tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62034921530309408982024-03-10T22:23:01.236-05:00ViewpointVan Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03993146061420193578noreply@blogger.comBlogger100125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203492153030940898.post-81983035948243560632023-12-28T09:23:00.002-06:002023-12-28T12:47:07.589-06:00The Author and Finisher of Faith<div style="text-align: left;"><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i>Therefore, since we
have so great a cloud<br /></i><i> of witnesses surrounding us,<br /></i><i>let us also lay aside every
encumbrance<br /> and the sin which so easily entangles us,<br /></i><i>and let us run with
endurance<br /> the race that is set before us,</i></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i>
fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and <br />perfecter of faith, who for the joy
set before Him <br />endured the cross, despising the shame, <br />and has sat down at the
right hand <br />of the throne of God.<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i>For consider Him
who has endured <br />such hostility by sinners against Himself,<br />so that you will not
grow weary and lose heart.<br /></i><i>[Hebrews 12:1-3 NASB95]</i></p><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">I recently memorized these verses of Hebrews and have been considering Jesus...<br />"so that I will not grow weary and lose heart.”</div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">But my dilemma is this...How can I run with endurance the race that is set before me? Do I have that kind of faith?</div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">This morning the answer came...Jesus writes the law of faith on my heart, and He will finish it according to His will, not mine! I can rest on this promise:</div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><i>For He says to Moses, “I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION.” So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. </i></div></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><i>[Romans 9:15-16 NASB95]</i></div></div></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">It does not depend on my will or on my willingness to run, nor does it depend on my speed or endurance. God will accomplish His perfect will in me - in His time and according to His purpose.</div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><i>All I have to do is continually open my heart to His penmanship!</i></div></div></div>Van Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03993146061420193578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203492153030940898.post-48940523004466717182023-11-12T21:41:00.001-06:002023-12-29T09:27:00.864-06:00The Power of Praise and Worship<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div style="text-align: left;">I haven't posted much this year, mostly because I can only write when I feel inspired to write. But for months I've been meaning to write something about an experience with God that transformed my faith, my life and my understanding of heaven. But first let me start with this vision of John from the Bible.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, holding harps of God. And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><i>"Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty;<br />Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations!<br />"Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name?<br />For You alone are holy; for<br />ALL THE NATIONS WILL COME AND WORSHIP BEFORE YOU,<br />FOR YOUR RIGHTEOUS ACTS HAVE BEEN REVEALED." </i></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><i>[Rev 15:2-4 NASB95]</i></blockquote><p> A few months ago a couple of our grandchildren were with us in the worship service, and after the songs were finished my grandson looked up at me and said, "have you been crying?" Well, I guess to a child it would look that way, but I had to explain that many times when I am pouring my heart out singing songs of worship, the tears begin to flow. That's a bit embarrassing and maybe hard to understand, but it hasn't always been that way for me.</p><p>In the spring of 2020 the world began to shut down as the Covid-19 virus became a pandemic. The first attempt to stop it (the "<a href="https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/articles/15-days-slow-spread/" target="_blank">15 days to slow the spread</a>" shutdown) finally ended in Texas after a couple of months when the warmer weather came. I was eager to get out of the house, and my wife was hosting her sisters for an extended weekend, so I went to visit my brother-in-law in the Texas Hill Country. Dave is a part-time worship leader and great host, and we had a few days of good fellowship while the sisters enjoyed spending time together.</p><p>It's about a four hour drive back to our house, and that was the time when I had my first real taste of heaven. I have a pretty good collection of worship music on my phone, so I began listening as I drove through the hills enjoying the beauty of the countryside. I can't remember the song that was playing, but as I looked into the sky that morning, I felt like heaven was just beyond the clouds, and I began to praise the Lord with thanksgiving in my heart for his great faithfulness and mercy. An hour passed and I stopped for coffee at a drive-through.</p><p>When I got back on the freeway, the worship intensified. I could truly envision the saints and angels around the throne of God, singing and bowing prostrate before Almighty God and the Lamb. Song after song played while I sang along and prayed. As I drove up each hill, I felt like I was about to pass through the clouds into glory! The tears began to flow and I could barely keep both hands on the wheel or keep my eyes dry enough to drive. I was singing and shouting praise to God while thinking about the unspeakable joy and gratefulness in my heart, that God would allow a sinner such as myself to come into his presence through the righteous blood of Jesus!</p><p>This continued for a couple more hours while I was getting more and more enraptured in the presence of God, until I finally pulled into the garage at my house. The car was still running and I knew my wife was waiting for me inside, but I did not want to turn the music off or leave the throne room of praise. I actually prayed, "Lord if you want to take me now, I'm ready!" I confess I had a brief thought that the carbon-monoxide might have helped, but soon realized that God wanted me to take that experience and remember it for the rest of my life.</p><p>This is what I learned from that day. Heaven will be a wonderful place, not because of its spectacular beauty or because of the glory of the new creation, but because of The One I am with, and the unspeakable joy of being in the presence of saints and angels singing praise and proclaiming the righteous acts of God. In the four hours I drove, I never got tired or sore in the car; I never got bored or wanted to go anywhere or do anything but to continue in ever-increasing praise and worship. This was a truly unique experience that I cannot re-create, though I certainly pour my heart into worship whenever I can.</p><p>I also learned (and continue to learn) that our praise has an audience, whether alone or with thousands of other believers. When we come into the sanctuary to lift up the name of Jesus, we are singing and testifying to God himself, and to angels and the host of heaven, proclaiming his righteousness and agreeing with God that all his ways are true and just. God created us to proclaim his testimonies before thrones and dominions in heaven and on earth. And that is why, if you ever catch a glimpse of me with my hands lifted high and my face covered with tears, you can know that I've been in the presence of my savior and the Lord of my life, Jesus Christ.</p><p></p>Van Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03993146061420193578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203492153030940898.post-48825060295878362612023-07-14T11:55:00.002-05:002023-07-18T08:01:03.699-05:00Power Perfected in Weakness<p>Like anyone who would contemplate the power of God and the suffering of mankind, I have often thought about the question of why God allows suffering in this world.</p><p>Many people turn away from God when they are confronted with suffering because they cannot (or don't want to) find an answer to this question.</p><p>There are many reasons why people suffer, mostly because we live in a world broken and cursed by sin. The apostle Paul understood suffering more than most, first by causing many saints to suffer in his brutal pre-Christian zeal, then by suffering the same fate from his fellow Jewish zealots and their merciless Roman rulers.</p><p>Paul also understood the grace of God and the power that comes through suffering for Christ's sake.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><i>And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.</i> <i>2 Corinthians 12:9-10</i></p></blockquote><p>Why is power perfected in weakness? Because our testimony is polished by turmoil, and shines brighter against the dark backdrop of tribulation and distress. As a follower of Christ, suffering can be a <i>Force Multiplier</i> for our testimony. God is glorified and his righteousness is demonstrated even more fully when we develop and maintain our testimony through trials and the death of our flesh.</p><p>The suffering and death of Christ is the ultimate foundational testimony of God’s mercy and righteousness, through which we are reconciled to God and introduced to grace.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><i>To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. </i><i>Ephesians 3:8-10</i></p></blockquote><p>Who sees this testimony? Not only those on earth but “the rulers and authorities in heavenly places!” </p><p>My conclusion is this:</p><p><span><b>Whether we stand before kings or walk before kids, whether we preach to multitudes or suffer alone, our lives testify to the host of heaven against the forces of darkness!</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>“So let us know, let us press on to know the Lord. His going forth is as certain as the dawn;</i><i> And He will come to us like the rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth.”” Hosea 6:3</i></p><div><span class="yiv0680519223s2" style="outline: none;"><br /></span></div>Van Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03993146061420193578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203492153030940898.post-28043717144588109512023-02-04T22:31:00.000-06:002023-02-04T22:31:12.799-06:00Trusting God in the Storm<div style="text-align: left;"><div>I’m studying Exodus now. In <a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/EXO.14.nasb" target="_blank">Exodus 14</a> we see that through Moses, God led Israel out of Egypt into what appeared to be an inescapable trap, cornered at the edge of the sea across from a village of Ba’al worshippers known as Ba’al Tsephon.</div><div><br /></div><div>God led them there with a purpose, to be honored through Pharaoh’s defeat at the hands of God himself. But this was not at all how Israel saw the situation. It appeared to Israel that they would either die at the hands of Pharaoh's army or be forcibly taken back to Egypt and re-enslaved.</div><div><br /></div><div>The name Ba’al Tsephon is significant. It means Lord of the Storm. The word typhoon is closely related, a violent fearful wind storm. God was going to use this violent wind to bring deliverance to Israel and destruction to the enemy.</div><div><br /></div><div>There are a couple of lessons to be learned from this episode in the Bible.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>First, our deliverance from slavery may begin with trouble</i>. Israel experienced many troubles escaping slavery even before this event. Their work became unbearable, there were plagues all around them, and ultimately they had to assemble in the night to run into a future of great uncertainty. The decision to leave a lost and sinful past can bring this kind of hardship. God intentionally brought Israel to the edge of the sea to destroy the slave masters, and to build their faith.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Second, there is no turning back.</i> When Israel's deliverance was completed there was a stormy sea left behind them, separating the people from their lives of bondage in Egypt. We must cross boundaries to leave our sinful past and these boundaries become barriers to protect us from returning there. Sin can never be sweet again, though it beckons and threatens to take us back. Passing through a storm of deliverance is a cleansing experience, symbolized by baptism when we begin to walk by faith.</div><div><br /></div><div>Though we pass through many storms in life, we should always remember that God brings us there with a purpose. We must learn to trust him, as better things lie just on the other side.</div></div>Van Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03993146061420193578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203492153030940898.post-88001658423659524402023-01-23T15:42:00.002-06:002023-01-23T16:02:54.309-06:00Magic Eyes and Hearing Ears (Parables of Jesus)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3_YNVO6SoYR6dZCI8zBn0_mrZdK3nJW1RAyvzYfEYeCTROsOl4DxjUA9ncQJgE64gfvCSnM0nNCh4dyGTvAD9qv7rF45ji3O_fO-0Yc5ZrapsvoF0EZ3eyllsDKF3R2mEwDb4jWh2NvGjraR4wnH9aPqf8jGHvaZKDS5vtpTOEEAB_k2Nos_poaPX/s421/MagicEye.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="332" data-original-width="421" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3_YNVO6SoYR6dZCI8zBn0_mrZdK3nJW1RAyvzYfEYeCTROsOl4DxjUA9ncQJgE64gfvCSnM0nNCh4dyGTvAD9qv7rF45ji3O_fO-0Yc5ZrapsvoF0EZ3eyllsDKF3R2mEwDb4jWh2NvGjraR4wnH9aPqf8jGHvaZKDS5vtpTOEEAB_k2Nos_poaPX/w400-h315/MagicEye.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div>We studied the <a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/LUK.8.4-15" target="_blank">Parable of the Sower</a> from the Gospel of Luke in my Bible fellowship Sunday. The question was raised in class - as it was to Jesus - why does he speak to the people in parables?</div><div><br /></div><div>Jesus replied "<span style="color: red;">I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.</span>" </div><div><br /></div><div>One thing that crossed my mind is this book called Magic Eye, which has lots of pictures in it that are actually encoded 3D images hidden behind a confusing foreground. If you train your eye to look through the picture you may eventually see a beautiful or haunting 3D image that is quite surprising from the appearance of the page. These types of pictures were quite popular in the late 20th century. I remember standing in front of posters like these when I was younger and never seeing anything! That was actually a bit embarrassing.</div><div><br /></div><div>The hidden picture is a good illustration of how Jesus presented these parables, and how to understand the teachings in the Bible. Your ears must be attuned to hear the still small voice of God. The eyes of your heart must be opened to see the meaning as it applies to you. As Jesus said, "<span style="color: red;">seek and you shall find, knock and the door shall be opened to you.</span>" The beauty and depth of the hidden picture is only seen when you relax your eyes and look beyond the obvious foreground. The beauty and power of God's word is only seen when you seek Him with your whole heart.</div><div><br /></div><div>This also a good illustration of the meaning of the Parable of the Sower. The seed that falls by the roadside is the word that falls on ears that aren't listening. The seed that falls on rocky soil is the word that falls on shallow lives and quickly fails. The seed that falls among thorns is the word that is eventually choked by a worldly mindset. Only the Living Word of God falling on willing ears and a heart that is open to change bears lasting fruit.</div><div><br /></div><div>So that is my prayer for those who hear the word of God through me, that they will have ears to hear and eyes to see the things that God has prepared for those who love Him.</div><div><br /></div>Van Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03993146061420193578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203492153030940898.post-19836520191773811382022-09-16T11:33:00.000-05:002022-09-16T11:33:36.647-05:00Wrestling with Darkness<p> Last night I spent a few hours wrestling with sleeplessness, partly due to escalating concerns about what is going on in the world and how it may affect our lives. Of course, there is very little I can do about these concerns except to cast them on the Lord Jesus and ask for divine intervention. Needless to say, after a night like that I'm somewhat spent physically.</p><p>If you have ever dealt with someone with psychosis, a personality disorder or addiction issues, you might understand what it means to wrestle with the forces of darkness. There are many stories in the Bible about Jesus wrestling with demons, and last Sunday our fellowship group studied one of these accounts in the gospel of Luke.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><i>While the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and laying His hands on each one of them, He was healing them. Demons also were coming out of many, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But rebuking them, He would not allow them to speak, because they knew Him to be the Christ. When day came, Jesus left and went to a secluded place; and the crowds were searching for Him, and came to Him and tried to keep Him from going away from them. But He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose.” </i><i><a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/LUK.4.40-43" target="_blank">Luke 4:40-43</a></i></p></blockquote><p>Matthew adds this note to the account:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p><i>This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: “He Himself took our infirmities and carried away our diseases.” </i><i><a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/MAT.8.17" target="_blank">Matthew 8:17</a></i></p></blockquote><p>A couple of years ago I looked up that reference in Isaiah and received this message from the Lord: <i style="text-align: center;">Jesus spent his entire ministry on earth bearing our pain and weakness. By His scourging we are healed. He continues this ministry through us, so that our suffering in His name is never in vain.</i></p><p>The quote from <a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/ISA.53.NASB1995" target="_blank">Isaiah 53</a> is part of a "Suffering Servant prophecy", a chapter which foretells in great detail the suffering and sacrificial death of the Messiah, written hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus. What I never realized when studying Isaiah was that this suffering was not only on the cross. Each time Jesus wrestled with diseases and demonic forces He was fulfilling His calling to bear our burdens and carry away our infirmities.</p><p>In the passage from Luke and Matthew above, Jesus wrestled with these demons all night, leaving just as the morning light approached to find respite from the crowds of desperate people. These times were mentally and physically exhausting, and many times Jesus could only find respite before dawn in secluded places like the hills of Galilee.</p><p>The body of Christ continues this ministry of suffering. As Paul said:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.</i><i> <a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/COL.1.24.NASB1995" target="_blank">Colossians 1:24</a></i></p></blockquote><p> Or as Peter says:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><i>but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. <a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/1PE.4.13.NASB1995" target="_blank">1 Peter 4:13</a></i></p></blockquote><p>So to the degree that we are reviled, mistreated or simply wrestle with the unseen enemy, these times call for rejoicing and expectation of glory that is to come. We do not suffer and struggle alone; we suffer with Christ who bears our pain and understands our needs.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><i>For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. <a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/ROM.8.18" target="_blank">Romans 8:18</a></i></p></blockquote><p> And finally there is an incomparable reward for all suffering of the innocents and those made righteous by His blood, so that like Christ we can endure it for the joy set before us.</p><div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/2CO.4.16-18" target="_blank">2 Corinthians 4:16-18</a></i></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></blockquote><div><br /></div>Van Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03993146061420193578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203492153030940898.post-81024951492905953022022-08-31T18:29:00.004-05:002022-09-18T03:51:12.019-05:00The Foundation of God's Throne<div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;<br />Lovingkindness and truth go before You.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/PSA.89.NASB1995" target="_blank">Psalms 89:14</a></i></div></div><div><br /></div><div>There is a chapter in the New Testament that completely changed my understanding of the Bible. I first encountered these verses as I was memorizing Romans in my first year of college.</div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><i>But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking in human terms.) May it never be! For otherwise, how will God judge the world?</i></div></div><div><div><i>Romans 3:5-6</i></div></div></blockquote><p>The <a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/ROM.3.NASB1995" target="_blank">third chapter of Romans</a> presents God's perfect righteousness in human terms as a prerequisite for Him to execute judgment. Without God's righteous judgment all creation would be lost to the domain of darkness.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. <b>This was to demonstrate His righteousness</b>, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, <b>so that He would be just</b> and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.</i> </div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Romans 3:21-26</i></div></blockquote><p>The backdrop of the gospel is that God is righteous, and His righteousness requires judgment and condemnation of evil. This righteousness in God's terms is much more than judgment and condemnation. The perfect righteousness of God is His self-sacrificing unconditional love, which extends mercy and forgiveness in response to an unjust and ungrateful world.</p><p>Jesus said that God's Law is based on two commandments, both involving <i><b>sacrificial love</b></i>.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>And He said to him, “<span style="color: red;">‘You shall <b>love the Lord your God</b> with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall <b>love your neighbor</b> as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.</span>”</i> </div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Matthew 22:37-40</i></div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div>God's righteousness means that He is always faithful and true; His faithfulness is the expression of His perfect love and mercy.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Bible records promises that God made to great men of faith like Noah, Abraham and David. The promise to Abraham shows how people can become part of his family, not by flesh (birthright) or by keeping the Law of Moses, but by faith in God. This promise remains certain today for all who believe and confess their faith, because God is faithful. The Law of Moses did not nullify this promise (<a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/ROM.4.13-15" target="_blank">Romans 4:13-15</a>), nor does Faith nullify God's Law (<a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/ROM.3.31" target="_blank">Romans 3:31</a>), nor does Faith nullify the requirement for perfect righteousness to enter into the kingdom of heaven (<a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/PSA.24.3-4" target="_blank">Psalm 24:3-4</a>).</div><div><br /></div><div>The apostle Paul spends several chapters explaining this apparent conflict of Law and Faith in his epistle to the Romans. The conflict is resolved by a promise that took precedence over the Law of Moses and the nation of Israel. This promise was given to David when he was king, in which God promised to establish his Son as the ruler of an eternal kingdom that would be for all people of all nations, who are born not of flesh but of spirit, because of His own blood that is poured out on the altar of God to atone for all sin of all time.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you are following this (and this may be hard to really grasp at first), you will begin to understand how fundamentally important it is for the Body of Christ to proclaim and demonstrate God's righteousness. This is why Paul said in his epistle to the Corinthians "<i><a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/1CO.11.26" target="_blank">For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.</a></i>" This is why Paul said to the Galatians "<i><a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/GAL.6.14.NASB1995" target="_blank">may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.</a></i>" We remind ourselves and the world that God so loved us that He sacrificed His Son for us, so that our sins could be forgiven and washed away. </div><div><br /></div><div>This is the righteous, faithful, merciful and self-sacrificial God of the Bible, the one true God that we serve by receiving the Spirit of His Son into our heart. Because Jesus our Messiah is seated at the right hand of God we are empowered to put on His robe of righteousness and enter boldly into the throne room of God.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Understanding the foundational nature of God's righteousness has helped me understand many truths of the Bible, such as the meaning and purpose of creation, the nature of spiritual warfare, the foundation of a righteous government, and many questions non-believers pose in rejecting the Bible. I hope to share these truths in related posts, so if you're interested please subscribe to my blog or bookmark this page. Many blessings to you!</i></div>Van Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03993146061420193578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203492153030940898.post-56760767323198534342022-08-19T22:24:00.003-05:002022-08-21T03:01:23.226-05:00The Sanctification of Elijah<p>A few months ago I was wondering why Elijah the prophet was given such a prominent place in the Bible. After all, he didn't write any books, nor were any named after him. I don't believe there is any messianic prophecy credited to him, but he was the subject of much messianic prophecy in both the Old and New Testaments.</p><p>Pastor Greg Laurie reminded me of this subject recently on TBN when he spoke about Elijah. That inspired me to study more and write about this amazing man of God.</p><p>Elijah the Tishbite appears in <a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/1KI.17.NASB1995" target="_blank">1 Kings 17</a> with a message for the king:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>“As the Lord, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, surely there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.”</i></div></blockquote><p>Elijah was bold and brash. He was maybe a little scary, coming from the presence of God. But I see <i>“except by my word”</i> and think of something else.</p><p>Elijah was zealous and proud. Maybe not arrogant but definitely self-confident. This is a quality that creates boldness, and perhaps this is why God chose him for this mission. But his story starts before this chapter. It starts with a rugged but simple man in prayer.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. <a href="https://bible.com/bible/100/jas.5.17.NASB1995" target="_blank">James 5:17</a></i></div></blockquote><p>When Elijah appeared before Ahab he had already prayed earnestly and the drought had already begun maybe six months earlier. When Elijah said he “stands before God” he meant that he had <i>standing</i> with God, like an appointment or an office to represent God. This gave him the boldness to speak. But after this meeting with the King he had to run and hide for three years.</p><p>During this time of severe famine God continued to sanctify Elijah. You can see the result of this in the following chapters. Elijah still had hubris when he spoke to the people on Mount Carmel:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>“I alone am left a prophet of the Lord, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men.” </i><a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/1KI.18.22.NASB1995" target="_blank"><i>18:22</i></a></div></blockquote><p>But when it came to the time to call for rain, Elijah did not make a public spectacle commanding rain to come down, but remembered God’s promise:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>“Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the face of the earth.”</i> <i><a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/1KI.18.1.NASB1995" target="_blank">18:1</a></i></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>So he went up to pray and wait for the Lord in a posture of humility:</p><div style="text-align: left;"><i>So Ahab went up to eat and drink. But Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he crouched down on the earth and put his face between his knees. He said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go back” seven times. It came about at the seventh time, that he said, “Behold, a cloud as small as a man’s hand is coming up from the sea.”</i><i><a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/1KI.18.42-44.NASB1995" target="_blank">18:42-44</a></i></div></blockquote><p style="text-align: left;">The famine ended and Elijah ran faster than a chariot to Jezreel, possibly assuming that King Ahab would put his wicked Canaanite wife out on the street. Elijah may have thought his troubles were over until he met Jezebel in her wrath. Apparently for the first time in his life Elijah feared for his life. Immediately he ran to hide in the Judean wilderness, then made his way to the mountain of God where got another lesson in humility.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Then he came there to a cave and lodged there; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.” <a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/1KI.19.9-10.NASB1995" target="_blank">19:9-10</a></i></div></blockquote><p>God brought him to the mountain top and spoke to him, not through a mighty destructive wind or an earth shaking voice or a fiery blast, but in a low whisper:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><i>“What are you doing here Elijah?”</i></p></blockquote><p>Elijah gave Him the same excuse for a final time:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><i>"I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.” </i><i><a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/1KI.19.14.NASB1995" target="_blank">19:14</a></i></p></blockquote><p>Now God gave him his marching orders, to anoint other kings of Syria and Israel, and to anoint another prophet named Elisha to replace him. And oh, by the way:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>“I will leave 7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.” </i><i><a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/1KI.19.18.NASB1995" target="_blank">19:18</a></i></div></blockquote><p>To this command there was only a response of obedience. Elijah went and did what God told him to do. His mission now was to pass the mantle to Elisha (yes that’s where “pass the mantle” comes from.)</p><p>Elijah’s human bravado was broken but his place in God’s heart and in God’s kingdom was lifted to new heights. Elijah humbled himself to resign his special appointment, but God himself exalted Elijah, and soon brought him into His eternal presence escorted by a chariot of fire (yes that’s where that movie got its name).</p><p>Elijah’s voice continues to cry out like a voice in the wilderness, calling us to a decision:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><i>“How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” </i></p></blockquote>Van Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03993146061420193578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203492153030940898.post-63668482425454949732022-04-18T13:14:00.002-05:002022-08-19T22:31:59.624-05:00Easter Thoughts 2022<p>I was in the Maundy Thursday service and the Easter services at my church over the last few days and had these thoughts:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>To an outside observer with no religious perspective, it must seem strange that such a multitude would gather each year to celebrate events that occurred 2,000 years ago.</li><li>Over these 2,000 years the body of Christ has constantly demonstrated the righteousness of God by its perseverance through tribulation and death.</li><li>The Holy Spirit has constantly demonstrated the grace of God by resurrecting the souls of men through new birth into the eternal kingdom of God.</li><li>The resurrection message will be completed when the entire body of Christ is resurrected and glorified in her marriage to Jesus the Lamb of God.</li></ul><div>Thus, the Easter message is constantly new and meaningful to every generation and every soul who sees and hears this message through us! I can't think of a better demonstration of this gospel of grace than the presentation below coming from Ukraine.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/svIjV4ZrNZI" width="320" youtube-src-id="svIjV4ZrNZI"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Until next Easter... He is risen indeed!</span></p><p></p>Van Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03993146061420193578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203492153030940898.post-42019256132438217782022-01-27T20:20:00.000-06:002022-01-27T20:20:31.957-06:00Hearing From God<p>One Sunday recently I was awakened at 5:00 AM with a strong desire to hear from God. I had been studying the second half of Isaiah so when picked up my Bible I discovered these verses:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p><i>The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of disciples,<br />That I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word.<br />He awakens Me morning by morning,<br />He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple.<br />The Lord GOD has opened My ear;<br />And I was not disobedient<br />Nor did I turn back. (<a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/ISA.50.4-5" target="_blank">Isaiah 50:4-5 NASB</a>)</i></p></blockquote><p>These verses in Isaiah are part of a prophecy spoken by the Spirit of Christ in reference to His earthly ministry. That Sunday morning I seemed to hear the Lord affirming the many times He has awakened me to train me and reveal Himself to me (that is the Spirit of Christ in me.) I was not always obedient, and I have to admit that as yet I have not been blessed with "<i>the tongue of disciples</i>". But I am blessed that He has opened my ear and given me a deeper understanding of His word and His plans for me.</p><p>The word spoken by our Lord Jesus is life; like bread from heaven it sustains the body and restores the soul. So many times in the Bible Jesus would speak a word, bringing sight to blind eyes or life to paralyzed limbs. The word of faith - the gospel of Christ - can perform surgery on the soul and give hope to those who are hopeless. That Sunday morning these words of Jesus from Isaiah filled my heart with such joy that I entered into a time of worship I have only experienced once before in my life.</p><p>Times like this are a foretaste of heaven, meant to encourage and strengthen us to persevere through this life. As Nehemiah says "<a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/NEH.8.9-10" target="_blank">Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.</a>" As I look back on this now I have a little idea what heaven is like. It truly is <a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/1PE.1.3-9" target="_blank">joy unspeakable and full of glory</a> to be in the presence God, to enjoy the privilege afforded to us by the atoning sacrifice and triumphant resurrection of our Lord Jesus!</p><p><br /></p>Van Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03993146061420193578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203492153030940898.post-37042476112854197132022-01-22T20:55:00.000-06:002022-01-22T20:55:35.609-06:00A Curious Word from John the Apostle<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>The elder to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth;</i><i> and not only I, but also all who know the truth... (2 John 1:1 NASB)</i></div><p></p></blockquote><p style="text-align: left;">This word translated as "<i>lady"</i> from John's second epistle piqued my curiosity one day when I was reading the New Testament.</p><p style="text-align: left;">When I looked up the original Greek word I became even more curious. John used the word <i>kyria</i>, a word which has puzzled translators and bible scholars for centuries. The translators of King James' authorized version used the word <i>lady,</i> which had a very British connotation at that time.</p><p style="text-align: left;">"Lady" in that culture meant a woman of high position, commonly understood to be the wife of a "Lord". In Greek the word "<a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g2959/kjv/tr/0-1/" target="_blank">kyria</a>" is the feminine form of the word Kyrios, which is the title of our Lord Jesus in the New Testament. Thinking about the German word for church - <i>Kirche -</i> I came across this etymology of the word which explained a lot to me.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Greek kyriakon (adj.) "of the Lord" was used of houses of Christian worship since c. 300, especially in the East, though it was less common in this sense than ekklesia or basilike. An example of the direct Greek-to-Germanic transmission of many Christian words, via the Goths; probably it was used by West Germanic people in their pre-Christian period. (<a href="https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=church" target="_blank">Etymonline</a> on "church")</i></p></blockquote><p>Maybe this epistle was written to a woman - maybe her name was Kyria. But I think John's second epistle was addressed to the chosen bride of Christ, which is the church. John referred to the spiritual body of Christ as the bride or wife of the Lamb many times in the book of Revelation. This analogy is actually a reference to prophecies in the book of Isaiah about Zion, the New Jerusalem, which is the spiritual kingdom of God.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><i>It will no longer be said to you, “Forsaken," <br />Nor to your land will it any longer be said, “Desolate”; <br />But you will be called, “My delight is in her,” <br />And your land, “Married”; <br />For the LORD delights in you, <br />And to Him your land will be married. <br />You will also be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, <br />And a royal diadem in the hand of your God. <br />For as a young man marries a virgin, <br />So your sons will marry you; <br />And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, <br />So your God will rejoice over you. (</i><i>Isaiah 62:3-5 NASB)</i></p></blockquote><p>And so, John says to the chosen bride of Christ - walk in the truth...abide in the word...don't let deception and the spirit of antichrist into your house of worship! God delights in you as his bride, the body of His beloved Son!</p>Van Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03993146061420193578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203492153030940898.post-86266642809572139572021-11-17T21:23:00.000-06:002021-11-17T21:23:05.857-06:00Maintaining Control<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNz0X14lcPjraxRhSEPPDVQf-ZkJGGcvBkIraF7L3cK0va43lvEuHzmMX4bLtN-F5TcUWy21A8-2IZ30IO-NbnyFVQFVT7ZRg5WX4EIDjTM_ehIzYKkkqipxG_z__95WimzxWE78Pr8GE/s2048/FlyingFree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1217" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNz0X14lcPjraxRhSEPPDVQf-ZkJGGcvBkIraF7L3cK0va43lvEuHzmMX4bLtN-F5TcUWy21A8-2IZ30IO-NbnyFVQFVT7ZRg5WX4EIDjTM_ehIzYKkkqipxG_z__95WimzxWE78Pr8GE/w190-h320/FlyingFree.jpg" width="190" /></a></div> I'm reading a book by a new friend at church named Dean Rush. He was an Air Force pilot as a young man, then an airline executive, entrepreneur, and finally the executive pastor at Community Bible Church in San Antonio.<p></p><p>The book is called Flying Free - Life After Crisis, and I just finished a chapter called "Maintain Control - Manage Chaos". This chapter recounts a great example of maintaining control in a crisis, in this case an engine failure while then 17-year-old Dean was flying to his first pilot certification appointment.</p><p>In Paul's letter to the church at Philippi, he wrote:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><i>Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; <b>in no way alarmed by your opponents</b>—which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God.</i></p><p><i><a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/PHP.1.27-28" target="_blank">Philippians 1:27-28</a></i></p></blockquote><p>The word <i>alarmed</i> is translated from Greek <i>ptyromenoi</i> which means <i>frightened</i>, the <a href="https://biblehub.com/greek/4422.htm" target="_blank">root meaning</a> - "becoming psychologically detached from reality" or "to fly off into unrealistic, irrational behavior".</p><p>Being frightened and alarmed is the exact opposite of psychologically maintaining control. Whether preparing for flight, preparing for battle, or just preparing to speak before a hostile audience, the key to maintaining control always begins with preparation. I recently heard some military men recounting their experiences in battle, and how their military training created instinctive reactions that got them through the fog of war.</p><p>Our preparation as Christians begins by relinquishing control of our lives to the Almighty Creator. That step of faith opens the door for the Holy Spirit to establish His presence in our hearts and minds.</p><p>Next we must hear the word of the Lord by reading and listening to godly instruction from the Bible. </p><p>Finally we should begin each day preparing for spiritual battle by putting on the <a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/EPH.6.13-17" target="_blank">full armor of God</a>. That means living in truth, dressing in the righteousness of Christ, training in the good news of peace, holding fast to faith, relying on our Savior Jesus who intercedes for us, and boldly speaking the word of God.</p><p>When we are prepared and able to maintain control in the midst of battle, our opponents will see that the battle is in the Lord's hand, and in any situation the outcome will be victory for the kingdom of God. Paul gave this admonition to the Philippians even as he was suffering and facing death in a Roman prison. Even in death there is victory when we stand firm in faith and fellowship. Indeed that is the ultimate victory, to demonstrate God's righteousness in the midst of tribulation.</p><p>I am enjoying reading this book and find great encouragement in its pages. Lessons learned in life are the best lessons to share with others. I hope you find encouragement here as well!</p>Van Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03993146061420193578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203492153030940898.post-86825530596796741792021-10-04T21:52:00.000-05:002021-10-04T21:52:20.376-05:00Your Trial Ends Tomorrow<p>For a few days recently, I exchanged email with some friends with the subject <i>Re: Your Trial Ends Tomorrow</i>. The thread started with a message from an online service about to expire.</p><p>Sometimes email subjects like this persist when the thread becomes quite different. Today I looked at one of these emails and thought - <i>I wish my trials would end tomorrow!</i></p><p>Isn't that a wonderful thought! The only problem is that tomorrow, <i>-Your Trial Ends Tomorrow-</i> will still be in the future. Tomorrow will always be in the future as long as today is still called today. That reminds me of this verse:</p><p><i>But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. </i><i><a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/HEB.3.13" target="_blank">Hebrews 3:13</a></i></p><div>Sin always wants to deceive us, to tell us "you can do it tomorrow" or "you can quit tomorrow." In the Bible, <i><b>Today</b></i> is the time to act. <a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/MAT.6.34" target="_blank"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Tomorrow</i> </a>is some time in the future and in my case it's usually too late!</div><div><br /></div><div>As far as <i>Trials </i>go - will they ever end? Jesus says "<i><span style="color: red;">In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.</span>" <a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/JHN.16.NASB1995" target="_blank">John 16:33</a></i></div><div><br /></div><div>James says "<i>Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance." (<a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/JAS.1.2-3" target="_blank">James 1:2-3</a>)</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Thankfully trials come and go and we get stronger through them. Our final trial will end when the last enemy is defeated, which is death. The Bible says we should not fear death because that is the end of the conflict, the day when we shed this old shell and put on immortality.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Victory </b>in God's kingdom is not what we expect. <i>Jesus re-defined victory in a surprise attack on the gates of hell, </i>by offering His blood to purchase our souls from the law of sin and death. What our Adversary saw as defeat was actually the ultimate victory for the kingdom of heaven. Now Jesus is seated at the right hand of God and says to all men: <span style="color: red;">You are welcome here - leave your baggage at the gate!</span></div><div><br /></div><div>I can see this clearly now - we can experience victory where the world sees defeat. Though we can rest assured that our trials <i>will</i> end tomorrow, every pain and shame of this mortal body reminds me that victory is certain and we can rejoice in it <i>-the hope of glory-</i> <i><b>today</b></i>!</div><div><br /></div><div><i>But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. <a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/1CO.15.57" target="_blank">1 Cor 15:57</a></i></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Van Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03993146061420193578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203492153030940898.post-3007794829751781012021-09-04T10:35:00.002-05:002021-09-15T08:19:20.019-05:00Healing the Blind<p>One Sunday recently a friend in my Bible Fellowship shared the experience his wife is going through with the loss of sight in one eye. He related how God had spoken to him in this and other circumstances to grow his faith. He finished that testimony by playing this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uv_NNX38Be8" target="_blank">Willie Nelson song "It's Not for Me to Understand" from 1971</a>, which he heard on the country radio station recently during their time of deepest concern. The song is about a boy born blind, and God's answer to the question - Why?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Uv_NNX38Be8" width="320" youtube-src-id="Uv_NNX38Be8"></iframe></div><p>The ninth chapter of the Gospel of John is about Jesus healing a man born blind. The chapter ends with Jesus saying basically the same thing that Willie sang - <i><span style="color: red;">you too are blind without My eyes.</span></i> Like the song, the meaning is profoundly simple but deep.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><i>And Jesus said, “<span style="color: red;">For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.</span>” Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, “We are not blind too, are we?” Jesus said to them, “<span style="color: red;">If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.</span>"</i></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><i>John 9:39-41 NASB</i></p></blockquote><p>Is Jesus saying that blind people are sinless? Not at all; that would be far too shallow and meaningless. No, Jesus is talking about innocence vs. arrogance, spiritual awareness vs. the wisdom of this world. What the blind man saw, that the Pharisees missed, was his own spiritual poverty and need of healing that only God can provide, of both soul and body. The Pharisees were blinded by their arrogance and religious zeal, unwilling to accept the promise of eternal life that only Jesus could give.</p><p>This analogy of blindness as innocence continues with the parable in John 10 where Jesus presents Himself as the Shepherd of sheep that only know His voice. The loss of innocence through the awareness of sin begins -not surprisingly- in the beginning with the original sin.</p><p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p><i>When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. </i><i><b>Then the eyes of both of them were opened</b>, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.</i></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p><i>Genesis 3:6-7 NASB</i></p></blockquote><p>The forbidden fruit gave Adam and Eve the wisdom of the world, but caused them (and all their descendants) to be blinded to the presence of God, banned from Eden and the Tree of Life.</p><p>It is our sinful flesh that separates us from God and blinds us to His presence. The more we experience the desires and cares of this world, the less we will experience the still small voice that speaks to us in the darkness of night.</p><p>While we are blinded by this world and sin, if we have received the Spirit of Truth we "have ears to hear". We simply must take time to listen. This is why there are times when fasting and prayer are required, to put aside the desires of the flesh and open our ears to hear.</p><p>The <a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/HEB.4.12" target="_blank">Word of God is living and active</a> when we listen and apply it to our lives. This is a lesson that I need to re-learn every morning and every day. But as time wears away my flesh and my eyes grow dim, my spirit grows stronger and more aware of the unseen treasure that is available in the presence of the Almighty. That is where we all need to focus as we see the day of our redemption drawing near.</p><p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Turn your eyes upon Jesus</i> </div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Look full in His wonderful face</i> </div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>And the things of earth will grow strangely dim</i> </div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>In the light of His glory and grace!</i></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"> <i>From the hymn "Heavenly Vision" by Helen Howarth Lemmel</i></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"> </div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"> </div></blockquote><p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"> </p></blockquote><p></p>Van Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03993146061420193578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203492153030940898.post-82962480418088113622021-06-12T23:07:00.001-05:002021-06-13T21:54:58.274-05:00Faith #1: The Holy Spirit in Me<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGBwLKcnI_JOjVwS-ovhMWLpmyHcsDO5nXDMsYMeZzFpa42al0UTj_F-X9-giIGgSizhdvgAZpJUaFdxW9m4n_oyXQovAbVMtcevdDbmRuKSEFuWtBJfxwns71QjPPk8WtBoR-7gO6C00/s491/SpiritFlame.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="275" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGBwLKcnI_JOjVwS-ovhMWLpmyHcsDO5nXDMsYMeZzFpa42al0UTj_F-X9-giIGgSizhdvgAZpJUaFdxW9m4n_oyXQovAbVMtcevdDbmRuKSEFuWtBJfxwns71QjPPk8WtBoR-7gO6C00/s320/SpiritFlame.png" /></a></div>I suppose the top <a href="https://vwpoint.blogspot.com/2020/12/top-10-reasons-for-my-christian-faith.html">reason for faith</a> in the life of any follower of Jesus is the Holy Spirit of God.<p></p><p>Without the <a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/EPH.2.8" target="_blank">sovereign grace of God through our Lord Jesus Christ</a> we would not have access to the <a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/JHN.16.5-15" target="_blank">Holy Spirit who convicts us of our need for forgiveness and plants the seed of faith in our heart</a>.</p><p>I was not born with faith, nor did I receive it by growing up in a Christian home. When I was old enough to reason I dismissed the existence of God based on my ignorance and the deception of the enemy. I even rebelled against God during a summer golf camp, run by Christians who wanted me to accept Jesus.</p><p>This skepticism grew in my early high-school years, in spite of friends reaching out to me and inviting me to church and fellowships. My analytical mind could not grasp the concept of an invisible God and his supernatural influence on people around me. The Bible seemed to be written in a foreign language that I could not understand. (Actually it WAS foreign in more ways than I knew).</p><p>All that began to change later in high school when a friend on my high school golf team began to question me about my eternal destiny. "Do you know what will happen to you when you die?" he would ask me on the tee box while we waited to tee off. I had no good answer, but this did provoke much concern in my adolescent mind. I was beginning to think long-term and the thought of mortality could not be satisfied by parties and shallow relationships.<br /></p><p>Though I never stopped going to church with my parents, I began to accept invitations to fellowship and Bible study meetings with friends. I listened to Christian music and tapes by evangelists and teachers at my friends' churches and houses. During this time I began to sense the presence of the Holy Spirit, and the warm love of believers in fellowship with each other.</p><p>The conviction of the Holy Spirit and the word of faith was breaking down the walls of skepticism and leading me to repentance. I had to accept a lot of things I didn't understand, but felt that I had found the source of life and hope. The truth of this matter is that He found me! I remember having to tell some of my old friends I was moving into a new life and leaving some of their ways behind. Of course, I wanted them to come along but had to accept their own decisions to delay or deny the way I had found.</p><p>In college I was baptized for the first time and began to seriously study the Bible and spend time with new Christian friends I met in school. This was not the end of my struggles with skepticism and sin, but the Holy Spirit was teaching me by the word of faith that He was planting in my heart. That faith grew through my college years to form dear friendships, including my wife whom I married toward the end of college.</p><p>Marriage and career presented me with the most fundamental challenge of my life - how to deal with people that I worked with, ate lunch with and rarely went to parties with, who didn't know God and were following a more sinful lifestyle. My first job was with a team of young college graduates like myself in the field of Information Processing and Computer Science. I enjoyed the work and even the office humor, but attempting to be a light in this spiritual darkness proved my faith to be immature and fragile. Marriage and the five years I spent in college had left me disconnected when we moved back to the Houston area, and we initially failed to settle into a Christian fellowship that would provide any meaningful support.</p><p>After several years of wandering I began the much longer experience of learning to walk out of the <a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/EXO.16.1-3" target="_blank">wilderness of Sin</a> and to let the old nature die. We found a church in our neighborhood and Christian friends to share our faith and fellowship. Through the years that followed we have been involved in a few churches in the Houston area and harvested much fruit from our fellowship. These were not years without struggles with family and the cares of the world, but we have been learning endurance through the testing of our faith. These were also years filled with the blessings and joy of the Holy Spirit that kept our marriage strong and our family safe. I can testify that my own experience with the God of the Bible has proven Him to be faithful, merciful, and exceedingly gracious when I need Him the most.</p><p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p><i>Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me. If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night,” Even the darkness is not dark to You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You. For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You. Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.</i> </p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p><i><a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/PSA.139.7-18,23-24" target="_blank">Psalms 139:7-18,23-24</a></i> </p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p> </p></blockquote><p></p>Van Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03993146061420193578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203492153030940898.post-88886947813893649372021-06-08T17:52:00.009-05:002021-06-14T22:37:25.619-05:00Faith #2: The Faith of Our Fathers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/HEB.11.NASB1995" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />H</span>ebrews chapter 11</a> lists many fathers of our faith, in chronological order, which the author calls a "<a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/HEB.12.1-2.NASB1995" target="_blank">cloud of witnesses</a>". Their testimony of the faithfulness of God, and the testimony of our Christian heritage provides me with my Number 2 <a href="https://vwpoint.blogspot.com/2020/12/top-10-reasons-for-my-christian-faith.html">reason for faith in Jesus</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn5u1_nkww2JnXjtHKRh2mB9Pnx0fp8Krawml_-DIwNxnHJhTSUT0xhSwW4cw5nz-zTk0di-21nutEnd3xIy3lyIsj-AJnwp6cM5iNhVmKqPOvw80MAgCkIuPlo2J6tadV57mxpMEgiX8/s751/CloudofMajesty.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="751" data-original-width="637" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn5u1_nkww2JnXjtHKRh2mB9Pnx0fp8Krawml_-DIwNxnHJhTSUT0xhSwW4cw5nz-zTk0di-21nutEnd3xIy3lyIsj-AJnwp6cM5iNhVmKqPOvw80MAgCkIuPlo2J6tadV57mxpMEgiX8/s320/CloudofMajesty.png" /></a></div></div><p>Honestly, without our spiritual ancestors' faith, this world would be a very different place. I owe my existence and my faith to their sacrificial offering of obedience to God.</p><div style="text-align: left;">Noah undoubtedly endured mockery and isolation over many decades as he built the Ark to save his family and life on Earth from extinction.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Abraham demonstrated his faith by his willingness to give his only son on the same mountain where Jesus would be sacrificed for our salvation.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Moses encountered God in the Sinai desert, then in the power of faith convinced the most powerful emperor on Earth to let his people escape from their slavery in Egypt.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/HEB.11.31" target="_blank">Rahab</a> was a Canaanite prostitute whose faith enabled her to overcome sexual slavery and become an ancestor in the lineage of Jesus.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />King David (Rahab's great great grandson) received the promise to inherit an eternal kingdom through Jesus, whom <a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/PSA.110.1" target="_blank">David worshipped as his Lord.</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Mary the mother of Jesus was found worthy to bear the Son of God in her womb. She endured the unjust and cruel execution of her son before her eyes, and testified to His resurrection among the apostles.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The apostles each testified of their faith in Jesus and demonstrated it by discipling the nations of the known world, leaving their testimony in writing and with their own blood. The church fathers who came after the apostles, such as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignatius_of_Antioch" target="_blank">Ignatius</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycarp" target="_blank">Polycarp</a>, suffered similar fates at the hands of the Roman Empire for simply refusing to worship the Roman emperors and gods.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div>Reformers such as Wycliffe, Luther, and Tyndale were instrumental in spreading the word of faith using the Bible translated in their own languages. They established organizations and churches that encouraged the priesthood of believers and personal relationships with God. Many, like William Tyndale, paid the ultimate price for spreading this gospel at the hands of the religious rulers of their day. </div><div><br /></div><div>Some of my ancestors in Europe were Anabaptist, which put them at odds with the state church. Others may have been Bavarian Jews. Many fled Europe to America when the "Holy Roman Emperors" forced them to flee or face persecution. These hearty and faithful souls endured peril and threats of death, escaping these corrupt systems to become pioneers of religious liberty in the new land of America.</div><div><br /></div><div>My own parents raised me in a Presbyterian church, in which my father taught Sunday School and demonstrated his own commitment to the Lord. I remember him taking me to a Billy Graham crusade when I was around 10 years old, where I first walked the aisle with him to receive Christ. Even though I did not yet understand or believe the gospel as a young teenager, my later conversion and maturity in Christ helped me understand the role both my parents played in my walk of faith. For them and people like those mentioned above, I will be eternally grateful.</div>Van Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03993146061420193578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203492153030940898.post-86047930980232097062021-06-01T08:59:00.000-05:002021-06-01T08:59:18.499-05:00Faith #3: The Last Days<p>Making the top 3 on my<a href="https://vwpoint.blogspot.com/2020/12/top-10-reasons-for-my-christian-faith.html"> top 10 list of reasons for faith in Jesus</a> is the collection of prophecies in the Bible regarding the <a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/ACT.2.16-17.NASB1995" target="_blank">Last Days</a>.</p><p>These eschatological prophecies cannot be understood without a broad understanding of the Gospel of Christ and the Kingdom of Heaven. This messianic kingdom is the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy to establish the <a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/PSA.89.3-4,20-21,29" target="_blank">anointed descendant of David as ruler of an everlasting kingdom</a>.</p><p>The establishment of the eternal kingdom of our Lord necessarily fulfilled and concluded the animal sacrifice and ritual ceremonies of the Old Testament. Jesus our Lord is the final Messiah in the lineage of King David and His kingdom is built on His righteousness and the faith He has given us.</p><p>Once I understood this I was able to see that many of the end-times prophecies in the Bible refer both to the <a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/LUK.21.20-24" target="_blank">destruction of Jerusalem in the first century</a>, and the establishment of the eternal kingdom of Messiah. What the prophets and scholars (and even the disciples of Jesus) did not understand is that this coming kingdom would be invisible to human flesh, ruling hearts and minds rather than armies and nations. Of course a righteous eternal kingdom could never be established using earthly power to rule sinful mankind. This is obvious to us now, having the mind of Christ and the Holy Spirit to guide us.</p><p>We are living in the last days. Today <a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/PSA.110.nasb" target="_blank">Christ the Messiah reigns at the right hand of God in the midst of His enemies</a>. There is a coming <a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/PSA.110.5.nasb" target="_blank">day of wrath</a> when <a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/REV.19.11-16" target="_blank">Christ will return with the host of heaven</a> to remove His enemies from creation and give eternal peace and joy to the people of God.<br /></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"></blockquote>This mystery that is buried deep in ancient Jewish prophecies is unique in the religions of this world. It was <a href="https://www.bible.com/bible/100/mrk.4.11-12.nasb1995" target="_blank">intentionally hidden by God</a>, to be revealed by the Holy Spirit after Jesus was seated at the right hand of God. This revelation is a constant source of life-giving faith for me. <a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/ACT.2.29-36" target="_blank">We do not wait for an earthly kingdom; Jesus the Messiah is now and always the Lord of all creation</a>. That is the gospel of the kingdom and the hope of glory that is promised to all who believe.<p></p><div><br /></div>Van Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03993146061420193578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203492153030940898.post-75641504104090469732021-05-25T09:32:00.002-05:002021-06-01T07:50:35.134-05:00Faith #4: The Preposterous Gospel of Christ<p>Number 4 on my list of<a href="https://vwpoint.blogspot.com/2020/12/top-10-reasons-for-my-christian-faith.html"> top 10 reasons for faith in Jesus</a> is probably the most compelling reason, because this preposterous Gospel of Christ was born in a hostile culture and has succeeded in the most hostile nations, growing miraculously in the worst conditions.</p><p>The way of faith in Jesus is not designed to be imposed on its followers, nor is it designed to bring its leaders wealth or respect in this world. It was not intended to be sold or marketed - it is difficult and some would say impossible to spread this faith without the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit. Even after Jesus was resurrected and appeared to over 500 of his followers, the kingdom that he established in heaven only "went viral" after Christ had been seated on his throne and sent the Holy Spirit to those he called.</p><p><i>[Note: If you haven't noticed from my other posts on this "Reasons for Faith" topic, the kingdom of heaven has nothing to do with religions and governments.]</i></p><p>The gospel message itself is called <a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/1CO.1.22-25" target="_blank">"foolishness" to the nations of this world</a>, and a "<a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/1PE.2.7-8.NASB1995" target="_blank">stumbling block</a>" to the Jews whom Christ came to reach first. Of all the improbable ways to start, this kingdom began with the King himself being whipped and hung naked on a cross to suffer and die with criminals. To make it even more unlikely, he called his followers to take up their own cross and follow him - which almost all of them did - leading to lives of eternal impact that ended in persecution and death. These are not the ways of charlatans or philosophers, but rather simple men who were transformed by a revolutionary gospel piercing deep into their hearts by the Holy Spirit of God.</p><p>This is the Gospel of Christ:</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>God created this world and <a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/GEN.1.26-28.NASB1995" target="_blank">gave mankind authority over his creation</a>.</li><li>Mankind sinned by rejecting God and <a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/GEN.3.1-6.NASB1995" target="_blank">choosing to live by their own knowledge</a>.</li><li>Sin resulted in the <a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/ROM.5.12.NASB1995" target="_blank">mortality and depravity of mankind</a>.</li><li>As he promised, <a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/JHN.3.16.NASB1995" target="_blank">God sent his only Son</a> to redeem mankind from their slavery to sin and death.</li><li>The accumulated debt of the sin of mankind could only be <a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/1JN.4.10" target="_blank">paid by the precious blood of God's perfect sacrifice - the death of his only Son</a>.</li><li><a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/ACT.2.34-36" target="_blank">The resurrection and ascension of Jesus to the right hand of God makes him the Lord of all creation</a>.</li><li>We are saved from sin and death when we <a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/ROM.10.9.NASB1995" target="_blank">believe in our heart and confess Jesus as Lord</a>.</li><li><a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/EPH.2.4-7" target="_blank">When we receive Christ we are blessed with joy, eternal life and the riches of heaven.</a></li></ol><p></p><p>This preposterous gospel of an all-powerful but merciful, self-sacrificial God is the message of the eternal kingdom that rules the hearts and minds of believers. It is built on things only God can do and continues only by His grace and the power of his Holy Spirit. It is this grace that provides my faith and sustains my soul.</p>Van Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03993146061420193578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203492153030940898.post-18857585887685992132021-05-12T21:58:00.000-05:002021-05-12T21:58:38.968-05:00Faith #5: The Resurrection<p><i>This is Number 5 on my <a href="https://vwpoint.blogspot.com/2020/12/top-10-reasons-for-my-christian-faith.html">top 10 reasons for faith in Jesus</a>.</i></p><p>The defining reason why Christians over the millennia have professed faith in Jesus is the resurrection. Without the resurrection there would be no Christian faith. Even though Jesus performed miracles and preached a revolutionary and very righteous message, without the resurrection Jesus would be viewed as perhaps just another Old Testament prophet, or just a good man as many humanists believe.</p><p>The resurrection of Jesus is one of the most irrefutable events in the Bible, and its impact on his followers and on world history are undeniable. Early in my journey from skeptic to believer I was presented with the evidence for the resurrection by Josh McDowell. Rather than creating my own list of proofs I will just refer to this page "<a href="https://www.bible.ca/d-resurrection-evidence-Josh-McDowell.htm" target="_blank">Evidence for the Resurrection</a>" for background.</p><p>To summarize, the disciples of Jesus were so convinced of the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ to the right hand of God that they were willing to suffer and die to obey him and spread the good news to the ends of the world. They did this not out of greed, nor were they converted at the point of a sword or spear.</p><p>To the contrary they resisted these forces and spread the gospel in the face of opposition from both their own culture and the rulers of the world. This is not the response expected from a group that had been scattered in fear while their Rabbi was captured, tortured and crucified by soldiers acting on the demands of an angry radicalized mob.</p><p>The resurrection of Jesus and the coming of his Holy Spirit changed the disciples into a fearless group of evangelists who changed the world. The truth of the resurrection means that Jesus lives forever as the Lord of all creation for all time.</p>Van Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03993146061420193578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203492153030940898.post-62845553643532320642021-05-12T10:34:00.002-05:002021-06-12T23:11:51.123-05:00Faith #6: The New Covenant<p style="text-align: left;">Number 6 on my <a href="https://vwpoint.blogspot.com/2020/12/top-10-reasons-for-my-christian-faith.html">top 10 reasons for faith</a> in Jesus is the New Covenant - the covenant of Grace, sealed by the blood of Jesus, which provides the promise of redemption, forgiveness, and eternal life.</p><p>The Bible describes many covenants between God and men. Here are a few:</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The covenant with Noah (<a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/GEN.9.8-17" target="_blank">Genesis 9</a>) - the promise of natural order based on Noah's faith and sealed by <a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/GEN.8.20-22" target="_blank">the shedding of blood</a>.</li><li>The covenant with Abram (<a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/GEN.15.17-21" target="_blank">Genesis 15</a>) - the promise of land based on Abram's faith and sealed by <a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/GEN.15.9-10" target="_blank">the shedding of blood</a>.</li><li>The covenant with Abraham (<a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/GEN.17.1-8" target="_blank">Genesis 17</a>) - the promise to make Abraham the father of many nations through faith and sealed by <a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/GEN.17.9-10" target="_blank">the shedding of blood</a> in circumcision.</li><li>The covenant with Israel (<a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/EXO.19.3-6" target="_blank">Exodus 19</a>) - the Law given through Moses that effectively became the constitution for the nation of Israel. This covenant was also sealed by <a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/EXO.24.8" target="_blank">the shedding of blood</a>. This covenant promised blessings or curses conditioned by Israel keeping the covenant.</li><li>The covenant with David (<a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/2Sa.7.8-13.htm" target="_blank">2 Samuel 7</a>) - the promise of God to establish the Kingdom of David and the everlasting kingdom of his descendant, prophesying the Messianic age.</li><li>The promised covenant of grace (<a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/JER.31.31-34.htm" target="_blank">Jeremiah 31</a>) that would be fulfilled by the coming Messiah.</li></ul><p style="text-align: left;">The fact that this ancient faith prophesied its own fulfillment in a way that its most ardent proponents did not even understand is testimony to the truth of the Gospel. The prophets of the Old Testament even prophesied the rejection of the Messiah and the obsolescence of the old covenant of blessings or curses. This mysterious ending was intentionally hidden until it was fulfilled and revealed by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLtgVa_NytGylPG0X_tYBQWbTGVAJTeMIGy-PPts2j4E8vDMp0ZzimGiVvacTLihQAmT0c_xgQ9dZZYHCPQJ7KZerXf2MDKiBhWDXbPFrVJNdE2SsbpXrNXBa5MVzNHvM6hRiL0MvPMoQ/s1737/GreenShoot.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1737" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLtgVa_NytGylPG0X_tYBQWbTGVAJTeMIGy-PPts2j4E8vDMp0ZzimGiVvacTLihQAmT0c_xgQ9dZZYHCPQJ7KZerXf2MDKiBhWDXbPFrVJNdE2SsbpXrNXBa5MVzNHvM6hRiL0MvPMoQ/w558-h640/GreenShoot.jpg" width="558" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him... (<a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/ISA.11" target="_blank">Isaiah 11:1-2</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;">The covenant of faith remains, sealed for all time by the blood of Jesus and available to people of every nation because of His resurrection and enthronement at the right hand of God. The covenant with Israel and the Law of Moses with its Levitical priesthood was <a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/HEB.8.7-13.NASB1995" target="_blank">made obsolete</a> at the same time by the <a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/HEB.8.1-6.NASB1995" target="_blank">priesthood of Jesus</a>.</p><p style="text-align: left;">What we are left with from now until the end of this age is what all Christians trust and believe, which is the Kingdom of God and Jesus Christ at his right hand, ruling our hearts through the power of his Holy Spirit. The kingdoms of this world and our own sinful flesh remain to be destroyed at his coming. It is this promise, the hope of glory, that gives me faith to live in this present age.</p><p></p>Van Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03993146061420193578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203492153030940898.post-602614926564371832021-03-01T14:10:00.004-06:002021-06-12T23:11:22.342-05:00Faith #7: Messianic Prophecy<p>Number seven on my <a href="https://vwpoint.blogspot.com/2020/12/top-10-reasons-for-my-christian-faith.html">list of reasons for faith</a> in our Lord Jesus is the set of Messianic prophecies found in the Hebrew scriptures of the Old Testament. Jewish Rabbis and Church Fathers both recognized these prophecies as Messianic, but the fulfillment of these prophecies in the life of Jesus reveal the astonishing surprise ending.</p><p>The Old Testament or Covenant between God and Israel was given to Moses as recorded in the Torah or Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible. The books of history, poetry, and prophecy comprise the rest of what we call the Old Testament, and many of these books contain prophecies of the Messiah as a "man of sorrows." The Jewish Rabbis did not understand these messianic prophecies and would not accept their fulfillment in the life of Jesus. Yet the prophecies still testify to this day to Jews and Christians alike for those who choose to study them.</p><p>Here are the verses that are most compelling to me:</p><p><a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/GEN.22.2,6-8" target="_blank">Genesis 22 - The Sacrifice of the only Son</a></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><i>He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.” Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” And he said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together.</i></p></blockquote><p>Christians recognize this story as foreshadowing God's sacrifice of his own Son for our sins. The location of Moriah is understood to be Zion, where Jesus carried the wood for his own sacrifice on the cross. It was a very specific place God had in mind for this sacrifice, and Abraham presented the perfect picture of what a great sacrifice this was for a father to give his only son whom he loved.</p><p>God did provide a ram for the sacrifice, and as the writer of Hebrews says, He gave Isaac back to his father as a <a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/HEB.11.17-19" target="_blank">foreshadowing of the resurrection</a>. The Lamb of the final sacrifice would be fulfilled in Jesus, and His resurrection would demonstrate that He alone has become Redeemer and Lord of all creation.</p><p><a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/PSA.22.16-18" target="_blank">Psalm 22 - The Crucifixion of Christ</a></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><i>For dogs have surrounded me; A band of evildoers has encompassed me; They pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones. They look, they stare at me; They divide my garments among them, And for my clothing they cast lots</i>.</p></blockquote><div>Psalm 22 is a graphic prophecy of the crucifixion of Messiah Jesus. It is quoted in the New Testament in the last words of Jesus on the cross - "My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me?" There is astonishing detail here written about this cruel execution method, thousands of years before the Romans used it in Judea. Here's a good post on Psalm 22 from <a href="https://jewsforjesus.org/jewish-resources/messianic-prophecy/the-messiah-would-be-forsaken-and-pierced-but-vindicated" target="_blank">Jews for Jesus</a>.</div><p><a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/ISA.53.3-6" target="_blank">Isaiah 49-53 - The Suffering Servant</a></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><i>But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him. He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted.</i></p></blockquote><p>This One who is called the <a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/ISA.53.1-2" target="_blank">arm of the LORD</a> - the <a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/ISA.53.11" target="_blank">Servant of YHWH</a> - is prophesied in these chapters of Isaiah to suffer in our place and bear our iniquity. These most treasured scriptures give a clear description of substitutionary sacrifice, demonstrating the goodness and righteousness of God in scriptures that were hidden in plain sight for hundreds of years before Christ.</p><p><a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/DAN.9.24-27" target="_blank">Daniel 9 - The End of Sin and the New Covenant</a></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><i>“Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy. So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.”</i></p></blockquote><p>These verses in Daniel are difficult to understand but are clearly Messianic prophecy, repeated by Jesus himself in reference to the destruction and <a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/LUK.21.20-24" target="_blank">desolation of Jerusalem</a>. The end of the Old Testament system of ritual sacrifice is accompanied by a New Covenant initiated by the blood of the perfect Lamb of God, which is an everlasting covenant of righteousness, based not on our works, but the finished work of Christ on the cross.</p>Van Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03993146061420193578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203492153030940898.post-15840638457359151832021-02-22T23:05:00.004-06:002021-06-12T23:10:57.518-05:00Faith #8: The Declaration of Creation<p style="text-align: left;">[I have been working on this post for a couple of weeks, but yesterday the pastor of my church made this his <a href="https://kingsland.org/media/does-god-exist/499/" target="_blank">sermon topic</a>, which confirmed my conviction on this subject.]</p><p style="text-align: left;">Number 8 on my <a href="https://vwpoint.blogspot.com/2020/12/top-10-reasons-for-my-christian-faith.html">top 10 list of reasons</a> for a reasonable belief in God is the testimony of His creation.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; white-space: pre;">The heavens are telling of the glory of God</span></span></i></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i style="background-color: white; color: #444444; white-space: pre;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.</span></i></div><p></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="ArialMT, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Liberation Sans", FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; white-space: pre;"></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/PSA.19.1" target="_blank">Psalms 19:1</a></div><p></p></blockquote><p style="text-align: left;">The more I learn about the universe, the more I appreciate the miraculous Power that crafted it, and the more thankful I am for this little blue speck we call Earth. From the unimaginably large space stretched across an incomprehensible span of time to the intricate anatomy of life, everything we can now observe shouts "MASTERFULLY PLANNED AND CREATED."</p><p style="text-align: left;">Our main problem understanding creation is that our understanding of God is too limited. Simply put, the nature of the Almighty Creator is far beyond human comprehension. Therefore we need to stay a little more flexible on the box we try to put Him in, however big that box may be.</p><p style="text-align: left;">That being said, the Bible does not shrink from extolling the attributes of God and the magnificence of His creation. Even the Name of God is amazing - Yahweh, the One who always IS. There is no time or place where God is NOT. As a matter of fact, God exists outside of time since He created the dimensions of time and space. This is explained as something that we understand only by <i>faith</i>.</p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><i>By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.</i> </p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/HEB.11.3.NASB1995" target="_blank">Hebrews 11:3</a> </p></blockquote><p style="text-align: left;">About a year ago I discovered a very advanced concept in the <a href="https://biblehub.com/text/hebrews/11-3.htm" target="_blank">original Greek text</a> of this verse. It literally says "the ages (<a href="https://biblehub.com/greek/165.htm" target="_blank">aionas</a> - also translated universe or worlds, from which we get the word "eon") were prepared (<a href="https://biblehub.com/greek/2675.htm" target="_blank">katertisthai </a>- crafted to perfection) by the spoken word of God (<a href="https://biblehub.com/greek/4487.htm" target="_blank">rhemati</a> Theo), not a phenomenon (<a href="https://biblehub.com/greek/5316.htm" target="_blank">phainomenon</a> - made visible), but an act of creation (<a href="https://biblehub.com/greek/1096.htm" target="_blank">gegonenai</a> - brought into being - the Greek word from which we get "Genesis"). This verse makes it clear that the things which we can observe through all our scientific tools and reasoning did not just suddenly appear, but were carefully prepared and set in motion for a specific purpose. This is an assurance that is not only incomprehensible without faith, but once understood - reinforces your faith.</p><p style="text-align: left;">The ancient book of Genesis starts out with this unimaginable miracle in the very first verse. The <i><a href="https://vwpoint.blogspot.com/2012/01/genesis-1-vision-of-beginning.html" target="_blank">beginning </a></i>is a concept which I believe encompasses the transition from "timeless" to "the beginning of time" to the eons that elapsed before sunlight first appeared on the surface of the earth. The remainder of the creation account describes the supernatural power of God creating this perfect habitation for mankind. </p><p style="text-align: left;">The creation account establishes many principles of the law (the Torah) such as the sanctity of human life, mankind's accountability to God, and the penalty for sin which is separation from the life-giving power of God. Genesis also contains the first prophetic reference to the promised Savior of mankind, who will "step on the serpent's head". That prophecy is the beginning of the ultimate solution to the problem of evil that was introduced by sin.</p><p style="text-align: left;">The order of the creation account, the beauty of creation, the vast expanse of the heavens and the intricate details of life all testify to the Truth of God. If you have ears to hear, listen closely to the song of creation.</p><p></p>Van Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03993146061420193578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203492153030940898.post-46566878852169539742021-02-16T14:41:00.004-06:002021-06-12T23:14:13.078-05:00Faith #9: The Undeniable Presence of Evil<p><i>This is Number 9 on my <a href="https://vwpoint.blogspot.com/2020/12/top-10-reasons-for-my-christian-faith.html">top 10 reasons for faith in Jesus</a>.</i></p><p>The Bible presents heaven and earth as the creation of an all-powerful God, who himself declared it to be good. It also presents the conflict that arises when man pursues independence from God and becomes subject to the power of evil.</p><p>This human evil - that was introduced by "the original sin" - is unique in creation. All living beings created by God are "lesser beings" - lacking the perfect goodness of God. Although people were created in the image and likeness of God, they were created innocent and totally dependent on fellowship with God. This fellowship was broken when they decided to assume the role of God in their own lives by seeking to be like Him, knowing good and evil.</p><p>Without the goodness of God, mankind quickly devolved into evil. In a fit of jealous rage, Cain slew his brother Abel and fled to the land of Nod, east of Eden and away from God. Cain and his descendants built a city there (the first form of government) where people could fashion their own protection and entertainment. Without God, these cities became cesspools of sin.</p><p>Why though, is the existence of human evil a <a href="https://vwpoint.blogspot.com/2020/12/top-10-reasons-for-my-christian-faith.html">foundation of my faith</a>?</p><p>First, the Bible is unique in explaining that evil has its origin in moral knowledge. This differentiates sinful man from innocent creatures. It explains to me why innocent babies become accountable as sinners when they inevitably grow into moral knowledge. Paul describes this in the seventh chapter of Romans - "<a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/ROM.7.9" target="_blank">the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good</a>" and "<a href="https://my.bible.com/bible/100/ROM.7.9" target="_blank">I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died</a>". The evil that grows in the human heart is fed by selfish ambition and pride, deceit and self-justification. Ultimately sin places itself above others to the extent that a person is capable of using his God-given intellect to lie, steal, and even inflict pain and death on others to preserve and promote his own interests.</p><p>Second, the Bible identifies this "original sin" in a time and place that is consistent with the development of civilization. There really is no other rational explanation for the sudden introduction of civilization into the timeline of history. The gradual evolutionary principal at the core of Naturalism cannot explain the sudden explosion of knowledge and communications that appeared a relatively short time ago in geological terms.</p><p>Finally, the utterly depraved nature of human evil leaves one with no other choice than to seek a supernatural solution. Outside the influence of the American experiment in constitutional democracy and rule of law, humanity has been dominated by the unspeakable cruelty of people who have fought their way into absolute power and from it become absolutely corrupt. Except in very primitive cultures, the advancement of knowledge has resulted in more and more power for the ones who possess it to dominate the ones who do not. Christian faith is an influence which, when exercised with restraint and separated from the institutions of government, produces virtue and progress for all who find it.</p><p>The undeniable presence of evil in this world cries out for faith in the goodness and mercy of God, which is demonstrated by His self-sacrificial love in the person of Jesus my Lord and Savior. Faith in this righteous and merciful God is what motivates me to leave this written legacy.</p>Van Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03993146061420193578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203492153030940898.post-65789887057615952782021-02-08T20:38:00.002-06:002021-02-23T12:19:47.382-06:00American Edelweiss<div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: arial;">Recently I learned of Christopher Plummer’s death. I loved this man's role as Captain von Trapp in the Sound of Music (even though Plummer expressed contempt for the movie after it was released).</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">Captain von Trapp had pride in his country and would never accept domination by the Nazi Anschluss. One of his lines has a haunting resonance in American culture today:</div><div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr"><span face="Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2228;"><span style="background-color: white;">"</span></span><span face="Rubik, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f2f5f5; color: #3a3a3a; font-style: italic;">I was under the impression, Herr Zeller, that the contents of telegrams in Austria are </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Rubik, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">PRIVATE!</b><span face="Rubik, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f2f5f5; color: #3a3a3a; font-style: italic;"> At least, the Austria.... I know."</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><div dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">Is there any privacy in America today, especially for those who are being “cancelled”? Most of our communications today go through companies who feel honor-bound to abuse the rights of anyone who swims against the tide of progressive globalism. And anyone can see that the global power that is coming will not be friendly to Americans who don’t collaborate.</div><div dir="ltr" id="yiv6074803350AppleMailSignature" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" id="yiv6074803350AppleMailSignature" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">Of course, Austria wasn’t a perfect place for people who didn’t have the wealth and power of the von Trapp family, and many Americans including myself owe their immigrant roots to ancestors persecuted by the Austrian empire.</div><div dir="ltr" id="yiv6074803350AppleMailSignature" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" id="yiv6074803350AppleMailSignature" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">America isn’t a perfect place either, but our liberty is a gift from God, established by people who had personal experience with government control and corruption. I am both praying for restoration of this precious gift and mourning its passing.</div><div dir="ltr" id="yiv6074803350AppleMailSignature" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><i><u><br /></u></i></div><div dir="ltr" id="yiv6074803350AppleMailSignature" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i><b><span style="font-size: medium;">G</span></b>od bless America</i></span></div><div dir="ltr" id="yiv6074803350AppleMailSignature" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>Land that I love</i></span></div><div dir="ltr" id="yiv6074803350AppleMailSignature" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>Stand beside her</i></span></div><div dir="ltr" id="yiv6074803350AppleMailSignature" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>and guide her through the night</i></span></div><div dir="ltr" id="yiv6074803350AppleMailSignature" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>With your light from above!</i></span></div></div>Van Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03993146061420193578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203492153030940898.post-52370442016091382852020-12-06T12:47:00.016-06:002021-07-20T17:07:23.038-05:00Top 10 Reasons for My Christian Faith<p>For a number of years I felt compelled to list and explain the reasons why I believe in Jesus my Lord and Savior. I don't have much of a speaking ability but I want to leave this testimony for those who might pass this way. Each of the reasons listed below links to a separate post.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHP4lo9-ZJQ1mz2tfzCPsGDdbHmIjv5zE-_AgB_NPyLz7twytpNoNRqFWwNwgDB_MCuKLcKvGNT6HeBJnYevQB7hJjqX1awLrUaTd6u5QDrH6Sjq7Znx8w49zASRmqdZ4Sz6Aup12Cgas/s577/Futility.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="577" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHP4lo9-ZJQ1mz2tfzCPsGDdbHmIjv5zE-_AgB_NPyLz7twytpNoNRqFWwNwgDB_MCuKLcKvGNT6HeBJnYevQB7hJjqX1awLrUaTd6u5QDrH6Sjq7Znx8w49zASRmqdZ4Sz6Aup12Cgas/w200-h159/Futility.png" width="200" /></a></div>#10: <a href="https://vwpoint.blogspot.com/2020/12/faith-10-futility-of-naturalism.html" target="">The Futility of Naturalism</a><br />The philosophy of Naturalism teaches that everything that happens in the physical world can be explained by the "laws of Nature", i.e. there is no Supernatural agent, and thus no existential purpose in life...You can't fully comprehend the futility of Naturalism until you grasp the meaning of Eternity...<span style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">(</span><a href="https://vwpoint.blogspot.com/2020/12/faith-10-futility-of-naturalism.html">more</a><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">)<br /></span><p></p><p>#9: <a href="https://vwpoint.blogspot.com/2021/02/faith-9-undeniable-presence-of-evil.html" target="">The Undeniable Presence of Evil</a><br /></p><p>The Bible presents heaven and earth as the creation of an all-powerful God, who himself declared it to be good. It also presents the conflict that arises when man pursues independence from God and becomes subject to the power of evil...This human evil - that was introduced by "the original sin" - is unique in creation...(<a href="https://vwpoint.blogspot.com/2021/02/faith-9-undeniable-presence-of-evil.html">more</a>)</p><p>#8: <a href="https://vwpoint.blogspot.com/2021/02/faith-8-declaration-of-creation.html" target="">The Declaration of Creation</a><br />The more I learn about the universe, the more I appreciate the miraculous Power that crafted it, and the more thankful I am for this little blue speck we call Earth...(<a href="https://vwpoint.blogspot.com/2021/02/faith-8-declaration-of-creation.html">more</a>)</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH-6KWyQveDd2Ggr2yDYKMHlRJGKzQEku1uWXru5zTpKcuL0GiEeQVDwcVu1bvee-U2D3nVPOWUcsZfxDArMLaiS_4xYOIHU6yTz1gifC4cpnm0hBXU7tKILJ2GFypJlEu9AgEvCYAZGc/s1737/GreenShoot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1737" data-original-width="1512" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH-6KWyQveDd2Ggr2yDYKMHlRJGKzQEku1uWXru5zTpKcuL0GiEeQVDwcVu1bvee-U2D3nVPOWUcsZfxDArMLaiS_4xYOIHU6yTz1gifC4cpnm0hBXU7tKILJ2GFypJlEu9AgEvCYAZGc/w174-h200/GreenShoot.jpg" width="174" /></a></div>#7: <a href="https://vwpoint.blogspot.com/2021/03/faith-7-messianic-prophecy.html" target="">Messianic Prophecy</a><br />Jewish Rabbis and Church Fathers both recognized these prophecies as Messianic, but the fulfillment of these prophecies in the life of Jesus reveal the astonishing surprise ending...(<a href="https://vwpoint.blogspot.com/2021/03/faith-7-messianic-prophecy.html">more</a>)<p></p><p>#6: <a href="https://vwpoint.blogspot.com/2021/05/faith-6-new-covenant.html" target="">The New Covenant</a><br />Number 6 on my top 10 reasons for faith in Jesus is the New Covenant - the covenant of Grace, sealed by the blood of Jesus, which provides the promise of redemption, forgiveness, and eternal life...(<a href="https://vwpoint.blogspot.com/2021/05/faith-6-new-covenant.html">more</a>)<br /></p><p>#5: <a href="https://vwpoint.blogspot.com/2021/05/faith-5-resurrection.html" target="">The Resurrection</a><br />The defining reason why Christians over the millennia have professed faith in Jesus is the resurrection. Without the resurrection there would be no Christian faith...(<a href="https://vwpoint.blogspot.com/2021/05/faith-5-resurrection.html">more</a>)</p><p>#4: <a href="https://vwpoint.blogspot.com/2021/05/faith-4-preposterous-gospel-of-christ.html" target="">The Preposterous Gospel of Christ</a><br />The gospel message itself is called "foolishness" to the nations of this world, and a "stumbling block" to the Jews whom Christ came to reach first. Of all the improbable ways to start, this kingdom began with the King himself being whipped and hung naked on a cross to suffer and die with criminals...(<a href="https://vwpoint.blogspot.com/2021/05/faith-4-preposterous-gospel-of-christ.html">more</a>)</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM1F-3ZHDTpsDWnHO8HuQa1qTq1lYnuFMdbnaR6qdxLJHlaLGsl-2KAP_aXxVy76Ug1gwmgw-3n73u6Qph_tnk5oSpaSSQo-xhST3Tu4azqKtODfqaH7HHhWFj9kk5oig8eRLv_uscLn0/s751/CloudofMajesty.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="751" data-original-width="637" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM1F-3ZHDTpsDWnHO8HuQa1qTq1lYnuFMdbnaR6qdxLJHlaLGsl-2KAP_aXxVy76Ug1gwmgw-3n73u6Qph_tnk5oSpaSSQo-xhST3Tu4azqKtODfqaH7HHhWFj9kk5oig8eRLv_uscLn0/w169-h200/CloudofMajesty.png" width="169" /></a></div>#3: <a href="https://vwpoint.blogspot.com/2021/06/faith-3-last-days.html" target="">The Last Days</a><br />We are living in the last days. Today Christ the Messiah reigns at the right hand of God in the midst of His enemies. There is a coming day of wrath when Christ will return with the host of heaven to remove His enemies from creation and give eternal peace and joy to the people of God...(<a href="https://vwpoint.blogspot.com/2021/06/faith-3-last-days.html">more</a>)<p></p><p>#2: <a href="https://vwpoint.blogspot.com/2021/06/faith-2-faith-of-fathers.html" target="">The Faith of Our Fathers</a><br />Hebrews chapter 11 lists many fathers of our faith, in chronological order, which the author calls a "cloud of witnesses". Their testimony of the faithfulness of God, and the testimony of our Christian heritage provides me with my Number 2 reason for faith in Jesus...(<a href="https://vwpoint.blogspot.com/2021/06/faith-2-faith-of-fathers.html">more</a>)</p><p>#1: <a href="https://vwpoint.blogspot.com/2021/06/faith-1-holy-spirit-in-me.html" target="">The Holy Spirit in Me</a><br />The conviction of the Holy Spirit and the word of faith was breaking down the walls of skepticism and leading me to repentance. I had to accept a lot of things I didn't understand, but felt that I had found the source of life and hope. The truth of this matter is that He found me!...(<a href="https://vwpoint.blogspot.com/2021/06/faith-1-holy-spirit-in-me.html">more</a>)<br /></p>Van Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03993146061420193578noreply@blogger.com0