Bible

Bible For $100 

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Job 39:1
“Do you know the time when the wild mountain goats bear young? Or can you mark when the deer gives birth?”

Job was confused. He did not understand how God could allow so much suffering in his life. When God finally speaks to Job, He asks a simple question, “How long is the pregnancy of a deer or a goat?” These are not difficult questions. They could easily be answered by observing nature. Yet, it seems Job did not have the answer. To be quite honest, I didn’t know either, and had too look it up. Why would God ask him that question? What does the birth cycle of wild animals have to do with the trials Job was facing? I think the answer is found in a question Jesus asked Nicodemus.

John 3:12 “If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?”

Job had to realize, life is filled with concepts we do not understand. Just because our finite minds cannot comprehend something, does not make it untrue or unfair. If Job was able to look at life through God’s eyes, he would find answers to many of the questions which plagued him. Certainly, there are some things we will not understand until we step out of time and into eternity. However, many questions can be answered if we look at life through the eyes of God. We do that by looking into the pages of the Bible, seeing who God is, and how He works.

Years ago as I was watching “Jeopardy”, a contestant answered question after question correctly. I was amazed at his knowledge of history, science, music and more. But when it came to a question from the Bible, he was at a loss. The question could have been answered by most of the children in our third grade Sunday School class, but he was stumped; he had no idea what the correct answer was. Too often, we are like that man. We are confused because we fail to take time to get to know God, as He has revealed Himself in His Word.

Whatever you might be facing, take time today to read your Bible, and get to know the Author. If you are new to the Bible start reading the Gospel according to John.

Pastor Jim

 

Weapons 

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2 Corinthians 10:3
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.”

The word ‘walk’ is a common idiom in the New Testament used to illustrate the way we live. Paul is reminding us that whether we are believers or not, we live in the natural world. Believer and unbeliever alike, breathe the same air, eat the same food, and need the same rest. Having said that, Paul goes on to remind us that, although we live in the natural world, we fight a spiritual battle. He does not use the word WAR, as a hook for his sermon, instead he is describing the everyday life of the Christian. From the moment we rise each and every day, we are in the midst of spiritual battle. One of the factors making this battle so difficult, is that it takes place on two fronts. We all battle against our own flesh. We must fight to resist temptation, overcome sin, and live as godly ambassadors of Christ. At the same time, we are battling to see our friends, family, neighbors co-workers, and acquaintances come to Christ. These battles are not won by natural means, but with spiritual weapons.

2 Corinthians 10:4 “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds . . .”

Often, when we are stirred to share Christ with others, we immediately think we are not a good communicator, don’t have all the answers, or that we are too shy. While all those things may be true, Paul reminds us that the weapons useful in seeing others won to Christ, are not natural, but spiritual. That means our weaknesses do not weaken the message, or limit God’s ability to use us. Paul refers to three affects our spiritual weapons will have on those who have yet to surrender to Christ. First, he states they are mighty to “pull down strongholds.” A person who has not responded to Christ, is in bondage to sin. That sin is like a chain or a prison cell keeping them from Christ. The sin might be substance abuse, partying, fear of man, wanting to fit in, sexual misconduct, pride, or a series of other sins. Whatever sin it may be, we have been equipped with weapons to break down those strongholds and set the prisoner free.

Second, Paul instructs us, our weapons will “cast down arguments.” Upon hearing the Gospel message, many immediately respond with arguments against surrender to Christ. Some of those arguments are based on what they have been taught about science, religion and philosophy. Others, based on personal experiences, that cast doubt on the promises of God. While still others, are based on a misunderstanding of Christ and Christianity. Whatever the source of the argument that exalts itself above the Word of God, we have weapons that cast down those arguments, so they can honestly consider Christ.

Finally, Paul speaks of our weapons “bringing every thought into the captivity of Christ.” I cannot speak to every case, but I know before coming to Christ, I spent a lot of energy thinking, but none of that energy was spent thinking about eternity. My thoughts were consumed with what I was going to do that day to enjoy life. It was only after hearing the Gospel, that my thoughts were captivated by Christ. Suddenly, I began to consider things that I had never thought of before. Will I go to heaven? Am I living right in God’s eyes? For what purpose was I created, and am I living out that purpose? The Christian has been equipped with weapons that will captivate the thinking of the lost.

Paul does not go on to list those weapons here, but when we travel to Ephesians 6, we learn the weapons he is describing are the Word of God and prayer. If we want to see others set free from sin and open to the Gospel of God, we need to pray for them and share with them. Take time today to pray for those in your life who do not know Christ, or are backslidden. Then step out and invite them to come to church with you.

Pastor Jim

 

His Thundering Voice

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Job 37:5
“God thunders marvelously with His voice; He does great things which we cannot comprehend.”

Job is in the midst of a very confusing period in his life. He has been struggling to determine what God is doing, and why he is facing these particular struggles. Elihu reminds him that God’s voice is like thunder. Living in South Florida we know the sound of thunder. There are times when the thunder is so loud, the walls of the house actually shake. Elihu is saying the voice of God is so loud and pronounced it is impossible to miss.

The Psalmist put it this way,

Psalms 29:3 “The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders…”

Years later, Scripture records an incident in the life of Elijah, who was facing some pretty intense trials of his own. The queen had vowed to use all the available resources to hunt him down, and have him killed. Because of the reality of this threat, Elijah fled to the wilderness and hid in a cave. In the seclusion of his mountain get-away, Elijah learned the voice of God is often like a quiet whisper in the heart (1 Kings 19:1-12).

So which is it? Is God’s voice like roaring thunder, or is it like a quiet whisper? The answer is both. God shouts His will from the pages of His Word. We don’t have to question if we should avoid sin, love others, share Christ with the lost, worship God, speak kindly, show compassion, take the low place, forgive others, honor the godly or look for ways to serve in our local church. Those things are declared with the thundering voice of God, in the pages of His Word. On the other hand, when we are trying to determine specifics for our lives, like who to marry, where to move, what to major in, or what job to take, the voice of God is more like a whisper. Instead of being frustrated when God chooses to speak in a still small voice, we should realize His purpose in doing so is to draw us close to Himself.

Luke 10:42 “But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

While Martha was busy running around serving, her sister Mary sat quietly at the feet of Jesus, listening to His Word. When questioned, Jesus explained that sitting at His feet listening to His Word was more important than serving Him. There are things we will never learn if we do not make it our practice to sit quietly with the Lord and read our Bibles. Some make the mistake of never getting alone with the Lord, while others make the mistake of getting alone without getting into the Word. If you want to hear God whisper, make it your daily practice to spend time in His Word.

Pastor Jim

 

Giving 

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2 Corinthians 9:7
“So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.”

As Paul was writing this letter, conditions in Jerusalem were very difficult. Persecution, famine, and perhaps a bit of mismanagement, had left the church in Jerusalem financially destitute. In order to help those in need, Paul assisted in organizing a financial gift from the gentile churches. This passage lays out the guidelines for the giving and receiving of that gift. The principles Paul presents should help to govern our giving, which we often refer to giving as tithing. The word “tithe” means tenth and refers to the Old Testament Law where the children of Israel were required to give a tenth back to the Lord. The New Testament, while not requiring a tenth, does clearly teach the need to “give back” to the Lord.

“So let each one give as he purposes in his heart . . .”

Notice Paul writes, “each one give”. Regardless of our financial condition, we all must consider that God wants us to trust Him; part of that trust is to give from what He has provided for us. He adds, we should each give as we purpose in our own hearts. Rather than giving being a requirement of the law, Paul wants us to see it as an act of worship. Each Christian should sit down before the Lord, lay out his finances and determine what part will be given back. That can often be very difficult. For some, we fear giving because we are not sure how we will manage our budget if we give some of our income away. For others, it is complicated by the fact that we have been so touched by Jesus, we want to give it all away. We may even feel guilty about the portion we keep for ourselves. To help us in our decision, Paul gives a serious of principles that should govern our giving.

“. . . not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.”

If, when you give, you do it bitterly, then the best thing to do is go back to sitting before the Lord and determining why you are unwilling to give back to Him. Our giving should be joyous, as we celebrate all that God has done for us.

“He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” 2 Corinthians 9:6

Paul compares giving to planting. At the end of the season, the farmer does not want to have a pocket full of seeds, but a basket full of fruit. When we determine what to give, we must consider that great spiritual benefits are derived when we give back to the Lord. In the previous chapter, Paul gives a few more principles. He writes,

“For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.” 2 Corinthians 8:12

While it is important that we trust the Lord and give in faith, believing He is able to meet our needs with less than 100% of our income, Paul warns us not to give what we do not have. If you don’t have the money to give, it would be foolish to give on credit. The value of giving is not in the amount, as much as it is in the willingness to trust the Lord. Perhaps we need to reevaluate the way we are spending, if we have nothing left to give.

“And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God.” 2 Corinthians 8:5

Finally, those who gave to the church, first gave themselves to the Lord. When we give, we are giving to the Lord. We are trusting He will take the little we offer, and use it in a big way to accomplish His purposes. One of the great things about the church is, we are part of a much larger body. When I was in High School, I rarely had much cash.. I can remember going with friends to get pizza. We all pitched in and we all ate till we were full, but we did not all pitch in the same amount. I think I threw down fifty cents. Giving is a little like that. I take from what the Lord has provided for me, and give it back to Him; you do the same, and the Lord accomplishes His purposes with it. Perhaps today would be a good time to sit before the Lord, reevaluate your finances, and determine what He would have you give.

Pastor Jim

 

God Is Great

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Job 36:26
“Behold, God is great, and we do not know Him; nor can the number of His years be discovered.”

God has gone to great lengths to ensure He is knowable by man. He gave us His written Word, took on the form of human flesh, and shines as a light through the lives of His followers. He has revealed Himself to be a loving Father, who is accessible through Christ, and who comes to the aid of His children. Sometimes, because of the intimacy of our relationship with God, we can lose sight of what some have referred to as, “the other worldliness of God.” While it is important to get to know Him through the pages of His Word, it is also important to realize, there are facets of His character that cannot be known.

Romans 11:33 “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!”

One of the most valuable aspects of our walk with the Lord, is when we come to the realization, there are things about God beyond our discovery. This should not make us careless expositors, or lazy worshippers. It should instead, put a deep desire in us to worship the One who is past finding out.

Isaiah 55:9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.”

Too often we reduce God to something we can understand. The result, we are confused and frightened in our times of trial. We wonder at a love which allows us to go through such difficulty; because we do not realize His love is other worldly. There is simply nothing like it on the earthly plane. We question His mercy, grace, and kindness; all because we think we would not behave that way if we were God. It is important to keep in mind, there are characteristics about God beyond our understanding. This is in no way a cop-out, or an attempt to gloss over the difficult questions of life. It is a simple reality, and when properly grasped, will bring us to the place of being able to worship and witness in our times of trial and tragedy.

Let’s be sure to be the kind of worshippers who will adore the Lord for what we understand, and even what we don’t.

Pastor Jim

 

Full Of Grace 

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2 Corinthians 8:9
“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.”

Grace is a beautiful word. We use it today to speak of the beauty of motion. We might refer to the “grace” of a gymnast or a figure skater. The word used in the Bible speaks of the giving nature of God. Webster defines it as, “the free unmerited love and favor of God, the spring and source of all the benefits men receive from Him.” In other words, grace is the character trait of God that causes Him to want to give what is best to men. This grace is immeasurable. Paul wrote to the Ephesians regarding the giving nature of God,

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. . . “ Ephesians 1:7

“. . . that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:7

Notice, he spoke of the riches of grace, and of the exceeding riches of grace. Riches refer to having a great amount. The term exceeding, means too much, or an over abundance. We could say, God has too much grace. So much, He cannot help but pour it out on those who belong to Him.

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.”

While His grace is more than we could ever completely fathom, it is also something we can measure and experience. It is measured at the cross. It was on the cross, ‘the exceeding riches of His grace” was poured out; Jesus used the simple phrase “He gave His only Son.” Because of the gift of Christ, the grace of God should never be questioned. Instead, it should be scrutinized. We should take our experiences, and measure them in light of the cross of Christ. While I will not even pretend to understand why each of us experiences the particular trial we are facing, I will take my trial and look at it through the eyes of grace, or the shadow of the cross. At the place where Jesus laid down the riches of His glory, in order to pave a way for me to come to God.

His grace is not only measured at the cross, but can also be experienced daily by the believer. Paul wrote, “for you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ…” This grace was something they were experiencing; because He became poor, they were becoming rich. Now, it is important we understand the language that Paul is using. He is not stating that following Jesus is the path to financial success or great earthly wealth. This is not a get rich quick scheme where, if you follow Jesus and are a faithful tither, you will end up the richest guy on the block. Paul is referring to the wealth of spiritual blessings that belong to the child of God. Earlier in the chapter, he spoke of the Macedonians who, though they were very poor, they were big givers and filled with great joy. As you daily walk with Jesus, you will experience the abundance of His grace flowing out to minister to you, regardless of the difficulty you are facing. If you are questioning His grace, go back to the cross and measure it. Reflect on how God gave His Son.

Pastor Jim

 

Mr. Fix It

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Job 34:16
“If you have understanding, hear this; listen to the sound of my words.”

Elihu was a young man considering the discussion between Job and his three friends. He listened meticulously to the arguments, and seemed to accurately sum up the problem. Job, while not the man his friends were painting him to be, was guilty of charging God with iniquity. Elihu points out, God is not guilty of unrighteousness for the way He treats man. God’s goal is to awaken men to their need of a Savior. If a temporal affliction will awaken us to our eternal needs, God is certainly justified in His actions. Much of what Elihu shares is both Biblical and true, the problem is, it lacks any semblance of compassion.

Ephesians 4:15 “. . .but, speaking the truth in love. . . ”

Colossians 4:6 “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.”

It is common to be judgmental over another’s failures, then to elevate ourselves above them. When this happens, we tend to lose compassion. This is particularly true when someone struggles with a sin that doesn’t trouble us, or which we have had victory over. Looking down on others causes us to be unsympathetic. The first words a wounded soldier hears should not be an accounting of what he did wrong, but rather, you are there to help him up. Once his wounds are attended to, we can instruct him on the way to avoid getting shot again. Paul gives us direction on how to minister to those who are struggling,

Galatians 6:1 “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.”

Step one: be spiritual. If we are going to offer any aid to others, we must be sure we are abiding in Christ. In Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, the best thing Christian did for his family was to go hard after the Lord.

Step two: we need to recognize the need in others. This requires that we keep our eyes open, come along side the wounded Christian, and help get him back on track.

Step three: we need to be compassionate. Paul uses the word gentle. We need to be gentle with things that are fragile. When Christians have stumbled, they are delicate. It is possible they may return to effectively walking with the Lord. We want to do all we can to help them get up, and keep on going.

Step four: consider yourself. There are some areas of sin to which we are personally prone. We cannot allow ourselves to be drawn down that path. If going after another will put you in a situation which guarantees personal failure, you need to protect yourself. Perhaps a good solution is to follow the pattern of Jesus, who sent His disciples out in pairs. Before going after the fallen, grab a Christian friend, pray, and head out in gentleness.

Pastor Jim

 

Ransom 

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Job 33:24
“Then He is gracious to him, and says, ‘Deliver him from going down to the Pit; I have found a ransom’. . .”

Jesus explained to the religious leaders, that while they searched the Scriptures thinking they would find life, in reality, the Scriptures testify of Jesus. In other words, we should be able to see Jesus throughout the Bible. Sometimes, He is subtly behind the scenes, other times, He is front and center, and cannot be missed. Here, in the testimony of Elihu, we see a wonderful prediction of the work of Christ. Elihu points out, the real problem with mankind is that we are sinners and as such, are under a curse, and headed for what he calls the pit. The solution presented by this young man is that God Himself will provide a ransom for fallen men.

As the pages of Scripture continue to unfold, it will be very clear that the ransom of which he spoke, is nothing short of God sending His own Son. Jesus declared that his reason for coming was to seek and save lost men by becoming a ransom for them. It was on the cross where Jesus paid the debt we owed God, with His own life. He paid a debt that He did not owe, so that we could have a future we did not deserve.

This ransom is sufficient enough to provide atonement for all mankind. There is no person who will come to Christ and be rejected. The New Testament records the testimonies of religious men and common men, as well as murders, prostitutes and idol worshippers, all coming to Christ, being received, forgiven, transformed and sent forth as messengers to the world, telling  of the wonderful work of Christ. What a joy to know that God has paid our ransom. The debt of sin has been settled, and all mankind can now come to trust in Christ and be forgiven.

This is the message given to the church to declare in the world. Take a few minutes to pray for an opportunity today to tell someone about the grace and love of God, who has paid their debt so they can be forgiven.

Pastor Jim

 

 

So Sad 

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2 Corinthians 7:10
“For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.”

Unfortunately, sadness is a common feeling. We have experienced it in all its varying levels and intervals. We have had little things happen that caused us to frown and go quiet, and we have had deeper experiences that gripped us with sorrow and caused us to weep or even wail. Paul is speaking here, not of the sorrow that comes from your favorite team losing a game, or even losing someone you love, he is speaking of the sorrow that comes upon a person when they realize they have sinned against God. The Psalmist wrote of a time when he was overcome with that kind of sadness;

Psalms 6:6 “I am weary with my groaning; all night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with my tears.”

Often, when a person’s sin is exposed publicly or privately, they will show signs of great sorrow. It is not uncommon for people to come to the altar with tears streaming down their faces and confess they have fallen once again into an easily besetting sin. Like the Psalmist, they are certainly remorseful for what they have done, and are looking for a way of escape. Paul warns that although sin will often produce sorrow, not all sorrow will produce a change in behavior.

“For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation…”

The true evidence that a person is remorseful for the sin they have committed, is not the tears that are produced, but the change of behavior that follows. Paul uses the word “repentance;” a word that carries the idea of turning, and involves a turning from sin to God. Too often, we are satisfied with tears, thinking that is enough to show that we are truly sorry for the wrong we have committed.

“What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication!” 2 Corinthians 7:11

Paul is describing what godly sorrow will produce. “Clearing of yourself” refers to the removal of the guilt and shame, that comes with sin and failure. It is not the byproduct of a good cry, but of a change of actions, that will clean our conscience. He speaks of the need to apply diligence to your walk with the Lord. This is often seen in building walls that will keep you from going back into sin again. “Indignation” is a word that speaks of intense anger. The person who is sorrowful over sin, is a person who is angry at sin. It has been my experience, we avoid people at whom we are angry; the same will be true of sin. “Fear” is often looked at as a negative feeling, and certainly there are things we are afraid of that are irrational and silly; however, sin is not one of them. The person who wants to succeed in walking with Jesus, must have a healthy fear of sin and it’s effects upon our lives. As long as you think you are immune to sin’s tempting hooks, you will not avoid it, and you’ll find you continue to fall.

Finally, Paul speaks of “zeal” and “vindication”. True turning from sin will create in us a new intensity to follow Jesus. Sadly, I often see people come forward weeping over their sins, only to see them for the last time. Instead of determining they will press on in their walk with God, they go out the doors of the church, right back into the lifestyle that led to failure. If we want the vindication, the victory, the freedom to overcome our constant failures, we must determine to increase the intensity we pour into our relationship with Jesus.

Pastor Jim

 

Self-Righteous

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Job 32:1-2
“So these three men ceased answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. Then the wrath of Elihu, was aroused against Job because he justified himself rather than God.”

In the previous chapter, Job made a list of all the good things he had done. He speaks of being a good husband, caring for his employees, giving to charity, being a religious man and avoiding evil actions. These are all notable qualities and should be a part of our lives, but not one of them is capable of making us righteous or justified before God. Job made the mistake of thinking he could earn his way to heaven. He assumed his good works would outweigh the bad things he had done. CS Lewis sought to express the problem with self-righteousness in his book “The Great Divorce.” He speaks of a man who refuses to enter heaven. He thinks he is above those who have gone in through the doorway of grace. In response Paul would declare,

Romans 3:20 “Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”

We can never be made righteous by our own actions. All the good we do, while valuable for relationships and betterment of society, lacks the ability to wash sin from the heart of man. If we want to be made right with God, we must confess our sin and receive the pardon that comes through Christ.

Pastor Jim