Archives for June 2017

Good morning,

“And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19)

I am not a fisherman. Fishing at a river, creek, or lake, the fish see me and flee! This was made quite apparent to me when I went dip net fishing. Everyone was catching their limit and I caught nothing. Was I patient? Oh yes. Staying in the water for hours. Nothing.

Fishing for fish and fishing for men have three things in common. We must prepare, go, and reap.

PREPARE

Fishermen must prepare their flies, lures, and bait.

Fishers of men must prepare their message, know the Scriptures, and anticipate questions unbelievers might ask.

GO

Fishermen need to determine where the fish are biting. Go to that spot. You cannot catch fish sitting at home.

Fishers of men must determine where the unbelievers are. God’s word commands us to “Go…”. (Matthew 28:19) We trust that God will lead us to those who need Christ.

REAP

Fishermen catch fish through patience and technique. You can have the greatest tools, but you must know how to use them. If so, you catch fish. If not, me, you do not catch fish.

Fishers of men present God’s word to unbelievers. Then the Holy Spirit goes to work convicting men of their sin. “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.⁸ And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:⁹ Of sin, because they believe not on me;¹⁰ Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;¹¹ Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.” (John 16:7-11) Through the ministry of the Holy Spirit unbelievers are saved.

Fishermen catch fish,  eat them, and they are gone. Fishers of men reap the unbelieving for eternity.

Fishers of men are God’s tool to present Jesus to the lost.

Go do some fishing for the Savior.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

 

Good morning,

Dana Clark is a missionary to Bangladesh. She teaches at the Willian Carey Academy. Over the last school year, she has sent out a prayer letter every week. She never fails.

She writes about what God is teaching her. Her devotions are challenges to her readers.

I am enclosing her last devotion of the school year.

The Rope Holder Report

June 9, 2017

“My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word.” Psalm 119:28

Dear Rope Holders,

What a picturesque prayer from Psalm 119!  I can certainly relate with the feeling of a heavy melting soul; however, I am grateful that God does not require us to live in that state continuously.  The psalmist requests strength that comes from God’s Word.

While reading verses on God’s Word this week, I was encouraged by its power:  It is the first step in producing faith. (Romans 10:17) It holds creative power and the power to affirm what is good.  (Genesis 1; Hebrews 11:3) It can be the joy of my heart if I let it. (Jeremiah 15:16) It is necessary for me to live a godly life. (II Timothy 2:16-17) It brings success if I meditate on it. (Joshua 1:8) It can lead me on the right path. (Psalm 119:105) It brings healing and deliverance. (Psalm 107:20) It is Truth. (John 17:17) It keeps me from sin. (Psalm 119:11) It sustains me. (Matthew 4:4) . . . This list could keep going and going . . . So why is it so hard to be consistent in Bible study when it is exactly what I need?  Thankful for His Word to guide, strengthen, and sustain.

     Praises:  The students have finished, papers are graded, awards have been given, report cards are almost done, the classes are filling up for next year, graduation has been celebrated, and I plan to board the plane on Tuesday evening to head home for the summer.

Prayer:  There are many details to finish up in the next 3 days, and there are still many loose ends for next year.

Thank you for your prayers – God’s grace is Sufficient!

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Dana and her weekly letters have challenged many to walk closer to God. She will return sometime in August for the next school year. Please pray for her and her ministry. William Carey Academy is made up of primarily Muslim children. They are taught American curriculum.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

Good morning,

John Newton reduced the sinful man and the gracious Savior down to two statements.

I may express all my complaints in one short sentence

(John Newton’s Letters)

My recent journey was very pleasant–but I ought to wish that it was profitable. I have had long experience how little I am able to improve by the most desirable advantages–and how little I am affected by a combination of the greatest mercies.

I may express all my complaints in one short sentence: “I am a poor creature!“
And all my hopes and comforts may be summed up as briefly, by saying: “I have a rich and gracious Savior!”

Full as I am in myself of inconsistencies and conflicts–I have in Him, a measure of peace. He found me in a waste howling wilderness–and He redeemed me from the house of misery and bondage. And though I have been ungrateful and perverse—He has not yet forsaken me–and never will. He is able to hold even me up–to pity, support and supply me to the end of life.

How suitable a Savior! He is made all things to those who have nothing–and is engaged to help those who can do nothing.

“Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost, those who come to God through Him–since He always lives to make intercession for them!” Hebrews 7:25

~  ~  ~  ~

As we read this devotional, thank God for His provision for us.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

Good morning,

The writer of Psalm 95 exhorts us to make a joyful noise to the Lord. When we see how great God is, it should be our natural reaction to praise Him. That is what Psalm 95 suggests we do.

Today we look at why we should praise the Lord.

Psalm 95:7-11

For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,⁸ Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:⁹ When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work.¹⁰ Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:¹¹ Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.

We praise the Lord because He is our God. He is our shepherd and we are His sheep. Yesterday we saw that God was great, powerful, and maker of all things.

The challenge then, as today, are we willing to acknowledge that God is God? We learn that Israel rejected the Lord for forty years. Those people were not allowed to go into the promised land. UNBELIEF! The curse of many.

We choose whether to believe God or not to believe God. We have been given God’s word, the Bible, to answer all our questions about who God is, what He has done, what sin is, how it affects us, the solution to sin, who is Israel, and the future.

Salvation is having our sin debt paid by the blood of the perfect sacrifice, Jesus Christ.

According to verse eleven, their unbelief kept them from God’s rest.

Please consider whether you are a believer or unbeliever. Then weigh the consequences.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

 

 

Good morning,

The writer of Psalm 95 exhorts us to make a joyful noise to the Lord. When we see how great God is, it should be our natural reaction to praise Him. That is what Psalm 95 suggests we do.

Today we look at what God has done. Tomorrow we will look at why we should praise Him.

Psalm 95:1-6

O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.² Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.³ For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.⁴ In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also.⁵ The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.⁶ O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker.

The first two verses tell us  to sing, make a joyful noise, and be thankful. Verses three through six tell us of God’s wonderful works.

As believers in Christ, we should be executing this verse every day. These verses remind us how good God has been to us. We should acknowledge that by our praise and worship.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

 

Good morning,

When I was younger, the public discourse was kinder. Today people in all walks of life choose hate over love, pride over humility, impatience over patience, and disunity over unity. It is very discouraging to listen to a daily newscast. The lead story usually has to do with death, political disagreement, or hate speech.

The apostle Paul wrote a letter to the Ephesians addressing these matters. He suggested a series of solutions. Ephesians 4 outlines these solutions.

Walk worthy of your vocation (1-3)

“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,² With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;³ Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (1-3)

If that were all he wrote, that would move us to a much better place. Paul gave even more specific advice.

What does Jesus teach us? (20-24)

“But ye have not so learned Christ;²¹ If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:²² That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;²³ And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;²⁴ And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” (20-24)

What should be the result when Jesus leads our life? (25-31)

“Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another.²⁶ Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:²⁷ Neither give place to the devil.²⁸ Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.²⁹ Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.³⁰ And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.³¹ Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:” (25-31)

What is the proper way to relate to others? (32)

“And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” (32)

Paul gave good counsel 2000 years ago. His counsel is applicable today. First, salvation, Second, read, be taught, and obey God’s word, the Bible. Third, share what you have learned with others.

This will change the way we speak, act, and relate to others.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

Good morning,

Elijah was a prophet of God. Ahab was king of Israel. Elijah challenged Ahab to a contest. It would determine whose God was the true God, the Lord God or Baalim. This story is found in 1 Kings 18:17-40.

THE CHALLENGE (21-24)

 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.²² Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the Lord; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men.²³ Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under:²⁴ And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.

THE CONTEST (25-29, 30-35)

Prophets of Baal (25-29)

And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under.²⁶ And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made. ²⁷ And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.²⁸ And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.²⁹ And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.

Elijah the Prophet (30-35)

And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down.³¹ And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the Lord came, saying, Israel shall be thy name:³² And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.³³ And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.³⁴ And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time.³⁵ And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.

RESULTS OF THE CONTEST (36-40)

And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.³⁷ Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.³⁸ Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.³⁹ And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God.⁴⁰ And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.

OUR CHALLENGE

Worship God with all our heart. When we challenge the Lord God, we will always lose. The Baal worshippers served a god who could not hear, react, or care. The Lord God heard and reacted immediately to Elijah’s prayer.

Who do we serve? The one true God or an idol? Choose the one true God!

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

 

 

Good morning,

Senior citizens. When you hear that term, what do you think about? The people I know are healthy, resourceful, energetic, and smart.  It is their desire to live life to its fullest till the end.

They want to finish strong!

Solomon, a wise man of God, failed to use that wisdom during his later years. He allowed the things of the flesh to pull him away from God. He failed to follow the commandments of God.

We are susceptible to this problem today. First Kings 11:1-12 records the sin, results, and God’s punishment, Solomon encountered. Read this carefully. Examine what Solomon did to displease God. Then we need to determine if there is an application to us.

Solomon’s Sin (1-3)

But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites:² Of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.³ And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.

Results of Solomon’s Sin (4-8)

 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.⁵ For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.⁶ And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father.⁷ Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.⁸ And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.

God’s Punishment (9-12)

And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,¹⁰ And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the Lord commanded.¹¹ Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.¹² Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father’s sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son.

SIN HAS CONSEQUENCES

It should be the desire of every believer to FINISH STRONG! How do we accomplish this?

Read the Bible

Obey the Bible

Study the Bible

The WASI mid-week Bible service is attended by seniors who desire to finish strong. They come faithfully each week to study God’s word. They come from various parts of the area, from different faith groups, for one reason. They come to find out what the Bible teaches. The Bible is our textbook and God is our teacher.

Please join us on Wednesdays at 10 AM in the WASI meeting room.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

 

Good morning,

God has truly blessed us. We have food, shelter, work, and lots of worldly things. Yet as good as God is to us, do we acknowledge who owns our possessions? Not us. We are the temporary custodians. God has loaned us what we possess.

And lest you say I earned my possessions. Who gave you the ability to earn? God did.

We need to thank God daily for our health, for His provision for us, and to acknowledge that our possessions are temporary, and so is our time on earth. How are we investing God’s time?

Seeing that we deserve nothing–we should be content with, and thankful for anything!

(Ralph Venning, “The Plague of Plagues!” 1669)

It has been every man’s lot to come into and go out of this world naked–to show that he has no right to anything, but lives on the alms of God’s charity and grace. All that we have or hold between our birth and death–is the mere gift of God.

God might choose whether He would allow us anything or not; and when He has given–He may take back again, and none of us has cause to say anything but what Job said: “Naked I came into the world–and naked I shall return. The Lord has given–and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord!” Job 1:21

All that we have, our food and clothing and belongings–are only lent to us. Therefore, seeing that we deserve nothing–we should be content with, and thankful for anything.

“For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.” 1 Timothy 6:7-8

~  ~  ~  ~

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

Solomon is a man of prayer. First Kings 8 records the dedication prayer of the house of the Lord. The house of the Lord is completed.

BLESSING OF THE CONGREGATION (1 Kings 8:8-21)

“And the king turned his face about, and blessed all the congregation of Israel: (and all the congregation of Israel stood;)” (1 Kings 8:14)

DEDICATION PRAYER (1 Kings 8:22-61)

ADORATION (1 Kings 8:22-24)

“ And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven:²³ And he said, Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart:²⁴ Who hast kept with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him: thou spakest also with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thine hand, as it is this day.”

THANKSGIVING (1 Kings 8:25-27)

“Therefore now, Lord God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel; so that thy children take heed to their way, that they walk before me as thou hast walked before me.²⁶ And now, O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified, which thou spakest unto thy servant David my father.²⁷ But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?”

SUPPLICATIONS (1 Kings 8:28-30)

 ^“Yet have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O Lord my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer, which thy servant prayeth before thee today:²⁹ That thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which thou hast said, My name shall be there: that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make toward this place.³⁰ And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: and hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place: and when thou hearest, forgive.”

TRANSGRESSION, CONFESSION, FORGIVENESS (1 Kings 8:31-35)

“If any man trespass against his neighbor, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house:

³² Then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his head; and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness.³³ When thy people Israel be smitten down before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee, and shall turn again to thee, and confess thy name, and pray, and make supplication unto thee in this house:³⁴ Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou gavest unto their fathers.³⁵ When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou afflictest them: ³⁶ Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, that thou teach them the good way wherein they should walk, and give rain upon thy land, which thou hast given to thy people for an inheritance.”

Solomon gives us an example how to pray.

We should always give adoration to our God. We need to remind ourselves of who God is and His attributes.

Thanking God is our acknowledgment of what God has done for us. Salvation is a good place to start. Each day God is doing things on our behalf. Do we remember to thank Him or take God for granted? Or worse, think we accomplished the task with no need of God. We need to be thankful.

Supplication is asking God to intervene on our behalf. When God’s people pray, God hears every prayer. He will answer each prayer with a “yes”, “no”, or “wait”. Since God’s knows everything, He knows what is best for us.

Solomon was wise enough to realize and acknowledge the he and Israel would sin. He also knew that confession and repentance was the way restore fellowship with God. That is true for us today. Failure to repent of sin means that God will not hear our prayers.

Take 1 Kings 8 on prayer to heart.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001