Archives for June 2015

Good morning,

First John 5:11-21 is John’s encouragement to the believers. He encourages them about everlasting life, prayer, wickedness and understanding.  Today we will look at what he had to say about everlasting life.

Eternal Security (V 11-13)

And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.¹² He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.¹³ These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. (John 6:47)

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.       (John 3:36)

We never have to be unsure about our salvation. He says that we know that we have eternal life. Unfortunately, many believers do not have assurance of their salvation. This causes a problem. If they do not believe God can keep them saved eternally, what else might they not believe?

The answer is as simple as reading the Bible and believing it.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

Good morning,

Do you need some encouragement to start your week? Read this devotional from Thomas Boston. This will be the believers state when we get to Heaven.

No hissing serpent!

(Thomas Boston, “Human Nature in its Fourfold State”)

Believers shall be made completely happy in the kingdom of Heaven. They shall be fully freed from sin, which of all evils, is the worst.

They shall be free from all temptation to sin. Satan can have no access to tempt them any more, by himself, or by his agents. No hissing serpent can come into the paradise above! No snare or trap can be laid there, to catch the feet of the saints. They may walk there without fear, for they can be in no hazard in the promised land. They shall be set beyond the possibility of sinning, for they shall be confirmed in holiness.

The guilt and the reigning power of sin are then taken away. The corrupt nature will be fully removed, and no vestiges of it left in their souls. Their nature shall be altogether pure and sinless.

There shall be no darkness in their minds; but the understanding will be as a globe of pure and unmixed light.

There shall not be the least aversion to good, nor the least inclination to evil, in their wills. They will be brought to a perfect conformity to the will of God–blessed with angelic purity, and fixed therein.

Their affections shall not be liable to the least disorder or irregularity. They will get such a fixed habit of purity, as they can never lose. They will be so refined from all earthly dross, as never more to savor of anything but of Heaven.

Their graces shall then be fully perfected.
There will be no more ground for complaints . . .
of weakness of grace,
or of an evil heart,
or a corrupt nature.

And they shall be freed from all the effects of sin: “God will remove all of their sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. For the old world and its evils are gone forever!” Revelation 21:4

In Heaven they find the completion and satisfaction of all their desires–having the full enjoyment of God, and uninterrupted communion with Him. In the heavenly Canaan, Immanuel’s land–nothing is lacking to complete the happiness of the inhabitants. This is the holy and happy country–blessed with a perpetual spring, and which yields all things for necessity, convenience, and delight!

I am looking forward to this.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

 

Good morning,

Charles Spurgeon wrote today’s devotional.

It will make you doubly happy, even in this life!

(Charles Spurgeon, “A Good Start!”)

“Godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come!” 1 Timothy 4:8

The gospel will bring you present blessings! It will give you . . .
present pardon,
present justification
present regeneration,
present adoption,
present sanctification,
present access to God,
present peace through believing,
and present help in time of trouble.
It will make you doubly happy, even in this life! It will be . . .
wisdom for your way,
strength for your conflict,
and comfort for your sorrow.

To have the love of God in the heart,
to have present and eternal peace with God,
to be able to look up to Heaven with confidence,
to talk to my Heavenly Father in childlike trustfulness
–is a present joy and comfort worth more than worlds!

Believer! You now enjoy the unchanging favor of God, so that you will go your way henceforth not to live as others do–but as the chosen of God, beloved with special love, enriched with special blessings, to rejoice every day until you are taken up to dwell where Jesus is!

“For the grace of God that brings salvation . . . teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions–and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age!” Titus 2:11-12

Hope this was an encouragement. Have a wonderful weekend.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

I have spent the last two days at two different cemeteries. We laid to rest a member of my Bible study class and the husband of another.  What they had in common was that they were buried with their wives. Today Abraham’s remaining family members are buried with him.

Isaac dies (Genesis 35:28-29, 49:30-31)

And the days of Isaac were an hundred and fourscore years. ²⁹ And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

In the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a burying place. ³¹ There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah.

Jacob dies (Genesis 49:29-30)

And he charged them, and said unto them, I am to be gathered unto my people: bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, ³⁰ In the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a burying place.

Three generations of family members are now buried at the cave of Machpelah. This was the norm at the time.

Church’s used to have cemeteries on their property. Generations upon generation of church members were buried in these church cemeteries. Then came the train, car, and airplane and changed everything. These modern modes of transportation caused men and women to leave their homes and never return. Families were separated and when death came, they chose to be buried in their new communities. Church’s built buildings for worship, schooling, recreation, but no longer for cemeteries to remember the dead.  Although there is a gravestone, many are never visited.

Let us not forget our loved ones who are no longer with us. Visit the gravesites of your families. Cherish the memories.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

Sarah lived 37 years after the birth of Isaac. Long enough to see him grow up, marry Rebekah, and probably saw the birth of Jacob and Esau. She now dies and is buried at the cave of Machpelah.

Forty-eight years later Abraham dies. He is also buried at the cave of Machpelah. Ishmael, now 89, and Isaac, now 75, buried their father.

Sarah buried at the cave of Machpelah (Genesis 23:19)

 And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan.

Abraham dies (Genesis 25:7-10)

And these are the days of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived, an hundred threescore and fifteen years. ⁸ Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people. ⁹ And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre;¹⁰ The field which Abraham purchased of the sons of Heth: there was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife.

Abraham’s and Sarah lived a long time. They had the opportunity to be buried together. What will happen to the rest of the family?

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

 

Good morning,

Today when a person dies we contact a funeral home and determine a cemetery to bury the body. Abraham had a several problems. First, there were no funeral homes or cemeteries. Second, he and his family were strangers in the land. Third, they owned no property. They went where God sent them. So what was Abraham to do with the body of Sarah?

First, he requested a place to bury Sarah from the people of the land. Second, he negotiated a price for a piece of land as a place of burial.

Abraham requests a possession to bury Sarah (Verses 3-4)

And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying, ⁴ I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a burying place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.

Negotiation for cave at Machpelah (Verses 5-18)

And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant. ¹⁷ And the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about, were made sure ¹⁸ Unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city. (Genesis 23:16-18)

As we read the life and times of Abraham the Bible states that he was rich and well respected. The one thing he did not have was land. The cave at Machpelah was the only property he owned.

What do we depend on in this life, our possessions, our money, wealth, social standing, or our own personal prestige? Abraham trusted God to lead him and supply for him and his family. Although he had much worldly goods, it did not draw him away from his God.

May we be willing to trust God like that.

Tomorrow the story continues.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

Good morning,

When someone dies it is customary to bury them fairly soon after death. However, in Alaska, that is not possible. Since the ground is frozen during winter, burials must wait till the ground thaws. This week I will be doing one internment ceremony and attending another.

We will be looking at one family in the Bible to see how they dealt with the death of a loved one. Genesis 23 explains what Abraham did when Sarah died. Later in the week we see who else died and where they were buried.

Remember that gravesites and their gravestones are memorials. A  place to remember.

Sarah dies and Abraham mourns (Verses 1-2)

And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah. ² And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.

This process is common when loved ones die. We mourn. We remember all they meant to us. Sarah knew Abraham all her life. Their journey took them from their home to wandering through the land of Canaan. She supported, comforted, obeyed, and loved her husband. Abraham mourned.

Tomorrow we see what Abraham does next.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

Good morning,

This week we will be looking at Paul’s letter to the church at Thessalonica.  Chapter 5 and verses 11-28 was to counsel and comfort the church. Paul’s purpose in writing these verses was to encourage the Thessalonians to live holy lives. Paul now counsels the Thessalonians to do seven things that will strengthen their walk with God, the church, and their relationship with others.  Now, having implemented these seven things, Paul gives us results. Verses 23-25 tell us that our God is faithful.

Result (V 23-28)

²³ And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴ Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. ²⁵ Brethren, pray for us. ²⁶ Greet all the brethren with an holy kiss. ²⁷ I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren. ²⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

Remember that Believers were under persecution from various entities. So when Paul prays for God to sanctify (set apart) and preserve them, it was very important and meaningful. The encouragement he gave next was extraordinary.  He told them that the God who called them was faithful. God was able to do what He said He would.

Do we believe this? Or will it take the persecution of the first century for us to believe that we serve a faithful God who keeps ALL His promises?

I hope this study has made us think about how precious God is to us. How He has never failed us. That He has held us up many times when we failed Him.  He is faithful to care for all His children.

Think about these things.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

This week we will be looking at Paul’s letter to the church at Thessalonica.  Chapter 5 and verses 11-28 was to counsel and comfort the church. Paul’s purpose in writing these verses was to encourage the Thessalonians to live holy lives. Paul now counsels the Thessalonians to do seven things that will strengthen their walk with God, the church, and their relationship with others.

Counsel to:

¹⁶ Rejoice evermore.

¹⁷ Pray without ceasing.

¹⁸ In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

¹⁹ Quench not the Spirit.

²⁰ Despise not prophesyings.

²¹ Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

²² Abstain from all appearance of evil.

Paul knew that if the church at Thessalonica could do these things there would be less church infighting, better interpersonal relationships, and harmony.

Their focus would be upward to God. All of these actions are centered toward God. They would rejoice in their relationship with God. They would be praying to God. Their worship and giving of thanks would be to God. They would be sensitive to the movement of the Holy Spirit in their lives. They would listen to the Scriptures. They would make sure the things taught to them corresponded to God’s word. They would not do anything that appeared to be wrong.

This is what the 21^st century church needs to do. If we focused more on God than the things of this world, the church would be stronger and more vital part of our communities.

We will sum up this passage tomorrow.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

 

Good morning,

This week we will be looking at Paul’s letter to the church at Thessalonica.  Chapter 5 and verses 11-28 was to counsel and comfort the church. Paul’s purpose in writing these verses was to encourage the Thessalonians to live holy lives. Paul encouraged the Thessalonians to warn, comfort, support, and be patient.

Warn (V 14-15)

¹⁴ Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. ¹⁵ See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.

Paul exhorts the brethren. Exhort means to strongly encourage or urge someone to do something. He wanted them to warn those within the church, the body of believers that were unruly or disorderly. This is a problem in many churches today. The result is hurt feelings and church splits. It also ruins the testimony of the church and its members.

Paul exhorts them to comfort the feebleminded. Feebleminded means a person unable to make intelligent decisions or judgments. He wanted to make sure that these people were being shown comfort.

Paul exhorts them to support the weak. There are those in the church who may be aged, physically challenged, who need our support.

Paul exhorts them to be patient with all men. Patience is a character trait that is hard for most believers to attain. If things are going our way, no problem. However, when there is a deadline to meet, a person that rubs us the wrong way, or a situation we are uncomfortable about, we find our patience tested. That is when we need to go to God and ask for His help. Patience in interpersonal relationships is a key to well running church. Verse 15 tells us how to do this.

Tomorrow we will look at seven things we can do to create harmony within the church and with our fellow men and women.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001