hope

Introduction To Psalm 119

Humans exist. If you are here reading this sentence you surely understand that fact. But where we seem to part ways is when we ask “why”? It’s the age old question, right? What is the purpose of life? What is the meaning of man’s existence?

I’m reminded of the Preacher in the book of Ecclisiastes who set out to answer that very question.

Ecclisiastes 1:12,13 says, “I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. And I set my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven; this burdensome task God has given to the sons of man, by which they may be exercised.” He spared no expense either! He sought to fulfill every desire of the flesh in search of something that was meaningful and would explain the meaning of life. So what was his conclusion? “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil (Ecclesiastes 12:13‭-‬14).

Genesis 1:1 tells us, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” It goes on to describe how God created everything that exists in six days. Everything that He created has a purpose and is bound by His law. The rise and fall of the sun and moon, the boundaries of land and sea, everything is bound by His natural law.

Genesis 2:7, “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” He then goes on to place the man in the Garden of Eden in order that he may tend to it. In other words, his purpose was to serve God and keep His commandments, the same purpose that Solomon concluded.

It seems like it is pretty cut and dry, but as the bible student will come to find out, mankind has a long history of rebellion. Over and over again the Israelites, whom God had chosen as His own special people, repeatedly disobeyed God. They rejected His laws and sought after their own paths and made their own gods to worship. That pattern of rebellion still continues today and leaves people feeling lost and confused, unsure of what the truth is. Lucky for us, we have a God who is merciful and good. He has given us a book in which we can trust to tell us the truth. To tell us the purpose for our lives.

In future posts I will be going through a series on Psalm 119. This is a psalm that declares the greatness of the word of God. I will try to keep each section brief, which will be a challenge since there’s a lot that can be learned in each section. I am looking forward to it. Stay tuned!

Hope In Christ

We’ve been through a lot in the past two years. The global pandemic has brought many challenges and interruptions to our lives that perhaps we never saw coming and weren’t prepared for. Heartache and loss have certainly been a large part of the struggles that we have encountered. On top of that, restrictions were put in place that interrupted our daily routines and what we considered to be normal life. A new reality took over. A reality that didn’t ask permission or allow for our opinions before taking hold. Change forced itself upon us all.

Change is inevitable in life. Everything we know, everything we see, everyone we love will change. We ourselves change, our interests, our desires, our physical bodies will change. With each change comes the necessity for us to adapt to that change and move forward. Some changes are relatively easy to adapt to and live with. Others bring us trouble, stress and grief. Adapting to those changes isn’t always so easy.

Working in healthcare, I see the effects of change on a daily basis. I see how different people react to the changes in their lives. Some seem to take the changes in stride, while others are quite down trodden, sad, and angry. I am alarmed at the increasing frequency which I see of younger and younger people attempting to end their lives. I see an increase of young individuals in need of psychiatric help. Life’s changes are bringing about troublesome times that some people just don’t know how to handle, or they’re seemingly incapable of accepting and adapting. They lose hope.

Hope in our modern language and hope in the Bible carry different definitions. When we speak of hope today, it is normally used in a way that whatever it is that we are hoping for is uncertain. “I hope we win the ball game.” “I hope I get that promotion at work.” When hope is spoken of in the Bible, there is no uncertainty to speak of. Instead it is a declaration of anticipation of what is certain. The inspired apostle Paul wrote to the Galatian church, “For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.” (Galatians 5:3) So, there is the “hope of righteousness”, but what is righteousness? “My tongue shall speak of Your word, For all Your commandments are righteousness.”  (Psa 119:172) God’s word is righteousness. God’s word gives us hope. It is in God’s word that we learn how we got here, why we exist, and the purpose for our lives. We learn how we should live and we learn of what is to come after this life. We read the promises of God to those who are obediently faithful to His word. We also learn of the punishment to come for those who reject God. We learn about Jesus, the Son of God, who bore our sins on the cross. We read His words and His commands. Everything we need to know in this life is revealed to us in the word of God.

God tells us that in an ever changing world, “”For I am the LORD, I do not change;…(Mal 3:6)

God is a God “who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”  (1Ti 2:4)

God’s word tells us how we can be saved.

Peace and hope are found in Jesus Christ. His promises are certain if we remain faithful until death. The world will continue to change, will continue to bring hardship. All we need to do to overcome is to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow Christ (Luk 9:23).

Are you feeling hopeless? Are you feeling alone? Are you seeking purpose in life? I encourage you to seek out the truth that is found in God’s word, to seek out the gospel of Christ, and to become a faithful child of God. Please reach out via email or on the Facebook page and I will be happy to help you in your search for truth.

God bless.

World So Cold…

We are living in increasingly dark times, it seems. America is struggling to hold on to freedoms and liberties that have been the pillar of what makes this country so great. What started out as a country based on laws and moral principles has turned into an anything goes society with a “rules for thee, but not for me” mentality. Truth is subjective, laws are immaterial, morals are based in humanism. These are cold and dark times, indeed, and can bring people to their brink with worry and stress and fear.

But….

For the Christian, there is no fear. Concern? Absolutely! But not fear, because fear cannot coexist with FAITH. They are incompatible. Christians know and place their faith in certain truths, that when realized, eliminate fears that may crop up. Let’s go over a few of them.

Nothing New

(Ecc 1:9) That which has been is what will be, That which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun.

What is happening now in our time has already happened in past times. Sure, there may be differences in technology or circumstances, but basically the evil that exists today is the same evil that has existed in the past and can be overcome.

God Is In Control

(Heb 2:14) Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,

Jesus gave Himself to be crucified on the cross, was buried, and resurrected. He has conquered death and is sitting at the right hand of God today.

(Mat 28:18) And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

It is Jesus who has all authority, granted to Him by God Almighty. Why then should we fear?

(Heb 13:6) So we may boldly say: “THE LORD IS MY HELPER; I WILL NOT FEAR. WHAT CAN MAN DO TO ME?”

Peace In Christ

(Rom 5:1-11)  Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,  (2)  through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.  (3)  And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;  (4)  and perseverance, character; and character, hope.  (5)  Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.  (6)  For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.  (7)  For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.  (8)  But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  (9)  Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.  (10)  For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.  (11)  And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

This world is certain to bring us much tribulation. But if we are in Christ, we have the surety of knowing that He is with us every step of the way. Loving us, guiding us, helping us, forgiving us. When all is said and done and we are found to have been faithful until the end, we are promised a home with Him in heaven. Therefore, I ask again: What is there to fear?

Are you in Christ? Are you unsure? Do you need someone to assist you in studying the Bible? Please make it known by emailing info@toreachthelost.com, or reaching out on our Facebook page.

God bless you.

Shouting in Silence

In Matthew’s gospel account, we read of the events that took place as Jesus was arrested and sent before Caiaphas, the high priest:

Mat 26:59-63  Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death,  (60)  but found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none. But at last two false witnesses came forward  (61)  and said, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.’ ”  (62)  And the high priest arose and said to Him, “Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?”  (63)  But Jesus kept silent. (emphasis mine).

We’re told a few verses before how Peter was following at a distance to see what was going to happen. No doubt, he was concerned about the situation and what they were doing to Jesus. What do you imagine was going through his mind as he watches Jesus be questioned and ridiculed? I imagine him silently imploring Jesus to answer their questions, to tell them who He was and why He taught the things that He taught. “Tell them Lord, oh please, tell them!” But Jesus kept silent.

Consider what had happened before, when Jesus was brought first before Annas the high priest:

Joh 18:19-22  The high priest then asked Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine.  (20)  Jesus answered him, “I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and in secret I have said nothing.  (21)  Why do you ask Me? Ask those who have heard Me what I said to them. Indeed they know what I said.”

Jesus makes the point that it is no secret at all who He is and why He’s here. Ask anyone, and they’ll tell you! But look what happens….

 (22)  And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, “Do You answer the high priest like that?”

Their hearts were darkened. They were dead set against Jesus and His teaching. It would make no difference if He had elaborately explained everything to them…again!

Perhaps the silence of Jesus takes on more meaning when we look to what Isaiah had prophesied regarding Him:

Isa 53:7  He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.

Have you ever considered why Jesus endured what He did, in silence? Do you ever stop and think about why Jesus had to face this abuse and the torment of the cross?

Heb 9:27-28  And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,  (28)  so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

For you. He did it for you.

God’s love for us, His creation, was shouting through the silence of Jesus.