Inspirational

[Garland-Green]

This Great and Wide Sea
December 18, 2011

"So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts." (Psalm 104:25)

The oceans of the world are indeed great and wide and comprise essentially one sea, in contrast to the Seas of the pre-Flood world (Genesis 1:10), which were probably relatively narrow, numerous, and distributed more or less uniformly around the globe, as inferred from the marine fossil deposits laid down in those basins by the Flood. The present oceans, however, now contain the vast reservoirs of water poured out through the fountains of the great deep--all of which were broken up in one day--plus the torrents coming from the windows of heaven, which were opened that same day (Genesis 7:11).

The Flood not only destroyed everything on the land (Genesis 7:22), but also great numbers of marine organisms. After the Flood, however, with the vastly enlarged oceanic environments available, the surviving marine organisms quickly spread and proliferated, so that the oceans now indeed harbor innumerable creeping things as well as both small and great beasts.

Some whales, for example, are even larger than the great dinosaurs, which had mostly been drowned and buried in the waters and sediments eroded by the Flood. Even the fearsome Leviathan (possibly something like a giant plesiosaur or sea serpent) plays there (Psalm 104:26). Those men who now "do business in great waters" do indeed "see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep" (Psalm 107:23-24).

In the coming New Earth, however, there will be "no more sea" (Revelation 21:1). All the innumerable sea creatures will be gone as well. There will still be an abundance of water, however. There will be "a pure river of water of life, . . . proceeding out of the throne of God" and "whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely" (Revelation 22:1, 17). HMM  

[Garland-Green]

Faith, Self Defined
December 19, 2011

"These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them." (Hebrews 11:13)

Some have struggled with the word faith, desiring a succinct definition of it, but nowhere in Scripture does a working definition of faith appear. In places, however, the Bible gives a rather indirect definition of faith. Keeping in mind that the words belief and faith are translations of the same Greek word, let us look at several such texts.

Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, said of Mary, "And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord" (Luke 1:45).

Paul knew that God intended for him to be brought before Caesar and encouraged his shipmates as they were about to be shipwrecked with the words: "Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me" (Acts 27:25).

Speaking of Abraham's faith that God would give him a son, Paul says that "he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform" (Romans 4:20-21).

Of Sarah, Abraham's wife, it is said, "Through faith also Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised" (Hebrews 11:11).

These verses and the verse in our text give us a working definition of faith. It is, therefore, a firm belief, a conviction, a judgment, that God is both capable and faithful to perform what He has promised, and that there will be such a performance. This kind of faith brings the future into present reality. JDM  

[Garland-Green]

Luke 6:36
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.  

[Garland-Green]

Justified--by Faith or Works?
December 20, 2011

"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." (Galatians 2:16)

Some have argued that James contradicts Paul at this point, since James emphasized that both Abraham and Rahab, among others, were justified by works (James 2:21, 25). In fact, this seeming conflict between Paul and James has often been cited as one of the "contradictions" of the Bible.

There is no contradiction, however. Neither Abraham nor Rahab could have been justified by the "works of the law," and James never said they were. Abraham lived before God even gave the law to Moses, and Rahab lived in a pagan culture which knew nothing about it. Furthermore, James himself knew that no one could really be saved by the law, for he said that "whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all" (James 2:10).

Actually, both Abraham and Rahab were "justified"--which means "seen as righteous"--by faith in God and His provision of salvation (note James 2:23; Hebrews 11:31). The righteousness of Christ, who did keep perfectly the law of God, is imputed to believers by faith (Romans 4:3-5). God sees him or her as "in Christ," and so they are justified (recognized as righteous) solely through faith.

However, other men cannot see our faith, and therefore we must be justified in the sight of men by our works. True saving faith inevitably will manifest itself in works of righteousness. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: . . . For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:8, 10). HMM  

[Garland-Green]

Psalms 24:1-2

The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof;
the world, and they that dwell therein.
For he hath founded it upon the seas,
and established it upon the floods.  

[Garland-Green]

Lovingkindness and Tender Mercy
December 21, 2011

"Remember, O LORD, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old." (Psalm 25:6)

These beautiful words, "tender mercies" and "lovingkindness," may sound somewhat old-fashioned in today's sophisticated jargon, but the divine attributes they represent have been "ever of old" and will continue to characterize our tender and merciful, kind and loving God of all grace forever. Dropping them from our conversation (even in most newer translations of the Bible) is a sad loss that, to some degree, has impoverished our speech and, perhaps, our souls.

Note some of the rich scriptural testimonies associated with them: "|The Lord| redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies" (Psalm 103:4). "Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me" (Psalm 40:11). "Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions" (Psalm 51:1). "Hear me, O LORD; for thy lovingkindness is good; turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies" (Psalm 69:16).

Other than Proverbs 12:10 ("the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel"), all the occurrences of these two terms, either alone or together, are applied by the translators only to the Lord, never to men (the Hebrew words are rendered by other words in the King James when applied to people). This is beautifully appropriate, for our gracious God is uniquely the God of love and mercy. In spite of the fact that none of us deserve His lovingkindness or tender mercy, "the LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works" (Psalm 145:8-9). HMM  

[Garland-Green]

1 Thessalonians 4:17

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.  

[Garland-Green]

Romans 10:11

For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.  

[Garland-Green]

Hebrews 1:3

Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express
image of his person, and upholding all things by the
word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins,
sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.  

[Garland-Green]

The Babe in Bethlehem
December 24, 2011

"But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." (Micah 5:2)

This is a very remarkable prophecy, explicitly predicting that the future King of Israel would be born in the little village of Bethlehem some 700 years before He finally came. Then, to assure its fulfillment, the great Emperor Augustus had to decree a comprehensive census, compelling Joseph to take Mary with him to Bethlehem for her child to be born.

That the prophecy involves an actual birth is clear, not only from the phrase "come forth," but also from the succeeding verse which warns that God will "give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth" (v. 3). The preceding verse had also predicted that "they shall smite |this coming ruler| the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek" (v. 1), speaking of His initial rejection and execution.

But that is not all. The prophecy not only foresees His birth in Bethlehem, His repudiation by His own people, and His eventual installation as King over all Israel (not merely Judah), but also that this same remarkable person was none other than God Himself! His "goings forth" had been "from everlasting." That is, He is eternally proceeding forth from His Father. He did not become God’s Son when He was born in Bethlehem; He has been coming forth eternally.

There is still another truth implied in the remarkable Hebrew word for "goings forth." It is also used for such things as the flowing of water from a fountain or the radiations from the sun. Thus, the never-ending flowing forth of power from God through the Son is nothing less than the sustaining energy for the whole creation, as He is "upholding all things by the word of his power" (Hebrews 1:3). And this was the Babe in Bethlehem! HMM  

[Garland-Green]

The Gifts of the Wise Men
December 25, 2011

"And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh." (Matthew 2:11)

These wise men (or Magi) were of great eminence in the Parthian Empire at that time, and it is unlikely that the caravan from the East consisted of only three men. They more likely had a large entourage as they came searching for the future King of Israel, so it was small wonder that "all Jerusalem" was "troubled," along with King Herod (Matthew 2:3). The Parthians (i.e., Persians) had never been conquered by the Romans and at that very time were posing a significant threat along the eastern boundary of the extended Roman Empire.

When they found the young child and His mother in Bethlehem, the Magi "fell down, and worshipped him" (Matthew 2:11). But why did they offer Him just three gifts--and why these three gifts? Somehow they seemed to have sensed, possibly from meditating deeply on the ancient prophecies of Balaam (Numbers 24:17), Daniel (in Daniel 9:24-26), and David, concerning the priesthood order of Melchizedek (Psalm 110:4) that this young child whose birth had been announced by a star was destined not only to be the King but would also become the Messianic Sacrifice to "make reconciliation for iniquity" (see Daniel 9:24 , 26) and then eventually become our eternal High Priest who "ever liveth to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:25). Thus, the gold would acknowledge His right to reign, the frankincense would speak of the incense to be offered in the heavenly tabernacle, and the myrrh (John 19:39) would testify that His crucified body would be so anointed as it entered the tomb for a very temporary burial. HMM  

[Garland-Green]

Psalm 34:19

Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivers him out of them all.  

[Garland-Green]

Immortality or Resurrection
December 26, 2011

"Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen." (1 Timothy 6:16)

In the Greek New Testament, there are two words translated "immortality." One is athanasia ("without death"), which is used in our text to describe God in His eternal essence. The other is aphtharsia ("without corruption"), used in 2 Timothy 1:10: "|Christ| hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel," and translated "incorruption." In 1 Corinthians 15:42: "So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption."

The doctrine of the "immortality of the soul" is a doctrine of both ancient paganism and modern "New Ageism." Such people all believe in some form of evolution and reject the doctrine of resurrection, which uniquely accompanies creationist religions. These false religions believe that, at death, the body decays but the soul continues to exist, either in an eternally disembodied state or reincarnated in some other body. Atheists, of course, believe that both body and soul cease to exist at death.

But Christ, who "hath immortality" and who has died for the whole world and triumphed over death, promises a bodily resurrection to all who believe on Him, assuring both incorruption and immortality forever. "For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality" (v. 53). The law of entropy (involving decay, corruption, pain, sorrow, and disintegration) will be repealed when God's curse (Genesis 3:17) on the whole creation because of sin is removed (Romans 8:20-23; Revelation 22:3) and death will be abolished from His new creation forever. HMM  

[Garland-Green]

The Great Commission
December 28, 2011

"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." (Matthew 28:19)

These incomparable words were spoken by Christ on a mountain in Galilee (v. 16), sometime after His resurrection. He had already told His disciples while they were still gathered in the upper room: "As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you" (John 20:21). Then the sense of His instruction on the mountain was: "As you go into the world, you are to make disciples in every nation."

What an amazing thing to ask of such a small, unpromising group of followers. Yet, soon afterward, on the Mount of Olives, He made this command an actual prophecy: "Ye shall be witnesses unto me . . . unto the uttermost part of the earth" [Acts 1:8]. This absurdly impossible prophecy seemingly could never be carried out by such a motley group, but somehow it has! There are today millions of followers of Christ, some in practically every nation on earth. The prophecy seemed humanly impossible, but the Holy Spirit of God came upon them in great power, and He has been with Christ's witnesses in every age since.

Not only the Spirit of God, but also the Father and the Son. New disciples were, in fact, to be identified as such by baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. One name, yet three names! The three are each equally and fully God, and each is vitally involved in the redemption, guidance, and ultimate glorification of each believer. "For through |Christ| we both |that is, Jew and Gentile| have access by one Spirit unto the Father" [Ephesians 2:18]. Someday the Great Commission will have been completed, and all the disciples from every land and every age will assemble in praise to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the heavenly "city of the living God" (Hebrews 12:22). HMM  

[Garland-Green]

The Time of Old Age
December 29, 2011

"Now also when I am old and greyheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come." [Psalm 71:18]

One tends to grow resentful against the limitations and increasing infirmities associated with aging, even complaining to God and others about growing old--at least until one considers the alternative! We need to remember that, as long as the Lord preserves our lives, He has some ministry for us to perform for "this generation" and "to every one that is to come."

The Scriptures abound with promises of blessing in old age, so growing old should be an occasion for rejoicing and deepened commitment to whatever the Lord enables one to do. "The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: . . . Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age" (Psalm 92:12-14). But if there develops a tendency to grow spiritually cold with age, the admonition of Paul is appropriate. "Aged men |should| be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, . . . teachers of good things" (Titus 2:2-3).

Thus the heartfelt prayer of the psalmist in our text is still appropriate today, for all who will, sooner than they think, enter the time of old age. Note also the following prayer: "Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth" (Psalm 71:9). That God will answer such a prayer, offered in faith and sincerity, was affirmed by David when he said: "I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread" (Psalm 37:25). The time of old age can be a time of happy harvest, if we have sowed the seeds of good fruit. HMM