11/18/19

"THE BOOK OF PROVERBS" Wisdom Regarding Marriage (2) by Mark Copeland


"THE BOOK OF PROVERBS"

Wisdom Regarding Marriage (2)

INTRODUCTION

1. We saw in our previous lesson that Proverbs can be a helpful guide in
   selecting a good spouse

2. In this study, we will consider what it says about being a good
   spouse

3. The importance of this subject should be evident...
   a. Happiness in life is greatly affected by how successful we are in marriage
   b. Even our usefulness to the Lord is affected by the relationship
      between husbands and wives
   c. For example, a husband's prayers can be hindered by his treatment
      of his wife - 1Pe 3:7

[Appreciating the importance of a good marriage, let's begin with that
beautiful passage in Proverbs 31 where we read about...]

I. THE VIRTUOUS WIFE

   A. THE IDEAL WIFE...
      1. Trustworthy - Pr 31:11
         a. The husband can safely entrust her with his income
         b. She will not squander what he gives her, but use it in a
            manner that benefits them both
      2. Filled with an enduring love - Pr 31:12
         a. Devoted to doing her husband good all her life
         b. Just as she vowed in the wedding ceremony
      3. Has practical skills - Pr 31:13-15,21-22
         a. Such as sewing
         b. And cooking
      4. Industrious - Pr 31:16,24
         a. Makes investments (buys land and plants a vineyard)
         b. Provides extra income (makes clothing and sells to merchants)
      5. Compassionate - Pr 31:20
         a. Helping the poor
         b. Reaching out to the needy
      6. Strong character - Pr 31:25
         a. Character matters, and she has developed a strong one
         b. Just as Peter stressed in 1Pe 3:3-4
      7. Speaks words of wisdom and kindness - Pr 31:26
         a. She is thus concerned about what proceeds from her mouth
         b. Just as Paul stressed in Ep 4:29
      8. Diligently sees to her family's need - Pr 31:27
         a. Makes whatever preparation necessary - cf. Pr 31:15
         b. So that her family does not go in want - cf. Pr 31:21
      9. Fears the Lord - Pr 31:29-30
         a. She understands that this quality is more important and
            praiseworthy than physical beauty
         b. With the fear of the Lord, she has the potential for great
            wisdom - Pr 1:7
      -- Such are the qualities of being a good spouse

   B. WHAT A WIFE DOES NOT WANT TO BE...
      1. Contentious - cf. Pr 21:9,19
      2. Hateful - Pr 30:21-23
      -- Both make it where the husband does not want to be around her

[Enough about being a good wife; where can we go in Proverbs to learn
about being a good husband...?]

II. THE VIRTUOUS HUSBAND

   A. WHERE'S THE PASSAGE DESCRIBING THE VIRTUOUS MAN...?
      1. A question often raised by women, sometimes suggesting there is
         none
      2. But bear in mind that the Proverbs are primarily addressed to the man!
         a. There is half a chapter describing the virtuous woman
         b. There are thirty plus chapters describing the virtuous man!
      -- The entire book, if followed, produces a husband any woman
         would love

   B. THE IDEAL HUSBAND...
      1. Values his wife highly - Pr 18:22; 19:14
         a. He realizes that she is a gift from God
         b. Especially when she proves to be prudent
      2. Gives his wife her due - Pr 31:31
         a. Allows his wife the opportunity to develop her own abilities
         b. Lets her reap the benefits of her own labors
         c. I.e., does not treat her simply as an appendage of himself
      3. Praises his wife profusely - Pr 31:28b-29
         a. Praises her frequently
         b. Does not take her for granted
      4. Trusts his wife implicitly - Pr 31:11
         a. Demonstrates a willingness to trust her
         b. In such areas as her intelligence, her faithfulness, her abilities
         c. Is not jealous or suspicious
      5. Content with his wife's love - Pr 5:15-21
         a. Does not look elsewhere
         b. Will save him and his family much harm
      -- A few examples of how Proverbs can help a man be a good spouse

CONCLUSION

1. So much of the joy and meaning of life that God would have us enjoy
   is lost if there is not a good marriage

2. As Solomon wrote in another book of wisdom...

   "Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your
   vain life which He has given you under the sun, all your days of
   vanity; for that is your portion in life, and in the labor which
   you perform under the sun." - Ec 9:9

The book Of Proverbs can also guide us in developing wholesome families.
Our next study shall consider examples of inspired advice on providing
for a family and raising children...



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Proof of Bible Inspiration: Shaking the Head by Dave Miller, Ph.D.





Proof of Bible Inspiration: Shaking the Head

by Dave Miller, Ph.D.


Can mere humans predict future events? Not in actuality, since no human being knows the future. Only Deity can do so, or empower a human to do so. For example, living at the beginning of the 21st century, who could possibly provide very detailed, very specific information about the execution of an individual in another country and culture a thousand years into the future? Such ability is beyond human capability. Yet, the Bible portrays just this quality, thereby demonstrating its divine origin.
For example, in a clearly Messianic psalm, King David quoted the Messiah as saying: “All those who see Me ridicule Me; they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, ‘He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him; let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!’” (Psalm 22:7-8, emp. added). In another psalm, a similar allusion is made: “I also have become a reproach to them; when they look at me, they shake their heads” (Psalm 109:25, emp. added). The individual or individuals who wrote these statements had been dead for centuries when Jesus came to the Earth and fulfilled their predictions. Historical fact verifies that the Psalms were complete centuries prior to the first century A.D. And the actions that were fulfilled were not fulfilled by sympathetic persons, but were, in fact, fulfilled unwittingly by hostile enemies of the Messiah. Consider Matthew’s account of what happened at the cross:
And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing (Matthew 27:39-44, emp. added).
How in the world could anyone predict that those who attended the crucifixion would “shake their heads” at Jesus? Lucky guess?
Well over 300 prophecies are scattered throughout the Old Testament that refer specifically to the Messiah. Such a number could not be gleaned artificially from the Old Testament and made accidentally to match the host of circumstances that characterized the life and death of Jesus Christ hundreds of years later in the first century A.D. This point is especially weighty when one sees the specificity of the predictions, from His birth village to His tormentors spitting on Him. Jesus’ disciples were scattered and hiding in fear (yet another feature predicted—Zechariah 13:7), with most of them likely not even attending the crucifixion (Matthew 26:56; John 16:32). They lacked the facility, opportunity, and wherewithal to identify hundreds of minute details about Jesus’ life and death, and then find matching components in the Old Testament text. A few coincidences might have some counterweight, but 300+ such predictions that entail minute details of Jesus’ life on Earth are overwhelming proof of the supernatural element. Indeed, there is an unprecedented cumulative impact of so many details converging into one Person. Only one conclusion is possible: the only way a writer could pinpoint such specific details is if he was guided in his writing by a divine, transcendent Being. This is the only logical, rational, plausible explanation. The Bible is, indeed, the inspired Word of the God of the Bible.

Pitiful Paleolimnological Mumbo—Jumbo by Eric Lyons, M.Min.




Pitiful Paleolimnological Mumbo—Jumbo

by Eric Lyons, M.Min.


Paleolimnology is “the study of past freshwater, saline, and brackish environments” (Sweets, 1997). According to a recent report in the Journal of Paleolimnology, a naturalistic explanation has been uncovered that may reveal why Jesus was able to walk on water. Researchers Doron Nof, Ian McKeague, and Nathan Paldor have proposed that “unique freezing processes probably happened in that region several times during the last 12,000 years” (2006, 35:418). Thus
the unusual local freezing process might have provided an origin to the story that Christ walked on water. Since the springs ice is relatively small, a person standing or walking on it may appear to an observer situated some distance away to be “walking on water” (35:417).
...With the idea that much of our cultural heritage is based on human observations of nature, we sought a natural process that could perhaps explain the origin of the account that Jesus Christ walked on water (35:436).
The same gentleman who proposed more than a decade ago that the parting of the Red Sea was the result of “a wind set-down which exposed a usually submerged ridge” (see Nof and Paldor, 1992), has now taken the lead in attempting to explain away another Bible miracle.
Countless man hours and untold thousands of dollars from various grants and universities have been spent by these three men in an attempt to explain that there may be a possible naturalistic explanation to the account of Jesus walking on water. Unbelievable! Why not just say that it is possible Jesus floated on some drift wood, hopped on rocks, walked on the backs of turtles, or wore inflatable wine skins around his feet? Anyone can concoct unusual, naturalistic explanations for various Bible miracles. But, that does not prove the miracle did not happen.
In truth, the only reason people even know that Jesus was at the Sea of Galilee 2,000 years ago is because the gospel writers said that He was. Why accept this detail as factual but not the miracle Jesus performed? And what about Peter? The Bible claims that he “walked on the water,” too (Matthew 14:29). Where is the researched “rationalization” for this miracle? For a trio of scientists living 2,000 years this side of Jesus to assert that they have a better understanding of this event than Jesus’ own disciples, who witnessed it (some of whom were experienced Galilean fisherman, including the apostle John who wrote about the miracle—John 6:14-21), is the height of “academic” arrogance (i.e., foolishness!—cf. 1 Corinthians 1:20-31). Moreover, the New Testament possesses attributes of supernatural inspiration, hence its reporting of the incident is factual.

REFERENCES

Nof Doron, Ian McKeague, Nathan Paldor (2006), “Is There a Paleolimnological Explanation for ‘Walking on Water’ in the Sea of Galilee?” Journal of Paleolimnology, 35:417-439, April.
Nof, Doron and N. Paldor (1992), “Are There Oceanographic Explanations for the Israelites’ Crossing of the Red-Sea?,” Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 73[3]:305–314.
Sweets, P. Roger (1997), “The Paleolimnology Home Page,” [On-line], URL: http://www.indiana.edu/~diatom/paleo.html.

Pilate—Lost and Found by Kyle Butt, M.Div.





Pilate—Lost and Found

by Kyle Butt, M.Div.


The last few days Jesus’ life were the most tragic of any in human history. Ruthless men and women mocked Him, spit upon Him, and even hit Him. Amidst all the violence, there stood one man who had the power to stop all the torture. One man who could call off the Roman soldiers and save Christ from being crucified. His name—Pontius Pilate, the Roman official who governed the area of Judea at the time of Christ’s death. The story of the crucifixion can hardly be told without mentioning the name of this Roman official who sentenced Christ to death—even though Pilate knew He was innocent.
But although the Bible mentions Pilate on several occasions, his name could not be found among the archaeological evidence. For hundreds of years, no stone inscriptions or other physical evidence could be produced to support the idea that a man named Pilate had anything to do with either Christ or Judea. Because of this, many mocked the Bible and claimed that creative biblical writers concocted Pilate from their own fertile imaginations. After all, if Pilate were such a prominent leader, wouldn’t there be some kind of archaeological evidence to verify his existence?
Once again, however, the critics were silenced when, in 1961, an Italian archaeological team working at Caesarea found a stone tablet that measured 32 inches high, by 27 inches wide, by 8 inches thick. On this slab, now known as the “Pilate Inscription,” were the remains of this simple title: “Pontius Pilate, Prefect of Judea”—almost the exact same title as the one given to him in Luke 3:1. This, then, became yet another find to remind us that the more we uncover the past, the more we uncover the truth—the Bible is indeed the Word of God (see Price, 1997, pp. 307-308).

REFERENCES

Price, Randall (1997), The Stones Cry Out (Eugene OR: Harvest House).

ARE WE ALL GOING TO THE SAME PLACE? BY STEVE FINNELL




ARE WE ALL GOING TO THE SAME PLACE?  BY STEVE FINNELL



There are many who believe it does not matter if men accept God's terms for pardon. They will all be in heaven. They believe we are all going to the same place.

Are we going to the same place? Catholics, Jews, Baptists, Christian Scientists, Muslims, Methodist, The Bahia Faith, Lutherans, the church of Christ found in the Bible, Seventh- Day Adventists, Rosicrucian Fellowship, Lutherans, Assemblies of God, Presbyterians, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, Anglicans, United Pentecostals, Quakers, Buddhists etc.

Jesus said: John 8:24 "Therefore I said to you, that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins." (NKJV)

Jesus did not say. All are going to the same place. All are going to heaven.

Jesus said: Mark 16:16 "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.(NKJV)

Jesus did not say. It makes no difference if you are not immersed in water. It does not matter if you believe, because all are going to the same place.

The apostle Paul said: Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus Christ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. (NKJV)

The apostle Paul did not say. You do not have to believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, because the thief on the cross did not believe Jesus was raised from the dead and he was saved. After all we are all going to the same place anyway.

 John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.(NKJV)

Jesus did not say. I am one of many ways to heaven. He did not say, you do not have to believe in Me, because there are many ways to the Father and all are going to the same place anyway.

How much of God's basic doctrine can men reject and still go to heaven? Are we all going to the same place anyway?

Can one be saved by faith only? by Roy Davison




Can one be saved by faith only?

Justification by faith alone is a basic doctrine of many denominations. People are taught that they are saved the moment they believe in Jesus.
Thousands base their hope of eternal salvation on this doctrine. Often they are extremely dogmatic in condemning anyone who teaches that certain acts of obedience are required for one to be saved.
Does the idea of justification by faith only originate from the Word of God or from a young monk named Martin Luther who wrote 'sola fide' in the margin of his Bible?
First it must be stated emphatically that the question is not whether we are justified by faith, but whether we are justified by faith alone. What if Luther had written, 'by faith' rather than 'faith only'?
The Scriptures clearly teach that salvation is a gift of grace, accepted by faith. We can only be saved by faith, but 'only by faith' is not at all the same as 'by faith only'!
Through a study of relevant passages we will learn that faith must be expressed by specific acts of obedience before one is saved. Justification is by faith, but not by faith only.

We are justified by faith.

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:1, 2).

Salvation cannot be earned by works.

In the early church certain Jewish false teachers claimed that Gentiles had to keep the law of Moses to be saved. Paul's statements about grace and works must be understood in the context of this controversy.
Combating this false idea, he states that even Jewish Christians are saved by grace and not by keeping the law of Moses: “We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified” (Galatians 2:15, 16).
In Romans, chapters 1 through 3, Paul establishes that both Jews and Gentiles are sinners, and can be saved only by the grace of God. Jews cannot depend on the law of Moses for salvation because it is never kept perfectly: “Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20).
Paul continues: “But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe” (Romans 3:21, 22a).
The Law and the Prophets foretold the coming of the Messiah who would bring righteousness to God's people. The law made it clear that Israel needed salvation from sin just as surely as did the Gentiles.
“For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:22b-26).
Because they were God's chosen people, many Jews were self-righteous and thought they were better than the Gentiles. Paul shows that this is not true. They need God's grace just as much as the Gentiles do, and they have no reason to boast.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8, 9).

“Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law” (Romans 3:27, 28).
What is the difference between the 'law of works' and the 'law of faith'? In the first case one strives to earn salvation by his own works. This man bases his salvation on the principle of works. In the second case, one understands that his only hope of salvation is the grace of God. He gratefully accepts God's gift of salvation by faith. This man bases his salvation on the principle of faith.
They who falsely suppose that they can earn salvation by works, might be tempted to boast if they think they are keeping the law better than someone else.
The parable Jesus told “to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others” illustrates this principle: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men - extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.' And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted" (Luke 18:9-14).
The first man depended on his own deeds for salvation. The second man understood that as a sinner he could only be saved by the grace of God.
The various passages where Paul says we are saved by grace and not by works relate to these two approaches to salvation.
“For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? 'Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.' Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: 'Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin'” (Romans 4:2-8).
That this refers to works that are thought to earn salvation is clear from the reference to wages. That Abraham was justified by faith does not mean, however, that he was justified by faith only!

Faith is not complete without obedience.

In the examples of faith in Hebrews 11 we see faith in action: “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance” (Hebrews 11:8); “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac” (Hebrews 11:17). After he passed this test, God said to Abraham: “Now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me” (Genesis 22:12).
This relates to a completely different kind of works, works of obedience through faith. These works are essential for salvation because faith without appropriate obedience is incomplete.
James speaks about this kind of works when he says: “But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.' And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only” (James 2:20-24).
We see that the faith of Abraham was made complete by works. Abraham was justified by faith, but not by faith only! Faith alone without appropriate obedience saves no one.

What works of obedience are required to be saved?

In the letter to the Romans, in which Paul places great emphasis on faith and grace, he also mentions other things that are required.
Salvation is not possible without repentance.
“Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” (Romans 1:4).
During his missionary journeys Paul preached that repentance is required, “testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21). He told the idol-worshipers at Athens: “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30). Paul told King Agrippa that he “declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance” (Acts 26:20). Paul preached that everyone must repent!
When Paul taught that one is justified by faith, he certainly did not mean by faith alone, because he preached everywhere that repentance and the associated works are required.

Salvation is not possible without confession.

“If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9, 10).
Can one be saved by faith alone, without confession? “Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” (John 12:42, 43).
Jesus said that we must be willing to confess Him before men (Matthew 10:32, 33). Could these men-pleasers, who believed in Jesus but were afraid to confess it, be saved by faith alone? Certainly not. Salvation is not by faith alone.
When Paul said that one is justified by faith, he did not mean by faith alone because he taught that confession is also essential.

Salvation is not possible without baptism.

Anyone who thinks salvation is by faith only, without baptism, does not believe Jesus because He said: “He who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16).
Paul taught justification by faith, but not without baptism. After emphasizing grace in Romans, chapters 1 through 5, he tells the saints at Rome that they “had obeyed from the heart” when they were set free from sin (Romans 6:17, 18).
Earlier in the chapter, Paul had said: “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:3, 4).
“As many of us as” is conditional. There are no unbaptized Christians because it is through baptism that a believer enters Christ. He is baptized into Christ. He is baptized into His death. From baptism he rises to walk in newness of life! In baptism the believer is united with the death, burial and resurrection of Christ!
A believer must call on the name of the Lord to be saved: “For whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13).
How did Paul himself call on the name of the Lord? When was he saved?
He believed on the way to Damascus when Jesus appeared to him: “So I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?' And the Lord said to me, 'Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do'” (Acts 22:10).
In Damascus he fasted for three days. That he already believed is evident from his question, “What shall I do, Lord?” He was not yet saved, however, because Ananias told him: “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16).
Paul had already believed for three days. Yet he had to call on the name of the Lord at baptism, being baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, before his sins were washed away. He was justified by faith when his faith was made complete by the obedience of baptism.

Faith alone does not save.

As James explains: “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,' but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe - and tremble!” (James 2:14-19). Can demons be saved by faith only? If not, why do some people think they can be saved by faith only?
After explaining that Abraham's faith was made complete by his works of faith, James concludes: “You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. ... For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” (James 2:24, 26).

What have we learned from the Scriptures?

Can one be saved by faith only? We are justified by faith. Salvation cannot be earned by works. But faith must be made complete by obedience. Various deeds of obedience are required to be saved. A believer must be sorry for his sins and repent. He must confess his faith in Jesus and call on the name of the Lord by being baptized to wash away his sins by the blood of Christ. Without appropriate obedience, he does not yet have a living faith. Through obedience he accepts God's grace by faith and rises from baptism to walk in newness of life. Amen.

Roy Davison

The Scripture quotations in this article are from
The New King James Version. ©1979,1980,1982, Thomas Nelson Inc., Publishers.
Permission for reference use has been granted.


Published in The Old Paths Archive
(http://www.oldpaths.com)

From sunrise to SONRISE by Gary Rose




Just another sunrise at Yellowstone National Park. A new day is dawning with all its endless possibilities. Who knows what can happen, for life is full of surprises. This picture could also represent something else – an idea. Did to ever try to understand something but couldn’t reach that illusive goal of comprehension. You try and try and try, but… nothing. So, you forget about it and later it comes to you. Perhaps only a little at first and then – Wham; like that sunrise, you instantly you get it. As I teen I always wondered what life was all about, but just couldn’t put my finger on what was out of sync. Then, in my mid-twenties, I finally realized what was wrong – I had left God out of my life. Eventually, I became a Christian and I knew what to do with my life; follow Jesus. I had been blinded, but then I saw all things in their true perspective; God’s light. Paul wrote to the Corinthian Christians the following words…


2 Corinthians 4 ( World English Bible )
[1] Therefore seeing we have this ministry, even as we obtained mercy, we don’t faint. [2] But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. [3] Even if our Good News is veiled, it is veiled in those who perish; [4] in whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the Good News of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn on them. [5] For we don’t preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake; [6] seeing it is God who said, “Light will shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.


When you get it, you really get it, for knowing the truth about Jesus and his Gospel message of salvation changes everything. Open your eyes and see, really see, what God wants your life to be like. I promise, it will be more beautiful than any sunrise you can imagine. You might even call it a SONRISE from on high!