Sunday, November 1, 2020
When You Are Afraid
This Tuesday is Election Day. Like many of you, I will be very glad for the election season to be over.
Are you afraid and nervous about the results of the election?
With all the evil taking place in our nation today it doesn’t take an expert to understand that our nation is in a downward moral spiral and spiritual decline of epic proportions.
Whatever happens this week we need to be reminded from God’s Word:
1. That God is still in control.
Therefore David blessed the Lord before all the assembly; and David said: “blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, The power and the glory, the victory and the majesty; for all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; in Your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. 1 Chronicles 29:10-12
2. That God sets up leaders and removes them.
And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. Daniel 2:21
‘This decision is by the decree of the watchers, and the sentence by the word of the holy ones, in order that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, gives it to whomever He will, and sets over it the lowest of men.’ Daniel 4:17
3. That God has a plan for our nation.
The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations. Psalm 33:10-11
4. That God commands us not to fear.
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
5. That our trust is in God and not in man.
It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. Psalm 118:8
6. That we can cast our vote, but the decision belongs to the Lord.
The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord. Proverbs 16:33
With everything going on in our world today, we can turn to God and know that in His sovereignty, all things will be worked out to His will. We may not understand why certain things happen and we might feel helpless in our circumstances, but we can turn to the One who holds the world He created in His hands, and works all things to good for those who are called according to His purposes.
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28
Sunday, October 25, 2020
God and Science
During this pandemic we have been hearing repeatedly that we have to trust science. I am not opposed to trusting science, but we also must put our trust in what God’s Word says.
I believe that the methods of science are an important and reliable means to investigate and describe the world God has made. I also affirm that God works outside of natural law in supernatural events, including the miracles described in Scripture. In both natural and supernatural ways, God continues to be directly involved in creation and in human history.
In my understanding Christian faith and science are mutually hospitable (ICR, AiG). Let us examine several bodily practices in the Old Testament that God gave His chosen people; and that science has discovered.
- Hygiene. Leviticus 15
- Sanitation. Deuteronomy 23:12-14
- Embryology. Psalm 139:13-16
- Dietary. Leviticus 11
- Quarantine. Leviticus 13:45-46
Sunday, October 18, 2020
Healing
Every healing that happens is God’s miracle. Honest doctors will tell you that they do not heal, they merely treat. They assist healing, they manage pain, do procedures, give other treatments. The Bible and biblical history teach us that God is not only a God of miracles but also one that uses secondary causes in the execution of His eternal plan. Some of these secondary causes are devoted doctors and nurses, the medicines they prescribe, and the procedures they perform.
Be thankful for those to whom God in His grace has given great skill, no matter what they do or what they believe (or disbelieve). Pray for them also, that they may realize that everything they have and everything they are able to do comes from God’s hands. Above all, pray that we will use the rest of our lives to help others and point them to Jesus Christ.
Sunday, October 11, 2020
Do The Right Thing The Right Way For The Right Reasons
Philemon 1:17-25
The Apostle Paul was being held as a prisoner in Rome. He had been arrested for teaching about Jesus Christ. A slave named Onesimus had run away from his master Philemon back in Colossae. When Onesimus came to Rome he met with Paul and became a faithful follower of Christ.
Paul was sending Onesimus back with this letter asking Philemon to receive him back, but not as a returning slave. Instead he should be received as a true brother in Christ.
How did Paul do the right thing in the right way for the right reasons?
Paul did the right thing.
- Restoration – to bring back to or put back something to a former or original state
Paul did it the right way.
- Restitution – pay back what was taken or lost
Paul did it for the right reasons.
- Reconciliation – is the process of two people in a conflict agreeing to make amends.
Sunday, October 4, 2020
From Useful to Useless Then Useless to Useful
We all know stories of individuals who started out being useful but became useless. The opposite is true as well; they were useless but became useful. The name Onesimus means “useful”. Onesimus had been Philemon’s slave but he had run away and may have stolen some money from him. In God’s providence he met the Apostle Paul in prison at Rome and his life was radically changed.
What changed Onesimus from being useless to useful?
- Paul’s recommendation for Onesimus. Philemon 1:8-9
- Onesimus being reborn. Philemon 1:10-11
- Paul’s relationship with Onesimus. Philemon 1:12-13
- Paul’s respect for Philemon. Philemon 1:14
- God’s reason for all of this was for Philemon to receive him back as a brother in the Lord. Philemon 1:15-16
