Good morning,

Today let us look at different types of faith.

GREAT FAITH MATTHEW 8:5-10

THE CENTURION The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.⁹ For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.¹⁰ When Jesus heard it, he marveled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

LITTLE FAITH MATTHEW 6:30, 14:31, 16:8

•  The multitudes Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? (Matthew 6:30)
• Peter And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? (Matthew 14:31)
• DISCIPLES Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? (Matthew 16:8)

NO FAITH DEUTERONOMY 32:20 MARK 4:40

• NATION OF ISRAEL And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith. (Deuteronomy 32:20)
• DISCIPLES And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? (Mark 4:40)

LIVE BY FAITH HABAKKUK 2:4, ROMANS 1:17, GALATIANS 3:11

• THE JUST Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith. (Habakkuk 2:4)
• THE RIGHTEOUS OF GOD For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. (Romans 1:17)
• MAN But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. (Galatians 3:11)

WALK BY FAITH 2 CORINTHIANS 5:7

• CORINTHIAN BELIEVERS (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) (2 Corinthians 5:7)

So how did my class do in this lesson on faith? Some had great faith. They called all their legislators. Others had little faith. They chose to call some of their legislators. Some had no faith. They either forgot or chose not to call. You see no matter what the group may be, there will always be those with great faith, little faith, or no faith.

So to conclude this lesson on faith we must remember, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)

 Have a great weekend.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

 

Good morning,

Do we believe that the Bible is a practical book? Can we take its truths and apply them to the situations of our daily lives?

Yesterday, during our mid week service we tested that theory.

The message was on faith. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1) We studied people of faith, great faith, little faith, no faith, we must live by faith, and walk by faith. The summation was found in Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

I challenged them to call or email the Alaska State Senators on the Finance committee about reestablishing funding for the Fall Prevention Program.  This is an important program for seniors and would pay for itself with one fall being prevented. Names, email addresses, phone numbers were given to them.

Would they be willing to step out in faith to complete this project?

We often speak of trusting the Lord, having faith, always willing to do what God asks. When the rubber meets the road in our daily lives, do we?

James 2:17-20 speaks to this point. “ Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. ¹⁸ Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. ¹⁹ Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. ²⁰ But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?”

So how did they do? Come back tomorrow and we will find out.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

Good morning,

This should encourage each of us.

My own special treasure!

(Theodore Cuyler, “Wayside Springs from the Fountain of Life” 1883)

“You will be My own special treasure!” Exodus 19:5

Luther said that there is great divinity in the personal pronouns of Scripture. “They will be Mine–in the day when I make up My jewels!” Malachi 3:17

Every true believer is surrendered to the ownership of Christ. Up to the hour of conversion we had other masters–self, sin, and the devil. Now Jesus says to each Christian, “You are Mine! I own you. I will instruct you, and polish you, and put you wherever it pleases Me. I will take care of you, and nothing shall pluck you out of My hand. You shall be My own special treasure in the day of My triumphant appearing. I will place you in My crown!”

What a comfort to know nothing can pluck me out of the hand of God. We are His and we are His special treasure. That should excite each of us.

Meditate on these things.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

I hope this encourages and challenges all of us.

Life is wasted by driblets

(Charles Spurgeon)

“A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest–and poverty will come on you like a bandit, and scarcity like an armed man!” Proverbs 24:33, 34 

The worst of sluggards only ask for a little slumber; they would be indignant if they were accused of thorough idleness. A little folding of the hands to rest is all they crave, and they have a crowd of reasons to show that this indulgence is a very proper one. Yet by these littles–the day ebbs out, and the time for labor is all gone, and the field is grown over with thorns!

It is by little procrastinations–that men squander their opportunities. They have no intention to delay for years–a few months will bring the more convenient season. Tomorrow they will attend to serious things; but the present hour is so occupied and altogether so unsuitable, that they beg to be excused.

Like sands through an hour-glass, time passes. Life is wasted by driblets, and seasons of opportunity are lost by little slumbers. Oh, to be wise, to catch the flying hour–to use the moments on the wing! May the Lord teach us this sacred wisdom!

“So teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom!” Psalm 90:12

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

Last Friday night we celebrated our Passover Seder. We had 28 guests. One guest was from my Bible study class. She was new and did not know any of the other guests. One of the men present engaged her in conversation, but soon found himself listening to the great stories she told about her time living in Alaska. Then at dinner, a young teenager, struck up a conversation with my friend and really made her welcome.

The Bible tells us to “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:32)

It encouraged me to see my friends, young and old, demonstrating the love of Christ. Jesus was always talking to people, making new friends, encouraging old ones, and always teaching.

Although the stated purpose of the evening was the celebration of the Passover, I believe much more was accomplished. “For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.” (1 John 3:11)

We all need to think about how we can love, encourage, and teach others. Hebrews 10:24-25 states, “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: ²⁵ Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Have a wonderful day.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

Good morning,

What happens next, changed lives forever. It was normal practice for the Romans to crucify criminals. It was normal for them to die, be buried, placed in a tomb, or the ground. Jesus died, was buried, BUT defied death. He arose on the third day. Matthew 28:1-10 tells us the story.

He is Risen

“In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher. ² And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. ³ His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: ⁴ And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. ⁵ And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. ⁶ He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. ⁷ And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. ⁸ And they departed quickly from the sepulcher with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word. ⁹ And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. ¹⁰ Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.”

The resurrection of Jesus was a supernatural event. It had never happened before and will never happen again. The angel tells the women to “Fear not.” That is what Jesus tells us. The angel says “Go” and they went in obedience. Their obedience was rewarded by seeing the resurrected Jesus. What great joy and excitement.

The Resurrection Changes Everything 1 Corinthians 15:3-6, 13-18)

“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; ⁴ And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: ⁵ And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: ⁶ After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.”

“But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: ¹⁴ And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. ¹⁵ Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. ¹⁶ For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: ¹⁷ And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. ¹⁸ Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.”

Bottom line, no resurrection, no salvation. All the different parts of the story had to take place. The virgin birth, preaching and teaching, the miracles, Jesus death, shedding His blood for our sins, his burial, and then the triumphal resurrection, His being seen by His disciples and many others, and His visible ascension back to His Father in heaven. And He did it all for you and me. We did not deserve it. We were not worthy. We could not pay for it. He did it because He loved us. John 3:16 tells us, “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.”

Would you like to know more about what God has done for you and how you can become a believer in Christ? Please contact me.

TRUST THE RESURRECTED CHRIST TODAY.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

Why did Jesus have to die on the cross? Simply put, he died to pay the sin debt for mankind. Romans 3:10 states, “¹⁰ As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:”. Romans 3:23 states, “²³ For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”.  Romans 6:23 states, “²³ For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” We needed someone who could pay our sin debt. Jesus Christ, the spotless lamb of God, was the only one who could do it.

CONSIDER Hebrews 9:11-15

“¹¹ But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;¹² Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.¹³ For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:¹⁴ How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?¹⁵ And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.”

JESUS GOES TO THE CROSS Matthew 27:26-35a

²⁶ Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.²⁷ Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers.²⁸ And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.²⁹ And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!³⁰ And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.³¹ And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.³² And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.³³ And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull,³⁴ They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.³⁵ And they crucified him,”

After they crucified him, he was taken off the cross by Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus, prepared for burial, and then laid him in the tomb.

If this was the end of the story, we could not be saved. There was more than just the death of Jesus. We serve a …….

Tomorrow the triumphal conclusion.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

People are born every day.  There is nothing remarkable about this. Jesus birth was very remarkable. It was miraculous. Consider the following.

VIRGIN BIRTH Matthew 1:20-23

 ^“But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. ²¹ And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins. ²² Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, ²³ Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”

We see Jesus was conceived by the Holy Ghost, that he would save his people from their sins, that Mary was a virgin at the time of Jesus’ birth, and his name would be called Emmanuel, God with us.

BETHLEHEM BIRTH Luke 2:4-7

“And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) ⁵ To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. ⁶ And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. ⁷ And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.”

Micah 5:2 prophesies the birth of Jesus is Bethlehem. The Son of God, second person of the trinity, the coming Messiah, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, was born in Bethlehem, in a birthing cave for lambs, and laid in a manger.

MINISTRY OF JESUS Luke 19:10

“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Jesus performed miracles, healing the sick, making the blind to see, healing leprosy, and raising the dead. But ultimately he came to lead sinners to their Savior, Jesus himself.

Tomorrow we will look at the death of Jesus on the cruel cross at Calvary.  Why did he have to suffer for you and me?

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

Blood. Why was this such an integral part of Old Testament worship? Man’s sin required a way to reestablish fellowship with God. God required a blood sacrifice. The Passover is a good illustration.

Israel is under bondage to the Egyptians. They cry out to the Lord. God hears their cry and sends Moses to deliver them. Pharaoh would not allow the Hebrews to leave. God sent 10 plagues upon Egypt. Pharaoh’s heart was hardened. The first plague was turning the river water into blood. The last plague was the death of the first born which could be avoided by the blood.

Disobedience to God’s word is sin. Pharaoh and anyone following him sinned against God. So in Exodus 12, God tells Moses what the Hebrews need to do to avoid this plague. If they obey, they live. If they disobey, they die.

Exodus 12:3-14

Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: ⁴ And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb. ⁵ Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: ⁶ And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. ⁷ And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. ⁸ And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. ⁹ Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof. ¹⁰ And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. ¹¹ And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the Lord’s passover. ¹² For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. ¹³ And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. ¹⁴ And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.

They obeyed, lived, were promptly allowed to leave. However, from time to time, the nation of Israel disobeyed God. God instituted animal sacrifices to cover the sin, but not take them away. Hebrews 10 explains this.

Hebrews 10:3-14

But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. ⁴ For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. ⁵ Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: ⁶ In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. ⁷ Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. ⁸ Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; ⁹ Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. ¹⁰ By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. ¹¹ And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: ¹² But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; ¹³ From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. ¹⁴ For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

Obey God. But when we don’t, we need to repent, go to God and ask His forgiveness. 1 John 1:9 states, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Tomorrow, the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Tom Stearns, WASI, 907 715-4001

 

Good morning,

This week we celebrate two extremely important holidays, Passover and the Resurrection.

To understand why these holidays are important to us as believers in Jesus, we must determine why we need a Savior (Monday), why the blood was important and the Passover holiday (Tuesday), birth and ministry of Jesus (Wednesday), the cross (Thursday), and the Resurrection (Friday).

Why do we need a Savior?

In Genesis 1, God created everything perfect.  He stated in Genesis 1:31, “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”

During the sixth day God created Adam and Eve. He put them in a garden called Eden. He gave them one command found in Genesis 2:16-17, which states, “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

So far all is well. In chapter three, a new character is introduced to the narrative, the serpent. The serpent has various names in Scripture. He is called Lucifer, Satan, the devil, etc. He is well described in Ezekiel 28:13-19, “Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. ¹⁴ Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. ¹⁵ Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. ¹⁶ By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. ¹⁷ Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. ¹⁸ Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. ¹⁹ All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.”

So then, the serpent strikes up a conversation with Eve. Genesis 3:1-7 states, “Now the serpent was more subtile than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? ² And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: ³ But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. ⁴ And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: ⁵ For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. ⁶ And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. ⁷ And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

Man has disobeyed God. THIS IS THE FIRST SIN.

What happens next? Genesis 3:21, states, “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.” The blood sacrifice of an innocent animal was required.

Tomorrow we will look at the blood sacrifice at the Passover and its significance.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001