Monday, 22 January 2018
I Quote
“Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob are once again mentioned in today’s scriptures. Historical
figures found in the Bible were truly existed and even existing up to now like
the Israelites. If they were not recorded as real people (remnants), they were only
fictitious characters like Superman, Batman and Spiderman. History connects the
gap between the past, present and the future. I may not see Jesus in person but I believe
he existed/lived, died and rose again. That is absolute faith. Not a blind faith.”
Meg, 22 January
2018
The Basis of Faith
The Basis of Faith
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD.”
Exodus 6:6–8
All of us have had the unpleasant experience of having someone we trusted let us down. Perhaps it was something as simple as a friend not showing up to give you a ride or failing to return a book you lent them. Perhaps it was a serious breach of trust in a marriage or a financial relationship that left devastation. The reason people fail to keep their word to us—and if we’re honest the reason we sometimes fail to keep our word to others—is because of our nature. We are sinners, and sinners fail to do what is right from time to time.
By contrast, when God was making promises to Moses for the Israelites, He was speaking of things that seemed to be impossible. There was no hope humanly speaking of changing Pharaoh’s mind. The slave labor of the Israelites was a valuable resource for Egypt and would not be willingly abandoned. The military might of Egypt meant no revolt could hope to succeed. Yet what God promised happened exactly as He said—because the promise was based on His unfailing nature. God’s character is to fulfill the promises that He makes, and we can always trust that He will.
Exodus 6:6–8
All of us have had the unpleasant experience of having someone we trusted let us down. Perhaps it was something as simple as a friend not showing up to give you a ride or failing to return a book you lent them. Perhaps it was a serious breach of trust in a marriage or a financial relationship that left devastation. The reason people fail to keep their word to us—and if we’re honest the reason we sometimes fail to keep our word to others—is because of our nature. We are sinners, and sinners fail to do what is right from time to time.
By contrast, when God was making promises to Moses for the Israelites, He was speaking of things that seemed to be impossible. There was no hope humanly speaking of changing Pharaoh’s mind. The slave labor of the Israelites was a valuable resource for Egypt and would not be willingly abandoned. The military might of Egypt meant no revolt could hope to succeed. Yet what God promised happened exactly as He said—because the promise was based on His unfailing nature. God’s character is to fulfill the promises that He makes, and we can always trust that He will.
Today’s Growth Principle:
Our faith rests on the unshakable foundation of God’s nature and character.
Sunday, 21 January 2018
The Long Range View
The Long Range View
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.”
Genesis 15:13–16
We live in a society marked by impatience. We want what we want, and we want it right now. I read recently that several large companies are testing same day delivery options for their customers who are willing to pay for the privilege. It seems likely there will be a large market for this service because we have become accustomed to instant satisfaction. There are some who seem to regard thinking about next week as “long-term planning.”
God works on a very different schedule. He exists outside of time, and there is no hurry or haste in His program. Peter wrote, “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8). Because of that, God is not in a hurry. He is looking at the future in a different way than we do, and His plans encompass hundreds and even thousands of years.
What does that mean for us in a rushed and hurried world? It means that we can relax and trust God with the timing of His plans. We are not ready today for what He has for us to do tomorrow—otherwise He would give it to us today. Instead of worrying about the future, we should trust in His wisdom and care.
Genesis 15:13–16
We live in a society marked by impatience. We want what we want, and we want it right now. I read recently that several large companies are testing same day delivery options for their customers who are willing to pay for the privilege. It seems likely there will be a large market for this service because we have become accustomed to instant satisfaction. There are some who seem to regard thinking about next week as “long-term planning.”
God works on a very different schedule. He exists outside of time, and there is no hurry or haste in His program. Peter wrote, “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8). Because of that, God is not in a hurry. He is looking at the future in a different way than we do, and His plans encompass hundreds and even thousands of years.
What does that mean for us in a rushed and hurried world? It means that we can relax and trust God with the timing of His plans. We are not ready today for what He has for us to do tomorrow—otherwise He would give it to us today. Instead of worrying about the future, we should trust in His wisdom and care.
Today’s Growth Principle:
We must not fall into the trap of demanding God to work on our schedule, but instead trust His perfect timing.
Saturday, 20 January 2018
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