October 8, 2012

"The One Who Accuses You Is Moses" (10/8)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from John 5.

Despite the evidence that was being presented to prove that Jesus was the promised Messiah, many of the Jews rejected Him. So Jesus, rather than accusing them Himself of rejecting the Christ, used those things which had been written by Moses.

“Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” (John 5:45-47).

Moses was held in high regard by the Jews because he was the one who delivered the law from God. So Jesus used their regard for Moses to try to make them think. They rejected Jesus but claimed to accept Moses. But Jesus said, “If you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me.”
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October 4, 2012

"The Kingdom of God is At Hand" (10/4)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Matthew 3; Mark 1; Luke 3.

“Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel’” (Mark 1:14-15).

When Jesus began preaching, He declared that the kingdom was at hand. It is important to take note of what He said. To say that the kingdom was at hand meant that it was close, or that it would be established in the near future. He would later tell His disciples that it would be established within the lifetime of some of those who were present (Mark 9:1).

Despite these plain statements, many in the denominational world believe that the kingdom is yet in our future. They believe that the kingdom will be established when the Lord returns. This concept, often called premillennialism, is false. It contradicts the plain teaching of Scripture.
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October 3, 2012

The Magi Came to the House (10/3)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Matthew 2; Luke 2:39-52.

When December comes, it is common to see nativity scenes displayed in front of houses, places of worship, and other locations. These typically include depictions of the baby Jesus lying in a manger with Mary and Joseph, the animals, the shepherds, and the magi (wise men) gathered around. There is at least one problem with this – the magi were not present at the manger.

“After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (Matthew 2:9-11).

The shepherds were certainly present while Jesus was lying in a manger (Luke 2:15-16). But the magi did not arrive until after the Child had been moved from the manger into a house.
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October 2, 2012

"This Child is Appointed for the Fall and Rise of Many" (10/2)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Matthew 1; Luke 2:1-38.

When Joseph and Mary came to Jerusalem to present the child Jesus to the Lord at the temple, they were met by a devout man named Simeon. God had revealed to Simeon that “he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ” (Luke 2:26). When Jesus was brought to the temple, Simeon was able to be a witness of God’s promise in Christ. He first praised God, then briefly explained to Mary what Jesus’ role was going to be:

“And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, ‘Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed’” (Luke 2:3).

Mary had already been told, “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end” (Luke 1:32-33). Joseph had already been told that Jesus would “save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). These passages emphasize the blessings that would come to man through Christ.
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October 1, 2012

"In the Beginning Was the Word" (10/1)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Luke 1; John 1:1-14.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being” (John 1:1-3)

The book of Genesis begins with the phrase, “In the beginning God…” (Genesis 1:1). John makes an unmistakable parallel here as he introduces his audience to Christ. The point is clear, and will be made elsewhere in John’s gospel – Jesus is “equal with” the Father (John 5:17-18) and is “one” with the Father (John 10:30).

These first three verses in John’s gospel lay the foundation for a belief in the deity of Christ:
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June 1, 2012

What Is Lost Because of Sin

Satan tempts us to sin by highlighting its supposed benefits. The Scriptures acknowledge that there is a certain amount of pleasure that can be derived from sin. Yet Moses understood that such pleasure was “passing” and that the rewards for rejecting God could not compare with God’s rewards for the faithful (Hebrews 11:25-26). But Satan does not want us to look beyond what is immediately before us. He wants us to focus on the temporary pleasures we can gain from sin and ignore those things which we stand to lose because of sin.

What is it that we stand to lose because of sin? To answer this, let us consider what was lost in the beginning when sin was first introduced into the world.
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May 16, 2012

A Stone of Stumbling

Jesus first came to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24). The Jews had the benefit of the Law to lead them to Christ (Galatians 3:24). They saw the miracles and heard His teaching. Yet the majority rejected Him. Why? Peter explained by quoting the prophet Isaiah. Jesus was rejected because He was “a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense” (1 Peter 2:8). Let us notice some of the reasons why Jesus was to the Jewish people “a stone of stumbling.”
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