Jesus Is the Way - The Solution for Sin

"There is the seed of all sins--of the vilest and worst of sins--in the best of men."   -Thomas Brooks 

The Bible describes sin as an offense or violation against the law of God. The actual act of this violation is known as transgression. Let's go even further and call sin a "rebellion" against God because that's just what it is (Deuteronomy 9:7). 

Scripture (Genesis 3) tells us that sin was introduced into the human race by Satan through Adam and Eve. And we've been dealing with the consequences of their "rebellious" act ever since (Romans 5:12).

Oswald Chambers, the well-known early-twentieth-century evangelist and teacher, once said, "We have to recognize that sin is a fact, not a defect; sin is red-handed mutiny against God." Simply put, it must be taken seriously!

The Bible provides many characteristics of sin, of which I will mention just a few: Christians are no longer enslaved to sin, but are free from it because of Christ. Even so, we are always on the verge of turning back towards it (Romans 7:21).

The world is full of pit falls and traps that can cause us to stumble in sin. Rather than allowing ourselves to be controlled by, or imitating worldly things, we should live out our faith filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:5–6).

Mercifully, God, out of His love for us, offered His Son Jesus Christ as a sacrifice for our sins (1 John 4: 9-11). By His blood, that was shed on the cross, Jesus provides something that we all definitely need: forgiveness for our sins (Ephesians 1:7).

So how can one gain access to this? Jesus, after His sacrificial death, made clear how those lost in sin could be saved. It requires repentance (Luke 24:46-47), belief, and baptism (Mark 16:16). 

Unquestionably, the forgiveness of sins provided by God through Jesus is transformative. But to be truly gratified requires something more. Our close relationship with God, ruined by our sins, needs to be restored. 

And for this, Jesus is the solution. We shall continue with more on this in our next meeting. I hope you will join me then!

Scripture: Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23; Psalm 51:5; Galatians 5:16; John 8:34 

Prayer: "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!"  - Psalm 51:1-2 (ESV)

May God bless you!

Brandi

"Faint Not!" God Is There For You

"By perseverance the snail reached the ark."   - Charles Spurgeon

One of the most difficult things for Christians is keeping the faith. Now I'm not trying to shame anyone, in fact, I know it's not an easy thing to do. I speak from experience having been there myself.

Adam, Eve, Abraham, Sarah, Moses, David, Elijah, and John the Baptist, are a few of the people in the Bible who also struggled with their faith.  As you can see, if this is where you find yourself now, you're in good company!

Like many of us, they each had their reasons for their moments of doubt, too. Yet in the end, they were able to pull it together and come back even stronger and better than before.

The Bible is really good about giving us guidance when we need it the most. We just have to know where to look. Take prayer for example This is an area that tends to get overlooked until the trials and tribulations of life strike.

Luke 18:1 (KJV) tells us "that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;"  We are to faint not in prayer; that is, never give up, or become discouraged. Prayer doesn't have to occur by appointment only. God is always available to hear from you.

Let's talk about perseverance. This is where life is kicking us while we are down. We're almost at our wits end, and more than ready to call it quits. Our faith meter is showing "low," and our confidence is fading fast.

2 Corinthians 4:1 (KJV) offers help. "We faint not," it says. The apostle Paul is bearing a heavy load trying to defend his ministry to the Corinthians, and spread the Lord's message. It's wearing them down, yet, he and his friends press on; they persevere.

Let's examine one more example: preservation. We are familiar with different demands placed on us at work, school, or even home. We might ask ourselves, "When am I going to have time for me?"

Turning to 2 Corinthians 4:16 (KJV) we are told, "For which cause we faint not;" This is in reference to hope. In other words, faint not in hope. God employs frail and weak vessels (men) to carry his powerful truth.

Despite not exactly being the picture of robust health, Paul was doing the best he could. He was only flesh and bone like the rest of us. Still, he refused to give in. His outward appearance was rough, but he was renewed inwardly daily.

Paul and his fellow workers in Christ surely suffered a lot, but God helped them push through it. That is, He helped preserve or protect them, which enabled them to continue when it would have been easier to quit. 

Again, the common theme of these examples is "never giving up" or "not becoming discouraged" which is meant by the word "faint." Although most of us will never go through what Paul did, God can help us "not to faint" just the same. 

Scripture: Galatians 6:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:13; Hebrews 12:3; James 1:2; Jude 1:24 

Prayer: "Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord! Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forevermore! From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised!"  - Psalm 113:1-3 (ESV)

God bless you!

Mary

Friday "Light" - Head or Heart..?

**New**

"When sinful people will not give glory to God for His mercies, He will fetch glory out of them by His judgments."   - William Greenhill

 

A person doesn't usually go headfirst into God, but rather heartfirst. The biggest problem sinners encounter is that this is what they do; they put their "head" before their "heart."

If you were to ask sinners what their apprehension is about making the decision to repent and accept Christ as their Lord and Savior, they might try to justify it in the following ways:

"I'm waiting for a time that is good for the Lord." Well, I'm telling you that there's no time better than the present! Every moment that you are a sinner is a moment that God is ready to save you.

In all honesty, you'll never find the gates of heaven open any wider than they are right now. Another might respond with, "I'm not necessarily waiting for a more favorable time for God, than I am for better conditions." 

Allow me to address this line of thought. There are plenty of individuals who desire heaven on their own schedule. They know what they're doing is keeping them apart from the Lord; yet they continue: doing it (John 14:6).

God is very patient. He can afford to be, after all, He has all of eternity. But we don't! Each day that goes by is one less day we have to make corrections. Change your life for the better today (2 Peter 3:9)!

I could go on and on, but I trust you understand the message here. There are many excuses that we as sinners could come up with for not accepting the Lord's offer of eternal salvation (Matthew 7:13-14). 

Jesus Christ died on that cross knowing that not everyone would accept Him. He expected nothng in return, yet left us with the promise of eternal life with Him in Heaven (Romans 3:23). The choice is completely yours. 

He could have made excuses for not accepting us, we certainly gave Him plenty of  reasons not to (John 3:17). Instead Jesus graciously did, with his "heart" and not His "head." Now, as they say, the ball... is in your court!

Scripture: Acts 4:12; Galatians 3:26; Titus 3:5; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 6:37  

Prayer: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”  - Galatians 2:20 (ESV)

Grace and blessings,

Margot 

Jesus Is the Way - An Abundant and Blessed Life

"Man's life is of God, not of his goods, however abundant they may be."   - Henry Alford  

Who wouldn’t want to live a better life? Who wouldn’t want to have a more full and abundant life? What if I told you that you can have this and much more; and it’s all well within your grasp!

No, I’m not trying to sell you on some get-rich-quick scheme, or fast-track to wealth secrets. In fact, the chances are pretty good that you won’t even see this on any late-night T.V. infomercials. 

But the way to achieve "it" is time-tested, and backed by the most reliable source in the universe. Beginning with this message, we will examine how Jesus Christ is indeed “the Way” to living the life He meant for us to live.

We shall begin with the way to a better life. Jesus can provide us with a more "abundant" life. Abundant means plentiful, or in great quantity. In scripture, it is defined as: abounding; having in great quantity; overflowing with.

In John 10:10, Jesus tells us that His purpose in coming to earth was so we may have a more abundant life. In other words, a life filled with more than we could imagine while alive. However, It's important to note that He didn't come with any promises of wealth or luxury.

Even so, Jesus did promise us that we have a loving Father in heaven who cares for us deeply (Matthew 6:31:33). And that He is more than capable of abundantly providing for us, if we choose to follow Him (Mark 10:30).

Without a doubt, those who take Him up on his offer of an abundant life are also blessed. Not blessed with large amounts of cash in the bank, or a big house on the hill. What I mean is something much more than that (Ephesians 3:20).

Happiness, like the kind that can only be acquired through a strong relationship with Jesus. For example, Paul while under house arrest never lost his happiness for life, nor his faith (Philippians 4:11-13).

Also, the Christians who were facing persecution in Asia Minor (Turkey) were comforted in a letter from the apostle Peter. He reminded them that as children of God they had every reason to be happy in their glorious future in heaven (1 Peter 1:6-8).

 

To sum up, Jesus Christ offers us a way to a better life; a more abundant life. If we choose to follow Him, our lives will not only be abundantly filled, but they will be happy and blessed, too. Yes, Jesus is the Way to these things, and lots more; as we shall see (Matthew 6:33)!

Scripture: Romans 15:13; Philippians 4:19; 1 Corinthians 2:9; 2 Peter 1:4; 2 Corinthians 9:6

Prayer: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."  - 1 Peter 1:3 (ESV)

May God bless you!

Brandi

Fundamentals with Bibi: The Gift of God - The Holy Scriptures (Part 7 - Conclusion)

 **New!**

“Nobody ever outgrows Scripture; the book widens and deepens with our years.”  - Charles Spurgeon.

Hello and welcome back! As always, I pray that today finds you in good health, and spirtually strong in Christ. May the LORD continue to guide and enlighten us as we study His word!

To bring everyone up to date, we’ve spent several messages discussing the different names that are synonymous with the Bible. These have included: The Word; The Word of God; The Word of Christ; and The Word of Truth.

In this final installment of the series, we will examine a term for the Bible most familiar to us, that is, "The Holy Scriptures." With this being said, and being limited on time and space here, we shall get right at it!

The Holy Scriptures are commonly known as the books (in the Bible) that have been "declared by the canons of the church to be of divine inspiration." This means the books of the Old and New Testaments are "inspired" by the Holy Spirit ( 2 Timothy 3:15).

Therefore, we call these written words of God the Holy Bible as they convey revelations about Him. Let’s carry this through a little further and look at the word “Holy” and how it applies here (Psalm 119:130).

Traditionally, holiness is connected to God or a divine being exhibiting sacredness and a worthiness of devotion. Holiness, is defined by Merriam-Webster as: exalted or worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness.

Basically, this is due to the belief that the Bible is the infallible or authoritative Word of God. And it was written down by men that were under the power and influence of the Holy Spirit (John 6:63).

Further evidence of this becomes much clearer when we look at the Greek word for scripture, or graphé, meaning a writing, or something written. This Scripture, or writing, declares the ultimate holiness of God; distinct from other world religions.

The pureness of God is vital and infinite to the manifest nature and personality of God in Scripture, of which there is no concession or trade-off (Malachi 3:6; Psalm 102:25-27; Psalm 33:11; Hebrews 13:8).

To summarize, though various names for the Word of God have been given and used across time, only the faces of the men who wrote them down changed, not the Word of God! What He has spoken is immutable, permanent, and good.

I hope you have found our studies helpful and worthwhile. Thank you all for following me on this journey, and I look forward to seeing you all again soon. Until then...

May God keep you safe, healthy, and deeply enriched by His Word!

Scripture: Isaiah 55:11; John 1:1; John 17:17; Luke 11:28; John 7:38 

Prayer: I thank you LORD for bringing Your light to our darkness, providing wisdom for the ages, and truth for eternity; all by Your Word. Amen

The grace of Jesus Christ be with you,

Bibi

Friday "Light" - The Prosperous Man

**New**

"...and observe what the LORD your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go."  - 1 Kings 2:3

How would you describe a "prosperous" person? Naturally, we each have our own definitions or ideas of being prosperous. Most dictionaries define "prosperous" as being: successful in material terms. 

We often hear about prosperous nations, businesses, or even churches. No doubt, there are some individuals who are more prosperous than others; according to the interpretation given above.

All of this brings to mind Joseph, the deeply-loved son of Jacob in the Book of Genesis (chapters 35-50). His envious older half-brothers, however, did not share their father's empathy towards him. 

Unwittingly, they, by their attempt to cut Joseph out of the picture, actually aided him in eventually becoming much more "prosperous" than any one of them could ever imagine. 

Two important things to point out about Joseph was that: (1.) he always stood by God; and (2.) he always kept his faith despite all of the obstacles he encountered along the way, This was key to his prosperity (Proverbs 3:5-6).

God can come to us in many ways. He communicated to Joseph through his dreams. And He still speaks to us today by His Word, the Bible. God's Word provided all the confidence he needed when he needed it most.

There are those who believe in a corrupted version of prosperity. There's nothing wrong with being successful. In fact, God loves when His children "do good," as they say, But we must never put our prosperity ahead of His blessings (1 Timothy 6:9)!

Our real prosperity will not be realized while here on earth. That's what mkes it so difficult for people to understand. As we learn to follow and obey God, like Joseph, we move beyond a "temporary" prosperity to and closer to an "eternal" one.

True prosperity includes: our justice, relationships with others, including compassion and generosity, and being humble (Micah 6:8). Think of what Jesus taught and demonstrated while here on earth. 

Scripture: Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 8:28; James 1:17; 2 Corinthians 9:8; Joshua 1:8 

Prayer: “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”  - Jeremiah 17:7-8 (ESV)

Grace and blessings,

Margot 

We Are Lost, But Not Without Hope

“Tis no easy matter to be saved. ‘Twas difficult work to Jesus Christ to work redemption for us. ‘Tis difficult work to the Spirit to work grace in us, and to carry it on against corruptions, temptations, distractions."   - Philip Henry   

Being "lost"can sometimes lead to serious outcomes. It can even cost you your life if you're not careful. But there is another other kind of "lost" that has even worse consequences; one affectintg you eternally.

The "lost" I am referring to has to do with our relationship with Jesus Christ. In this sense because of our sin, we have become separated from Him. Our union has been ruined. This is not what God had originally planned for us.

Being who we are, and our state of being, we are not capable of our own salvation (Ephesians 2:9). We are so deep in sin that we can't tell what's up or down. Without God's help, we would simply pass away; game over. 

Then He graciously sent His Son to earth, along with His gospel, to offer salvation to all who are "lost," and willing to be "found." And what was this gospel, or "good news?" It was the "good news" with respect to Jesus Christ and our salvation!

Jesus came to find his "lost" sheep and bring them back into his flock. Like a faithful, dedicated, and compassionate shepherd, He will not rest until all of His sheep are safely back with him again (1 Peter 2:25).

Thus the "good news" is that God loves us so much that He gave His Only Son to die for our sin (John 3:16). This gracious and merciful act means our salvation and eternal life in heaven with Christ have been secured (John 14: 1-4)

The world we live in is a perfect environment to become "lost." It is filled with tempations, distractions, and false truths. Unfortunately, many place their faith and trust in objects of worldly value only (i.e., things that don't last). 

Everything fades away or dies eventually. We have been offered the opportunity to spend eternity with Him in heaven, if we so choose. Salvation is the ticket to return home, but don't wait too long to have it validated (Luke 15:6)!

Scripture: 2 Peter 3:9; Romans 8:28; Jeremiah 29:11; Jeremiah 50:6; John 14:27

Prayer: Dear Lord,  I can never repay what You did for me; I can only offer my sincerest prayers of love and gratitude; to You I give all my praise; to You I give all the glory! In Your Name, amen.

With love and light,

Kerstin

Faith Is the Key!

"Christ is the door that opens into God’s presence and lets the soul into His very bosom. Faith is the key that unlocks the door; but the Spirit is He that makes the key."  - William Gurnall

How we perceive God's perfect, almighty power can help us unlock the secret to a fulfilled life. His promises surpass all natural thought, and test our faith with each attempt to understand them.

However, if we simply assume that He is the God of all power, then the miraculous becomes only ordinary. One of the biggest mistakes we can make is to try to see Him only through the hardships that are in opposition to our grasping His Word

When we look at Him in this way, God can seem remotely distant. Then again, to see all of our difficulties through Him, and glimpse at His power as it intercedes for us, is to make them all seem minor and irrelevant.

Therefore, to doubt Him is to deprive ourselves of experiencing the saving intervention that only He can bring into each of our lives. Sadly, too many go through life only thinking about what is, and not about what it could be.

We see this in action in Genesis 18:14. At first glance, Sarah's problems appear substantial enough to explain her faithless laughter. But let's not forget that she is now dealing with Him Who is the Creator ot the heaven and earth.

To God major things are minor, and minor things are major. All He desires is a person willing enough, and needy enough, to be utilized by His power. This is one commodity of which there is no shortage of; myself included.

How often do we need to remind ourselves of this, when burdened with trials and tribulations so intense they seem to cause the fulfillment of His promises in our lives totally impossible!

Unbelief can make us oblivious to everything except only what can be seen. Faith looks past this, and finds God always ready, willing, and able to do the impossible (2 Corinthians 5:7).

In Jeremiah 32:27 we read, "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" Faith rises to this challenge with a hardy, and joyous "Nothing," and proceeds to demonstrate it. I pray that you will carry this thought with you always.

Scripture: Luke 1:37; Mark 9:23; Luke 17:5; James 1:3; Hebrews 11:1 

Prayer: Dear Lord, by my faith in You, I know that I will be able to face anything that might challenge my faith, and love for You. Amen

Stand firm in our Lord, 

Laura

Friday "Light:" Wonderous, Matchless Grace!

 **New**

“Wondrous, matchless grace!  We cannot for a moment look outside the grace of God for any motive or reason why He should ever have noticed us, still less had respect unto such ungodly wretches.”   - A. W. Pink

You can’t read the Bible, listen to a sermon, or attend a Bible study group without coming across the word “Grace”at some point. In fact, "grace" appears about 170 times in the Bible! Certainly this qualifies it for some attention.

 

If one spends any time reading the Bible, you will notice a pattern that follows the word “grace” throughout. It doesn’t take too long before you start getting the idea that “grace” is a freely given gift of God. This is essential to the gospel message.

God, in His grace, is willing to forgive us and bless us generously, knowing full well that we don’t deserve it. This is because grace is an important element of His character. It is knit together with His compassion, love, and mercy.

Without His grace we were a hot mess! Just check out these verses for yourself: Psalm 51:5; Romans 3:10, 20;5:6; 6:23a. As you can see, we were spiritually deprived, unclean, blind, and dead. Our souls destined for an eternal punishment.

Thankfully, God offered his favor to us; saving grace. This is evident in Ephesians 2: 8; James 4:6; 2 Thessalonians 2:16. We have come to recognize Jesus Christ as the symbol of grace and truth (John 1:14).

God doesn't have to do this for us. He does it because of his forgiveness, love, and mercy. It's not because of anything we did. He offers his grace to us because that is who he is. This is why we say that He is gracious!

Not only is grace is an incredible gift from God, but salvation is gained through grace (Ephesians 2: 8-9). This is something that is attainable and fully capable of maturing further within the recipient (John 1: 16). 

Even so, grace isn't a free pass to run wild, contrary to what some might believe. But it does offer power, strength, salvation, and righteousness through Jesus Christ. And it is always available to us wherever and whenever we might need it.

Scripture: Titus 3:5; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 3:24; Acts 16:31; Jude 1:21 

Prayer: "Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father's Son, in truth and love.”  - 2 John 1:3 (ESV)

Grace and blessings,

Margot

Jesus Is the Way - Introduction

"When I consider my crosses, tribulations, and temptations, I shame myself almost to deaththinkingofwhat they are in comparison to the sufferings of my blessed Saviour, Jesus Christ."  - Martin Luther

We don’t always have to wait until the start of a new year, but for many there’s no better time to re-evaluate one's life. Why not use the opportunity to take another look at your relationship with Jesus Christ?

Truth told, we can all take time out from our busy schedules to do so. At minimum, we owe Him this much. During this series of studies we will examine several points which highlight what Jesus brings to our lives.

Let’s get started with some questions: “Are you currently feeling overwhelmed by any challenges or concerns?” ”Does life have you perplexed or disoriented?” “Do you feel downhearted, or have a sense of hopelessness?”

If any of the above apply; not to worry. I can say with certainty that you are not alone. Men and women have wrestled with these issues down through the ages. Even some of strong faith in biblical times were no exception:

• Job (Job 14:1-2)
• David (Psalm 142:1-2)
• Moses (Numbers 11:11)
• Paul (2 Corinthians 1:8)

Fortunately, there is some wonderfully encouraging news! We don’t have to let such stumbling blocks thwart our efforts to enjoy a fruitful and joyful life. Jesus Christ can give us support, strength, love, and encouragement whenever we need it (John 14:6).

You've probably heard Jesus referred to as "the Way." But, the Way to what? This is where the focus of our subsequent messages will be. I hope that you will join me here next time!

Scripture: Hebrews 2:9; 1 Peter 3:18; John 16:33; 1 Timothy 4:10; Revelation 22:13

Prayer: "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."  - 2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)

May God bless you!

Brandi

Fundamentals with Bibi: The Gift of God - The Holy Scriptures (Part 6)

**New!**

"This Jesus Christ is the center… of the whole Scripture.  The sum of divinity is the Scripture; the sum of the Scripture is the gospel; the sum of the gospel is Jesus Christ."   - Thomas Adams 

Hello and welcome back! I hope that you all had a joyous Christmas season. I also pray that today finds you in good health, and spirtually strong in Christ. May the LORD continue to guide and enlighten us as we study His word!

If you are new here, we've been exploring various names given the Scriptures. Some of these may be familiar to you already, but as I've mentioned before, "Familiarity doesn't necessarily mean comprehension." 

This time, we shall look at another term for the Scriptures, namely: the Word of Truth. This holds a special relational importance between God and us. After all, what better term suits the only book where He speaks to all mankind (2 Timothy 2:15)?

When you think of the word "truth," what comes to mind?  A general dictionary definition of the word might be "a fact or belief that is accepted as true." This may suffice if we were only talking about "finite" or definable truth.

But we know that God is so much more than this. He is "infinite," or without limits. He is also: Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent. God is "absolute truth" (Psalm 33:4). His truth doesn't depend on any situation or event.

Of all of God's truths, His greatest was to send a Redeemer to us (Genesis 3:15). This set into motion a long line of prophecies relating to the eventual arrival of the Messiah; the One to amend the relationship between God and man.

Perhaps the best known evidence of the fruition of this truth is found in John 3:16-17. Within these few verses we are shown how much God loves us over all of creation. He would not have promised and done what He did for any other living creature or thing.

Additionally, Scripture declares that the gospel is the message of truth (Ephesians 1:13). We know that message as the "good news" of salvation. It is clear that the only way to everlasting life with God is through Jesus.

 

If you gather only one thing from today's message, I hope it is this: God's Word is truth (John 17:17). Unlike the rest of us, He cannot lie, and will never back down from His promises. He wouldn't be God if He did!

I would highly recommend a word study on this topic if you are so inspired to do so. There is so much more to be discoverd than what we're able to touch on here. I guarantee you that you won't be disappointed (Jeremiah 15:16).

Once again our time has run out for now. I hope you take time to reflect on what we discussed today, and feel confident in the knowledge that "God is truth." And no matter the situation you find yourself in, you are never alone (Deuteronomy 31:8).

As always, until next time, may God keep you safe, healthy, and deeply enriched by His Word!

Scripture: Hebrews 13:8; Psalm 28:7; Psalm 118:14; 2 Peter 1:20; Proverbs 30:5

Prayer: "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,"Amen.  - Ephesians 1:17

The grace of Jesus Christ be with you,

Bibi