Archives for September 2015

Good morning,

The little book of Jude is very challenging for our day. It addresses the problems that the world is dealing.

“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” (Jude 3)

Introduction

The author Jude was the brother of James, so both were half-brothers of the Lord Jesus, sons of Mary and Joseph. Both modestly called themselves “servants (slaves) of Jesus Christ.

Jude warns Christians of false teachers and urges his readers to “contend for the faith,” reminding them that after delivering Israel, God destroyed those who had not believed that the fallen are reserved for judgment; that Sodom and Gomorrah were punished; and that judgments will come upon railers and “filthy dreamers.”  He quoted prophecy from Enoch regarding Christ’s return to reign and how He will bring judgment.

False teachers are everywhere. They are in the pulpits, on television, in schools, universities, and every community. They are trying to tear down the message of Jesus Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, and ascension up to Heaven. They deny Christ’s blood paid the penalty for our sins. They deny we are sinners. And the list goes on. If what someone tells you does not agree with the Bible, it is wrong.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

Good morning,

This is a very encouraging devotion. Please read and pass on to others.

He has done all things well!

(Octavius Winslow)

LISTEN to Audio while you read along with the quote below!

“He has done all things well!” Mark 7:37

Yes, from first to last, from our cradle to our grave, from the earliest pang of sin’s conviction, to the last thrill of sin’s forgiveness, from earth to heaven–this will be our testimony in all the way the Lord our God has led us in the wilderness: “He has done all things well!”

In providence and in grace,
in every truth of His Word,
in every lesson of His love,
in every stroke of His rod,
in every sunbeam that has shone,
in every cloud that has shaded,
in every element that has sweetened,
in every ingredient that has embittered,
in all that has been mysterious, inscrutable, painful, and humiliating,
in all that He gave,
in all that He took away,
this testimony is His just due, and this our grateful acknowledgment through time and through eternity: “He has done all things well!”

Has He converted us through grace by a way we had thought the most improbable?
Has He torn up all our earthly hopes by the roots?
Has He thwarted our schemes, frustrated our plans, disappointed our expectations?
Has He taught us in schools most trying, by a discipline most severe, and lessons most humbling to our nature?
Has He withered our strength by sickness, reduced us to poverty by loss, crushed our heart by bereavement?

And have we been tempted to exclaim, “All these things are against me!”
Ah! no! faith will yet obtain the ascendancy, and sweetly sing:
“I know in all things that befell,
My Jesus has done all things well!”

Beloved, it must be so, for Jesus can do nothing wrong!

Study the way of His providence and grace with the microscopic eye of faith–view them in every light, examine them in their minutest detail, as you would the petal of a flower, or the wing of an insect; and, oh, what wonders, what beauty, what marvelous adaptation would you observe in all the varied dealings with you, of your glorious Lord!

Pass this encouraging devotion to others.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

This week we will look at the Return of Israel to the Lord. We have been studying a book titled Target Israel, written by Tim LaHaye and Ed Hindson. Today we conclude our study of the Return of Israel to the Lord. There is coming a Day of Grace.

Day of Grace

There is coming a day of grace from God Himself. He makes this promise to the people in verses 43-44: “There you shall remember your ways and all your doings with which you were defiled; and you shall loathe yourselves in your own sight because of all the evils you have committed. Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have dealt with you for my name’s sake, not according to your wicked ways nor according to your corrupt doings, O house of Israel.”

To those who will respond to the grace of God, He says, “I will be your Lord. I will be your God. I will save you. I will cleanse you. I will change you. I will not deal with you according to your past failures. I will deal with you by giving you a new heart and a new spirit, and then making with you a New Covenant, a New Agreement.”

Jesus, who himself was Jewish, dared to say at His Last Supper, “The cup that I am drinking represents the blood of the New Covenant. Just as the blood of the animals was shed for your sins in the Old Testament, My blood is shed for you now.” If Jesus was nothing more than a Jewish human being, He could not atone for His own sins, let alone atone for the sins of others. But He really was the Son of God, God incarnate in human flesh. He was the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies that said, “One day your God will come to you.” That comes right of Isaiah chapter 40. How else can God literally come to us unless He comes in human flesh? Jesus was God in sandals, God on foot. He walked among us, and He now lives above us and points us to the way of salvation.

The Old Testament repeatedly communicated the fact that the coming Messiah was going to die. He would be killed and cut off. That’s the message of Isaiah chapter 53. It’s the message of Daniel chapter 9. If the messiah was going to be cut off and killed, how could He reign unless He was resurrected? And how could He be resurrected unless He is the Divine Son of God Himself?

It is no mere human being who is going to establish the greatness of Israel in the future. No, it is the Son of God Himself. That is why Jesus came. He came to be the Savior, the banner, the ensign, for Jews and Gentiles alike, to call of us to faith in the Lord God of the Bible, the God Jehovah, the Creator God who made us in his own image and likeness, so that we might have a relationship with Him.” (Target Israel, page 53)

Conclusion

• God is not through with Israel
• God will return Israel to life
• God will return Israel to the land
• God will return Israel to Himself
• God sent the Messiah, Jesus, to save the souls of Jews and Gentiles

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

Good morning,

This week we will look at the return of Israel to the Lord. We have been studying a book titled Target Israel, written by Tim LaHaye and Ed Hindson. Today God pleads for His people. Then tomorrow we conclude with the Day of Grace.

God Pleads with His People

“As we read the Old Testament, the Hebrew Scriptures, we discover that there were times when the people of Israel loved the Lord their God and followed Him, and there were times when they did not. When they turned away from God, they came under His judgment.

Another important Bible passage that speaks of Israel’s return to the land is found in Ezekiel chapter 20. Notice what God said through the prophet Ezekiel with regard to the distant future: “I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered, with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out.” (verse 34) God was saying, “I will do this powerfully, I will do it dramatically.” Then He said, “I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will plead My case with you face to face.” (verse 35)

Why will God plead with His own people face-to-face? Because of His concern over their heart, their attitude, and their relationship to Him.  He goes on to say, “I will purge the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against Me; I will bring them out of the country where they dwell, but they shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.” (verse 38) In summary, Ezekiel foresaw a time when God would spiritually convert the people of Israel and change their heart, soul, and life. And when that happens, He will also purge the rebels from among them. Verse 42 goes on to describe the result: “Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for which I raised my hand in an oath to give to your fathers.” (Target Israel, pages 52-53)

God is still pleading with His children Israel and the Gentiles to believe.

Have you?

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

Good morning,

This week we will look at the return of Israel to the Lord. We have been studying a book titled Target Israel, written by Tim LaHaye and Ed Hindson. Today we will look at the introduction to this topic. Then how God pleads with His people and conclude with the Day of Grace.

Israel Returns to the Lord

And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. (Ezekiel 11:19-20)

Introduction

“The prophecies of the rebirth of the nation of Israel center on three elements: the people’s return to the land, their return to life, and ultimately, their return to the Lord himself. That may sound strange to Jewish people. They would respond, “We’ve always believed in the Lord God, Yahweh Himself, the God of Israel, the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. “ While that is true intellectually and theologically, the real issue is, Do you really believe in Him personally, spiritually? Is He Lord and God and Savior in your life on a personal basis?” (Target Israel, pages 51-52)

This question is not just for Jewish people. It is the question that everyone needs to ask themselves. Those who profess to be believers in Jesus Christ especially need to ask themselves whether they truly believe. Do people know that you are a believer? Do you talk about Christ? Do you exemplify the Scriptural principles found in Paul’s epistles?

Ponder these things.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 15:58)

Yesterday we celebrated Labor Day. In 1894, Grover Cleveland made Labor Day a federal holiday after a failed attempt to break up a railroad strike. Observed on the first Monday in September, Labor Day pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of American workers.

God says we are His workmanship in Ephesians 2:10.  “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”  If this is true then we need to be working for Him. John 9:4 states, “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.”  Second Timothy 2:15 gives us a starting point. “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” First Thessalonians 4:11-12 tells us how we should work. “And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.”

The goal of working is the hope that someday there will be a reward for your labor. God has a reward for those who have worked for Him. Matthew 16:27 states, “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.”  First Corinthians 3:12-15 states, “Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”

What is the ultimate work of God? John 6:28-29 tells us. “Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.”

If you would like to discuss what it means to believe on God, please contact me.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

This week we will look at Israel’s Return to the Land. I will be quoting from a book called Target Israel, written by Tim LaHaye and Ed Hindson. This would be a good book to read to understand how Israel fits into the whole dynamic of the Middle East and end time prophecy.

Recovery of the Remnant of the People

“Then we come to the key verse: “It shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people who are left.” (Isaiah 11:11) Where will God recover His people from? According to the rest of verse 11, they will come from Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, and other places-that is, modern day Africa, Iraq, Iran, and other places.

As we said earlier, this return has been going on for some time and continues on through today. They are part of the aliya (the Hebrew term for “return”), the regathering to the Promised Land itself. Many of them see themselves as fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy.

For Jewish readers of this book, let us share a word with you for a moment, from our hearts to yours. God has called you to be a unique people unto Himself. He has blessed you and sustained you through great difficulties as a nation over the centuries. But He is also calling you to faith in Himself. It is not enough to say, “We’ll rebuild the nation by our own political prowess, our own military might, and our own intellectual ingenuity.” While God may use those things, ultimately, there is more. Only if the Lord builds the house will it stand. If He doesn’t, it will not.

People frequently ask us, “Don’t you think Israel could suffer devastation and judgment again and be scattered once more? Humanly speaking, anything might be possible. But spiritually speaking, we believe that the Bible makes it very clear that once the Jewish people are gathered a second time, they will never be scattered again. Israel will remain in the land.

There are Biblical predictions that talk about war in the Middle East, and about Israel being chased into the wilderness. According to the Scripture, the Jewish people will face more difficulties in the days to come. But the Abrahamic Covenant is an unconditional promise.  God is fulfilling that promise now, and will never go back on it.

And there’s more. Bible prophecy tells us not only will the Jewish people return to the land and return to life, but they shall return to the Lord.” (Target Israel, pages 51-52)

Conclusion

• The Messiah has come
• The Messiah will reign with fairness and judgment
• The remnant will return to the land

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

Good morning,

This week we will look at Israel’s Return to the Land. I will be quoting from a book called Target Israel, written by Tim LaHaye and Ed Hindson. This would be a good book to read to understand how Israel fits into the whole dynamic of the Middle East and end time prophecy.

Return to the Land

 And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. (Genesis 13:14-15) This was God’s original promise of the land to Abraham and his descendants.

Introduction

“The prediction of Israel’s return to the land is one of the great prophecies of the Old Testament. Yet for centuries, some people said, “Oh, they’ll never go back. They’re scattered all over the world.”

The Branch

However, the Jewish people themselves understood God’s promise, which is clearly stated in Isaiah 11. There, the prophet looked down through the corridors of history, into the distant future, and spoke of the millennial kingdom. He prophesied of the coming Messiah as a descendant of Jesse, David’s father. The prophet also described the sevenfold Spirit of the Lord resting on the Messiah: “There shall come forth a rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. (Isaiah 11:1-2)”

“The “Branch” that comes “from the stem of Jesse” is a reference to the Messiah. He will come forth, in the future, out of the root of Jesse and David. The promised Savior, Jesus the Messiah, would be a descendant of King David.

Isaiah 11:4 then says this about the Messiah: “With righteousness He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.” This is the very same picture we have of Jesus Christ in the book of Revelation: There is coming a day when He will physically return to the earth, and He will reign with fairness and justice.

During Messiah’s reign, the wolf, the lamb, the lion, and the calf will all lie down with one another-the millennial kingdom will be a time of peace and prosperity. (Isaiah 11:6-8) Isaiah then says, “And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, who will stand as a banner to the people; for the Gentiles shall seek Him, and his resting place shall be glorious.” (Isaiah 11:10) “The people” is a reference to the Jews, and “the nations” refer to the Gentiles. In other words, the Savior is coming for both the Jews and Gentiles. He is the banner of God’s love over both of them. He is the One who calls both of them to faith in the Lord God Himself.” (Target Israel, pages 49-50)

This prophecy is being fulfilled before our eyes. The Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, came once as the suffering servant to pay our sin debt by His perfect shed blood on the cross. He is coming in the near future to rule and reign. Also, today both Jew and Gentile have the opportunity to repent of their sins and believe on Jesus as Savior and Lord.

What a wonderful God we serve!

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

What a blessed thought for each of us seniors.

Now am I one day nearer Heaven than I ever was!

(Richard Steele, “A Discourse Concerning Old-age, Tending to the Instruction, Caution and Comfort of Aged People” 1688)

Though it is possible for the young to die soon–yet it is impossible for the aged to live long. Their manifest decays are a certain forecast of their approaching dissolution. No medicine has yet been found to cure old-age. The graves are ready for them, and the worms wait for their meal upon them! The moth of mortality, which is bred in our nature, will still be fretting the garment of our bodies, until they are consumed. Death is already got into the aged person’s eye and ear–and in a short time will bring him unto the dust.

Now though death is an unwelcome messenger to those who live for this poor world–yet to a holy old man and woman, it is a blessed privilege. For as looking backward they see a tempting troublesome world–so looking forward they see a state of perfect holiness and happiness prepared for them. The end of their fight–is the beginning of their victory. As they part from their earthly labors–they take possession of their heavenly honors.

The aged Christian sees a woeful wilderness behind him–and the blessed land of promise before him. It is therefore no wonder that, with Moses, he longs to be in it! For where should the spouse desire to be, but with her husband? And upon this account, that holy Lady Falkland would usually say when she was going to bed, “Now am I one day nearer Heaven than I ever was!”

“I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far!” Philippians 1:23

That is my desire. I hope that is your desire and that you have made your plans to go. If not, please contact me so I can talk to you about it.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

The questions asked below will give you a good indication whether you love Jesus or not.

Hellish sin! Stupendous wickedness! Monstrous impiety!

(Thomas Doolittle, “Motives to Love Jesus!“)

What! Not love the Lord? Hellish sin!
What! Not love Jesus? Stupendous wickedness!
What! Not love Christ? Monstrous impiety!
What name shall we call such a person by–a man or beast?
One that does not love the Lord Jesus Christ–is he a man or a devil?

Can you love sin–and not Jesus?
Can you love the world–and not Jesus?
What cursed wickedness!
This is . . .
the amazement of the earth,
the astonishment of angels,
and the joy of devils!

The earth groans to bear such as do not love Jesus.
The sun is grieved to give them light.
The air laments its vapors to be sucked into such filthy bodies, wherein are more filthy souls!

“If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed!” 1 Corinthians 16:22

How did you answer the questions? Who do you love most, Jesus or the world?

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001