- araratchurch
- Apr 17, 2024
- 5 min read
“Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."“
Acts 7:54-56 ESV
When I was a little girl, I would often be fearful at night. Now, that is certainly not unusual for children. But the cause in me, was seeing and sensing things in the world of the spirit. For me, it wasn’t the traditional “monster under the bed” or in the closet, it was knowing that there was another world in which there was danger.
I can remember lying in my bed and asking the Lord to please have my mother check on me just one more time. You see, for the most part, I never said when I was afraid; so my only recourse was to pray and ask the Lord to send my mother one more time. And, there were many times she would appear; and for that moment, everything was all right.
Now, the fact of the matter is that there was nothing different in my circumstance before and after my mother appeared. The difference was only inside of myself. You see, her presence was reassurance to me: I was all right. I was safe.
As well, I can remember how comforting my father‘s presence was. I thought he was the strongest man in the world and that he could protect me from any danger, seen and unseen.
But then we grow up and come to know that even the greatest hero is sometimes incapable of saving someone from hurt or destruction. But this fact of life, does not have to leave us comfortless.
The command to not fear is found a multitude of times in the Bible. And often, as we see spoken through Isaiah, the Lord backs up the command, with the reason for not having to fear.
“fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.“
Isaiah 41:10 ESV
Yes, the Lord often assured His people that no matter the circumstance, the Lord being with them, was sufficient to cast out fear.
“But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you. Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life.“
Isaiah 43:1-4 ESV
Whereas these assurances were obviously made to Israel as God’s special people, we have become sharers in the promises of Abraham through Jesus Christ.
“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree"— so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.“
Galatians 3:13-14 ESV
“For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes. For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.“
2 Corinthians 1:19-20 ESV
Jesus and the disciples had been ministering to a multitude. Jesus then sent His disciples to cross over the Sea of Galilee ahead of Him. While they were crossing over, they came into contrary winds, and the boat began to be tossed. All of a sudden, they saw Jesus walking on the water and began to be fearful, thinking He was a ghost. But Jesus reassured them.
“But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid."“
Matthew 14:27 ESV
When Peter saw that it was the Lord, he asked the Lord to bid him to come to Him, which Jesus did. Peter immediately got down from the boat and began to walk toward the Lord. However, when Peter looked away from Jesus to the tumultuous water, he began to sink.
“But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me." Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"“
Matthew 14:30-31 ESV
Yes, Peter’s fear didn’t have to last long because Jesus caught him. Jesus then chided him for not having faith in His ability to save him, even in the midst of a storm.
The fact is, as we look at Jesus, even in the midst of our calamity, we need not fear. Just as the presence of my mother or father casted out my fear, just so, keeping our eyes on the Lord, can deliver us from our fears. But, like Peter, our fears will rapidly take over when we get our eyes off of Jesus and on the scary circumstances we are facing.
In our opening scripture we see that when Stephen, the first Christian martyr, was brought before the religious leaders, it appeared he had the face of an angel. Why? As the psalmist puts it, looking at the Lord brings the radiance of being confident in His ability to deliver us.
“I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.“
Psalm 34:4-6 ESV
Because Steven already had his eyes on the Lord, looking to Him as his All in All, even facing execution, he had the peace of the Lord’s presence.
“But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."“
Acts 7:55-56 ESV
Child of God, yesterday we discussed looking away from worthless things. But that alone won’t make the difference we need. Indeed, we are looking away from those worthless things to be able to look at the Lord. He IS the difference.
If we do not look to Jesus, or if we fail to keep our eyes stayed on Him, our fears will take the day. But, if we do look to Him, and cry out to Him, we need never fear!
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
- araratchurch
- Apr 16, 2024
- 3 min read
“The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”
Matthew 6:22-24 KJV
Have you ever watched someone using a laser pointer to play with a cat? They move the laser pointer all around and the cat goes running after its light. Of course, the cat never catches the light they are running after as it has no substance.
Sadly, the phenomenon of running after something that can never be caught (or if it can be caught, provides no true satisfaction) is not limited to curious cats.
Indeed, many people order their lives by following one “shiny object” after another. Yes, most things grabbing our attention, are rarely of any substantive use or benefit. Indeed, they are worthless, at best. In fact, shiny objects can lead one into destruction.
It was the springtime, the time when kings went out to battle. But instead of going out to battle, David stayed home in Jerusalem, sending Joab and the armies out to battle without him. And, staying home rather than going out to battle, would cost David dearly.
“It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king's house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, "Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?"“
2 Samuel 11:2-3 ESV
Yes, David, would have that shiny object brought to him, resulting in a pregnancy and the murder of a righteous man.
Ironically, the same David, makes a strong statement against allowing his eyes to look on what is worthless or evil (or with evil intent).
“I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me. A perverse heart shall be far from me; I will know nothing of evil.“
Psalm 101:3-4 ESV
Allowing something to divert our gaze from what is right, toward what appeals to the flesh, always ends in disaster.
Now, look around you. You’ll see people gazing at their smart phones. It’s easy to observe that they are intensely scrolling, as though hypnotized. And, whereas that per se may already be a total waste of time, people often are looking at that which is evil, unholy, provocative, definitely not expedient.
So, we may look at that cat frantically trying to catch the laser light, or marvel at people staring at an object in their hand as though their life depends on it, and see the humor in what the cat is doing, or the futility in what the phone-watchers are doing, yet, be unknowingly doing the very same thing! Truth is, when you’re stunned by something, you are drawn to it without considering the benefit or danger.
In Psalm 119 we see the psalmist requesting the ability to look away from what is worthless in order to see the things of God and the way in which he should go.
“Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.“
Psalm 119:37 ESV
Make no mistake, we gravitate toward what we are looking at. In order to go in the right direction, we must be looking in the right direction. And, in order to continue going in the right direction, we must not allow ourselves to be captured by worthless, shiny objects.
“Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.“
Proverbs 4:25-27 ESV
In our opening scripture, we see Jesus talking about the need to have a single eye. The “single” eye is one that is only looking at one thing and is seeing it clearly.
Now, the truth is, the right object on which to set our eyes, is a Person.
We’ll talk more about this tomorrow.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
- araratchurch
- Apr 15, 2024
- 3 min read
In preparation for our discussion over the next several days please read and meditate on the following scriptures:
“O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You maintain my lot. The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Yes, I have a good inheritance. I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel; My heart also instructs me in the night seasons. I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope. For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.“
Psalms 16:5-11 NKJV
“As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.“
Psalms 17:15 NKJV
“”I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.“
John 17:20-24 NKJV
“For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.“
II Corinthians 4:6 NKJV
“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.“
Hebrews 12:1-2 NKJV
“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.“
I John 3:2-3 NKJV
We are living in a world that seems to be coming apart at the seams. Indeed, we know that we will see more chaos and evil being manifested as the Lord’s return becomes imminent. The only way we can survive, maintaining our steadfastness in the faith, is to look to the One Who made our salvation possible.
Tomorrow we will begin our discussion on “Looking unto Jesus.”
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!