2020 - Uncertain Times

Covid 19 is causing a global shutdown in many countries around the world. The death toll from this respiratory disease is rising daily. There is no cure for this Coronavirus. Multitudes of people have lost their jobs or have been placed on stand down. Overseas travel is now severely restricted as nations shut their borders in a desperate bid to stop the spread of Covid 19. In my own country Australia, the various States and Territories are closing off their borders for interstate non-essential travel.

The debilitating effect on the global financial markets has seen nations desperately injecting huge amounts of cash into their economies to prop up their failing economies. Panic buying by consumers in food supermarkets has seen an unprecedented demand, and empty shelves, for essential items such as, toilet paper, face tissues, rice, pasta and pasta sauce. Hand sanitiser and face masks are also in very short supply. In Australia all non-essential retail businesses have been forced to shut their doors. Restaurants and cafes are only allowed to offer take away food to their customers. Social distancing limits are in place, people have to keep a distance of 1.5 metres from each other. Frequent hand washing and/or hand sanitiser use is encouraged for every individual. Many people also use face masks and single use gloves as added protection against the spread of the virus.

Global fear and uncertainty is now the new norm. Fear of the virus, fear of contracting the virus, fear of an uncertain financial future and fear of death from this virus are ever present factors for daily consideration.

What would you say if you knew that events like this Coronavirus were prophesied about 2000 years ago in the Holy Bible? The Lord Jesus Christ spoke the following words to His disciples on the Mount of Olives near Jerusalem. They are only part of what He taught them that day.

Matthew 24:6-8
"(6) And you will hear of wars and rumours of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
(7) For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.
(8) All these are the beginning of sorrows."

Look at verse 7 - famines - pestilences - earthquakes! Collins Concise Dictionary defines pestilence as "any epidemic of a deadly infectious disease, such as the plague." Covid 19 is a pestilence! You can't deny that various nations have famine conditions from time to time. People die of starvation. Earthquakes seem to be on the increase! When I was younger I would hear about an occasional earthquake somewhere on the planet. Now it seems to be an annual occurrence or even more frequent.

The 20th century was characterised by two world wars and numerous smaller wars between nations. The Lord Jesus Christ knew what He was talking about. In verse 8 above He tells us that "All these are the beginning of sorrows."  In other words, there is more sorrow to come upon our world.

Covid 19 is a global pandemic and it is becoming clearer each day that every individual in every nation has to do their bit in trying to stop the spread of this deadly virus. Times like these bring out the best and the worst in people. My wife and I had to do some grocery shopping this morning. As retired senior citizens we have registered for online grocery shopping as we have basically been self isolating ourselves away from our local community. However the huge demand for online grocery shopping has seen a delay in processing our application.

So reluctantly we ventured out this morning to do our grocery shopping. The mood in the supermarket was very subdued. People were endeavouring to maintain 'social distancing' of 1.5 metres from each other. Security people were around to maintain the new shopping guidelines. Shoppers were waiting patiently for others to choose items before moving into that space in the aisle. Strict limits were enforced on items in short supply. Many items were out of stock with lots of empty areas on the shelves. At the cash registers big green dots were on the floors to maintain the mandatory social distance between shoppers.

What was normal life a few short months ago has now become abnormal as people all over the world adjust to the rigid discipline required by Governments to restrict and contain Covid 19. Many people are fearful; with job losses, loss of income, the prospect of perhaps losing your home, restrictions on travel, applying for government financial assistance and wondering if you could be the next person to catch the virus. To say people are worried would be an understatement!

In times like these it's good to know that the true and living God offers us consolation and hope. I don't know your personal circumstances - but God does! Let's look at what the apostle Paul wrote to Christian believers in Philippi.

Philippians 4:19
"And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

Now notice that God will supply all your need through the Lord Jesus Christ. It does not say everything we want. We all have wish lists and things we would like to have, but really our major needs are - food - clothing - shelter. Paul was confident that the needs of the Philippian believers would be met through the Lord Jesus Christ

There are lots of people burdened down with worries and anxieties at present. In the Gospel of Matthew the Lord Jesus reached out to people with these words.

Matthew 11:28-30
"(28) Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
(29) Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
(30) For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

What an invitation! If you are labouring under heavy burdens He will give you rest. Worry is a heavy burden; anxiety is a heavy burden; fear is a heavy burden; mental anguish is a heavy burden. He can take away these burdens and give you peace and rest in your soul. He gives us an illustration to consider. The picture that comes to my mind is that of two oxen yoked together in harness to work. It could be ploughing or pulling a load or maybe pulling a cart or wagon. The oxen have to work not only as a team but also in unison. So the Lord Jesus is telling us to be yoked with Him as a team and learn from Him as we walk and work together. The result is an easy yoke and a light burden culminating in rest for our souls.

Now I want to take a further look at the subject of fear. The apostle John in his 1st Epistle wrote these words.

1 John 4:16-18
"(16) And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
(17) Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.
(18) There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love."

I would like to look at the last verse first. Fear involves torment! Perfect love casts out fear. Why? Because as the verse states, there is no fear in love. When God's perfect love comes it dispels fear. One of the greatest statements in the Holy Bible is in verse 16. God is love! Love is not just an attribute of God, absolute love is God Himself. When we take it back to absolutes we find that God is love. When God created us He gave each of us the ability to love one another. I am not talking about lust or desire or sensual pleasures. Love in its purest form is derived from God.

Let's look at John 3:16, 17 as an example, "(16) For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
(17) For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."

The physical world was not what the Lord Jesus came to save - it was mankind. God's infinite love is such that He gave His Son, Jesus Christ to us to pay the price of our sins and save us from eternal damnation in the Lake of Fire. Are you carrying a heavy burden of guilt and sin on your shoulders? What did we learn in Matthew 11:28" Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." 

The apostle Peter in his 1st Epistle in 1 Peter 5:7 tells us to be, "casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you."  Things are tough right now for millions of people around the world. You do not have to bear the burden alone. The Lord Jesus Christ is a very personal Saviour and He cares for you. Why not accept His offer of salvation and let Him take care of your fears and anxieties. He has never rejected anyone who comes to Him in faith and believes that He is able to (a) to save them from the penalty of their sins and (b) to care for them in this life and in the hereafter.

Jon Peasey

Words of Life blog www.jrpeasey.blogspot.com
Ebooks author page https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/JRPeasey

[All Scriptures quoted are from the New King James version; unless otherwise noted. Words enclosed in [ ] are inserted for clarity. Words in bold type emphasise a point. You may notice some verses are quoted with ... at the beginning, ending or elsewhere in a verse. Only the relevant part or parts of the verse, that relate directly to the current subject matter is quoted.]

[If you have any questions or comments you are invited to contact me via the comments section below.]

"You search the Scriptures"

These words were spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ to Jews who wanted to kill Him. We find the words in the Gospel of John, chapter 5.

John 5:36-40
"(36) But I have a greater witness than John's; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish--the very works that I do--bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me.
(37) And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form.
(38) But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe.
(39) You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.
(40) But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life."

Let's take a closer look at the background to the above verses.

Verse 36
"But I have a greater witness than John's; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish--the very works that I do--bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me.
Jesus is referring to John the Baptist in this verse. John the Baptist was sent by the true and living God to prepare the hearts of the Jewish people for their Messiah. Now Jesus quite clearly tells the Jewish people that God the Father had sent Him (Jesus) to do divine works on behalf of the Father. Such things as healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, making the lame to walk, casting out demons, preaching the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit. He further tells these Jews that these works testified to His divine mission from the Father.

Verse 37
" And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form."
In this verse Jesus is very particular in stating that God the Father Himself sent Jesus for this purpose.
1 John 4:14-15
"(14) And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Saviour of the world.
(15) Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God."

In Matthew chapter 3 we get the Father's testimony to His Son.

Matthew 3:13-17
"(13) Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.
(14) And John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?"
(15) But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness." Then he allowed Him.
(16) When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.
(17) And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

Verse 38
" But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe."
In this verse Jesus the Son of God clearly tells them that they do not have God's words living in them. There is a big difference between hearing and knowing God's words and allowing them to have an ongoing effect in your life. He then informs them that they do not believe that He Jesus had been sent from God.

Verse 39
" You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me."
Now we come to the crux of this blog post. Jesus seems to be commending them for searching the Scriptures. This is always a good thing to do. The Jews realised that they contained the words of eternal life. Who would not like the idea of eternal life? I know I do and I have eternal life as a present possession.

Jesus now points them to a vital link in their search for eternal life. He is saying that the Scriptures bear witness to Himself; that eternal life is linked to Him in the Scriptures.

Verse 40
" But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life."
In verse 39 Jesus is able to commend them for searching the Scriptures. However in this verse He reproves them for not recognising that He is the One who is able to give them eternal life. "But you are not willing to come to Me..." How sad! Religious pride, bigotry and disbelief were keeping them from eternal life.

How about You? Are pride, bigotry and disbelief keeping you from the gift of eternal life? The eternal God has decreed that eternal life is in His Son Jesus Christ. He has also declared that salvation can only be found in Jesus Christ.

Acts 4:10-12
"(10) let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole.
(11) This is the 'stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.'
(12) Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

Romans 6:23
”For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Will you be like the disbelieving Jews in Jesus' time on earth and refuse the gift of eternal life? Or will you become one of the myriads of people who have accepted the gift of eternal life from Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God?

1 John 5:9-12
"(9) If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son.
(10) He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son.
(11) And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
(12) He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life."

John 3:35-36
"(35) The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.
(36) He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

Jon Peasey

Words of Life blog www.jrpeasey.blogspot.com

Ebooks author page https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/JRPeasey

[All Scriptures quoted are from the New King James version; unless otherwise noted. Words enclosed in [ ] are inserted for clarity. Words in bold type emphasise a point. You may notice some verses are quoted with ... at the beginning, ending or elsewhere in a verse. Only the relevant part or parts of the verse, that relate directly to the current subject matter is quoted.]

[If you have any questions or comments you are invited to contact me via the comments section below.]

Jusified by faith

Romans 5:1
"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ"

This Scripture leads us to ask some questions. What is the significance of the word therefore? What is it to be justified? Why does it have to be by faith? Why does it bring about peace with God? Why does this peace come through our Lord Jesus Christ?

What is the significance of the word therefore?
The answer to this question lies in Romans chapter 4. The chapter highlights the patriarch Abraham. Romans 4:3 "For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness."

Romans 4:20-22
" (20) He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,
(21) and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.
(22) And therefore "it was accounted to him for righteousness."

In faith Abraham believed that what God had promised that God would bring it to fruition. Therefore his faith in God was justified when Isaac was born.

What is it to be justified?
In general terms it means to be vindicated and to be held blameless. If you have been accused of some impropriety, examination of the facts will prove that you are blameless. The results of the examination will justify your innocence. In Abraham's case he had to wait a lot of years before God fulfilled His promise. It would have been easy for Abraham to give up in unbelief. So Abraham was justified in God's eyes by his faith in God.

Why does it have to be by faith?

God cannot justify us by our works; since examination of the facts reveal that we are all sinners against God. Romans 3:23 "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." There is an immediate problem; we have all fallen short of God's standards. We have an incredible debt of sin to pay to God and we can't work our way out of this debt. There is a price to pay for our sins.

Romans 6:23 tells us that, "the wages of sin is death..." People die everyday of every year. Here is the reason why.

Ephesians 2:1-3
"(1) And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,
(2) in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,
(3) among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others."

Here is how God views the sinner - dead in trespasses and sins. In God's eyes what we consider our good works are dead works and therefore have no value in His eyes.

Ephesians 2:8-10
"(8) For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
(9) not of works, lest anyone should boast.
(10) For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."

Notice the difference - saved through faith - not through works. The good works mentioned in verse 10 are subsequent to our salvation through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ - not before we are saved.

Why does it bring about peace with God?
We have seen that we are justified in God's eyes through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. So how does Christ make this happen? Earlier we looked at the incredible debt of sin we each have. There is no way any of us could pay off or work off our debt. That's why God sent His Son! Christ was the only person qualified to pay our debt of sin. Now you need to grasp this truth. You are utterly incapable of paying the debt of your sins - Jesus Christ the Son of God paid for them at Calvary. In doing so He made peace for us with God.

Colossians 1:19-20
"(19) For it pleased the Father that in Him [Christ] all the fullness should dwell,
(20) and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross."
Ephesians 2:13-14
"(13) But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
(14) For He Himself is our peace..."

The result is that, "...we have peace with God..."

Why does this peace come through our Lord Jesus Christ?

Christ is the only person who could bring about peace with God.

1 Timothy 2:3-6
"(3)...God our Saviour,
(4) who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
(5) For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,
(6) who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time"

As our Mediator, Christ achieved peace with God for you and me on the cross at Calvary. Proof of that are His death, burial, resurrection and ascension to God's right hand in Heaven.

Do you know the peace of God in Your life? Do you know what it is to be justified in God's eyes by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ? If you stay in your sins you cannot be justified by God. You will still be, "...dead in trespasses and sins..."

Now is the time to do something about it! Hear the plea of Jesus Christ the Son of God.

Matthew 11:28-30
"(28) Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
(29) Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
(30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Jon Peasey

Words of Life blog www.jrpeasey.blogspot.com
Ebooks author page https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/JRPeasey

[All Scriptures quoted are from the New King James version; unless otherwise noted. Words enclosed in [ ] are inserted for clarity. Words in bold type emphasise a point. You may notice some verses are quoted with ... at the beginning, ending or elsewhere in a verse. Only the relevant part or parts of the verse, that relate directly to the current subject matter is quoted.]

[If you have any questions or comments you are invited to contact me via the comments section below.]