The Mustard Seed

The Bible talks about the Kingdom of God being like a mustard seed.

A mustard seed is very small, the smallest you would plant in your garden. But when it grows it reaches heights of 10-15 feet tall. In the fall the branches stiffen and the birds are able to take refuge in it.

The Kingdom of Heaven is like this. It began small, with only the disciple, but quickly grew to thousands and thousands before the second century. Even today the Kingdom continues to be advanced.

The other thing about the Kingdom is that you can find rest in it. Jesus has said: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matt 11:28). There is rest in the Kingdom of God, all we need to do is go to Jesus to get it. If you are burdened today, go to Jesus and find rest.

The Kingdom of God

And the Kingdom of God is like: "Leaven a woman took and hid in three measures of flower until is spread through all of it" (Matt. 13:33).

Long ago the apostles hid a small amount of leaven in the world. This leaven had a strange effect, it put the world into a ferment, it changed the world in a way that cannot be undone. The spreading of the leaven was effective, not by outward force, but by an unstoppable inward change that continues even until this day.

As time continues, Christianity spreads; one day it will reach the outermost parts of the world effecting every people group.

To God be the Glory for the great work he has done.

Proof that God Exists!

Okay, so I don't really have proof that God exists. Not scientific proof, anyhow. Here's the thing - nobody is going to get a picture of God on their iPhone and I wouldn't count on God opening up the clouds and declaring to the world "Here I am, look at me."

Instead, God has chosen to reveal himself to us through revelation, generally through creation and more specifically the Bible. I know some people will come along and demand hard scientific proof - saying they won't believe in God if he won't give them proof. I just don't think that threatening God is the wisest path to take. If you don't believe in God, would you really want to believe in a god that would do whatever anyone demanded?

When considering God we would all do well to remember the words of the Lord Jesus and: "fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matt. 10:28). I should quickly follow that with the words from Paul in Romans 13, which say: "Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you." If you want to live without fear of God,then do what is right in his sight and he will commend you for it.

to think or not to think

I got an e-mail from a self proclaimed "material atheist." He told me that if a god did exist that it would (and these are his words): "be perfect ... [with] no need to be worshiped it could have no thoughts."

I don't want to pick on this guy, I just want to make a point at his expense. The idea of 'a god' that has no thoughts, doesn't seem very god-like. The very fact that humans are able to think is what makes us superior to animals (and dirt) and gods are supposed to be superior to humans. So, how is it that a perfect god could have no thoughts?

I don't serve a thoughtless god. I serve the omniscient God, the great I AM, Yahweh, the King of kings and Lord of lords. Indeed God has thoughts. As the Bible says: "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thought" (Isa. 55:9).

Now that is a God worth worshiping - a God who can help when you need help - a God who can direct you and guide you - all because of his great wisdom and power.

The Devil

Reading through Matthew 13:24-30, I find some very interesting ways the Devil works against God. We would do well to recognize these so that we may remain safe from the wiles of the devil.

First, the Devil works "while the men slept." The Devil is a trickster, he is ever watching for opportunities to take advantage of people. He sows his evil under the cover of the night. Stealth, secrecy and dishonesty are his favorite tactics.

Next, the Devil "went his way" after sowing the bad seeds. The Devil is an impostor; he wants people to think he is something he is not so he gets the job done and leaves as quick as possible. Most of the time he is done working before we ever know he was there. The seeds he sows in darkness are very similar to the true wheat - only with time will we be able to see what the Devil has done.

But this should not discourage us. In the end the Lord will send out his angels to bind the weeds the Devil has sown and cast them into the pit. The wheat that was sown in righteousness will be taken up to heaven.

May the Lord bless you and keep you.

To fear or not to fear?

Is fear necessarily a bad thing? There are some who would say that fear is bad ... but I would disagree. In fact I think that a healthy fear is beneficial to us as people and to society as a whole. You see, fear keeps us accountable.

What I mean is that if there was no fear, there would be no reason to do what is right. If people did not fear the consequences of their actions, there would be no reason for them to avoid doing wrong or dubious acts.

This is seen easily in children - children are good because they fear the consequences of being bad. Children who have no consequences have no fear and have no reason to do what is good. This same reasoning can be expanded to adults, we avoid unlawful acts because we fear the consequences of breaking the law.

Even apart from moral laws fear has a place. For example, I fear getting bit by a rattlesnake, so I don't play with them. This keeps me safe. If I did not fear getting bit I would have no reason to avoid playing with them and I might end up dead.

So then, fear is good because it helps us remain conscious of the consequences of our actions.

Many times the Bible says we are to "fear God." For example, Lev. 25:17 says: "You shall not wrong one another, but you shall fear your God, for I am the LORD your God." This too is beneficial for us. For in fearing God we are spurned on towards righteousness.

Exploding beetles

So I spent all day shaking a box of wood and glue together to see if at some point I could open the box and take out a model airplane. Well, I'm sad to say, it did not work. That got me thinking about evolution.

How is it that people believe that at one point in time there was a lot of nothing - then things got shaken up (big bang) and somehow life happened? The argument for evolution has no more proof, and requires just as much faith, as the argument for creation.

For example, consider the bombardier beetle. This little bug shoots boiling hot chemicals (aka fire) out of its rear end - sort of like William Wallace from the movie Brave Heart - except the beetle really does it. Think about the way evolution would work. The beetle is learning how to shoot ever so carefully, but messes up - ka pow - no more beetle. I know evolutionists try very hard to come up with a scheme where such a creature could evolve, but they really have to stretch a lot (even for an evolutionists).

Want to know more about the beetle, check out this video.

Image is from here. I didn't see any copy right information.

Baptism

It is great to see people come to the Lord. Watching people being baptized into the family of God is a wonderful thing to behold - it is a great step for a new Believer to take.

Below is a video from last Easter where we had the privilege to see five Believers baptized in one service. We have seen others baptized since then, just don't have the videos handy.

God Bless
steven

The heavens declare His glory

I sure do miss the New Mexico skies. Texas has its own beauty - but there is nothing like a New Mexico sky.

This picture is from Reserve, NM on Easter morning. Every time I see this picture I am reminded that "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands" (Psalm 19:10.

The creation is amazing, everything with a place, everything with a purpose, everything so wonderful just the way God made it. Next time you are outside, just take a moment to enjoy what God has made for us and thank him for it.

You're gonna die

Not real sure why - but I was thinking of that song, you know the one where Chris Rock says something like: "this is your horoscope" ... "your gonna die."

I'm not real sure the song is edifying and I don't endorse Chris Rock, but he makes a good point. You're gonna die! We all are going to die. Perhaps the more important question is this: where ya goin' when you die? Well, here are your options: A) Heaven or B) Hell.

There is comfort for Believers because God's word says: "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life" (John 5:24). "But whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God" (John 3:18).

I pray you can find comfort in the fact that one day, when you die, you will not come into judgment.

blessings,
steven

The Love of God

Today I am going to preach at one of the local nursing homes. This is something that is important for churches to do - that is, take church to those who can't go to church.

Preparing for this afternoon, I read through that ever popular Bible verse, John 3:16. Except today I notice something that I haven't really paid much attention to before.

The only begotten of the Father was sent because there was no other way by which men might be saved. You see, just like the serpent, we are told "the Son of Man must be lifted up" (v. 14) so that we might have eternal life. There is absolutely, positively no other way to be saved.

If there were some other way, "then Christ is dead in vain" (Gal 2:21) and Jesus lied when he said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6).

Thinking about this, read John 3:16 again, and notice the Love of God. "God sooooo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (emphasis mine). Now, that is love.

May the Lord bless you today.

The cost of following Christ ...

It is all to often that we neglect to consider the cost to follow Christ. Now, I don't aim to explain any deep theological truths here, but consider the following example.

Before Timothy could go with Paul, he had to be circumcised. Luke records it this way: "Paul wanted [Timothy] to go with him; and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek" (Acts 16:3).

This might not seem like a big deal, but be aware, circumcision is not something you do and then go on your way like it never happened. Even in babies, circumcision is a traumatic experience that requires time to heal from and adapt to. In an adult (like Timothy) the recovery would be even worse. So what's my point?

Here it is. Timothy had to make a conscious decision to do something that he knew would not be easy. This was something required by him just so he would have the opportunity to share the gospel with the Jewish people. He was willing to put it all on the line (so-to-speak) so he could be used by God.

In our lives, are we willing to do things that we know will make us uncomfortable, just so we can have the opportunity to be used by God.

May God be glorified in your life.

Babies

Right now the wife is changing a diaper - have you ever noticed that when you have a baby it is suddenly okay to talk about the color of poop? I know that sounds really gross, but just ask around, you'll find it is true.

Speaking of babies, have you ever considered the wonder of life? The psalmist writes: "You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well." (Ps 139:13-14)

Holding a new born baby is one of the most amazing, heart changing, moments that can ever be experienced. Indeed, 'Marvelous are [God's] works.'

~blessings