Bible Study December 9, 2023

Mark 4:39 – 41 (LSB)

“And He woke up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Silence! Be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. 40 And He said to them, “Why are you so cowardly? Do you still have no faith?” 41 And they became very afraid and were saying to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

Words carry a great deal of power. James talks about the power of the tongue and what damage it can do. One has said you cannot praise God and curse your enemy in the same breath.

When you think of a word that is important to you what is it? I read a small book by Kenneth Hagin titled “Words.” He says, “Children are a product of words.” Word scan heal or make us sick; words can bless or curse.

I think of the word “Faith” as a word that can help us all. We all claim to have faith at least faith in something. Hopefully it is faith in God. Often though faith is directed at a particular something rather than a particular God. A football player has faith in his teammates, a pastor has faith in the congregation he serves, a couple have faith in each other, Faith can be applied to many areas of our lives.

Jesus must have had faith that the wind would be calm or He would never have spoken the word of faith. What would or lives look like and the results that people would experience if we just spoke the word because we had faith. We would see because we believed not believe because we saw.

Where is your faith placed in God or something? If a thing confess it to God.

God Bless.

Bible Study December 8, 2023

Matthew 19:26 (LSB)

“And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

How often have you or someone you know needed something and rather than pray about it go about finding the solution on our own. I confess I have way too many times. I am working on getting better.

I would never have imagined when I lost my son Matt that a door would open for me. I thought at that time every door I came upon was a closed one. But it provided me several things.

One thing I found out is who I was and what I was made of. We think we’re pretty cool and life is going on things are looking good and boom it hits you. It could the loss of a job, a financial setback, a death as I experienced maybe a divorce. Any number of things come upon us and often we are unprepared for the outcome, I know I was.

I had been a giver in my life. More times than not we give stuff away whether it is money, furniture or almost anything we have is available. We never sell anything to a relative.

 Second thing I found out about myself was a sense of care I did not realize was there. I had spent years in the business getting results and being rewarded for results. In the world of business you need to treat everyone equally. I tried to treat them as equals. 

The loss of my son gave me new insight into grief on the most personal level one can experience. It brought tragedy and radically changed me. I came out a better person for it. What seemed impossible God made it possible.

What is your platform to help others?

God Bless.

Bible Study December 7, 2023

Matthew 25:44 – 45 (LSB)

“Then they themselves also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.”

We are in the Christmas season 2023 and this verse reminds me of several things. One, the obvious is that we should help others out. Many people have the means and ability to care for themselves, they are fine. Some people choose to live off of others. But there are those who truly need help. I believe these are the ones Jesus was talking about.

When we lived in Ohio I knew of two families where their children had been addicted to illegal drugs. Both were in jail for their wrongdoing. I had the opportunity to visit both young men. They both subsequently completed their programs and one has went on the stay clean and have a beautiful family. He hit rock bottom and his family was there for him. I am thankful I had a little part in helping him.

The second young man did not fare so well upon his release. He ended back up on drugs and unfortunately lost his life at twenty-five years of age. Both of the men needed someone to give them a drink, clothing, an encouraging word.

We cannot always impact the outcome but we can do what we are led to do to help others along their path, but our path must be clear first. I wish both of these would have turned out the same but they did not.

As we celebrate the Advent season be the rainbow at the end of someone’s rain.

God Bless.

Bible Study December 6, 2023

Ephesians 5:15 – 18 (LSB)

“Therefore look carefully how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 On account of this, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,”

Have you ever done something that haunts you and you cannot get it out of your mind? I wish I could forget them but they keep coming back to mind.. Maybe it is reminder not to do them again. If that is the case then I am okay with it.

It make me think about not doing it again. I hope I have learned from my mistakes as I go forward in life. We should make the best of every opportunity even if we do not think it could be. One of the things that comes to mind is what Paul is talking here about being wise and particularly here in the use of wine or alcohol.

Everyone must decide for themselves how they will handle an alcoholic drink. One thing I will say is that it can easily lead to a dependency on it. However, that is the case with anything that can become addictive to us. Caution on the side of being wise.

Addictions of any kind are harmful. Be careful who you associate with make certain they will build you up. You do not want to have all Christian friends if you do who will share the gospel with them? But make certain they do not drag you down before you have an opportunity to impact their lives.

If you drink alcohol do it in moderation do not get drunk.

God Bless.

Bible Study December 5, 2023

Proverbs 18:13 (NASB)

“One who gives an answer before he hears, It is foolishness and shame to him.”

I am the first admit I do not know everything in fact I am fortunate enough to learn new things almost daily, thankfully. When we lived in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma I hired a man to work for us. He had been there a couple of weeks, new to the business, and said to me “too much knowledge is dangerous.” My response was as I called him by his name “as is too little.”

It seems insecurity comes as a defense mechanism for those who seem to be masking their fear behind a façade of knowledge. I have to come the place realizing I do not know everything, then simply admit it and tell someone I will check it out and get back to them. I get a lot of questions about things from the scriptures that I do not have the answer.

The flipside of “knowing too much” is the ability to ask a question of someone who can help you understand the question, provide some dialogue, and open up good lines of discussion. Oftentimes we all need someone in our lives that provide wisdom, insight, and the suggestion to us to not send the email but let it simmer overnight. I am thankful for those in my life that do that for me, many may not even know they are helping.

Then when we are asked a question or to provide some insight ask the question behind the question such as what prompts that question, what is it you are looking for exactly?

There is nothing wrong with “I do not know but I will find out.”

God Bless.

Bible Study December 4, 2023

Romans 8:38 – 39 (NASB)

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

There can be nothing better than anyone can experience than the love of Jesus Christ and the care He has for us. We see and hear of people around the world some suffering in their life and know that in the situation they are in God loves them. No greater love has a man than He lay down his life for another.

We are partnering with Bridge of Hope this Christmas season to help provide some basic essentials for people who have little or nothing. This Sunday we will light the second Advent candle for “Hope.” What we want to do is in any way possible help others find hope.

As we live in the Advent season let all seek God. I know there are times we get busy but we should never forget that God is working behind the scenes in our lives to care for us. We should extend that same love to others not only at this time of the year but year-round.

As we look at these verses let us in all ways love one another as Christ has loved us. After all nothing can separate us from the love of God let us love equally by our caring and giving.

God is there holding us, loving us, and watching over us.

God Bless.

Bible Study December 1, 2023

John 4:4 – 7; 9 – 10 (NASB)

“4 And He had to pass through Samaria. 5 So He *came to a city of Samaria called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph; 6 and Jacob’s well was there. So Jesus, being wearied from His journey, was sitting thus by the well. It was about [a]the sixth hour.  7 There *came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus *said to her, “Give Me a drink.

9 Therefore the Samaritan woman *said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

Racial issues have faced society from the beginning of time. Christians should believe it is time to end it. That is the example we have with Jesus and the meeting with the woman from Samaria at well in Sychar. There was conflict with the Samaritans. However rather than avoiding Samaria Jesus traveled to Galilee and took an alternate route and went through Samaria. He did those things – divinely.

Jesus meets the Samaritan woman in any other Jews eyes she was a downcast, married multiple times and living in an unmarried state a sixth time. But she meets the Man from Galilee who changes her life and her focus. She now can lift her head high and walk with dignity she has encountered not only forgiveness but the One who forgives.

Jesus a man … a Jew … in broad daylight … in a public place .. talking to a woman .. a Samaritan woman .. with a bad reputation. An ordinary Jew would have walked away but there was nothing ordinary about Jesus.

What barriers can we break down?

God Bless.

Bible Study November 30, 2023

Luke 10:40 – 42 (Modern English Version)

“But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she came to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Then tell her to help me.”

41 Jesus answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed. And Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken from her.”

How often do we miss the obvious for that not so obvious? Mary had it right, Martha was missing the point. Jesus was there give Him all your attention. Her desire was good but her actions were wrong. What Jesus wanted was for her to put aside her cares and learn from Him. We all get our priorities wrong at times.

Jesus said Mary had discovered what was important that Martha needed to find what Mary had found. He was confirming Mary’s desire to become His disciple. This was not normal for a woman to become a disciple in that day it was left to men.

We do not know from what Luke left us with that Jesus continued to say and teach. Neither does it include what was said to Martha but later she confesses that she is one who has always believed.

As we read this story who do we most identify with? Mary who sought time with Jesus or Martha who was busy about other things. I will confess I find myself in both situations at different times I need to follow the example of Mary more.

Are we to busy today?
God Bless.