What Does the Bible Say?
April 26, 2011 – But just as you excel in everything – in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us – see that you also excel in the grace of giving. 2 Corinthians 8:7 (NIV)
All Things are Possible
Many persons refuse to believe in miracles. Indeed, by definition, to perform a miracle is to do something that cannot be done by ordinary means. Even Christians may struggle to believe that the power of God can accomplish the impossible.
Most Christians live with a mixture of faith and doubt. They want to believe for a miracle, but fear the disappointment of unanswered prayer. The Spirit gives Christians the ability to believe God can do miracles.
Source: www.first-assembly.net
Not to Reason Why
It bothered Raymond when his Sunday School teacher hung up a chart of the Israelite tribes camped around the tabernacle next to a map of the Israelite tribes as they settled in Canaan. Why did Judah, Issachar, and Zebulon camp on the east only for Judah to settle in the south and Issachar and Zebulon to settle up north? Why did Rueben and Gad camp with Simeon but then settle with half of Manasseh? Shouldn’t God have made the camping arrangements closer to their final settlements?When Raymond pointed this out in class, his teacher smiled. “It didn’t seem to bother the Israelites. Whatever God’s reasons for grouping them as He did, they just obeyed.”So the Israelites did everything the Lord commanded Moses; that is the way they encamped under their standards, and that is the way they set out, each with his clan and family (Numbers 2:34). Raymond wasn’t satisfied with that answer at the time, but over time he saw the wisdom of his teacher. Raymond learned to follow God’s instructions even when he didn’t understand.
Source: www.first-assembly.net
Multiply
Third grade math has been a challenge for our son this year. Why? Multiplication tables. At first it was pretty straightforward: 2 + 2 = 4 and so was 2 × 2. But 10 + 10 was only 20 while 10 × 10 equaled a whopping 100. How was that possible? The numbers got so big so quickly!Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown (Mark 4:20).Multiplication is confoundedly powerful. According to Jesus, the believer in whom the gospel truly takes root will yield a multiplied crop of new believers—not just simple addition.In many countries today, most churchgoers would feel pretty good about bringing in two or three converts over their lifetimes. Thirty seems daunting. Sixty or a hundred seems astounding. Yet it is possible, if we depend on the Holy Spirit to give us power to witness.
Source: www.first-assembly.net
Fear
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. Psalm 19:9We serve a loving and merciful God. But fear can be a healthy thing for us when it forces us to clean up our lives and walk the straight path. Once on the right path, we can leave fear behind, for nothing can harm us once we are in the Lord’s camp. God’s judgments are righteous and true, and He will always help us make the changes that allow us to clean up our lives, if we will only ask Him to.
Source: www.first-assembly.net