The Biblical Path of Life

Author: mjross

  • The Law

    “But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”
    Psalm 1:2

    We are taught that obeying laws is important and that there are penalties to be paid if we break them. Consider the importance of laws. We are to understand that God has laws. His laws are significant, and obedience is very important to God as we can see throughout His Word, and most notably in the Old Testament. Often we recognize God’s discipline on those who break His laws.

    The first five books in the Old Testament are referred to as “The Law.” Within these books we find the first 2,500 years of history recorded by Moses. The first book, Genesis, begins with the creation, records the ruin of man through sin, but it also reveals the sovereignty of God. The word sovereignty means “supreme in power; possessing supreme dominion; as a sovereign ruler of the universe.” We understand that God is the sovereign God of all who love and obey Him.

    One easy way to remember Genesis and the events within is to recognize:

    Four main events take place:

    • The Creation
    • The Fall
    • The Flood
    • The Tower of Babel  

    Genesis deals mainly with Four People:

    • Abraham
    • Isaac
    • Jacob
    • Joseph

    After about four hundred years, God’s people grew into a nation numbering around two to three million people in Egypt. This is where Exodus (which means “the way out” or “outgoing”) begins. At the culmination of the ten plagues, we see the mighty deliverance of God’s people from a land of bondage. Shortly after this they meet at the foot of Mount Sinai. It was at Mount Sinai that the Law was given (beginning with the Ten Commandments; Exodus 19-20). The Israelites were taught that obedience to God is necessary. They could not be a redeemed, set-apart people unless they obeyed God’s command.

    In Leviticus, God spoke to Moses from the tabernacle instead of Mount Sinai. The people needed to know how to live. God instituted the offerings, the priesthood, a clean lifestyle, and the different feasts. These things were teach the people how to live as a people wholly given to God in every aspect of their lives. Leviticus shows the ability to have fellowship with God when we come to Him as a sanctified people (because He is holy, and we are a sinful people). Leviticus ends with the blessings of obedience and the penalties for disobedience. Only about a month’s time passes during Leviticus.

    The name Numbers comes from a numbering of the people at the beginning of the book and then again at the end. There were two groups of people, an old generation and a new generation. When the twelve spies were sent into the land promised to Abraham, only Joshua and Caleb brought back report that God would allow them to conquer the land. When the Israelites disobeyed God’s command to cross over into the Promised Land, they were disciplined. The old generation would die and not enter because they refused to obey God. Only Joshua and Caleb escaped God’s discipline (wandering in the wilderness for forty years). Fewer than forty years elapse during Numbers where we see God guiding, providing, and protecting His people.

    Deuteronomy begins by looking back to what God had done for His people and then looking forward. The entire book shows the faithfulness of God revealing that God loves His people. Moses warned the people to not forget the words of God’s Law, revealing the blessings for following God’s Law and the curse of God if they failed to obey. Joshua is appointed the new leader of the new generation, and Moses dies.

    After remembering the books of “The Law,” see that they help us understand God and what He expects from His people. We also learn that it is quite impossible to obey every law that God has given us. In the New Testament we gain some insight as to why it is important to know “The Law” of the Old Testament. “24. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. 26. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:24-26).

    Have you understood “The Law” is a schoolmaster to show the need for Jesus?

    Originally posted at Lighthouse Gospel Beacon

  • The Appointment

    “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment”
    Hebrews 9:27

    Have you ever had an appointment that changed the course of your life? What about a missed opportunity that you can never go back to correct?

    One cannot help but remember an event that took place in the Bible. Jesus had been teaching the people when a young man came to Him with a question. “And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17). This is an important question for each person to ask. He had the right question. Read Jesus’ reply, “ And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God” (Mark 10:18). Jesus was making a point. The man recognized Jesus as a great man and a good teacher, but he had not acknowledged that Jesus was God. That makes all of the difference! Jesus asked this young man about the commandments (for people understood that God expects people to obey His commands). Jesus began to list from the Ten Commandments. “Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother” (Mark 10:19). Each of these has to do with an outward duty as opposed to a change of an inward nature. They deal with people’s relationship with one another. Do you notice what is missing? The first four of the Ten Commandments that have to do with one’s relationship with God are missing. After Jesus had listed the final six of the Ten Commandments, see the young man’s response, “And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth” (Mark 10:20).

    Here we come to the heart of the matter – a time of decision. Notice that Jesus loved him, but would this young man follow Jesus’ requirement? “Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me” (Mark 10:21). Did this young man truly desire eternal life? Was he willing to give the temporal things this world has to offer in exchange for a life pleasing God and eternity with Him? Would he continue as he was, or would he choose Jesus? Read his response. “And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions” (Mark 10:22). He was sad, yet he just went away grieved. He was not willing to part with his possessions for a relationship with Jesus. Read what Jesus had previously warned: “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24).

    This young man had not understood a very important thing: “24. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster” (Galatians 3:24-25).

    Remember: “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). This young man would be judged according to the decision he made concerning Jesus.

    Do you live under a schoolmaster?

    Or have you been justified by faith in Jesus?

  • The Way to God

    “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous”
    1 John 2:1

    The following is an excerpt from “The Biblical Path of Life: Year One Quarter Two.”

    “God has revealed himself gradually through the years. Hebrews 1:1-2a: ‘1. God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2a. Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son …’ (remember that Hebrews 1:1 refers to the incremental and progressive manner in which God disclosed Himself up until the appearance of the Son. It was fragmentary and piece by piece, sort of like pieces of a puzzle). We see him as the God of creation in Genesis 1. We then see he is a God who cannot look upon sinful man in Genesis 3. We see that there is a limit to his tolerance of sinful man in Genesis 6 (the flood that destroys the world), yet we also see that God shows grace to those who continually seek him (Noah; Genesis 6:8). God then revealed himself to an individual man (Abraham; Genesis 12) and extended that revelation to his descendants (Exodus 3:15). God showed Himself mightily to His people in the ten plagues and the exodus of His people from bondage (Exodus 7–14). He then showed Himself as their provider (in the wilderness; Exodus 15–17). We see He is a God who expects His people to hear His voice and obey Him (Exodus 19–20). Once the people accomplish the great task of building a tabernacle where God’s presence can dwell among His people (Exodus 40), He then reveals just what it takes to become a “clean and forgiven” people in the presence of a sinless, perfect God (Leviticus).

    God has mandated a blood sacrifice for man’s sins since the garden. When man sinned, God shed the blood of an animal to make a covering for man (for he was naked before God; his sins were exposed). When God made the clothes to “cover” Adam and Eve, it was a great picture of what the Old Testament sacrifices did for man. They covered mankind’s sins for a season. Throughout the Old Testament, we see the shedding of blood (from an animal) to cover mankind’s sins. It isn’t until we come to Leviticus that God reveals the intricacies and details of the way it is required. The ritualistic sacrifices (explained in Leviticus) that must be fulfilled, completely and perfectly, are to show us the great sacrifice it would take to cleanse sinful man from his sins. It is to reveal to mankind the impossibility of entering into God’s presence without the perfect sacrifice, only found in Jesus. All throughout the books of the Law we see God gradually reveal Himself to mankind, only a piece at a time, through revelation—only as much as we could handle.”

    “And he (Jesus) is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2). The word propitiation means “the means of putting away sin and establishing righteousness not by man’s ability to appease God with an of his offerings, (for man is unable to offer anything to placate God), Jesus is presented as the righteous One; … reconciling us to God, allowing us to be acceptable for fellowship with God (see also Romans 3:25). The propitiation of Christ is very personal – the propitiation for our sins.”

    Have you asked Jesus to be your Advocate with God, the Father?

  • Mom

    “2. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) 3. That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.” (Ephesians 6:2-3)

    Exploring the Mystery of Marriage

    So many people knew my mom. She never knew all of the lives she touched. She had such a gift of writing and teaching that most will never attain.

    I will never stop learning from my mom. Her example of living a Christian life will always be remembered as a personal witness for not only me, but also everyone who knew her.

    She spent her final years formatting the letters she originally wrote for my sister into a book. She had taught the Bible Study to many ladies through the years. The greatest learning times were in those classes where she actually taught the lessons (and she lived out what she taught!). Nevertheless, the words that she put down in this book will touch many lives if they will only implement the principles found within – all from the Bible.

    Take time to order this book.

    Read it.

    It can change your life.

  • Understanding the Old Testament

    “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein …”
    Joshua 1:8

    It is important to know that all of God’s Word is essential. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:15). Not only is it important to know what it says, but it is even more important to understand what it says.

    An easy way to begin understanding the Bible is to become familiar with it. The history in the Old Testament is very important to further one’s understanding of the Bible as a whole. In Joshua 1:8 we can read that not only is the book of the law to not depart out of one’s mouth, but it is important to meditate upon it day and night. Meditate means “to dwell on any thing in thought; to contemplate; to study; to turn or revolve any subject in the mind.” This is an important thing to understand as one learns to read the Bible. Reading the Bible involves much more than just reading a few verses or chapters and then continuing on with one’s day. Reading God’s Word involves meditating on it – to dwell on it in one’s thoughts, contemplating what it says. Although we can understand that this verse in Joshua is initially referring to the first five books in the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy), the importance of knowing God’s Word does not end there. Remember that all of God’s Word is important!

    If one would just recognize that the Bible is very organized it would make it much easier to understand. For instance, the Old Testament has thirty-nine books easily broken into five groups. The first five books are called the “Law” where we can find the first 2,500 years of history and witness God actively involved in the lives of mankind. The second group consists of the next twelve books, often called “History”, where we pick up the history of the Israelites at the brink of the Promised Land, prepared to enter. The first nine books of History record the years in which the Jewish people occupy the land of Israel. This not only includes the times of the judges (when the people forgot God), the times of the kings (when the people rejected God as their king), but also the captivity of God’s people. The last three books of History reveal the remnant of Israelites that were allowed to return to the Promised Land, also known as Israel.

    There are five books in the middle that can be considered “Personal Books”, for they deal with individual’s experiences with God and are very personal. These books deal with individuals’ heart issues as they seek to know and better understand God. These are Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon. The “Major Prophets” are the next five books, and the “Minor Prophets” are the final twelve books. Understanding the timeframe these Personal Books, Major Prophets, and Minor Prophets take place are imperative in the understanding of the Old Testament as a whole.

    The New Testament is organized as well for the ease of understanding.

    Reading, learning, and understanding the Bible is the most important thing a Christian can do. Although many people are taught a lot of Bible “stories” as a child, understanding that these were real people and that God worked in these individuals’ lives will make these events invaluable! Remember some words with which Paul encouraged Timothy. “14. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 15. And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17. That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:14-17).

    Have you taken time to become familiar with God’s Word?

    Do you meditate (dwell on in thought, contemplate, and study) upon a portion of the Bible every day?

    Originally Posted at Lighthouse.pub: https://lighthouse.pub/blog/understanding-the-old-testament-/?src=n

  • Why the History is Important

    “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”
    1 Corinthians 10:11

    After reading 1 Corinthians 10:11, one can understand that God’s Word was written for us. In the Bible, we find examples of how we are to live our lives and to show us a picture of God’s plan. We are to learn from what is written in His Word. Each Bible “story” we have learned through the years is just a piece of the “puzzle” to complete the picture of God’s plan. History may appear boring, but we must understand how fascinating, and especially important, it is to be in our lives.

    Because the history found in the Bible is so important, we should desire to know that history – just like Peter, Stephen, and Paul knew it. We are to understand that history is there to help us better understand and know Jesus. The more we read in God’s Word, the more we begin to understand that God had a plan. In the Old Testament, men didn’t fully understand what that plan was, but through faith they believed. In the New Testament, God’s plan was revealed through His Son, Jesus. Men still didn’t understand until Jesus died, resurrected and ascended into heaven. But once they understood, they could not keep silent. They shared what they learned with others so they could know of God’s wonderful plan as well. 

    After Jesus ascended back into heaven with the promise to return, Peter preached the Old Testament history. He had a new understanding of who Jesus was ,why He had come, and that He would return one day. And what an amazing response he received! Three thousand believed! And when he preached again shortly thereafter, five thousand believed!

    But there was another man named Stephen who preached the same history, and he found a very different response to his message. The religious leaders stoned him to death. There was one specific young man who consented to Stephen’s death. His name was Saul. His initial response to the Gospel message of Jesus was to seek out anyone who believed in Jesus and imprison or even kill them.

    He made a special trip to find anyone, man or woman, who believed in Jesus. But on his way, he met Jesus. There was quite a transformation in his life. Instead of wanting to kill those who believed in Jesus, Saul (later called Paul) became a mighty preacher, and teacher, of the history revealing Jesus.

    Each of these men came to the understanding that all of the Old Testament teachings were just pieces of a great picture. As they began to contemplate the truths they had learned, they realized that they revealed the picture of God’s plan to send Jesus into the world to take away their sin – if they would only believe and receive Him.

    Have you ever worked on a puzzle? Each piece is only part of a greater picture. The picture is not complete without all of the pieces. You could guess what the picture was going to be, but you wouldn’t completely know without the final pieces. Once you put all of the pieces together, you can see that greater picture. But when you are missing a piece, the picture is incomplete. This is much like knowing some of the events of the Old Testament and missing pieces of it. You cannot see the complete picture without reading and learning all of the events in that Old Testament text. Throughout history, people would try to understand what God was showing them. They trusted that He held all of the pieces and would fit them into place in His own time. Once Jesus came, many understood that all of the Old Testament was recorded for us to understand God’s plan to send His Son, Jesus, into the world to redeem a sinful people back to Himself. He wants us to understand this plan so that we will know just how important it is to place our lives into God’s hand by trusting in Jesus.

    Do you enjoy doing a puzzle that doesn’t have all of the pieces? 

    Have you ever been so excited about Jesus that you shared with others what you have learned so they could know of God’s wonderful plan as well?

    Previously published at: Lighthouse Gospel Beacon

  • Those Who Love God

    “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
    Romans 8:28

    Have you ever had something bad happen to you? According to Romans 8:28, if we are Christians (have Jesus in our hearts and lives), and are living according to God’s Word doing what God wants us to do with our lives, everything will work out for good – even if it seems like something bad at the time. There is a great picture of this lived out in the life of Elijah. Even when the king and queen wanted Elijah dead, God provided for him and took care of him.

    In Elijah’s day, the nation of Israel had already divided into two kingdoms, Israel and Judah. The kingdom of Israel never had a good king. The worst was King Ahab. God called Elijah to speak to wicked King Ahab. God sent Elijah to tell the king there would be no rain in the land; and there was a drought for over three years. God provided for Elijah during the drought. He sent Elijah to the brook Cherith where he had water. God sent ravens to bring him food. When the brook dried up, God sent him to Zarephath where a widow woman took care of him until the end of the drought. After over three years, God sent Elijah back to King Ahab with a great challenge. Elijah told him to have all of Israel to meet on top of Mount Carmel. He called for a decision from the people. Choose who the true God is. After Elijah’s great victory when fire fell from heaven and consumed his offering, the people declared, “The Lord, He is the God.” Because Elijah had all of the false prophets killed, Queen Jezebel, Ahab’s wicked wife, wanted him dead. Elijah ran for his life. We learn that God had not forgotten Elijah, for He showed Himself to Elijah in a still small voice. Elijah thought he was the last one who loved and served God. But God told him that there seven thousand others that had not served the false gods. Therefore, Elijah was not alone. However, more than this reassurance, he gave Elijah a helper – Elisha. Through all of this, we can learn that even though the nation as a whole had forsaken God and turned to idol worship, there were still those who had not forsaken God. Elijah was a great example of God providing for one who was willing to give his life wholly to serve God, obeying His every command. We should remember the encouragement God gave to Elijah when he was greatly discouraged – and even fearful for his life (see 1 Kings 17-20). Remember Romans 8:28: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Especially that all things will work together for good if one is living the life God would have them to live. It is important to trust that God will provide for our every need.

    During days where there are trying times and all seems to be going wrong, stop and look at your heart and life. Seek God to see if you are where you should be, doing what you should be doing. If you seek Him with all of your heart, you can find Him. “11. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. 12. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. 13. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. 14. And I will be found of you, saith the LORD …” (Jeremiah 29: 11-14a).  

    If we will obey God, God will provide for us and take care of us – no matter what.

    Are you living for God, trusting that He will work all things together for good?

  • God Made Me

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    “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”   John 1:3

    Have you ever stopped to think about God’s creation? Have you ever thought, “What is the greatest thing God created?” There are so many wonderful and beautiful things that God made. Picture the mountains, beautiful sunsets, the ocean, a full moon as it rises, and so many other amazing things in God’s creation. But have you ever considered that the greatest thing God created was you? There are a few things we can find in God’s Word that brings us to this conclusion. 

    Remember first that God created the world in six days. At the end of the first five days, God declared that it was good. Even on the sixth day after God created all of the animals and everything that creeps on the earth, God declared that it was good. But on that sixth day there was a special creation. “26. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them” (Genesis 1:26-27). God made man in His image; a man and a woman. After this, we find that God declared that his creation was “very good.”

    God created man perfect, without sin. He made man with the intent that they would be “holy and without blame” (see Ephesians 1:4). But more than that, God created man to have fellowship with Him. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). He wanted to walk with us.

    As we read Genesis chapter three, we find that Adam and Eve disobeyed God when Eve was beguiled by Satan, bringing sin into the word which caused separation from God for all of mankind. This meant that man could no longer fellowship with God as before because of this separation (remembering that before this they had walked and talked with God in the garden). Even though man failed greatly, God promised One would come to bridge the gap between sinful man and God (see the first promise of this in Genesis 3:15) which would restore that fellowship. Although Adam and Eve did not know who that One was, they believed God’s Word.

    Throughout the Old Testament, there were many who watched for that One promised by God to come. Jesus, God’s only Son, came into the world for me (and you). He came so that I could have the opportunity to fellowship with God again – if only I would believe. “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Titus 2:14). When Jesus came, He came to destroy the work of Satan. “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8).

    God made each and every one of us. If one would take time to read Psalm 139:1-18, they could understand that even King David understood just how special each person created by God is. One of the most important things that each person should understand is that God created me. He made me a unique individual. And God created me to have fellowship with Him. God has a plan for me. But because of sin that separated man from God, each person must trust Jesus to reconcile them, restoring that relationship.

    Sadly, there are few people in the world today that truly understand their worth in God’s eyes. By remembering the importance of each person, and the great love God has for them in the sending of His only Son, Jesus, to bring them back to Him, we can once again understand the importance on our part to receive the great gift God has made available to us.

    What have you done with this realization?

    Originally posted at: http://lighthouse.pub/blog/2020/04/06/god-made-me/?src=n

  • Apply Your Heart unto Wisdom

    “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”
    Psalm 90:12

    Have you ever had an urgency to do something? What drove that urgency?

    For those who belong to the Lord, that urgency should come from Him. We should not act upon our own fears or uncertainties – but we often do. There should be a basis of a relationship with God that we know where He wants us to be, and that we are doing what we should be doing. Sometimes He will place something of importance in front of us that we need to take care of now. Most often, it is just the regular day by day as we follow Him as He leads. There are many things of this world that will affect that day to day consistency if we allow them. That is something of which we must be keenly aware.

    One can’t help but think back to the time right before Jesus was to be crucified. He gave his disciples some much needed final instruction. He knew that it would be different for them – for He would no longer be physically walking with them. They would need to know what was happening and what to do. One very interesting thing we can find is found in John 17. There was so much on Jesus’ mind. He knew the day for which he had come had finally arrived: the day that He would willingly lay down his perfect, sinless life to pay the penalty for all of sinful mankind – if only they would believe.

    He went to the garden to pray. He knew the day was at hand, and He knew there was one final thing He had to complete. At the beginning of His prayer, He recalled why God had sent Him into the world, and he acknowledged that He had completed the things God hand sent Him to do. But that only encompassed the first five verses. The rest of the chapter, through verse twenty-six, Jesus prayed for others. He prayed for His disciples that had walked and talked with Him, for they were about to face the world without Jesus’ physical presence to be with them. All together different than the previous three years had been! But He prayed that God would help them remember the Words that they had been taught, “For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me” (John 17:8). He had told them what they needed to know to continue. He understood that trouble would come, but that God would be with them, encourage them, and help them, “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil” (John 17:15). The disciples still had work to do. They were to tell the world what Jesus had come to do, establishing the foundation of the church and its doctrines.

    But the one amazing thing that has always encouraged me is that Jesus knew that one day I would believe in Him, giving my life to Him. He knew that I, too, would need encouragement. “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word” (John 17:20). He knew that I must understand that He placed me here for a purpose, to fulfill His will for my life, and that I needed to act upon that – not what I want. Jesus was right where God wanted Him. He had done it all, with one final job to compete: He had to lay down His life and take it up again. I will never have such an important job to complete – no one ever will! But each person that belongs to Jesus has a job to fulfill. It is important to be wise enough to understand that. “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). Read what else He prayed – for each Believer: “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24). One day I will be with Him in heaven, but until then, I need to be right were Jesus was – right in the midst of the plan God had for His life.

    Are you in the midst of the plan God has for your life?

  • Have You Been a Faithful Witness?

    “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him”
    Colossians 1:16

    In Colossians 1:16 we read that God created everything, and it was created for Him. It is important to understand that God created us for a purpose. God created man to have a relationship with Him. After He created Adam and Eve, God walked with them in the garden until they disobeyed His Word, and sin entered into the world.

    After understanding that God created us to have a relationship with Him, we look at the Bible from beginning to end. Firstly, we will take a bird’s eye view over all of history to see that God dealt with man in different ways through the ages. The Bible is laid out in certain timeframes, also called “dispensations.” A dispensation is basically a means by which God deals with mankind throughout the ages because of sin and employing God’s divine government. Each of the dispensations may be regarded as a new test of the natural man, and each ends in judgment, marking man’s utter failure in every dispensation. God dealt with His creation in different ways at different times. God created the world as perfect, but when man sinned, he brought the judgment of death into the world. Throughout the ages, God gave individuals many opportunities to have a relationship with Him, but each time they failed. They had to understand that the only way this relationship could ever be restored would be by the atoning death of His Son, Jesus. It is with this understanding that we look at the scriptures as a whole.

    The seven dispensations allow us to see how God worked among the people throughout the years. What began as a face-to-face relationship with God (remember Adam and Eve in the garden) quickly turned to a sinful people unable to approach God. But God, through His grace and mercy, promised to make available to man the opportunity to once again have a relationship with Him. We learn how man fell and was punished, and then how all of mankind was only evil continually, so that God destroyed all but one family. God then gave the governing responsibilities to mankind, and they blew it again, causing God to confuse their language. When God selected a family, they ended up in bondage and needed God to deliver them from Pharaoh. Yet when God laid the Promised Land out in front of them, they were afraid to go. Once they entered the land, they forsook God and needed judges to deliver them from the judgment God sent.

    They then believed they needed a king “like the nations around” to rule them, once again rejecting God and His plan. This kingdom ended with the people in captivity because they did not heed the prophets God sent to warn them. When God allowed them to return to their land, there was great sadness, for they were not the great nation God had intended for them to be. When God sent His Son, Jesus, the fulfillment of the promise was given, if only one would believe. Jesus did many works to reveal God to the people and then laid down His life for our sins. He restored that broken relationship that nothing else through the centuries could do. When Jesus rose from the grave, He sent His disciples to tell the world, allowing His apostles to do mighty works to help establish the church.

    Although the time of the mighty works has passed, today God still uses His people to witness to a lost and dying world. A faithful witness will tell them that the only way to have a relationship with God is through the redemptive work of His Son, Jesus.  

    Have you been a faithful witness?

    First published at: http://lighthouse.pub/blog/2020/03/06/have-you-been-a-faithful-witness/?src=n