, the more wisdom He will give.
Having a fear of God is having a healthy respect for God’s power and authority. Having a reverence for Him, a combination of love, awe, and dependence built on an accurate knowledge of His power. Genuine believers have a healthy fear of the Lord, which leads to respect for His commands, precepts, and principles. Genuine faith in Jesus always results in learning what pleases Him, and then, very importantly, doing that.
Do you remember falling in love with someone? One thing that a person in love does is try and find out all they can about that one they love. They want to know about where their loved one lives, all about their job, their likes and dislikes. They want to know what foods they enjoy, their taste in music, hobbies, etc. It is almost as if the one is studying the person they love. The same should hold true for those who have accepted the Lord Jesus as their Savior, as our psalm reading for this week tells us. Let’s look into this short psalm and see what it can teach us.
The psalmist begins by proclaiming his praise of the Lord, saying that he will praise the Lord with his whole heart (vs. 1). This isn’t just a small love, or little praise, but one with the whole heart. This is reminiscent of what Jesus said in Matthew 22:37-38. We are to love and praise God with all of our heart, completely, totally, and fully devoted.
When we love someone deeply we often tell others all the many things that we love about our loved one. We will tell them that he or she did this or that wonderful thing for us. We tell others how smart we think our loved one is, how talented they are, what wonderful wavy hair they have, what beautiful blue eyes, etc. Our psalmist spends most of this psalm telling many of the things about God that he loves (vs. 2-9). He begins saying how those who love God, and find pleasure in Him, will study all He has done. They will try to find out all they can about Him, and spend time in learning and studying all of His works (vs. 2). This is done by reading and studying the Scriptures
God’s works are mentioned five times throughout these verses. First, the psalmist tells us that all God does is honorable, glorious, and righteous (vs. 3). The things He does are not evil, wicked, or harmful to us. That would be the realm of the devil, not God. He is gracious to us, and full of compassion (vs. 4). He reminds us that God provides for our needs, giving us food, and remembers all of His promises to us (vs. 5). All He does is done in truth and justice, and His work will last forever (vs. 7-8).
The psalmist saves the mention of God’s greatest work for last, and that is the redemption of mankind (vs. 9). Scripture provides for us a solution for this great need, that of rescue from sin and eternal separation from God. He has an eternal plan for rescuing us from our sin and allowing us to enjoy fellowship with Him. That was accomplished by the shed Blood of His only begotten son, Jesus Christ. Jesus paid the price to free us from slavery to sin. He gave His life as a perfect sacrifice. Now all believers can freely approach God through prayer, and have Him in their lives through the Holy Spirit.
The final verse of this brief psalm tells us how we can obtain wisdom (vs. 10). Everyone wants to have wisdom, and not go through life bumbling around, making mistakes, and amounting to nothing. The only way to become truly wise is to fear God - to show Him due reverence and worship (Proverbs 1:7). It is not through life experiences or academic knowledge. Our true wisdom depends upon our relationship with God. If we do not acknowledge God as the source of wisdom, our ability to make wise decisions will be faulty. We will make mistakes and foolish choices. The more we obey God, the more insight and understanding He will give us. The more we know His Word, the more wisdom He will give.
Having a fear of God is having a healthy respect for God’s power and authority. Having a reverence for Him, a combination of love, awe, and dependence built on an accurate knowledge of His power. Genuine believers have a healthy fear of the Lord, which leads to respect for His commands, precepts, and principles. Genuine faith in Jesus always results in learning what pleases Him, and then, very importantly, doing that.
Saturday, April 18, 2020
The Reminder Of A Promise
Genesis 8:6-16; 9:8-16
Most people would agree that keeping a promise is important, and promises really shouldn’t be made lightly. No one likes having promises broken that were made to them, nor to be known as a promise-breaker. How about when we have to wait a long time for the promise to be fulfilled? Do we give up hope? That probably depends on who made the promise, and what their track record is when it comes to keeping their word. Our Old Testament Scripture passage this week comes from the Book of Genesis, from the familiar account of Noah and the Ark. As we study this passage, we see that Noah showed much patience and trust in God, and the fulfillment of His promises.
As we read earlier in the Book of Genesis, mankind had grown so terribly sinful that God decided to destroy everyone. He instructed Noah to build an ark to save himself, along with a pair of each animal. When the ark was completed, Noah and his family, along with the assembled animals boarded the ark. They were on the ark for seven whole days before God sent the rain (Genesis 7:4-10). Did Noah wonder if he had misunderstood God, or that this was sort of a joke? After a week God sent the rain. It rained for 40 days and nights (Genesis 7:12). That’s a long time. I enjoy a good thunderstorm, but if it continues steadily raining for more than a few days straight, I want to see the sun again! The ark continued to drift upon the waters for many days before the tops of the mountains began to appear, and even more time before it came to rest (Genesis 8:1-5), and a while longer before the ground completely dried. That is a long time. God had promised to protect him and his family. Throughout this whole time, in the midst of what must have been some terrifying times for Noah and his family, he kept trusting God, believing that He would keep His promises.
As we read in our passage, Noah sent out both a raven and a dove. The raven kept flying until the waters completely receded. The dove, however, came back when she saw there was no dry land (vs. 9). When the dove was sent out the first time, she could find no place to rest. She flew and flew, but there was no place for her to land. So what did she do? She returned to the ark, a place of refuge, a symbol or type of Christ. There she was safe. We may wander all over the world looking for rest, but our rest can only come from Jesus.
After Noah sent out the dove a second time, she returned with an olive leaf, indicating that plant life had returned to the earth. He waited an additional week, and then the Lord gave the okay to leave the ark (vs. 15-16). What if Noah had been impatient, and had left earlier? Perhaps when the ark first landed on ground, or maybe when the dove had returned with the leaf? If Noah had been impatient and gone out earlier than God wanted, it would have been a mess with mud and muck! Noah did not go out until God told him to, when it was safe to. When we rush ahead of God’s timetable we will find ourselves in a mess, in nothing but trouble. God knows best.
When Noah and his family were out of the ark, God gave them a special promise. He promised to never again destroy the whole world by a flood (vs. 11). Throughout Scripture God gives two kinds of promises - conditional promises, and unconditional ones. Conditional promises are dependent on our behavior. We do this, and God promises He will do that. Unconditional promises are not dependent upon us. What God promises will happen, no matter what. It will stand. This promise to Noah and his family was an unconditional promise. God has promised, no matter what, He will not flood the entire earth again. There have been devastating floods in various parts of the world, but never again one that floods the whole earth. God has said, though, later in Scripture, that He will destroy the world by fire (II Peter 3:10-11, Revelation 20:9, and Revelation 21:1).
God gave the rainbow as a sign of His promise to Noah (vs. 13-16). This is a symbol of God’s covenant to never destroy the whole world again with a flood. God never breaks His promises. He promised Noah that He would protect them and the animals from the flood, and though they were on the ark for a long time, God kept that promise. They emerged without any harm. Now God has given mankind His Word. The rainbow is a symbol of that promise. Each time we see a rainbow, we can remember God’s promise to us. Each of God’s promises are unbroken and unending.
Most people would agree that keeping a promise is important, and promises really shouldn’t be made lightly. No one likes having promises broken that were made to them, nor to be known as a promise-breaker. How about when we have to wait a long time for the promise to be fulfilled? Do we give up hope? That probably depends on who made the promise, and what their track record is when it comes to keeping their word. Our Old Testament Scripture passage this week comes from the Book of Genesis, from the familiar account of Noah and the Ark. As we study this passage, we see that Noah showed much patience and trust in God, and the fulfillment of His promises.
As we read earlier in the Book of Genesis, mankind had grown so terribly sinful that God decided to destroy everyone. He instructed Noah to build an ark to save himself, along with a pair of each animal. When the ark was completed, Noah and his family, along with the assembled animals boarded the ark. They were on the ark for seven whole days before God sent the rain (Genesis 7:4-10). Did Noah wonder if he had misunderstood God, or that this was sort of a joke? After a week God sent the rain. It rained for 40 days and nights (Genesis 7:12). That’s a long time. I enjoy a good thunderstorm, but if it continues steadily raining for more than a few days straight, I want to see the sun again! The ark continued to drift upon the waters for many days before the tops of the mountains began to appear, and even more time before it came to rest (Genesis 8:1-5), and a while longer before the ground completely dried. That is a long time. God had promised to protect him and his family. Throughout this whole time, in the midst of what must have been some terrifying times for Noah and his family, he kept trusting God, believing that He would keep His promises.
As we read in our passage, Noah sent out both a raven and a dove. The raven kept flying until the waters completely receded. The dove, however, came back when she saw there was no dry land (vs. 9). When the dove was sent out the first time, she could find no place to rest. She flew and flew, but there was no place for her to land. So what did she do? She returned to the ark, a place of refuge, a symbol or type of Christ. There she was safe. We may wander all over the world looking for rest, but our rest can only come from Jesus.
After Noah sent out the dove a second time, she returned with an olive leaf, indicating that plant life had returned to the earth. He waited an additional week, and then the Lord gave the okay to leave the ark (vs. 15-16). What if Noah had been impatient, and had left earlier? Perhaps when the ark first landed on ground, or maybe when the dove had returned with the leaf? If Noah had been impatient and gone out earlier than God wanted, it would have been a mess with mud and muck! Noah did not go out until God told him to, when it was safe to. When we rush ahead of God’s timetable we will find ourselves in a mess, in nothing but trouble. God knows best.
When Noah and his family were out of the ark, God gave them a special promise. He promised to never again destroy the whole world by a flood (vs. 11). Throughout Scripture God gives two kinds of promises - conditional promises, and unconditional ones. Conditional promises are dependent on our behavior. We do this, and God promises He will do that. Unconditional promises are not dependent upon us. What God promises will happen, no matter what. It will stand. This promise to Noah and his family was an unconditional promise. God has promised, no matter what, He will not flood the entire earth again. There have been devastating floods in various parts of the world, but never again one that floods the whole earth. God has said, though, later in Scripture, that He will destroy the world by fire (II Peter 3:10-11, Revelation 20:9, and Revelation 21:1).
God gave the rainbow as a sign of His promise to Noah (vs. 13-16). This is a symbol of God’s covenant to never destroy the whole world again with a flood. God never breaks His promises. He promised Noah that He would protect them and the animals from the flood, and though they were on the ark for a long time, God kept that promise. They emerged without any harm. Now God has given mankind His Word. The rainbow is a symbol of that promise. Each time we see a rainbow, we can remember God’s promise to us. Each of God’s promises are unbroken and unending.
Friday, April 17, 2020
Jesus Christ Is Our Only Road To Salvation
Acts 4:1-21
Sometimes it is possible to tell where someone has been, just by one look, or perhaps even by the smell. Workers in coal mines would often come back home with the black coal dust on their faces and clothes. 19th century chimney sweeps would be covered in soot. Coming back from a swimming pool, one might smell a bit like the chlorinated water. Working in a perfume factory, one might bring that scent with them, and get too close to a skunk and you certainly will! Can anyone tell that we have been with Jesus? In our Scripture selection today from the Book of Acts, we read how the enemies of the Gospel knew that Peter and John had been with Jesus, it was so evident in their character and words.
Right prior to the start of our passage, Peter and John had just performed a miracle in the Name of Jesus, by healing a crippled man. Peter followed up the healing with a message about salvation in Jesus Christ (Acts 3). This angered the Jewish religious leaders, including the high priest and elders. They greatly objected to the apostles talking to the people about the resurrection of Jesus (vs. 1-7). They had executed Jesus as a blasphemer, and they didn’t want the apostles telling people that He had risen as He said He would. A few short weeks earlier these disciples had fled when these same authorities had come and arrested Jesus. They had hid in fear when they crucified Him. Now they boldly stood before these religious leaders and proclaimed the Name of Jesus (vs. 8-12). The Holy Spirit gave Peter power to preach the Gospel to the very men who had condemned Jesus to death.
In this brief Gospel message that Peter gave that day, one important truth sticks out, and that is that there is salvation in no other name than that of Jesus (vs. 12). Salvation is exclusive. It is by faith in Jesus Christ alone. There are only two religious paths - the broad path of works, which leads to eternal death, or the narrow path of faith in Jesus, which leads to eternal life (Matthew 7:13-14). Since God has designated Jesus to be the Savior of the world, no one else can be His equal. There can be no being “open-minded” about how we get to heaven or how we are saved from sin. No other religious leader is God’s Son. No one else died for our sins and rose again. Salvation is through Jesus only, not any other religious beliefs.
Verse 12 often offends many people. Jesus said that the world would hate us for believing that He, alone, is the Son of God (John 15:18). If the shed Blood of Jesus is not necessary for salvation, if some other religious philosophy or teaching will also do, then why would God have sent Jesus to the cross? God makes no mistakes, and it is through Jesus, and faith in His Blood alone that will bring one to heaven.
These religious leaders noted right away that Peter and John had been with Jesus, and that they were two of His disciples (vs. 13). They didn’t have to wonder who these two were. It was evident by their words and actions. People ought to be able to look at us and know that we have been with Jesus. Our conduct and behavior should proclaim that to others. What gave Peter and John the boldness to speak out to these powerful and dangerous group of men? They had been with Jesus. Salvation unites us with Him, and fills us with His Spirit.
These religious leaders knew that Peter and John had broken no laws, and that everyone knew about the miracle that had been performed (vs. 15-17). But they had to stop the spreading of the news that they had executed the Messiah. They sternly warned and threatened the apostles to no longer preach about Jesus or His resurrection. However, the apostles had such a zeal for the Lord, that they could not keep quiet, even when threatened. Jesus had promised that those who acknowledged Him before men, He would acknowledge before the Father (Matthew 10:32).
Peter and John were common fishermen, not scholars like the Sanhedrin. Yet who was on the correct path? Who did God use to spread His truth? When minds are closed, even the clearest presentation of the facts can’t open them.
Sometimes it is possible to tell where someone has been, just by one look, or perhaps even by the smell. Workers in coal mines would often come back home with the black coal dust on their faces and clothes. 19th century chimney sweeps would be covered in soot. Coming back from a swimming pool, one might smell a bit like the chlorinated water. Working in a perfume factory, one might bring that scent with them, and get too close to a skunk and you certainly will! Can anyone tell that we have been with Jesus? In our Scripture selection today from the Book of Acts, we read how the enemies of the Gospel knew that Peter and John had been with Jesus, it was so evident in their character and words.
Right prior to the start of our passage, Peter and John had just performed a miracle in the Name of Jesus, by healing a crippled man. Peter followed up the healing with a message about salvation in Jesus Christ (Acts 3). This angered the Jewish religious leaders, including the high priest and elders. They greatly objected to the apostles talking to the people about the resurrection of Jesus (vs. 1-7). They had executed Jesus as a blasphemer, and they didn’t want the apostles telling people that He had risen as He said He would. A few short weeks earlier these disciples had fled when these same authorities had come and arrested Jesus. They had hid in fear when they crucified Him. Now they boldly stood before these religious leaders and proclaimed the Name of Jesus (vs. 8-12). The Holy Spirit gave Peter power to preach the Gospel to the very men who had condemned Jesus to death.
In this brief Gospel message that Peter gave that day, one important truth sticks out, and that is that there is salvation in no other name than that of Jesus (vs. 12). Salvation is exclusive. It is by faith in Jesus Christ alone. There are only two religious paths - the broad path of works, which leads to eternal death, or the narrow path of faith in Jesus, which leads to eternal life (Matthew 7:13-14). Since God has designated Jesus to be the Savior of the world, no one else can be His equal. There can be no being “open-minded” about how we get to heaven or how we are saved from sin. No other religious leader is God’s Son. No one else died for our sins and rose again. Salvation is through Jesus only, not any other religious beliefs.
Verse 12 often offends many people. Jesus said that the world would hate us for believing that He, alone, is the Son of God (John 15:18). If the shed Blood of Jesus is not necessary for salvation, if some other religious philosophy or teaching will also do, then why would God have sent Jesus to the cross? God makes no mistakes, and it is through Jesus, and faith in His Blood alone that will bring one to heaven.
These religious leaders noted right away that Peter and John had been with Jesus, and that they were two of His disciples (vs. 13). They didn’t have to wonder who these two were. It was evident by their words and actions. People ought to be able to look at us and know that we have been with Jesus. Our conduct and behavior should proclaim that to others. What gave Peter and John the boldness to speak out to these powerful and dangerous group of men? They had been with Jesus. Salvation unites us with Him, and fills us with His Spirit.
These religious leaders knew that Peter and John had broken no laws, and that everyone knew about the miracle that had been performed (vs. 15-17). But they had to stop the spreading of the news that they had executed the Messiah. They sternly warned and threatened the apostles to no longer preach about Jesus or His resurrection. However, the apostles had such a zeal for the Lord, that they could not keep quiet, even when threatened. Jesus had promised that those who acknowledged Him before men, He would acknowledge before the Father (Matthew 10:32).
Peter and John were common fishermen, not scholars like the Sanhedrin. Yet who was on the correct path? Who did God use to spread His truth? When minds are closed, even the clearest presentation of the facts can’t open them.
Wednesday, April 15, 2020
Getting The Yeast Out
I Corinthians 5:6-8
Any bread-makers reading this? I have made various fruit breads before, such as banana bread and cranberry bread. However, I have never made any yeast breads before. My children and I frequently watch classic TV shows, and one of our favorites is I Love Lucy from the 1950’s. One hilarious episode is when Lucy accidentally puts way too much yeast in a loaf of bread she is making, and what happens then. In our brief Scripture passage today, the Apostle Paul speaks about leaven, or yeast, and what it signifies in our life. Let’s take a look and see what we can learn today.
I Corinthians is a letter that Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, and a significant part of the letter is spent attempting to correct some serious sins and problems the Corinthians had allowed in their lives. This was very necessary, as sin, left unchecked, will spread and become worse and more destructive. As our passage opens, Paul is warning the Corinthian believers that this is something they need to take seriously, since it seems that some of them were even bragging about some of the sins that various members of their congregation were involved in (vs. 6). Paul begins to compare sin to something most of them would be familiar with - leaven.
Leaven, better known today as yeast, is referenced in Scripture to represent influence, and in most cases it refers to an evil influence. If we make bread, and add yeast to it, the yeast permeates the whole loaf. When we tolerate sin in our lives, and in our local church, that sin will permeate our whole life and being, and it will also corrupt the local church. If someone sees one person doing something wrong or sinful, and nothing is done to correct them, then they might think that this behavior is okay. If speed limits are never enforced on certain roads, then rather quickly speed limit signs mean nothing, and everyone goes however fast they want to. This holds true with any behavior. With no correction, the behavior gets worse and worse. Ask anyone who has taken in some foster children who have not been raised with any firm rules, discipline, and guidance.
Blatant sin left uncorrected in our life, or in the church, will permeate it and corrupt it, just like the bit of yeast added to the dough. Very soon it has spread through it. It is just like a small bit of mold that very quickly destroys a whole loaf of bread. The same is true with cancer in the body. If nothing is done, it can spread to other organs and put one’s life in danger. It must be removed (vs. 7). We cannot tolerate it, or else it will jeopardize the spiritual health of ourselves or the church. We cannot sin a little without it tarnishing our witness. We cannot sin a little without it diminishing our power. We cannot sin a little without sowing curses and death for ourselves.
When the Jews left Egypt, being set free from the bondage of slavery, they used unleavened bread at the Passover ceremony. Bread with no leaven or yeast symbolized being freed from the bondage of sin. The Church today is to be “unleavened”, separated from the power of sin and death by Jesus, the perfect Passover Lamb (vs. 7). We are to remove everything sinful in our lives, and that of the church, being separated from our old life. Jesus Christ is our Passover Lamb, the perfect sacrifice for sin. Because He has delivered us from the slavery of sin, we should have nothing to do with the sin of our past, the “old leaven” (vs. 8).
As believers, those who have put their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus, our life is to be unleavened. We need to get the sin out of it. We get the leaven out of it by replacing it with sincerity and truthfulness, (vs. 8), with honesty, integrity, and God’s Word. If we see anything corrupting something, we make sure that we get it out, just as a doctor will cut in and remove a cancer. Before sin eats deeper into our souls, we need to ask God to excise it so that we can become spiritually sound and healthy.
Any bread-makers reading this? I have made various fruit breads before, such as banana bread and cranberry bread. However, I have never made any yeast breads before. My children and I frequently watch classic TV shows, and one of our favorites is I Love Lucy from the 1950’s. One hilarious episode is when Lucy accidentally puts way too much yeast in a loaf of bread she is making, and what happens then. In our brief Scripture passage today, the Apostle Paul speaks about leaven, or yeast, and what it signifies in our life. Let’s take a look and see what we can learn today.
I Corinthians is a letter that Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, and a significant part of the letter is spent attempting to correct some serious sins and problems the Corinthians had allowed in their lives. This was very necessary, as sin, left unchecked, will spread and become worse and more destructive. As our passage opens, Paul is warning the Corinthian believers that this is something they need to take seriously, since it seems that some of them were even bragging about some of the sins that various members of their congregation were involved in (vs. 6). Paul begins to compare sin to something most of them would be familiar with - leaven.
Leaven, better known today as yeast, is referenced in Scripture to represent influence, and in most cases it refers to an evil influence. If we make bread, and add yeast to it, the yeast permeates the whole loaf. When we tolerate sin in our lives, and in our local church, that sin will permeate our whole life and being, and it will also corrupt the local church. If someone sees one person doing something wrong or sinful, and nothing is done to correct them, then they might think that this behavior is okay. If speed limits are never enforced on certain roads, then rather quickly speed limit signs mean nothing, and everyone goes however fast they want to. This holds true with any behavior. With no correction, the behavior gets worse and worse. Ask anyone who has taken in some foster children who have not been raised with any firm rules, discipline, and guidance.
Blatant sin left uncorrected in our life, or in the church, will permeate it and corrupt it, just like the bit of yeast added to the dough. Very soon it has spread through it. It is just like a small bit of mold that very quickly destroys a whole loaf of bread. The same is true with cancer in the body. If nothing is done, it can spread to other organs and put one’s life in danger. It must be removed (vs. 7). We cannot tolerate it, or else it will jeopardize the spiritual health of ourselves or the church. We cannot sin a little without it tarnishing our witness. We cannot sin a little without it diminishing our power. We cannot sin a little without sowing curses and death for ourselves.
When the Jews left Egypt, being set free from the bondage of slavery, they used unleavened bread at the Passover ceremony. Bread with no leaven or yeast symbolized being freed from the bondage of sin. The Church today is to be “unleavened”, separated from the power of sin and death by Jesus, the perfect Passover Lamb (vs. 7). We are to remove everything sinful in our lives, and that of the church, being separated from our old life. Jesus Christ is our Passover Lamb, the perfect sacrifice for sin. Because He has delivered us from the slavery of sin, we should have nothing to do with the sin of our past, the “old leaven” (vs. 8).
As believers, those who have put their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus, our life is to be unleavened. We need to get the sin out of it. We get the leaven out of it by replacing it with sincerity and truthfulness, (vs. 8), with honesty, integrity, and God’s Word. If we see anything corrupting something, we make sure that we get it out, just as a doctor will cut in and remove a cancer. Before sin eats deeper into our souls, we need to ask God to excise it so that we can become spiritually sound and healthy.
Monday, April 13, 2020
When The Mountains Skipped
Psalm 114
Have you ever seen something so spectacular that you just wanted to jump up and shout out your excitement? Perhaps it was at a sports event, and your team just made an unbelievable score, winning the game against tremendous odds. Maybe you heard an astounding rendition of a favorite symphony, and you wanted to heartily applaud the orchestra, or a wonderful performance on stage. It’s especially moving if your child or loved one took part in the performance. How about when it is God we want to cheer? Our short psalm for today speaks of all of nature giving God a cheer for what He has done.
Our unknown Psalmist began his psalm telling of the greatest event to that date in the nation of Israel’s history, the greatest thing that God had done for His people, which was His deliverance from bondage in Egypt, and the parting of the Red Sea (vs. 1). God brought the people across the wilderness, and gave them the land of Canaan, the land that He had promised their forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (vs. 2). Not only was this land the land that He gave to His people, it was the land where the Temple was, and where His Presence dwelt.
The psalmist used very poetic language throughout his writing to describe all he felt about God and the great things He did. Verse 3 described God having parted the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21-22), and then 40 years later when He parted the Jordan River for the people to enter the Promised Land (Joshua 3:13-17). He described both the Red Sea and the River Jordan as taking a look at mighty Yahweh, and fleeing back, parting at His command (vs. 3, 5). When the people came into their promised land and heritage, he again used very poetic language to describe the mountains and hills like lambs and rams frolicking and skipping (vs. 4, 6). I have seen some cute videos of little baby goats skipping and frolicking around. They look so happy and playful! That is the way the psalmist described that natural land, as if they were rejoicing and happy at what Yahweh had done, skipping in delightful praise to Him.
The psalmist then spoke to the physical earth, telling it that it should tremble at the presence of the Lord God (vs. 7). We sometimes tremble when we are afraid. Trembling in the Bible describes genuine fear in the overwhelming presence of God. To tremble at God’s presence means to recognize God’s complete power and authority, and our frailty by comparison. Mankind can tremble in fear of God because of their sinfulness. After we have accepted Jesus as Savior, our fear becomes a worshipful reverence, and praise for God’s glory. That fear can also bring a trembling. Believers can find joy in God’s presence, which will lead us to fall before Him in adoration and worship.
We can sometimes see, as we look around, the world tremble at the presence of the Lord. Mount Sinai trembled before God when He appeared there to give Moses the Ten Commandments (Exodus 19:16-18). When we see the majesty of nature, we should, like the mountains, oceans, and all of creation, give praise and glory to God’s greatness.
The psalmist concluded this short psalm in verse 8 with a reference to when God brought water out of the rock for the people (Exodus 17:5-6, Numbers 20:7-11). This was an additional example from nature where God did something great and astounding that the psalmist wanted us to remember. There is nothing drier than a rock or boulder in the desert wilderness. Yet God brought water out of a rock to quench the thirst of multitudes.
Today, believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, can point to His death on the cross for our sins, and His resurrection from the dead as the greatest event in human history. Just as the Jewish people were set free from slavery at the Exodus from Egypt, those who have placed their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus as their personal Savior have been delivered from the power of sin and death. Just as the waters looked at the power of God and parted at His command, the rock covering Jesus’ tomb rolled away. All of nature can again rejoice like frolicking lambs at the knowledge that He’s alive! Let us, with nature, rejoice in our amazing and extraordinary God.
Have you ever seen something so spectacular that you just wanted to jump up and shout out your excitement? Perhaps it was at a sports event, and your team just made an unbelievable score, winning the game against tremendous odds. Maybe you heard an astounding rendition of a favorite symphony, and you wanted to heartily applaud the orchestra, or a wonderful performance on stage. It’s especially moving if your child or loved one took part in the performance. How about when it is God we want to cheer? Our short psalm for today speaks of all of nature giving God a cheer for what He has done.
Our unknown Psalmist began his psalm telling of the greatest event to that date in the nation of Israel’s history, the greatest thing that God had done for His people, which was His deliverance from bondage in Egypt, and the parting of the Red Sea (vs. 1). God brought the people across the wilderness, and gave them the land of Canaan, the land that He had promised their forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (vs. 2). Not only was this land the land that He gave to His people, it was the land where the Temple was, and where His Presence dwelt.
The psalmist used very poetic language throughout his writing to describe all he felt about God and the great things He did. Verse 3 described God having parted the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21-22), and then 40 years later when He parted the Jordan River for the people to enter the Promised Land (Joshua 3:13-17). He described both the Red Sea and the River Jordan as taking a look at mighty Yahweh, and fleeing back, parting at His command (vs. 3, 5). When the people came into their promised land and heritage, he again used very poetic language to describe the mountains and hills like lambs and rams frolicking and skipping (vs. 4, 6). I have seen some cute videos of little baby goats skipping and frolicking around. They look so happy and playful! That is the way the psalmist described that natural land, as if they were rejoicing and happy at what Yahweh had done, skipping in delightful praise to Him.
The psalmist then spoke to the physical earth, telling it that it should tremble at the presence of the Lord God (vs. 7). We sometimes tremble when we are afraid. Trembling in the Bible describes genuine fear in the overwhelming presence of God. To tremble at God’s presence means to recognize God’s complete power and authority, and our frailty by comparison. Mankind can tremble in fear of God because of their sinfulness. After we have accepted Jesus as Savior, our fear becomes a worshipful reverence, and praise for God’s glory. That fear can also bring a trembling. Believers can find joy in God’s presence, which will lead us to fall before Him in adoration and worship.
We can sometimes see, as we look around, the world tremble at the presence of the Lord. Mount Sinai trembled before God when He appeared there to give Moses the Ten Commandments (Exodus 19:16-18). When we see the majesty of nature, we should, like the mountains, oceans, and all of creation, give praise and glory to God’s greatness.
The psalmist concluded this short psalm in verse 8 with a reference to when God brought water out of the rock for the people (Exodus 17:5-6, Numbers 20:7-11). This was an additional example from nature where God did something great and astounding that the psalmist wanted us to remember. There is nothing drier than a rock or boulder in the desert wilderness. Yet God brought water out of a rock to quench the thirst of multitudes.
Today, believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, can point to His death on the cross for our sins, and His resurrection from the dead as the greatest event in human history. Just as the Jewish people were set free from slavery at the Exodus from Egypt, those who have placed their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus as their personal Savior have been delivered from the power of sin and death. Just as the waters looked at the power of God and parted at His command, the rock covering Jesus’ tomb rolled away. All of nature can again rejoice like frolicking lambs at the knowledge that He’s alive! Let us, with nature, rejoice in our amazing and extraordinary God.
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