Monthly Archives: September 2015

A Day’s Journey Without Jesus

Posted on by under Christian Living

journey     Once upon a time there was a little girl who was left behind at the church building where she grew up.  Both of her parents had driven to the worship service that morning, since her father had a meeting to attend early that morning.  When they left, both assumed that the other had the child with them.  Perhaps something like this has happened to you, and if so, you are in good company.

     Joseph and Mary had traveled to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover when Jesus was just twelve years old (Luke 2:41-42).  When they left, both of them made the assumption that Jesus was with their relatives in the caravan leading back home.  However, after traveling for a day’s journey, they realized that Jesus was not with the company (Luke 2:43-45).  They quickly backtracked and found Jesus three days later in the temple, where He was amazing the learned men with His questions and answers (Luke 2:46).

     We can just imagine the horror of realizing that our child is missing.  Searching high and low for a missing child causes us much anguish and worry for their safety, especially in our day and age.  Both Mary and Joseph were concerned about being without Jesus, even for a day’s journey. “So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, ‘Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously’” (Luke 2:48, NKJV).

     How many of us will journey for a day, or several days, or perhaps even months at a time without Jesus being with us?  Do we become concerned?  Are we anxious because we are not with Him?  God has said that He will never abandon us or leave us, but we have the free will to travel away from Him (Hebrews 13:5; 2:1).  All of the spiritual blessings that God has to offer are to be found in Christ/with Jesus (Ephesians 1:3).  Are we with Him, or are we journeying without Jesus?  If we are going through this life without Him, we need to come back and find Him.  Come and see, and let us help you find Jesus!

Jesus Is Better

Posted on by under Christian Living, Doctrine

Jesus Footprints     In a good news article the four ‘W’s are usually brought out in the first paragraph.  At least that’s what I remember from my very brief education on journalism from a long ago English course.  Writers want to let the reader know who, did what, when, and where.  In looking at the beginning of the book of Hebrews, we might call the writer a good journalist. “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds” (Hebrews 1:1-2, NKJV).

     Notice with me some of what is in these two little verses of scripture.  First, in verse one, God is the who.  Spoke is what He did.  The when is in times past, and the where was to the fathers.  The verse also tells us how God did that.  It was at various times and in various ways and through the mouth of the prophets that God spoke to mankind in times past.  Second, in verse two, God is still the one speaking, so the who and the what are the same.  However, now that speaking has been done in these last days, and it has been spoken to us by His Son, Jesus Christ.

     There are many lessons that we can learn from the old law and the Old Testament (Romans 15:4).  However, now we are told to hear God’s Son and pay the more earnest heed to His words (Matthew 17:5; Hebrews 2:1-4).  Indeed the message that comes from the entire book of Hebrews is that Christ is better.  He is better than the angels.  He is better than Moses.  He is better than the human high priests.  He mediates a better covenant, established on better promises, with a better hope (Hebrews 7:19; 8:6).

     It is Jesus Christ, the one and only unique Son of God, who has brought salvation to mankind.  We need to hear what He has to say.  We need to obey His commands.  Otherwise, how shall we escape the punishment for our sins that we deserve? “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him” (Hebrews 2:3).

Be Prepared!

Posted on by under Christian Living

Matthew 24     Louis Pasteur once said, “Chance favors the prepared mind.”  We know that whatever we are doing, things generally go better if we are prepared.  Imagine needing brain surgery, and the person who is to perform the operation has been awake for the last 48 hours and has just graduated from high school.  They are not prepared for what is about to occur, and we should have great hesitation in submitting to their surgery.

     It is vitally important that we are prepared for what is to come when this life is over.  Jesus says much regarding our need for preparation in Matthew 24-25. First, He tells His disciples of the signs that will accompany the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 (Mat. 24:4-35).  They will need to heed the signs and get out before the Roman army seals them in to destroy the city. Second, He tells them of the dangers of making no preparation for His second coming (Mat. 24:36-44).  People will be going about their daily lives as they had before the flood. “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Mat. 24:37).

     Third, He tells of the danger of delaying their preparation (Mat. 24:45-51).  Like the evil servant who is doing wrong, thinking he has plenty of time before his master returns, they will be caught unaware because they have delayed their preparation for His return. Fourth, He tells of the danger of partial preparation (Mat. 25:1-13).  Here the five foolish virgins did not bring any oil with them to keep their lamps from going out.  They were not fully prepared, and they were locked out of the wedding as a result. Fifth, He shows both proper and improper preparation in the parable of the talents (Mat. 25:14-30). Lastly, Jesus shows what the results of our preparation will be (Mat. 25:31-46).

     Jesus has much to say about the subject of preparation in these two chapters.  There is an eternal consequence to our preparation for that world to come.  We need to be prepared.  We cannot delay, because we do not know when He is returning (Mat. 24:36, 42, 44).  Our preparation needs to be complete and proper.  Only then can we have that reward with Him in heaven.

The Paths of the Sea

Posted on by under Christian Evidences
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   Matthew Fontaine Maury

     Have you ever taken a canoe trip?  Perhaps you were put into the river at one point and were later picked up at another point downstream.  If you want to take a leisurely trip, you do not even have to paddle other than to steer the canoe away from rocks or the bank.  The current of the water will carry you along to your destination.  If you have ever dropped anything out of your canoe, then you know how hard it can be to row against the current to go back upriver to retrieve it!

     Matthew Fontaine Maury is credited with the discovery of ocean currents, which make shipping and travel upon the seas much more efficient than they would otherwise be.  By using the paths of the sea, shipping vessels can use less energy and travel faster than they would if they had to struggle against the current.  Just how did Maury discover these paths?  How is it that he became known as the “Pathfinder of the Seas?”

     Matthew Maury was a member of the United States Navy in the mid 1800’s.  The story is told of how he was bed ridden with illness, and thus had one of his children read to him from the Psalms of the Old Testament.  As he listened to the eighth Psalm, he was intrigued by the phrase “paths of the sea.”  He was determined that if God’s word mentioned paths in the sea, then they must be there.  Thus it was because of the Scriptures that Maury went in search of ocean currents.

     In looking at the Psalm we find these words written about man, “You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, All sheep and oxen — Even the beasts of the field, The birds of the air, And the fish of the sea That pass through the paths of the seas” (Psalm 8:6-8 NKJV).  Just how is it that a shepherd, who became the King of Israel, could know about ocean currents?  David never sailed the high seas.  Yet David writes of the paths of the sea almost 3,000 years before man made this scientific discovery.

     This is yet further proof of the inspiration of the scriptures.  This shows us that the only way David could have had this information so long ago, was that God revealed it to him.  Maury heard the phrase “paths of the seas,” he believed God’s word to be true, and he went out and discovered what God’s word already knew was there.  Perhaps you would like to know more about other scientific knowledge that has been revealed in God’s word long before man discovered it.  If so, come and see what God’s word has to say about this and many other subjects!

Are You Thirsty?

Posted on by under Christian Living, Current Events

Miyuki Sierra Nevada     Just this week rescue workers were able to locate and air lift a missing hiker from the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California.  Miyuki Harwood was separated from her hiking group, apparently fell and shattered one leg, and had been missing for nine days before being found.  Her story of survival is an amazing testament to her resilience and desire to survive.

     After she broke her leg, Miyuki was without food or water and alone.  In order to survive, she had to crawl for several miles in order to find a water source in the form of a stream.  She had a bottle with her and a water filter to make the water palatable.  It took two days for her to crawl through the wilderness in a remote and rocky locale to get to the water that saved her life.  However, she was willing to do what it took to get to that water to satisfy her thirst.

     Are we equally prepared to do what it takes to fill our thirst?  Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6, NKJV).  Do we thirst for righteousness?  Are we doing what we can to learn the right way and then to do that?  If we do not have God in our lives or we do not have His word in our hearts, do we feel empty and thirsty?

     The Bible says that we are to be like newborn babes desiring “the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2).  Miyuki’s thirst for her physical life caused her to crawl through dangerous and difficult surroundings to find water.  Our thirst for our spiritual lives should led us to do what is necessary to find the truth and obey the word of God.  Jesus said that “whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14).  Are you thirsty for that water?  Are you desiring eternal life?  If so, come and see what God’s word has to say about that living water of life!