He Sees Your Worth

He Sees Your Worth

There are some passages in the Bible that you can read a lifetime and simply read over them without considering them closer.  In this lesson, an instance of this is examined.  It is funny how commentary after commentary, scholar after scholar, and one’s own blind trudge forward can miss what is quite simple.  This video is the start of looking at your worth in the eyes of God.  I will likely provide a follow up video later as there were simply some thoughts and passages I did not get to properly explore.

Self worth seems to have its extremes in life.  We can go from the extreme of being arrogant straight to the line of feeling like we have no value at all.  I believe we have all seen examples like this in family, friends, or community.  This Locusts and Wild Honey study comes out of Matthew 17 and 18 and attempts to look at the full passage to understand the message and context.  There are wonderful themes of forgiveness and compassion that are never skipped in this selection of scripture and certainly, they won’t be skipped this time either (even if i does take another recording!).

Remember, whether you have matured to the point of strong Biblical reliance upon your Lord or whether you are continually barraged with your own failings in this life, God cares for you deeply.  You have worth.

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Back to School

Back to School!

School starts soon! I can’t believe the summer has flown by so quickly. Just yesterday it was Memorial Day (it seems). We wish our children a very good school year. We hope they succeed beyond their wildest dreams. Yet, at the same time, education in secular matters is not the priority. We must recognize the supremacy of the spiritual (Matthew 6:33). Secular education should be tempered by spirituality. Paul said, “I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil” (Romans 16:19).back to school

The world is filled with people who had great education, were successful in life, but died dissatisfied with their accomplishments. This is because the world can never truly satisfy (Proverbs 27:20). We work to gain thinking that the next great thing, accomplishment, or deal will fulfill us. When it finally comes, it lacks the luster that we thought it had, and we move on to the next “next great thing,” and the cycle repeats itself. One day, if we’re lucky, we will wake up and decide that we must do something better with our life. The unlucky never arrive at that day.Proverbs 14:14 states, “The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways, But a good man will be satisfied from above.”

As we go “back to school” let’s not get so wrapped up in our secular education that we forget that the world and everything in it belongs to God (Psalm 24:1). Let’s prioritize the spiritual. Let’s remember that all the good things that we have come from God (James 1:17), and let’s seek to use those things to the glory of God, including our education (1 Corinthians 10:31).

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Miracles, Wonders, and Signs

Miracles, Wonders, and Signs

On Pentecost, Peter talked about “miracles, wonders and signs” which Jesus did as evidence that He was truly the Son of God (Acts 2:22). These words can be used to refer to the same event, but each of them emphasizes a unique aspect to those events. Take a moment to consider them.signs wonders miracles

They are described as miracles for they are not natural events which can occur and can be explained by mortals. They are far above this level and demand a super-natural explanation. When Jesus cured the cripple man the response was so graphic. “So that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, ‘We never saw anything like this’” (Mark 2:12). There was no natural explanation that any mortal could give. It was SUPER-natural!

These miracles are described as wonders. This word emphasizes the impact they had on those who saw them. It was truly a sense of “wonderment.” When Jesus stilled the tempest, the apostles “…were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled” (Mark 6:51). It was God’s way of calling attention to His Messenger in an awesome way.

They are called signs because they bring another message when they happen. As seen above, they gave confirmation to the One who did them. They bear witness, and they testify. They are a message from heaven authenticating the one who performed them. This is why the apostles were empowered for each miracle, as sign of authority from heaven.

What is remarkable is that those in the first century understood some signs but failed to see the most important one. When they asked Jesus to give them a sign, He pointed out a grave situation in their lives which had an eternal consequence. The color of the clouds helped them decide about the coming weather. We express it this way in America, “Red sails at night, sailors’ delight. Red sails at morning, sailors taken warning.”

Jesus rebuked them saying, “Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times” (Matt. 16:3). Think of the hundreds, perhaps thousands, they had seen Jesus heal, but they ignored these signs of the time when the Messiah was in their midst.

This is why He refused to give the “performance” they asked for. They had seen the myriad of signs already given. He then called their attention to the ultimate sign—His resurrection after being in the grave for three days and nights. How did they respond to this event? They ignored it like they did all the other miracles, wonders and signs. Imagine being them on the Day of Judgment. However, do our lives show that we too can by faith see these signs and ignore them?

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What is Your Motivation?

What is Your Motivation?

What is your motivation when making decisions involving the Body of Christ, His Church?  If you are looking for a new preacher what questions are asked in deciding what to put in an ad seeking a preacher?  Are they about his appearance or education?  Are they about his spiritual knowldege?  Are you most concerned about how youth will percieve him?

What is your motivation when engaged in presenting the Lord’s Supper?  Is the focus on stirring emotion among the Christians partaking?  or is it upon the body and blood of the Lord?

When the congregation sings, is the focus upon the tempo, musical notes, and how the music sounds to the human ear?  Or is the focus upon humbling offering God the fruit of the lips?

Are you concerned more with the community seeing the good you are doing or spreading the good itself?  Is appearance or recognition your motivation?

Remember, God sees and knows your heart.  Is your heart wanting to Glorify Him? Great!  However, he will not be pleased if your actions do not operate in accordance with His Word.

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A Good Name

A Good Name

“A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.” (Proverbs 22:1 KJV)Good Name

It is better to have a “good name” among men than to have great riches. Respect as a man of integrity is better than fear as a man of wealth. No one respects a wealthy but unethical man, but they may fear him because of the power and influence his money brings. A man without ethics is a man without the loving favor of God. Take Bill Cosby for example. In the past his name was synonymous with wholesomeness and his reputation was squeaky clean. Now that this false image has faded away there is no amount of money that he could pay to have his reputation restored to what it once was. Even if he were to repent and try and do better, his reputation among men will never be what it once was.

Having a “good name” with God, or enjoying  His loving favor is something that all the silver and all the gold on Earth still could not buy. One becomes the recipient of God’s loving favor (grace) when he has submitted to God and become obedient to His Word. One will continue in that grace as long as he continues to follow God. Unlike when one ruins their “good name” among men, when one has turned away from God’s loving favor and subsequently repented – they will be back in God’s loving favor completely.

Read Matthew 16:24-28; Isaiah 1:16-20

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