There is so much we can learn from the event of Jesus walking on water and Peter getting out of the boat to walk on water. A great study that we have done is called, “If You Want to Get Out of the Water, You Have to Get Out of the Boat,” By John Ortberg. I have gone through it several times with different small groups and I learned so much from it. God can do great things in each of us if we are willing to step out in faith. And there is so much more in that story.
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Job and His “Friends”
Many know the story of Job, how Satan inflicted great pain and suffering on Him to try to show God that He only praised Him for His blessings. It was a test. This is a hard read, and I am sure I will not do it justice, but I will try.
As with all of us, He didn’t pass all of the test, but He kept his integrity and faith, even through his doubt and questioning. Job lost his children, his house, his wealth, his friends and family more or less abandoned him, even his wife told him to curse God and die. He was inflicted with disease, pain, and great suffering, but in the end, He stayed strong in his faith in God and eventually repented of his pride. But he had some so-called friends that came to him to explain why he was suffering based on their own experience and short-sighted knowledge. From the end of chapter 1 through chapter 31, the author writes of the debate between Job and his friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, as well as Job’s complaints against God. You should read through this on your own, but I will give some of the highlights. In another post I will write about God’s reply and the encounter between God and Job, and God and Job’s 3 friends. Between these events, another person comes into the scene, Elihu, and reveals some flaws in the arguments of both Job and his friends. So this younger man, after listening and respecting his elders, gave his opinion which contradicted the other men, explaining the character of God and the shortcomings of their argument. God does not rebuke Elihu as He does his 3 , but reminds everyone who He is and His power and righteousness, and sets them straight.
Continue reading “Job and His “Friends””Of Angels and Demons
Do you believe in ghosts? I do not. Do you believe in guardian angels? I do not. Do we each have our own angel looking over us? No. Do people become angels when they die? No. Why? You ask. Because it is not in scripture. What is in scripture is that there are demons and angels fighting amongst us. The devil works hard to destroy us. His fallen angels (demons) help him in this mission, and God’s angels fight against evil for good. God also gives us other weapons to fight these spiritual battles and He is there to fight for us if we ask Him.
Continue reading “Of Angels and Demons”Lazarus and the Rich Man: Doing What’s Right
Jesus told a story of Lazarus and the Rich Man. Some think this was not just a parable but something that may have actually happened, because no other parable uses someone’s name. Whichever is the case, what Jesus was teaching is what is important. This is a story of a man who had much but did not use it to help others and only cared about His own desires. But when they died, he went to hell, a place of eternal torment, but Lazarus was righteous, and went to heaven. In Part 1 we will discuss doing what’s right and how to treat those in need. Part 2 we will talk about heaven and hell.
Continue reading “Lazarus and the Rich Man: Doing What’s Right”Sin is More Than a Mistake
We all make mistakes. We all sin. Are they the same? No! Should we dwell on either one of them? No! We have hope. I once heard someone say God forgives our mistakes. No! Jesus paid for our sins. He saved us from our evil (sinful) nature, from what is in our hearts. If we accept that gift, we are saved from sin, we will receive God’s grace. Unfortunately, we have to live with our mistakes, but we can also learn from them. But sin is much more serious. Sin leads to death. Without the blood that Christ shed for us, we are doomed for hell. But, when we trust in Jesus, we have an inheritance in heaven. No matter what we have done in the past, He will forgive us.
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My Daily Scriptures 