March 19th 2017
Have You Ever Asked God To Do Something, You Believe Is (May Be) Impossible?
Luke 18:25-27 (NIV)
Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." Those who heard this asked, "Who then can be saved?" Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."
What limits have you placed on the God of the Bible? Many professing believers cannot accept the story of Creation as given in the Bible. They have accepted the ideas of mankind to be true, and thus, they have modified the Bible accounts by adding in some type of theory into the Biblical accounts, so that the timeline reflects the modern ideas of mankind, instead of accepting what the Bible plainly states. Where do you stand on this issue? Did God get it wrong when He told the Biblical authors what to write, or did God allow there to be untrue accounts to be added to His Word? Do you believe it is possible for God to allow a lie to be included in His Word?
When Jesus was walking this earth as the Son of Man, many people believed that earthly wealth signified that the landowner was being blessed by God. Therefore, they assumed that rich people, and maybe only rich people, were blessed, thus destined for going to heaven. So, when Jesus told His disciples that it was difficult, actually impossible by human standards, for a rich man, to “enter the kingdom of God." So, you can see how this confused His disciples, and they asked "Who then can be saved?" Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God." As you can see Jesus’ disciples were confused about earthly wealth being a positive indication of receiving God’s blessings. Here Jesus is warning them, and us, that spending our time laying up earthly wealth is a negative instead of a positive sign of salvation.
Jesus continued to explain how salvation is available to all people without regard to their earthly possessions. Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God." Peter said to him, "We have left everything to follow you!" "I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no-one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age -homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions- and in the age to come, eternal life." (Mark 10:27-30).
As usual Peter spoke up and asked for assurances of what sacrifices he and the other disciples had made to become followers of Jesus were not a waste of time. To which " Jesus replied, "no-one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age.” Here Jesus assures His disciples first about how they will be rewarded immediately for being followers. Then Jesus next gives them (us) assurances about gaining eternal life through their commitment to follow Him, when He said, “and in the age to come, eternal life.” So, Jesus promises to immediately reward His followers in this life, and then to award them eternal life, when they leave this lifetime!
Recently, I met a family that is preparing for a missionary journey to an area where only three percent of the population in the country is Christian. Some may look at the task they are taking on to be impossible, however they strongly believe they will be successful, because they believe, what Jesus told His disciples. They could respond as Peter did to Jesus, "We have left everything to follow you!" "I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no-one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. Most of us reading this will likely not become missionaries, but we have given up at least part of our worldly life to follow Jesus, so the above still applies to us too!
The angel Gabriel told Mary, who would become the mother of Jesus, about her selection by God to be Jesus’ mother. Mary asked how this could be, and the angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God." (Luke 1:35-37). Mary believed that this would happen, because she believed, “for nothing is impossible with God." How about you, do you believe that nothing is impossible for God? Could you ask God for something you believe, from human standards that may be impossible, yet “expect” it to happen? Oh, for faith that strong! Mary had it!
As the season of spring is coming soon, Isaiah reminds us of the new growth, and of seeds sprouting and of this new birth time of the year. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:10-11). In this season of Lent, we are again reminded of Jesus having come to this earth to die as the perfect sacrifice to cover the sins of the world. In verse 11 is stated, “My word –will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” You (We) may ask, “how can I help to promote the Word of God to someone who has not yet believed it?
Now back to this issue of trying to amass worldly wealth in this lifetime, and what dangers this striving may result in loss of gaining heavenly wealth. Paul wrote to Timothy about such striving. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (1 Timothy 6:9-10). These verses are often misquoted Paul wrote, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” Some have quoted this as, “The love of money is the root of all evil.” The love of money can cause you to experience “all kinds of evil.” However, it is not the only love that may cause us to become evil and do evil things.
If we love things we can see we are missing a great truth, and maybe missing the most important things, which cannot be seen, while we are still in this world. The writer of Hebrews wrote about true faith. Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. (Hebrews 11:1, 3). Salvation of sinners is impossible without Jesus being the perfect sacrifice for them! Accept this wonderful gift, and be happy! Can you help someone to give up death for Lent, this year?
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
Luke 18:25-27 (NIV)
Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." Those who heard this asked, "Who then can be saved?" Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."
What limits have you placed on the God of the Bible? Many professing believers cannot accept the story of Creation as given in the Bible. They have accepted the ideas of mankind to be true, and thus, they have modified the Bible accounts by adding in some type of theory into the Biblical accounts, so that the timeline reflects the modern ideas of mankind, instead of accepting what the Bible plainly states. Where do you stand on this issue? Did God get it wrong when He told the Biblical authors what to write, or did God allow there to be untrue accounts to be added to His Word? Do you believe it is possible for God to allow a lie to be included in His Word?
When Jesus was walking this earth as the Son of Man, many people believed that earthly wealth signified that the landowner was being blessed by God. Therefore, they assumed that rich people, and maybe only rich people, were blessed, thus destined for going to heaven. So, when Jesus told His disciples that it was difficult, actually impossible by human standards, for a rich man, to “enter the kingdom of God." So, you can see how this confused His disciples, and they asked "Who then can be saved?" Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God." As you can see Jesus’ disciples were confused about earthly wealth being a positive indication of receiving God’s blessings. Here Jesus is warning them, and us, that spending our time laying up earthly wealth is a negative instead of a positive sign of salvation.
Jesus continued to explain how salvation is available to all people without regard to their earthly possessions. Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God." Peter said to him, "We have left everything to follow you!" "I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no-one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age -homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions- and in the age to come, eternal life." (Mark 10:27-30).
As usual Peter spoke up and asked for assurances of what sacrifices he and the other disciples had made to become followers of Jesus were not a waste of time. To which " Jesus replied, "no-one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age.” Here Jesus assures His disciples first about how they will be rewarded immediately for being followers. Then Jesus next gives them (us) assurances about gaining eternal life through their commitment to follow Him, when He said, “and in the age to come, eternal life.” So, Jesus promises to immediately reward His followers in this life, and then to award them eternal life, when they leave this lifetime!
Recently, I met a family that is preparing for a missionary journey to an area where only three percent of the population in the country is Christian. Some may look at the task they are taking on to be impossible, however they strongly believe they will be successful, because they believe, what Jesus told His disciples. They could respond as Peter did to Jesus, "We have left everything to follow you!" "I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no-one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. Most of us reading this will likely not become missionaries, but we have given up at least part of our worldly life to follow Jesus, so the above still applies to us too!
The angel Gabriel told Mary, who would become the mother of Jesus, about her selection by God to be Jesus’ mother. Mary asked how this could be, and the angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God." (Luke 1:35-37). Mary believed that this would happen, because she believed, “for nothing is impossible with God." How about you, do you believe that nothing is impossible for God? Could you ask God for something you believe, from human standards that may be impossible, yet “expect” it to happen? Oh, for faith that strong! Mary had it!
As the season of spring is coming soon, Isaiah reminds us of the new growth, and of seeds sprouting and of this new birth time of the year. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:10-11). In this season of Lent, we are again reminded of Jesus having come to this earth to die as the perfect sacrifice to cover the sins of the world. In verse 11 is stated, “My word –will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” You (We) may ask, “how can I help to promote the Word of God to someone who has not yet believed it?
Now back to this issue of trying to amass worldly wealth in this lifetime, and what dangers this striving may result in loss of gaining heavenly wealth. Paul wrote to Timothy about such striving. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (1 Timothy 6:9-10). These verses are often misquoted Paul wrote, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” Some have quoted this as, “The love of money is the root of all evil.” The love of money can cause you to experience “all kinds of evil.” However, it is not the only love that may cause us to become evil and do evil things.
If we love things we can see we are missing a great truth, and maybe missing the most important things, which cannot be seen, while we are still in this world. The writer of Hebrews wrote about true faith. Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. (Hebrews 11:1, 3). Salvation of sinners is impossible without Jesus being the perfect sacrifice for them! Accept this wonderful gift, and be happy! Can you help someone to give up death for Lent, this year?
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak