Get ready to start a journey…a journey through the pages of the Bible and the pages of your life.
God created Adam and Eve and placed them in a perfect environment, the Garden of Eden. Then, in Genesis 3, they ate from the tree God had forbidden, and sin entered the world. And God said, “Oh no! Now what do I do? I must come up with another plan.” Not at all! God knew before creation that it would be necessary for Jesus to redeem humanity.
Simon the Sorcerer from Samaria. Say that five times fast! Simon would have loved to hear his name spoken fast or slow. “He boasted that he was someone great” and was known as the “Great Power of God” (Acts 8:9-11 NIV). Upon hearing the gospel, he made a profession of faith and was baptized. However, Simon’s actions caused questions about the genuineness of his conversion.
Permanent is not a word that describes our time on this earth. We are often reminded in Scripture that we are here for a temporary stay. Here’s how the apostle Peter says it.
Early in life, we learn to live by standards. From our first report card to our SAT score to our annual job performance review, we strive to meet certain levels of achievement. Opportunities and career advancement often come about (or not) based on our accomplishments. But for the believer, how we stack up against others or a system of abstract ideals is not enough. God himself is our standard.
C. H. Spurgeon pastored in London in the 1800s. His writing is relevant and straight to the point. In a book called An All-round Ministry, Spurgeon exhorts believers to do something that counts for Jesus.
The great prophets of old were used by God to serve us. Let that thought rattle around in your head for a while. Because of God’s grace and love for us, the “Spirit of Christ” (1 Peter 1:11) gave visions of the future regarding the coming of Jesus. The prophets on the Old Testament side of the cross did not fully grasp all they were writing about. But for believers, on the New Testament side of the cross, we have the gracious privilege of seeing words written seven hundred years before Jesus lived on this earth come to fulfillment. The prophets were “serving not themselves” but us.