Faith Tested 9/26-30/20

26-30 September 2020 - Faith Tested - Manna by Dorothy & tony

            Often it has been said, “Our faith is being tested.” Why are we being tested? There has to be a reason for our faith to be tested. God has spoken to my heart to study this subject, “What is faith?” It is found in Hebrew 11:1, “Now faith is the substance (assurance, title-deed) of things (seen and unseen) hoped for, the evidence (proof, conviction) of things not seen.”

            This is the only definition (meaning) of faith found in the Bible, and it is not complete. This means Hebrew 11:1 is the only verse of the whole Bible that explains what faith is and there’s a lot more to it that we have no idea what it would be like. Faith is out of our reach and it is farthest side, something that is not natural for us to own with sight only.  (Some idea notes are translated from the Christian Life Bible)

            For example, “that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith …to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge” (Eph.3:17-20). The love of Christ in its fullness is out of our reach and not even with all our knowledge.  It is impossible to understand even with our own limited mind.   

            Yet, by faith, the most humble believer can begin to know the love of Christ, which cannot intellectually be understood. Our smartest mind cannot really lay hold of it or grasp it.  Blessed Holy Spirit who encouraged us and make sure that we sense Jesus’ love in our hearts when we think of Calvary, how He laid down His life for us.

            Dorothy: Still, we questioned why is our faith being tested? I thought of the answers from 1 Peter 1:7-9. “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perished, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. 8) Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 9) Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.”

            Peter with Christ, had heard Jesus told Thomas, “be not faithless, but believing. Jesus said to us, “be not faithless, but believing.” Our faith is like gold.  Our minds cannot really understand what was going on around the panic times, but Jesus has words for us, “be not faithless, but believing.”

            What this means to me?  I constantly comforted Tony with his daily pain on his right upper arm with rubbing cream to reduce the pain, and help him stretch his right arm. Even Doctor said that the x-ray shows improvement.  It’s a slow healing.  Then to hear Jesus tells me, “not to be faithless, but believing.”  So the words of the Lord promised healing. So I am encouraged by the word of my heavenly Father to keep on believing Him. Thank You, Lord!

Song: I Will Praise Him

I will praise Him,

I will praise Him.

Praise the Lamb for sinners’ slain.

Give Him glory all ye people.

For His blood can washed away stain.

(Inspiring Choruses).         

God bless your comfort hearts, 

Dorothy

Fiery Serpents 9/21-25/20

 21-25 Sept. 2020 - The Fiery Serpents – Sharing Bible Study by Dorothy

Story that combined with Numbers 21:4-9 from Christian Life Bible lesson. 

          Near the end of their forty years of wandering in the wilderness, some of the people sinned the sin that leads to death. In unbelief they spoke against God and Moses. “So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died” (Num. 21:6).

          Their sin was threefold (having three parts). (1) God: “And the people spoke against God … ‘Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?’” (v.5). Unbelief always cries, “WHY?” (2) Moses: “And the people spoke against God and against Moses” (v.5). From verse 4, “… the soul of the people became discouraged on the way.” They were discouraged because the way was hard; they spoke against God, blaming Him and Moses. God sent Moses to them. (3) God’s provision for them: they said, “there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes (sick of) this worthless bread”—manna, bread from heaven      (v.5). God in His mercy gave them water from the rock, and for forty years, He gave them bread from heaven. Instead of praising the Lord for providing for them, they complained about the same food and accused God and Moses of bringing them there to die.

          Many of the Israelites were dying before their time because they had sinned unto death. The people came to Moses believing, repenting, and confessing, “We have sinned.” Then they named their sin: “For we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord that He take away the serpents from us.” (v.7).

          God made the people taste the bitter fruits of their sin. Then they begged Moses to pray that God would take the serpents away. “So Moses prayed for the people” (v.7) and God answered his prayer, but not according to what people want.

          From Numbers 21:8-9 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.”

          By faith they must go to the bronze serpent on pole and look at it, believing that God would heal them.  This was an act of faith; only those who exercised their faith lived. [Exercise= the act of putting into use, action, or practice]

          Jesus knew this story of ‘Fiery Serpents’ very well from Numbers 21:4-9 so Jesus quoted John 3:14-16 “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” As we look to Jesus, placing our faith in Him, we can be saved from the fires of eternal hell (John 3:36) and live with Him forever and ever.

   [Footnote to discuss about Jesus and the bronze serpent in New Testament]

          This was the most amazing illustration that Jesus used the bronze serpent on the pole from the Old Testament to compare Christ on the cross that later on it would be in the book of New Testament. Jesus said, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up.”

          Most of the Jews knew this story about Moses lifted up the bronze serpent on the pole. Do you know the story from the Old Testament, “the Fiery Serpents” to be able to explain to other person? “The Fiery Serpents” is a perfect illustration for complained Christians and for sinners without Christ.

          First of all, this is a warning for Christian who complained a lot and might get bitten by “Satan as a serpent.” The Christian needs to look to Jesus on the Cross to be healed from having a “complained spirit.”

          Secondly, encourage the person to see the picture of Moses with the bronze serpent on the pole. The pole is a symbol of cross. The bronze serpent is a symbol of Satan bitten the sinners and their souls are dying. They need to look to the cross of Jesus for salvation. Pray that their eyes be opened to see this light of Truth.

 

 

Wipe Every Tear 9/15-20/20

15-20 September 2020 - Wipe Every Tear – Manna by Dorothy & Tony

            Revelation 21:3-4 “God Himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

            I kept hearing so many deaths from many different crisis that were happenings from the news. I was thinking about whose lives has been taken away from the families, friends, and love ones. I thought how do one encourage those who lost someone in their situation?

            Then I read the devotion from ‘Our Daily Bread’ on Sept. 14, 2020, the title was “Goodbyes and Hellos.” I thought it was weird, but when I finished read the article, I see the writer’s viewpoint. The writer, Bill Crowder wrote about the loss of his brother David when he suddenly died of cardiac failure. Dave was the fourth of seven children.

            It made me think that I was one of the seven brothers and sisters. I lost three of them, my oldest sister, and my two brothers. Jim was the fourth and he passed away long time ago.   

            Then I read more of Bill Crowder’s writing on how he experienced the loss of his brother and how his perspectives on life has changed him. Perspectives means understanding things in the relationship to each other. His article is kind of difficult for me to translate so I could only point out what impressed him.

            It was about the importance of life on that future reunion, where no goodbyes will ever be needed. So final result we find is in Revelation 21:3-4 “God Himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

            So as Bill Crowder quoted, “Though today we may find ourselves experiencing seasons of long goodbyes, our trust in Christ’s death and resurrection promises an eternity of hellos.”  [End]

            Prayer: Father, I thank You that You’re the living God who gives everlasting life.  I pray that You would use our eternal hope to comfort us in our seasons of loss and grief. [Quoted from ‘Our Daily Bread’]

           

Chorus: God is Still on the Throne

God is still on the throne,

And He will remember His own;

Though trials may press us

And burdens distress us,

He never will leave us alone;

God is still on the throne,

He never forsaken His own;

His promise is true,

He will not forget you;

God is still on the throne.

(Mrs. F. W. Suffield, Sing His Praise)

            So our comfort is God Himself will “wipe every tear” from their eyes. Someday there will be no more deaths, and no more pains in our bodies. Hallelujah! What a comfort thought this is, “eternity of hellos.”  Think about that!

             May God comfort those hearts who have lost their love ones.

Dorothy

Predestination 9/8-14/20

08-14 September 2020 - Predestination – Manna by Dorothy & Tony

The word predestination means to make plans ahead of time or to plan for the future. God decided to plan ahead of what will happen even though they do not happen yet.

Romans 8:29-30 “For whom He forekn0w, He also did predestinate to be conformed (to be like) to the image (likeness in character) of His Son, that He might be the first born among many brethren. V. 30 Moreover whom He did predestinate, them He also called whom He called, them He also justified; and whom He justified, them He also glorified.”

What is God’s plan for our future?  “God planned for them to be like His Son; and those He planned to be like His Son, He also called; and those He called, he (you)  also made right with Him; and those He made right, He (Christ) is glorified” (Romans 8:30 NCV).  Christ’s righteousness in us was God’s plan for us to make Christ so happy to have us being with Him forever.

Here’s a story I would like to share with you.  While I was in bed thinking of the word: Predestination. Then somehow God wanted to share with me. He said, “During those days even before the earth was made, even before the earth was full of water, there was an earth full of dinosaurs, even before the dinosaurs’ time, even before that universe was set up as solar systems, even before anything else was planned, there were just three of us as God, Me, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”

“And thousands of angels we have created to serve us and to worship us. The angels did not have a choice since we created them to be good angels. You know, it is no fun just to be God alone in doing everything for ourselves. So I looked at My Son, and said ‘you need a wife to share with.’”

Then God reminds me the words of Benny Hinn: “There was a conference with God, the Father, God, the Son and God, the Holy Spirit sat together to discuss the plan. God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Genesis 1:26).

God continues to share with me: “From our conference, we foresaw the whole future planned. If man fall, I looked at My Son, and decided His name would be Jesus Christ, and He foresee “Calvary.” He foresee His suffering for mankind and bowed down His head and said, “I accepted.””[Foresee means to see or realize beforehand, plan ahead of time]

“We discussed the risk of giving man a choice because they become as ‘god’ to make their own decision between good and evil.  We also foresee that many would come to love Christ as their Savior and to stand up for Him, even willing to suffer with Him. We foresee the future “Bride of Christ,” the New Jerusalem, a home for the bride.” Rev.21:2

“Like I said, ‘it is no fun to be God alone with everything for ourselves.’  We had so much to give.  Most important: ‘I loved the people so much that I gave My only begotten Son that whosoever believe in Him should not die, but have everlasting life.’” (John 3:16).  God said, “I share this with you so you could share this with others.”

How did I feel after I wrote this Manna? I put my hands over my heart with my head bowed in humility and in awe, I began to sing with tears in my eyes:

Song: O, How I love Him

O, how I love Him,

        how I adore Him.

My breath, my Sunshine,  

        my all in all.

The great Creator

         became my Savior.

And all God’s fullness

         dwelleth in Him.

(Inspiring Choruses)

Dorothy