Bible Study September 2, 2023

John 11:32-35 (ESV)

“32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept.”

Four days after Lazarus’ death Jesus comes to town. Martha is distraught their brother has died and Jesus was late – or so she thought. She is upset the same Martha who is always in control, the same Martha that was always on duty doing something. In her confused look she may have thought He didn’t care or He would have been here earlier.

Jesus always considered these three to be His friends so why did He let a friend die? He was not there when they needed Him most or was He?

Then Jesus wept. He had lost a friend His humanity was showing yet His divinity was showing in that He wept for the lost who didn’t realize He was the Messiah. No matter how much they see Him or how much we hear of Him people still do not accept Him of His resurrection, The story of Lazurus is an intriguing one it begins with those who believe in Jesus will never die and ends with Jesus always being with us,

We will die once but we only need to die that one-time Jesus is calling us to follow Him and live eternally.

God Bless,

ible Study August 31, 2023
John 5:6-9 (ESV)

“6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” 7 The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” 9 And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.”

There is something incredible here – Jesus heals another person from a physical illness. But there is even something deeper here. When the man could not get into the water on his own he made an excuse “there is no one to put me in the pool.”

There were springs under the pool and many believed that angels stirred the water and when the waters moved the first person into the pool would be healed because the water had powers to heal people.
Jesus saw one man lying by a pool the size of a football field. Thirty-eight years the scripture tells us he was an invalid. Yet Jesus finds him among the hundreds of people there.

The man may have given up since the answer he gave Jesus when asked the question – “do you want to be healed? He was confronted no more excuses he was facing the greatest healer the world had known. When Jesus asked him if he wanted to be healed he made an excuse. He could have just as easily said “I want to be healed.”

No excuses, no explanations when Jesus is moving the answer without hesitation is a resounding “Yes.”

Let’s live excuse free lives before the Lord, our family and friends.

God Bless.

ible Study August 30, 2023

Proverbs 24:14 (ESV)

“14 Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off.”

Who should you seek wisdom from? For most Christ Followers their answer would be God by His voice or His written Word. Then the second answer would be from our families we would think. But many people ask and seek advice from outsiders. Who knows us better than God or our families yet people do seek the advice of people in many cases they do not know all that well.

I miss my mother who used to give me advice whether I wanted it or not. My college degree is in Theology. After graduation I was struggling with the decision to go into ministry at the time I was a manager with a large drugstore chain and managing a drugstore in a hotel in Kansas City. I made the decision to accept a pastorate in Illinois my mothers first words were “Why would you leave that good job you have?” It was a great question.

After pastoring for two and one half years I was asked to leave that denomination because of a doctrinal disagreement with the denomination. Once again she asked the same question. “Why would you leave that good job you have?” That was a sample of the advice she gave me however to all the moms reading this it didn’t stop there she always had advice and I miss it today thirty-seven years after her death.

I was thankful for what she said to me but we must be careful who we listen to. God’s wisdom can always be trusted just wait on it do not jump ahead or seek advice from someone whom you do not know.

God Bless.

Bible Study August 29, 2023

Galatians 1:15 (ESV)

“15 But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace.”

When growing up did you think you’d like to be like “that’ person? I think most of would have thought that maybe not for long but it probably passed by our minds of being someone famous or more talented than we are. I enjoy all kinds of music but recently I have seen and listened to a great number of songs by the Gee Gees. I have always been fascinated by their voices. They brought a unique sound to music. They did it their way.

That was a key to their success they did not stray from their talent to the possible wishes of managers and the like. As much as I liked their music I knew early on I did not have that type of talent to sing like they do. In fact, any limited ability to sing I had went to someone else.

Each of us was created for a reason. We may have messed up some things, gone astray for a period of time but our future is still ahead of us no matter what our age is. We have a purpose and the call to fulfill that purpose. God will not allow us to go home until that purpose is fulfilled in your life. He knew what He was doing in every life.

We meet people and build relationships based on who we really are it should not be on what or who others want us to be. Be authentic, be yourself. Genuine relationships are built on being real.

Be original be yourself. God knew what He was doing when He made you the person He made you.

God Bless.

Bible Study August 28, 2023

Joshua 24:15 (ESV)”
“15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

We all make priorities in our lives but sometimes there comes a time when we do not or cannot live them out. Things get in our way of following what we have set out.

As I said yesterday we are sailing along life is good our jobs are going well, things in our life are going great, church is doing well I am growing in wisdom and knowledge of the Word. Satan comes along and interferes with what God has planned for us. Truth is when we have money we are very comfortable.

Then Satan comes along and the job is gone, you do not know where to turn. Your retirement account takes a hit I experienced that in 2001 when the twin towers went down with some investments. You may have had that happen also. We look for a job but they are few for what I am qualified for. A family situation arises and we make the choices that have long-term implications. When trouble comes how do we see “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

What happens then, who or what is first in our lives? Do we change our priorities?

Oftentimes we see this scenario and look to Job but what Joshua. He succeeded Moses upon the death of Moses and led the Israelites into the promised land after a long journey. People grumbled, temptations were around them, they did not have the luxuries they may have anticipated when they arrived in the Promised Land – but they were there.

Joshua continued to assure them God would provide and provide He did. Joshua was a man of faith never giving up, staying in faith. Joshua challenge them with these words and they responded with “We will serve the Lord”

Each day we decide who we will serve will it be God or someone or something else?

God Bless.