Tag Archives: Believe It Or Not

They Saw The Star And Followed!!! Bible Ballistics: BBs #611

18 Wednesday Dec 2019

Posted by in 'Tis The Season?, Abundant Life In Jesus, Believe IN Jesus, Christmas IS?, Follow Jesus, Follow The Star?, From the manger To the Cross, HOPE, If not now? When?, IN Jesus!, Look UP

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Bible Ballistics: BBs #611  They Saw The Star And Followed!!!

 

I love the night sky—the stars, the moon, the wonder of light shining in the dark.  How amazing that God uses truths of the sky to reveal to us the wonder of being light (and salt) in this world of darkness and corruption!  God used a ‘star’ in the night sky to announce to wise men from the east, that the Jewish Messiah—the King of the Jews—had arrived.  So, these men took off on an amazing journey to find this ‘newborn king’; they followed the star, and “rejoiced with exceeding great joy”, presenting their gifts as they had come “to worship him”!  What about you?  What are you following?  Have you set your sights on the sinking sands of the world, or have you set your eyes on Jesus!

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about

with so great a cloud of witnesses,

let us lay aside every weight,

and the sin

which doth so easily beset us,

and let us run

with patience

the race

that is set before us,

2 Looking unto Jesus

the author

and finisher

of our faith;

who for the joy that was set before

him endured the cross,

despising the shame,

and is set down

at the right hand

of the throne of God.”   Hebrews 12:1-2

Matthew records the strange arrival of these wisemen (and no, we don’t know how many or exactly where they came from) who came to worship the ‘newborn king’)!

“Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea

in the days of Herod the king,

behold, there came wise men from the east

to Jerusalem,

2 Saying,

Where is he

that is born King of the Jews?

for we have seen his star in the east,

and are come

to worship him.”  Matthew 2:1-2

So, my simple thoughts for us today are, have you seen HIS star?  Have you come to bow down and worship HIM?  Have you bowed your knee before this babe in the manger?  Or are you missing the light that God sent to not only ‘show us the way’, but to BE the way?  Will you follow the ‘star’ from the manger to the cross?

“When they had heard the king,

they departed;

and, lo, the star,

which they saw in the east,

went before them,

till it came and stood

over where the young child was.

10 When they saw the star,

they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

11 And when they were come into the house,

they saw the young child with Mary his mother,

and fell down,

and worshipped him:

and when they had opened their treasures,

they presented unto him gifts;

gold,

and frankincense,

and myrrh.”  Matthew 2:9-11

I’m so glad Jesus took on flesh and blood and came to be our redeemer; paying our sin debt.  Yet you and I must not only see the star but come to Him in repentance and faith; believing that He is the “Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world”! He is the only “way”—the only “star” that leads to life.  Won’t you make this your best Christmas ever, and come to HIM for salvation, if you haven’t already?  And if you do know Him and His ‘redeeming grace’, won’t you determine to be a reflection of HIS light, love and truth?  Let’s tie this up in a bow with a couple of passages that clearly reveal HIM for who HE is—not just a baby in a manger, but the LORD of ALL!

“Jesus saith unto him,

I am the way,

the truth,

and the life:

no man cometh unto the Father,

but by me.”  John 14:6

One of the most wonderful portraits of how to follow our “star”, Jesus, is painted by Paul in Philippians 2!

“Let this mind be in you,

which was also in Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in the form of God,

thought it not robbery

to be equal with God:

7 But made himself of no reputation,

and took upon him the form of a servant,

and was made in the likeness of men:

8 And being found in fashion as a man,

he humbled himself,

and became obedient

unto death,

even the death of the cross.

9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him,

and given him a name which is above every name:

10 That at the name of Jesus

every knee should bow,

of things in heaven,

and things in earth,

and things under the earth;

11 And that every tongue should confess

that Jesus Christ

is Lord,

to the glory

of God the Father.”  Philippians 2:5-11

Merry Christmas—and may the “mind” of the Redeemer pervade your life!  After all, the question isn’t “will you bow”; for “every knee” will bow; the question is, ‘will you bow before Him as your Lord and Savior now, while you have the opportunity?’; or ‘will you bow before HIM as your judge with no opportunity for salvation?’  The choice is yours but choose wisely—there is a test!

And one last word from the Apostle Peter who put it so concisely:

“Neither is there salvation in any other:

for there is none other name

under heaven

given among men,

whereby we must be saved.”  Acts 4:12

It was true then, it’s still true today!

Amen and Amen!

 

 

Believe It Or Not??? Bible Ballistics: Vol. 13 No. 12

05 Sunday May 2019

Posted by in Born Again, Choices And Consequences, Choose You This Day!, Encouragement, Every Knee Shall Bow, Follow Jesus, Gospel, Hearing God, I Can Do All Things?, I Know Whom I Have Beleived, It's Your Choice, JESUS, Jesus Is Coming!, Jesus Is The Only Way!, Not Of This World, Salvation, Seeing Truth, The Only Way, The Word, The Word Or The World?, Truth

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Bible Ballistics: Vol. 13 No.12      Believe It Or Not???

 

I have a brief message today, brief in the sense that I have little to say about the passage I want to share with you, but rather want to let you ponder the words of Jesus!  I truly believe that the day of His approaching return is very near, and we live in days when, like the people who heard and saw Jesus in person, men are unwilling to heed the voice of the Son of God.  And as Jesus said Himself, HE is the only way.

“Jesus saith unto him,

I am the way,

the truth,

and the life:

no man cometh unto the Father,

but by me.”   John 14:6

Jesus IS the only way to God, and regardless of what the world says, there is NO other way. And when we come to Jesus in repentance and faith, we will find that HE is sufficient to our every need, and all that we do is dependent on HIM!  Even as His child, I am only profitable to God as I yield to and depend on the work of God in me through the Holy Spirit of Jesus!  How sad that so many who claim to know Him, preach a different gospel—one of self-reliance, greed, and prosperity—rather than the call of Jesus to “take up your cross and follow me…”!

“Abide in me,

and I in you.

As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself,

except it abide in the vine;

no more can ye,

except ye abide in me.

5 I am the vine,

ye are the branches:

He that abideth in me,

and I in him,

the same bringeth forth much fruit:

for without me

ye can do nothing.”   John 15:5

Without Jesus there is no future but death and hell, but with Him we can have eternal life through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ—for our sin! (See 1 Corinthians 15:1-8). Jesus is our life, hope and assurance, and truly “without me ye can do nothing”!  But with Him we can truly say with Paul, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”  (Philippians 4:13)

The passage from John’s Gospel,  is Jesus’ own message to those who refuse to receive HIM! I simply ask that you read this passage and ponder its content, and the heart of the Messiah who spoke it to us all those years ago!  Do you know Him?  Are there those whom you love who need to know Him?  Will you determine today to be a reflection of The Savior to a lost and dying world?  Will you stand by the truth of The Word rather than the ‘gospel of convenience’ that is clamoring all about us?  The choice is yours, but remember, there is a test at the end!  His love is written in RED!

“Verily, verily, I say unto you,

He that heareth my word,

and believeth on him that sent me,

hath everlasting life,

and shall not come into condemnation;

but is passed

from death unto life.

25 Verily, verily, I say unto you,

The hour is coming,

and now is,

when the dead shall hear the voice

of the Son of God:

and they that hear shall live.

26 For as the Father hath life in himself;

so hath he given to the Son

to have life in himself;

27 And hath given him authority

to execute judgment also,

because he is the Son of man.

28 Marvel not at this:

for the hour is coming,

in the which all that are in the graves

shall hear his voice,

29 And shall come forth;

they that have done good,

unto the resurrection of life;

and they that have done evil,

unto the resurrection of damnation.

30 I can of mine own self do nothing:

as I hear,

I judge:

and my judgment is just;

because I seek not mine own will,

but the will of the Father

which hath sent me.

31 If I bear witness of myself,

my witness is not true.

32 There is another that beareth witness of me;

and I know that the witness

which he witnesseth of me

is true.

33 Ye sent unto John,

and he bare witness unto the truth.

34 But I receive not testimony from man:

but these things I say,

that ye might be saved.

35 He was a burning and a shining light:

and ye were willing for a season

to rejoice in his light.

36 But I have greater witness

than that of John:

for the works which the Father hath given me

to finish,

the same works that I do,

bear witness of me,

that the Father

hath sent me.

37 And the Father himself,

which hath sent me,

hath borne witness of me.

Ye have neither heard his voice at any time,

nor seen his shape.

38 And ye have not his word

abiding in you:

for whom he hath sent,

him ye believe not.

39 Search the scriptures;

for in them ye think ye have eternal life:

and they are they which testify of me.

40 And ye will not come to me,

that ye might have life.

41 I receive not honour from men.

42 But I know you,

that ye have not the love of God

in you.

43 I am come in my Father’s name,

and ye receive me not:

if another shall come in his own name,

him ye will receive.

44 How can ye believe,

which receive honour

one of another,

and seek not the honour

that cometh from God only?

45 Do not think that I will accuse you

to the Father:

there is one that accuseth you,

even Moses,

 in whom ye trust.

46 For had ye believed Moses,

ye would have believed me:

for he wrote of me.

47 But if ye believe not his writings,

how shall ye believe my words?”   John 5:24-47

Whose words will you believe?  God’s Word both written, spoken, and the “living Word”, or will you choose to believe the one who will “come in his own name”?  And as John the Apostle wrote—there is “one” coming, but there are many of “his” already at work.  Be aware, be prepared, be saved while you still can!

“Beloved,

believe not every spirit,

but try the spirits

whether they are of God:

because many false prophets

are gone out into the world.

2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God:

Every spirit that confesseth

that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh

is of God:

3 And every spirit that confesseth not

that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh

is not of God:

and this is that spirit of antichrist,

whereofye have heard that it should come;

and even now already

is it in the world.” 1 John 4:1-3

Satan is alive and well on planet earth!  But we win because:

“Ye are of God, little children,

and have overcome them:

because greater is he that is in you,

than he that is in the world.”  1 John 4:4