Bible Ballistics: Alert?  March 16, 2014 Vol.3 No.18

As we’ve been talking about heartache and friendship, I hope it’s been an encouragement to you.  I was doing things around the house the other day and heard that familiar ‘beep beep’ of the EAS (Emergency Alert System) and kept waiting for the message that usually accompanies it and it didn’t come.  It made me think of the Lord’s return, and that when HE returns (whether we refer to the rapture or the second earthly return) the time to prepare will be over.

There are a couple of questions that have come in that I’d like to tie in to the example above, for when Jesus returns, time for evangelizing and defending our faith will cease.  We need to be wise stewards of the time that we have as we seek HIS face through the word and prayer.  There are three questions from Jarred that I think fit together well and I will address them this week, and as I am sure I can’t offer adequate responses in just one article, we will continue the article next week.

Question: “Is the ‘trinity’ in the Bible and is this an important issue.”  The second, I think is a parallel issue and that is: “What about the people who have never heard the gospel message?”  “Will all people need to ‘be saved’ to go to heaven, or are some exempted because they have never heard?”  Good questions and pertinent especially in the days we are living in.

To begin, the word “trinity” is not itself in the scripture but the principle of the ‘three-in-one’ God is.  The best place to begin is at the ‘beginning’.

Genesis 1:1-2, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.”

Here we see the ‘Holy Spirit/Holy Ghost’ at creation. God the Father and God the Spirit.  But where is the Son?  The only reference to the ‘Son’ in Genesis 1 is implied in verse 26,

“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” 

We see plurality in these three pronouns, us-our-our, yet we don’t see a specific mention of the Christ Jesus until the New Testament.

John 1:1-3 says, “ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” 

Here John tells us that Jesus–the Word- was with God, in the beginning, and that HE ‘WAS GOD’. John also credits Jesus’ very presence at creation, “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”  Jesus the creator!!  Paul also confirms this in several places, one being Colossians 1:16-17, (speaking of Jesus),

“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”

He not only created all things but holds them all together, as it’s also revealed in Hebrews 1:2-3,

“Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:”

This same Jesus, who died for our sins, is the creator of the universe, with God the Father and the Holy Spirit (also called the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ).

What does the Holy Spirit have to do with the equation?  Besides being an integral part of creation, He is the imparter of the “New Covenant” as introduced in Ezekiel 36:25-27,

“Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. 26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.” 

God promised to put “HIS Spirit” within those who trust Jesus.  Paul clearly restates this in Romans 8:9,

“But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” 

And Colossians 1:27, “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:”

God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit…..  Three in one—Three personalities, ONE GOD.  A better term would be ‘triunity’ instead of ‘trinity’.  “Trinity” can mean three people or things in a general sense but is applied to God in most cases as the three personalities of the ‘God Head’.  Triunity, referring to the ‘triune’ Godhead, is more easily understand than ‘trinity’, sometimes taken to mean ‘three Gods’, but we serve and obey–ONE GOD.  The Father, Son and Holy Spirit/Ghost.

So, to answer our first question,

the ‘trinity’ is the biblical doctrine of the

Father,

Son and

Holy Spirit—

three in one.

ONE GOD—

three distinct personalities,

and/or functions to bring us to Himself.

Equal in power and deity.

The other part of our question deals with the necessity to believe in this for salvation and we’ll pick up with that next week.  If you have questions that you’d like to submit, you can email them to me, or send a personal message on the Facebook page, or the Blog website, and we’ll try to answer one each month.  I hope this will give you food for thought this week.  In whom do you trust?

Bible Ballistics: “BBs”    Real Friends ??  #42

I’d like to take a ‘spin-off’ on friendship today, by asking  ‘What does a real friend look like?’  As always let’s go to God’s Word for the answer.

Zech. 13:6, “And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.” 

This Old Testament verse is referring to the greatest friend—Jesus.  The one who gave Himself for us!! A friend gives of himself, sometimes even unto death.  We have heard so many stories about wars and conflicts and those who made the ultimate sacrifice intentionally for the benefit of others.  That’s what Jesus has done for US.  What a friend does!!  Yet, Jesus always spoke truth and never apologized.

Proverbs 27:6, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.”

True, real friends are the ones who tell you what you ‘need’ to hear, even when you may not ‘want’ to hear it.  A real friend is ‘faithful’ to speak truth to you, instead of deceitful flattery just to cause you to like them.  It also means I need to share honestly with those that I care about—not ‘brutal’ honesty–but kindly openness with integrity and respect for others’ feelings.   As it says in Proverbs 25:11,

“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.” 

To say the ‘right’ thing, at the ‘right’ time is a gift from God. And we can only experience this as we yield ourselves to the Holy Spirit of God, as Gal. 5:16 says,

“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not   fulfil the lust of the flesh.”

So??  Walk in HIS Spirit

and be a ‘real’ friend.

Be one—

to have one!

How are you measuring your friends?

Yourself?

Bible Ballistics: “BBs”    Friendship??  #41

As we’ve talked about heartache recently, I couldn’t help but think about one of the ways that God helps us in our heartache.   He sends us friends, but what does a ‘real’ friend look like?  Not a ‘thumbs up’ sign.

Proverbs 17:17 says, “A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”

A real friend loves all the time, but what is love?  Biblical love, ‘agape’, is unselfish, unconditional love.  The love of God (which He places in us when we are saved, see Rom 5:5) always does that which is best for the beloved. To be a ‘real’ friend, I will always do the best for my friends.

Proverbs 18:24, “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.”

To have friends,

I must be a friend—

The giver—rather than the receiver.

Selfless—rather than selfish.

Generous—rather than greedy.

Kind—rather than demanding.

Why?  Because God’s love is in us (Romans 5:5)!!!!

1 Samuel 18:1, “…..that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.”

David and Jonathan were bound by a loving, committed friendship.  Praise God if you have a friend like that.  But more importantly be that friend.  Praise God for friendship.

That the heartaches can be shared,

and burdens carried by two instead of one.

Thank you Jesus for my friends.

So???  Here’s our shot for the day.  Be a friend and thank God for your friends!!

So??  Jesus calls us HIS friend.

John 15:15b,  “…but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.”

Jesus is not only my best friend, HE also teaches me to be a friend to others.

Who needs your friendship today?

Who needs to know you appreciate them?

Thank God and thank them,

while they can hear your kind words.

Give your roses while the recipient can smell them.

Bible Ballistics: Heart Healer? March 9, 2014 Vol.3 No.17

Ever have a heartache?  Ever have one that seemed to linger so long that you wondered if you’d ever get over it?  Most of us have had some kind of heartache, some so difficult that we weren’t sure that we could ever get over them.  I’d like us to consider this dilemma and what, if any recourse that we might have.

Let’s begin with the hope of Jesus mentioned in several passages:

Isaiah 25:8, “He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it.”

Revelation 7:17, “For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”

Revelation 21:4, “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”

Oh, what a glorious promise and hope we have in Jesus—a time when all of our tears will be wiped away with all crying.  Those times when we have cried until we thought there was not another drop of water left in our body.  The nights when we wept till the dawn broke into our sorrow.  Those days when we only overcame the tears to preserve our pride and privacy.  When we are with Jesus—we will never have to cry again.  God Himself shall wipe away our tears.

But, what about now?  What do we to do in the mean time?  One of my favorite verses reminds us that God knows those times and seasons—if will but learn to trust HIM with them, all of them.

Psalm 126:5, “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.”

Isaiah 38:5a, “Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears:”

Psalm 56:8-9, “Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book? 9 When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me.”

Remember, God never wastes anything, even our tears.  He brings ‘joy’, out of sorrow–He ‘hears’ our prayers—and ‘sees’ our ‘tears’.  He holds our ‘tears’ as in a bottle for safekeeping, and records them in His ‘book’.  I believe perhaps to show us one day all the marvelous things HE made out of ‘tears’.  Because GOD is always ‘for us’.  As Romans 8:31 says,

“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”

Isaiah 54:17, “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.”   (Remember 2 Cor. 5:21)

Are we willing to trust Him in those moments?  Is He truly trustworthy?  Can we walk through these difficult times with confidence?  Absolutely!!!  We can and we must!!

Psalm 30:4-5, “Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. 5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”  

And Romans 5:3-5 reminds us that, “ …… we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”

His love in us—that we can spread His love to others. And sometimes that LOVE will spill out as tears.  Sometimes the very ministry that God calls us to can cause us to know heartache and tears, but as He promised in Jeremiah 31:16,

“Thus saith the Lord; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the Lord; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy.”  He is faithful then—and now.  Always!!!

God’s discipline is always for our ultimate good.  He is working to transform us into sons that will bring Him glory and to grow us in His grace.

Hebrews 12:5b-6, “……. My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.”  (See Rom 8:28-29).

Are you yielding to the hand of the Lord?  Am I willing to trust Him and His work in my life?  He is worthy of our trust, and He can handle your questions and your doubt—just listen to HIS answers.  Feast on HIS word,

“My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. 21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. 22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. 23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” 

Will you let God heal your heart HIS Way?  Give HIM your tears—He is the ‘heart healer’!!!  I thank HIM for it!!!

Bible Ballistics: “BBs”    Whose Strength??  #40

Where do we turn when we become exhausted and done in?  Those times when we’ve gone as far as we can, as long as we can?  What then?

We must Remember our source –And Praise God it’s not me, but…

 “The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.”  Psalm 18:2,

While God is our strength, we still must guard our energies.  We must heed Jesus admonition in Matthew 11:28-30,

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

We must continue to

“……. Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”  Galatians 5:16

and  “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”  Galatians 5:25

So???  ‘Come’ to Jesus first—don’t let the stress and confusions of life distract you from HIM.  We can rest in His “strength” –His all-sufficient, never ending strength!!!

So???   Don’t let the enemy run you weary but,

“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” 1 Peter 5:7-8.

BE STRONG….  IN the Lord!!!!