Alētheia: Truth

Tag: faith

  • Job-Japan


    Trying to understand the sovereignty of God is very difficult, especially in light of the earthquake and the ensuing tsunami that hit Japan. The death toll continues to rise daily and the sheer number of people who are homeless and hungry is mind-boggling. So many questions.

    It’s hard to imagine losing so many friends and family along with all your possessions. By the grace of God I have not had to endure such heart ache. Though I have had many trials and tribulations in my life time, they are minuscule in comparison to the suffering in Japan.

    I am sure that people are asking the question, “where is God in all this?” A question that entered another person’s mind in the bible who suffered the loss of his family and all his possessions – Job.

    We can read the historical event of Job in the bible. Job lost all his wealth; his family and all his servants in one day. The agony he must have felt surely is the same for the survivors of the devastation in Japan. Though Job lost everything (except his wife) the bible tells us that “in all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong” (Job 1:22).

    There is hope

    In time, God restored to Job twice what he had lost and blessed him more in the latter days than his beginning (Job 42:12). There is hope and it’s in Jesus Christ – the author and finisher of our faith. We must pray for those who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus, that they would come to the saving grace and faith in the Son of God. We must also pray for God’s sovereign will in this tragic time for the people of Japan.

    While it is difficult to understand why bad things happen, one thing we can know for sure – God is holy and just; He is sovereign and there is no other God like him. We can take great comfort in God and his holy word:

    Matthew 5:4

    “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

    Nahum 1:7

    “The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.”

    Psalm 138:7

    ‘Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me.”

    Psalm 121:1-2

    “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.”

    2 Corinthians 1:3-4

    “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

    Isaiah 51:11

    “And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
    they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”

    minuscule

  • Foundations – Bakers Dozen


    2 Corinthians 5:17  (ESV)

    “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

    It seems fitting to end this chapter of “Foundations” with 2 Corinthians 5:17 which is a beautiful reminder that as a believer in Jesus Christ we are  new creations – regenerated for the glory of God. And, it is awesome to know that our old self has passed away and a new life in Christ has begun.

    It is my hope that these 12 passages serve as a foundation – a begining – for a persons spiritual walk with the Lord. And as you journey through the many seasons of life, you will no doubt find many other promises to stand on and hide in your heart.

    I pray that you will continue to grow in your passion for God’s word and to hide it in your heart so that we can know the sweetness of His magnificent grace and mercy through life saving faith in Jesus Christ.

  • Foundations – Bakers Dozen


    The next chapter of “Foundations” will contain 12 life verses that I am using in my life. There is no doubt that I need to read all of my Bible daily, but I do believe there are 12 or so verses that I count on  that will continue to strengthen my faith.

    I will go through these 12 verses one at a time and I pray that this concept may help others grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior and the power of the victory of the cross.

    This concept of finding 12 verses is not my idea. My prayer partner (a retired pastor who is still serving the Lord by ministering to all those whom he comes in contact) in one of our meetings gave me this bit of advice. It has not been an easy road. My flesh desires to wallow around in self-pity. What I want more than anything is to walk in the Spirit and continue to find all my joy in Christ Jesus. These verses, coupled with prayer, is a major weapon in the battle against the flesh and the father of all lies – Satan.

  • Foundations – Back to Basics – Sharing


    One of the foundations of our Christian faith is sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with other people. To many times we gather with other “like-minded” people. That is, other people who are already saved – who know the Lord as their Savior. There is nothing wrong with having a close-knit circle of friends who are Christians, but it just doesn’t follow what Jesus command us to do.

    In Matthew 28, Jesus said, “go teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.” In this verse, we are commanded to go. That means beyond our circle of influence – our friends. We are to go across the street to a neighbor’s house; or to the cubicle next to us at work. It means sharing with all those we come in contact with where ever we go. I realize that we don’t always have the perfect moment to share with some one because of the circumstances. For example, you may be in line to check out at the grocery store and you won’t be able to carry on a full conversation with the cashier because they are working, but a quick word and maybe leave a gospel track with plant the seed that God will cause to grow. I think you get the idea.

    The fact is, that we should be living our lives in a way that when people see us they see the gospel. There may be times that the only bible other people see is us. It’s like when we tell our children that when they are away from home, they represent the family – how they act in public is a reflection on the family and their values. So it is with Christians. We are to be like Christ, a reflection of who He is to all those around us. We are to be the fragrance of Christ. Most of the time, it not what we say about salvation and Jesus that counts, but how we live it out before the world. Most people go by what they see more than what they hear.

    “Therefore go…”

    “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’”    Matthew 28:18-20