SHARING BIBLE VERSES

[Joe Sperling]

Who among you fears the Lord
and obeys the voice of his servant?
Let him who walks in darkness
and has no light
trust in the name of the Lord
and rely on his God. (Is. 50:10)

This verse shows that we can be following Christ, and yet be in a place where we feel like
we are in complete darkness.  As David said "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow
of death.."  It can put us in a place where we really get down on ourselves too, feeling that
we should have more faith, and not "feel" so downcast, or doubtful about what the Lord is doing.

It's hard to see it this way, but it should actually be a time for us to rejoice.(though this can be very hard to do)     The Lord is testing us, allowing doubts to assail us, allowing the enemy to buffet us and aim his fiery darts at us.  God says we should "trust in the name of the Lord, and rely on our God" during these times.  To trust in the "name of the Lord" is to trust in his revealed character in the Word. 

In a time of complete darkness and doubt we have only one thing to rely on---the Word of God. And we need to remember WHO GOD SAYS HE IS in that Word.  He SAID "I will NEVER leave you, nor forsake you".  Do we believe that?  God is actually allowing the complete dryness, and darkness into our lives to again teach us to rely on Him and His Word alone. Though this is extremely difficult, and terribly hard to live through, the Lord is actually "chastening us" for our own good.

To return to David, thankfully he says  "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, THOU ART WITH ME; thy rod and they staff they comfort me".  The "rod" of correction may not comfort while it is in action, but it brings a comfort to us afterwards as our faith grows stronger, and we are brought closer and closer to the Lord as a result.

Are you facing doubts? Every Christian does. And the Lord allows this so we might grow in Grace. It's tempting to just give up, but we need to hold on to the Word and believe that the Lord is completely in charge, and knows exactly what he is doing in our lives.

[Joe Sperling]

"The days are coming," declares the LORD,
       "when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman
       and the planter by the one treading grapes.
       New wine will drip from the mountains
       and flow from all the hills.

  I will bring back my exiled people Israel;
       they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them.
       They will plant vineyards and drink their wine;
       they will make gardens and eat their fruit.

  I will plant Israel in their own land,
       never again to be uprooted
       from the land I have given them,"
       says the LORD your God.  (Amos 9:13-15)

The above verses are good to read when we have moments of doubt.  We as Christians, as much as we have seen God work in our lives, can still face great moments of doubt, and lack of faith. We look at the world around us, and so much evil and destruction, and wonder where God is?

But it's nothing new.  When we read through the Psalms we see David asking all of the same questions we ask ourselves at times. David was definitely assailed with doubts and discouragements, and we know how much the Lord loved David.  David often asks in the Psalms "Why do the wicked prosper?" or "Why do my enemies appear to be winning?"

But one thing we also see David doing by the time the same Psalm we are reading is finished, is recalling what the Lord has done before in history, and in his own life.  Those verses above in Amos were read for centuries by those who never saw them fulfilled.  Yet we live in a time (since 1948) when these verses SAW THEIR FULFILLMENT and Israel was restored as a nation!  We are very blessed to be living just after the fulfillment of this prophecy----as thousands of others died before it ever came to pass.  But the fact is GOD DID WHAT HE SAID HE WOULD DO and we have factual evidence of this right before our very eyes!

When we begin to doubt if God is truly at work in the world, or if He really cares, all we need to do is look at the nation of Israel.  What are the odds that a nation of people who were destroyed and scattered over 2000 years ago would return to the same location and become a nation again---especially when a prophecy that that exact thing would happen was written in their holy Scriptures?

Taking a minute to think about Israel and it's very existence can really help strengthen our faith. If we say "If I only had a sign that God was at work..."  all we need to do is look at Israel and we have as clear a sign as we will ever need! 

[Joe Sperling]

"He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God".  (Micah 6-8)

[Joe Sperling]

Who is a God like you,
who pardons sin and forgives the transgression
of the remnant of his inheritance?
You do not stay angry forever
but delight to show mercy.

You will again have compassion on us;
you will tread our sins underfoot
and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.

You will be true to Jacob,
and show mercy to Abraham,
as you pledged on oath to our fathers
in days long ago. (Micah 7:8-10)

[Joe Sperling]

"The Lord is good,
a strong refuge when trouble comes.
He is close to those who trust in him". (Nahum 1:7)

Remember---the Lord is fully aware of where we are in life. We
often forget just how close God really is to us.

[Joe Sperling]

"Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the Lord. You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the Lord of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house. Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. (Haggai 1:5-10)

These verses correspond with Matt. 6:33,34:

"But seek first the kingdom (of God) and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil".

Today I realized I was putting the Lord second in my life in many ways.  The economy has been bad and there have been many things in my life that have distracted me.  I thought about the amount of time I have been reading the Bible, or praying.  I thought about my giving---am I putting bills in front of giving to the Lord?  Am I putting God second when considering money?  I am just being completely honest here.

And this is not to get in a self-condemned state. It is just being honest.  The Lord, in the verses above, tells the Jews that if they would just put HIS house first instead of thinking of their own houses first that the
Heavens would not withold their dew, and the earth would give forth it's produce.

It is very easy to slip into a state of worry and get our priorities shifted. As Haggai above says, we need to consider our ways, and really take stock of what is truly important. In Revelation Jesus faults the Ephesians for "having left their first love".  Have we?  We KNOW when we have. Have we forgotten the Lord's house because we are concentrating so much on our own?

I always remember that little booklet "My heart, Christ's Home".  There is a part where the writer tells the Lord he will meet with him every morning. And at first he cherishes the times with the Lord. But then one day he walks past the den and sees the Lord sitting there by Himself.  He realizes that he has not met with the Lord as he had promised to do for many days.  The Lord tells him that even though he has not come to meet with the Lord, the Lord has still come there every day to meet with him. The time of fellowship was just as important (if not more important) to the Lord as it was to the writer. It always brought me to tears when I read it, as it is so easy to neglect fellowship with the Lord as we live our daily lives and get so taken up by them.

Have we put the Lord second in our lives?  All we need to do is turn and remember how much the Lord loves us!  He wants us to give so that we will be blessed!  He wants us to put him first so that it will be well with us. I'm going to make a point of considering my ways today, and I hope you will do the same.

[Joe Sperling]

"And the word of the LORD came again to Zechariah:  "This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.' (Zech. 7:8-10)

[Joe Sperling]

"These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates:
And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the LORD". (Zech. 8:16,17)

[Joe Sperling]

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. (1 Cor. 15:3-7)

I was reading this scripture and the thought of the Lord appearing personally to the one's in bold print struck me.  He later appeared to John on Patmos individually also, and these three were the ones who saw him also on the Mount of Transfiguration. James was also the first apostle martyred.

His appearing to Peter individually is the most touching, knowing that Peter had denied him. That must have been an amazing encounter filled with tears, but also joy to be sure!  The Lord truly is the Good Shepherd, seeking the one sheep who strays from the flock just as he said.

[Joe Sperling]

"Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the LORD and honored his name.
"They will be mine," says the LORD Almighty, "in the day when I make up my treasured possession.  I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him. And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not". (Mal. 3:16-18 NIV)

[Joe Sperling]

"Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders.
In a loud voice they sang:
   "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
   to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
   and honor and glory and praise!"

Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:
   "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
   be praise and honor and glory and power,
   for ever and ever!" The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped. (Rev. 5:11-14)

This scene is after the rapture in Heaven during the Tribulation period. Imagine---we will be part of that huge scene praising God before his very throne! 

[Joe Sperling]

"With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.
The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!" (Mark 15:37,38)

As I read this I was struck with the reality that if Jesus had not endured what he did---the spitting, the torment, the whipping by the soldiers, and the ultimate crucifixion, that veil in the Temple would never have been torn in two by God.  I would not have salvation, or joy, or rejoicing,
or a Savior.  I would be lost.  We often take salvation for granted--the same old story we've heard over and over again.  Sometimes we need to stop and remember that we REALLY, REALLY would be heading for hell right now if Jesus had not come to redeem us.

But because of Jesus we undeserving, rebellious sinners can actually go right through the veil into the "Holy of Holies" and have fellowship with God.  It truly is an amazing thought---and one that should make us fall to our knees and thank Jesus for what He has done for us.  Praise God.

[Joe Sperling]

"Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. (Luke 12:6,7)

With the events in the world, and our daily worries, it's easy to feel far from God, or "feel" that God is far away from us.  But as this verse says, not even one sparrow is forgotten by God.  It is also truly amazing with what we know now about DNA----that indeed, the very hairs of our head ARE numbered!  Literally.  Who we are is coded in our DNA---so not only can we take that part of the verse figuratively, it is also true scientifically. God truly knows us through and through.  It is so easy to worry and fear---but we really shouldn't---the Good Shepherd is carefully watching over us.

[Joe Sperling]

"Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." (Luke 21:31,32)

Note that Jesus does not say "I have prayed for you that you do not stumble"--instead he says "I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail".  There are some who teach that a Christian could somehow lose his salvation through unfaithfulness, etc.   But Jesus even says to Peter "when you have turned back"----he speaks with assurance that Peter WILL indeed turn back again despite denying him and stumbling so terribly.

Hebrews 7:25 says "He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, seeing that he ever lives to make intercession for them".  I have to ask----can any of us ultimately fall if Jesus is praying for us??  Yes---we can stumble. But we can never be lost. We WILL get back up, and why?  Because Jesus is continually praying for us that our faith doesn't fail.

It is really a comforting thought---and I mention it again and again----that Jesus is at the right hand of God praying for all of us right now. As you read this Jesus is praying for you. This should fill us with praise and rejoicing!    

[Joe Sperling]

"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins". (2 Peter 2:5-9 NIV)

This verse is clearly telling us that we need to keep moving forward or we will slide back.  And all of us from time to time do have a tendency to slide back---we become "nearsighted and blind"  and we "forget" the great joy we experienced when we were saved.  We literally forget the joys of sins forgiven and the hope of heaven.  Sometimes we've heard the same "story" so many times that it almost doesn't sound real to us any more.

And we need to "stir up the gift that is inside us" as Paul says, and remember the joy and peace we received from Jesus when we were saved.  We need to start moving forward again. Don't get me wrong----we ARE SAVED from our sins---Peter is clearly saying the person has "forgotten that he HAS BEEN cleansed form his past sins".  But we need to stir ourselves up as Christians and remember ALL THAT IS OURS in Christ, and all THAT WILL BE OURS in the future when we walk the golden streets and see the Lord Himself.  We need to remember that we are saved, and held onto by Jesus Christ who intercedes for us at all times.

We need to remember that our sins are totally forgiven forever.  We need to remember that we, who were once enemies of God are now his "sons and daughters". We need to remember that God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies, and that we are priests and kings onto the Lord.  We need to turn to Revelation 21 and look to the tremendous future that is ours---imagine walking those streets!  Imagine seeing Jesus face to face! Imagine seeing those rivers of the water of life, and the trees growing beside it!  Imagine a place with no more tears or crying, or any evil of any kind!

When we are "nearsighted and blind" we can't see these things---we have become dull of hearing also, and we have forgotten what a fantastic destiny awaits us!  We need to ask Jesus for "eyesalve that we may see" (as he states in Revelation), cast off the sluggishness, and open our Bibles and pray!  And the Lord is not condemning us---he knows how weak we are---how we constantly need to be encouraged---just as sheep need to be "prodded along" so do we many times.  Perhaps the Lord is prodding you today, and calling to you to follow closer--and He calls in the most loving way.  I mention these things because the Bible says to "encourage one another as you see the day approaching"--and we all need encouragement.    We have such a blessed future ahead of us----and we are truly blessed today with every blessing God can give us---we just need to wipe our spiritual eyes and see the glory awaiting us as the very Children of God!