Bible Minute

[nChrist]

Daily Bible Study

Date: Nov 22, 2007
Topic: Thankfulness


God Gives Salvation

Do you know anyone who--every single day--complains! Maybe it's a coworker who is constantly negative or a relative who voices unhappiness every time you see him or her. Have you noticed that when you're with a complainer, your own attitude begins a downward spiral?

That's why taking some time to stop and give thanks is an emotional and spiritual necessity.

What Does the Bible Say

In his letter to the Colossians, Paul wrote, "May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light" (Colossians 1:11-12, ESV).

We have a lot to be thankful for. But without salvation, that wouldn't be true. Our lives would be hopeless. It is salvation that gives us forgiveness from sin, a relationship with God and a future in heaven. Salvation strengthens us and gives us endurance. It is salvation that allows us to experience patience and joy and, ultimately, thanksgiving. It all comes because we have been "qualified…to share in the inheritance of the saints in light."

To the Thessalonians, Paul put it this way: "But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth" (2 Thessalonians 2:13, ESV).

Before you thank God for anything else today, thank Him for your salvation. Thank Him for His great love that sent Him to the cross to die for your sins.

My Thoughts

As you read these other memorable thanksgiving passages from the New Testament, think about the following questions.

Acts 28:15: How can we encourage thankfulness in others?
Romans 1:21: What can happen when we don't give thanks?

My Part

If anything, holidays tend to elevate stress rather than relieve it. So, take some time today to pray for God's grace so you may meet the day's challenges. Make it a point to demonstrate thanksgiving around your friends and family today, and then resolve to thank God daily for His blessings.

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[nChrist]

Daily Bible Study

Date: Nov 23, 2007
Topic: Thankfulness, Jesus, Salvation


Thankful For Your Savior

When was the last time you thanked Jesus for being your Savior? Is it a daily practice? Or is it something you did only when you were first saved? The fact that God has given you the precious gift of His Son, Jesus, who died for your sins and made it possible for you to have peace with God and eternal life…well, that's worth a "Thank You!

What Does God Say?

The Bible records a number of people who praised God for the gift of the Savior. Mary started it. When she was told her son would be the Savior of all mankind, she turned to praise:

"My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior" (Luke 1:46-47, ESV).

Zechariah starts his song with,

"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has visited and redeemed his people
and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David" (Luke 1:68-69).

And he then goes on through verse 79 to recount the great promises of God's salvation.

Simeon and Anna were two elderly people who'd devoted their lives to God and who had spent years praying for the promised Savior to come. When each met the baby Jesus, his or her heart overflowed in gratitude. Simeon said,

"Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace,
as you have promised.
I have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared for all people.
He is a light to reveal God to the nations,
and he is the glory of your people Israel!" (Luke 2:29-32, NLT).

And while Anna's specific words are not recorded for us, "she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem" (Luke 2:38, ESV).

My Thoughts

Having a Savior is definitely a matter for thanksgiving. God didn't have to do this for us--He didn't have to give us a Savior, the forgiveness of sins, fellowship with Him and eternity in His presence. But He did, even though it meant sacrificing His own Son. We can't really imagine what that cost God, but we can thank Him for it.

John 3:16 is so familiar we just rattle it off. Take a couple minutes right now to read it again. Read it a second time in a different translation or paraphrase (If you don't have one available, go to www.biblegateway.com and select a translation from the numerous options there.) Then answer these questions:

● Who does God love?

● What did this love cost God? (You may want to respond to this question by drawing a picture. Give your picture an appropriate title.)

● What is the purpose of this love?

My Part

Now, how will you apply this? Let's make it really easy. Just do it--just take a moment or two as you go through your day to say thank you to God for the gift of Jesus your Savior. Borrow a Bible verse of praise, maybe one from this study, if you need it.

Look for another opportunity tomorrow and the day after that. When you feel like you've blown it in some area, be thankful again that you have a Savior who took care of that sin and forgives you. Before long, you'll make gratitude a daily, positive habit.

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[nChrist]

Daily Bible Study

Date: Nov 26, 2007
Topic: Thankfulness


The Basis For Thanksgiving

Two men were taking a shortcut through a field one day when they spotted an enraged bull. Instantly they darted toward the nearest fence. The storming bull followed in hot pursuit, and it was soon apparent they wouldn't make it. Terrified, the one shouted to the other, "Put up a prayer, John. We're in for it!"

John answered, "I can't. I've never made a public prayer in my life."

"But you must!" implored his companion. "The bull is catching up to us."

"All right," panted John, "I'll say the only prayer I know, the one my father used to repeat at the table: 'O Lord, for what we are about to receive, make us truly thankful.'"

While that prayer was never intended for the purpose John used it, the sentiments were right on. Whatever life sends our way, we can be thankful--and the Bible tells us why.

What Does God Say?

"So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it.

"And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, 'I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.' And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, 'Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.' And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, 'This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.' And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, 'This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood'" (Luke 22:8, 14-20 ESV).

● What event were Jesus and His disciples celebrating?
● What did the bread and cup represent according to Jesus?
● What was Jesus' attitude as He shared the bread and cup with His disciples?

My Thoughts

The Passover was a celebration of thanksgiving for the Israelites. As they shared the various elements of the Passover meal, each item reminded them of the cruel bondage they endured as slaves in Egypt and the amazing way in which God had delivered them.

As Jesus shared the Passover meal with His disciples, He instituted a new significance to the unleavened bread and wine. They became a reminder no longer of what God did in Egypt but of what Jesus was going to do through the cross.

The purpose of the meal hadn't changed--it was still one of thanksgiving. But it was now a thanksgiving for deliverance from the bondage of sin. And it represented the steadfast hope of a future spent with God.

Read Exodus 12:1-13. Think about the people's situation, what it took to deliver them from the tenth and last plague as well as how the people were to respond. Find at least three similarities between this event and what took place at the Lord's Supper in Luke 22:17-19.

My Part

No matter what may happen to you in life, you can still be thankful. Draw a picture or express in words one thing that the Lord's Supper reminds you to be thankful for.

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[nChrist]

Daily Bible Study

Date: Nov 27, 2007
Topic: Jesus


Jesus Is Alive

Jesus is alive! Those are among the most triumphant--if not the most triumphant--words ever exclaimed. Because Jesus is alive, we have hope. Because He is risen from the dead, we have a foundation for faith. Because He is no longer dead, we have victory.

Take a few moments and let those thoughts sink in. And then turn to 1 Corinthians 15 where we'll see what Paul has to say about this amazing fact.

What Does the Bible Say

One of Paul's motivations in writing this chapter was to address a lie that many Corinthian believers were accepting--that there is no life after death. So, Paul begins by reassuring the Corinthians that indeed Jesus is risen, and he points to several hundred people who could testify to seeing the Lord after His resurrection. (See 1 Corinthians 15:1-11).

In verses 16 and 17 Paul makes the emphatic statement, "For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!" (NKJV).

We don't put our trust in Jesus just because He was a good teacher. We don't believe in Him because He healed the sick. We believe in Jesus because we know that only Christ's death in our place on the cross is sufficient to pay the penalty for our sins. And we know that it was in His resurrection that He proved His worth and His power over death. If Christ wasn't alive right now, Paul says, "we are of all men the most pitiable"
(1 Corinthians 15:19, NKJV).

"But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep" (1 Corinthians 15:20, NKJV). Jesus isn't the only one who will ever be raised into a glorified body, just the first. And this is the victory. That even though sin will destroy the body we inhabit now, we "will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed...thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ"
(1 Corinthians 15:52,57, NKJV).

My Thoughts

Paul's last words to the Corinthians in chapter 15 are God's words to you today: "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 15:58, NKJV). Do you ever let yourself think "victorious" thoughts? Try it today whenever you feel tempted to sin or start to feel like there's nothing special about you.

My Part

Most, if not all, ministries and churches have what's called a "Statement of Belief." This outlines that ministry's particular beliefs about God and the Bible. Have you ever written out your own specific "Statement of Belief"? In a couple of paragraphs write what you believe to be true about God, Jesus and the Bible. If it helps, quote the scriptures you know that confirm those beliefs.

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[nChrist]

Daily Bible Study

Date: Nov 28, 2007
Topic: Salvation


God Has Spoken

God has spoken. Are you grateful? You are if you want to know God. And you can be even more grateful because not only has God spoken in the past, He is speaking today. Are you listening?

What Does God Say?

God gave His message to men so they might write it down--we call this the Bible. As we read His Word, the Bible, God speaks to us. What does God want to say to us when He speaks? Look at the verses below:

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17 ).

● List the four ways God's Word is profitable to us.

● What are the results that come from listening to God through His Word?

"For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope" (Romans 15:4, NKJV)

● Why did God have men write down His words?

● What is the ultimate benefit of the Scriptures?

My Thoughts

What is one way that God's Word affects our lives today?

"This is my comfort in my affliction,
For Your word has given me life".(Psalm 119:50, NKJV).

The greatest revelation from God was about His only Son, Jesus, who came to make it possible not to just know about God but to experience God personally and become His child.

"God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds" (Hebrews 1:1-2 NKJV).

My Part

Because God has made the Bible so readily available to us, we can know what God says to us about a relationship with Him through Christ. In fact, God's Word says that His salvation is easily within reach. Today, listen to God speaking to you and accept His salvation.

This is what the Scripture says: "But what does it say? 'The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart' (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that 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. For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved." (Romans 10:8-10,13 NKJV).

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[nChrist]

Daily Bible Study

Date: Nov 29, 2007
Topic: God's Care


God Gives Peace

Several years ago a submarine was being tested and had to remain submerged for many hours. When it returned to the harbor, the captain was asked, "How did the terrible storm last night affect you?"

The officer looked at him in surprise and exclaimed, "Storm? We didn't even know there was one!" The sub had been so far beneath the surface that it had reached the area known to sailors as "the cushion of the sea." Although the ocean may be whipped into huge waves by high winds, the waters below are never stirred.

God provides that kind of "cushion" for Christ followers as well. Let's see how we can have that kind of peace in our lives.

What Does God Say?

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 4:6-7, ESV)

● Paul gives a three-step formula in verse 6 to deal with anxiety. List the three parts of this formula.

● Whose peace do we have?

● What areas of your life does this peace guard?

My Thoughts

Paul wrote these words while sitting in a prison cell in Rome awaiting possible execution. If anyone had a reason to be anxious, it would have been him. But Paul knew what each of us needs to learn--peace doesn't come from our circumstances but from the One who gives peace: God.

The word guard is the same word that was used of the soldiers who were responsible to keep prisoners from escaping. Since their life depended on it (See Acts 12:19.), they were very careful not to let anything happen to the ones they were guarding.

● What are the implications of this word guard?

● Why would Paul specify the areas (in Philippians 4:6-7) which are being guarded?

My Part

What circumstances might be disturbing your heart or your mind? Make a list and take them to the Lord. As you pray about these situations, be sure to give thanks--both for the circumstances and for a God who is big enough to handle them.

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[nChrist]

Daily Bible Study

Date: Nov 30, 2007
Topic: Obedience/Discipleship


Just Do It

Advertisers use all sorts of slogans to get us to pay attention to their products and take action, in other words to persuade us to do what they want us to do, to get us to obey them. One of those slogans is "Just do it!" Let's see what happens when you and I apply that slogan to obeying Jesus.

What Does God Say?

In John 9 Jesus meets a blind man. We don't see this man asking Jesus for healing but the need was there. His disciples thought this would be a good opportunity to play the blame game but Jesus spoke up. "'Neither this man nor his parents sinned,' said Jesus, 'but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.'

"Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. 'Go,' he told him, 'wash in the Pool of Siloam' (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing" (John 9:3-7, NIV).

Jesus spits in the dirt, makes mud, puts it on your eyes and tells you to go for a walk to wash your face. Not the way you'd expect to have your eyesight restored. How would you respond? "Are you crazy?" "This is disgusting." "There's no way this will work."

Did you see how the man responded? No excuses. No questions asked. This man chose to "just do it"...he obeyed.

When Jesus speaks, people listen. They don't always like what they hear or act on what He says, as the rest of John 9 shows you, but they listen. This man listened to what Jesus said. Then he acted on what he heard--"so the man went and washed"--even though it was really a strange request.

Obedience is our positive response to what God has revealed to us. We may not meet Jesus on the street, but we hear Him in God's Word and He challenges us to obey--no excuses, just faith. In fact, there is "the obedience that comes from faith" (Romans 1:5, NIV), which is how we fulfill God's plan and will in our lives.

My Thoughts

Through John 9, you can see how this blind man met Jesus, obeyed Him and grew in his faith and understanding of who Jesus is. You see, obedience is intertwined with faith and relationship. Take a look at a few examples.

John 14:15,21,23:

    * What does Jesus say is the key to obeying Him? What do you gain for your obedience?
    * How does obedience tie to your relationship with Him?


1 John 2:3 and 5:3:

    * What does obeying Jesus say about our relationship with Him?
    * Does obedience mean your life will be miserable?

Matthew 7:24-27

    * What are the two steps to obeying Jesus?
    * What do you gain when you do what He says?

My Part

As you read God's Word, and listen to what Jesus says about how you live your life...just do it. That's the essence of obedience. The blind man got up, muddy eyes and all, and did what Jesus asked of him. The benefit? He could see.

What is Jesus asking you to do right now? Are you blind to what God wants for your life?
Then you have a choice: Obey. Or stay blind. What's it going to be?

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[nChrist]

Daily Bible Study

Date: Dec 3, 2007
Topic: Evil


Risking Hatred

Here's a possible situation and a dilemma: Let's say you move to a new town and proudly fly the banner of your favorite sports team from your new home. Very quickly, though, you find out your neighbors hate that particular team and are very vocal about it. Wanting to make friends, not enemies, you remove the banner and from then on only cheer your team from the privacy of your own home.

Now, here's the dilemma: What if, instead of a sport's team, it's Jesus in your life that attracts the hatred of your neighbors? Do you practice your faith privately, or do you risk hatred by publicly living a life of faith? What would you do?

What Does the Bible Say

It's an interesting question. Some people say that if neighbors or acquaintances are hostile towards you, they will never allow you to tell them about God's grace and salvation. Therefore, if we are to witness to as many as possible, we should downplay our relationship with Jesus, for now, with the hope that in the future they will be less hostile and more receptive to hearing about Jesus.

On the other hand, if your relationship with Christ isn't evident in your interactions with your neighbors, are you really witnessing at all? Isn't it kind of like rejecting one relationship to embrace another?

Let's go to the Bible to find the answer.

When Jesus taught His disciples (and us when we read His Word), He told them plainly, "You will be hated by all for my name's sake" (Matthew 10:22, ESV). Over and over again, throughout the Gospels, Jesus takes it as a given that people will hate Him--and, by extension, those who follow Him. "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you" (John 15:18-19, ESV).

    * Who was Jesus speaking to when He said these things about hatred?
    * Jesus said that Christians would be hated. What reason did He give for the world's hatred toward His followers?
    * What would cause the world to love you?

Did Jesus fail because people chose to hate Him instead of love Him? Of course not. And you aren't failing either when your neighbors hate you for living your Christian faith.

My Thoughts

As long as there is sin in the world, there will be hate in the world. Jesus explained that the world, "hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil" (John 7:7, ESV). In a sense, you and I who pursue a relationship with Christ act like lighting rods. Because the purity of Jesus exposes the sins of the world and because we seek to become Christ-like, we will attract the hatred of those who live in darkness (See John 3:20).

My Part

While we can't control the way other people will respond to us, we can control how we will respond to them. Jesus had a lot to say about how we should respond to those who hate us. Take a few moments with a concordance or an online Bible search engine and find some of those things Jesus taught. Now that you've been able to see what the Bible says about this issue, how would you advise a friend in the dilemma described above? How would you yourself act?

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Daily Bible Study

Date: Dec 4, 2007
Topic: Hope


Anything Good About Death?

You don't have to look far to find bad things about death. A mere drive by a cemetery may remind you that there is a 100 percent mortality rate just because you're human. A quick scan through a historical almanac shows you that even the greatest, richest and most beautiful will breathe a final breath. Mention of the Twin Towers or a roadside bomb in Iraq can fill you with sobering thoughts of the fearsome side of death. Somehow, death goes against the very fiber of your being.

So, is there anything good about death? How does God want us to view this inevitable attack?

What Does God Say?

To look intelligently at death's good side requires you to believe what the Bible says about death, and that you know the Savior who died to free you from its grasp. Death, for an unbeliever, may free him or her from the pain of the moment--but it leads only to an eternity of further suffering, loss and remorse.

Jesus never skirted the subject of death or its consequences, and He made some personal promises that are backed up by His deity.

In John 11:25-26 (ESV) you can read: "Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?'"

My Thoughts

Wouldn't you like to know some of the "good side of death"? Here are some Bible references. Find each of them and look for the corresponding promise below in the bulleted statements. (They are not in the same order.)

Luke 20:36
Romans 6:5
1 Corinthians 15:26
1 Corinthians 15:54-55
Philippians 1:21
Revelation 2:11
Revelation 21:4
Revelation 20:6
Psalm 73:24
Psalm 116:8-9
Psalm 116:15
Romans 8:38-39
Philippians 3:20-21
2 Corinthians 5:8

When you, as a Christian, die:

    * You cannot die again and will be resurrected.
    * Your death will bring gain.
    * You will not be hurt by the second death.
    * You will be imperishable, immortal and victorious.
    * You will be united with Jesus in a resurrection like His.
    * Your tears will be wiped away and there will be no mourning or crying or pain anymore.
    * You will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.
    * Your death will be precious in God's sight.
    * You will be at home with the Lord.
    * You will have seen the last enemy, death, destroyed.
    * You will share in the first resurrection.
    * Nothing whatever can separate you from the love of God including death.
    * Your body will be transformed into a body like His glorious body.
    * God will receive you to glory.

My Part

Prepare for your next Bible Minute lesson by reading all of John 11.Write down the things you learn about death from that chapter. If you're a believer, thank the Lord for the sure promises He has given you. If you have not yet trusted Christ and wonder how to know Him, go to the Meet Jesus link below and ask the Lord to show you how to be a partaker in the good side of death.

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[nChrist]

Daily Bible Study

Date: Dec 5, 2007
Topic: Faith/Trust


Not Afraid of Death

Whether it comes with the suddenness of a midnight phone call or after a lingering illness, death is always troubling. That's why Jesus' words as He talked to His disciples about His own death just hours before He was nailed to a cross are surprising, "Don't let your hearts be troubled" (John 14:1, NLT).

What Does God Say?

A heart that's not troubled in the face of death? How is that possible? Here's the whole passage.

"Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father's home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.

"'No, we don't know, Lord,' Thomas said. 'We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?'
"Jesus told him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!" (John 14:1-6 NLT).
Jesus assures us that we can have untroubled hearts in the face of death. List at least three ways, from this Scripture, to experience an untroubled heart and at the same time face death.

Notice that Jesus is not focusing on death and dying but on who He is and what He promises us.

That reminds us of salvation. Becoming a Christian is never about us--what we do or don't do, where we are born or what our status in life is. Salvation is always about Jesus--that He is the Son of God and the Savior for all of us, and that He died on the cross that our sins might be totally and completely forgiven.

Living the Christian life is the same--it's all about Jesus. And it's the same with death and dying--the key to an untroubled heart when facing death is to have trusted Him as Savior, to have committed your life to Him and to stay focused on Him. The Psalmist lived the truth that Jesus taught:

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me" (Psalm 23:4, ESV).

My Thoughts

The Psalmist experienced the peace of God even before Jesus' words were recorded in the Bible. How could he have a peace like that?

When you have faced the death of a loved one or considered your own death, have you experienced a measure of the comfort the Psalmist refers to in Psalm 23?

Read John 14:1-6 again. Were you surprised by Thomas' frank admission that he didn't know where Jesus was going? or by Jesus' answer?

Why was it important that Jesus' answer to Thomas emphasized that He was the only way to know the Father?

My Part

Ready for life? Ready for the afterlife? You are if Christ is your Savior and Lord. Because we know resurrection is coming, we see death as just the next step in the process toward living forever with God in heaven.

That's the only way to live--and to die.

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Daily Bible Study

Date: Dec 6, 2007
Topic: Hope, Christian Living/Situational


Jesus Changes Death

Maybe you're familiar with an optical illusion in which a picture portrays an old woman with a large nose or a young woman with her face turned away looking to the side. Which portrait you see depends on the way you view the painting.

Death is the same way. When viewed from the perspective of the world, it's like an ugly hag. But Jesus has changed that perspective. Let's see how Christ can change our view of death.

What Does God Say?

"Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, "Lord, he whom you love is ill." But when Jesus heard it he said, 'This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.' Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was (John 11:1-6, ESV).

"Then Jesus told them plainly, 'Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him'" (John 11:14-15, ESV).

● Jesus gave two reasons for not rushing to heal Lazarus. What are they?
How might this relate to today?

● In the first passage Jesus says, "This illness does not lead to death." In the second set of verses Jesus says, "Lazarus has died." What does this seeming contradiction reveal about Jesus' view of death?

● Although it's not stated in the story, how do you think this experience changed Lazarus, Mary and Martha's view of death?

My Thoughts

If you were to read this story in its entirety, you would discover that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead even though he had been in the grave for three days (the point at which under normal circumstances the body began to decay). Jesus was raised from the dead on the third day as well.

● What does this tell you about God's power over death?

● How does knowing this change your view of death?

My Part

Most people fear death. They view it as a permanent severance from everything and everyone they love. But Jesus changed all that. Through the lives of those He brought back from death (In addition to Lazarus, see Mark 5:35-43 and Luke 7:11-15.) and from Christ's own Resurrection, we have the assurance that death is not final. As a Christ follower, you can have a totally different view of death than those who don't know Christ. If you don't have that viewpoint, ask God to help you see death from His perspective--not as an end but as a doorway to a life that is eternal.

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Daily Bible Study

Date: Dec 7, 2007
Topic: Jesus, Pain/Suffering, Faith/Trust


Faith When You Grieve

When you're grieving the loss of a loved one, it's easy to focus on only the questions, the heartache or the changes you're facing. But don't let grief wreck your faith; exercise faith as you recover and find hope for your future.

What Does God Say?

In John 11, Jesus arrives in Bethany a few days after the death of His friend Lazarus. Lazarus's sisters, Martha and Mary, are wrapped up in their grief and a little unhappy that Jesus took so long to get there. In John 11:21, Martha says, "Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died" (NLT). And Mary says the same thing in 11:32.

That's pretty typical, isn't it? We lose a loved one and we tell God He could've stopped it. We even get angry because He didn't do what we wanted. But if we stop there, we miss an opportunity to grow in faith. Mary did that--she says, "Jesus, I wish you'd been here to stop Lazarus from dying."

However, in John 11:22, Martha spoke in faith, "But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask"(NLT). At first, she's focused on the general resurrection of the future (John 11:23-24), but then in John 11:24-26 Jesus tells her, "'I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?'" (NLT).

"What do you really believe about Me?" Jesus asks Martha. And when you're facing grief and loss, Jesus asks you that too. What do you really believe? It often takes a time of difficulty to refine our faith, to distill its essence and find the bottom line. If you believe Jesus is who and what He says, you can trust Him, even with the death of someone you love.

John 11:27 records Martha's answer, "'Yes, Lord,' she told him. 'I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God'" (NLT). That "I have always believed" is a strong statement of faith. Martha sees what you and I need to see--that Jesus is always exactly who He said He is--the Son of God. The circumstances of our lives, the testing of our faith, never change who Jesus is.

My Thoughts

Martha and Mary had the joy of seeing their brother returned to life right then and there. Today, when those we love die, we have to trust God for that future resurrection. Let's see what else the Bible says about faith, hope, death and grief:

Job 19:25-27
Psalm 23:4
Psalm 116:1-15
Philippians 1:20-26
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Revelation 21:1-4

    * What are some ways you see faith exhibited?
    * What promises do you find about death and life after death?
    * Where does your hope come from?
    * What are you putting your faith in for the future?

My Part

When you're grieving, do you stop where Mary did? Or do you take the next step and put your faith in Jesus as Martha did? It helps to know what you believe about Jesus now, before your faith is tested by grief. Remember Martha's second response? "I have always believed." Take a few minutes to create your own statement of faith about Jesus, life, death and your hope for the future.

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Daily Bible Study

Date: Dec 10, 2007
Topic: God's Care


The Resurrection and the Life

During the course of His life, we see Jesus demonstrating His authority over every aspect of Creation. In Luke 8:24 He calms the raging storm. In John 21, we read about a miraculous catch of fish, and we see Jesus' authority over the animal kingdom. Multiple times throughout the Gospels, Jesus heals the sick and drives out demons. When we read about Nicodemus (John 3) or the woman at the well (John 4), we see that Jesus has the power to grant spiritual hope. And in John 11, we see that Jesus is Lord over not just every aspect of life but life itself.

What Does the Bible Say

In John 11:17 we read that "Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days" (ESV). This wasn't a mistake. Only a couple verses earlier, we read that Jesus knew Lazarus would be dead before He arrived in Bethany (See John 11:11-15.)

As He comforted Martha, the sister of Lazarus, Jesus told her, "'Your brother will rise again.' Martha said to him, 'I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day'" (11:23-24, ESV). Martha was right of course. We know that when Jesus returns to establish His Kingdom on earth, those who love Him will be retuned to life to live with Him in heaven (See 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.)

But the conversation between Martha and Jesus did not end there. Jesus went on to tell her: "'I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die" (John 11:25-26, ESV). Whether or not Martha understood at that moment that Jesus could raise her brother then and there is unclear. But we do know that by the end of the chapter, there was no doubt in her mind that Jesus was indeed Lord over life itself.

My Thoughts

So, what does this mean for us today? It means that for the believer there's absolutely no problem in any area of life that Jesus is not sufficient to handle. Even the shroud of death has been pierced and a bright glorious future waits for those of us who call Jesus Lord.

In what ways can you let Jesus exercise His authority in your life today?

Are there any areas of life that you find hard to give over to God? Why?

How does it (should it) impact your life knowing that not even death will separate you from God's will?

My Part

Take some time in prayer today to thank Jesus for demonstrating His lordship over every area of life and death. Pray that He would enable you to allow Him more control over those things that keep you up at night. Keep a journal of your prayers and be sure to look back over it as time goes on to see how God has answered.

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Daily Bible Study

Date: Dec 11, 2007
Topic: Faith/Trust


Faith and Dying

Is the name Jean-Francois Gravelet familiar to you? Better known as The Great Blondin, he was the first man to cross Niagara Falls on a tightrope, an event he repeated many times. The story is told that once he pushed a wheelbarrow across the Falls and then returned with the wheelbarrow loaded with a 100-lb sack of flour. He subsequently asked the crowd if they thought he could push a man across.

When they shouted, "yes," he asked for a volunteer. Silence.

Faith is more than just assent. When you face death, you do not want to guess, hope or speculate. You want to know. And that's where Jesus comes in.

What Does God Say?

"Jesus told her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?" (John 11:25-26, NLT).

Martha's brother had just died. Jesus was asking Martha if she believed that He could raise her brother from the dead.

    * Why would Jesus ask Martha that question?
    * How do you think Martha responded?

"Yes, Lord," she told Him, 'I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God'" (John 11:27, NIV).

My Thoughts

Do you think that Jesus was teaching not only Martha but also us through His question?

Did Martha really believe in her heart that Jesus could and would raise her brother from the dead?

What about you? When it comes to death and dying, where is your faith? Notice that Jesus does not say that everyone has the hope of never perishing, but only those who believe in Him--those who have taken Jesus to be their Savior, taken God to be their Heavenly Father and have taken the Holy Spirit to be their guide. To those people, Jesus promises eternal life and declares that death is only a brief doorway to resurrection and the beginning of eternity with Him.

My Part

Watching someone cross Niagara Falls on a tightrope would be scary. Riding in a wheelbarrow while someone pushed it over a tightrope strung across the Falls would be terrifying. But facing death and having no assurance would be even more dreadful. In fact, dreadful beyond words. That's why the truth Jesus teaches here is so significant and can affect our lives for eternity.

"Jesus told her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?'"? (John 11:25-26, NLT).

Do you believe? Do you trust Jesus with all your heart; do you have the assurance that He will keep His Word? Then you can face death and dying knowing that you will live eternally with your Savior.

"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world" (John 16:33, NLT). "I am leaving you with a gift--peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid" (John 14:27, NLT).
Take a moment to thank Jesus that you can have such an assurance.

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Daily Bible Study

Date: Dec 17, 2007
Topic: Worship/Praise/Worthiness


Wise Persons Still Worship Him

Have you received a Christmas greeting or seen a bumper sticker that says, "Wise Men Still Seek Him"? It's a popular, catchy saying these days. It refers to the visit of the wise men, or Magi, who traveled from a faraway country to find Jesus, the royal child born in Judea.

But perhaps the bumper sticker should read, "Wise persons still worship Him." We'll see why in this study. First, look at the Bible verses below, taken from the Gospel of Matthew.

What Does God Say?

Matthew 2:1-2 (ESV)
"Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, 'Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.'"

Matthew 2:9-12 (ESV)
"After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way."

From the information in the Bible passages above, answer these questions:

    * Where did the wise men come from?
    * Does the Bible say how many wise men there were?
    * What sign prompted them to undertake the long journey to Judea?
    * What did they call the child?
    * What did the wise men say was their main purpose for the journey?
    * What did they do first when they saw the child?
    * What hint do you see that shows these were rich and powerful men?
    * Why did the wise men take a different route home?

My Thoughts

The Magi traveled for a long time from a far country to find the child Jesus. They looked for Him, not out of curiosity, but because they longed to worship Him and rejoice in His presence. They wanted to celebrate the birth of the King of kings. They came prepared with magnificent gifts because they had learned from ancient prophecies that this child was One like no other and that He was worthy of all their worship.

The old Westminster Shorter Catechism asks, "What is the chief end of man?" The answer is, "Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever."

The wise men from the East desired to glorify the Lord Jesus. Is Christmas, for you, a time of worship, praise and glorifying God? Take a few moments to look up the following Bible verses. Consider how the persons mentioned rejoiced at Jesus' coming.

    * Luke 1:39-45--Elizabeth and the unborn John the Baptist
    * Luke 1:46-49-- Mary the mother of Jesus
    * Luke 1:68-75-- Zechariah the father of John the Baptist
    * Luke 2:13-14-- God's angelic host of heaven
    * Luke 2:20--The shepherds of Bethlehem
    * Luke 2:25-32--Simeon, an old man of Jerusalem
    * Luke 2:36-38--Anna the prophetess
    * Matthew 2:10-11--The wise men of the East

Then, rejoice, praise and worship with them!

Yes, some wise men still seek Him but, more importantly, the truly wise still worship Him.

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight" (Proverbs 9:10 ESV).

My Part

Make this Christmas a time of worship and praise. Begin the day by reading the whole account of Jesus' first coming recorded in Matthew 1:18-2:23 and Luke 1:26-2:39.

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