The days are dark, the time of the devil;
But the Light will break, the Lord descend,
The blessed truth will blind the unrighteous
And lead the saints to live with God —
Oh, come, Lord Jesus — call us home —
We groan in spirit, the grim existence
On earth is not for us, your people!
Your strength sustain our way, O God —
Your mercy be ours for many days.
God Sees Our Hearts
Hebrews 4:12-13 (NIV)
“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”
God sees our hearts. I have heard that phrase uttered to discount deliberate deviation from God’s Word. But most often it is used as an excuse to not try to do His will.
Some people cannot walk into a house without straightening a picture they see crooked on the wall. The homeowner doesn’t shrug and say it was the thought that counted or mutter that he had a level but was too lazy to use it. God sees in what ways our lives are crooked and doesn’t accept our fumbled excuses. Rather, He tells us to “be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” Matthew 5:48.
But there’s grace, we cry out! Sure there is, but we cannot be like the Roman Christians who thought they could keep on sinning so that grace might increase (Romans 6:1). His grace, freely given and possible through the death of God’s Son on the cross, cannot be our excuse to sin.
True worshipers, Jesus tells us, worship in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). This means that our Christianity cannot just become a checklist and be pleasing to God. Neither, though, can it be just whatever feels good and right. Emotion and experience, in our assemblies or our personal lives, do more to please ourselves than they do God.
In my toolbox I have a plumb line that my dad gave me when I left home. In a world of transits and laser levels, we’ve forgotten how our grandfathers used to build things square. God had the prophet Amos tell His people of the Old Testament before the Assyrians swept through that He was going to set a plumb line among them and spare them no longer. They had the Law to tell them how to live to please Him. “God sees our hearts” was not good enough.
And so we have the plumb line of the Word of God that judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. We may deceive ourselves with our motives and excuses, but nothing is hidden from God. To Him, our heart is laid bare. He knows if we are true worshipers, worshipping Him in spirit and in truth.
We must correct our lives in accordance with the plumb line of His Word because it is true, what we say—God sees our hearts.
[This article will also appear in the next issue of Christ For Today, David Tarbet editor.]
We Rely on You
2 Chronicles 14.11 (VOTD)
O Lord, only you can help the weak,
Outnumbered by the enemy’s powerful force —
Come help us! For we rely on you, we seek
Your strength. In Christ we follow this course
Of life, this field of battle. In faith we speak.
O Lord, we know you as our living source.
Bible.02: Living & Active
“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” Hebrews 4:12. In a popular movie, The Monster Book of Monsters would try to take a bite from a person if not strapped shut. This is not what is meant when the Word of God is described as ‘living and active,’ but rather it’s the difference between a doll and a baby. A mother lets a toddler drag the doll by the foot down the stairs, but is adamant that she treat her newborn brother with great care when gently laying him in her arms. So is the Bible unique and amazing, having only the appearance of a book with its cover and dead pages. Its inspiration of God is its breath of life. More than just an instruction manual for the human existence, God’s word is something we can treasure, study, and live out in our hearts and minds. As a living seed, once planted there, it grows within us and overflows into the life we live out as Christians. And, not only good for life, it is also accurate about life in every way, and through God’s Spirit guides us into all truth as it is itself ‘truth.’ Do you live out God’s Word?
The Bible is an amazing book.
I. Luke 8:11-15. Like a seed, the Bible is living and active, but we must be good soil for it to grow within us. Jesus is the Word (John 1:1-14). We are baptized into Him (Galatians 3:26-27), but He also dwells in our hearts by faith (Ephesians 3:16-17).
II. 2 Timothy 3:16-17. The Bible is inspired by God. Not of human origin to fail (Acts 5:38-39), it has withstood the test of time because men were carried along by the Holy Spirit to write it (2 Peter 1:20-21).
III. John 17:17. As it is truth, we would expect the Bible to be accurate. Though it is not primarily a history or science textbook, unlike myths, it is accurate in details pertaining to history or science. No “once upon a time in a land long ago” type of language in it, real people and places are described in the Bible (Luke 2:1-4). Long before any scientists could have such knowledge, the Bible describes the earth being round (Isaiah 40:22), the paths of the sea (Psalm 8:8), and dinosaurs (Job 40:15-24)!
Even if the Bible could somehow be discounted, it still leaves us with the greatest moral and ethical code the world has ever known (John 15:12-14). It truly is an amazing book.
This Passing World Holds Nothing
Father in heaven, this passing world holds nothing,
Offers nothing for the child of God:
Remind us always of this evident truth,
Let Satan not deceive nor blind our eyes,
As Eve fell prey and lost the blessed Garden.
Make heaven grow within our weakened sight,
Its many glories in all their shining brilliance;
Raise up our faces to our coming Lord,
Our hearing tuned to the shout of clouded angels,
So worldly voices fail to reach our ears.
Our Thanks We Give
Father, thank you for rain to refresh the earth,
And for the Spirit to reaffirm our worth;
We thank you for the moist and nurturing soil,
And for a heavenly purpose behind our toil;
Our thanks we give for sun and moon and stars,
For time to make the blessed gospel ours;
To you we owe all praise for life and health,
For freedom from our sin and carnal filth;
Blest be the God who made the ocean waves,
And brought to man the Son who fully saves.
Bible.01: Ten Reasons Why the Bible is True
Convincing people that God’s Word is truth must come before they will believe anything you may show them and change their lives because of it. This is part one of a twelve part series found only on sermonlines.com and heard throughout 2018 at plattsburghchurch.com.
Ten Reasons Why the Bible is True
1 The Bible itself says it is inspired of God and authoritative
a. We shouldn’t claim for the Bible what it doesn’t claim for itself (John 17:17, 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21).
b. Prophecy fulfilled centuries after it was written prove this: compare Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 to the events of the cross or Zechariah 11:12-13 to Matthew 27:3-10.
2 There’s a unity of thought and purpose over 1600 years of writing it (1500 B.C. to 100 A.D.).
a. There are no seeming contradictions that are not easily accounted for.
b. The theme is a loving God’s plan to bring sinful man back into a relationship with Him.
3 There’s a unity of thought and purpose though written by about 40 writers from many different backgrounds: kings, shepherds, fishermen, rich, poor, Jews and non-Jews.
a. The Bible was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic.
b. The writers were from different countries and political situations: Egypt, Babylon, Greece, Israel.
4 Careful copying through the centuries has given us the exact Bible as when it was first written.
a. See the methods of the Masoretes and monks who believed their salvation was at stake!
b. Found in 1947, the Dead Sea Scrolls, written about 100 B.C. to 100 A.D., prove the preservation of all the Old Testament books (except Esther).
5 Outside sources describe Bible events, places, and people.
a. In 93 A.D., the Jewish historian, Josephus, described Jesus rising from the dead, et. al.
b. Stories of the Genesis flood are preserved in cultures around the world.
c. The Chinese language depicts pre-Babel events in their ‘picture language.’
d. Outside sources are mentioned in Scripture (Joshua 10:12-14, Luke 1:1-4).
6 Archaeology continues to prove Bible events, places, and people(s) over and over.
a. Hazor was indeed burned by the Israelites when they came into the land (Joshua 11:12-13).
b. The temple was destroyed, rebuilt, enlarged, and destroyed again as the Bible states.
7 Man is more confident of the Bible’s accuracy than other ancient works.
a. Over 5,300 ancient Greek copies of the New Testament exist that are within two centuries of the originals. It is better preserved and authenticated than Caesar, Plato, or Aristotle’s writings.
b. There were more witnesses to the Bible’s events, places, and people than to Shakespeare writing Shakespeare’s works.
8 The Bible was the newspaper of the day with witnesses who were for, neutral, and against Christianity attesting to the validity of the Bible’s events, places, and people.
a. Not even Christianity’s enemies of the 1st Century could explain away Jesus’ miracles or the empty tomb. If they could have, they would have!
b. Jesus appeared at least ten recorded times over a period of 40 days after He was resurrected. The largest group was 500 (1 Corinthians 15:5-6) to people who were not expecting to see Him alive. Mass hallucinations do not happen in this manner.
9 Nature and science prove the Bible over and over.
a. Things tend toward chaos, not the complexity we see either through a microscope, telescope, or with our eyes (Romans 1:18-20).
b. The Bible speaks of the earth being round (Isaiah 40:22), the paths of the sea (Psalm 8:8), and dinosaurs (Job 40-41).
10 Changed lives prove the Bible is true.
a. Compare the apostles in Luke 22:54-62 to Acts 4:18-20. Most died attesting to the gospel.
b. The changed lives of Christians today from how they were before they obeyed Christ attest to the Bible being true.
For answering our prayers
Thank you, heavenly Father, for answering our prayers. You are God who delights in hearing your children’s requests. We know that we receive when we ask. This is the confidence that we have before you: that whenever we ask anything according to your will, you hear us.
You continue to prove this truth in our walk with you. So we praise your name for this blessing. We rejoice in possessing your answer, not for our sakes, but for the needs of the hour and for the spread of your kingdom. Be glorified in us, O Lord.
So we will continue to pray. We ask for strength not to faint in perseverance in supplications and requests. Let us always be sure of your goodness and generosity. We tremble in awe of you, O Lord, and your goodness. We ask many things of you, because you give to all generously and without reprimand.
So we are sure, Father, that it is not because of our goodness or special qualities, but because you give to all who ask. This is your glory and our joy, in the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!
God of Lights and Souls
God of lights and souls,
lift us up to heaven,
raise us by your Spirit,
liven us for your presence,
give us peace within,
joy that bubbles over,
purpose of life and action.
Lord of man and beast,
look upon your people,
save us in your mercy,
shelter us in your shadow,
bless and make us blameless,
yours are power and glory,
ever and ever, amen.
Fulfilled in Your Hearing
“Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, ‘Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” Luke 4:20-21. For centuries, God’s chosen people had been expecting a Savior, God Himself. In one of those passages, Isaiah had written over 700 years before that the Messiah would fulfill certain requirements: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” After returning to Galilee after His baptism and temptation in the power of the Spirit, news spread about Him and He taught in the area’s synagogues. It was in His hometown of Nazareth, however, where everyone knew Him as ‘Joseph’s son,’ that He chose to declare Himself, through the fulfillment of Isaiah 61, to be the Christ and God Himself! No wonder those who remembered Jesus lugging tools for His earthly father were furious and wanted to drive Him off a cliff. Who do you understand Jesus to be?
As all were praising Jesus at the beginning of His ministry, He went back to His hometown.
I. Luke 4:14-22. A hometown boy was gaining noteriety, and so the synagogue in Nazareth must have been packed when Jesus was handed the scroll of Isaiah and read a prophecy of the coming Messiah that they had all heard numerous times before. Then, he did the unthinkable; He assigned those words uttered seven centuries before to Himself and let them sink in to the local crowd.
II. Luke 4:23-30. It was blasphemy if not true, the fulfillment of all that the Jews had been waiting for if it was. But, rather than letting the neighbors from His childhood wrestle with this, Jesus confronted them with the truth–that accepting Him as the prophesied Christ meant that God would open the gospel to all people. This was something the crowd gathered to hear the old stories wasn’t ready for.
III. Luke 8:5-15. How about us? Many of us gather in Jesus’ hometown every Sunday morning out of habit or because we’re hoping to be entertained. We can’t wait to hear what He’s been up to lately and some of the old stories that are comfortable. But, He confronts us there on a personal level, challenging our understanding of who He is. Will we accept that or try to drive Him over a cliff?
Sometimes it is those who have known Him the longest who need re-assess our view of Jesus. If He truly is the Christ, how does that change us?