“Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw Him, they worshipped Him: but some doubted.” (Matthew 28:16-17)
Judas Iscariot, one of the original twelve, had betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. After a short while he was so filled with guilt and remorse that he committed suicide. Now there were eleven.
These eleven were imperfect believers. They worshipped, but some doubted. It was to this mixed group that our Lord gave the original “Great Commission” to go into all the world and make and baptize disciples.
When your church meets the next time, not everyone in the assembly will be perfect. In fact, you and I are imperfect. It seems that our Lord can “draw a straight line with a crooked stick.” That’s what He has been doing from that day to this.
Did you notice that even though there were doubters among them, they worshipped the Lord Jesus Christ? If you wait for your church to be perfect to worship or make disciples, your church will do neither.
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
Monday, February 6, 2017
When We See Jesus
“I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.” (Job 42:5)
We can only imagine what it will be like to see Jesus for the very first time. We, like Job, have heard about Him. In addition we have heard about His nail pierced hands, His spear pierced side and the scars of the thorns in His brow, all His payment for our sins.
I think of the song, “When We All Get to Heaven,” and the phrase which says, “When we all see Jesus, we'll sing and shout the victory.”
Fanny Crosby, the blind hymn writer who wrote more than six thousand hymns wrote, “I shall know Him by the print of the nails in His hands.” She once said, “I have the advantage over sighted people because the first thing I will see will be my Savior.”
I have heard of Him. I trust Him. I tell others about Him. I talk to Him in prayer. I have never seen Him but one day I will. What a day of rejoicing that will be for all saved people.
We can only imagine what it will be like to see Jesus for the very first time. We, like Job, have heard about Him. In addition we have heard about His nail pierced hands, His spear pierced side and the scars of the thorns in His brow, all His payment for our sins.
I think of the song, “When We All Get to Heaven,” and the phrase which says, “When we all see Jesus, we'll sing and shout the victory.”
Fanny Crosby, the blind hymn writer who wrote more than six thousand hymns wrote, “I shall know Him by the print of the nails in His hands.” She once said, “I have the advantage over sighted people because the first thing I will see will be my Savior.”
I have heard of Him. I trust Him. I tell others about Him. I talk to Him in prayer. I have never seen Him but one day I will. What a day of rejoicing that will be for all saved people.
Sunday, February 5, 2017
Sins of Presumption
“Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins…” (Psalm 19:13)
The Bible teaches from Genesis to Revelation that the servant of the Lord is to be honest, truthful, morally upright, sober, just and generous. Since all Christians are classed as servants, this verse is not just for preachers, it is for all the servants of God.
It is easy to fall into one of the devil’s traps which says, “You are saved by the grace of God so it doesn’t matter if you ‘shade’ your behavior just a little. God will forgive you. And besides, no one knows about it but you and no one will be hurt by it.” To follow such reasoning is presumption.
David’s prayer should be our prayer; “keep me from presumptuous sins.” Our desire should be to please God with our lives at all times.
The Bible teaches from Genesis to Revelation that the servant of the Lord is to be honest, truthful, morally upright, sober, just and generous. Since all Christians are classed as servants, this verse is not just for preachers, it is for all the servants of God.
It is easy to fall into one of the devil’s traps which says, “You are saved by the grace of God so it doesn’t matter if you ‘shade’ your behavior just a little. God will forgive you. And besides, no one knows about it but you and no one will be hurt by it.” To follow such reasoning is presumption.
David’s prayer should be our prayer; “keep me from presumptuous sins.” Our desire should be to please God with our lives at all times.
Saturday, February 4, 2017
Request for Cleansing
“…cleanse thou me from secret faults.” (Psalm 19:12)
At a funeral for a well respected, elderly Christian man I heard his pastor say, “I’m sure he had some sins because we are all sinners, but I never saw them or knew anything about them.” These secret sins are the sins that David is asking God to cleanse him from in our text.
These sins are the sins we commit in the unguarded moment, the ones no one else knows about, the ones that when we realize we have committed drive us to our knees in contrition and confession.
It is not the huge, glaring sin everyone knows about in our lives of which David was speaking, but the one tucked away deep down inside that can fester and smolder robbing us of joy, peace and victory and that can erupt as a volcano.
In requesting to be cleansed from secret faults (sins) we must allow the Holy Spirit to use the Word of God to remind us of our wrongs and to bring conviction. As we confess our sins we are cleansed by the Word of God and by the blood of Jesus.
At a funeral for a well respected, elderly Christian man I heard his pastor say, “I’m sure he had some sins because we are all sinners, but I never saw them or knew anything about them.” These secret sins are the sins that David is asking God to cleanse him from in our text.
These sins are the sins we commit in the unguarded moment, the ones no one else knows about, the ones that when we realize we have committed drive us to our knees in contrition and confession.
It is not the huge, glaring sin everyone knows about in our lives of which David was speaking, but the one tucked away deep down inside that can fester and smolder robbing us of joy, peace and victory and that can erupt as a volcano.
In requesting to be cleansed from secret faults (sins) we must allow the Holy Spirit to use the Word of God to remind us of our wrongs and to bring conviction. As we confess our sins we are cleansed by the Word of God and by the blood of Jesus.
Friday, February 3, 2017
Are You Having Problems?
“Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.” (Psalm 37:1-2)
I think of the Gospel song, “Farther Along:”
Tempted and tried we’re oft made to wonder,
Why it should be thus all the day long;
While there are others living about us,
Never molested though in the wrong.
Many non-believers have it better in this world than do the followers of Christ, the true Christians. But, this world is not our home. Do not fret or be agitated over their seeming success and lack of suffering while you have difficulties in abundance.
Like grass that is cut down by the blazing heat of the summer sun and the accompanying drought, and like the withering green herb pulled up by the roots and cast aside, those without Christ will be cut off.
The only heaven the Godless Christ rejecters will ever have is here on this earth in this short span of life. And, the only hell the God fearing followers of Christ will ever know is on this earth during our brief stay here.
The next verse starts by saying, “Trust in the Lord and do good…
I think of the Gospel song, “Farther Along:”
Tempted and tried we’re oft made to wonder,
Why it should be thus all the day long;
While there are others living about us,
Never molested though in the wrong.
Many non-believers have it better in this world than do the followers of Christ, the true Christians. But, this world is not our home. Do not fret or be agitated over their seeming success and lack of suffering while you have difficulties in abundance.
Like grass that is cut down by the blazing heat of the summer sun and the accompanying drought, and like the withering green herb pulled up by the roots and cast aside, those without Christ will be cut off.
The only heaven the Godless Christ rejecters will ever have is here on this earth in this short span of life. And, the only hell the God fearing followers of Christ will ever know is on this earth during our brief stay here.
The next verse starts by saying, “Trust in the Lord and do good…
Thursday, February 2, 2017
Taste and See for Yourself
“Oh taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him.”
(Psalm 34:8)
There is a warehouse type store in our town that has employees assigned to give small samples of food to customers in the store. The aim is to get customers to taste a small bite, get their taste buds excited and buy a box or bag of several helpings of that product. They cannot tell someone what that food tastes like but they can let folks sample it.
The psalmist was just as helpless to describe the goodness of God to someone, so he said, “taste God for yourself.” You cannot describe the taste of an orange or a “red delicious” apple to someone. One must experience the food to know its taste.
We must “taste” the Lord by faith. One taste and we learn to trust Him. The psalmist said that the one who trusts the LORD will be blessed. Don’t go by what I say. Trust Him for yourself.
(Psalm 34:8)
There is a warehouse type store in our town that has employees assigned to give small samples of food to customers in the store. The aim is to get customers to taste a small bite, get their taste buds excited and buy a box or bag of several helpings of that product. They cannot tell someone what that food tastes like but they can let folks sample it.
The psalmist was just as helpless to describe the goodness of God to someone, so he said, “taste God for yourself.” You cannot describe the taste of an orange or a “red delicious” apple to someone. One must experience the food to know its taste.
We must “taste” the Lord by faith. One taste and we learn to trust Him. The psalmist said that the one who trusts the LORD will be blessed. Don’t go by what I say. Trust Him for yourself.
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
Superman?
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)
You and I cannot, “leap tall buildings in a single bound, see through solid brick walls, become stronger than a locomotive, and without an airplane, fly faster than a speeding bullet,” all traits attributed to “Superman” of comic book fame. Our text, taken out of context, would seem to say that.
In its context the verse is saying that through the power of Jesus Christ we can live the Christian life and that through Him we can do all He calls on us to do.
Jesus said in our text from yesterday, “Without me, ye can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
Jesus Christ makes the difference in whether we can or cannot live the Christian life in this increasingly sinful world. If you are still trying to live without Christ I strongly encourage you to repent of your sin and receive Him by faith.
You and I cannot, “leap tall buildings in a single bound, see through solid brick walls, become stronger than a locomotive, and without an airplane, fly faster than a speeding bullet,” all traits attributed to “Superman” of comic book fame. Our text, taken out of context, would seem to say that.
In its context the verse is saying that through the power of Jesus Christ we can live the Christian life and that through Him we can do all He calls on us to do.
Jesus said in our text from yesterday, “Without me, ye can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
Jesus Christ makes the difference in whether we can or cannot live the Christian life in this increasingly sinful world. If you are still trying to live without Christ I strongly encourage you to repent of your sin and receive Him by faith.
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