The Bible does not teach that all trouble comes from God as a punishment. It recognizes the fact that trouble is in the world, and, while it has some very definite things to say about it it does not attempt to give a complete solution of the whole problem. Hebrews 12:5-11 declares that God does in some instances, discipline or "chasten," those whom he loves, but this could hardly be called punishment. (See also Deu. 8:5; Ps. 94:12; John 15:2.) Sometimes, however, calamity is a definite punishment, as in many cases during the history of Israel - and particularly in their exile. The book of Job is a beautiful explanation of a form of suffering which has the double purpose of disciplining the soul and glorifying God. Nothing can bring such credit to God as the demonstration made by a soul that trusts and praises him in the midst of misfortune. Paul and the other apostles glorified in their opportunities to suffer for Jesus' sake. They rejoiced "that they were counted worthy to suffer shame in his name" (Acts 5:41). They felt that he had borne so much for them that they wanted to bear something for him. The Bible nowhere encourages people to dodge suffering; it exhorts them to bear it, while at the same time it exhorts them to lessen the sufferings of others, and help them bear their woes. See: James 1 12-5 ; I Pet. 4:12-19 and Gal. 6:2.
Sunday, May 13, 2018
When and Why Was the Sabbath Changed to the First Day of the Week?
There is no command recorded, and probably none was given to change, but the change was made in celebration of Christ's rising from the dead. At the first great council of the Church, when the question was discussed whether the Gentile converts should be required to obey the Jewish law, it was decided that only four observances should be required of them. (See Acts 15.) The observance of the Jewish Sabbath was not one of the four, and the Gentile Christians do not appear to have ever kept it. The Rabbis had made it ridiculous by a host of absurd regulations about what a man might, or might not, do on that day. Christ was frequently accused of breaking the Sabbath. The Jewish observance was most vexatious and onerous, and the Apostles very wisely did not attempt to bring the Gentiles under the bondage. The writings of the early Fathers show that very early in the Christian era, if not in Apostolic times, the first day of the week was uniformly the day of religious meeting and abstinence from secular labor, thus celebrating the new Creation as the Jewish Sabbath celebrated the old; Several incidental allusions in the Acts show that even in Apostolic times, the custom was prevalent. But we do not observe Sunday as the Sabbath. It is seldom a day of rest to the earnest Christian, but of holy activity in his Master's service.
Isn't Everyday Mother's Day?
Description of the illustration: baby in a highchair, funny infant cap, old-fashioned baby, old postcard, Victorian baby, old photograph, text "Isn't Everyday Mother's Day?"
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Nothing can replace a mother...
Description of the illustration: mother duck with her ducklings swimming, water, pond or fountain, animals, text "Nothing can replace a Mother"
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Monday, May 7, 2018
Does God Hear the Prayer of the Wicked?
We have precedent for such a belief. A striking example is that of Manasseh (II Chron. 33:18). A greater sinner than he it would be difficult to imagine. We can understand prayers of sinners for temporal blessings being unheard; "their sacrifice" and perhaps their prayers, too, "are an abomination" (Prov. 15 :8); but when the sinner cries to God for pardon and for help to quit his sins, he is surely heard. God does not mock the wicked man when he bids him "seek the Lord." Let the wicked forsake his way and return, for he will abundantly pardon (Isa. 55:6, 7). God heard the prayers of the people of Nineveh (Jonah 3:7-10). The way of approach to God is by repentance and that God gives (Acts 5:31). When the wicked man prays for that, he gets it; then God forgives him and he is in a position to ask for and receive all other blessings. compiled by A. T. Seiker
David establishes his kingdom...
Description of the Illustration: drawing of a mosaic, King David at his harp, crown, text, "All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron saying, "Look, we are your very flesh and blood! In the past, when Saul was our king, you were the real leader in Israel.
The LORD said to you, 'You will shepherd my people Israel; you will
rule over Israel.'" When all the leaders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, King David
made an agreement with them in Hebron before the LORD. They designated
David as king over Israel. David was thirty years old when he began to reign and he reigned for forty years. In Hebron he reigned over Judah for seven years and six months, and in
Jerusalem he reigned for thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah. Then the king and his men advanced to Jerusalem against the Jebusites
who lived in the land. The Jebusites said to David, "You cannot invade
this place! Even the blind and the lame will turn you back, saying,
'David cannot invade this place!'" But David captured the fortress of Zion (that is, the city of David)." 2 Samuel 5:1-7
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Saturday, May 5, 2018
Does God Regard Our "Little Things" in Prayer?
Christ assumes toward all his followers the attitude of a friend. He said to his disciples: "Henceforth I call you not servants, but I have called you friends." We "work together" with him as friend with friend; our interests are identical with his and his with ours. On this basis it is perfectly rational to believe that he will give us all the help we need in the work we are trying to do for him. Christ certainly knows all about all the "little things" that come into our lives; also he will allow nothing to happen which will spoil or seriously hinder our work. Paul believed that Satan was trying to hamper him; in one place he says definitely that Satan hindered him, really prevented him from getting where he wanted to go (I Thess. 2:18). The right attitude is to ask God to further our tasks and then heroically and patiently keep at them. We must remember, too, that a certain amount of hardship and suffering is really necessary to develop the most stalwart Christian character. (See Heb. 12:1-11 ; II Tim. 2:3; Heb. 11, etc.) The Christian must beware of praying selfishly. A brave soldier would hardly pray for fair weather, except as it would aid the battle. We may certainly pray for strength; and the joy will come as we forget self in loving and serving the Master. But we should not forget that when God in his wisdom gave us eyes to see, a tongue to speak, a brain to think and reason to discriminate and guide us in our judgment, he meant these faculties to be of service. He gives us the fertile soil, but we must do the plowing and the planting. Faith in God does not imply that we should look to him to do for us what he has made us capable of doing for ourselves. When we do our part, then we can reach out the hand of faith and grasp his leading hand, which will carry us through in all we cannot do for ourselves. compiled by A. T. Seiker
A Greyscale Drawing of Luther
Description of the illustration: hand drawing, Martin Luther, medallion shaped, portrait, scholar, monk, priest, father, Bible transcriber and author, transparent background
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A Blue Nativity
Description of the illustration: Mary, baby Jesus, the ox and the ass, wisemen and shepherds, stars and shelter, Christmas holly, rose window, stained glass, transparent background
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Friday, May 4, 2018
"Shalom"
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| Portrait of Christ taken from a selected area of a larger work. |
Description of the illustration: painting of Jesus by Kathy Grimm, text "Shalom", portrait of Christ in oil paints, Shalom means "Peace", "Shalom" is one of the sacred names of God, Jesus came in peace and gave his life as a ransom for many...
Shalom (Hebrew: שָׁלוֹם shalom; also spelled as sholom, sholem, sholoim, shulem) is a Hebrew word meaning peace, harmony, wholeness, completeness, prosperity, welfare and tranquility and can be used idiomatically to mean both hello and goodbye.
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"How deep the Father's love for us"
by AustinStoneWorship
Knock and the door will be opened...
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| "Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you." Matthew 7:7 (NIV) in gold and blue |
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| "Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you." Matthew 7:7 (NIV) in white and blue |
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| "Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you." Matthew 7:7 (NIV) in greyscle |
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Judas Betrays Christ
Description of the illustration: black and white illustration, Jewish priesthood, ceremonial robes, temple, scroll, Judas betrays Jesus to the Sanhedrin
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Joseph's Coat
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| Above is the entire Psalm 124 and illustration of Joseph's brothers dipping his coat into ram's blood. The ram is used in the scriptures to depict a "scapegoat" |
Description of Illustration: Joseph's Coat, Joseph's brothers, the bloody ram, deception, prophecy, foreshadowing of things to come, tribes of Israel, alone in the desert, saved for a journey to Egypt, God was always with him
In the Bible, a scapegoat is an animal which is ritually burdened with the sins of others then driven away. The concept first appears in Leviticus, in which a goat is designated to be cast into the desert to carry away the sins of the community.
And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats: one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for Azazel.— Leviticus 16:8, Jewish Publication Society (1917)
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| "And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood;" Genesis 37:31 (KJV) |
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Thursday, May 3, 2018
Was John the Baptist Elijah?
The statement in the affirmative is made a number of times in the New Testament. (See Matt. 11:14, 17 no-12; Mark 9 :12, 13. See also Mai. 4:15.) But some of the ablest commentators hold that we must interpret the connection figuratively, and that there is no reason for believing that this means any more than that he was the new Elijah of his time, a rugged prophet, like Elijah in temperament, habits and speech, unafraid even of kings. He himself said distinctly that he was not Elijah (John 1:21). The sense in which the expression was used is made clear in Luke 1:117: "He shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah." In the narrative of Elijah's appearance at the transfiguration there is no suggestion that he was John the Baptist, whom all the men present had known and seen, and who had only recently died. One of the things that distinguishes the philosophy of the Bible from that of uninspired teachings is that it never confuses or obscures personal identity. Each soul has a distinct personality, which can never be merged or changed into another.
Lamb of God Rose Window
Description of Illustration:
This rose window depicts an Agnus Dei at it's center and then surrounds
Him with the grape clusters and church buildings, multi-colored
illustration, Christian flag
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Have a question about the illustration? Just type it in the comment box and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. I only publish content that is closely related to the subject folks.
Will God Give Us Anything We Ask For?
In John 14:14 (which should be read in connection with its surroundings), Jesus was speaking (in the discourse at table after the Supper) of the way, the truth, and the life, and of how his disciples might render acceptable service for the advancement of God's kingdom on earth. He was about to leave them and he gave them the assurance that they would be endowed with power, after his departure, to do the works that he had done. Verse 14 gave them the assurance of his continuous intercession and that their prayers would be heard and answered. He had already told them that they should seek first the kingdom and all things would be added unto them. This verse also shows his divine equality, in the words "I will do it." Our own prayers should be, as far as we are able to make them so, in line with God's will. There are many of us who may ask for things that would be for our own harm; but if we "seek first the kingdom," we have then the assurance that he will care for all our other needs, supply our wants, comfort our sorrows, relieve our hardships and take us safely through the difficult places of life. We have a right to ask for these, if we have acquired this right by belief on the Son of God and by acting in accordance with the divine will. See John 14:12.
King Solomon Makes Sacrifices
Description of the illustration: black and white illustration, Jewish priesthood, ceremonial robes, temple, incense, Solomon
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John the Baptist's Place in Prophecy?
"Who was the last prophet of the old dispensation?" John the Baptist came as the forerunner of Christ, and so may be considered the last prophet of the old dispensation. Christ said: "All the prophets and the law prophesied until John" (Matt. 2 :13). Otherwise, if you regard him as belonging to an intermediate dispensation, the last would be the prophet called Malachi, the writer of the last book in the Old Testament. It is not certain that Malachi was his name, as the word may be translated, "My messenger."
Abraham's Sacrifice
Description of the illustration:
black and white drawings by kathy grimm, drawn from West African
sculptures carved by Cornelio and Gabriel, Isaac follows his father into the mountains, Abraham believes God wishes him to sacrifice his son, God will prevent this and provide a ram. God tests Abraham's loyalty...
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possible. I only publish content that is closely related to the subject
folks.Was the Prohibition Against Eating Pork Ever Revoked?
At what is known as the "first church council described in Acts 15, the decision was definitely made that Gentile Christians were not to be compelled to keep the Jewish ceremonial law. The council sent a letter to the new converts setting them free from all these ceremonial requirements. This was the great burden of Paul's preaching, namely, that we are saved not by keeping the law of Moses but by faith in Christ. Circumcision was the sign of submission to the Mosaic law, and Paul, greatly to the displeasure of the Jews, taught that this was not necessary. The vision of Peter (Acts 10:9-16) while given for the purpose of making him willing to associate intimately with Gentiles, seems also to teach definitely that the Old Testament distinction between clean and unclean meats is no longer in force.
A Baptistery from Luton Church
Description of the illustration: church interiors, architecture, baptistery, inside the church, sacraments, baptism
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Tuesday, May 1, 2018
Charity Fundraiser Notices
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| text reads, "Jumble Sale!" |
Description of the illustration: mother looks through the newspapers for sales, baby hitting a clock with a hammer, cartoons, 5 texts meaning the same thing using different words, for a church rummage sale, announce your church tag sale in a newsletter, email, or hard copy
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| text reads, "Rummage Sale!" |
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| text reads, "Second Hand Goods!" |
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| text reads, "Tag Sale!" |
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| text reads, "White Elephant!" |
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Greek Orthodox Clergy
Description of the illustration: clerical robes, priests, crosses, church leaders in eastern orthodox church, staff, icon, alter, beards, holy men
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Why Should We Agree with Our Adversary Quickly?
The passage is a part of the Sermon on the Mount in Matt., 5th chapter. Jesus had been speaking about quarrels between brothers, and urging reconciliation of such differences in the spirit of love, before coming to the throne of grace. Then (verse 25) he diverges to the question of lawsuits, which were common then as now, and advises his hearers to keep out of the hands of the law and to escape its penalties by settling their disputes between themselves. But he went further than this, for his language pointed to a higher tribunal, to which all must come for judgment and where condemnation awaits them which can only be escaped by their repentance and acceptance of divine mercy.
Is It Right to Ask for Definite Blessings?
There are many passages, such as John 16:123, which warrant definiteness in prayer. Indeed, if a man needs something very badly, and is sure that it would be a blessing to him, he would show a lack of faith if he did not pray for it. There are many, however, who shrink from praying for definite blessings, after a painful experience. They have prayed for some blessing, and God has heard them, and granted their request, and it has proved to be a curse. Emerson said, in a passage which we cannot find, but the gist of which we quote from memory, that all prayers are answered, therefore we ought to be very careful for what we pray. A celebrated divine wrote: "There are millions of Christians day by day imploring God for the salvation of the whole world, and the supplication has never been answered. Does God, then, keep his promise? Is prayer a dead failure? Does God mock the Christian Church? Are we told to bring all our gifts into the storehouse and prove him, only to find out that he breaks his promise? The answer to prayer is only a question of time. So far from there ever having been a million prayers lost, there has never been one prayer lost. God not only keeps one promise, but he keeps all the promises, and never since the moment we first breathed the Christian life, have we ever offered an unavailing prayer." compiled by A. T. Seiker
Should We Persistently Ask for Blessings?
By all means. The three passages, Matt.11:12; Luke 11:15-10 (the parable of the friend at night seeking loaves from his neighbor), and Luke 18:1-8 (the parable of the unjust judge), all relate to the subject of earnestness and perseverance in prayer. The argument is that if the unfriendly neighbor and the unjust judge will grant the requests made to them because of the petitioner's insistence, God will surely grant our requests when he sees that we are in desperate earnestness. Matt.11:12, "the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force," agrees with these two parables in teaching that intensity, of desire and faith and effort, is required for spiritual victory. Faith seems to have two phases : the quiet, restful trust in God; and the aggressive, enthusiastic, energetic, insistent belief that pushes forward through all sorts of obstacles and delays to the victory desired. It is not because God is unjust or unfriendly that he does not answer at once. But our souls are strengthened by the test of waiting, and often human relationships and circumstances are changed as time passes so that the answer is better for the delay than if granted at the first request. God wants to train giants to help him in his work, giants who will believe in him and fight for the right, no matter what obstacles are in the way. And the saints who are strong and rich in faith accomplish most for his kingdom. compiled by A. T. Seiker
Should We Pray for One from Whom the Holy Ghost Has Departed?
Who are you, to assume to judge that such a one has been forsaken by the Holy Spirit? It would be a fearful responsibility to act on such a conclusion. Of one thing you may rest assured: if the person is at all concerned about his spiritual condition, no matter how deeply he has offended, that very fact is conclusive evidence that the Holy Spirit has not abandoned him, but is still striving with him. When the Holy Spirit leaves a man, that man becomes careless and indifferent and has no desire to pray. It is difficult - almost impossible - for us to understand the operations of the Spirit, but you may be assured that the love and compassion and long-suffering of God are infinite. Christ said that he would cast out none who came to him. With such an assurance, no man need wait to try to solve the mysteries of the Holy Spirit's work. The practical duty of closing with Christ's offer of salvation is the first thing for him to do. compiled by A. T. Seiker
Do Prayers for the Unconverted Help?
The most definite Bible passage on this subject is I John 5:16: "If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life." The words of Paul in Acts 16:31, "Thou shalt be saved, and thy house," probably mean simply that if all the members of the household believed they would be saved. But we have positive Scripture warrant for praying for our unconverted friends, and countless incidents from present day life and earlier times prove that many hearts have been won to Christ through prayer. The assurance may not always come that those for whom we pray will yield to God, but sometimes the assurance does come very definitely. Prayer for others should be personal, definite, earnest. S. D. Gordon in his Quiet Talks on Prayer takes the position that prayer for others, offered in the name of Jesus, has the effect of driving off evil influences from the persons for whom the prayer is being made. It projects the personal influence of the one who is praying to the one prayed for, and clears the spiritual atmosphere so that the voice of God can be heard and the power of God felt. Just as by talking to a person one may be able to persuade him to listen and yield to God, so by prayer one may influence another to submit himself to God. Most important of all is love. We must love ardently, steadily, those for whom we pray. Love will prevent us from doing things that would mar our influence over them or spoil their conception of the religious life. If our friends know that we love them deeply and constantly our words and prayers will have an almost irresistible power. compiled by A. T. Seiker
Does God Answer Prayers?
Most assuredly he does, but his ways are not as our ways. We are at best but children in spiritual things. Yet there is nothing in this world so clear and so well attested by Christian evidence, as that if we pray with believing hearts and in the right spirit, he will hear us and do what is best for us. No such prayer goes unanswered. The answer may not be as we expected, nevertheless it will be for the best and to the purpose. Says Professor Denney: "When we pray in Jesus' name there is nothing which we may not ask. Whatever limitations there may be, they are covered by the name of Jesus itself. We must not ask what is outside of that name, not included in its promise. We must not ask a life exempt from labor, from self-denial, from misunderstanding, from the Cross; how could we ask such things in His Name? But ignoring this self-evident restriction, Jesus expressly, emphatically and repeatedly removes every other limit. There is nothing which the name of Jesus puts into our hearts which we may not, with all assurance, put into our prayers. " In his name, we can ask with assurance for pardon from God; we can ask to be strengthened in temptation and to be kept from falling, and restored when through human weakness we do fall, for we have the assurance that he will not let us be utterly cast down ; we can ask for the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We can ask that our material wants as well as our spiritual needs may be fully supplied. But, in asking, we must have the faith to lay hold, and when we pray with this faith, we shall never pray amiss. compiled by A. T. Seiker
Who and What Was Melchisedek?
It is in the fourteenth chapter of Genesis that Melchisedek is historically presented to us. The incident and its record, although so brief, and standing in such singular isolation from the thread of the history which it interrupts, is not only in itself most striking and interesting, but also in its typical teaching profoundly instructive. How suddenly and altogether unexpectedly does Melchisedek here appear before us - a most kingly and majestic form, yet clad in priestly robes, and with the mystic emblems of eucharistic offering - bread and wine - in his hands. We see those priestly hands raised in blessing; we observe the great patriarch, Abraham - the father of the faithful and the Friend of God - bowing before the mysterious priest-king, and presenting to him the tithes of all his spoil; and then, as abruptly as it appeared, the vision passes away, and for nearly a thousand years the voice of inspiration utters not again the name of Mechisedek. Then, however, in an ecstatic Psalm of a most distinctly Messianic character, and descriptive of our Lord's exaltation in the day of his power, we meet with it once more in the solemn declaration: "The Lord hath sworn and will not repent, thou art a priest forever, after the order of Melchisedek (Ps. 110:4). Again, something like a thousand years pass away, and then, once more, the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews take up the subject of this mysterious personage, who, "Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days, or end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually" (Heb.7:3); and on the two brief references to him, above given, which are all that the Scriptures contain, founds an argument to show the superiority of Christ's priesthood, as being "after the order of Melchisedk' to that of Aaron, or Levi, which it had superseded.
Who was Melchisedek? Much labor has been wasted in attempts to answer the question. Later Jewish tradition identified him with Shem; and it is certain that that patriarch was not only alive in the days of Abraham, but even continued to live till Jacob was fifty years old. (Compare Gen. 11:11 with verses 12:26, 21:5, 25:7-26.) According to others he belonged to the family of Ham, or of Japheth; and it has been said that this is necessarily implied by the language of the Apostle when drawing a parallel between Melchisedek and Christ, he says that our Lord belonged to "a tribe of which no man gave attendance at the altar." Some, again, have suggested that he was an incarnate angel, or other superhuman creature, who lived for a time among men. Others have held that he was an early manifestation of the Son of God; and a sect, called the Melchisedecians, asserted that he was "an incarnation of the Holy Ghost." But, in all these conjectures, the fact has been strangely overlooked that the reticence of Scripture on the point is typical and significant, for, could it be determined who Melchisedek really was, it could no longer be said that he was "without father, without mother, without genealogy"; which statement is to be understood, not as implying that he was not a natural descendant of Adam, but that he designedly appears and disappears in the sacred narrative without mention either of his parentage or death.
There can, however, be no question that, whoever Melchisedek may have been, he was an eminent type of Christ. This is placed beyond doubt, not only by the language of the 110th Psalm - the Messianic character of which has ever been recognized by Jews and Christians alike - but especially by the argument of the Apostle, in the seventh chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews, in the course of which there occurs the explicit declaration that he was - in the various respects mentioned - "made like unto the Son of God."
Who was Melchisedek? Much labor has been wasted in attempts to answer the question. Later Jewish tradition identified him with Shem; and it is certain that that patriarch was not only alive in the days of Abraham, but even continued to live till Jacob was fifty years old. (Compare Gen. 11:11 with verses 12:26, 21:5, 25:7-26.) According to others he belonged to the family of Ham, or of Japheth; and it has been said that this is necessarily implied by the language of the Apostle when drawing a parallel between Melchisedek and Christ, he says that our Lord belonged to "a tribe of which no man gave attendance at the altar." Some, again, have suggested that he was an incarnate angel, or other superhuman creature, who lived for a time among men. Others have held that he was an early manifestation of the Son of God; and a sect, called the Melchisedecians, asserted that he was "an incarnation of the Holy Ghost." But, in all these conjectures, the fact has been strangely overlooked that the reticence of Scripture on the point is typical and significant, for, could it be determined who Melchisedek really was, it could no longer be said that he was "without father, without mother, without genealogy"; which statement is to be understood, not as implying that he was not a natural descendant of Adam, but that he designedly appears and disappears in the sacred narrative without mention either of his parentage or death.
There can, however, be no question that, whoever Melchisedek may have been, he was an eminent type of Christ. This is placed beyond doubt, not only by the language of the 110th Psalm - the Messianic character of which has ever been recognized by Jews and Christians alike - but especially by the argument of the Apostle, in the seventh chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews, in the course of which there occurs the explicit declaration that he was - in the various respects mentioned - "made like unto the Son of God."
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