January 15
Gen 31:17-32:12 | PS 13 | Prov 3:16-18 | Matt 10:24-11:6
I would love to find that first Bible that I went through and the notes that I took while reading. When I first went through the Bible in the late 1980's, I never heard of Bible commentary, Christian radio, or Bible-based churches. My theology was probably so far off and so incorrect. Yet through the words of Scripture I was able to piece together the simple gospel message and it was enough to accept His free offer of salvation. Many mistakenly believe that salvation is based somehow on our theological aptitude and how we would score on a multiple choice test. But this is wrong. Our faith and assurance is based on what He did and who He is, not on our ability to decipher theological truths. Some have asked me what will happen if my end times views are incorrect (I believe in a pre-tribulation Rapture and believe that we, believers will not be present on earth during the Tribulation). I simply state, then He will continue to reveal His truths to me according to His timetable, not my own. I love Him and trust Him for my salvation, and that is what really matters. Many get into trouble when they hold too strongly to pre-conceived ideas about God. When things do not happen according to their plans, many will make statements such as, "If God were real, then...", or "If God were fair and just, then...". These types of statements elevate our ideas over God's reality. When we lose loved ones, or develop health problems, or lose that job; this is not a justification that God is not real or that God is not fair, but simply God is doing something that you disagree with. The answer is to see God both in the good times and the bad. For He is the embodiment of love even in the trials of life.
We read in Matthew 11:2-6, "And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?" Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me." At first this question seems odd, coming from a man who baptized Jesus, prophesied about Him and even witnessed the Holy Spirit descend upon Him. But before we are too harsh on John the Baptist, realize he was wasting away in a prison cell, and he also mistakenly mixed up the mission of Jesus' first coming and His second coming. He, along with most others were waiting for a Messiah who would make everything right on the earth, which would of course mean his release from prison. Many find it hard to fathom why Judas could betray Jesus. But Judas thought that Jesus would be the answer to the political problem of Roman occupation, and when it became obvious that his pre-conceived thoughts were wrong, disillusioned with Jesus, he betrayed Him. It is the same reason why the religious leaders largely rejected Him. Caught up in their traditions and their incomplete thoughts of the Messiah, they were blinded as to the Person who was before them.
Unless we understand this, we are in jeopardy of the same error. God doesn't act according to our timetable; He acts according to His eternal plan. Though John the Baptist and Jesus were the greatest 1-2 punch in history, they were largely missed by the masses. We read in Matthew 11:18-19, "For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' But wisdom is justified by her children." Many who rejected Jesus were the theological scholars of the day and as opposed to what many think, were the "good people" of the day. They missed Him because they trusted more in their ability to decipher truth based on their own theology rather than opening their eyes to the presence of Who it was that was before Him. Jesus' gospel message is simple, not convoluted. Coming into a relationship does not mean that everything on earth will now go our way. It means that He will never leave us, both in the good times and the bad. It means that after repentance and acceptance of what He has done for us we get to enter into a relationship with Him and "He will never leave us nor forsake us", both here on earth and in eternity. It means when that loved one dies, that health issue does not go away, and that job is lost, He is standing there right beside us, ready to navigate these difficult waters with us for our benefit and His glory.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: