Tag: Bible

Do We Believe?

On By BrianIn Book of Luke

The angel came to Zechariah with a word from the Lord.  Zechariah would have a son who would prepare the way for the Messiah.  His prayers for a child and the coming Messiah would be answered.

But Zechariah refused to believe.  “I’m too old!  My wife is too old!  How could we have a child?”  And Zechariah is struck dumb because of his unbelief.  He refused to believe God’s word that his prayers were answered and that the Messiah was coming.

What about us?  Do we believe?

When we pray, do we pray believing that God will answer our prayers.  Do we pray believing he can answer our prayers?  He may choose to answer in ways unforseen to us, but do we believe he will and can answer prayer?  Are we surprised when he does?  Are we praying with faith or just mouthing unbelieving words?

When the Word of the Lord comes to us, do we believe what it says?  Do we believe that the commands in Scripture are God’s words to us that we should obey?  Do we believe the many promises of God that we find in his Word?  “I am with you always.”  “God is our refuge and strength.”  “My grace is sufficient for you.”  Do we come to the Word with faith or do we just come?

When the Scriptures promise that Jesus is coming back, do we believe that he is really coming?  Do we believe it could be today?  Do our lives reflect this belief, or do our lives reflect disbelief in his return?

It is easy to put Zechariah down for his unbelief, but don’t we at times struggle in the same way?

Father, help us to grow in our faith!

(From Luke 1)

Hope Is Dawning

On By BrianIn Book of Luke1 Comment

For 400 years the people of Israel had been waiting for the coming of the Messiah.  The prophets had foretold his coming, and the people waited, longing for his coming.  Would he come in their lifetime?  In their children’s?  Grandchildren’s?  How long?

Finally, the fist glimmers of light appear.  Their hope dawns as an angel appears to Zechariah.  Zechariah and his wife will have a son in their old age.  Their son will prepare the way for the Messiah.

The Messiah came, lived, died, rose again, and ascended into heaven.  Now we wait for the Messiah to come again as foretold by the prophets, and the apostles, and the Messiah himself.  Are we longing for his coming?  Might he come in our lifetime?  In our children’s?  Grandchildren’s?

And as we wait for our hope to dawn, are we as his church preparing the way for his coming?  Are we a proclaiming the good news of Jesus, preparing people for his return?

(From Luke 1)

Examples of Grace 02

On By BrianIn Miscellaneous

In my second week in Genesis, examples of God’s grace continued to shine forth.

By grace, God promised Abraham a son and kept his promise.  How many promises God has given to us – and he will keep every one.

God rescued Lot from Sodom.  When Lot lingered, the angels pulled him out, “the Lord being merciful to him.”  God protected Sarah when Abraham and Sarah lied about her being his wife.  How often does God graciously protect and help us despite our own stupidity!

When God tested Abraham, telling him to sacrifice his son Isaac, God ultimately provided a substitute sacrifice.  God has provided a substitute for us – Jesus who died for our sins.  We deserved condemnation, but God’s grace intervened.

God graciously guided Abraham’s servant and answered his prayer as he went to find a wife for Isaac.  As we look back in our lives, how many examples can we see of God’s guidance and answered prayer?

God promised that his presence would be with Isaac, and then with Jacob.  What a glorious example of his  grace to us that he would desire to be with us!

Jacob’s words should well sum up our own thoughts as we see God’s grace in our lives – “I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant.”  We are not worthy – it is all God’s grace!

(Taken from Genesis 18-33)

Accomplished Among Us

On By BrianIn Book of Luke

“…the things that have been accomplished among us….”

Luke begins his gospel by recognizing that others have compiled accounts of what had been accomplished among them, and that after careful research he too had written of that which had been accomplished among them.

His gospel begins with the gospel – the good news.  It is not about what we accomplish, but about what has been accomplished among us.  It is not about what we do, but about what has been done for us.  It is about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and because of what he has accomplished for us, we can know salvation in him.

(Luke 1:1-4)

Examples of Grace 01

On By BrianIn Miscellaneous

One of my goals this year is to reflect on God’s grace.  To that end, as I read through the Bible, I am recording examples of grace, and seeking to ponder how those examples relate to my life.  My first week yielded the following examples of grace:

God created the world.  He give us life, our very existence.  He gives us a beautiful world to live in.  He gives us food to eat.  He gives us rest.  He gives us companionship.  None of these things are earned or deserved, they just flow from his grace.

Adam and Eve sinned, messing up this beautiful world God had made.  Yet, though marred, the beauty still often shines through.  God clothed Adam and Eve – a gift of grace, and he clothes us as well – with physical clothes, and even better – with Christ’s righteousness as we believe.

God provided an ark to save Noah and his family from the floodwaters of God’s just judgment.  God provides us with the cross to save us from the fires of God’s just judgment.

God provided animals for food for Noah’s family.  He placed a rainbow in the sky as a promise to never flood the whole earth again.  This provision and promise extends to me.

God showered his grace upon Abraham, promising him land, descendents, and that he would be a blessing to all the nations, and through Christ that blessing extends to me.

God chose Isaac to receive the blessings of Abraham, and for some reason I’ll never understand, he has chosen me to receive the blessings of Christ.

The Scriptures proclaim God’s grace, and it is in that grace that we stand.  All of grace.

(Taken from Genesis 1-17)

All of Grace

On By BrianIn Miscellaneous2 Comments

A couple of posts ago, I noted that our new years resolutions rest on God’s grace in order for us to see them come about.  As we begin this new year, it is a good reminder for me that all of life rests on God’s grace.

Every blessing comes by God’s grace.  Psalm 145:8-9 tells us that God is gracious and good to all.  Every good thing we have is because of God’s goodness and grace.  Food, clothing, shelter, health, breath, presents under the Christmas tree, job, safety – all of this and so much more flows out of God’s incredible grace to us.  This is often called common grace.

None of these things are deserved.  We need to recognize that.  Sometimes we get upset if God refuses or removes a blessing.  We think we deserve it.  It is our right to have it.  But Scripture is clear we don’t deserve anything good.  We are sinners.  We have gone astray.  Even our best deeds are like filthy rags.  We deserve death.  (Isaiah 53:6, 64:6, Romans 3:23, 6:23)

But God not only pours out common grace, he offers us saving grace.  He offers us forgiveness and cleansing from all our sins.  He offers us the hope of heaven and the resurrection.  He offers us a new life.  He offers us adoption as his children.  He offers us his Spirit in our lives.  None of this is deserved.  We can’t earn it, work for it, merit it.  All we can do is receive it by faith.  It is all grace.  (Ephesians 1:3-14, 2:1-10)

But his grace doesn’t end there.  God gives us the grace to be holy – to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives (Titus 2).  He gives us the grace to serve him in various ways (Romans 12:6).  And it is his grace that should motivate us to be holy and to serve (Romans 12:1-2).  THe Christian life is by grace too.

But what about the trials in life?  Where is God’s grace there?  It comes in the form of strength to endure.  In our weakness, God graciously gives us his strength (2 Corinthians 1:9-10).

Maybe you know all of this, and like me just need a reminder.  Maybe these thoughts are new to you.  All of life is by grace.  Every blessing and the strength to endure every trial is grace.  Salvation from beginning to end, including the Christian life, is grace.  All of grace.

This year I am planning to read through the Bible reflecting on God’s grace as I go.  I am also planning to read some good books about God’s grace.  I hope to share what I find with you on this blog throughout the year.  I want to know God’s grace better this year, and I hope you will know it better too.  Life really is all of grace.  Lord, open our eyes.

Give Thanks

On By BrianIn Holidays2 Comments

“It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
and your faithfulness by night,
to the music of the lute and the harp,
to the melody of the lyre.
For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work;
at the works of your hands I sing for joy.
How great are your works, O Lord!
Your thoughts are very deep!”
– Psalm 92:1-5

God daily shows us his love and faithfulness.  His works are great.  He does great things for us.  Let us give thanks to him!

What is one thing you are especially thankful for today?  Record it in a comment below.

Lukewarm Coffee

On By BrianIn Revival

I have come to like coffee – when it is hot.  Lukewarm coffee makes me want to, well, spew it back out.

Have you ever thought about what happens when someone orders coffee at a restaurant?  The coffee comes hot from the pot.  But it doesn’t take too long for it to start to cool off, to get lukewarm.  So what does the waitress do?  If she is good, she comes by regularly to pour more hot coffee into the cup so the coffee in the cup stays hot.

We are the cup of coffee.  Jesus is the pot.  If we stay away from Jesus too long, we cool off, we get lukewarm.  We need to regularly draw near to him, let him “fill” us, so that we might stay hot.

So how is our cup?  Hot?  Or have we stayed away from the pot too long?  Does Jesus want to, well, spew us out of his mouth?

“I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot!  So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.”  – Revelation 3:15-16

Sick Church

On By BrianIn Revival1 Comment

In Revelation 3:14-22, Jesus addresses a sick church.  The Creator of the world gives a certain and true diagnosis, and faithful counsel for needed healing.  His words were originally directed at the church of Laodicea.  Might his words describe our churches?  Might his words describe us?

The church is sick because they are lukewarm.  A nearby city was known for its cold water, another for its hot springs.  Laodicea was known for its lukewarm water.  Unwary visitors were known to take a drink only to spit it back out.  Their water was a picture of their spiritual condition.  They had not coldly rejected Christ.  Nor were they fervently serving Christ.  They were lukewarm, indifferent, apathetic, comfortable.  And Christ wants to spew them out.  How well does that describe our churches?  How well does it describe us?

The church is sick because they have a faulty perception of themselves.  Laodicea was a wealthy city and relatively self-sufficient.  The church thought they were rich and needed nothing – but they were deluded.  Christ says they are wretched and pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.  Do we see ourselves as rich, or as sinners saved by grace?  Do we think we can manage the Christian life on our own, or do we recognize our need of help?

Christ’s counsel first addresses the second problem.  He calls them to look to him.  They need to acknowledge their spiritual poverty and give up their spiritual self-sufficiency.  Laodicea was a wealthy city, but the church needed to look to Christ for true spiritual wealth – for all the spiritual blessings that flow from Christ. Laodicea had a textile industry specializing in black wool, but the church needed to look to Christ that they might be clothed in white garments – good deeds flowing from God’s grace. Laodicea was known as a medical center with a focus on the eyes, but the church needed to look to Christ that they might see themselves as God sees them.  Are we looking to Christ?

Christ’s counsel continues – moving to the first problem.  They must repent of their lukewarmness.  Though Jesus gags on their lukewarm condition, he still loves them.  He will not allow them to continue living in sin; he will lovingly discipline them.  They must repent – turn from their apathy and be zealous for him.  How?  They cannot do it on their own, they must again look to Christ.  He is knocking at the door of their hearts.  He wants to come in and fellowship with them.  In that fellowship, their hearts will be warmed that they might be zealous for Christ.  Do we need to repent?  Has our relationship with Christ grown distant?  Do we need to open the door again and draw near that we might again be zealous for Christ?

To those who overcome, he promises that we will reign with him.  May we hear what the Spirit says to us in these verses.

The Great Exchange

On By BrianIn All About Love

Imagine that you are a begger dressed in dirty, filthy rags.  You work really hard, and after a long time you are able to buy a shirt.  You proudly put it over your rags, but the rags are still underneath, and you can still see the rags on your legs.  What is more, you note that your new shirt is stained with dirt; it is not as clean as you thought.

Then one day, the son of the king comes through town.  You hide in the crowds, but he picks you out, and tells you to come with him.  He casts your new shirt aside, and takes your rags.  To your surprise, he takes his clean robe and places it on you, as he puts your old rags on himself.  What you could not do by your own effort, he has done for you.  And the king welcomes you to his palace.

Dear reader – are you still in the rags of your sin or have you received the great exchange offered to you by Jesus, the King’s Son?  If you are still in your rags, Jesus offers this great exchange to you – he died to pay for your sins, and he offers you his perfect righteousness. Turn from your sins and trust in Jesus and he will give you a new life. If you have received this great exchange, no matter what you have done, you are pure and clean in his sight.

Have you not read:

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” – Romans 3:23

“He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy” – Titus 3: 5a

“We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.  We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.” – Isaiah 64:6

“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.” – Isaiah 53:6

“For our sake he [God] made him [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him [Jesus] we might become the righteousness of God. – 2 Corinthians 5:21

“But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it – the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.” – Romans 3:21-22

“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” – John 1:12

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16

“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” – Isaiah 1:18