Author: Bible Community Church

Let Us Continually Love Jesus as Usual – Revelation 2:1-5

The beginning of a new year is a time when many people set resolutions for themselves with a refreshed determination to do something differently this time around. As a church, what is the best spiritual resolution we can make for this fresh year? As we look into Revelation 2:1-5, we can learn what is not only the best resolution for the church, but what is an absolute necessity of the church. It is not something new or strange, but it is a reality in the lives of those who are truly born again. We must love Jesus Christ every day.

In Revelation, God uses John the Apostle to send letters to the seven churches in Asia. The first church that God addresses is the church in Ephesus (Rev 2:1-5). In the letter, God acknowledges the Ephesians’ sound doctrine and steadfastness. However, He confronts their lack of love, and warns them of the dire consequences if they don’t repent. Although we can not say for sure why God addresses the Ephesians first, we can speculate that it may be because love for Christ is the most important, most fundamental element of the church. Jesus is God Almighty, the Alpha and the Omega. (Rev 1:8) Everything exists by Him, and for Him. He is worthy to be love above anything else.

What was going on in the Ephesian church? The Ephesians were champions of sound doctrine, which is a noble thing to be. In today’s relativistic society, the church should strive to be like the Ephesians in this way. They were loyal to the teachings they received from the apostles, and they were zealous enough to expose what was false and evil. They endured through persecution as they kept and defended the faith. But despite all this, God was at enmity with them. Why? The Ephesians left their first love. Although they were steadfast in sound doctrine and faith, they did it without love. People can do a lot of work without love, but God will not count any thing if it is without love. Although the church of Ephesians was full of love in the beginning, they abandoned their love for Christ. (Eph 1:15; 3:17-19) As a church, we want to be resolved to love Christ because without love, we are nothing.

What does love for Jesus look like? Love for Jesus is deep, foundational, and transformative, as you treasure Him above all things, and therefore do what He says. It is costly and sacrificial. Apostle Paul loved Jesus, and it resulted in his absolute commitment to Him. He was willing to give up his life for the sake of Christ. (Phil 3:7-8) Jesus stated that loving God was the greatest commandment. It is the goal of all our instruction and learning. (1Tim 1:5-7) Unless we love Christ, nothing we do as Christians counts for anything. (1Cor 13:1-3) It is by love that we abide in Christ and bear fruit. If our work is not motivated by love, we become cold and mechanical legalists.

What is the first love?

  • It is literally our first love. Before coming to know God, we don’t know what true love is. We used to think that love is something to feel, rather than something to do. But as we come to know God through Jesus Christ, we know love and are able to practice love, because God is love. Love for Christ is the hallmark of a Christian.
  • God loves first. God demonstrated His love for us first. (Rom 5:8)
  • First love implies supreme love. You can’t love Christ with a divided heart. Those who are in the Kingdom of God consider Christ as first.
How can we practice our first love for Jesus? (1Thess 5:16)
  • Rejoice always. Being joyful implies that you recognize Jesus in all matters. He is with us, and He has His purpose and meaning in all things. He will never forsake us, and this is our perfect reason to be joyful.
  • Pray without ceasing. When you don’t love Christ, prayer is the first thing that gets neglected. Communion with God becomes a priority when you love Jesus.
  • Give thanks. Love for Jesus results in being content every day with what He has given you.
In God’s letter to the Ephesians, He commands three things to do to restore the first love. As Christians, we must remember our salvation. As you remember how you first became a Christian, you will realize that you are wrong to not love Christ. We must then repent, which involves both our hearts and minds. We must then return, and recommit ourselves to God to bear the fruit of repentance. Jesus warns the Ephesians- and us- of what will happen if we do not remember, repent, and return: the church will lose its testimony of the gospel when it does not love Christ. Let us therefore heed Jesus’ warning and be resolved to love the Lord with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength in this new year.
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The First Christmas, Part 4 – Luke 1:5-7

Rich or poor, all of us go through moments of hardships and struggles in this life. During these times, we often reflect on where things went wrong, and then backtrack to the basics and start all over. This is what we must do with Christmas. Christmas has become a secular holiday, where Christ is no longer central. We must go back to the true meaning of Christmas, and Luke 2:1-7 is the best place to go to do this. As believers, we must restore the significance of Christmas as we think about what God has revealed to us in Jesus Christ.

Mary is one of the central figures in the first Christmas. She is not to be idolized, as she is by the Catholic Church, but she is significant to the Christmas narrative because she was the mother of Jesus. Mary was a faithful believer, but she was a sinner, just like us. She was used as a vessel to bear the Son through a virgin conception. Mary’s role as Jesus’ physical mother points us to the central question of Christmas- why did God become man? In God’s omniscience, this was the only way to forgive our sin. God became man to deal with sin through His substitutionary death. As a Christian, we can not separate the thought of ourselves from sin. The Bible clearly states it- we are all sinners. If we deny and ignore the presence of sin in us, we can not be sanctified.

Was Jesus truly like us? Yes, Jesus was like us, yet without sin. Jesus is able to sympathize with all of our weaknesses, because He went through every suffering in His life. God the Son became flesh just like us, so He could suffer and atone for our sins. Christmas can not be separated from Jesus’ humanity, nature and work. This is why Christmas is full of power and hope, and able to rejuvenate our lost souls.

Can we truly trust Jesus’ work in His humanity? In Jesus’ humanity, Jesus became our ultimate substitute. Simply put, Jesus came to the world to die for us. We couldn’t do anything to atone for our sin- this is why God came to us to save us. (Heb 9:12) Jesus is our merciful High Priest who atoned for our sins.

What does Christmas have to do with our sin? When Jesus was born, there was no space for Him at the inn, so He was swaddled and laid in a manger. This is the humility of Christ- the King above all kings humbled Himself by becoming man. He was born in a dirty manger, signifying His humility to come into a sin-filled world in order to identify with sinners. Sin is lawlessness. Every man is born under the power of sin, with a natural disposition to oppose and hate God. But the good news is that this baby who was born in a dirty manger was the Son of God who has infinite power to abolish the power of sin for us. The world didn’t welcome Him then, and it doesn’t welcome Him now. This is the nature of sinful man. God had to become man to die for our sin, so He could transform us to a people who welcome Christ and celebrate Him during this season. This is the real Christmas.

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The First Christmas, Part 3 – Luke 1:3-5

Many people enjoy the Christmas holiday but their joy is incomplete or incorrectly based because they leave out Christ. Christmas by definition is a day of worshipping our Lord Christ. Unfortunately, Christmas has now become commercialized, to the point where the American economy depends on all the Christmas shopping.

In this attack on Christmas, we must know truth versus fiction. Christmas must be centered on Jesus Christ. Who is Jesus? To answer, we go back to the Bible where the events are recorded historically by many witnesses. We seek the truth in God’s word in the battle to bring Christ back to Christmas.

Jesus is King
When the census is ordered, Joseph is also going from Nazareth to his hometown Bethlehem, the birthplace of King David. From Matthew’s genealogy, we know  Joseph is a descendant of David. Jesus was born into the family of King David and is the King. People might argue that Jesus is technically not Joseph’s son, but to the people, Jesus is known as the son of the carpenter Joseph (Lk 4:22). Not just by lineage, but by prophecy, Jesus is the King from the line of David (2 Sam 2:16, Jer 30: 8-9, Is 11:1, Mi 5:2). Even Pontius Pilate presented Jesus as King of the Jews (Jn 19:12-15). The angel Gabriel declared Jesus as King. From beginning to end, Jesus is King.

Characteristics of King Jesus:

  1. Jesus has many crowns (Rev 19:12-13)

  2. Jesus has a sceptre (Heb 1:8-9)

  3. Jesus has a throne.( Rev 3:21, Isaiah 66:1). His throne is gracious and he welcomes sinners to repent and is merciful to forgive (Heb 4:16)

  4. Jesus is praised (Jn 12:12-15, Rev 5:11-12)

  5. Jesus was announced by proclamation (Mt 17:5)

  6. Jesus has many subjects (Jn17:6) whom he loves and shows mercy.

  7. Jesus is eternal King (Jn 1:2, Psalm 23:6)

  8. Jesus is a wise King: (Jn 16:30, Col 2:3)

  9. Jesus is a just King (Mt 21:12-13). Everyone who dies outside of Christ will face judgment from Him. He will punish the evil.

  10. Jesus is mighty King (Jn 2:3-4, Rev 1:8)

  11. Jesus is gentle and humble (Lk 2:7, Mt 12:20)

 

Jesus is the Messiah
The Messiah has a special task and mission, by definition, he is anointed by God for a special work. How do you know Jesus is the Messiah? By accomplishing the work of God

  • He is here to show mercy (Mk 10:46-47). Those who meet Jesus are transformed. (Deut 18:15; Isaiah 9:6-7)

  • Jesus is resurrected (Mt 16:21; Ro 4:25)

  • Jesus is the Savior who takes away our sin (Jer 23:5-6; 1 Jn 3:9)

 

Jesus is God
Jesus didn’t obtain his divinity as he grew older. Even as a baby, Jesus was still fully God. Some people try to argue that Jesus never claimed to be God, but it’s for that very reason they tried to stone Him (Jn 10:30:33). Jesus is called Immanuel (God with us), and He didn’t just say He loved us but proved it by being with us.

Jesus is the gift of gifts.
God prepared the perfect gift for His children. Isaiah 9:6 says unto us a child is born. Jesus was born once as the perfect and ultimate gift for men. It is His birth that is the idea of Christmas. We must clear out all other notions of Christmas, because out of Jesus flows every other future gift from God (Ro 8:32).

Jesus is Lord
The magi worshipped Jesus (Mt 2:11). What a scene, where old wise men are worshipping a baby. Jesus is Lord who is worshipped, and He must be Lord in every aspect of your life. Jesus is Lord over the universe (Col 1:15-17). In reality, we compromise and negotiate with the Lordship of Jesus. We cling to this world and its pursuits. If you consider this world inferior to Jesus,  you are practicing true worship. This truth must be established at conversion, then Jesus is truly Lord in your life.

It is time to clarify Christmas and Christ. Jesus is King, Messiah, God, the gift of gifts and Lord.

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The First Christmas, Part 2 – Luke 1:4-6

In the spirit of Christmas, the whole world has been bustling with holiday cheer as people decorate homes, prepare gifts, and enjoy merry festivities with family and friends. But to most, Christmas has nothing to do with the birth of the Messiah. Instead, Christmas has increasingly become a secular holiday. Even ten years ago, you would have been able to spot traditional biblical images displayed during the holiday season, but the meaning of Christmas has been completely tarnished by the world. Unbelievers miss out on the true joy of Christmas- that God became man to bring peace on earth. To understand the true meaning of Christmas, the only place we can look to is the Bible.

Christmas is an important Christian holiday. Without Christmas, there would have been no cross, and without the cross, there would have been no resurrection, no ascension, no church, no salvation. The birth of Jesus Christ is historical and Luke records the event with significant detail. Joseph and Mary went up to Bethlehem because of Caesar’s census. Luke specifically wrote “went up,” which precisely speaks of Bethlehem’s higher elevation than its surrounding towns, but the phrase is also significant considering how it is used throughout the Bible. Joseph and Mary were not merely returning to their hometown, but their trek to Bethlehem had to do with God’s restoration.

Jesus’ birthplace was prophesied by God 800 years before Jesus was born. What can the birthplace of Christ teach us in relation to Christmas?

Jesus is our spiritual food. Bethlehem means “house of bread” and its full name Ephrath Bethlehem means “fruitful house of bread.” In Jerusalem was born He who declared, “I am the bread of life.” Jesus is our spiritual food, and only He is able to satisfy man. Are you fed on Christ? Those who have Christ consider all else secondary.

The love of Christ. One of the greatest love stories in the Bible is of Ruth and Boaz, who came together in Bethlehem, and who became ancestors of Jesus. In relation to Bethlehem, we can see how much Jesus loved us, that He came to be with us to save us. Why do we not see the love of Christ much? When we fail to consider ourselves as the worst of sinners, we lose sight of how great of a love Christ had for us, that He would die for us even while we were yet sinners.

Jesus can quench our spiritual thirst. When David was in a dire situation of warfare, he yearned for a drink of water from his hometown Bethlehem. The water from Bethlehem was able to quench his thirst, just Christ alone is able to satisfy us.

Christ brings hope. Only hope in Christ is able to restore. In any situation, Christians have living hope because of Christ who was born in Bethlehem.

How do we know the baby born in Jerusalem is the Messiah?

  • The Messiah would perform miracles. During Jesus’ ministry on earth, no one has ever witnessed the kind of miracles He accomplished. By His Word, He was able to raise Lazarus from the dead. Jesus is truly our Yahweh who deserves all worship.
  • The Messiah came to suffer. God became man to die for our sins. He went through the ultimate suffering, as He died on the cross in our place.
  • The Messiah would be accepted by God. There are many false Messiahs but God accepts Jesus’ sacrifice alone, and it was proven by His resurrection.
The Messiah was born in Bethlehem. He alone is who we believe in and trust. This is the essence of Christmas.
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The First Christmas – Luke 1:1-7

It is now December and during this month, many celebrate the Advent season. Advent: derived from Latin means ‘coming’. Lately, Christmas, as a holiday celebrations, has had some controversies. As a reminder, as Christians we don’t worship Christmas but we worship Christ.

Two Christmas Controversies
Mainly there are two issues that have come up about Christmas. First people claim it’s a pagan holiday. They say that the first century Christians were influenced by a winter Roman holiday celebrating a pagan god. Now there’s wreaths and Christmas trees. Also there’s the fact that Christmas is not a biblical mandate, although there are a few recordings of the early churches celebrating Christ’s birth, but it wasn’t many.

Second issue is that Jesus was not born on December 25. Jews had their own calendars. Following the timeline in Luke, Jesus could be born in May or June. Based in the Rosh Hashanah then it could be around December. Ultimately no one knows the exact day Jesus was born since the Bible doesn’t say. But it’s irrelevant what day Jesus was born. It doesn’t even matter if it’s on the same day as a pagan holiday. What matters is that we remember Christ and celebrate why Jesus came. We worship God, not the event.

How do we celebrate Christmas without bias?
What is fact and the fact that matters is, Jesus was here. The account in Luke was historically exact. It has been attacked but Luke is accurate and the Biblical account is totally true. Unfortunately, Christmas has been hijacked. It has been commercialized and transformed into a sentiment. How do we get back the truth of Christmas, the truth that Jesus came to deliver us from our sins? We turn to the Bible and its reality. It is the Holy Spirit who will show us the true Christmas.

Historical Study
One way to establish the veracity of the Bible is historical study. Back then all the actions of the rulers were written down by historians. Luke is also historian. Luke’s purpose told in Luke 1:1-4 shows that he investigates thoroughly and accurately. He states, ‘so that you may know the exact truth’. Luke wants to set the record straight historically. Jesus is not a fairytale or legend.

Caesar Augustus decreed a census.  Augustus was the most powerful Roman emperor. In verse 3, everyone had to go back to their city. This is an example of God working sovereignly for the sake of the believer, so that Jesus could be born in Bethlehem. The census was very well documented. It occurred every 14 years.

Attacks from critics about the historical accuracy of Luke start happening at verse 2. The NASB translation says ‘first census’  so the word first is an adjective, while the NKJV uses the word first as an adverb. When first is an adjective, it means the earlier one, which implies there might have been a later census. This is important in relation to the following statement, that Quirinius was governor. Many historians not Quirinius was not a governor, but a procurator of the Roman government.  This is explained, during the first census Quirinius was not the governor. During the second census Quirinius was governor. Show the importance of the word first as an adjective vs the adverb. Luke’s attention to detail in telling the timeline shows the Bible is accurate, infallible and inerrant.

God’s Christmas
It is important to look at the first Christmas because Christmas has been hijacked. Men have tried to make Christmas their own holiday, while God is the one who started it. Christmas is a historical event, God planned it and it has a purpose. He is behind the events that happened. God even used the emperor and governor to accomplish His plan. It is definitely not man’s but God’s.

The Bible says, ‘it came to pass’ (Luke 2:1 KJV), meaning the time has come. God was now involved in the unfolding of the events. Zacharias had quoted Jeremiah, that the Sunrise will visit (Luke 1:78, Jeremiah 23:5).  The ‘decree went out’. This was God’s decree through Emperor Augustus. ‘Went out’ is a phrase associated with God sending out people for the sake of missions. God knows all things and is all powerful. He is transcendent (above everything) and immanent (in everything). The events of Christmas were not by chance or human planning, it’s not a pagan holiday, it is the sovereign God’s good and perfect plan.

Why did God make Christmas?
Because of sin (Romans 5:12). Everyone is a sinner, even before they were born because we bear Adam’s sin. The history of sin goes all the way back. So God has to be involved. Jesus became like us, He came to earth, became a man but without sin (Hebrews 2:14-17). This is God’s plan of salvation. We can believe the Bible’s telling of Christ’s birth because of Luke’s historical accuracy. We love Christmas because it is made by God for the salvation of sinners. That’s why we celebrate and share with those around us the wonderful news of Christ’s coming.

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The Faith of Moses, Part 4

Jesus clearly described the steps to biblical discipleship- deny yourself, pick up your cross, and follow Him. Although Moses was born before Jesus came into the world, Moses’ faith exemplified this biblical salvation. He practiced self-denial, obeyed the Will of God, and followed Christ in His suffering. True faith is multi-faceted and practical in everyday living. We conclude this series on the faith of Moses as we look into the last two aspects of faith- holiness and wisdom.

True faith is an act of holiness. Believers live holy lives because they are justified by faith. Faith begets holiness. Just as a plant and its root are inseparable, faith is the root of holiness. By faith, Moses gave up the fleeting pleasures of the world and chose to be holy.

What is holiness? Holiness is to be without sin. In other words, holiness is to be like Christ. It is not a list of dos and don’ts, but it is a whole life set apart for Jesus Christ. Holiness results in having a saving relationship with Jesus.

Why is holiness and faith inseparable? Holiness is the walk of faith. Jesus calls us to be different and set apart from the world- this is what holiness is about.

Why did Moses live a holy life? By faith, Moses saw that the world is passing away. (1Jn 2:17) Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived- apart from Jesus-summed it up this way: all is vanity. By faith, Moses knew that the pleasures of the world were in vain. He saw the loveliness of following Christ, and therefore chose the way of suffering and holiness.

How is holiness possible to those who have faith? Believers have the perfect object of faith- Jesus Christ. Jesus gives us everything we need to live holy lives. We have been endowed with God’s holy nature as Jesus abides in our hearts. He is Lord, and so we follow and obey Him. Holiness is natural to those who have saving faith. If you are not holy, you must examine whether you have real faith.

True faith is an act of wisdom. Christians are wise people. They know how to live. By faith, Moses considered- that is, he calculated- the value of suffering with Christ. This takes the wisdom of God. Biblical wisdom is strange and paradoxical to the world. It is to go through the narrow gate, choosing the suffering of Christ over the pleasures of the world. Biblical wisdom says losing all for Christ is to gain. By this understanding, Paul wanted to experience Jesus’ suffering in order to experience His resurrection.

Although Moses lived before Jesus came into the world, Moses knew about the reproach of the Messiah. All who believe in Jesus has the wisdom to follow Him in His suffering. Man naturally tends to try to avoid suffering, but by faith in Jesus, believers have wisdom to know that suffering with Christ is gain.

What happens when you suffer? Why is suffering gain?

  • Suffering makes you examine yourself.
  • It clarifies your need for Christ and urges you to turn to Him.
  • It disciplines you, turning you away from sin. It makes you know that you are a child of God.
  • It builds up your character to become a man of God.
Because of these things, we must not resist suffering, but we must pray when we suffer. Prayer helps you understand suffering rightly. By faith, you will see that God allows suffering because He loves you.

Why did Moses prefer Christ’s reproach? Moses was looking forward to the reward. Genuine faith is an act of anticipating God’s reward. Moses saw that at the end of suffering is everlasting joy. This is a mark of true faith. Even though we live in the world, our eyes are set on heaven. Moses looked forward to the glory of Christ in heaven. In all, Christians are wise because they are preparing themselves for heaven. The glory of Christ is our salvation.

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The Faith of Moses, Part 3

We might think a great faith will lead to great and mighty deeds, such as miracles or wonders. If we look at what deed is noted in Moses’ faith, we find that it was a self-denial. From this we learn, faith is something practical and real (Eph 1:17). Faith must be real, for it is only through faith Christ exists in your heart (Eph 3:17).

Exodus 2 is the background of Hebrews 11:25. From Moses we learn, Faith is a choice, faith is love and faith is holiness. We will learn about holiness next week.

Faith is an act of choice
Faith has freedom to choose, to say yes or no. Faith is about decisions. We are what we are now because of the choices we make (Phil 1:21-22). Moses chose rather to be with his brothers. We make decisions by faith, because we see who God is (Hebrews 11:1). God is the Creator, the Lord, truly God and we have assurance in His promises (Mark 4:37, Matthew 8:5-10).

When it comes to choice, God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility is often misunderstood. It is a bad doctrine to say God is sovereign and we have no choices. In today’s lesson, because we focus on faith’s choice does not mean we ignore or deny God’s sovereignty. John Frame says “The Bible makes it very clear that we are morally responsible agents. God rewards and punishes our actions according to whether they please or displease Him. There is really no tension or paradox between moral responsibility and divine sovereignty, God’s lordship, includes not only the lordship attribute of control but also the lordship attribute of authority.” It is true that God does not send people to hell. There are many who might blame God but God didn’t send them, it was by their choice of unbelief. They have no desire for Christ.

Jesus decided by faith to enter Jerusalem and die for the sinner. We also must choose based on the will of God. Every choice in our lives is between our will or God’s will. Martyn Lloyd Jones says that faith is not just decent living but being confirmed to the will of God. We must choose to not be influenced by the world (Romans 12:2, 1 John 2:16). We cannot expect to be faithful naturally. Our minds must be trained by the Word of God through reading, meditating and memorizing (Collossians 3:1, Philippians 3:20).

Faith is an act of love
Faith is love of God and love of people. We fail to love God because we lack faith. Instead our love is based on emotions, which is neither faith nor love. Moses didn’t have to love the Israelites yet he did. Faith and love are often mentioned together in the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 13:2,13, Galatians 5:6, Ephesians 5:2)

Why is love created by faith? The verse says Moses endured. Love is also patient (enduring) (1 Corinthians 13:4).

Who do we love?
Moses had to endure suffering with his people. They were slaves seemingly not worth loving, yet they were the people of God. By faith we love the people of God (Galatians 6:10). We love sacrificially and practically (1 John 3:16-18). We love those who do the will of God (Luke 8:19-21). Even though we might think they are undeserving of our love, by faith we love. In loving others, we benefit ourselves (Ephesians 5:28).

Why do we fail to love our brothers and sisters? It is because we fail to love God first. The test says ‘the people of God’. They weren’t Moses’ people but God’s, and that is why Moses loved them. We must love God above all else (Psalm 63:1-2). If we love something other than God, our love is sick. Only God can fully satisfy. When we love God first, we have faith despite our changing circumstances. A true love of God leads to a love of God’s word (Psalm 43:1-2). Love is not a sentiment but a virtue is God’s character (1 Corinthians 13).

Conclusion
We have learned from the life of Moses, that faith is choice and faith is an act of love. Pray for the growth of love in your life. If there is little love present in your life, the question we must ask is, where is your faith? Remember, faith and love go together.

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The Faith of Moses, Part 2

Faith in Jesus Christ is the means by which we are saved by the grace of God. But as Moses exemplifies, faith can be exercised beyond conversion to enable us to live in such a way that would otherwise be impossible to man. Moses was a man who had it all. Adopted by the daughter of Pharaoh, he had the opportunity to live the rest of his life in prestige and power. But by faith, he denied himself, refusing the treasures of the world to seek after the kingdom of God. What can we learn from Moses’ faith? How can we live by faith like Moses? We will consider the answers to these questions as we delve deeper into God’s Word.

Faith has three elements- knowledge, trust, and obedience. You must first have a biblical knowledge of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to have faith. You must know the gospel. Second, you must trust what you know. Or in other words, you must consider Jesus as trustworthy and therefore depend on Him alone. Lastly, faith is completed by obedience. True faith involves absolute commitment, and it bears fruit as you obey God out of love and gratitude for Christ.

Moses’ act of faith described in Hebrews 11:24 is not an easy thing to do. While most of us are reluctant to give up any worldly comfort in our lives, Moses forsook his entire future and security to live by faith in God. Faith is more powerful that anything in, and it is practical through the practice of self-denial and the lordship of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the object of our faith, and He is able to transform us, just as He transformed Moses. How is faith able to change us? Faith is sight. It assures us, convicts us, and makes us steadfast. Those who have faith are convinced of the Word of God. They believe what God says despite the lack of any physical evidence. This is why meditating and memorizing Scripture is so important to our faith. By faith, we are able to see reality as we believe and hold fast to God’s Word.

Moses’ faith produced in him the ability to deny himself. What is self-denial? Self-denial is to renounce oneself as the center of existence, and acknowledge Jesus as Lord. It is not asceticism, but it is to know and see Christ before all things. Apostle Paul describes self-denial in Galatians 2:20-

I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life that I live in the flesh, I now live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself up for me.

To be crucified with Jesus is a metaphor of our conversion. Our self-denial begins at conversion as we understand our depravity and look to Christ alone for salvation. This is the essence of self-denial- not I, but Christ in me. Paul gladly took up his cross to follow Jesus, and in the same way, every disciple of Christ is likewise called to deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Him. The gospel was real to Paul- he knew Jesus loved him, and gave Himself up for him. This encouraged Paul to deny himself in all circumstances, just as it enabled Moses to deny himself and forsake the world. You must always hear and remember that the gospel is for you, not others. By the gospel, we can deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow Jesus.

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The Man God Uses, Part 3 – Luke 1:80

You can never be sure how God might use a person. Edward Kimball was a Sunday School teacher in Chicago, Illinois. It was his kindness and patience toward a hopeless boy which God used to train D. L. Moody. It is a  story similar to the Samaritan woman who was one of the worst sinners God used to bring revival to her entire city (John 4:39).

God doesn’t just use the evangelist. Do you want to be used as a husband, father, worker, or mother? God uses people everywhere. His usage is based on your character, your ethics and your morality. We are called to be the salt of the earth, salt that is not salty is useless (Matthew 5:13).

John the Baptist lived in the desert.
The Christian life is sometimes called going through wilderness. For John the Baptist it was an actual wilderness. The wilderness is harsh and tough environment. It’s a biblical pattern that those God uses those who have traveled through a wilderness. Moses, Isaiah, Jesus and Paul were all raised in a wilderness. The wilderness is God’s school where He reforms and molds a person (John 15:2).

Alone with God
John the Baptist was alone with God, spending time alone with God in the wilderness, away from the cities and the crowds. During this time he was in solitude and restraint before beginning his ministry. In contrast, modern society has a great dread of being alone. We have TV and phones which are always connected. Being alone with God is very important.

Just being alone with God is not biblical solitude. We are constantly thinking about other things, planning our day or letting our thoughts wander. Solitude with God is centered around God’s word. Moses was outside the camp with God learning from God face to face. Jesus sought solitude with God to pray. Isaiah was alone in the temple when God showed him a vision. Believers should priorities solitude with God as it has many benefits. We can gain focus and a right perspective on our other priorities. There is also a danger if we neglect solitude. The worries of life and the deceit of the world can choke your fruit (Mark 4:19).  Solitude provides the place to digest the Word with God and internalize God’s truth. The solitude is your wilderness, seek it and prioritize time with the Lord.

Solitude with God’s word
Your time alone with God must be meditation on God’s word. (Psalm 1:2) Meditation is a wrestling and brooding over the Word of God. Thomas White said “Mediation is a holy exercise of the mind whereby we bring the truths of God to remembrance, and do seriously ponder upon them and apply them to ourselves.” Meditation is not a creating your own reality in your head. True reality is in the word of God. Meditation in the Bible deepens our knowing God and understanding God’s mind and will.

Psalm 119 is all about meditation in God’s word. King David’s life was full of turmoil yet He was faithful because his faith was built through meditation. Isaac overcame the loss of his mother through meditation (Gen 24:64) Meditation is so important to the Christian life. Thinking deeply about God, your sin, the Bible. Use the Bible to constantly think over your life and God.

Solitude and prayer
When you meditate on the Scripture, it naturally leads to prayer. John the Baptist was also a man of prayer (Luke 11:1). Prayer is not just important, it is more important than we realize. Without praying we are spiritually dead. Remember the Genesis account, where Adam and Eve lost closeness with God and were deceived by Satan. In words of JC Ryle, “Praying and sinning will never live together in the same heart. Prayer will consume sin, or sin will choke prayer.”

Tragically, many Christians don’t pray, because they are satisfied with physical blessings over spiritual blessings. That is until they hit a wall, then they pray. Another reason we lack prayer is because we might be disappointed in the lack of answers. Jeremiah had 46 hard years of ministry with no conversions, yet he never gave up praying (Lam 3:19-26). If we knew God and what loves most, we would commune with Him in prayer. His desire is for our abiding in Him, being sanctified by the Word and prayer (1 Tim 4:5).  When we pray without meditation, we create our own God with little knowledge of who God truly is. That god we create cannot answer prayers. Then we curse God because our wrong prayers go unanswered. Remember it was by prayer that church was started in a small upper room (Acts 2:42) and in prayer it will continue.

Conclusion
We are the creature before the Creator. We need prayer. We don’t pray because we think we are able, but we are not. When we begin to pray, we begin to realize we are not able. John the Baptist loved God more than anyone else. He depended on God and spent time alone with Him in the wilderness. The solitude with God builds obedience which is our proper worship.

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The Essential Element of Faith – Acts 25:13-19

There are many people who know of and acknowledge Jesus’ resurrection, but for most of them, the resurrection is not practical in their lives. Do you place your hope in the resurrection of Jesus Christ? The resurrection is at the center of Christianity. It is the proof of who Jesus truly was, and it is the evidence of our forgiveness in Him. Without it, our faith would be futile and we would still be in our sins. The resurrection became a stark line that divided the church of Acts from the Pharisees along with the rest of the unbelieving world. It was the line that Apostle Paul placed his life on as he asserted that the crucified Jesus was in fact, alive. Jesus’ resurrection was not merely theoretical to Paul- it was his life. How can we, like Paul, live in the resurrection of Christ? Paul has three marks of a true believer- conviction, understanding, and communion. We will examine these marks and see how they effected Paul’s faith.

Conviction
Paul’s theology can be summed up in two words: In Christ. Paul was truly convinced that he was in Christ. To be in Christ refers to our status- you have been placed in Christ by God. Paul did not invent this- Jesus Himself taught His disciples to abide in Him. (Jn 15:4-5). In Christ, believers are assured of the love God has for them. (Rom 8:38-39) Paul knew nothing could separate him from the love of Christ- he was therefore able to do all things in Him. (Phil 4:13) Being in Christ refers not only to a status, but to a relationship. A believer’s relationship with Jesus is deep and intimate, and it results in sanctification as he becomes more like Christ, in Christ. (Eph 5:25-27)

How can we get in Christ? Whoever believes in Jesus is in Him. (Jn 3:16; Rom 6:3-4) They are united to Him in his death and resurrection, as it is shown by their self-denial and the lordship of Christ in their lives. (2Cor 5:17) This is the ultimate mark of being in Christ- the fruit of a new life. (Lk 8:15) How can we maximize our relationship with Jesus? Only those who consider Christ as supreme in their lives will walk in the reality of the resurrection like Paul. (Phil 3:8) Do not take your spiritual life lightly- without this kind of absolute commitment, we can not grow in sanctification.

Understanding
Paul understood how wicked he was. He never believed he had anything good in himself to offer to God. (1Cor 15:9) Do you think this way? Only those who are broken will look to and depend on Jesus. Apostle Paul declared it was by the grace of God that he was an apostle. (1Cor 15:10) Before his conversion, Paul was a savage persecutor of the early church. But upon his conversion, he saw his hopelessness in the light of God’s saving grace. God not only forgave Paul, but called him as an apostle. Paul understood how much Christ loved him as he fathomed the depth of his pardoned sin. He loved Jesus much because he knew he was forgiven much. (Lk 7:47) Without experiencing this, you will not remember the resurrection. The world and our flesh are able enough to make us forget God’s Word, but if you truly understand the seriousness of your sin and behold God’s amazing grace in the gospel daily, the resurrection of Christ will be real in your life.

Communion
Paul had communion with God by the Holy Spirit. Throughout Paul’s ministry, Jesus constantly visited Paul to encourage him. In the same way, the Spirit of God constantly brings God’s Word to remembrance. God speaks to us in His Word through the Holy Spirit, who helps us to understand and empowers us to obey. The Holy Spirit dwells in every believer, and as we are filled with God’s Word, He leads us in the way of Christ. By the Holy Spirit, we are always in the presence of Jesus and as He illuminates God’s Word to us, we live in the true hope of Jesus’ resurrection.

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