"The Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, 'Lord, save me!'" - Matthew 14: 29-30
In this section of Matthew chapter 14, Jesus has just performed one of his most famous miracles: the feeding of the 5,000. After this miracle, Jesus orders his disciples to get into a boat and go to the other side while he dismisses the 5,000. After dismissing the 5,000, Jesus goes up to the mountainside to pray. At around 3 in the morning, Jesus looks down and see his disciples in their boat but are struggling with a violent storm. Jesus then proceeds to come down from the mountain and walk on the water to the disciples' boat. When the disciples first see Him, they think He is a ghost. When the disciples realize that it is Jesus, Peter asks Jesus for permission to walk on the water with Him. Peter is doing just fine until the wind blows and Peter begins to sink and immediately calls out for Jesus to save him.
This story is one that we can easily apply to our lives, minus the fact that we can walk on water. The first thing is the storm. When Jesus put the disciples into the boat, they were probably not expecting to be hit with such a violent storm. Storms can hit a persons life at any time. If you're not currently going through a storm, you will soon. They are inevitable. They can cause us to panic and act in ways that we normally wouldn't act. The second thing is that God is always willing to help. He may not always help when we want Him to but his timing is always perfect. Though the disciples were struggling with the storm for hours, Jesus did not intervene until later. God is never late, and for that matter, He is never early. He is always on time and He has a reason for His timing. The ironic thing is that when Jesus does come to help, the disciples did not recognize Him. They thought He was a ghost. Sometimes when we are going through a tough time and we ask God for help, he assists us in ways that we aren't always looking for. The final point has to do with Peter. When Peter steps out onto the water, he is actually walking on the water. But when the wind blows, Peter starts to panic and his situation gets much worse until he cries out for Jesus to save him. When we go through a storm, things may seem to be going okay but once we take our focus off of God, our situation gets worse. God knows and understands that there are going to be plenty of hardships in your life and He wants to help you get through them. But He is not going to force Himself into your life. You have to be willing to submit your life to Him and cry out for help.
God doesn't cause the storms of life but he allows them to happen. Sometimes we don't understand why God allows us to go through a tough time until after it is over and sometimes we never understand. The important thing to remember is that God is always in control of everything. Even in these times when the world seems to be in chaos, God is in control. If you want His help, all you have to do is ask for it.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Why The Bible Can Be Trusted
Here are some facts as to why the Bible can be trusted to be the word of God:
1) The "Divine Design"
The Bible consists of 66 books (originally scrolls), which was written by over 40 authors (all of different occupations and education levels) over a timespan of 1500 years. Most of the writers, especially ones of the Old Testament, did not know each other. The Bible was written in three different languages (Old Testament: Hebrew & Aramaic, New Testament: Greek) and on three different continents (Africa, Europe, and Asia).
These facts on their own may not be very impressive but when you take into consideration that all the writers were consistent with the message in their writings, it becomes almost unthinkable that it flows together perfectly. So unthinkable that maybe there was divine intervention ...
2) The Bible is Historically Accurate
Minor characters in the Bible such as Herod the Great, Pontius Pilate, and King Agrippa are all confirmed by Roman records and archeology. Even non-believing scholars agree that other people, such as King David and King Solomon, and cities, such as Ephesus and Thessalonica, are real.
3) The Bible has fulfilled Prophecies
Forgetting Jesus' deity and whether you believe it or not for one second, let me list three prophecies:
i) 2 Samuel 7: 12-16 - In these verses, God is promising King David that the messiah will come from his bloodline.
ii) Micah 5:2 - This verse predicts that the messiah will be born in the town of Bethlehem.
iii) Daniel 9: 24-27 - This verse predicts that the messiah will have had to have lived and died before the Jewish temple is destroyed.
*Remember, Daniel was the last of these prophecies that was written....900 years before the birth of Jesus!*
Jesus came from the bloodline of King David (Matthew chapter 1), was born in the town of Bethlehem, and was crucified around 32AD. The Jewish temple was destroyed in 70AD. The odds that someone would fulfill one of these prophecies is very small so the odds that someone would fulfill three of them is even smaller.
Fulfilling prophecies did not stop with Jesus. Prophecies are still being fulfilled today, including the uprisings in the Middle East and the path toward a one-world government.
4) The writers of the books suffered great persecution
Think about this: if you wrote a book that you KNEW was false, would you die in order to prove its truthfulness? If the writers of the Bible had any indication that what they were writing was false, would they have died for its cause? Here are some of the writers and the ways they were persecuted:
Matthew: Killed by sword in Ethiopia
Mark: killed by being dragged through the streets of Alexandria
Luke: hung from and olive tree
John: banished to island of Patmos after a plan to boil him in oil did not work
Peter: crucified upside down (did not feel worthy to die a death like Jesus)
Paul: beheaded in Rome
The first five of these authors were actual disciples of Jesus and were killed because of their faith in Jesus. If their writings were false and they truly did not believe what they were writing, why would they die for its cause?
1) The "Divine Design"
The Bible consists of 66 books (originally scrolls), which was written by over 40 authors (all of different occupations and education levels) over a timespan of 1500 years. Most of the writers, especially ones of the Old Testament, did not know each other. The Bible was written in three different languages (Old Testament: Hebrew & Aramaic, New Testament: Greek) and on three different continents (Africa, Europe, and Asia).
These facts on their own may not be very impressive but when you take into consideration that all the writers were consistent with the message in their writings, it becomes almost unthinkable that it flows together perfectly. So unthinkable that maybe there was divine intervention ...
2) The Bible is Historically Accurate
Minor characters in the Bible such as Herod the Great, Pontius Pilate, and King Agrippa are all confirmed by Roman records and archeology. Even non-believing scholars agree that other people, such as King David and King Solomon, and cities, such as Ephesus and Thessalonica, are real.
3) The Bible has fulfilled Prophecies
Forgetting Jesus' deity and whether you believe it or not for one second, let me list three prophecies:
i) 2 Samuel 7: 12-16 - In these verses, God is promising King David that the messiah will come from his bloodline.
ii) Micah 5:2 - This verse predicts that the messiah will be born in the town of Bethlehem.
iii) Daniel 9: 24-27 - This verse predicts that the messiah will have had to have lived and died before the Jewish temple is destroyed.
*Remember, Daniel was the last of these prophecies that was written....900 years before the birth of Jesus!*
Jesus came from the bloodline of King David (Matthew chapter 1), was born in the town of Bethlehem, and was crucified around 32AD. The Jewish temple was destroyed in 70AD. The odds that someone would fulfill one of these prophecies is very small so the odds that someone would fulfill three of them is even smaller.
Fulfilling prophecies did not stop with Jesus. Prophecies are still being fulfilled today, including the uprisings in the Middle East and the path toward a one-world government.
4) The writers of the books suffered great persecution
Think about this: if you wrote a book that you KNEW was false, would you die in order to prove its truthfulness? If the writers of the Bible had any indication that what they were writing was false, would they have died for its cause? Here are some of the writers and the ways they were persecuted:
Matthew: Killed by sword in Ethiopia
Mark: killed by being dragged through the streets of Alexandria
Luke: hung from and olive tree
John: banished to island of Patmos after a plan to boil him in oil did not work
Peter: crucified upside down (did not feel worthy to die a death like Jesus)
Paul: beheaded in Rome
The first five of these authors were actual disciples of Jesus and were killed because of their faith in Jesus. If their writings were false and they truly did not believe what they were writing, why would they die for its cause?
Thursday, February 10, 2011
It's So Easy To Become a Christian
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast." -Ephesians 2: 8-9
The famous preacher Billy Graham once said, "It is so easy to receive Christ that millions stumble over its sheer simplicity." He could not have been more right. Many people see Christianity as an exclusive group of people and in order to be apart of it, you have to meet certain qualifications. It is quite the contrary. Christianity is an inclusive group of people. Anyone can become a Christian. There is only one qualification: you have to be a sinner. And because that is the only qualification, everyone qualifies. Now as easy as this sounds, many people struggle with the fact that they are sinners. Most of us would like to think that we are good people and that in the end, God will see all the good we have done and let us into heaven. However, admittance into heaven requires that a person be perfect. Have you ever made one mistake in your life? You told a little lie or you stole something small or you looked at another person lustfully. All of those are sins in God's eyes. In James 2: 10 it says, "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it." When we break one of God's laws, it is as if we have broke all of His laws. And because a person needs to be perfect to get into heaven, when we commit one sin, no matter how tiny it is, we are condemned for all of eternity. This is where the above scripture comes in. God loves us so much that he has provided a way for sinners to get into heaven. His name is Jesus Christ. In short, what happens is when a person puts his or her faith in Jesus Christ as their personal savior, when that person goes to meet the Lord, instead of being condemned for all the sins that person has committed, God sees that person as if he/she lived Jesus' perfect life. Imagine a courtroom where God is the judge. You're standing before Him about to be sentenced to death for all the wrongs that you've done. But just as the punishment is about to be handed to you, the defense attorney, Jesus, intervenes on your behalf and says, "Your Honor, I have already taken the punishment for this man/woman." That is why Jesus had to come to earth. God needed a perfect sacrifice to bear the sins of every man and woman that has ever lived. And because he lived a perfect life without sin, if you put your faith in him as your savior, you will know FOR CERTAIN that you will go to heaven.
It's not difficult to become a Christian. It's not hard to understand. Yet the simplicity of it will trip up so many people. I hope that as you are reading this, the reality of what Christ did for us is weighing on your heart. It's not just coincidence, its Jesus wanting you to invite him into your life. Revelation 3: 20 says, "I stand and the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." Jesus is knocking at the door of your heart. He wants you to open it and let him in so he may dwell with you forever. Let him in and experience all the love he has to give.
The famous preacher Billy Graham once said, "It is so easy to receive Christ that millions stumble over its sheer simplicity." He could not have been more right. Many people see Christianity as an exclusive group of people and in order to be apart of it, you have to meet certain qualifications. It is quite the contrary. Christianity is an inclusive group of people. Anyone can become a Christian. There is only one qualification: you have to be a sinner. And because that is the only qualification, everyone qualifies. Now as easy as this sounds, many people struggle with the fact that they are sinners. Most of us would like to think that we are good people and that in the end, God will see all the good we have done and let us into heaven. However, admittance into heaven requires that a person be perfect. Have you ever made one mistake in your life? You told a little lie or you stole something small or you looked at another person lustfully. All of those are sins in God's eyes. In James 2: 10 it says, "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it." When we break one of God's laws, it is as if we have broke all of His laws. And because a person needs to be perfect to get into heaven, when we commit one sin, no matter how tiny it is, we are condemned for all of eternity. This is where the above scripture comes in. God loves us so much that he has provided a way for sinners to get into heaven. His name is Jesus Christ. In short, what happens is when a person puts his or her faith in Jesus Christ as their personal savior, when that person goes to meet the Lord, instead of being condemned for all the sins that person has committed, God sees that person as if he/she lived Jesus' perfect life. Imagine a courtroom where God is the judge. You're standing before Him about to be sentenced to death for all the wrongs that you've done. But just as the punishment is about to be handed to you, the defense attorney, Jesus, intervenes on your behalf and says, "Your Honor, I have already taken the punishment for this man/woman." That is why Jesus had to come to earth. God needed a perfect sacrifice to bear the sins of every man and woman that has ever lived. And because he lived a perfect life without sin, if you put your faith in him as your savior, you will know FOR CERTAIN that you will go to heaven.
It's not difficult to become a Christian. It's not hard to understand. Yet the simplicity of it will trip up so many people. I hope that as you are reading this, the reality of what Christ did for us is weighing on your heart. It's not just coincidence, its Jesus wanting you to invite him into your life. Revelation 3: 20 says, "I stand and the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." Jesus is knocking at the door of your heart. He wants you to open it and let him in so he may dwell with you forever. Let him in and experience all the love he has to give.
Friday, February 4, 2011
God's Will For Your Life
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will." - Romans 12: 2
There are times when we wonder what we are doing with our lives. Are we living up to our full potential? Are we doing what we feel we've been destined to do? We ALL have these moments. Being a Christian means that a person stops living for the plans THEY have set for their lives and starts living for the plans that GOD has for their lives. God has a plan for each and every person. You are where you are because God wants you there. You might not have the best job, the most lavish lifestyle, or even the best family but you are in your position because God wants you there for a reason. Take the apostle Paul for example. He was a well-known Christian persecutor not long after the crucifixion of Christ. One day, on his way to Damascus, Jesus spoke directly to Paul and commanded him to stop persecuting his people. From that day on, Paul went throughout the world preaching the Gospel of Jesus to the gentiles. Now, God doesn't always speak to us that bluntly but if you put your trust in Him, you can be sure He'll lead you where you're supposed to be.
As my Nana once told me, "You have plans for your life but God looks at your plans and laughs." While God may not exactly laugh at the plans I have for my life, she has a point. Our plans and God's plans don't always line up. I may want to follow a certain path but God wants me to go a different direction. As a Christian, I've stopped living for my will and have started living for God's will. After all, He is the one who created the earth and everything in it. I think He knows what He's doing :).
Now, as Christians, we pray that God will show us or inspire us to know what His plans are for our life but it's not always easy to know. But I trust Him so much that I know He will lead me where He wants me to be. And don't think for a second that because Christians put their faith in God and the fact that He will guide our lives, that we just sit on our butts and wait for miraculous signs. We still have to be proactive in our lives and set out to accomplish goals. The difference is that we are aware that at any moment God can tell us to go a different direction.
There are times when we wonder what we are doing with our lives. Are we living up to our full potential? Are we doing what we feel we've been destined to do? We ALL have these moments. Being a Christian means that a person stops living for the plans THEY have set for their lives and starts living for the plans that GOD has for their lives. God has a plan for each and every person. You are where you are because God wants you there. You might not have the best job, the most lavish lifestyle, or even the best family but you are in your position because God wants you there for a reason. Take the apostle Paul for example. He was a well-known Christian persecutor not long after the crucifixion of Christ. One day, on his way to Damascus, Jesus spoke directly to Paul and commanded him to stop persecuting his people. From that day on, Paul went throughout the world preaching the Gospel of Jesus to the gentiles. Now, God doesn't always speak to us that bluntly but if you put your trust in Him, you can be sure He'll lead you where you're supposed to be.
As my Nana once told me, "You have plans for your life but God looks at your plans and laughs." While God may not exactly laugh at the plans I have for my life, she has a point. Our plans and God's plans don't always line up. I may want to follow a certain path but God wants me to go a different direction. As a Christian, I've stopped living for my will and have started living for God's will. After all, He is the one who created the earth and everything in it. I think He knows what He's doing :).
Now, as Christians, we pray that God will show us or inspire us to know what His plans are for our life but it's not always easy to know. But I trust Him so much that I know He will lead me where He wants me to be. And don't think for a second that because Christians put their faith in God and the fact that He will guide our lives, that we just sit on our butts and wait for miraculous signs. We still have to be proactive in our lives and set out to accomplish goals. The difference is that we are aware that at any moment God can tell us to go a different direction.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Finding Strength in God
"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weakness, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." - 2 Corinthians 12: 9-10
The daily difficulties that we go through are enough to bring any one of us to our knees. There are times when we all feel that this world is just too much, that life is more than we can bear. It is at times like these that we need something to lean on. Sure, we all have people that we trust with our lives but people will let you down. Think of the most important people in your life. At one point or another, they have let you down. Maybe not purposely but it is just human nature that we let each other down. This is where Jesus comes in. Jesus is the only one who will never let you down. He will always be there for you, whether you're at the highest of highs or the lowest of lows. In this scripture, Paul, Christianity's first missionary, has been given what he calls, "a thorn in the flesh," something that Paul never defines. Paul asks God three times to take it away and the scripture above is God's response. God wants us to know a couple of things. First, God does not cause suffering. Suffering is a result of living in a fallen world that is consumed with sin. Secondly, God does allow people to suffer. God allows trials and tribulations in a person's life because for some people, the only time they turn to Him is when everything else is letting them down. God wants to know you personally. The God of the bible is not a distant being who wants nothing to do with His creation. He wants a personal relationship with every single person. That is the Christian faith. Having a close relationship with the creator of the universe. Once you have that relationship with Him, He will provide you strength when you feel like you have none. When you're weak, you will be strong because of Him.
The daily difficulties that we go through are enough to bring any one of us to our knees. There are times when we all feel that this world is just too much, that life is more than we can bear. It is at times like these that we need something to lean on. Sure, we all have people that we trust with our lives but people will let you down. Think of the most important people in your life. At one point or another, they have let you down. Maybe not purposely but it is just human nature that we let each other down. This is where Jesus comes in. Jesus is the only one who will never let you down. He will always be there for you, whether you're at the highest of highs or the lowest of lows. In this scripture, Paul, Christianity's first missionary, has been given what he calls, "a thorn in the flesh," something that Paul never defines. Paul asks God three times to take it away and the scripture above is God's response. God wants us to know a couple of things. First, God does not cause suffering. Suffering is a result of living in a fallen world that is consumed with sin. Secondly, God does allow people to suffer. God allows trials and tribulations in a person's life because for some people, the only time they turn to Him is when everything else is letting them down. God wants to know you personally. The God of the bible is not a distant being who wants nothing to do with His creation. He wants a personal relationship with every single person. That is the Christian faith. Having a close relationship with the creator of the universe. Once you have that relationship with Him, He will provide you strength when you feel like you have none. When you're weak, you will be strong because of Him.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
God's Love
"Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." -Romans 5: 7-8
For many groups or organizations in life, a few can ruin the reputation of the many. Christianity is no different. Sure there are Christians who are always condemning non-believers or giving people ultimatums that if they don't receive Jesus then they are going to hell. These people give Christianity a bad name. When Jesus came to this earth, he was sent by God to be a perfect sacrifice for the sins of the entire world. God sent Jesus because He loves all of us, whether we choose to believe in Jesus or not. During his ministry, Jesus continually talked about love. When asked what the greatest commandment is, Jesus replied, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." (Mark 12: 30) Jesus then says the second greatest commandment is to "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Mark 12: 31) Love, love, love. That's what the Christian faith should be about. God loves us unconditionally and we should love others the same.
What the verses above are speaking of is God's love for us. We as the human race are sinners (whether or not a person believes that is a different topic). And since we are sinners, we need a savior: Jesus Christ. God loves us so much, that even though we don't deserve to be saved, He wants to save us. That is the amazing love that God has for us. And while we can never demonstrate that love to each other (for the simple reason that we're not God) we can do our best to show others this type of love. Showing and demonstrating this love is what being a Christian is all about.
For many groups or organizations in life, a few can ruin the reputation of the many. Christianity is no different. Sure there are Christians who are always condemning non-believers or giving people ultimatums that if they don't receive Jesus then they are going to hell. These people give Christianity a bad name. When Jesus came to this earth, he was sent by God to be a perfect sacrifice for the sins of the entire world. God sent Jesus because He loves all of us, whether we choose to believe in Jesus or not. During his ministry, Jesus continually talked about love. When asked what the greatest commandment is, Jesus replied, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." (Mark 12: 30) Jesus then says the second greatest commandment is to "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Mark 12: 31) Love, love, love. That's what the Christian faith should be about. God loves us unconditionally and we should love others the same.
What the verses above are speaking of is God's love for us. We as the human race are sinners (whether or not a person believes that is a different topic). And since we are sinners, we need a savior: Jesus Christ. God loves us so much, that even though we don't deserve to be saved, He wants to save us. That is the amazing love that God has for us. And while we can never demonstrate that love to each other (for the simple reason that we're not God) we can do our best to show others this type of love. Showing and demonstrating this love is what being a Christian is all about.
Purpose
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." - John 3: 16-17
I have been going to church for as long as I can remember but it wasn't until recently that I began to truly study the inspired word of God: the Bible. Though I still consider myself a baby in the faith, I'm learning more everyday. I am hoping that this blog will assist me in my learning and be an outlet for expressing my ideas on scripture and sharing the experiences of being a Christian.
I have been going to church for as long as I can remember but it wasn't until recently that I began to truly study the inspired word of God: the Bible. Though I still consider myself a baby in the faith, I'm learning more everyday. I am hoping that this blog will assist me in my learning and be an outlet for expressing my ideas on scripture and sharing the experiences of being a Christian.
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