Wonderful Jesus!

The Starting Point!

Mark 1: 1 – “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” NKJV

As we begin our study in the book of Mark, I believe it will be helpful to look at the author of the book. Since traditionally the author of this book is John Mark, then that is how we will flow with it.

John Mark is first mentioned in Acts 12, where Peter had been rescued from prison by an angel:

And when Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.” So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying.
Acts 12:11-12 NKJV

The saints had gathered to pray at John Mark’s house because Peter had been placed in prison. Mary, his mother, probably opened her home for some type of church gathering to new believers, or maybe just for prayer in this instance. Whatever the reason, they were all gathered at her home. Peter knew to go there when he was released from prison to share his testimony lending to the thought that he visited there frequently. In the first epistle bearing his name, he referred to Mark as his son (1 Peter 5:13).

At the end of chapter 12 in the book of Acts, Mark travels with Paul and Barnabas for ministry:

And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their ministry, and they also took with them John whose surname was Mark.
Acts 12:25 NKJV

In chapter 13, John Mark was referred to as their assistant (4), but when they arrived in Antioch, John returns to Jerusalem (13). In Acts 14, Barnabas wants John Mark to return to traveling with them, but Paul is against it. As a result Paul takes on Silas, and Barnabas takes Mark as they head in different directions to share the gospel. This is easy to understand, when we realize that Barnabas and Mark are cousins:

Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, with Mark the cousin of Barnabas (about whom you received instructions: if he comes to you, welcome him)
Colossians 4:10 NKJV

In the gospel of Mark, we see the word “immediately” appearing frequently. That’s because Mark focuses in on the works of Jesus and His quick response of compassion to those around Him. Mark presents Jesus as the Servant of God, who responds quickly to the will of the Father. Mark also shows Jesus in constant motion as He displays His power and authority over the devil; which also demonstrates and proves He is the Son of God!

Let’s look again at our key text:

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God
Mark 1:1 NKJV

Mark begins this book with the ministry of Jesus. In these simple words he says a lot:

He is starting at the beginning of the gospel
Jesus is the Christ, the Anointed One
Jesus is the Son of God

It is believed that the gospel of Mark was written to Gentiles and therefore has little references to the things that were important to the Jews; the genealogy of the Christ, the prophecies that were fulfilled by Him, or the traditions and customs that were important to them. It is also believed that this was the first written account of the gospels and as such, is a collection of things that John Mark heard from Peter and others. So the focus in this book, is the gospel of Jesus Christ! The good news about Him and the good news that He brings!

Mark begins his narrative by introducing us to John the Baptist and he tells us several things about John:

As it is written in the Prophets: “Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.”“The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’ ”
Mark 1:2-3 NKJV

John the Baptist was a special messenger of God
He was sent to prepare the way before Jesus
He would be in the wilderness crying out to the people
John fulfilled this prophetic declaration as prophesied

Mark then explains what this prophecy looked like in reality, how John made the way for Jesus:

John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.
Mark 1:4 -5 NKJV

John’s ministry consisted of getting people to realize that they were in a sinful state and they needed to repent. Even though they realized that they were sinners, even though they realized they needed to confess their sins and be baptized for the remission of their sins, these people had yet to meet Jesus, and had yet to hear the good news that He came to give them! But they are being prepared to know that the Day of Atonement, the once a year sacrifice for their sins, wasn’t giving them the assurance that they needed or desired for peace in their souls! But it was coming!

Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, “There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Mark 1:6-9 NKJV

Mark describes John as a prophet who was clothed in a garment made of camel’s hair and he ate locust and wild honey. John the Baptist was in essence identifying as an Old Testament prophet while ending the tenure of Old Testament prophets. Things were changing, and Mark is showing how John’s ministry catapulted the way for the ministry of Jesus!

John said this about Jesus:

He was coming after John
He was more powerful than John
John felt unworthy to untie His shoestrings; so John was submitting himself to the One who was coming
John said that while he was baptizing with water, the One coming would baptize them with the Holy Spirit!

As we go into this study of Mark, my plan is to share more of the big picture, the events; not necessarily the verse by verse movement of Jesus. Mark is the shortest gospel, but it contains 18 of the 30 plus miracles of Jesus. I want to focus more on Him, His messages, His accomplishments, and what it means for us as His followers!

This is the starting point of the gospel of Mark! Stay tuned as we revisit the life and service of our Savior, Jesus, the Son of God! So get ready, get set, let’s go! Wonderful Jesus!

Overcoming Evil

Romans 12:21- “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” NKJV

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing! Anonymous

I’m ending my study on the book of Romans. My spirit is feeling a tug for the message of the gospel and the Savior. I trust you have been blessed by this study and stick around for the new one.

Before I leave Romans, I want to at least close this chapter and discuss the behavior of the Christian when things are going on around us that are just not right! The Bible calls it evil!

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
Romans 12:14 NKJV

I just finished the autobiography of Melba Patillo, a participant in the desegregation of the schools in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957. She was one of the nine students who came to be known as the Little Rock Nine. All of these students were chosen from Black schools in the area based on their academics and personal bearing. Against the hostility of their governor, the whites in the South, not just Little Rock, and even some of their neighbors, they started school three weeks after school began.

It was a horrible experience. Daily they were physically and verbally attacked. They kept hoping that it would get better, and it never did. At first they had military protection, but the President who had sent the military protection, took them away. The adults in the building rarely assisted them, the NAACP who set it up was powerless to help them, and the government was against them, so for the entire school year they were constantly mistreated and abused by segregationists in the building.

What was interesting to note is that all of these teenagers came from godly homes. Melba’s grandmother was a no nonsense woman of God. One day Melba told her that she wished she was dead! Her grandmother asked her how would she make it happen, and what did she think the papers would say? She gave her a few suggestions! Melba didn’t like any of it, and decided that she needed to continue to live. Her grandmother told her that they would be devastated if she took her life and reminded her that she was a warrior. Grandmother India then told her to turn the tables on her persecutors and to thank them for what they were doing. When they slapped her, say thank you! When they poured liquids on her clothes, say she liked the new look! In doing so, she would take the sting out of what they were doing. As she began to do this she realized something powerful, she no longer felt like a victim being controlled by them, but that she was taking control of how she felt and responded. Melba came as close to blessing those who cursed her as she could come.

It’s hard not to want to retaliate. During the Civil Rights movement, the thinking was to resist evil without being evil, like our text. When the dogs were set on the people, or they were being hosed, or beaten, they refused to retaliate against the evil! It sounds contrary to our sense of survival, but the Word tells us to overcome evil with good. It’s God’s nature! We don’t repay evil, with evil, we trust God to take care of it!

But how do we act when we see evil? There is a saying, “see no evil, hear no evil, do no evil”! But the truth of the matter is that evil rarely stays in the dark! It may begin there, but it doesn’t stay there! Eventually you can’t hide from the truth of it and you can’t help but to see it!

During the Holocaust, the Germans relentlessly attacked the Jews. There were people who said they didn’t know what was happening; although trains loaded with people were coming and those same trains were leaving empty. Or they smelled the burning but wasn’t sure what was going on! I don’t see it therefore it doesn’t exist! But there were some good people, who couldn’t sleep at night while their neighbors were under attack, so they got in the fight by hiding them and helping them to escape! They didn’t ignore the evil around them, they did something about it!

During slavery, when atrocities were being carried out against Africans, and then the slaves, people ignored what was happening or justified it. They are under the curse of Ham, or the Bible tells slaves to honor their master. But evil was raising its ugly head in our countries, and people fought to keep it going! However, there were some good people who saw the evil around them, and they could not continue to ignore it. The Underground Railroad was created as abolitionists began to cry out against the evil and to support slaves in getting to freedom! They did something about it!

All over the world, bad things happen to good people, and to God’s people! It’s sad! But what is even sadder is when people know it is happening, see it, hear it, and ignore it, because it isn’t happening to them!

As Christians, we cannot afford to stick our head in the sand and act like what happens around us is not our problem. It is our problem, if it happens around us!

Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
James 4:17 NKJV

Paul warns us about being overcome by evil:

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good!
Romans 12:21 NKJV

He said, don’t be overcome! Fear can be a powerful weapon! It can keep us silent at the best of times, and paralyzed at the worst of times. But when we allow evil to continue on its destructive path, we are overcome by evil! It took a while, as a young person to understand the proverb:

I shall assume that your silence gives consent.
Plato

I understood it as time went on! When we keep silent about evil, we in essence give it a place to flourish. In my classroom, if I allow someone to be called stupid, I essence agree that in my mind, that person is stupid! But if I rebuke the comment, then it is understood that I don’t agree with the comment! Paul said that we are not to allow evil to overcome us, but we are to overcome evil with our good!

As we end this chapter on how we are to behave as Christians, I believe Paul is encouraging us to demonstrate love, honor and respect to our brothers and sisters in Christ! But I also believe, from scripture, that we have a responsibility to humanity; to stand against the evil that wants to surround us.

One last thought:

Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord
Romans 12:19 NKJV

We don’t get into physical fights, or fights with weapons! Paul is just encouraging us to be upstanders and not bystanders! Why? Because vengeance belongs to the Lord and He will repay! But we don’t turn our heads and say, “Let God handle it, then!” We fight against the evil in our land that God’s favor may rest upon it and upon us! Wonderful Jesus!

Being Christlike!

Romans 12:9- “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.” NKJV

Paul is strategic in his thinking. He appears to be rambling, but as he is led by God’s Spirit, he addresses an issue, then a counter-issue, all without losing focus. He started this portion of his letter that we call chapter 12, by telling us how to live for God. It appears that he switches to the topic of gifts, but he hasn’t switched at all. In fact, he is really letting us know that God has gifted us to function as one body, what these gifts are, and how we should function in them.

First, Paul states that we are to love without hypocrisy or deceit. No one likes to be deceived, least of all someone who trusts you. As Christians, when we intermingle in the world in which we live, we are to demonstrate the love of God, at all times, without hypocrisy. I like how Jesus said it in John 13:34-35:

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John 13:34-35 NKJV

Previously, Jesus had told us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. For some, this is not a good role model because they don’t like themselves very much. But if you are like me, I’m kinda crazy about myself! I can understand that message! Jesus took it to a whole new dimension when He said that He was giving us a new commandment, for us to love one another as He has loved us! I hope you notice the bold and italicized words? I have definitely placed emphasis on the words in this verse! He told us! All of us! To love one another, every single Christian that is part of the Body of Christ, as He has loved us!

When I was in the military I had to move to several different locations. I distinctly remember when I was on the plane headed for Italy. It felt like an adventure, but I also felt all alone. When I got to the base, and met some fellow Christians, my heart was able to handle the separation from friends and family a lot better. They loved me, and I loved them, for that time we were together, as if we had known each other all of our lives. I would like to think that I could go anywhere in the world, meet a fellow believer and be safe! That’s the kind of love Jesus was speaking of! In Him, we are safe, and so should we be with one another!

Now what if they had a different kind of love? A love full of hypocrisy? That would not have been a safe environment for me. I would have thought that I was going to be cared for when in actuality they had something more sinister on their mind! Terrible thought!

Jesus made it clear that when we love others like He loves us, people would know that we are His disciples! I don’t know about you, but I would rather be known as a disciple of Jesus, than to be the most famous person on earth!

Paul is encouraging us that as we serve the Father, serve with love that has no deceit in it! Teachers, love your students, don’t mistreat them! Don’t lead them astray! Teach them the truth in love; care for them like Jesus cares for you! Pastors, exhorters, love the people! All of the people. Shepherd all the flock that He sends you, the same way you were shepherded, or should have been shepherded. Don’t deceive them by telling them they are loved when you have a hidden agenda that has nothing to do with love. Love the sheep! Each gift can be singled out and looked at through the lens of love and how it is so important as we serve in the kingdom of God.

Hate evil! Not just the evil in the world, and the evil in others, but the evil in your own life. Don’t let it come near you! Remember Paul’s words from chapter 2:

You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal? You who say, “Do not commit adultery,” do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” as it is written.
Romans 2:21-25 NKJV

People are watching Christians all the time. Some of those people are watching because they are wanting to see if this is for real, something that would make them whole! Some are watching because they are naysayers. But all are watching and when we don’t hate the evil in our lives, or the lives of those we cater to, or our family and friends, then we blaspheme the name of our God amongst the people of the world! Let’s not be like that! We are to be different from the people who don’t know Jesus!

Cling to what is good! The sons of Korah sang this in a psalm:

Seek good and not evil, that you may live; so the Lord God of hosts will be with you, as you have spoken. Hate evil, love good; establish justice in the gate. It may be that the Lord God of hosts will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.
Hosea 5:15 NKJV

Were these words only for the people who Hosea was speaking to? I don’t think so! They ring just as true today that we are to seek good, to love good, to establish justice in our cities; while we hate evil, and trust God to be with us!

Paul gives us a list of behaviors that we as Christians should exhibit. I have introduced the first three to you, and I encourage you to look into the others. They are things that should be very much a part of our lives and how we serve! I won’t write on them all, but in my next post I will pull out a couple others that speak to me. Until next time, Wonderful Jesus!

What Colors Your Vision?

Romans 12: 6-8- “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.” NKJV

The Bible mentions three major areas of giftings: ministry gifts, motivational gifts, and manifestation gifts. I have some blogs that cover the ministry and manifestation gifts in my archives, so today we will look briefly at the motivational gifts.

Paul gives us an analogy of the body. We can all picture the body because we have one. Each part of our body is an individual part that makes up a whole. The whole suffers when one part is out of commission or in pain because the body is interconnected with each part. The same is true for the church, the Body of Christ. We are all members individually, but together we make up the Body, His Church.

For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.
Romans 12:4-5 NKJV

The gifts mentioned in Romans are called the Romans gifts, or the motivational gifts; while they could easily be called gifts of grace. The Greek word for gifts in Romans is charisma and it means a gift of grace. These gifts are found in both sinners and believers, and therefore are aptly named gifts of grace. We tend to refer to them as motivational gifts because they are ingrained in us in such a way that they are the motives behind our actions and colors all that we see. One of my favorite books on the subject is “Discover Your God-Given Gifts” by Don and Katie Fortune. If you want to really understand more of these gifts, I highly recommend that you get a book, or look for some teachings on Youtube!

God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, then prophesy whenever you can—as often as your faith is strong enough to receive a message from God. If your gift is that of serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, do a good job of teaching. If you are a preacher, see to it that your sermons are strong and helpful. If God has given you money, be generous in helping others with it. If God has given you administrative ability and put you in charge of the work of others, take the responsibility seriously. Those who offer comfort to the sorrowing should do so with Christian cheer.
Romans 12:6-8 TLB

Paul stated that God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well. Whether you are a doctor, lawyer, bricklayer, or entrepreneur, God has given you that ability to do what you are doing. It’s part of His grace being extended to each of us! So whatever the gift is that God has given you, Paul tells us to get busy doing it!

Prophecy is the first gift listed. Paul said that if God has given you the ability to prophesy, do so whenever you can. I remember my sister-in-law and I were talking years ago. Suddenly she said something like this, “I get it now! You are prophet-motive!” What she was saying is that the color of my lens is that of prophecy because a major characteristic of those with this gifting is that we don’t see gray in life. I’m not necessarily prophetic, but occasionally I see or hear things in my spirit that I believe God is showing me, or saying to me; and when I act on it, people are blessed. Mostly though, I seem to have a strong sense of right and wrong that motivate my actions in life.

If your gift is that of serving, serve well. Each of us may be called to operate in every single one of these areas during the course of our life; however, the major difference between “filling in” and being gifted, is the ease you have in doing something. My older sister is a server! We can easily call her Martha instead of by her given name. Whether hosting an event or just hanging out, she’ll be the one serving others! If you sit down an empty glass she will refill it or wash it. She is always moving and doing things for others and she makes it look easy and she makes others feel welcomed and cared for. She’s a server and she does it well!

If you are a teacher, do a good job of teaching. While I’m definitely prophet motive, my gift is that of teaching. I’m a school teacher by profession, but I absolutely love teaching the word of God. In any form. At any time. With or without notice. Being paid or not being paid. Five minutes or fifty minutes. I have no greater joy in life than when I am teaching. Although I have struggled in my profession for years, it has only been because I wanted to be teaching the word and not children. Having said that, I do a good job with teaching!

If you are a preacher, see to it that your sermons are strong and helpful. I really like how this passage is written in the Living Bible. If you preach, and that is your gift, you make preaching look like anybody can do it! We know that is not true because everyone hasn’t been gifted like you have! Preachers are charismatic individuals and they tend to have personalities that are like salesmen. The ones who are using their gift for the gospel are encouraging God’s people. Most exhorters are great encouragers in every area of their life. They are the ones full of compliments and words that make you feel good about yourself! It’s a gift!

If God has given you money, be generous! The giver typically is very generous. Bill Gates is a giver! Warren Buffet is a giver! I don’t know their spiritual condition but I know they have been graced with the finances and the ability to give. But I know other givers who aren’t so financially strong, and yet they give and keep on giving. They are blessed beyond measure as they continuously sow into the kingdom and the lives of God’s people.

If God has given you administrative abilities and put you in charge of the work of others, take the responsibility seriously. There is nothing worst than to be working under someone who doesn’t take their leadership of you seriously! But a leader, anointed by God, and surrendered to the anointing, will make you happy to be on their team! Even unsaved leaders, who are gifted, makes things flow well! It’s a joy working with true leaders, but the perpetrators make a day at work seem much longer!

Lastly, Paul mentions the gift of mercy or compassion. He who has the gift of mercy or compassion should do so with cheerfulness! These individuals are gifted with being able to see past a fault to a need. You will find them in fields like nursing, doctors, shelters; because they have a compassion that motivates them to do something for others. It can get to be a little much, but Paul said keep showing compassion with cheerfulness. Don’t let it weigh you down!

I have not touched the surface, but suffice it to say, these gifts have been distributed to us for service to one another. We need them all operating in the body to continue the work of the Savior! What we have to be careful about with the gifts is that we can’t fault others for not “seeing” the things that we “see”, or for not “doing” the thing things that we so easily do. We have to remember that we are all wired differently, and because of that, we won’t all be “motivated” to do the same things in the Body! Wonderful Jesus!

Avoiding Pollution!

Romans 12:3- “For by the grace [of God] given to me I say to everyone of you not to think more highly of himself [and of his importance and ability] than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has apportioned to each a degree of faith [and a purpose designed for service].” AMP

Romans 12 is one of those chapters that is rich with biblical teachings that are applicable to everyone. As we have already seen in the first two verses, Paul has encouraged every believe to yield themselves to God, because it is the least that we can do in response to His goodness!

Now Paul is getting into what that service looks like. He starts off by stating, “don’t think more highly of yourself than you should!” This says to me that I can think highly of myself and my abilities, just not more highly than I should!

The Greek words for the phrase, think more highly, is hyperphroneō para. The English translation of hyperphroneō is “to be overly proud or high-minded”. Para, on the other hand means “with, in the estimation of”. Putting this phrase together, we can see that Paul was saying that we are not to be overly proud or high-minded in regards to our estimation of ourselves.

There are times when we can be pretty tough on our self-image. Most of us have suffered from low self-esteem at one time or another in our life. It’s more common than we think! Self-esteem is our opinion of ourself. Low self-esteem is when we are unhappy or unsatisfied with ourself most of the time. Placing our self esteem in the palm of Jesus is the best way to keep it healthy and in proper perspective!

As Christians we are taught to be humble and meek, and we often misunderstand these words to be words of weakness and not strength. But you can have a healthy self-esteem and still walk in humility and meekness. Jesus did it everyday!

Paul, a man who was confident in his calling and his assignment, a man of great natural intelligence, and a man with deep spiritual convictions saw God do amazing things through him; and yet he said that we are not to think more highly of ourselves than we should!

That says to me that I can think highly of myself, I just can’t have an overestimation of who I am, and in what I do! To do so, is to pollute the gifts and talents that I possess of God, and that is a shame!

God is great, and everything He does, He does well! During creation He looked at His handiwork and approved it:

Then God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:9-10 NKJV

It’s important to know yourself and to have an honest opinion of yourself and your capabilities. When writing a resume, you have to “know yourself” and your capabilities! When sitting in an interview, you have to know yourself in order to convince the interviewer you are the best candidate for the job! When operating on a patient, you have to be confident that you can handle the procedure for the well-being of your patient. But you are not to have an over estimation of yourself, even when others apply high esteem towards you! It will cause your gifts and talents to become polluted!

It’s also important to know your weaknesses, and things you need to work on. An individual who believes there are no weakness in their life, is an arrogant individual. We all have strengths and weaknesses!

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.
Proverbs 16:18-19 NKJV

False modesty is when in your heart you think yourself fully capable of a thing, yet you down play it to others, acting as if it is no big deal, but you really believe it is a big deal. To thine own self be true! These are words from the Shakespeare play, “Hamlet”; advice from a father to his son! It has a lot of meanings, but for this blog I am saying, learn how to be true to yourself, how to be honest about you with you!

Paul brings this subject up as a precursor to talking about gifts and the measure of faith. The statement was made:

Spiritual giftedness does not equate spiritual maturity!
David Guzik, Blueletterbible.org

This is so true! A person can be gifted by God to do all sorts of things like singing and preaching, but lack the spiritual maturity to handle the accolades, or even the opportunities that could come with that gift. There is a responsibility that comes with gifts and talents, and Paul is saying that a major responsibility is to not get caught up in pride!

God has given everyone a measure of faith! We all demonstrate our ability to believe when we come to Jesus. Faith will grow and be developed as we exercise it, nurture it, hear the word, and build ourselves up in faith. But when what we do cease to glorify God, it is no longer of faith, but of the flesh! Before we get started into how God has gifted us, I leave us with the words of Jesus:

Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Matthew 7:22-23 KJV

Don’t pollute the gifts that God has placed on the inside of you! If you trust Him, He will bless your gifts and expand them; if you trust your gift, you can find yourself being a castaway! I’m looking forward to exploring these gifts together! Wonderful Jesus!

Conformity or Transformation?

Romans 12: 2- “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” NKJV

Don’t be conformed! Be transformed!

Paul continues his thought of how we are to present ourselves to God! He has already shared some key points: God is looking for a living sacrifice that is holy and acceptable, commenting that it is our reasonable service to One who has displayed so many mercies before us! He continues by stating that we are not to conform to the world. Maybe when he wrote it, it wasn’t a big deal, but today it is a big deal.

I thank God for this time in which we live. With all of our problems and concerns I would not have wanted to be born in other time in history. But we are not living in a perfect world, nor a world that honors God, and neither did Paul! People don’t want to be told how to live. We see it in the news daily, even in regards to our very health! How a world wide pandemic became a political weapon is beyond me! Yet, here we are!

The world is always looking out for self. What benefits me! What gives me power! What will give me the most views? The most followers? Make me the most money? Me at the center of it all! If we are not careful this will become our mantra as believers. It will become all about me. Therefore, Paul tells us that we are not to conform to the world.

As I researched the Greek words and their meanings, I found an interesting analogy for the word that translates to conform. In the Greek syschēmatizō means to fashion or shape one thing like another. This word has nothing to do with the inward man, or character of a man. It is used to describe the outward form that changes with time.

For example, my outward form on the day I got married was youthful but over thirty years later, not so much! My outward form is continuously changing, from size 4 to 6 to 8 to 12…I think you get the point! So what could Paul mean? William Barclay wrote that Paul was saying, “Don’t try to match your life to all the fashions of this world; don’t be like a chameleon which takes its color from its surroundings.”

In the Strong’s, this word is rendered to “conform to the same pattern, or to fashion self according to”. According to what? According to the world! I believe in financial wealth, and not a vow of poverty, but my life’s goal isn’t to obtain wealth! That’s how the world lives! I believe in having a good name, so does God, but my life’s goal isn’t to make a name for myself, but to exalt the name of Jesus! We live in this world, and as such, we are affected by all that happens in it; but conforming to this world, changing like a chameleon, being who others think we should be, is not high living!

High living, is transformation! Transformation in the Greek is metamorphoō, and is the word used for transfigure! Remember the transfiguration of the Christ?

Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.
Matthew 17:1-2 NKJV

To be transformed is to change into another form, like a butterfly from a caterpillar, like a sinner to a child of God! Transformation! God is not calling us to change the outside, but the inside, and transformation is about our inner man! Salvation is supposed to be transformative, Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV

The heart of stone, becomes a heart of flesh! The guilt is washed away, and we are redeemed! The passions of the flesh gives way to the passions of the Spirit! Because we have been made new! Now my life isn’t conformed to the world, living selfishly; but transformed to Christ, Christ centered!

This is what happens when we are saved! But we maintain this resurrected, transformational existence by the renewing of our mind! The Greek word for renewing is anakainōsis, and it means “the renewing (of your mind),” i.e., the adjustment of the moral and spiritual vision and thinking to the mind of God, which is designed to have a transforming effect upon the life; according to the Vine’s.

William Barclay explains further by stating that there are two words in the Greek for our English word “new”; neos and kainos. Neos refers to new in point in time, while kainos refers to new in point of character and nature. A new dress is neos, while being a sinner and then becoming a believer is new in character!

The word of God brings about this change!

Your old mind may call you a sinner, but the word of God says you are a new creation!
Your old mind says that you can’t be free, but the word says who the Son has made free is free indeed!
Your old mind may say that nothing ever works out for you; but the word says that God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love the Lord!
Your old mind may say that you can never know what God will do; but the word says that the Spirit of God reveals the deep things of God!
Your mind may tell you that you are sick, but the word says that by His stripes you are healed.
Your mind may tell you that you will never have the victory over this bondage, but the word says that you are an overcomer!

How is this even helpful? Well, if you read it only in this blog, it may only peak your interest! But if you begin to read the Bible as God’s word, and that you trust it, your life will be transformed into a life that even you won’t recognize. You look over your life and think, “My soul looks back and wonder how I got over!”

Paul says that when we are seeking to have a transformed life, then we will be able to prove what is that good and acceptable, and perfect will of God! David Guzik wrote in his commentary that the transformed life is proof positive of the will of God! When you understand from the word of God that you can be healed, and healing manifests in your body, you know it is the will of God that you be healed. When you see anything in the word, and it manifests in your life, than you know that is God’s will for your life! His good, acceptable, and perfect will!

Don’t settle for a life that looks like Christ on the outside because you’ve been going to church! Don’t settle for a life that looks like your friends and family because its easier to play along! Don’t settle for a life that is filled with spiritual disciplines, but lacks joy and passion for the Lord! That’s a waste of a valuable life! It’s time to be transformed by the power of God into a person whose character and very way of life shines from the Spirit of the living God! It’s so possible to have this! Get started today! Wonderful Jesus!

Called to Live!

Romans 12:1 – I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. NKJV

A Living Sacrifice, holy, and acceptable!

When I read or think of this verse, I always see it in reference to this life we are to live before God. Sometimes I even remember the missionaries of the faith who forsook all the comforts of their home, even leaving family, to share the gospel. I want to share a couple of those stories today!

James Hudson Taylor, missionary to China, served China in a way that became a blueprint for those following him. He realized early in his time in China that the evangelistic outreach was a bust! As he was “learning” from the missionaries already in China, he realized they were ineffective in reaching the Chinese and had basically established a country club environment. So one day he decided that he needed to immerse himself in the Chinese culture to reach them. His colleagues thought he was a bit extreme, but he begin to really reach the people of China with the gospel, especially those in rural areas. Although his first wife, Maria, and their oldest daughter, died in China, he continued his work there. Once when the Chinese people were in an uproar, they set his home on fire with his family inside. They escaped with the clothes on their backs, but even in this, he continued to serve. His life, and those of his family would certainly qualify as a living sacrifice!

Another impressive missionary is Amy Carmichael, the Rescuing Mother of India. She never got married, but spent all of her adult life in India. She tried to go to China to work there, but her health did not allow her to be able to live in that environment. A friend encouraged her to join them in India. She found her life’s calling, rescuing girls and then boys from temple prostitution. Even at the threat of placing her own life in jeopardy, she continued to rescue these children. The first one, just happened, but after that she withstood officials, temple priests, and others to save those children. She provided a safe place for them to live and learn, and she did it for the Lord! She never returned to Europe after arriving in India, and she died there. What a sacrifice!

As I began to write today, I thought of Jesus! Everything about His life was a sacrifice. Yes, He died on the cross for our sins, but He also demonstrated to us what a life of sacrifice would look like. He left His home in glory and took on the form of man for us. He taught the word daily, withstanding religious order and authority, all while meeting whatever needs the people had around Him. He was and is the epitome of a living sacrifice.

Every individual isn’t called to be a missionary in a foreign land, but we are all called to present our bodies as a living sacrifice. What does that mean, if it doesn’t mean a life of missionary work in the kingdom?

Paul wrote:

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
Romans 12:1 NKJV

The Hebrew word for “beseech” is “parakaleo” and it literally means to call to one’s side, or to call to one’s aid. In this particular verse it means to “admonish, to urge, to exhort one to pursue a particular conduct”. Paul is not trying to force his will on us, as some religious authorities may do, but he encourages us, knowing that we have a free will and a right to choose. So he encourages us to choose this course of action because of all of the mercies that God has shown us. In other words, God has been so absolutely good to us, that our only response really is to live our lives for Him.

The Hebrew word for the phrase, “a living” is “zao” and it simply means to live. The Hebrew word for sacrifice is “thysia” and it also means sacrifice. Paul makes a comparison of our life to a sacrifice. Not a dead one on the altar, but one that is lived as a sacrifice! When others see the life that we are living, they should see that there is a cost to living this life in Christ! Not a “woe is me, and my life is so miserable that you probably don’t want any parts of this life” life; but a life that displays the real decision it is to commit ourselves to the Lordship of Jesus! This Hebrew phrase is the same phrase used in Hebrews 13:15,

Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
Hebrews 13:15 NKJV

A sacrifice of praise is something that we can all make! And sometimes, giving of praise is indeed just that, a sacrifice! When we are hurting, or sick, or tired, or frustrated, it can be a challenge to lift up our voice and our hearts in praise, but then, that’s why it is called a sacrifice!

Paul said that our lives should be holy! Here’s a thought: Christians shouldn’t be living like the people in the world! If our lives look exactly like their lives look, something is wrong! I know it is unpopular to address that we must be holy, but it has always been a criteria for living for God:

And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”
Exodus 19:6 NKJV

Everything about Him is holy! He is holy! His name is holy! His Spirit is holy! His mountain is holy! His church is holy! His calling is holy! Therefore His people must be holy! That doesn’t mean we walk around covered from head to toe with our heads hung down never speaking above a whisper! But it means that our life, is a life of holiness. We don’t follow the crowd, we follow the Cloud, of His Glory!

Acceptable to God! Isn’t this the bottom line of our life? A life that is acceptable to our God! A life that is well-pleasing before Him is a surrendered life! A life that represents Him well! A life that says, I live to please God, and not man! If in the process man is pleased, that is good; but ultimately His validation is all that I need or want! Cain gave an unacceptable offering to God and had the nerve to be upset with God because He deemed it unacceptable!

Many today feel that whatever they give or do to the Lord should be acceptable. Nothing else matters! Just that they gave it to the Lord! He doesn’t matter! His desires doesn’t matter! Just them, and the fact that they gave it to Him should be the only requirement! But sins lies at their door, just as it did at Cain’s door!

Truly, each of these phrases deserve to be looked at individually, but I will move on. This last phrase, “which is your reasonable service” sums it all up! God isn’t asking us to do anything that we cannot do. He isn’t asking us more than we can provide. He only wants that which is reasonable! But here is the catch: it’s His call! I have to close now, but suffice it to say, we don’t make the call for what our lives should like, God does! And the word is His expressed will for that criteria! Wonderful Jesus!

The Olive Tree

Romans 11:11-12- “I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!” NKJV

In Romans chapters 9 through 11, we have been looking at the state of Israel in relationship to their belief in Jesus as Messiah. In chapter 9 we saw that Paul was in distress over their rejection of the Messiah as a whole; making it perfectly clear, that being born an Israelite did not make you a part of the chosen people of God. As a matter of fact, Paul spoke of God’s choice of Isaac over Ishmael and of Jacob over Esau! In each situation, both men were physically born an Israelite, but God had plans for a chosen people through Isaac and later through Jacob.

In chapter 10, Paul wrote that the Israelites were so intent on ignoring the righteousness of God that they sought to establish their own righteousness. Yet, Paul made the point that it was not possible to become righteous outside of faith in Jesus. And in order to believe in the Savior you had to hear about Him; and you couldn’t hear about Him without a preacher who was sent. And if you didn’t have a preacher who was sent, it really posed a problem, because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Preachers need to preach the word of God for people to believe and get saved! Shouldn’t we know this?

It is said in a commentary that chapter nine refers to Israel’s past, chapter 10 referred to their present condition at the time of the writing, and chapter 11 refers to their future, where Paul has another question to pose:

The next question is, “Are they down for the count? Are they out of this for good?” And the answer is a clear-cut No. Ironically when they walked out, they left the door open and the outsiders walked in. But the next thing you know, the Jews were starting to wonder if perhaps they had walked out on a good thing. Now, if their leaving triggered this worldwide coming of non-Jewish outsiders to God’s kingdom, just imagine the effect of their coming back! What a homecoming!
Romans 11:11-12 MSG

I like the way it is stated in the Message Bible. Are they down for the count? Paul makes it clear that the nation of Israel has not been totally counted out of the plan of salvation. After all, God made a forever promise to Abraham and His descendants. Paul even believed that although he was assigned to the Gentiles, he would in fact be used to provoke the Jews to jealousy!

For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them.
Romans 11:13-14 NKJV

Paul begins a lesson on pruning an olive tree. Since agriculture is not my thing, I’ll just simplify this for myself and others like me. Paul speaks of two olives trees, one is cultivated and represented the Jews, while the other is a wild olive tree representing the Gentiles.

If the first portion [of dough offered as the first fruits] is holy, so is the whole batch; and if the root (Abraham, the patriarchs) is holy, so are the branches (the Israelites). But if some of the branches were broken off, and you [Gentiles], being like a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among them to share with them the rich root of the olive tree, do not boast over the [broken] branches and exalt yourself at their expense. If you do boast and feel superior, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root that supports you.
Romans 11:16-18 AMP

Sometimes I need another version. In the Amplified Bible it speaks of the root of the olive tree being Abraham and the patriarchs; and since they are holy, so are the Israelites. But some of them were cutoff because of their unbelief, causing the Gentiles (the wild olive tree) to be grafted in. Zechariah also mentions two olive trees:

And there are two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on its left side [supplying it continuously with oil].”
Zechariah 4:3 -AMP

Zechariah’s olive trees were releasing a continuous flow of oil into the candlestick. I believe these two olives trees also represent the Jews and the Gentiles collectively fulfilling the vision of God, becoming one. That was free!

Scientifically speaking, one commentator spoke of the wild olive tree branches being grafted into a cultivated tree that was no longer producing fruit to bring life and production back to it. Spiritually, the Jews rejected Jesus, and He found a “people who were not a people” to become His people, the Gentiles. But He still has a plan for their salvation.

Paul warned that this was no reason for rejoicing and pointing a finger at the Jews, criticizing and judging them, thinking that they have been cast off from God forever. It simply wasn’t true and the Gentiles needed to remember, but for grace!

The bottom line, Paul explains, is that in the end, when the Jews received Jesus as the Messiah, they will be welcomed back into the tree, that they too can produce good fruit! Now for those of us who are living thousands of years after Paul wrote this, we may be thinking that it won’t happen! Or that it will take a miracle! Well, our salvation was miraculous, so why wouldn’t the salvation of Israel be miraculous? God can do just what He said He would do!

Paul calls this situation a mystery:

For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in…
Romans 11:25 NKJV

But the mystery, Paul states is quite simple:

Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy.
Romans 11:28-31 NKJV

Paul is clear on this thing: Israel was disobedient to the word of God that the rest of the world could be saved, but His gifts and calling of the Israelites as His own special people was irrevocable. God had a plan for the whole world from the beginning. Jesus came because He loved the whole world! His plan isn’t off track! He wasn’t surprised by anything! But with the foresight of a loving Father, things fell into place that we might all have access to His wondrous salvation! But don’t be fooled, Israel still holds a special place in the heart of God! Wonderful Jesus!

I’m the Only One!

Romans 11: 3-4 -“Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life”? But what does the divine response say to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”

We’re in chapter 11 of the book of Romans, and Paul continues with Israel’s rejection of Jesus, the Messiah. As I was pondering on the chapter, I thought, what more is there to pull out about their rejection of the Savior? It’s plain as day to every Christian alive that the Jews still don’t accept Jesus as a nation. But when I tried to figure out how the key text fits in this discourse, the Spirit of God spoke to me! I love it when He does that!

Being the only one in anything has both its advantages and its disadvantages. Being the only one with a copyright on a new piece of technology can catapult you into fame and riches! Being the only one in a jungle when you meet a pack of wolves could be your demise. But when you are the only one to stand for Jesus, or think you are, know that in truth, you really are not!

In order for us to get the picture, we must turn our attention to Elijah, the prophet, in 1 Kings 18. Elijah was alone when he faced Ahab and Jezebel’s 450 priests that day on Mt. Carmel. Although, Obadiah had already told Elijah that he had saved the life of 100 prophets, Elijah announced that he was the only one to Ahab:

Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of the Lord; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men.
1 Kings 18:22 NKJV

At this point, Elijah is feeling pretty good to be the only one. 450 false prophets against one prophet of the only true God. Those false prophets did everything they could: dancing, cutting themselves, and wailing to get their god to respond with fire. Nothing happened. Elijah repairs the altar, cut the bull, and have the men pour twelve buckets of water over the wood and the sacrifice. He prays a simple prayer and “voila,” fire!

Now in actuality, Elijah wasn’t the only prophet. Obadiah had just spoken these words to him:

Was it not reported to my lord what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the Lord, how I hid one hundred men of the Lord’s prophets, fifty to a cave, and fed them with bread and water?
1 Kings 18:13 NKJV

So there were others he could have had there assisting him. But at that time, it didn’t feel so bad to be the only one, this was his advantage! But then Jezebel heard of what he had done:

Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.” And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.
1 Kings 19:2-3 NKJV

I have never understood how Elijah was able to withstand 450 prophets, see fire from heaven fall on water and dry it up, and then run from Jezebel! Nevertheless, that is exactly what happened. The bible is clear in letting us know that at this point in Elijah’s life he is feeling pretty defeated, to the point of wanting to die. Twice God sends an angel to him to feed him and provide water for him. The second meal lasted for forty days until he arrived at Mt. Horeb, and then God asks him, what are you doing here?

So he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”
1 Kings 19:10 NKJV

Now Elijah, in his solitude is feeling pretty sorry for himself. His disadvantage. He has already forgotten that Obadiah told him that there were 100 prophets of the Lord! I often wonder how things would have been different for Elijah if he had connected with the other prophets that Obadiah had told him about! That’s for another blog one day! Suffice it to say, God was not pleased with Elijah’s attitude! He told Elijah to get up and to go and anoint a new king and a prophet to take his place! Can you imagine telling God you are the only one serving Him and He responds by telling you that He is done with you? And then He tells Elijah:

Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”
1 Kings 19:18 NKJV

Now let’s return to Paul. Paul reminds the Israelites of this very incident in their history that they were all aware of. Why? As a nation they were not serving the Messiah, but there was a remnant! Thank God for the remnant! That remnant was being persecuted, (not by being talked about and made fun of), but actual life taking, in a murderous rage, persecuted!

Peter and John were thrown in prison for sharing the gospel, after the lame man was healed at the gate called Beautiful! Then they were beaten and released!
The apostles were arrested and put in jail, but an angel released them!
Stephen is martyred at the feet of Paul!
James the brother of John was killed with the sword!
Christians were placed in the Colosseum with wild animals to tear them apart!

Paul knows this, because for us it is history, but for him it was the reality of the day to day, life concerns, as a believer in Jesus! It was tough being a believer!

“Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life”? But what does the divine response say to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”
Romans 11:3-4 NKJV

This text was relevant then, and it is relevant now! Paul was reminding them that there would be times that they would feel like they were the only ones facing the attacks of the enemy, but in reality, they were not! Just as God had 7,000 men who had never bowed when Elijah was whining, He has a remnant, from Israel, who is standing strong in their conviction about Jesus! Yes, it is tough! Yes, some have given their life, and others still will, but you are not standing alone in your faith! So don’t give up, and don’t give in to the pressures of the enemy! God sees you and God knows! I believe that was the purpose of Paul’s reminder of Elijah.

Isn’t that truth still pertinent for today? How many times have you felt like you were the only one standing? The only teen in your church who was truly committed? The only one in your family who truly loves God? The only one on your job who is living for God? The only one in anywhere you are at, who truly believes God?

Well, I have good news for you! Keep standing alone in your situation, because you are not alone in your faith! While there may be only one third of the world’s population who profess Christianity, that is still a whole lot of people! And just like with Elijah, God didn’t need 450 prophets to make a point, He made it quite well with just Elijah! So what if you are the only one standing? God may have an assignment that you are the only one who can complete it! He doesn’t need a lot of people to do great things! And if He doesn’t use you to do great things, I commend you and encourage you to keeping standing and to stand strong! Wonderful Jesus!

Who Believes?

Romans 10:16-17- “But they were not all obedient to the good tidings, for Isaiah saith, `Lord, who did give credence to our report?’ So then the faith [is] by a report, and the report through a saying of God” YLT

The book of Isaiah is a favorite of mine. In the verse for today, Paul is quoting Isaiah in what we refer to as the 53rd chapter. I want to share it in the NKJV:

Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
Isaiah 53:1 NKJV

Isaiah asked a question that Paul felt a need to echo: Who believes what we are saying? Pastors, teachers, preachers of the gospel are still echoing this same sentiment: Does anybody believe us? Not necessarily us, but this gospel message, this message of hope? Why are people struggling to believe the gospel?

Well, for the Jews, they struggled with Jesus the Messiah, who didn’t come to overthrow the Romans. And they struggled with Jesus the Messiah, who was a servant and not a dictator or king! And they struggled with Jesus the Messiah and His teachings that were contrary to their laws they had added to the Law. And they just plain struggled, even before Jesus showed up!

Unfortunately, people still struggle with the concept of God and His abundant grace and love towards them. Believe it or not, that takes faith!

I believe in evangelism, and I know there are all kinds of ways to evangelize; but people who truly grasp the concept of their salvation, must hear the word, and keep on hearing it, in order to grasp the concept of God Himself!

When I think about the Old Testament, and the supernatural, no other explanation miracles, that God performed for His people, I wonder how in the world could they stray so easily from Him? After that powerful Exodus from Egypt, they made a golden calf! After conquering Jericho, they worshipped the Baal. After being delivered time and again, they turned from His love. Then they asked for a king, when they already had the King!

When I think of the New Testament, the Jews still didn’t believe. Although it was prophesied that they wouldn’t, in order for the other nations to gain access to the kingdom, it is still amazing to me that they rejected Jesus. He fulfilled the prophecies right before their eyes. He performed more miracles than they could write about, according to John. And they cried with one voice, “Crucify Him!”

Today, two thirds of the world don’t believe in Jesus. Of the one third that does believe in Him, most don’t have a relationship with Him, they just believe He exists and profess Christianity. In a world where we have the internet, and the countless platforms for sharing the gospel, the world as a whole is faithless!

Martin Luther saw a problem in his era of the papacy, the Church, dictating people lives, steering them through the challenges of life, with control being the dominant factor. He and others began to realize the importance of people having access to the Word of God for themselves and went on a campaign to translate the word of God from Latin, the language of the elite, to German, the language of the common man. As people began to read the word for themselves, they began to understood God like never before.

Today, we have the bible, in every version and format imaginable, but we are not reading and studying it with a heart for God to reveal Himself. We may have a cursory, ritual of reading the Bible. We may read it when we are troubled. We may read it when we are in church. But until we open the bible and begin to read it to know God, faith won’t be activated!

Paul asked, as Isaiah did centuries before him, who has believed our report? The word Paul used for “has believed” is pisteuō, a Greek term that means “to be persuaded of” or “to place confidence in, to trust.” Paul was not concerned with people having a cursory faith in the Lord, but with them believing to the point of placing their absolute trust, or confidence in the Lord! Paul understood the level of trust needed to have a faith that couldn’t be destroyed. Who believes?

Paul said faith comes by hearing! I believe my husband loves me because He shows it to me everyday. But there is something powerful about him making that verbal decree to me that he loves me. Reading God’s word is key to anchoring our faith in Him! We must know what the word says in order to have biblical faith. Then when you hear the word preached, your faith is stirred! When you hear a testimony of the goodness of God, the flame of faith is lit, or the embers are rekindled!

Both are needed: reading and hearing of the Word! Not once, not twice, but regularly for faith to be kept strong. Paul understood that the early saints had real persecution to go through. He was in the thick of things himself. And he understood the power of hearing the word. They were being told things to counter their faith! They were experiencing things contrary to their faith! They were being encouraged, at the threat of the loss of life, to reject their faith! But Paul was letting them know that faith lies in the word of God, and that they must hear it, and hear it, and keep on hearing it to counter the affects of the negative things they were hearing!

I remember a time at church when I saw the power of hearing the word. I had gone to the orthodontist to have a surgical procedure done. After the surgery they prescribed pain medications, gave instructions for care, etc. Well, before the surgery I had decided that I would not be taking pain medication because I was trusting God to be with me during the surgery. (After praying about whether I should have the surgery or not, and getting the go ahead in my spirit, I challenged myself to believe for no need for medication). Well, as I believed, I received! Just as Jesus had said!

Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.”
Matthew 9:29 NKJV

That following Wednesday in Bible study, I shared how God had miraculously kept me from pain or having to taking the medication. A few weeks later, one of the members of the church gave a testimony. To my surprise, he started out talking about my testimony that I had shared and how it caused him to believe for the same thing when he had a minor surgical procedure. And guess what? He needed no pain medication because he had no pain. I’m not talking about having pain we could endure, I am talking about having no pain!

Faith comes by hearing! And hearing comes by the word of God. What word did we stand on?

Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.
Isaiah 53:4-5 NKJV

How did we get faith to believe for there to be no pain? We heard it preached, we searched the scriptures and found it to be true; and when we experienced it, we shared it that others would hear. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God!

I don’t know why people are struggling with the gospel message in every situation, but I do know that if faith is to be had, it will only come through the hearing of the Word! Wonderful Jesus!