Bible Study January 10, 2025

2 Timothy 2:14 – 19

A Worker Approved by God

14 Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. 16 But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, 17 and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. 19 But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”

How do we know what is right and how to do it? We simply follow the instructions. Sometimes they seem so simple they are humorous. As an example we have this bottle of shower soap with these instructions: “Apply body wash and massage into a fragrant lather. Rinse and feel refreshed.” To me this is rather obvious. I’m uncertain what else you might do with this bottle. However, I know you have seen the warning on a hair dryer “Do not use in the shower.” Possibly because someone did use it in the wrong place.

The greatest source of instruction for any human being is the scriptures .

The Bible was written by about forty main contributors, though the exact number is disputed. The Old Testament had thirty contributors and the New Testament ten contributors. The Bible containing sixty-six books was written over a period of about 1,500 years by people from different backgrounds, including scholars, shepherds, kings, and commoners.

Yet we look around at nature, see the change of seasons, see the beauty of a sunrise or sunset and many believe it just happened.

The context of the scripture above was for Timothy not to spend a great deal of time with the false teachers in Ephesus because it does no good. Rather Timothy was to teach the Scriptures to the Ephesian Church. Believers need to be equipped to deal with the heresy they encounter. It is the same as federal agents being able to identify counterfeit currency we should be able to identify counterfeit theology.

If a church body does not align with the scriptures and when confronted refuse to accept them they you should consider moving on to a new body where the scriptures are taught under the direction of the Holy Spirit.

Look at what your church believes, what it teaches and be certain you are not sitting under counterfeit theology.

God Bless.

Bible Study January 9, 2025

2 Timothy 2:14 – 19 (New King James Version

Approved and Disapproved Workers

14 “Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to [d]strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 16 But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. 17 And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, 18 who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some. 19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”

Do you know the use of the name “The Bible” does not appear in the scriptures. In fact the term Bible takes its name from the Latin Biblia (‘book’ or ‘books’) which comes from the Greek Ta Biblia (‘the books’) traced to the Phoenician port city of Gebal, known as Byblos to the Greeks. (World History Encyclopedia).

From a human perspective we might ask how did we get the name “Bible. “The biblical scholar F. F. Bruce notes that John Chrysostom appears to be the first writer (in his Homilies on Matthew, delivered between 386 and 388 CE) to use the Greek phrase ta biblia (“the books”) to describe both the Old and New Testaments together.

After a bit of introduction there. So which “scriptures” should I read? There are a number of translations available. If you were to go to Bible Gateway you have at your fingertips a number or translations. Many people like the King James saying it is the most authentic, but can you easily understand what it says with all the “thou”s” it contains?

Some recent translations are excellent. Many people choose the New International Version, many like the English Standard Version (my favorite along with others), the New American Standard Bible (1977). A recent translation came out titled “The Legacy” Bible is also excellent. I will on occasion and in this Sunday I am quoting from Eugene Peterson’s translation “The Message.” He has a unique way of saying some things. If you want to really take a look at the scriptures from a Jewish perspective our Praise Band Leader in Ohio Greg put me onto “The One Man Bible.” Unfortunately it is not on Bible Gateway. But it gives deep meaning.

With that what is the best translation for me? The simple answer is the one that you will read. Check out Bible Gateway for some different translations, find one you are comfortable with then get a good study Bible (there I go using that term again). You can find great prices on Bibles from Christianbook.com. There is also an online bookstore called “Thrift books” you can find some deals.

Any questions send me a note I’ll be happy to help. We have a bookshelf in the foyer of our church for people to get a free Bible if the need one. You might check that out for your church if you do not have one.

God Bless.

Bible Study January 8, 2025

The New Heaven and the New Earth

21 “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

If these verses look familiar they are I used them yesterday. As I woke up this morning I was thinking about my mother and dad. They died in 1986 thirty days apart. They had both been sick and suffered from cancer. I see a number of reports and information on those suffering from cancer. Our parents were not unique, many families have faced cancer in the lives of a loved one.

As a pastor I usually do message series over a period of time and try to look at topics as deeply as I can. My next series beginning on January 19^th will focus on heaven. I mention this as I will be sharing about several thoughts on heaven and offering people a way to enter into heaven.

Today I remember hearing and maybe even said it “My mother (dad) is no longer in pain.” But then I asked myself “What about those who have passed the same thing has been said but what if their eternal home is not in heaven. Look at verse four above “no more pain.”

The pain of death on earth is nothing compared to the death in an eternal hell. So, what is my point in this? We need to spread the gospel message to as many as we can, as soon as we can. I will be meeting later today with a son and his dad concerning the Celebration of Life service for his mom and dad’s wife. I do not know yet of her spiritual condition I can only hope at this point that she was a believer and had put her faith and trust in God.

Last Saturday night we had a young lady speak who is involved with Circuit Riders and she explained a simple plan to share the Gospel with others. You might check out what Shiloh Allen said from the video on our Facebook page. It is simple, concise , and to the point. The point I am trying to make is a simple one – you may be the only contact, opportunity a person has to find a relationship with Jesus. Make the offer that is what we are called to do.

God Bless you in you efforts.

Bible Study January 7, 2025

The New Heaven and the New Earth

21 “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

I saw a video on the local news last evening that brought these verses to mind. The video was taken from a Ring camera that showed the view of the front porch and a rather large yard in front of the home. The video picked up the scene of a fox walking up onto the parch and walking the length then retreating back into the yard.

Will there be animals in heaven. I remember a movie named “All Dogs Go To Heaven.” I have not watched so I do not know anything about it. But it begs the question of animals in heaven. I have often thought what about our Chow named Mike, our two Shepherds Baron and Cheyenne or our Wheaten Terrier Molly. We have a pit mix also right now so the jury is out on her in my mind.

We know when God destroyed the world by flood that everything in it fell as a result of sin. Since the old heaven is passed away and the new is brought into existence will all things (all good things, there is no evil, sickness, disease, addictions, no hatred, you get the picture) we experienced in the old be into new?

What does scripture say about animals in heaven? A little research found this.

It is possible there will be dogs in heaven, but we have no definite statement in scripture that says “Yes” or “No.” However scripture reveals God creating animals and calling the good. I believe there will be horses in heaven as Revelation describes Jesus returning on a white horse. We read in chapter eleven of Isaiah  describing animals dwelling in peace.

C.S. Lewis, a renowned theologian said animals will go to heaven through their owners’ relationship with God. I’m not certain about that statement.

We do know God loves all things which would include animals. It is His desire to bring happiness to His people maybe they will be there.

Some believe we will see our favorite furry friend in heaven others say no because God does not give them ability to decide to accept Him. I leave with two thoughts:

1. We know the millions of aborted babies will be in heaven, the little ones who cannot decide will be in heaven, and
2. We simply do not know.

Something to think about on the snowy day in central Missouri.

God Bless.

Bible Study January 6, 2025

Ezekiel 36:22 – 27

I Will Put My Spirit Within You

22 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. 23 And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. 24 I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

God has promised a change of heart to the believer. Change is something we all deal with. Seasons change, our bodies change, new subdivisions are being built all around us. Change is inevitable in our world. This past couple of days we have seen significant snowfall. I believe in scooping my driveway we have removed about ten inches of snow and  this morning we were blessed with another four to five inches that was left us overnight. I mention this because as I was watching the weather report on Friday evening the meteorologist said at the conclusion of his forecast “this will change as we get more information.”

We have all the information from the scriptures that we need to live a righteous life. He has laid it out before us. It has not, will not change this we can rest assured of that the God of the universe is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.

How do we handle the change that comes into our lives? What steps can I take to better handle all the stuff that comes my way? There are some things we can do:

1. Accept the fact that change will occur. Nothing stays stagnant and if it did many people would be looking for something new (change.)
2. Accept the fact that there a just simply things we cannot change. If we could what would our changes make them better or worse?
3. If it stresses you out seek a friend who you can talk to in confidence and ask for their support.
4. Look for the good in the change maybe not everything is bad that brought about this situation.
5. Embrace it. You may not want to embrace but the adjustment will be much easier to accept.

God Blees, stay safe.

Bible Study January 3, 2025

John 3:16 – 19 (The Message)

16-18 “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him. 19-21 “This is the crisis we’re in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God.”

Almost everyone alive has heard these verses especially John 3:16 but today I chose to share The Message translation.

J. J. Watt is an American former professional football defensive end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons. Considered to be one of the greatest defensive linemen of all time,

During one of the bowl games on Thursday a commercial ran for his foundation and a compelling statement come from that commercial. As I remember it this is how it went. “It is not about how many people you knock down it is how many people do you lift up?” As you know J. J. Watt was named Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated in 2017.

I thought about the words of Jesus in the above passage. Jesus came to lift people up. His own words were “He came to help, to put the world right again.” (The Message). These words may be more familiar  “I did not come to condemn the world but to save it.” In other words He came to lift man out of the depths of sin he had gotten himself into because of disobedience.

How often do we follow those words of life? We see someone and what is our first thought? Why do they look like that? How in the world could they let that happen to them, to their families? The first thing that should come to our mind is WWJD. What Would Jesus Do in this situation, how would He go about lifting this person up? Definitely not condemn them.

I grew up in a church that was evangelical minded I appreciate that but they never seemed to consider maybe a person needs a meal before they trust what we have to say. How can I lift that one in need?

God Bless.

Bible Study January 2, 2025

Romans 8:18 – 26 (ESV)

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. 26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

The football junkie that I am found me sitting in front of the television yesterday watching college football. I like bowl season and it is the first day of the year when the junk food comes out.

As I was watching the game yesterday I saw one player with Romans 8:22 written on it and taped below his eyes for sun glare. I thought that seems as an odd verse why not 8:23 (did you just go back and read 8:22)?

I decided to look into this context of 8:22. Suffering no one likes it whether it is  hitting our thumb with a hammer or losing  a loved one albeit one is much worse that the other. Our present suffering, though small in the totality of eternity gives us a look at what God is doing. When man fell the complete creation fell. Verse 19 “For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.”

Man’s sin brought the world to where it is today and the decay we see such as sickness and disease. However as we look at verse twenty-two and twenty-three we share in the groaning and the anticipation of the redemption of our earthly bodies. While we suffer we suffer with hope. It might seem difficult now but our groaning is leading to life at a future point.

Hope is the joyful expectation of a future we are promised. Thankfully the Spirit intercedes for us in unspoken groanings.

God Bless.

Bible Study January 1, 2025

2 Corinthians 5:14 – 21

14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. 16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. “

Happy New Year. The “old has passed away the new has come.” Let us begin 2025 living in the newness of life.

Do you make New Year resolutions? I do not for several reasons. I will always remember my friend and former pastor Jeff Raker speak about the subject of resolutions. He would say the gyms were empty early in the year. Intentions are honest but results do not always come our way

Intentions may be good but fulfilling them is not easy. Why make a promise to yourself that you know you are going to break?

Here is what I do. I make decisions for the new year that are intentional. For 2025 I have made three such decisions not necessarily in order.

1. I am going to become more intentional on what I do. By that I mean I will act when I see a need. We have coin purses (for lack of a better term) that are available for our Christ Followers at Asbury Chapel to put money in and give to someone when the Holy Spriit prompts them. How intentional have we been in 2024 to do so? I know they are being used because the ones in the basket are dwindling.

2. To seek to live in greater grace. Be intentional about it. Look for additional opportunities to seek ways to care more. Since God has been merciful to me how can I show His grace to others? I must look for ways along with His guidance.

3. To act quicker. We have many people we can pray for as an example. We have prayer cards at church to fill out for someone needing prayer. I am now carrying them around with me. Why wait to pray – do it at that very moment. If we say we are going to pray for someone – do we or do we get busy and say I will pray later only to forget. Too often we think we need to spend so much time praying at one sitting and if we do not the Satan will condemn us for not doing it. Pray a one to two minute prayer at that time. Satan can only defeat when you open the door to allow him in.

May God richly bless you in this newness of life.

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