Thoughts From The Bible

Today I want to talk about faith, fact, and feeling in regard to salvation. All people have faith in something. All people know certain facts. And all people have feelings about something. The same is true regarding the salvation and the eternal destiny of a person’s soul. Faith, fact, and feeling are different. Many Christians and non-Christians alike get confused concerning these three things. We must be sure that we have put out faith and trust in the correct facts found in the Bible. The feelings of peace, joy, and confidence will come when we rest in Him and have a close fellowship with Him.

The rapture, or catching away of the church is a great doctrine that we need to hear about often. Our Saviour coming back for us is one of our greatest hopes and comforts. In John 14 the disciples were sad when Jesus told them he must go away. At that time they did not understand what he was about to do. But Jesus told them he would go back to the Father, prepare a place for them, and one day return to take them home. Joh 14:1-3 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. What a great blessing it will be to be home with our Saviour. Today let’s look at this great doctrine in detail. My goal is to encourage you and give you hope and comfort with this study.

Today, I want us to look at healing and miracles in 1 Corinthians 12:8-11. Several of the gifts found in 1 Corinthians 12 are still in effect today but others are not, specifically, the gifts of healing, miracles, speaking in tongues, and interpretation of tongues. These four gifts were given as a sign to unbelievers, not believers (children of God). Who requires such signs? The Jews, not the Gentiles. 1Co 1:22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: God can still heal and perform miracles today but, individual people do not have the gift of healing or miracles. These gifts were a sign for the Jews and are not active today.

This week I want to look at the gift of tongues. What is this gift? Can a person have the gift of tongues today? I will try to answer those questions today. Tongues in the Bible are a spoken language, the gift of tongues was given as a sign to unbelievers and Israel during the early church, and they ceased after a time. 1Co 14:22 Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.

A question that is asked often is if the gift of tongues, healing, and miracles are still in effect today. The 12 disciples of Christ and the apostles in the early church had these gifts and powers. Why did God give them? Can a person in our time have these gifts? Let’s first look at the office of an apostle We must first find how the Bible defines an apostle. What was required to be an apostle? The office or position of an apostle was given for a certain reason and for a limited time. The apostles were given to confirm the word of God and lay a foundation for the church. Many today claim they are apostles but, they do not and can not meet the requirements we find in the Bible. Eph 2:20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

I want to look at a simple but important doctrine in the New Testament, the difference between the terms “kingdom of God” and “the kingdom of heaven.” Many people when they read the Gospels assume they mean the same thing. What are these two kingdoms? Are they different? If so, is it really important to make a difference between them? Yes, it is important to understand the difference. The kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom, while the kingdom of heaven is a physical kingdom that will come in the future.

Today we will look at the words of God. From the very beginning of man’s history, God has wanted to communicate with His greatest creation: man. Because of this, he talked and walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden. From that time on God has given us His words. He has told us what He expects from us, He has shown us His character and what He is like, He has encouraged and rebuked us with His words, and He has shown us the way of salvation with His words. This is a great truth and blessing that many people either take for granted or dismiss as a myth. The Bible tells us about how God has given us His word, how He kept it pure and given it to man generation after generation. We will not study manuscript evidence or the history of the Bible in great detail today. We will instead take a practical and Biblical look. Our verses from the Bible for today are found in Psalms 12:6-7. Psa 12:6-7 "The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever."

Last year I looked at many doctrines in the Bible that every child of God should understand. I would like to continue looking at more simple doctrines for the first part of this year. We saw that God is a Trinity, He is just and Holy, and that His Son Jesus Christ is both 100% God in the flesh and 100% man. Today I would like to talk about the love of God. Such a simple topic—and yet—hard to fully understand. Why does He take the time to be interested in us? And more importantly— why did God love us so much that He gave His Son to pay for our sins? So today let’s see what the Bible says about the love of God. In Romans chapter five we see the love of God clearly shown to His creation. God did not just say He loved man, He showed us by the act of dying for all mankind. Let’s that in Romans 5:6-8 Rom 5:6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Today I want to look at the doctrine of the Humanity of Christ. Last week we looked at the deity of Jesus Christ. This is an important doctrine we need to understand and study. However, Jesus was also born of Mary into a human body. He had a body of flesh and blood like us. He was human in the fullest sense. I want to be careful today not to minimize the deity of Christ or cause any offense when stating Jesus was also a man. But many Bible teachers neglect this important part of who Jesus is. It will help us understand many Bible passages. Since sin and death came upon all men through a man, Adam, then life and forgiveness of sins must also come through a man. So God had to be born into a human body, live on this earth, and suffer as a man to pay for man’s sin.

Today I would like to look at the Deity of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was and is God in the flesh and is equal with God the Father. Some teach that Jesus was just a good man, a teacher, a prophet, or even the brother of Satan. But who does the Bible say Jesus Christ is? This week, we will look at many Bible passages that show without any doubt that Jesus is God in the flesh. Next week we will see how He was also born into a body of flesh—a perfect, sinless man. He is both 100% God—and 100% human. When we read the Bible it is important to understand when it is talking about His deity or His humanity. If we do not make this distinction, then many problems and so-called contradictions will arise. Isa 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.