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  • How Is It That Ye Have No Faith?

    How Is It That Ye Have No Faith?
    2026/04/18
    How is it that ye have no faith?Mark 4:38-40, “And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?”Have you ever wondered what the Lord wanted the disciples to do? I have. Did He want them to speak to the storm like He did? Did He expect them to stand on the bow of that boat and say, “Peace, be still? The Lord Jesus Christ is on this vessel and has commissioned us to go to the other side!” Is that what Jesus expected them to do? I think He did.Faith – true faith – requires a word from God directly to us. It is imperative that we hear from God, personally, the word, the commission, or the orders to go or to do or to speak. Not just some vague Scripture reference to an action or unction of centuries past, but a fresh word from God. This personal word was present in the command, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” When the snag in life comes, (in this case a storm) the authority and commission of those who are called should come to the fore. Remember Jesus’ words to his disciples,“And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” (Luke 10:18-19) The problem was that these men were fishers. They were well acquainted with the destructive power of the sea. They had known of lives being claimed out there on that water. They would have to change their minds and habits about very familiar things – a task very difficult indeed. The ingredient missing here was faith. “How is it that ye have no faith?”The Lord wants and even commands us to have faith saying in Mark 11:22b, “Have faith in God.” This is rendered in Greek, “Have the faith of God.” Unswerving, confident, and assured faith that what God promised He is able to perform. This is why Jesus could, without flinching, place the two adjectives, faithless and perverse in the description of His disciples. In Matthew 17:17 the Lord chided the disciples for not having faith enough to cast out the demon in a boy who was brought to them, “Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you?”How Important Is Faith?We should place as much importance on faith as the Lord did. Our concern for ourselves and doubting God can put us in the category of perverse. Look who is included in the list of the damned in Revelation 21:8, “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” What a list on which to have an attribute of your personality included!When Jesus tells His disciples the reason they could not cast the devil out He used the phrase, “because of your unbelief.” He did not say they didn’t have enough faith or that their faith was not large enough, He said that it was not there. “How is it that ye have NO faith?” The disciples must have wondered in themselves, “Do we need a greater faith?” But Jesus told them, “I say to you that if your faith were the size of the smallest seed it would have been enough. The problem was that faith wasn’t there at all.Jesus’ words and actions said clearly, “You doubted my word. I gave you power and authority over unclean spirits and you doubted it.” This tenacious demon played the same role as the contrary wind and sea was to the prior mission. They had opportunity to learn this earlier. Had they learned the lesson from the Sea of Galilee they would have spoken to this demon and cast it out. Alas, they had no faith in this situation either. They did not speak to the wind in faith and they likely did not speak to this demon either. They had the command, the word, they knew what action to take, but they did not have the faith.[1]Do we disappoint God when we doubt and fear? I believe, for the most part, we do. Especially when it comes to everyday provisions. We hear Jesus say, “…for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things”[2] we can hear a sadness in His voice that we do not comprehend this in reality.However, many times, in order to keep from disappointing God, we err in the other direction – presumption. We presume God’s favor or blessing when, though we have no word from God, we capriciously take from the Bible someone else’s' promise or prior record of God’s provision and arbitrarily claim it for ourselves. Claiming that we are practicing faith, we mock the God we allege to glorify for our provision.How is it that we have no faith? I submit it is...
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    12 分
  • What Things

    What Things
    2026/04/06
    143. What things?Luke 24:19, “And he said unto them, What things?”Owners of stores and markets wonder sometimes how their business presents itself to the public. Even after much training and orientation, an unmotivated employee can make an entire multinational company with years of experience look like a band of novices to the public. Fearing this, they send “shoppers” hired by the company to their stores. They are there for the express purpose of reporting how they are doing and how the company appears to the public.In the story from which our question comes, we see Jesus doing this. We see Him walking along, “shopping” His disciples as if He were a stranger. He held back their recognition of Him facilitating candid responses to His questions.He asks such a question that the disciples are flabbergasted at the ignorance of this stranger. “Where are you from that you have not heard of the man from Galilee that has turned this whole country upside-down?” “And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?”Word of what was done in Jerusalem, the life of Jesus and His subsequent execution, must have rung throughout the countryside. The story must have been on everyone’s lips and in everyone’s thoughts over the past three days. You can imagine the conversation at the town well and in the market. “Did you hear about the teacher Joshua?” (Jesus’ name in Hebrew/Aramaic) “He was crucified by the Romans for treason.” Or “…He was crucified for blasphemy!” Everyone probably had his or her own version of the story.The Pharisees would gladly be giving reasons for His death and spreading stories about how it all came to be. Then there would be pure rumor, having no basis in fact at all, that would spread among the itching ears of Jerusalem. It was a situation ripe for gossip, rumor, and innuendo. But, what was the truth? When, why and how did it all happen?Even as His discouraged Disciples walked, the Pharisees were plotting a rumor campaign to purport the theft of His body in the night to offset the fact that it was now missing, even under armed guard! How would Jesus check the knowledge and readiness of the disciples with whom He would soon entrust the everlasting Gospel message?When they asked, “… hast thou not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?” And he said unto them, “What things?” “Tell me what things you are talking about.”“And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done. Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre; And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not. In searching out their knowledge, Christ found their facts to be accurate, but they themselves, discouraged. They had their facts straight, but they were unsure how those facts were to be interpreted. They exposed their doubts when they confessed, “…we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel!” Their voices trailed into mumbles that could be read clearly as, “…but alas, it was not to be.” Christ saw that they were feeling defeated in their hearts for they thought Christ, the “great and mighty Prophet,” was dead. It was as if they were apologizing for the fact that He was unaccounted among them. “…And beside all this, today is the third day since these things were done.”These words showed that they had discussed the prophetic sign of Jonah that Jesus had spoken of in earlier days. He had promised that in three days He would rise from the dead. Then, as if to lend some credibility to Christ, they ...
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    11 分
  • How Do We Keep The Passover?

    How Do We Keep The Passover?
    2026/03/20
    Enjoy this meditation from the Questions of Jesus .Q. 120 Where is the Guestchamber?Luke 22:11, Mark 14:14, “And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples?”The rituals and traditions of some faiths are a fascinating study. I once heard a story of a young girl learning from her mother how to cook the holiday roast. “You must cut it like this before you put it in the pan” mother said with conviction as she removed four full inches from the end of the roast. “Why?” the young lady asked. “I don’t know,” the mother answered with a look of confusion, “but I’ve always done it – perhaps we’ll ask Grandma tonight. After all, she told me to do it” That night at dinner, the matriarch of the family was finally asked by the granddaughter, “Why did you teach Mom that the end of a roast should be removed?” She answered, “Back in those days… we had a very small oven!” So it is with rituals and traditions. The actions last long after the reasons are forgotten.In order to look at traditions we need to stand back to consider them. Objectivity and reason must rule the deliberation. We also must realize that while all ordinances may be ritual all ritual may not be ordinance. The Church has found itself involved in liturgies and observances that have done much harm and little good over the years. People, otherwise civilized and kind, tear apart congregations and families with questions of rituals and all the intricacies of their observance. Are they required? How often? So on and so on, ad infinitum.Let us examine Christ’s question, “Where is the guestchamber?” What a wonderful question to ask those who think it compulsory to prepare and participate in the Eucharist. What a question for those who feel it is essential to place common bread in their mouth and call it the body of Christ and those who pretend to drink His blood by drinking wine or juice.They may find themselves in debates about how and why and with whom it is to be done. Churches split, families quarrel, while theologians (Catholic and Protestant alike) bark out Scriptures to “prove” their points. Should the wine be fermented? Is the bread allowed to be leavened? Should we serve the cup first or the bread? Should we use individual cups or share one? What should the cup be made of? Who is qualified to serve?Who is qualified to partake? Is this service essential for salvation? Does the bread actually become the flesh of Christ? (Transubstantiation) How often should we do this each year…each month… each week? The questions go on indefinitely. One question, however, about this night that is never asked is the one Jesus asked, “Where is the guestchamber?”Bread is easily purchased at the market or from church supply stores – perfectly round (if you are into Sun worship) or square if you like matzos or broken into tiny pieces, whatever is your tradition. We can find certified leaven free, kosher, salted or unsalted, crackers, or matzos.The wine can be bought at the same places and may be from California or Israel, it may be fermented or unfermented, red or rosé (never white). Some see nothing wrong with using water in its place and to others that is sacrilege. Are all these concerns valid or can we participate in the Lord’s supper with a coffee and doughnut? (This is not said to offend but to provoke thought.) What is important and unimportant about the way this communion with Christ is carried out.Another IdeaQuakers did not hold to the conventional idea of the “Lord’s Supper.” The Quakers (as indeed we all should) focus more on the communion and less on the supper. As a matter of fact, the supper becomes a symbol that complicates and obscures the Truth of this service.You may meet an old friend and you say, “Let’s have dinner.” Don’t you assume that your intention is, not to eat, but to fellowship with your friend? When a gentleman asks a lady out for dinner, should we assume he is hungry for food? The symbolic gesture is just as much apparent in the Lord’s supper. The Lord is not hungry, nor does He care what is served. He comes for the fellowship, the communion, and the company. He does not ask, “Where is the unleavened bread I require?” Nor does He ask for pedigrees on participants. He asks, “Where is the guestchamber that I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”The fellowship that Jesus requires is the communion of the heart. The company He desires is the humble disciple, eagerly awaiting words from the lips of his Lord – awaiting orders, awaiting corrections, awaiting encouragement. This is the fellowship He desires “as oft ye do this” (as often as you eat) to meet with Him and fellowship. As often as you raise a glass to quench your thirst, consider the blood with which you were purchased.As often as you place food in your mouth to give yourself strength, gain ...
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    12 分
  • Where is Your Faith?

    Where is Your Faith?
    2026/02/17
    Where is your faith?Luke 8:24-25, “And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm. And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.”A story is told about a circus performer who walks among the crowd after successfully walking across the high wire suspended above a gorge, and asked, “Do you believe I can go across pushing a wheel barrow?” The crowd chanted, “Yes! Yes!” Then stone silence fell as he prepared the wheelbarrow for the narrow journey and not a word in answer came when he asked, “Now, who would like to ride?”Corresponding action is the ONLY indicator of unfeigned faith.The Bible records a question that is often quoted, but seldom answered. “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him? It is most uncomfortable to answer the question because it shows us to be faithless in many cases. We must admit, however, that faith without actions that corresponds to the faith is not faith at all. And, “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.” (James 2:14-24)The action that corresponds to faith (or the lack of action) is not only a marker of absent faith, it can also provide clues to us indicating in what or where we have placed our faith. Jesus made the same point this way, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matthew 6:21) Behind the words is the principle that we live what we believe. Or as a Mississippi preacher friend of mine says, “We be livin’ what we believin’.” If what Jesus and my friend say is true (and I believe it is) then we may look into our own lives and easily see where our faith lies. “Where is your faith?” becomes more than a rhetorical question. It becomes a question of introspection. Your faith is somewhere, where is it?Sometimes the action that exposes our misplaced faith is only a mental process. When trouble arises we may look for help. The process of looking starts with a mental inventory of useful items, people, and resources. When faced with a problem we might immediately think of a friend to help us who has expertise or political power. When faced with a loss we may think of our insurance policy or our savings account. When a health issue appears we may want to consult with a doctor of reputation among his peers. Where our thoughts go is to our treasure, and where your treasure is, there is where you will find your heart of faith.When King David was faced with trouble he said, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.” (Psalms 121:1-2) Could it be said that David had misplaced faith? Never a man had chariots and horses, armies and men so devoted to him as David had. He was truly a man of resources, but his attitude was, “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.” (Psalms 20:7) Can anyone see a man here who doubts God? Do we have to ask David, “Where is your faith?”I believe that God enjoyed the faith of Job, Noah and Daniel, and I believe that YHVH enjoyed David’s faith. David’s faith was different. It had a humble and unassuming quality. Although it was a no nonsense faith, it never even encroached disrespect. Jesus even mentions (I believe with a smile on His face) a time when David ate the shewbread in the Temple, which is unlawful for any man who is not a Priest to eat, and asked the Pharisees what they thought of that. It is no wonder that David was known as a man after God’s own heart. [1 Samuel 13:14, “…the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people…”] The eternal reign of Christ in the new Kingdom has been prophesied for years as the “the throne of David.” David’s relationship to Jehovah was so close that he once circumvented the office of the priest and a man was killed in the process. David grieved for Uzzah and believed it was his fault that he died. [2 Samuel 6] With all these ideas in our head, we are left with this mystery pertaining to David’s relationship to God. But a day came in the life of David where his actions would show, loud and clear, where his faith was. This was a day that grieved the Lord and things were never the same after this event.“And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.” (1 Chronicles 21:1) What could be so bad about taking a census? Look at the figures that were given to David. “And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto David. And all they of Israel were a thousand thousand and an hundred thousand [1,100,000] men that drew sword: and Judah ...
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    12 分
  • Why Are You So Fearful?

    Why Are You So Fearful?
    2026/01/20
    Why are ye so fearful?Matthew 8:26, “And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!” Also refer to: Mark 4:40, Luke 8:25One of the beautiful things about having four Gospels is reading the same account from three or four perspectives. This account of Jesus calming the storm is no exception. In one he asks, “Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?” in another, “Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?” and then finally (as this story only appears in only three of the Gospels) He asks, “Where is your faith?”From this story, take notice that the lack of faith is an indicator to Jesus that they are full of fear, or vice versa if you prefer, but it is obvious that faith and fear are mutually exclusive forces. More so than a discussion of faith, we want to consider the question that brought about the self-examination, “Why are you so fearful?”Many of the answers to the questions Jesus asked were for our information not His. Even if we do not hold to the idea that Jesus “knew everything” or could “read minds,” we must agree that His wisdom far surpassed mankind’s. He asked, “Why are ye so fearful?” not because He did not know; He asked in order to initiate an internal and self-questioning process within the disciples. He was saying, “Stop, wait a minute and think! Why are you so fearful?”This self-examining process is an essential part of the Christian faith that is lacking in most of our personal lives and certainly in conventional congregational worship. This process cannot be bypassed, done in haste or hurry, nor can it be accomplished in formulaic steps or procedures. It is a meeting of minds, so to speak, a meeting of reality within us that can only be accomplished through honest questions and honest answers.In silent contemplation, we listen to the Word of God (the living Christ) within us, as He evaluates our condition and queries us, we answer Him and our answers may candidly determine our shortcomings and expose the necessary changes. But it is the waiting; the silent waiting upon Him that will present light to our souls and refresh our innermost being. The noise of our lives and noise of our churches attest to the lack of quietness within our spirits. Quietness is uncomfortable to most, because it naturally reveals the noise in our souls. We try to avoid this candid meeting with Christ from occurring within us, for we dread it may make our fears of our Father’s displeasure a reality. Noise is necessary to keep this honest, internal conversation from happening, lest we find ourselves convicted in our favorite lifestyle and then obliged to change it.Peace with Our GodIt is the lack of our Father’s approval that deprives of serenity; we want to feel His hand of salvation on us so that we can feel peace, but we avoid feeling His hand of correction. How can we have one and not the other? Do not both touches of His hand come at once? The writer in Hebrews 12 says, “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons… Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? …that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness…” (Verses 6-11 abridged, emphasis added) It is the pain of correction that brings about the feeling of being true children of your Father in heaven, as well as effecting lasting changes in our lifestyle that please Him.But we avoid this pain. Sometimes we mistakenly think that the absence of discomfort we feel resulting from the singing or orchestrated harmony with others when we are making “joyful noise,” is His approving hand on our lives. But relief is not remedy. Our temporary comfort is no more a sign of healing than drug-induced pain alleviation is an evidence of a medical cure.We are fearful because we do not know our future; we do not know our future because we do not have faith in God. We do not have faith in God because we are not in communication with Him; we are not in communication with Him because our sins have created a painful barrier between us. Sadly, what has been forgotten are the words of the Old Testament Prophet Isaiah: “Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear...
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    12 分
  • Have Ye Not So Much As Read?

    Have Ye Not So Much As Read?
    2025/12/21
    Have you not so much as read?Luke 6:3, Mark 2:28, Matthew 12:3-8, John 7:23 (Combined)“But he answering said unto them, Have ye never read so much as this, what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him? How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which as not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? … But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.”This is one of few accounts that appears in all four Gospels and is a lesson often lost in the mire of arguments about the Sabbath day. Let us focus on Jesus’ question, “Have you not so much as read…?” Notice that He uses this question to preface the references to the Law of Moses and David the Prophet. Christ almost has a tone of surprise in His voice, wondering how this concept had eluded their reading and study. Let’s look at the Scripture Jesus quoted:Hosea 6:6, “For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” The “knowledge of God” is more desirable than offerings and sacrifice. Hebrew prose had poetic values; to repeat a thought in the next phrase with different words of the same meaning was common when the writer was trying to emphasize a point. There are many examples of repetition for emphasis throughout the Old Testament to demonstrate this. By pairing up the repeated thoughts synonyms can be found. Here we see the word “sacrifice” used as a synonym to “offering” and “knowledge of God” in synoptic position with “mercy.”By this verse we may learn that revelation of the knowledge of God will not only reveal Him as merciful; it also places demand upon us to be merciful in order to live in concord with Him.It is fascinating how often this “New Testament” concept appears in the “Old Testament.” Psalms 40:6 says, “Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire…” Psalms 51:16-17 repeats, “For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” God’s desire for mercy and not sacrifice is an ancient one. We must not think that God desires sacrifice – His desire is mercy, submission and a contrite and obedient heart. Once, this same concept of sacrifice being second to righteousness, condemned and deposed a King with almost the same words that Jesus quoted from Hosea: “And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.” (1 Samuel 15:22)David: An Example for UsDavid was so intimately familiar with Jehovah that he saw no conflict (and certainly no sin) in eating the forbidden shewbread in the temple. Jesus somehow applied this example of familiarity with the Lawgiver to His disciples who were gathering corn to eat on Sabbath. There is a mystery here that has not been revealed. David knew something to which we have not been made privy; there is something here like a back door or a peek into the Spirit circumnavigating the letter of Law without breaking it. Though it is elusive and difficult to know it in its fullest sense, its truth is contained in the verse: “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath: For the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day.”Those who hear in this verse that we can do whatever we want on the Sabbath Day because it was made for us, or those who think Jesus said that He can do whatever He wants because He is Lord of the Sabbath, somehow giving Himself permission to break the Commandment, simply don’t understand this verse. It is deeper than this.There is more to this than wholesale negation of the Law. We cannot do whatever we want yet we are called and compelled to seek God and learn of Him and gain the knowledge of Him and seek Him with our whole heart. This is so we can live, move, and have our being in Him, without fear, without condemnation and still live a life free from sin (not freedom to sin.)The simple application to this is that, possibly, what we think is sin …may not be – and what we think is not sin…is. Our difficulty comes from the fact that we don’t know God! As much as we may delight in our experience of Him, as proud as we may be of the road we have traveled, as far as we think we may have come, we may still go outside on a starry night and look up and know that this saying is true: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the...
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    12 分
  • You believe because of what I said? – You will see greater things.

    You believe because of what I said? – You will see greater things.
    2025/11/22
    You believe because of what I said? – You will see greater things.“Now Phillip … findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph …and saith unto him, Come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.” John 1:44-51 (Condensed)Jesus was impressed with the simple and ready faith of Nathanael. There are those who are ready to believe, and there are those, like Thomas, who need to see the “holes in His hands” before they can believe. We should feel sorrow for those who need such confirmation, for their skepticism is misdirected. Almost without exception, upon interview we will find that those who have no faith in what they cannot see (where spiritual things are concerned) seem to place all faith in what others claim to see (where the natural and temporal is concerned). It is as if they trust other’s vision more than their own in science and psychology, but trust only their own sight, feel, reason and understanding in religion and theology.It seems that we place our trust first in the world’s philosophy and science. That misplaced priority is exposed when we say things like, “We’ve done all we can do. All we can do now is pray.” Faith in God’s provision and love could only do us good, but it is with doubt and with demand of proof that we reluctantly carry out His plan, place faith in His way, or trust Him with our lives. Jesus was amazed that Nathanael was so willing to do this.The response He was expecting was more like Thomas’ reaction to the news of His resurrection.“But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.” (John 20)It makes me sad to read this story. Think of the sorrow and hurt the Lord must have felt when He held out His hands and said, “Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side.” The point to note here is that Jesus did accommodate Thomas – even in his unbelief. Though we may not arbitrarily apply this promise of meeting a person halfway to every searcher lacking in faith, it is cause for great hope, and shows the heart of Christ was with this disciple.He then said, “Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”(This story can be found in John 20.) That blessing Jesus mentioned is directed toward us – we who believe, having not seen. We hold the entire Gospel story by faith. There are great measures afoot to “prove” the Gospel is true and there are equal strides to “prove” that it is adulterated, exaggerated, or false.These measures simply do not apply to us of unfeigned faith. What scientists, preachers, or mystics say does not move us. No matter what life itself tells us, we are men and women of faith in Christ. We do not believe because “the facts” line up and declare we should believe; we believe because He is alive in us and His Spirit is working in us, sustaining our very lives. As Paul said, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)True faith in God is rarer than you might deduce by polls taken in the United States. To say that we believe in God is much different than saying we live by faith in God. Yet, the Scriptures say, “…the just shall live by his faith.” (Habakkuk 2:4) If you are waiting for science to prove God to you, or you are waiting for men of faith to prove that scientific theories are wrong, you are waiting in vain. You must now believe from your heart in Christ. You must hold to whatever shred of belief still remains in you and cultivate it into a life based in faith. The Scriptures give little hope to those who ignore the inner promptings of God within them, claiming that the Spirit will not always work in man.[1]The Faith PerspectiveIf you are one who doubts the existence of God, consider this. Perhaps your focus is too narrow. Maybe you secretly want God to do parlor tricks, or maybe it is that your focus is upon yourself. In the Psalms, the ...
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    11 分
  • What Were You Looking For?

    What Were You Looking For?
    2025/10/23
    Question 13. What were you looking for?“And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John [the Baptist], What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously apparelled in soft clothing, and live delicately, are in kings' courts and houses. But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet.” Luke 7:24-26 Matthew 11:7-9 (Combined)All Israel was awaiting the return and ministry of the Prophet Elijah. This was misunderstood to mean a visitation from a man who would call himself Elijah (something John did not do) and would introduce the Messiah (something John did do). John, for whatever reason, went unnoticed as the fulfillment of the ancient prophecy, “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.” (Malachi 3:1)John did not fill the description that they had developed (or had been developed for them) in their mind. They were convinced he could not be “that Prophet.” The fact that John did not consider himself to be “that Prophet” did not help matters either. He was once asked, “…Who art thou? And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias [Elijah]? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. Then said they unto him, Who art thou?That we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? John said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias [Isaiah].” (John 1:19-23)The disciples had no better understanding of the prophecy. Peter, James and John, after witnessing the transfiguration, seeing and recognizing Elijah with Christ, decided that this event that they witnessed must be the coming of Elijah for which all Israel had been waiting. Jesus corrected their thinking, “…Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed [pleased]. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.” (Matthew 17:11-13)The coming of Elijah was a monumental event in the lives of all Israel and they waited for it with anticipation and delight. They set a place for the Prophet Elijah at every Passover meal and looked out the door to see if he was coming. They knew that he was the forerunner to Christ. They had, unfortunately, created an idea in their mind that the prophet for whom they waited would be much different than John the Baptist actually was.Consequently, they missed the prophet for which they waited for centuries.In our imagination we may see Jesus with his hands out at His sides, palms up, with a slight shrug in His shoulders as he asks, “When you came out here to see John, what were you looking for? Did you come out here to enjoy nature (a reed in the wind)? Were you disappointed that He was not finely dressed and did not represent the epitome of all your own earthly desires? Those who have the things you desire to see are Kings, not prophets.Is that what you wanted to see? A prophet? John was much more than a prophet. But what did you expect to see? You are looking for signs and wonders, prophets, and mighty men, and are disappointed with all who are sent to you.What are you looking for?”This is a good question. What are we looking for? What would get us out of our houses and down to the riverbank? What would get our attention? We all have in our mind our own description of what a proper person, a prophet, a church, or a philosophy would be. The descriptions we have in our minds need to be brought out and analyzed. It could reveal what we seek and why. Jesus listed a few of the motivations that men may seek and these may help us categorize our ownWhat Are We Looking For?A Naturist? He is someone with answers that fit into the natural scheme of things but are, in a sense, benign, ineffectual, and undemanding of change. A reed, shaking in the wind. He is sought by those who can see God in a sunset, but have trouble with His presence in the Commandments.A Representative of our Humanity? This man will satisfy those who look for someone who has the answers, or has conquered the trials of life, who has overcome, a winner, one who has raised above the norm, a man in fine clothes, handsome and successful.A Man of God? This is the man sought by those who are looking for a prophet, a Seer, or preacher who has the ear of God, and was commissioned or empowered by God. Someone above the average man. Those seeking this, feel that their quest is more noble...
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